A woman from our community, Anastazia Graf, traveled this last week to the nation’s capital to advocate for people with disabilities. She feels very connected to the cause as she is a support worker for people with disabilities. Her passion for disability advocacy is rooted in her love for her family, as she was also raised by her grandmother who used a wheelchair and she has a godson with a rare form of epilepsy.
She, along with many other advocates, is worried about the Medicaid cuts , which inspired her to attend a disability policy seminar in Washington, D.C. The house has proposed cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget. In response to this, she said, “My grandma used to tell me that until you’ve lived the life, you don’t know the life. Until you’re in a position where you have no other option than to rely on these programs, you can’t speak on whether or not someone needs them or is using them correctly,” She has spent multiple days in D.C. with about 900 other advocates at seminars, meeting congress members, and attending a rally. She says that it was nice to be able to connect with congress and know they are hearing the people and working together. Anastazia has seen Medicaid help so many people with disabilities and she doesn’t want that funding to disappear.
People like Anastazia are changing the world, small steps at a time. Remember to take any action around you to support people in need!