Denn Says Stimulus Package Will Help Delawareans with Disabilities

Lt. Gov. Matt Denn

“The stimulus package provides a chance to do things we couldn’t do before,” Delaware’s Lt. Governor Matt Denn said to an audience of 75 employees of state agencies and nonprofit organizations, people with disabilities and family members of people with disabilities about how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly known as the economic stimulus package, will affect Delawareans with disabilities.

The discussion was held at the University of Delaware’s Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS) and was cosponsored by CDS and the State Council for Persons with Disabilities.

The state is receiving more than $300 million to help balance the state budget, most of which is an increase in Delaware’s share of Medicaid. The extra money is being distributed over a period of two years.

“This is particularly good for people with disabilities,” Denn said.

There will be a 50 percent increase in funding for children with disabilities who are provided for through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This federal law governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities.

Infants and toddlers with disabilities (birth to age two) and their families receive early intervention services under IDEA Part C. Children and youth (ages 3-21) receive special education and related services under IDEA Part B. Part C is a state-run program, while Part B is the responsibility of local school districts.

Denn said some districts may be reluctant to reassess services needed because when the stimulus money runs out, it will be a challenge to continue providing the services that were added.

However, Denn said, parents must ask school districts to provide what their children need, particularly therapy and assistive technology. He noted that spending by the districts will need extensive scrutiny and that the state government is requiring an unprecedented amount of disclosure to achieve more transparency.

For Part B, the state is putting together a plan in which the first priority is to eliminate delays in the diagnosis and treatment of infants and toddlers with disabilities. He said the state is working to add sufficient staff to ensure there are no waiting periods.

The second priority is to institute programs that will outlive the two-year funding period, including extensive training of daycare and other providers to recognize disabilities and new programs to assist families with children who have disabilities.

Adults with disabilities will benefit from the stimulus package through the $1.7 million the Department of Labor will receive. The bulk of this money will go to the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to eliminate the existing waiting list and help more people in need of its services.