- LanguageAfrikaans Argentina AzÉrbaycanca
á¥áá áá£áá Äesky Ãslenska
áá¶áá¶ááááá à¤à¥à¤à¤à¤£à¥ বাà¦à¦²à¦¾
தமிழ௠à²à²¨à³à²¨à²¡ ภาษาà¹à¸à¸¢
ä¸æ (ç¹é«) ä¸æ (é¦æ¸¯) Bahasa Indonesia
Brasil Brezhoneg CatalÃ
ç®ä½ä¸æ Dansk Deutsch
Dhivehi English English
English Español Esperanto
Estonian Finnish Français
Français Gaeilge Galego
Hrvatski Italiano Îλληνικά
íêµì´ LatvieÅ¡u Lëtzebuergesch
Lietuviu Magyar Malay
Nederlands Norwegian nynorsk Norwegian
Polski Português RomânÄ
Slovenšcina Slovensky Srpski
Svenska Türkçe Tiếng Viá»t
Ù¾Ø§Ø±Ø³Û æ¥æ¬èª ÐÑлгаÑÑки
ÐакедонÑки Ðонгол Ð ÑÑÑкий
СÑпÑки УкÑаÑнÑÑка ×¢×ר×ת
اÙعربÙØ© اÙعربÙØ©
Home / އަލްބަމްތައް / Victory in the Courts, Spring & Summer 1989 27
ތާރީޙު ޕޯސްޓްކުރޭ / 2015
ADAPT (467)
PHOTO by Tom Olin: Justin Dart is in forground with a patriot wig with a pony tail on his head, under his hat. Stuck in his hatband is a gods eye, the crossed sticks with yarn wound around them in a square pattern. Dart is yelling and his mouth is open. Behind him Brian Shea is also yelling, his mouth also open. Behind Brian another person in an ADAPT shirt (possibly Fred ________ from Chicago).
ADAPT (462)
The Voice OF THE PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED WELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS 02181 JUNE 1989 - VOL. 2, NO. 9 [Headline] TRANSIT ACCESS FIGHT COMBINES COURT ACTIONS, STREET PROTESTS Photo: Dressed in revolutionary war costumes, three cornered hats,and colonial wigs, five ADAPT members (a man standing playing a flute, Joe Carle, Diane Coleman, Bob Kafka and Mark Johnson) lead a long line of marchers in wheelchairs and standing. They are gathered on a sidewalk under some trees and with Independence Hall and other historic buildings behind them. Caption reads: COLONIAL GARB drew attention to ADAPT and CORD members circling around Independence Park in Philadelphia on May 14. Photo: A row of about a dozen people in wheelchairs holding signs blocks a street with 3 buses on it. Two are further back and have more protesters with signs blocking them. Signs read We Will Ride, Access Now, Disabled in Action, Access Not Excuses and similar messages. Caption reads: MASSACHUSETTS representatives of ADAPT and CORD during the "crawl on" in Philadelphia on May 13. By BILL HENNING The battle to secure full access to public transportation for people with disabilities has been fought during this first half of 1989 in two arenas--in the courts and in the streets. On February 13, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia ruled that all transit systems receiving federal financial assistance can only purchase accessible buses. And they said that paratransit service must be maintained as needed. "This landmark decision, the product of a lawsuit led by American Disabled for Accessible Public Transportation (ADAPT) and the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), struck down fabricated transit regulations implemented by the Department of Transportation in 1986," said Mike Early, an organizer with the Cape Organization tor Rights of the Disabled (CORD). "Gone were the ‘local option‘ and '3% cost cap' rules, which allowed transit systems to severely limit the amount of accessible services they provide." "Unfortunately, the Bush administration successfully asked for the case to be reheard, wiping out the original ruling." Wide support for the February court decision surfaced on Good Friday, March 24, when activists in 13 cities demonstrated for equal transportation access. CORD and the Massachusetts Office of Handicapped Affairs (OHA) organized a rally in Cambridge that attracted over 100 people, the largest of the nationwide events. "The concept of equality for disabled people must scare the government," said CORD advocate Kent Killam. "President Bush has spoken in favor of disability rights since he took office, saying all the right things, but his administration's actions speak otherwise." “They are arguing against equal access to transit in asking for a rehearing of the Philly case -- they even say that Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act does not guarantee equal rights. They are trying to move us backwards!" Many advocates also hailed the initial ruling in the ADAPT and PVA lawsuit because it advanced the concept that "separate is not equal“ for disabled people, much as had been stated