Help Us Move Direct Support Worker Bill Through Congress
- Urge House Members to Support H.R. 1279

Take Action!
http://capwiz.com/thearc/issues/alert/?alertid=9525536

March 19, 2007
Help Us Move Direct Support Worker Bill Through Congress
Urge House Members to Support H.R. 1279

Background
Today, millions of people with disabilities count on direct
support workers to assist them in managing their daily lives so
they can live, work and otherwise participate in their
communities. These workers assist people with disabilities with
daily medications, dressing, preparing and eating meals, getting
to work, gaining life skills and handling daily affairs.

Unfortunately, these positions have as high as a 75 percent
turnover rate each year because of poor wages and high job
demands, putting the quality of life for people with disabilities
at risk. And demand for these workers is growing - hundreds of
thousands of people with disabilities are waiting for services and
the demand will grow 62 percent by 2010 as these Americans get
older.

To address these problems, Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and
Lee Terry (R-NE) introduced the Direct Support Professionals
Fairness and Security Act (H.R. 1279).

Status:
The bill was introduced on March 1, 2007 and currently has 9
cosponsors. To see a list of the cosponsors, click here
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR01279:@@@P

Take Action:
The Arc of the United States has joined United Cerebral Palsy,
ANCOR and Lutheran Services in America in a national advocacy
campaign to enact this bill for people with disabilities
nationwide.

Help us make a difference. Send the letter below to your Member(s)
of the House TODAY to make sure people with disabilities get the
quality supports and services they need and deserve.

Sample E-mail (Request to co-sponsor):
I write to urge you to co-sponsor H.R. 1279, critical legislation
intended to stabilize the workforce providing long-term daily
supports to Americans with disabilities.

Direct support professionals, often referred to as personal
assistants or home care aides, assist millions of people with
disabilities of all ages living, working and volunteering in
their communities. Individuals with disabilities build close,
trusted relationships with these frontline staffers dedicated
to helping them live as independently as possible.

Sadly, inadequate wages have led to high turn over and growing
vacancies. As many as 75 percent of all these support positions
turnover each year because of poor wages and high job demands
while hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities are
waiting for services. Because of the vital role these workers
play, coupled with the high turnover rate and growing vacancies,
people with disabilities lives are significantly at-risk.

The median wage for these workers is just $8.86 an hour - well
below the median wage for all U.S. workers and comparable workers
in the public sector. Even pet groomers and fast food workers
frequently earn more and get much steadier raises than the
workers supporting people with disabilities.

I ask you to help ensure that people with disabilities get the
quality, consistent supports they deserve by co-sponsoring H.R.
1279, the Direct Support Professionals Fairness and Security Act
of 2007. This bill, introduced by Representatives Lois Capps (D-
CA) and Lee Terry (R-NE) will provide states with the necessary
funds to give private direct support workers assisting people
with disabilities more appropriate compensation.

Source: The ARC
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