People who care for those with intellectual or developmental disabilities say they should be counted as essential workers who benefit from federal funding.
Chris Mitchell is a healthcare worker that was assigned to care for people with disabilities in a house in Northport, Long Island, right after the pandemic hit.
“It was my third ever shift in this house, and it was announced that one of the individuals who lives in the house, he got tested positive. I was weighing the options in my head, and the thing that made the most sense and was going to benefit everybody would be to actually stay there for the seven days, and so that’s what I did.”
Mitchell works for Family Residences and Essential Enterprises, a nonprofit that provides housing and grocery delivery services for people with developmental disabilities.
He says the people they work with can be more susceptible to the virus. They need more protective equipment and funding.
CEO Robert Budd says the state has already declared their work essential, but they still haven’t received access to federal funds.
“What we’re fighting for is that federal designation in the next round of funds, so that our heroes are included for that essential worker pay, bonus pay and prioritization for personal protective equipment.”
Senate Democrats have proposed legislation that would fund hazard pay for essential workers, including healthcare workers for people with disabilities.
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