in the historical Brown vs. Topeka civil rights case in 1954. "The way was paved for all practices and policies that isolate and segregate 'disabled' people to be struck down," Jim Glelch, director of OHA, commented. In a recent series of protests, members of ADAPT, as has been their history, dramatized their demands for equal transportation access. In April, they disrupted meetings oi the American Public Transit Association (APTA) in Reno; 49 ADAPT members were arrested-with a number staging a five-day hunger strike in jail. APTA is a regular ADAPT target because their lawsuit in 1979 stopped implementation of regulations for 100% accessible transit systems proposed by the Carter administration. Two weeks later on April 24, similar numbers of ADAPT members were arrested after breaking up a meeting of the federal Urban Mass Transit Authority (UMTA) in Denver. And the next day over 40 people were carried out oi the offices of the U.S. Attorney's office after he refused to call U.S. Attorney General Thornburgh to register the group's demand for accessible buses. Finally, from May 12 to May 15, ADAPT members, with an assist from nine persona from Massachusetts, including members of CORD, Cape United Elderly, and the Disabled Peoples Liberation Front staged four events to illustrate the need for access. Actions began with a meeting with the U.S. Attorney for Philadelphia, who called Attorney General Thornburgh and expressed the group's demand tor equal access to public transportation. The following day, May 13, a “crawl on" was held in front of the federal building where the ADAPT lawsuit was to be reheard. People left their wheelchairs and attempted to get on buses without lifts. The consequence: three buses were stopped, a major downtown traffic jam developed, and important media coverage showing how buses without lifts do not serve many disabled people was obtained. On Sunday, 50 people, many attired in Revolutionary War costumes, marched around Independence Park to dramatize the quest for the freedom that can stem from accessible transit systems. Participants included Justin Dart, former Rehabilitation Services Administration director. An hour-long takeover of the Liberty Bell pavilion highlighted the day. In the evening, 29 people camped all night in front of the court building in a vigil for access. In the morning, the group attended the opening arguments of the rehearing of ADAPT vs. the Department of Transportation. "I felt like a true patriot the whole weekend in Philadelphia," commented CORD member Leo Lucas. "The chant, ‘What do we want? Access! When do we want it? NOW!' is stuck in my mind." "The series of events was fantastic," said Mike Newhall of CORD. "Fighting for our rights is moving, spiritual, a true group effort that touched a lot of people." "We will ride!", exclaimed Mike Early. According to John Chappell of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. more protest occurred in Washington on May 15. Over 300 people who attended the annual conference of the National Council on Independent Living marched from the Capitol Hill area to the White House to show their concern over the President's failure to fully endorse the Americans with Disabilities Act. This bill, among many other things, would guarantee 100% accessible transportation if passed in its current form. "We have to continue to act publicly and aggressively." said Jim Gleich. "No one will give us our rights -- we have to demand them. We have to speak out for them.“
ADAPT (465)
This is a continuation of the story on 484. The article is included there in it's entirety for ease of reading.
ADAPT (471)
This is a continuation of the story on 484. The article is included there in it's entirety for ease of reading.
ADAPT (470)
This is a continuation of the story on 484. The article is included there in it's entirety for ease of reading.
ADAPT (468)
PHOTO by Tom Olin: A uniformed policeman and another man in a suit hold one arm each of a giant set of bolt cutters as they try and cut the kryptonite lock on George Roberts' motorized wheelchair and Bob Kafka's manual chair. You can only see Bob's feet and leg rests, but George has his eyes shut and is making a face of disgust.
ADAPT (466)
This is a continuation of the story on 484. The article is included there in it's entirety for ease of reading.
