Montanans with Disabilities Are Under Attack. Here’s How to Stop It
We’re not going to sugarcoat this. Right now, a devastating attack is underway on the very programs Montanans with disabilities need to survive. The Big Beautiful Bill seeks to drastically cut Medicaid and the budget proposals coming out for next year eliminate many of the Protection & Advocacy (P&A) programs Disability Rights Montana operates to protect Montanans with disabilities from abuse and exploitation.
In two sweeping budget proposals, the federal government is moving to slash Medicaid by hundreds of billions of dollars and eliminate several of our P&A programs. Some want to say it is possible to cut hundreds of billions from Medicaid without the people who need Medicaid the most, the disability community, feeling any impact of those cuts. But there will be no way to know, because at the same time the federal government is trying to cut Medicaid it is also looking to eliminate many of our programs which would prevent us from identifying and advocating on behalf of people erroneously impacted by Medicaid cuts. If our funding goes away, so does our work. And no one else is doing it.
What We Do—And Why It Matters
For nearly 50 years, P&As have been the last line of defense for people with disabilities in every state and territory. We are the only organizations in the country with federal “access authority” to go into jails, institutions, group homes, and schools—anywhere people with disabilities are receiving services—and make sure they are treated with dignity and according to the law.
When we uncover abuse, neglect, or discrimination, we take action. We’re independent, legally empowered, and deeply connected to our communities. That’s by design: Congress created the P&A system to be immune from political pressure, so we could do our jobs without fear or favor.
Senator Steve Daines addressing Disability Rights Montana in 2024 to commemorate the Americans with Disabilities Act and to keep doing our work.
If the Cuts Go Through…
There will be no independent investigation of deaths at Montana State Hospital.
No one to hold schools accountable when kids with disabilities are denied a free appropriate public education.
No one to stop exploitative guardianships or speak up when services fail.
And no one to represent people with disabilities in court when they are excluded from schools, work, government meetings and services, or participation in other parts of community life.
Make no mistake: there is no plan B. If P&As are defunded, these protections disappear. The next institution where people with disabilities are found being abused and forgotten won’t be uncovered and dismantled, it will be built larger and filled with your parents, sons, daughters, grandchildren, spouses, and friends.
Why This Matters to Every Montanan
Montanans value independence, accountability, and fairness. That’s what we defend every day. Whether it’s helping veterans with PTSD access services, ensuring children with disabilities get the education they’re entitled to, or standing up for seniors with dementia—we’re here because no one else is.
Defunding us sends a crystal-clear message: that protecting the human rights of people with disabilities is not a priority. And if you think this won’t affect you, think again. Disability doesn’t discriminate.
Anyone can acquire a disability at any time.
Call to Action:
Tell Your Senators to Save P&A Programs
Right now, Senators Daines and Sheehy are poised to cast deciding votes on the Big Beautiful Bill which includes massive cuts to Medicaid and this vote will be followed with work on next year’s budget which currently eliminates our work for most Montanans with disabilities. The is a one-two punch to the gut of the disability community. We need you to speak up, because if they don’t hear from Montanans, they’ll assume no one cares.
CALL OR EMAIL BOTH SENATORS NOW. TELL THEM:
“Protect Medicaid and Disabiltiy Rights Montana. Don’t mess with disabled Montana’s health care and don’t eliminate or defund our Protection and Advocacy program, which includes the Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR); Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA); the Client Assistance Program (CAP), which helps people with disabilities get and keep good paying jobs; or Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI). These programs are essential to the human rights and safety of Montanans with disabilities. They allow Disability Rights Montana to make sure we aren’t denied services illegally or being taken advantage of by a provider. Defunding them would be catastrophic. There is no one else doing this work.”
And don’t stop there. Forward this message. Share it with family in other states. Every senator needs to hear from their constituents—because the P&A system is under attack nationwide.
We Are Not Going Back
We refuse to go back to the days when people with disabilities were hidden, ignored, and abused. But if we don’t act now, that’s exactly where we’re headed.
We can stop this - but only if you help.
Strong together for an inclusive future,
The Team at Disability Rights Montana