Key campaign comes to Valley

Last Tuesday, students, parents teachers and legislative officials gathered as part of the 14th-annual Key campaign, a statewide effort to address current legislative issues affecting individuals and family members with disabilities.

People from around the Valley met at Pizza Hut to discuss the Key campaign platform, and to share information about services available in the Valley. People were registered to vote at the meeting, and several people braved the fierce winds and stood on the corner of Crusey Street and the Parks Highway, waving supportive signs. The group then went to the Legislative Information Office (LIO).

Donna Jordan, the Valley representative on the Governor's Council for Disabilities and Special Education, was on hand to explain platform issues and answer questions. Some of the issues included continued support of funding for such programs as Medicaid. Reducing the Medicaid budget, which is being discussed by some legislators, would cause Alaska to lose federal Medicaid dollars, organizers said. Another issue discussed was funding for adult dental services, in which a program for adults with disabilities would combine donated dental services with paid dental services through a third-party administrator. The current maintenance level of funding for the Infant Learning Program was also discussed at the event.

Larry Ouellette, a special education teacher at Wasilla High School, said many people with disabilities are on wait lists for services from the

Division of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities. Continued and increased funding is necessary to help these individuals get the residential and vocational support they need to be more productive members of our community, he said.

The are other funding issues the supporters of the Key campaign will take to Juneau legislators.

Many of the issues have been recommendations by the Mental Health Trust Authority and the Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education.

For more information, interested people may contact Jordan at 373-3632.