Save Our CILS! by Peter Gimbel

Save Our CILS! by Peter Gimbel

At noon on Thursday, May 14, a crowd of 250 people gathered in front of the state house in Trenton. We were there to protest a proposed 20% cut to our state's budget for Centers for Independent Living(CILs).

I, who had never been to any kind of protest before, quickly found myself caught up in the excitement. I was soon joining in with the chants of “stop the cuts now!” and “No cuts! No ifs, ands, or buts!” Before I knew it, I had let someone hang a sign on the back of my power wheelchair that read “You cut $, we bleed!”

Hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans with disabilities depend on their local CIL (Center for Independent Living) to navigate the confusing maze of New Jersey’s disability services. CILs also provide employment and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities. Without the support of a CIL, many people would be unemployed, isolated, and even forced to live in nursing homes.

Norman Smith, chair of the New Jersey Statewide Independent Living Council (NJSILC) began the rally with a rousing speech. He urged Governor Corzine to “leave our funding alone!”, and the cry was taken up by the crowd. Mr. Smith went on to point out that the $125,000 cut will be devastating to the five CILs that are supported by state funding, but won't even make a dent in the state's deficit. He ended his remarks by saying that CILs are “the only state-funded program where people with disabilities provide services and support to other people with disabilities,” including returning wounded veterans.

On the day of the rally, Anita Clavering authored a guest column in her local paper, the Sentinel. She identified herself as a part-time employee of the Alliance for Disabled in Action, the CIL that serves Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties. “If it wasn't for the alliance,” she wrote, “I would have never had the information, resources and programs that I am able to use so I can live a full and independent life as a voter, taxpayer and contributing member of the community.” She now fears for her job and her independence.

To get involved in this and other issues, the Disabilities Special Interest Group of NASW-NJ is a great place to start. Check the NASW calendar for meeting times. You can also find information related to disabilities on my blog at http://gossamerpenguin.blogspot.com.