URGENT – The Michigan House of Representatives passed a budget bill yesterday that severely reduces funding for critical disability services. If enacted, this budget will force all 15 Centers for Independent Living (CIL) across the state of Michigan to cut or eliminate essential programs that thousands of people with disabilities rely on to live independently. We are calling on the Michigan Senate and Governor Gretchen Whitmer to restore funding and protect services in the final state budget. We encourage you to reach out to them too. Their contact information can be found on these websites: Senate: https://senate.michigan.gov/senators/all-senators Governor: https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/contact Michigan must not balance its budget on the backs of people with disabilities. We call on lawmakers to act now, restore this funding, restore these services, and uphold our state’s commitment to equity and independence. Rolling back funding to pre-2017 levels abandons the progress we have made and puts lives at risk. (fb)

Take your American Sign Language (ASL) skills to the next level! Sign up for one of our advanced ASL classes. Intermediate 2 ASL September 23 – October 28, 2025 (Tuesdays) 1:00 -2:00 pm Register: https://tinyurl.com/ASLintermediate2 OR Advanced ASL October 1 – November 5, 2025 (Wednesdays) 1:00 – 2:00 pm Register: https://tinyurl.com/ASLadvanced Classes meet once a week for 6 weeks over Zoom. They are open to residents of Huron, Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland, Sanilac, St. Clair and Tuscola Counties. If you are new to ASL, check out our other posts for easier classes. Have questions? Contact Jay Watson at JWatson@DNEMichigan.org or 810-987-9337. #ASL #ASLstudent #LearnASL #AmericanSignLanguage #DNEM (fb)