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Leathaineach abhaile / Albums / Washington DC, Spring 1993 26
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ADAPT (785)
[Headline] Disabled Protesters Disrupt Capitol [Subheading] 114 Arrested After Bailing Out of Wheelchairs, Blocking Halls by Liz Spayd Washington Post Staff Writer More than 200 chanting protesters in Wheelchairs swarmed into the U.S. Capitol yesterday, throwing themselves on the floor and blocking hallways to demand federal programs that would allow the disabled to live on their own. Several of the demonstrators chained their wheelchairs together and spread sleeping bags across the tiled ‘Corridors, saying they were prepared to camp out until congressional leaders agreed to address their concerns. Capitol Police closed off parts of the Capitol and, with the assistance of physicians and of translators for the hearing-impaired, arrested 114 protesters. "Anyone's allowed in the building. But they were [lying] in the hallways and chanting," said Sgt. Dan R, Nichols. “They were asked to leave several times, and when they refused, we arrested them.” The group is in Washington for three days of demonstrations to urge changes in federal policies that would allow greater numbers of disabled people to live independently instead of in nursing homes. Specifically; the activists are asking that 25 percent of Medicaid funds spent on nursing homes be shifted to in-home care programs. "We have no intention of stopping until we get what we want," said Terrance Turner, a Detroit resident who was among the protesters. "If it's not today, then tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the next day." Shouting, "Down with nursing homes," and, “Free our people," the demonstrators formed a human blockade around the double-doors leading into the office of House Majority Whip David E. Bonior (D-Mich.) for more than two hours. Bonior’s press secretary, John Schelble, said the congressman was at a doctor's appointment when the demonstrators made their surprise visit and didn't return until after they had left. Bonior was targeted, in part, because of his leadership position in the House, but also because his office is on the first floor and therefore more accessible to the disabled. Earlier in the day, the activists met with Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala, who told them long-term care for the disabled is a key component of the Clinton administration's health care proposals. "The secretary is very sensitive to their concerns," said Avis LaVelle, spokeswoman for Shalala’s office. “Much of what they're asking for is being addressed by the health care task force." Using civil disobedience to make their point, the organizers of yesterday's protest, members of a group called ADAPT, have been advocating rights for disabled people since the late 1970s. Their first protest was in Denver, when 19 activists illegally detained a public bus that was inaccessible to people in wheelchairs. Since then, ADAPT—which stands for American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today—has become an increasingly militant group. It uses wheelchairs to barricade buildings, and members crawl across dirty streets to dramatize the helplessness of people in nursing homes. One of ADAPT's favorite targets is the American Health Care Association, a Washington-based trade group that represents 11,000 nursing homes nationwide. But making nursing homes the villain is unfair, association spokeswoman Clauda Askew said. Nursing homes, she said, have been wrongly portrayed as malicious institutions that hold people against their will and deny them basic human freedoms. "No one is forced to live in a nursing home,” Askew said. “What ADAPT is advocating is taking funds away from nursing home residents. They're robbing Peter to pay Paul, and that's not the answer." Members of ADAPT exchange power salutes as Capitol Police arrest them during a protest outside a congressional office
ADAPT (790)
Photo: Looking down on two police officers standing in the dark with some ADAPT protesters. They appear to be outside a building with a white column on one side. The ADAPT folks are sitting in their chairs and on the steps of the building, but they are barely visable in the darkness. The floor appears to be marble. This may be the Russell House office building or some similar building.
ADAPT (784)
The Washington Times LOCAL ROUND UP TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1993 [Headline] Disabled demonstrators arrested at Capitol More than 100 disabled demonstrators were arrested yesterday in the second day of their protest at the Capitol to gain more federal dollars for in-home health care. A total of 114 demonstrators were charged with unlawful entry and demonstrating in the Capitol — both misdemeanors, said Capitol Police spokesman Sgt. Dan Nichols. Most would be issued citations for later court appearances in D.C. Superior Court, he said. About 500 protesters began what was scheduled to be the three-day demonstration Sunday. Rally organizer Mike Auberger said the group wanted federal funds shifted from nursing homes to in-home care, which is less expensive.
