A Message from DRT’s Director of Community Relations on the Federal Budget

Hi readers! I’m Lee Sherwood, the Director of Community Relations and Development here at Disability Rights Tennessee (DRT). I am excited to be celebrating my 3-year anniversary with DRT during such an important month, Disability Pride Month, and the anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These moments remind me how far we’ve come as a disability community, and how much we need to protect the rights that so many before us fought for.

Right now, the federal government is working on its budget for the 2026 fiscal year. This budget process could affect how disability services are funded across the country. You might remember from your school days that Congress controls the money. This is often called the “power of the purse.” That means that the President makes requests, but Congress decides how that money is spent.

Here is a quick breakdown of how that process will work:

1. The President sends a budget request to Congress. This shows what the President and the Administration think should be funded and how much should go to each program. You can view that here.
2. Congress reviews the request and begins a process called “appropriations” where lawmakers in the House and Senate suggest changes and debate what to fund. Many of the appropriations committees will discuss funding that could impact people living with disabilities and/or mental illness. One committee you may be interested in tuning into is the Labor, Health, and Human Services which has many disability services under its umbrella. The Senate has an appropriations meeting for those services today, Thursday, July 31, if you want to follow. Click here to view the recording.
   • To follow the House of Representatives appropriations committees, click here.
   • To follow the Senate appropriations committees, click here.
3. Typically, both chambers of Congress must agree on a final budget and the president must approve it before the start of the new fiscal year on October 1. DRT will continue to provide updated information and resources during this process.

The President’s proposal this year includes major changes to disability funding, including cutting funding for University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDDs) and reducing/eliminating funding to key Protection and Advocacy (P&A) programs like PAIMI, PAIR, PAVA, and CAP (described below).

Why does this matter?

DRT is part of a larger national network of disability rights organizations. We are Tennessee’s Protection and Advocacy (P&A) agency, a system that exists in every state and territory, working together through the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) to protect and advocate for the rights of people living with disabilities and/or mental illness. We are also one part of Tennessee’s Developmental Disabilities Network (DD Network), which includes:

• The P&A agency (that’s us at DRT): Providing legal advocacy, monitoring, and investigation services.
• State Councils on Developmental Disabilities: Driving policy change and community leadership.
• UCEDDs (like the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and the UT Center on Developmental Disabilities): Leading research, training, and clinical services.

These three organizations form a powerful, coordinated network. Together, we make sure people living with disabilities and/or mental illness can live, learn, work, vote, and thrive in their communities. If one part of the DD Network loses funding or capacity, the whole system is affected.

At DRT, our work is funded through nine (9) federal programs. Each program is centered around protecting people with disabilities and/or mental illness in the places where they live, work, learn, vote, or receive services. A key part of this is our unique access authority as a P&A agency to enter facilities such as residential treatment facilities, jails, prisons, mental health hospitals, and more. It is more important than ever to make sure that people living with disabilities and/or mental illness are free from abuse, harm, and neglect wherever they live, including facilities and jails.

• Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI): Advocacy for people with mental illness.
• Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR): Advocating for people with disabilities that don’t qualify for other programming support.
• Protection and Advocacy for Voting Access (PAVA): Making sure voting is accessible.
• Protection and Advocacy for Developmental Disabilities (PADD): Supporting people with developmental disabilities.
• Protection and Advocacy for Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI): Helping people with traumatic brain injuries.
• Client Assistance Program (CAP): Supporting people with disabilities who receive services through Vocational Rehabilitation (VR).
• Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS): Helping Social Security recipients with work-related needs.
• Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries with Representative Payees (PABRP): Overseeing payees who manage Social Security benefits for others.
• Protection and Advocacy for Assistive Technology (PAAT): Helping people with disabilities access, use, and maintain assistive technology devices and services.

All of these programs are essential— not only to DRT, but to the people across Tennessee who rely on us.

As we move through this important and sometimes uncertain process, I want to take a moment to say: please take care of yourself and those around you. This work can be heavy, and advocacy doesn’t always come with quick wins. If you ever feel overwhelmed, know that it’s okay to ask for help.

We’ll continue to keep you updated as the budget process moves forward. Thank you for being a part of our community!

Warmly,
Lee Sherwood