Recently the Congress was presented with a budget that could cut funds to health and education initiatives that serve poor people, elderly people and veterans of the armed services.

The community of Latinos who have disabilities in the United States would be one of the most affected by this budget because many of the individuals in this group rely on the Medicaid program. It would be very difficult to continue to live healthy lives if they do not have Medicaid service available to them.

The proposed budget would eliminate programs such as Head Start and Even Start. There are thousands of Latino children who depend on these programs to begin their studies. Their mothers depend on them to be able to secure appropriate childcare so they can go out and work to earn a living.

Literacy Program

Even Start is a literacy program that brings families together through education. Its goal is to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy among low-income families. Through the program individuals have the chance to take English as a second language classes. Today, more than 23,000 families participate in the Even Start program.

Head Start is a health and nutrition program in which 300,000 Latino children participate, including children with disabilities and the sons and daughters of Latino immigrants.

Ms. Ferreira, a Latino parent of a child with a disability, can’t imagine what it would be like to lose the Head Start program. According to Ferreira, “We are low income. What would happen if they take away the help for my son? It is only because of these programs that my son is able to receive a good education, medical and dental attention and a healthy environment for him to grow up in.”

Latinos and Medical Insurance

According to the Census, one out of three Latinos does not have medical insurance, and three million more are not able to pay their premiums. Nevertheless, the new budget proposes $60 million dollars in cuts to Medicaid, reducing the funds that support the health of young children, elderly people and people with disabilities.

If advocates want to reduce or dissolve the proposed cuts, the people and the non-profit agencies must work together. Individuals can start by meeting with their local and State representatives to explain the importance of existing programs and that the needs of citizens in their districts will not be met.

Another option is to join groups that are advocating for changes to the budget and take advantage of opportunities to send letters and e-mails to stakeholder that describe why the services are important for the community and what will happen if they disappear. This might be a good way to forge ties between the disability and Latino communities.

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