ADAPT (786)
Photo by Tom Olin: Three police officers in white shirts with badges and patches on them and dark hats with badges on the front lift Frank McCoy. Frank is reclined, lying in their hands and looking to one side. They seem to be lifting him out of his wheelchair. Two other officers look on from the side. Everyone has gentle concerned looks on their faces. They are in some kind of room with a curtain against one wall, partially obscured by folding tables set on their sides. In the bottom right corner of the photo, you can see just the face of someone sitting on the ground behind one of the officers.
ADAPT (779)
[Headline] ADAPT MEETS WITH CLINTON Thirty national disability rights groups, among them ADAPT, met with President Clinton on Tuesday, July 27 to discuss Clinton's agenda on disability issues. Clinton and the disability groups agreed the three main issues at this point are ADA, Health Care and Personal Assistance Services. The President confirmed his strong commitment to enforcement of the ADA and opposition to weakening of the law, something that has been rumored to be in the wings. He also affirmed his commitment to including people with disabilities in health care reform. Mike Auberger, national organizer for ADAPT, presented the piece on personal assistance services. Auberger outlined the concern of ADAPT, and the disability community generally, with the current promotion of a states rights approach to community based services. Right now our nation warehouses over two and a half million people with disabilities in nursing homes and other institutions at a national cost of approximately $140 Billion each year. Over half our states have chosen not to provide attendant services at any real level, while all have significant nursing home programs. A national attendant services program MUST: (1) be mandated, and (2) have minimum standards below which a state cannot fall. Challenging the President to stop the warehousing of people with disabilities in these institutions, Auberger said "you have the ability, and hopefully the desire. ADAPT challenges you to free people." Though the meeting was scheduled for 20 minutes, it went on for an hour. Clinton began the meeting with a relay call to Senator Harkin’s brother (who is deaf) in honor of Monday's deadline for a national relay service. As Auberger left the White House he thought of the irony that ten years ago he and other ADAPT members had lain in that very street (Pennsylvania Ave.) blocking buses with their bodies for the right to ride. Protests got ADAPT into this meeting and clearly protest will bring us victory.
ADAPT (796)
SF CHRONICLES 5-11-93 [Headline] Disabled Militants Protest at Capitol To Live on Their Own Washington More than 200 chanting protesters in wheelchairs swarmed into the U.S. Capitol yesterday, throwing themselves on the floor and blocking hallways to demand federal programs that would help disabled people live on their own. Several of the demonstrators chained their wheelchairs together and spread sleeping bags across the tiled corridors, saying they were prepared to camp out until congressional leaders agreed to address their concerns. Capitol police closed off portions of the Capitol and - with the assistance of physicians and interpreters for the hearing-impaired — arrested 114 protesters. The group was in Washington for three days of demonstrations to urge changes in federal policies that would enable greater numbers of disabled people to live independently instead of in care homes. Specifically, they are asking that 25 percent of Medicaid funds spent on nursing homes be shifted to in-home care ‘programs.
ADAPT (800)
Photo: by Tom Olin? In a somewhat dim hotel ballroom with chandaleers, a short woman in a red shirtdress (HHS Secretary Donna Shalala) stands facing a large crowd of people, most of whom are in wheelchairs. She holds a mic and some papers in one hand and reaches out with the other to shake hands with a woman in a wheelchair [Carla Laws] with a cap and shorts and a white sleveless t-shirt. Carla reaches forward to shake with a brace on her hand. Beside Carla is a man in a wheelchair [Lee Sanders] in a blue t-shirt and tan pants, wearing a beret, a choker and facepaint. On Shalala's other side someone sitting on the floor is holding a poster about disability. Shalala is not much taller standing than Lee and Carla (both tall people) sitting in their motorized wheelchairs.
ADAPT (789)
[Headline] SHALALA RESPONDS TO ADAPT: A States’ Rights Approach By Bob Kafka At ADAPT’s May 10th meeting in D.C. with Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, she committed to respond to the five ADAPT demands within 30 days She kept that promise with a letter dated June 10th. However, the Secretary’s response was disappointing! ADAPT's Demands 1) Create a National Attendant Services Program; 2) Redirect Medicaid nursing home funds for a National Attendant Services Program; 3) Appoint a HHS liaison to ADAPT; 4) Include ADAPT in all future Clinton Administrations discussions on Long Term Care; 5) Hold 10 Regional Forums, coordinated with ADAPT, on Attendant Services. Shalala meets with ADAPT in DC Photo by Tom Olin
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Photo by Gary Bosworth: This is a close up of an ADAPT protester in a denim jacket with black ADAPT armband. The person is pressed up against the fence and reaching through holding a one foot by 9 inch white cross. There are a couple of other crosses like this sticking in the lawn on the other side of the fence Clipped from a newsletter it has the title "NEWS" and a caption: ADAPT protester plants cross on White House lawn.
