Anyone can become disabled at any point in their life. Would you want your mom or daughter to be without access to the daily care they need? I hope that sharing our family’s story will help people understand the need for investing in home health care.

In the wake of horror at Hacienda HealthCare, there is no shortage of ideas for how to prevent abuse in the disability community. But what action can and will actually be taken at the state Legislature this year is not yet clear.

We have a lot of work to do to prevent sexual abuse of our most vulnerable. Only with greater awareness and resources can these heartbreaking incidents be stopped. The time to act is now.

The only reason I am able to have such a full life is Medicaid. Medicaid provides vital services to people with disabilities through a state-federal partnership that finances coverage for those who qualify. The program has successfully provided care to the most vulnerable Americans for the past 50 years.

Advocates for the disability community say the governor’s budget proposal is nearly $50 million short of what disability service providers need to keep up with Arizona’s minimum wage increase next year.

A state audit found the state’s Vocational Rehabilitation program spends significantly more per person than similar programs in other states.

Justin Dart, the man often considered the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act, famously and repeatedly said: “Vote as if your life depends on it – because it DOES!” For people with disabilities, this is especially true. Every policy decision from employment, to housing and transportation, to funding of programs like CHIP, Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid are influenced by whom we elect.

An attorney for a major Arizona taxi firm is defending the $10 additional fee charged for those who want a van, saying that does not discriminate against those with disabilities.

Now in its 25th year, Arizona Disabled Sports offers people with developmental and physical disabilities the opportunity to play and compete at the highest levels in sports such as basketball, floor hockey, kayaking, swimming, track and power soccer.

Max Ashton is a senior at Brophy College Preparatory with a 4.0 grade point average. He is also blind.