Bryan Dooley: Why investing in independence is a win

May 10, 2026: Article Published in Greensboro News and Record, Source at https://greensboro.com/opinion/column/article_4a6e5d7c-a12e-4d1e-9303-2a77110f5857.html 

I’m often asked what it’s like to navigate the world with a disability — in my case, cerebral palsy. My usual answer is a joke: I showed up two months early because I was eager to get a head start on life. 

That line usually works. 

But after attending the recent Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities Legislative Caucus at the General Assembly, I’ve been thinking about that question differently. Right now, navigating the world feels — somewhat unexpectedly — inspired. 

On April 29, self-advocates, families and supporters from across North Carolina filled one of the legislature’s largest hearing rooms. They didn’t come to complain. They came to offer something more useful: perspective, clarity and solutions. 

The focus was clear: Protect Medicaid, reduce the Innovations Waiver waitlist and strengthen the Direct Support Professional workforce. A direct support professional works directly with individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. DSP's enable those clients to becoming independent and active in their communities. 

These aren’t new issues, but hearing them from people living it every day gives them weight. 

I try to be practical. I’m an unaffiliated voter. I understand that building a budget is about tradeoffs. Legislators are balancing real constraints. 

But we tend to frame this conversation in terms of cost. That misses the point. 

Home and community-based services aren’t just spending — they’re infrastructure. I rely on them every day. They’re what allow me to live independently and work part time as a community inclusion specialist with Solutions for Independence in Winston-Salem. 

That’s real work. I support people with significant disabilities as they pursue jobs, housing and community life. And the same system that supports me is what allows me to support them. 

That’s how this is supposed to work. 

Right now, more than 20,000 North Carolinians are on the Innovations Waiver waitlist, which means they are waiting for  for access to services that enable them to live in their communities rather than in an institution. From a policy standpoint, that’s a big number. From where I sit, it’s 20,000-plus stalled opportunities. 

A waiver slot isn’t just a service — it’s access. It’s the difference between being on the outside and being part of your community. 

The Direct Support Professional workforce is the other side of that equation. After my mother passed away, my independence depended on the people who support me at home. When we talk about raising wages, we’re talking about stability — keeping people in their homes and out of far more expensive institutional care. 

That’s not just compassionate. It’s fiscally responsible. 

So when I say “Help us help you,” I mean it. 

There’s a version of this where the state makes targeted, incremental investments — reducing waitlists, stabilizing the workforce, and treating home- and community based services like the essential system it is. In return, you get more people working, contributing and participating. 

I’m part of that return. 

At the Legislative Building, I saw engaged advocates and attentive legislators. No one pretended this was easy, but there was a shared understanding that progress is possible. 

North Carolina has always been practical and forward-looking when it counts. This is one of those moments. 

Because when independence works, it doesn’t just benefit the individual; it strengthens communities and creates momentum. 

I see that every day. 

And it’s worth investing in.