Hundreds of people with disabilities rallied at the state capitol Tuesday to highlight the importance of state-supported services for the disabled. Governor Bevin told participants that he’s recommending more funds for programs that assist the disabled.
The annual 874K Coalition rally at the Capitol celebrates Disabilities Awareness Day in the state. There are an estimated 874,000 Kentuckians with mental or developmental disabilities. Bevin addressed the large group of attendees in the Capitol Rotunda. “We have a true subset, 874K," Bevin said. "You feel it today? Don’t you feel it right now in this place?"
Bevin says there is a backlog of individuals seeking home and community based waivers as an alternative to institutional care. Shannon Bettencourt is a caregiver from Meade County. She made the trip to Frankfort for the rally. “The waivers help provide services for them as well as it helps provide transportation and education needs," Bettencourt said. "It helps get them jobs in the community, residential services.”
Bevin says his administration wants to help more people obtain home and community based waivers. He says he plans to see additional waivers issued over the next couple of years.
