One effective way of reaching legislators about the need to continue supports for persons with developmental disabilities and their families is to share your personal story about the services you receive through Medicaid (Medical Assistance or MA). Tell your legislators how those services have made life better for you and your family members.

To put together your story, consider the following questions:

• What condition do you (or your son/daughter) have? How old are you (he/she)?
• Where do you (he/she) live? What city, and in what setting (at home, own home, waivered service, group home)?
• What was life like before receiving Medical Assistance services?
• When did you get services? How long have you and your loved one been receiving them?
• Which services do you receive, and how frequently are those services provided during the course of a week or month?
• What positive difference do those services make?
• What would life be like for you and/or your loved one if services were cut?
• What out-of-pocket expenses do you pay for the family member who has a disability, over and above what you usually spend in your household?

Try to keep your story relatively short. Keep it to one page if you write it out - between 350 words and 450 words is fine.

If you give your legislator a printed version of your story, include a photo of person with a disability or photo of entire family.