Eyeglasses
The following analogy is entirely credited to Jessie Paige, one of the speakers at IDD Awareness Day, March 19th, at the Colorado State Capitol. As the fight to save Medicaid continues at the federal level, Jessie’s brilliant analogy continues to inspire us to advocate for the needs and rights of those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Millions and millions of people, in every walk of life, in sector of society, use eyeglasses. No one questions their use – they are a given in our culture. Yet those who wear them often could not function well – or even at all – without them. Activities as mundane as reading a menu or a book, driving a car, taking notes from a whiteboard, using a cell phone, playing a video game or scrolling through social media feeds would be difficult or impossible were glasses or corrective lenses not available to those who wear them.
Imagine for a moment what it might look like if eyeglass wearers did not have access to their glasses or contacts. Imagine that obtaining them required a lengthy and arduous process proving their need for them, and that funding was limited to supply only a very small percentage of those who needed them. Imagine that insurance for ophthalmologists and optometrists was restricted so that, unless you could afford to pay for both the appointments and the glasses themselves, you were unable to obtain them. Imagine that the waiting list for vision insurance was 15-20 years long. What that might do to vast swaths of the population – who were then unable to perform basic tasks or engage in normal activities?
Eyeglasses are no different for those who wear them than physical, occupational and speech therapy, homemaker services, mentorship, behavioral supports, respite care, canes, wheelchairs, supported employment, ADA compliant entrance ramps, support staff, day programs and habilitation services and the myriad of other services and supports are for those with IDD. With these services, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities can engage life on life’s terms in meaningful ways. Though more costly than eyeglasses, these supports help people as they overcome significant challenges and barriers to become valuable members of our society. An eyeglass wearer who could no longer see to drive, and therefore no longer commute to work, might quickly be viewed through the same lens (pun intended) as those who, without support, can’t walk, drive, or read.
Just because someone can’t see without support – or move independently without support – or engage in other areas of life without support – doesn’t mean that their value as a human being and member of society is diminished. But these supports are precisely what is currently being debated in Washington. Even without cuts, waiting lists for funding are long, and many people who need services are unable to obtain them. Yes, supports for the IDD population are, case by case, more expensive – and more complex – than those needed for vision care. But at what price point do we determine that a person should be deprived of the basic services and supports they need to engage their world with dignity and purpose? A more statistical evaluation may be forthcoming. But in the meantime, this analogy is telling.
Cheyenne Village provides a wide array of supports for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and actively advocates for appropriate funding to continue these supports. We stand with the IDD community in defense of uninterrupted, uncut Medicaid funding – and ultimately, a system which can fully support their needs without delay!
