Help protect the funding and availability of services for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities, including paying our valued staff the living wage they deserve!

How to Help

Updates to the Olmstead Act in the Federal Government - How it Affects the I/DD Community

Over the last 57 years, Venture Together has operated under the premise that every person with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) deserves the opportunity to live, work, learn, and thrive as a valued member of their community. 
 
Recent developments in Washington have raised important questions about the future of disability rights and the protections that individuals and families have relied upon for decades. While these changes have not altered the law, they signal potential shifts in how federal agencies may enforce critical disability protections.
 
Now, more than ever, it is important for families, self-advocates, professionals, and community members to stay informed and engaged.
 

Protecting the Right to Live in the Community

One of the most significant recent developments involves a legal opinion issued by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel concerning the integration mandate—the long-established principle that people with disabilities should receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.
 
The opinion argues that:
  • The landmark 1999 Supreme Court decision in Olmstead v. L.C. does not require states to provide services in the most integrated setting.
  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act do not explicitly require community integration in their statutory language.
  • Federal regulations that have protected community living for decades may exceed what the law allows.

What Does This Mean?

At this time, nothing has changed about an individual’s legal rights.
 
The opinion does not overturn Olmstead, change the ADA, or eliminate federal disability protections. Only Congress or the courts can make those changes.
 
However, the opinion does influence how the federal government may choose to enforce those laws going forward. It lays the groundwork for reducing federal enforcement of community integration protections, rolling back longstanding regulations,  and declining to defend those protections in ongoing litigation
 
If those protections weaken, people with disabilities could face greater barriers to receiving services in their homes and communities rather than institutional settings.
 

Why Olmstead Matters

For more than 25 years, the Olmstead decision has helped ensure that people with disabilities have the opportunity to:
  • Live in their communities and participate fully in community life
  • Receive services in the least restrictive setting appropriate to their needs
  • Make choices about where and how they live
These protections have transformed the lives of millions of Americans with disabilities and their families, and protecting these rights remains one of the disability community’s highest advocacy priorities.
 

What You Can Do

Contact Your Members of Congress
Urge Congress to codify the right to receive long-term services and supports in the most integrated setting appropriate to a person’s needs, so these protections cannot be weakened through future administrative changes.
 
You can find and contact your elected officials through:
Share Your Story
Personal stories help policymakers understand why community-based services matter.
 
Whether you are a self-advocate, family member, Direct Support Professional, educator, or community member, your experiences can help demonstrate the importance of protecting disability rights.
 
Know Your Rights
Learn more about the laws that protect people with disabilities:
Stay Informed
Follow trusted disability advocacy organizations for accurate updates as these federal developments continue.
Helpful resources include:
Stay Engaged
  • Follow legislative updates
  • Participate in advocacy campaigns and events
  • Encourage others to contact elected officials
  • Vote in local, state, and federal elections
The rights established through the ADA, the Olmstead decision, and decades of disability advocacy have expanded opportunities for people with I/DD to live meaningful lives in their communities. Those values remain at the heart of our mission, and we will continue to work alongside self-advocates, families, staff, partner organizations, and policymakers to protect the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
 

Tell the Legislature: Support the Disability Community in the One-House Budget Bills

Right now, New York State lawmakers are finalizing their One-House Budget Bills — and the decisions they make will directly impact people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), including the individuals and families served by Venture Together.
 

The Problem: Costs Are Rising Faster Than Funding

Over the past five years, everyday costs like gas and groceries have risen 23.7%, and minimum wage has increased 26.5%. However, funding for I/DD supports has only increased 15.8%. This growing gap makes it increasingly difficult for providers to maintain high-quality services, fairly compensate Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), and sustain essential programs.
 
You can learn more in the NY Disability Advocates Budget One-Pager:
NY Disability Advocates Budget One-Pager

What We Are Asking For

Venture Together and disability advocacy partners across New York are urging lawmakers to include these key investments in the final state budget:
  • 2.7% Targeted Inflationary Adjustment – Increase Medicaid reimbursement rates so funding better reflects real costs of care.
  • Restore the OPWDD Healthcare Enhancement Program – Ensure people with I/DD have consistent access to coordinated healthcare.
  • Support Affordable Housing Initiatives – Include housing bills S.8676, S.8672, and S.8675 to expand affordable options for people with disabilities and the workforce who support them.
  • Strengthen the Child and Dependent Care Credit – Accept Revenue Bill Part A to help working human service professionals afford childcare.
More details are available in the full Budget Priorities Paper:
SFY 2026-27 Budget Priorities

Why This Matters

These investments are essential to stabilizing residential services, day and employment programs, community supports, and the workforce that makes it all possible.
Without action, services become harder to sustain — and the people we support feel the impact.
 

Take Action Today

Tell your State Senator and Assemblymember to support these priorities in the One-House Budget Bills.
 
Visit CP State’s advocacy page to contact your legislators in an easy one-click process:
Send Your Message Now!
Together, we can make sure New York’s budget reflects the true needs of the I/DD community.

