Lawsuit Over Cuts for People with Disabilities

Starting today, people with disabilities who have been getting supported to live at home will start losing their services. That's why Disability Rights North Carolina filed a federal lawsuit to stop the state service cuts from going into effect. 

Disability Rights head Vicki Smith says the cuts affect about 4,000 people around the state who need help with only 2 activities of daily living - such toileting or bathing - to stay at home.  Smith says if the cuts happen, these people will be likely to end up in institutions if they don't have family members available to help

Vicki Smith: "We have one individual who moved out of an adult care home, was getting personal care supports that allowed her to live in the community, in her own home and has told us that she will have to move back into an adult care home."

Smith says it's short sighted for the state to cut home services. She says providing services at home is a fraction of cost of maintaining someone in an institution.