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Photo by Tom Olin: Black and white photo. A row of people sitting at one side of a table. Closest to the camera is a man, Rick James, in a wheelchair with a scruffy beard, an ADAPT shirt and a black mountain man felt hat with political buttons on it. He has a very intense expression on his face, not happy. He has a small bag hanging around his neck. Beside him is HHS Secretary Donna Shalala, a small woman in a suit dress with short dark hair and buckle type earrings. She is holding some papers and a pair of reading glasses in front of her and has a thoughtful experssion on her face. On her other side is a woman in a wheelchair (Lupe Vasquez?) also with short dark hair and she is wearing glasses. She too looks thoughtful. On her other side, mostly obscured is a man in a suit and beside him is another person in a wheelchair.
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This is the final section of the "D.C. Action" which began on Image 799. Please refer back to 799 for the full text.
ADAPT (788)
Photo by Tom Olin: A man in a white polo shirt and dark glasses stands at a microphone reading from some papers in his hand. Behind him you can see a blurred crowd facing him.
ADAPT (797)
Washington Post, Monday May 10, 1993 D1 METRO Photo by Gerald M , The Washington Post: With the US Capitol dome behind them, ADAPT protesters march at the camera. In the front row left to right are Rick James in his signature mountain man hat, Stephanie Thomas, Frank Lozano and his dog guide Frazier, and Paulette Patterson with her fist raised. Behind her a man holds a large poster that reads "Do Not Tread on Disability." Caption reads: Asking for more financial aid for the disabled so they can live independently, hundreds of demonstrators march from the Capitol to the White House. [On the right side of the picture is another article about protests against gun violence. on the left side is the article about ADAPT.] [Headline] A Cry for Freedom and an Outcry Over the Killings: Demonstrators for Disabled Seek Funds for Independent Living By Liz Spayd, Washington Post staff writer Waving signs and chanting. ‘Free our people now,‘ hundreds of disability rights advocates from across the country rolled their wheelchairs down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House yesterday in a peaceful but boisterous demonstration for better treatment of the disabled. The demonstrators, many of them quadriplegics and paraplegics, are fighting for money that would allow more of the disabled to live independently instead of in nursing homes. Some have said they intend to stage disruptive events in downtown Washington today to draw attention to their cause. ‘What we need is more money for others to have the freedom I have now,‘ said Jack Urbany, of Pennsylvania, who until last year lived in a nursing home "I'm so happy to be free." Because many people with disabilities don't have jobs, financing a trip to Washington meant holding garage sales. selling buttons and organizing letter-writing campaigns to raise funds. Their willingness to make the effort is in part testament to the Americans With Disabilities Act, whose enactment last year is helping to forge a new civil rights movement in the United States. The ranks of the disabled agitating for better treatment has swelled since the law was passed, according to activists, because it empowered See PROTEST, D4, Col I [Headline] A Chain of Remembrance Links Protesters Against Gun Violence By Serge F. Kovaleski, Washington Post Staff Writer The pink dress that once adorned a spry 7-year-old girl who was gunned down as she rode her snowmobile. The Statue of Liberty brandishing a handgun, her crown lined with bullets. Tombstones, and wistful odes to the dead. Those were among the more than 1,200 links that made up the Chain of Remembrance, a sprawling patchwork of mementos, grief and outrage that was the symbolic centerpiece of an emotional Mother's Day rally against gun violence at the Lincoln Memorial. Several hundred demonstrators, relatives of the slain and gun control advocates, ringed the Reflecting Pool yesterday, holding 18-by-18-inch cloth threaded together in honor of the dead. A church choir sang "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Demonstrators also hoisted placards decrying the National Rifle Association and wore T-shirts emblazoned with names, words of remembrance and, in some cases, photographs and sketches of slain loved ones. Others sat inconspicuously under the brilliant sunlight, crying as they reflected on the cruel fates of their dead relatives and how such tragedy, in a flash, has thrown their own lives into turmoil. For some, it was a chance to share their wrenching tales of misfortune. "Everyday, every minute and every second of our lives has [See Violence, D4, Col. 3] [Headline] Hundreds Demand Better Treatment for Disabled Better Treatment for Disabled in D.C. Rally PROTEST, From D1 physically and mentally impaired people with the same rights as other minority groups. At a rally on the west steps of the Capitol, march leaders said that although