As parents of a child with severe disabilities, we would like to publicly express our gratitude to Sen. Peggy Rotundo and her advocacy for programs that provide services for people with disabilities.

This year the budget battles in the State House were particularly fierce, and the size and nature of the proposed cuts to these programs would have been catastrophic. Most people cannot appreciate the difficulty of attaining services or understand the frustration of the many people who are waiting for help.

It is to Rotundo’s credit that she helped organize forums held across the state to gain input from families to assess how the proposed cuts would negatively impact the most vulnerable citizens of the state. Budget cuts had to be made, but at least they were made in a more reasonable manner.

Maureen Patricia Gilbert and

Linwood Edrick Gilbert, Turne