Action Alert

Please take action now!

The National Down Syndrome Society has issued an action alert regarding funding for postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disabilities at this link:
http://capwiz.com/ndss/issues/alert/?alertid=32315501&queueid=6554673811

This issue is near and dear to the mission of Down Syndrome Indiana! As many of you know, DSI has been a part of the Indiana Postsecondary Education Coalition and the progress made to date is nothing short of amazing thanks to a grant from the US Department of Education but a funding cut in this area could slow progress dramatically! “This week the funding for that grant and all the other grants and initiatives face potential elimination from the federal budget. The Republican plan, the continuing resolution and the President’s Budget currently threaten to zero out these items. Our children have 3 times as much success gaining meaningful employment after completing one of these programs versus not attending. We have made too much progress to let this slip away….” Says Jeff Huffman, Chair of the Public Policy Committee in the Indiana Postsecondary Education Coalition and parent of Nash, who happens to have Down syndrome.
Please contact your congressional representative and ask them to support funding to continue the Transition Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities into Higher Education (TPSID) and the TPSID National Coordinating Center by the Office of Postsecondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education. These demonstration projects are developing models of effective ways to ensure that students with intellectual disabilities have access to postsecondary education and increased employment outcomes. These programs should be protected and supported in the FY 2011 and FY 2012 funding bills.If calling by phone, use the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for the office of your Members.

It’s okay if you don’t know who your member of congress is or can’t find their contact info: Just go here:
http://capwiz.com/ndss/home/
On the right side type in your zip code and look them up.

Again, for more information, please visit this link:
http://capwiz.com/ndss/issues/alert/?alertid=32315501&queueid=6554673811

Dedicated to enhancing the lives of individuals with Down syndrome,

Lisa Tokarz-Gutierrez, Executive Director