Deb Ritcey is the president and CEO of Granite State Independent Living.

What is your definition of ‘independence’?

It can mean a variety of things to a wide population of people. For those we serve at Granite State Independent Living, it is a central theme that goes to the heart of having a high quality of life and participating in a world where you feel valued and heard.

We are a statewide non-profit whose mission is to promote quality of life with independence for people with disabilities. GSIL offers non-medical personal care services assistance for daily life tasks. These are high touch, hands-on essential programs for our consumers who seek independence in life. We are also funded almost entirely through Medicaid.

Those who use our programs and services are “consumers,” not clients. We want to empower our consumers to be a part of our process; from serving on the board of directors to providing valuable direct input on the management of our programs. It is a collaboration and we rely on our consumers to guide our work.

Over the years, state lawmakers have worked with GSIL, approving efforts to close a workforce pay gap that has long existed in the nonprofit disability sector. In 2023, lawmakers approved a long-overdue wage increase for frontline in-home workers, known as Attendant Care Employees (ACEs). That allowed us to invest more than a million dollars into our workforce, and the result was an ability to expand services to those who need them.

In addition, lawmakers passed critical increases to three separate Medicaid-funded “Choices For Independence” (CFI) services for personal care, homemaker and case management. The CFI Program is a Medicaid-funded waiver program that provides a wide range of service choices that enable eligible adults to stay in their own homes and communities.

Sadly, much of this progress is in jeopardy due to the proposed Medicaid cuts passed recently by the New Hampshire House. We stand with Gov. Kelly Ayotte and applaud her efforts to restore those funding cuts.

Our consumers, many of whom live life with significant disabilities requiring daily assistance, cannot afford cuts to their supports. It is a threat to their independence.

GSIL transportation services, which are also funded by Medicaid, provide consumers access to transportation to critical medical appointments. As a program that already is already underfunded, consideration will need to be made if these important services can continue.

GSIL job training and placement services, which have also suffered funding reductions, connect those wanting to be a part of the workforce with employers who are willing to make that extra investment in resources to get a major return on their investment through a smart, motivated successful worker.

And within our education services, GSIL helps New Hampshire’s students with disabilities transition from high school towards a more promising future. We can help schools build tailored solutions to meet the individual students’ needs, preferences and interests. Right now, 96% of at-risk students in New Hampshire have either an Individual Education Plan or 504 plans that outline the accommodations and supports a student needs in a school setting due to learning or emotional disabilities.

Our programs work closely with school districts to add that extra level of support to help students graduate. Funds for these services have already been cut.

As New Hampshire’s only Center for Independent Living, we serve a specific disability population that has few other options to pursue for support. Each year, we field more than 2,000 referral calls for assistance. This can range from in-home care to equipment and modifying homes to become more accessible. Fewer dollars mean less help for those who call.

These programs face painful reductions for thousands of consumers we serve in New Hampshire if the House budget cuts become permanent. We urge the New Hampshire Senate to listen to the governor’s message and keep our consumers in mind when casting votes on the budget. We respectfully ask that Medicaid programs be protected from cuts.

Let’s preserve the independence so many of our citizens deserve, desire and demand.