President's Budget Zero Funds Critical Traumatic Brain Injury Programs

WASHINGTON - Less than a week after delivering a State of the Union address in which he asserted that the "road to victory" is the one that brings our troops home, President Bush
recommended eliminating the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) program, which includes funding for Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury (PATBI) - programs essential to so many troops returning with disabilities acquired in combat.

"At a time when traumatic brain injuries account for a higher proportion of casualties than in other wars, it is unconscionable that the President is recommending absolutely no funding for a program so essential to this population," said Curt Decker, executive director of the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN).

Results of TBI screenings at the National Naval Medical Center show that 83 percent of wounded Marines and sailors had sustained temporary or permanent brain damage.

Along with the estimated 5.3 million Americans already living with disabilities resulting from TBI, these service men and women face an array of advocacy needs provided by the PATBI program, including assistance with returning to work; accessing needed supports and services; and obtaining appropriate mental health, substance abuse, and rehabilitation services. Given the nature of their brain injuries, these individuals run a high risk of falling through the cracks if advocacy programs such as PATBI are eliminated, as recommended in the President's budget.

"Last week the President told the nation that 'greatness is measured by who we are, and how we treat one another.' We call on Congress to prove that greatness by treating our returning members of the armed forces with the honor they are due," said Decker. "We call on Congress not only to deny the President's request for zero funding, but to increase funding for the PATBI program to ensure that all those who qualify are able to access these essential services."

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The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) is the nonprofit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and the Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. Collectively, the Network is the largest provider of legally based advocacy services to people with disabilities in the United States.