Disability Voting Rights Week Guide — Sept. 8-12

What is DVRW?

Disability Voting Rights Week, hosted by the American Association of People with Disabilities and REV UP, is a movement that advocates for ensuring that every person with a disability has the opportunity, support, and access needed to exercise their right to vote.

DVRW is about empowerment, access, and self-advocacy. The Venture Together community and leaders play a crucial role in creating space for education, supporting staff and individuals in their right to vote, and reinforcing our mission to build extraordinary lives through advocacy and inclusion.

Why It Matters

  • 40.2 million eligible voters with disabilities in 2024 – 1 in 6 voters.
  • Nearly 72.7 million voters (⅓ of the electorate) are disabled or live with someone who is.
  • If disabled voters cast ballots at the same rate as nondisabled voters, there would be 2 million more voters nationwide.
  • Barriers remain: inaccessible polling places, strict ID laws, inaccessible information, lack of transportation, and harmful prejudice.

How You Can Assist

Educate & Share Resources
Encourage Engagement
  • Help  people with intellectual and developmental disabilities make a plan to vote (know deadlines, polling locations, ID requirements).
  • Promote self-advocacy by discussing how voting connects to issues like housing, transportation, and healthcare.
  • Empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to support one another in registering and planning to vote.
Create Inclusion
  • Listen with empathy if someone shares frustrations with voting. Validate feelings and encourage participation.
  • Stay nonpartisan—focus on rights, accessibility, and the power of choice.

Senate Sends “One Big Beautiful Bill” Back to the House — ACT BEFORE JULY 4!

There are three links below to send email letters and make calls – even if your House member is a Democrat, please call each member of the NY Republican delegation (listed below) as well, to let them know that we depend on Medicaid and SNAP to live!

 
The House is taking up the Senate version of the bill TODAY, 7/2/25 

If the House votes down the Senate version, passage of the bill will be delayed which buys advocacy time that we NEED. 

Please contact these four New York Republicans TODAY:

 Rep. Mike Lawler, NY-17 (parts of Rockland, Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties)

DC office: 202-225-6506

District office in Pearl River: 845-201-2060

District office in Mahopac: 845-743-7130

Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram

Rep. Nick LaLota, NY-1 (far eastern Suffolk Co.)

DC office: 202-225-3826

District office in Hauppauge: 631-289-1097

Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram

Rep. Andrew Garbarino, NY-2 (eastern Suffolk Co.)

DC office: 202-225-7896

District office in Patchogue: 631-541-4225

Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, NY-11 (Staten Island and part of Brooklyn)

DC office: 202-225-3371

District office in Staten Island: 718-568-2870

District office in Brooklyn: 718-306-1620

Facebook, Twitter/X

Additional Outreach Resources: 

What happened?

The Senate approved the bill 51–50, with Vice President Vance casting the tie-breaking vote, and it’s returning to the House for a final vote, possibly before July 4, and it’s bad. The bill includes:
  • Nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts. That’s about 20% of the federal Medicaid budget. It would cause nearly 17 million people to lose coverage.
  • Nearly $200 billion in cuts to SNAP. Less food assistance means more people will go hungry, including millions of kids.
  • A new private school voucher program that redirects public education funding to private schools. This will make it even harder for children with disabilities to access essential special education services.

What’s next?

The Senate and the House must agree on a final bill to send to the President for his signature. This isn’t over yet, but this is serious, and we need your help.

We need every voice to be heard.

1) Contact Your House Representative Today

    • Urge them to vote NO on H.R. 1
    • Highlight the devastating impact on I/DD services in your family
    • Explain why work requirements and redeterminations create barriers

2) Use These Advocacy Tools

3) Share Your Story 
Your experience is powerful. Share how Medicaid supports life and independence.

4) Tell Others
Ask families, friends, and providers to join—share tools, links, and reminders. The more voices, the stronger our impact. 

URGENT: Act Now to Protect Medicaid & SNAP!

A dangerous budget bill is moving fast, and we need to act now!

The Senate is voting any day on a bill that would cut $1 trillion from Medicaid—a reduction of nearly 20%! The House of Representatives has already passed a version of this bill, and the Senate’s plan makes even deeper cuts.

Can you please take 2 minutes today to contact your members of Congress?

If this bill becomes law:

  • Nearly 17 million people could lose health insurance over the next 10 years.
  • States simply won’t have the money to fund the care and services that people with disabilities need.
  • More people will go hungry, including millions of kids.

This is not about line items in a budget. It’s about real people—children, people with disabilities, older adults, and families who need health care and food to live.

Call or email your members of Congress today and tell them to vote NO on any budget that cuts Medicaid or SNAP.

"Big Beautiful Bill" Deadline Looms—Action Needed by July 4

The Senate is preparing to vote on its version of the House-passed “One Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R. 1), a sweeping budget reconciliation package containing nearly $880 billion in Medicaid cuts over ten years. With a potential vote as soon as July 4, there’s little time to make our voices heard.

