Tell your state representative and state senator to support HB 2788 (Faver Dias) and SB 1690 (Koehler), which would increase wages for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) who deliver crucial services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This legislation would ensure the state reimbursement for DSP wages is at least 150% of minimum wage across the state.
The state budget will be very tight this year, and there are lots of competing demands for state funds. We need to get these bills on legislators’ radar RIGHT NOW at the outset of the spring legislative session.
We’ve fought hard to secure DSP wage increases over the last few years, but they’ve only kept pace with minimum wage. Outside of Chicagoland, the state’s DSP wage reimbursement was 140% of minimum wage in FY2020; today, it’s dropped to just 137%. We need the state to reach 150% of minimum wage statewide, as recommended by a state-commissioned study.
Recent wage increases are starting to make some progress in addressing the DSP staffing crisis, but more than 16,000 people with disabilities remain stuck on waitlists, unable to access services. DSPs are still overworked, underpaid, and struggling to make ends meet. These are real people facing real challenges every day—and we have the power to change that. For more details, see our updated fact sheet.
Your support can help secure a sustainable DSP wage and ensure people with disabilities get the support they deserve.
