Access Living’s remarks on care work aired by WBBM Radio
In this 10 minute audio clip, WBBM RadioNews reporters cover the recent Build Back Better Act rally of home healthcare and child care workers, advocates, and State Congresswomen Robyn Kelly and Marie Newman. Included in their coverage are the remarks made by Access Living’s healthcare community organizer, Ryan McGraw.
**We are in the process of getting a full transcript of this audio segment and hope to have that soon. In the meantime, a transcription of our organizer, Ryan McGraw, is available below.**
Partial Transcript
Access Living’s remarks, made by Ryan McGraw, Healthcare Community Organizer:
“Access Living has been part of the fight for community services for over 40 years. We are proud to stand here today in partnership with SEIU.
Right now, there are millions of people in need of home and community based services. The default right now for people who don’t have home and community based services is institutions. This must change. People with disabilities and seniors want and need to stay in their own homes, have their own choices. It is not acceptable when you take away the freedom of a person with a disability or a senior to live their own life. Right now millions of people with disabilities need those supports. Home services are just as important as roads and bridges. They are the backbones of communities all across the country.
Millions of people provide care for free and they deserve to be paid. Caregivers deserve good pay, healthcare, professional development, and benefits. Care giving is work. It is hard work. It is not okay that we ask people to provide good care for people without quality wages and benefits and professional development.
We need the Build Back Better Act to invest in the care infrastructure for all of us, now and in the future. We cannot afford to be to be left behind right now. I’m here to say that people with disabilities and seniors want to be in charge of their own lives. This can only work if we can attract more people to the care giving work force in provide good personal assistance services to people with disabilities and seniors. Let’s build back better. Care can’t wait.”
Full Transcript
**FULL TRANSCRIPT COMING SOON**