Able SC to the Disability and Aging Communities: This Is an Attack—And We Must Fight Back 

As a disability-led organization rooted in the Independent Living movement, Able South Carolina is sounding the alarm. A leaked federal budget proposal would dismantle the very programs that have made it possible for disabled people and older adults to live with freedom, dignity, and choice. 

Let’s be clear—this isn’t politics as usual. This is a direct assault on our rights, our lives, and our future.

For decades, the programs currently under the Administration for Community Living (ACL) under the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have had strong bipartisan support. These aren’t partisan programs; they are people programs. They were created by us, for us to ensure we can live in our homes and communities, not institutions. Now, they’re on the chopping block. 

As a disability-led organization rooted in the Independent Living movement, Able South Carolina is sounding the alarm. A leaked federal budget proposal would dismantle the very programs that have made it possible for disabled people and older adults to live with freedom, dignity, and choice. 

Let’s be clear—this isn’t politics as usual. This is a direct assault on our rights, our lives, and our future.

For decades, the programs currently under the Administration for Community Living (ACL) under the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have had strong bipartisan support. These aren’t partisan programs; they are people programs. They were created by us, for us to ensure we can live in our homes and communities, not institutions. Now, they’re on the chopping block

This proposal would harm, eliminate or slash critical services that keep us safe, supported, and in control of our own lives. That includes: 

• State Independent Living Councils (SILCs) – Coordinate state-level efforts for independent living. 

• Developmental Disabilities (DD) Councils – Advance self-determination and leadership among people with developmental disabilities. 

• University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) – Technical assistance to improve policy and systems that support people with developmental disabilities across the lifespan. 

• Protection & Advocacy Systems (P&As) (DD Program)– Defend our civil rights when they’re violated. 

• National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) – Drives innovation through disability-led evidence. 

• Assistive Technology Programs – Make access, mobility, and communication possible. 

• Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) – Connect people to critical services in the community. 

• Lifespan Respite, Family Caregiver, and Senior Nutrition Programs – Essential supports that keep caregivers going and older adults fed. 

• Long-Term Care Ombudsman, SHIP, Elder Justice, and Employment Services – Help us protect our rights, navigate systems, and build economic stability. 

• Paralysis Resource Center and Limb Loss Resource Center – Deliver education, peer support, and independence tools for those with mobility-related disabilities. 

• Centers for Independent Living (CILs) – Disability-led services that promote peer support, transitions from institutions, and advocacy. Note: This budget doesn’t cut funding for CILs right now, but CILs are not in the clear. There are real concerns that it could lead to cuts or changes that hurt CIL services in the future. We need to stay alert and ready to act. 

These aren’t “nice to haves.” These are the backbone of disability and aging justice. Without them, we risk being forced back into institutions and nursing homes—systems we’ve spent generations fighting to leave behind. 

Even worse, this plan wants to shift programs to states, with no guarantees for civil rights protections or oversight. That’s not flexibility. That’s abandonment. Our rights should never depend on our ZIP code. 

We’ve been here before. We know what happens when we’re left out of decisions. But we also know what happens when we organize. Remember? The disability community still holds the record for the longest non-violent occupation of a federal building in U.S. history, the 1977 Section 504 Sit-In at the San Francisco federal building, which lasted 25 days. 

This is our line in the sand. We will not go back. We will not be sacrificed in the name of cuts. We will not allow our independence to be erased behind closed doors. 

Here’s how you can take action: 

1. Contact Congress now. Demand they reject any budget that eliminates or weakens ACL programs. Use your voice. Use your story. 

2. Tell your truth. Post, email, speak up—how have these programs changed your life? 

3. Mobilize your circles. Join or start local efforts. Rally your networks. The power of our community is in our collective voice. 

We’ve made it easy for you—just click below to send an email to your national lawmakers. Add your story and tell them: we will not be ignored. 

We’ve always had to fight for our place. We’ve always had to prove our worth. Not this time. Not again. 

This is our moment. Let’s show them the power of a community that refuses to be erased.