Disability Advocates On Edge After Cuts To Special Olympics, Other Programs

[The Straight Story]

Disability Advocates On Edge After Cuts To Special Olympics, Other Programs

Funding cuts approved by the U.S. House of Representatives last weekend could spell the end to a Special Olympics initiative and shrink a handful of other disability programs, advocates say.

Under legislation approved Saturday by the House, spending on everything from supportive housing programs to Social Security would be slashed for the current fiscal year, which extends through September.

Meanwhile, money for a Special Olympics project that works to build inclusion and acceptance in schools would be eliminated. Officials at the organization say the initiative known as Project Unify will end if federal funding is cut off.

“I couldn’t be any more concerned,” says Stephen Corbin, senior vice president for community impact at Special Olympics, of the fate of the three-year-old program that’s currently in 15,000 schools nationwide. “School environments are increasingly hostile to young people with differences. As we move toward inclusive education, this is a major impediment.”

http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2011/02/23/disability-cuts-special-olympics/12395/