Talking Points from 2024 Legislative Town Hall for People with Disabilities

Full access to Housing, Transportation, Education, and other Services and Supports are regular challenges for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) as well as older adults and seniors or those with mental or behavioral health care and long-term care needs. The people we serve navigate these obstacles every day – these challenges failing to meet their basic needs, impacting quality of life, and in some cases, preventing full participation and inclusion in our community.

The following discussion points are presented with possible solutions or ideas to address them.

Housing

Affordable and accessible housing are barriers to the people we serve:

People are unable to afford housing because of resource limits and earning caps.

Increase resource limits so people can afford to save money for down payments/deposits

Increase earning caps so people can earn more money without fear of losing their long-term care Medicaid waivers

Exclude a percentage of housing costs when assessing earned income for public benefits

Affordable housing is not always an accessible/barrier-free housing option.

Provide incentives to builders to include accessible/barrier-free units in all new builds

Provide incentives to builders willing to retro-fit housing units for accessible/barrier-free housing options

Require that all new builds include accessible/barrier-free affordable options in new communities

Consider visiting new building sites with a person who has specific accessible needs to fully understand the need for accessible/barrier-free housing

Are you familiar with Universal Design concept and how this is different from the ADA requirements when building new housing?

Affordable housing is often located in high-crime areas/run-down neighborhoods.

Require builders to either renovate low-income housing options for every high-end home built, or donate a percentage of money for every high-end home sold

Invest money or provide incentives to regentrify run-down neighborhoods without replacing affordable housing with expensive housing options

Affordable housing is becoming more difficult to find in our community. It impacts all members of our community, including direct support professionals. DSPs do not make a competitive wage that keeps up with the increase demand of the cost of living in our community.

Rent control will help all members of our community continue to afford the cost of housing

Offering zoning options for “tiny home” communities

Consider public transit needs when approving new housing developments

Units that are considered “affordable housing” should not be allowed to increase rent more than the Social Security Administrations COLA increase

Increase housing subsidies

How can you ensure people with disabilities are assisted/prioritized to access the funding available to help combat evictions now that the moratorium is over?

Accessible housing is becoming more difficult to find in our community.

Currently new community housing is required to have 5% of their living spaces be ADA accessible. Do you feel this is adequate and will accommodate all of the needs of our aging and disability populations? If not, how would you propose the Colorado Springs area improve on their readiness for the upcoming populations?

Consider allowing home modifications in all Medicaid waivers

Offer incentives for people interested in modifying rental properties to make them accessible

Offer incentives for people needing to modify their own homes for accessibility

Create additional protections against ageism, ableism, and exploitation in the application process

Bridge the gap between increasing rents/mortgages and that of (low) fixed incomes.

Transportation

Transportation continues to be an unmet need for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as those with long-term care needs. The lack of accessible transportation impacts all aspects of a person’s life – access to medical care, work, day programs, social opportunities, grocery shopping, etc.

Public transit continues to be a barrier because of long transit times, multiple transfers and restrictions.

Increase service times so people do not have to wait an hour for a bus (study of the most accessed lines and increase the number of buses on that line)

Expand para-transit service area to serve people outside of the current service area

With increased buses on most traveled lines, increase the number of wheelchair accessible areas in buses

Offer a full-day, single ticket unlimited bus pass

Public transit ride sharing option/voucher system for access to shopping and social opportunities

Public transit limits the number of grocery bags to two per person, making it impossible for people to use the bus to shop for food/essentials. This is especially concerning for people living in food deserts who have to travel more than a couple of miles to the nearest grocery store

Public transit limits the size of stroller a person can use when accessing the bus. For a parent with multiple children, this makes public transportation inaccessible

“Walk a day in our shoes;” We challenge every panelist to use public transportation for a week to fully understand the challenges your constituents face daily. Have any panelists accepted the challenge to “walk a day in our shoes”?

Affordable transportation options

Provide funding to increase the reimbursement rate for transportation services in the Medicaid waiver programs

Discontinue the requirement for health care signatures for patient transport related to Non-emergent Medicaid Transport

Allow ride sharing services to be reimbursed through Medicaid state plan and Medicaid waiver services

Expand transportation services under Medicaid waivers

Offer incentives for the non-public transit dependent population to use public transportation to increase the demand and need for a better system in our community

Offer Peer Rider Training grants to agencies willing to hire Peer Rider Trainers to encourage more public transit riders

Offer/repurpose city, county and state fleet vehicles for families looking for affordable transportation options

Offer grant funding to help families modify vehicles

PPRTA Planning Process – what support will panelist provide to encourage people with access to affordable and accessible transportation be considered a priority in our community