09/01/2026
I’d Like to Hear From Our Special Needs Community
I recently met with representatives at the Washoe Democratic office in Reno to discuss issues affecting individuals with disabilities and their families. As part of that conversation, we talked about the importance of hearing directly from the people who live these challenges every day.
I was the one who suggested reaching out to our community to gather your experiences and concerns.
This is not limited to Medicaid. I want to hear about any barriers or problems affecting individuals with disabilities and their families that you believe our elected officials or future elected officials should understand and work to improve.
That could include Medicaid and healthcare, access to therapies or medical equipment, caregiver support, transportation, housing, employment, education, accessibility, community inclusion, adult services, waiting lists, insurance, or anything else that makes it harder for individuals with disabilities to live full, successful, and inclusive lives.
This will be completely anonymous. I am not planning to include anyone’s name, photograph, or identifying information in the report. I simply want to share the issues our community is facing and real-life examples of how those issues affect people.
The information will help us better understand the positions of Teresa Benitez-Thompson and Aaron Ford on disability- and healthcare-related issues and give them an opportunity to hear directly about the concerns of our community.
We all have different battles. Something that may be a major issue for one family may not affect another family at all — but they all matter.
Once we have gathered some of these stories and concerns, we have also discussed arranging a time for Teresa to visit our Coffee And Comics group and speak with our families in person. I think that could be a wonderful opportunity for our community to ask questions, share concerns, and have a meaningful conversation about what individuals with disabilities and their families actually need.
If there is something you wish our elected officials and candidates better understood about your life, your family, or the disability community, please send it to me.
You don’t need to write it perfectly. Just tell me what the problem is, how it affects you or your family, and what you wish could change. I can take it from there.
Our experiences may be different, but together they can help show where change is needed.
Time of the essence, so I’m hoping to get our stories compiled by the end of this week. Please email me directly with your comments and stories since this is not a SNCNN specific idea.
Thank you,
Pam Berek
[email protected]