What’s in the H.R. 1 Bill?

  • The House’s proposal threatens New Yorkers with $13.5 billion in annual federal Medicaid funding losses.

  • Hospitals in New York would lose $1.3 billion annually in funding, which may force many smaller and underfunded hospitals to close 

  • Up to 1.5 million New Yorkers could become uninsured, disrupting continuity of care and closing channels to support

Read the full bill here: H.R.1 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): One Big Beautiful Bill Act

How Does This Affect the Venture Community?

Medicaid funds nearly all of our services that keep individuals with I/DD supported, connected, and thriving:

  • Residential care, day programs, vocational support, and community-based habilitation are all underwritten by Medicaid. Cuts would directly threaten program availability and quality.
  • The hiring and funding for much-needed Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) could face further constraints, undermining staff recruitment and the potential retention of care.

Our families across Rockland County depend on Medicaid to keep the I/DD community safe and engaged; any cuts could deeply impact the well-being and sustainability of the services that Venture provides.

Learn More:

Understanding Harmful Federal Proposals and Advocating to Protect Medicaid
Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Mapped by 119th Congressional Districts

How You Can Help BEFORE JULY 4!

Time is running out to influence the Senate vote and protect funding for I/DD services.

With a Senate vote expected before July 4, this is our last and best opportunity to protect Medicaid funding that supports the health, independence, and dignity of people with I/DD in Venture Together and beyond. Without action, essential services are at risk.

Raise your voice. Share this message. Stand with our I/DD community.

Save Our Services: Join the June 23 SOS Virtual Rally to Protect Medicaid

Medicaid-funded services are essential to the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Right now, they are under serious threat from the House-passed “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, which aims to cut nearly $880 billion from Medicaid, change eligibility, impose work requirements, and slash the vital matching funds that support states like New York. 

On Monday, June 23 at 10:00 AM, we invite our entire community—families, staff, and self-advocates—to join the SOS (Save Our Services) Virtual Rally to raise your voice and learn what’s at stake.

Register Now -- SOS Medicaid Virtual Rally

This event is a critical opportunity to learn how proposed Medicaid cuts could directly impact the people we support and the core services Venture Together provides, including Community Habilitation, Day Programs, Residential Care, and more.

What to Expect at the Rally

During the SOS Virtual Rally, we will:

  • Hear about the real-world impact of Medicaid cuts
  • Listen to stories from individuals, families, and support staff
  • Receive tools to take immediate action and advocate effectively

How You Can Help

✅ Attend the Rally: Mark your calendar for Monday, June 23 at 10:00 AM and join us on Zoom.
✅ Share the Event: Tell coworkers, family members, and others who care about disability rights and community inclusion.
✅ Speak Up: After the rally, use the tools provided to contact your elected officials and urge them to protect Medicaid.

The Federal and State Landscape: Medicaid and I/DD Services

At Venture Together, our mission to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) is deeply entwined with the stability of Medicaid funding. As we move through 2025, both Federal and State budget proposals present significant challenges that could impact the services we provide.

In May 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” proposing substantial cuts to Medicaid—  approximately $880 billion over the next decade. These cuts include stricter work requirements and eligibility verifications, potentially resulting in 14 million Americans losing health coverage. The cuts in the Federal bill could ultimately impact individuals with disabilities, who depend on Medicaid for essential services and supports. 

Further, the proposed reductions could lead to the rollback of Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers, which are vital for enabling individuals with disabilities to live independently within their communities. The potential loss of these services threatens to diminish the quality of life for many individuals across the country.

New York State Budget: Insufficient Adjustments for I/DD Services

At the State level, New York’s FY 2025-2026 Executive Budget includes a 2.1% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for providers serving individuals with I/DD. While this increment acknowledges the need for increased funding, it falls short of addressing the escalating operating costs and workforce challenges faced by service providers. 

Service providers, like Venture Together, have called for a 7.8% Medicaid rate increase to sustain essential services, modernize facilities, and ensure fair compensation for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). Currently, nonprofit providers across the State are grappling with a 16.9% staff vacancy rate and a 35.4% annual turnover rate among DSPs, which threatens the continuity and quality of care for individuals with I/DD. 

In these uncertain times, your voice and support are more critical than ever. Here’s how you can help Venture continue our mission:

  1. Send a Letter to Congress: Urge your Federal representatives to oppose any budget proposals that threaten Medicaid and the services it funds. 
  2. Stay Informed: Keep up-to-date with developments in Medicaid policy and funding to understand how changes may impact individuals with I/DD and the services they rely on. ANCOR & The Arc
  3. Engage with Venture Together: Participate in our biannual Family Forum sessions to understand and discuss the funding landscape and its impact on services. Your insights and experiences are invaluable in shaping our advocacy efforts and ensuring that the needs of individuals with I/DD are met.

Together, we can work to ensure that individuals with I/DD continue to receive the support and services they need to thrive.