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| November 19th, 2008 |
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Media Contact(s): Mark Eddington, 202-224-5251 |
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Printable Version |
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HATCH, DODD BILL AIMS TO EXPAND BEST BUDDIES PROGRAM
Legislation Would Help People with Intellectual Disabilities Join Mainstream |
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WASHINGTON – A bill Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) introduced today aims to expand the reach of the acclaimed Best Buddies Program to help millions of Americans with intellectual disabilities integrate more fully into society.
The Best Buddies Empowerment For People With Intellectual Disabilities Act of 2008 would authorize the U.S. Secretary of Education to award grants to the Best Buddies, which the world-renowned nonprofit organization could use to expand its programs to every state and increase public awareness about its services.
"The Best Buddies program has proven to be very effective in Utah,” said Hatch, a ranking member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). “Unfortunately, there are still many areas in our country and the world that lack programs designed to help those with mental disabilities integrate into mainstream society. That’s why I support strengthening and expanding his outstanding program. This bill will help Best Buddies expand its reach to every U.S. state and improve its services in Utah, where it is already making an important difference in the lives of the intellectually disabled.”
“I am very proud to be introducing this bill today,” said Dodd, a senior member of the HELP committee and chairman of its Subcommittee on Children and Families. “While our nation has taken great steps toward insuring better legal rights for those with intellectual disabilities, there is still more work to be done. We need to do all we can to remove the negative stereotypes and social isolation that are all too often a fact of life for Americans living with disabilities. I commend the Best Buddies program for the immense work they have done to break down these stigmas and I look forward to the progress that can be made with an expansion of this organization.”
Anthony Kennedy Shriver, founder and chairman of Best Buddies International, lauded Hatch for his leadership on the legislation.
“Senator Hatch has been a friend to people with special needs his entire life,” Shriver said. “His voice touches the heart and mind of all our buddies. How lucky we are to have such a passionate leader on our side. Because of his leadership on this act, our nation will become a more inclusive place for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.”
Best Buddies International, a nonprofit organization founded in 1989, is the only social and recreational program in the United States for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The program’s mission is to help people with such disabilities form friendships and find employment.
To accomplish that, Best Buddies organizes and rigorously oversees 1,400 volunteer-run chapters at middle schools, high schools and colleges. Each chapter pairs students with and without disabilities. The program also has e-Buddies, an Internet pen pal program; Best Buddies Citizens, an adult friendship program; and Best Buddies Jobs, a supported employment program.
While most of Best Buddies’ funds are raised in the private sector, the federal government has offered critical assistance since 2000, thus allowing the organization to offer inclusive programs in 20 states to impact the lives of more than 350,000 people.
If adopted, the bill sponsored by Hatch and Dodd would authorize $10 million in grants over the next five years to Best Buddies, provided the organization meets specific, measurable goals and objectives detailed in the grant applications. The grants would enable Best Buddies to expand its programs to impact more than 1.2 million Americans across the nation.
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