their fight for equal rights was strengthened by the disabilities act, many improprieties still exist. ‘What is inappropriate is millions of human beings living with less dignity than we accord our pet dogs and 'ats,' Justin Dart, head of a small federal agency devoted to disability issues. told the crowd. "What is inappropriate is American citizens impirisoned without due process of law." The protesters, in a line, wheeled their way up Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House, where they arrayed themselves in single file along the long iron fence in front of the north lawn. There they placed white crosses on the lawn symbolizing the deaths of thousands of people from substandard and poor nursing home care. ‘This is kind of déja vu for me." said Paul Melvin of Norfolk, wiping away the sweat on his brow as he sat in his wheelchair in front of the White House gates. “l came in the late '60s and early '70s tor Vietnam protests." His current cause, and that of other demonstrators, is to redirect one-fourth of the $23 billion that Medicaid budgets for nursing homes into programs that would enable those with disabilities to live at home. Failure to establish such a policy, group leaders say, forces 1.6 million people to live in the isolation of institutions instead of the mainstream of society. Though a change in federal policy was the chief reason. many said they felt a sense of empowerment by participating in such an event. "This is overwhelming. I've never experienced anything like this,“ said an exuberant lsabel Alvidrez, 23, of El Paso, The demonstration, led by a Denver-based group called Adapt, was timed to pressure the Clinton administration to consider the rights of the disabled in its package of health-care revisions due out soon. It is not the first time President Clinton has found himself the target of Adapt. While Clinton was governor of Arkansas, demonstrators shackled themselves to his office until he agreed to restore cuts in funding for in-home care for the disabled. Last October, his San Francisco campaign headquarters was blocked for hours by dozens of wheelchair users who successfully pressured the candidate to include long-term care for the disabled in his plan for health-care revising. Now, the demonstrators hope to hold Clinton to his promise. They are scheduled to meet with Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala today. Two years ago, then Secretary Louis W. Sullivan's failure to meet with Adapt led protesters to thread chains through their wheelchairs in an attempt to block the entrance to the federal agency‘s headquarters on Independence Avenue SW. Similar tactics are likely to be used by Adapt in the streets of Washington today. Though they won't say where. Adapt leaders insist they will make their presence known, either with human blockades or other techniques designed to create disruptions and spotlight their cause. “l can't say what the targets will be, but there will be civil disobedience in Washington,‘ said Michael Auberger, co-founder of Adapt, which stands for American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today. Adapt's use of sometimes militant tactics has sometimes drawn criticism from other disability rights groups who would prefer to rely on more peaceful means to attain their goals. But Pascuala Herrera. a Chicago resident who said he plans to participate in this week's disruptions. insists such steps are necessary. "The first priority is to use a peaceful approach. but if they don't listen to us, we have to do more," Herrera said.
ADAPT (799)
INCITEMENT INCITEMENT INCITEMENT D.C. Action. SHALALA MEETS WITH ADAPT 2,000 MARCH ON WHITE HOUSE The line of demonstrators stretched ten blocks. Heat waves rising from the street gave the ADAPT Wheels to Freedom march on the White House a Fellini look. Waves of emotion rising from the crowd matched the heat 2,178 ADAPT activists and supporters marched for freedom and attendant services in Washington DC, May 9th. During his campaign, Clinton had promised ADAPT action on a national attendant services program within the first 100 days of his Presidency. 110 days into the Clinton Presidency ADAPT activists from 26 states converged on DC to collect on that promise. The event started at the west steps of the US Capitol with a. memorial melebration for the lives and contributions of Wade Blank and his son Lincoln. Prwident Clinton sent a letter of sympathy with his Aide Paul Miller (see p. 5). Congresswoman Pat Schroeder, representatives for Senator Harkin and Congressman Major Owens, former EEOC Chair Evan Kemp, President's Committee on Employment or People with Disabilities Chair Justin Dart and ADAPT leaders Mike Auberger and Stephanie Thomas. Disability rights singers Elaine Kolb and Johnny Crescendo also performed. Wade's contributions and vision were remembered, his dedication honored and comrsdeship missed. The celebration ended with the message that our struggle can not and will not die with Wade; we must continue the fight until our brothers and sisters are free. Crescendo sang his latest song "Tear Down the Walls (of the nursing home!)" On