by the National Disability
Rights Network staff
WASHINGTON – Reporter
Bob Woodruff’s
February 27th special documenting his experience with traumatic brain
injury (TBI) also showed the continuing unmet need for returning
soldiers to receive the “support that matches their sacrifice.”
Over 23,000 soldiers have been wounded in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Brain injuries account for approximately two-thirds of the known
injuries suffered in the war, although it is estimated that at least
10 percent of soldiers and marines that have served may have undiagnosed
brain injuries.
Despite these overwhelming
numbers, President Bush’s recommended
budget eliminates the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) program, which
includes funding for Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with
Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI) – a program essential to so
many troops returning with disabilities acquired in combat. Given
the nature of brain injuries, these individuals run a
“Over
23,000 soldiers have been wounded in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Brain injuries account for approximately two-thirds of the
known injuries suffered in the war …”
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high risk of
falling through the cracks if advocacy programs such as PATBI
are eliminated, as recommended in the President’s budget.
“At a time when traumatic brain injuries account for a higher
proportion of casualties than in other wars, it is unconscionable
that the President is recommending absolutely no funding for a program
so essential to this population,” said Curt Decker, executive
director of the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN).
The president’s recommendation also comes despite the findings
of a 2006 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report
“Despite these
over-whelming numbers, President Bush’s recom-mended
budget elimin-ates the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) program …”
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calling the two programs
an “overall success” and finding “there is considerable
value in providing … funding.”
Along with the estimated 5.3 million Americans already living with
disabilities resulting from TBI, these service men and women face
an array of advocacy needs provided by the PATBI program, including
assistance with returning to work; accessing needed supports and
services; and obtaining appropriate mental health, substance abuse,
and rehabilitation services.
Effective protection
and advocacy services for people with traumatic brain injury can
lead both to reduced government expenditures and increased productivity,
independence and community integration. With limited current funds,
TBI P&A advocates across the country are:
• Providing direct
individual advocacy for children and adults with TBI in all the
states and territories, including access to appropriate health
care, community living, housing, education, guardianship and employment;
• Providing individuals with TBI with the knowledge and skills
to help them be effective self advocates;
• Challenging the failure of state hospitals, rehabilitation facilities,
intermediate care facilities, and schools to provide appropriate supports
and therapies to individuals with TBI who may require modifications
to traditional supports in order for them to be effective;
• Working to ensure appropriate discharge planning and supports
for persons with TBI leaving unnecessarily segregated settings and
moving into the community;
• Developing advocacy and legal rights training curriculum for
use by leaders of brain injury support groups, and self-advocacy
guidebook for TBI consumers, family members, and advocates; and
• Educating policymakers about the needs of individuals with TBI
and the importance of supporting programs designed to address these
needs and working on legislation to reduce the incidence of TBI,
such as seat belt, helmet, and All Terrain Vehicle laws.
“In his State of the Union address, the President assured
the nation that ‘we will meet [the] responsibilities of
“In his
State of the Union address, the President assured the nation
that ‘we will meet [the] responsibilities of [caring]
for the elderly, the disabled, and poor children.”
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[caring]
for the elderly, the disabled, and poor children.’ How much
more do we owe our returning service men and women returning with
disabilities acquired in the line of duty?” said Decker. ![]()
The Institute of Medicine
report can be found at:
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/11600.html
The
National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership
organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A)
Systems and the Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals
with disabilities. Collectively, the Network is the largest provider
of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in
the United States. For further information, a TBI Fact Sheet can
be found online at:
www.ndrn.org/issues/TIB/TBI_fs.pdf
Source: National Disability
Rights Network
