A Day at The General Assemblyby a Mill House Member
On Friday, April 3, I and 27 other members began our seventh once-a-month weekend of an 8-session “Partners in
Policymaking” class at the Sheraton Hotel on Broad St. at I-64. We’
ve been taking this class since September and graduate on May 16. After breakfast on Saturday the 4
th, all 28 of us plus the 2 staff in charge rode down to the General Assembly where we spoke about various disabilities which most of us have. Some were parents of children with disabilities and a couple of them had disabilities themselves. After lunch we walked to the Capitol and into the House of Delegates room where we did a “mock vote”.
After giving them a brief story line on my life history, I mentioned the fact that VA spends $20 per year for services for people with brain injuries, but over $1,000 per year for the same services for people with mental retardation. There is also a long waiting list for members at each of our clubhouses. As a result, brain injury survivors cannot access appropriate services in their community. So I asked them “Why can’t the state fund the same amount toward brain injury and its survivors as it does other similar things?”
Some of the General Assembly members recognized me and remember not only me but others as well from The Mill House as we have spoken to them for our clubhouse a few times before – me, 3 times. Everyone truly enjoyed themselves this weekend; a fun time was had by all.
