(live) Wyoming Gubernatorial Candidates To Face Questions On Disability Issues At Forum

CASPER, Wyo. — Wyoming gubernatorial candidates are gathered this evening to address issues impacting residents with disabilities during a forum at the Ramkota Hotel in Casper.

Scheduled from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the forum is hosted in partnership with the Natrona Collective Health Trust, the Wyoming Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, Wyoming Independent Living Inc. and the Child Development Center.

Susan Stubson of Crowley Fleck PLLP and Cheryl Junge of NCSP/ABLE will moderate the discussion. The scheduled participating candidates are Megan Degenfelder, Brent Bien and Eric Barlow.

The forum includes 10 questions, with candidates given two minutes to respond to each, followed by a three-minute closing statement. The questions cover a broad range of policy areas, from state services and workforce retention to education and healthcare access.

The forum will open with a question on civic representation, asking candidates how they will make sure that people with disabilities have a meaningful voice in shaping state policies, programs and decisions that affect their lives. Candidates will then be asked what their administrations will do to ensure that Wyoming residents with disabilities continue to receive state and federally funded services in the most integrated settings possible.

Candidates will be asked to address the 537 individuals with developmental disabilities currently awaiting services through the state’s home and community–based waiver program, and how they would work as governor to decrease this waitlist. They’ll also address the 47% first-year turnover rate among direct support professionals, outlining actions they would take to support recruitment, retention and workforce strength.

Candidates will be asked to describe how they plan to enhance resources available to caregivers to ensure individuals with disabilities can continue receiving care in their homes. They will also address whether they support legislation to update a state statute that would allow families of children with disabilities to decide the most appropriate time for their child to transition from developmental preschool to kindergarten while retaining access to their Individualized Education Program services.

Educational equity, employment and infrastructure make up the next block of questions. The candidates will be asked to explain how their administrations will make sure that students with disabilities have equal access to all educational opportunities afforded to nondisabled students. On the economic front, they’ll outline strategies to increase employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Candidates will also discuss transportation strategies to expand accessible options, including on-demand and cross-county services.

Candidates will be asked how they plan to improve healthcare access and outcomes for individuals with disabilities, who frequently face barriers to healthcare, behavioral health services and specialized providers due to financial and policy restrictions.

To close the question-and-answer portion, moderators will ask each candidate to define what a successful first term would look like for people with disabilities and how they would measure that success.