that note, the huge crowd left the Capitol and headed up Pennsylvania Ave. When we arrived, marchers lined up along the two block long fence in front of the White House. Facing inward, we chanted "Free Our People". The President's door remained shut. A three foot by five foot list of ADAPT’ s six demands was hung on the front gate. On signal each person reached through the fence and planted a red or white cross on the lawn to symbolize the 9,520,000 people who, since 1965, have died or are at risk of dying in a nursing home. Our message planted. we turned and left Moving along the fence you saw on the crosses messages to Wade and Lincoln as well as to friends and family who had died or were stuck in nursing homes. Monday began with an event the Bush administration refused to allow for two years Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Donna Shalala came to ADAPT 's hotel for meetings with ADAPT. Bush's HHS Secretary Sullivan ma refused to ever mm to ADAPT. First Shalala and her staff met with a small group of ADAPT leaders who, due to lack of attendant services had been in nursing homes, were at risk of being warehoused or had similar perspectives on the issue. Although the Secretary's staff had originally wanted to discuss facts and figures, this group brought the discussion up to the real level, the level of the impact on human beings’ lives. Sharon Atkins, Lupe Vasquez, John Gladstone, Anita Cameron, Stephanie Thomas, Irene Norwood, Teresa Monroe and Rick James each shared a piece of the picture and of the demands. By the end, Shalala acknowledged the institutional bias and had a personal taste of the bitter reality. Appointing a liaison with ADAPT, she promised to respond to each of five demands within 30 days The meeting, originally scheduled for 15 minutes, had grown to 45 minutes Next Shalala came out and met with all 500 ADAPT activists. When she saw ADAPT in all its glory she stepped off of the platform, cancelled her next scheduled appointment and moved out to the crowd to shared her goals for attendant services and health care reform. Only an inch or two taller than many of us in our chairs, she fit right in. People asked about many issues relating to health care and attendant services. In the end ADAPT said that the administration's goals sounded great, but that actions speak louder than words and we will be watching for actions to follow the rhetoric. Adapt did not stop there. Afterwards we marched over to the Capitol demanding a meeting with Congressional leadership. Even if the Administration did everything we wanted, at least parts of any plan will need to be enacted by congress. so we turned our attention to them. However, the Congressional leadership was too busy to meet, so we said we would wait Our group took up an entire wing of the ground floor of the Capitol. spilling out into the rotunda When folks climbed out of their chairs to get comfortable (for what looked like a long wait), Capitol Security got uncomfortable and started arrests. Arrests led to chants, which led to more arrests, 115 arrests in all. Tuesday brought the focus to the architects and main supporters of our current warehousing system: AHCA, the American Health Care Association. This nursing home industry lobby group had recently created new propaganda pap: "Quality of Life" Awards. ADAPT's response? Our first annual Certain Death Awards ceremony (to recognize the 10 worst nursing homes) held at the steps of their front door. Gathering out in front ADAPT members tried to enter the building but were locked out; so we blocked the building. Cops swarming around the building got a jolt when the second wave of several hundred ADAPT activists marched up the hill from the subway station to join the rest of our troops. AHCA Executive Director Paul Willging was invited out to accept the awards. When he did not show up, a yellow cardboard dummy stood in for him An ADAPT representative from each of the states of the 10 worst nursing homes read the Certain Death Award and the human rights violations for which they were nominated and chosen Violations ranged from maggots in bedsores to abuse and death. Marching home through the streets of DC, ADAPT began celebrating a victorious week of actions. We topped all our past records. Our Wheels to Freedom march was the largest disability rights march in history. We met with the HHS Secretary, she talked our line about attendant services and folks incarcerated in nursing homes, and we put her on notice that we were watching her actions. We put Congress on notice that we were serious about changing the institutional bias of our long term care system and demonstrated the depth of our seriousness with the largest number of arrests to date. We called AHCA's bluff, exposing their darker underside with the Certain Death Award Ceremony at their front door. When we got back to the hotel, we found even one more victory we found a hotel that liked us, they threw us a party. AHCA President Willging "stand-in" accepted the Certain Death Awards. Photo: Carolyn Long [Caption] ADAPT members at the table with HHS Secretary Shalala Photo by Tom Olin