For Immediate Release
12/22/2020
Contact: Tina Pinedo
202.408.9514 x119
[email protected]
WASHINGTON, DC – The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) commends Congress for recently passing an additional COVID-19 relief bill.
The bill provides much-needed relief to people that have been negatively impacted as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. While further relief will be needed, this legislation includes crucial provisions such as rental assistance, an extension of the eviction moratorium, direct stimulus payments, increased nutrition assistance, emergency education funding, and vaccine distribution funding.
“This additional relief is a much welcome acknowledgment from Congress that the pandemic is not over and that people across this country, including those with disabilities, are still experiencing negative repercussions as a direct result of the pandemic,” said NDRN Executive Director Curt Decker. “While this funding will undoubtedly have a positive effect on people with disabilities, we know further relief will be needed going forward.”
Throughout the course of the pandemic, NDRN has advocated for many of the priorities included in this package. Protection & Advocacy (P&As) agencies around the country have been on the frontlines as they work with persons with disabilities in facilities and in the community to protect them from abuse and neglect and ensure access to needed services and supports.
Dedicated funding for the P&As is needed to allow them to more robustly address the disproportionate impact of the virus on people with disabilities and other issues arising from the pandemic no matter what a person’s disability may be. Therefore, we urge Congress to include dedicated funding for the P&As in subsequent COVID-19 relief bills.
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The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and the Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. Collectively, the P&A/CAP Network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.