ADAPT (474)
PHOTO by Tom Olin: A uniformed police officer pushes Diane Coleman's motorized wheelchair away from the group of ADAPT protesters blocking the front entrance to the Radisson hotel. Diane has a bandage around her head, under her hat and has a "WE WILL RIDE" poster across her knees. Behind her you can see the group of protesters blocking the large entrance. To one side a man (another police man?) is standing. Protesters from left to right: An unknown person in a chair facing away from the camera, Chris Hronis (sp?) with a sign reading ADAPT for "Equal Rights", Mark Mactimmus in his white hat, George Roberts facing the hotel.
ADAPT (475)
PHOTO by Tom Olin: A crowd of ADAPT protesters in various items of Revolutionary War Patriots garb surround the Liberty Bell. Park Rangers stand on either side of the bell. A man in a manual wheelchair wearing a wig and rainbow suspenders sits with his back to the camera, a Disabled But Able to Vote bumper sticker across the back of his chair. Bob Kafka in a colonial jacket and tri-cornered hat faces the camera, to his left Mike Auberger is talking with a person with a small child on their hip. In the center of the picture, partially obscuring the Liberty Bell is a poster that reads "We Need to Get There Too!!" In the background green trees can be seen through a huge plate glass window.
ADAPT (480)
Rocky Mountain News 4-15-89 PHOTO by KEN PAPALEO Rocky Mountain News Frank McColm, a rail thin grey haired man in khakis, loafers, a red sports-fan jacket and baseball cap, kneels on the sidewalk in front of his E&J manual wheelchair with an American flag on the armrest and a barely visible poster taped to its back. He has his fist raised to chin level as if shaking it at the two uniformed police officers he is looking at with his intense gaze. The officers are standing behind the wheelchair each holding a push handle in one hand. Both are looking down at Frank with a wait-to-see-what-now expression. Caption reads: Disabled protest at transportation meeting Frank McColm gets out of hls wheelchair durlng a protest of a national transportation conference at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Denver. About 30 activists for the disabled were arrested yesterday after the hotel's front doors were blocked by wheelchairs. Police said they were not jailed. STORY/14
ADAPT (478)
San Antonio says no to lifts, loses major disability meet This article is a continuation of the one on 463, and the entire text is included there, for ease of reading.
ADAPT (486)
PHOTO Tom Olin?: Two police officers, one in plain clothes and one in uniform stand talking but looking in opposite directions. The plain clothes man has on a tie and jacket. He has his arms crossed across his chest, as does the other officer. Behind them are visible, parts of the fronts of two large buses sitting side by side. Between the cops and the buses is partially visible the line of people in wheelchairs who are blocking the buses. Diane Coleman is partially visible, with an "Access Not Excuses" poster in front of her legs, and another man's head is visible with his access poster -- around the shoulder of one of the officers.
ADAPT (477)
RTD move to privatize bus routes praised Transportation leader says city a step ahead PHOTO The Denver Post, Duane Howell: A uniformed police officer pushes a man (Greg Buchanan) in a motorized wheelchair up the ramp into the back of a van. On the side of the chair Greg has a “Steps spell discrimination” bumper sticker. Caption reads: ACCESS PROTEST: Police Capt. R.H. Kaspersen carts away Greg Buchanan, one of 26 wheelchair-bound protesters arrested Monday outside the entrance of the Radisson Hotel. by Terry Kilewer, Denver Post Staff Writer 4/25/89 Denver’s Regional Transportation District, which is contracting 20 percent of its service to private operators, may be a step ahead of other public transit systems with dwindling public money, delegates to a transit symposium were told Monday. Alfred DelliBovi, outgoing head of the Urban Mass Transportation Administration, praised Denver‘s move to the forefront of privatization — a trend toward government disengagement from transit that is catching on nationwide. RTD expects to save millions in future operating costs by farming out some bus routes to private companies, state Sen. Terry Considine, R - Cherry Hills Village, told an audience of 800 at the opening session of the two-day conference. Considine sponsored a bill last year to privatize a fifth of RTD’s service. Now he wants to go even further by redirecting RTD tax revenues toward other transportation needs, notably a Denver-encircling beltway. He said it's time to re-evaluate public transit, which is "21 times the tax cost per passenger-trip taken by private automobile." And he charged Gov. Roy Romer with failing to “tackle the tough decisions that need to be made" in state transportation legislation. A transit-and-highways bill Romer favored and Considine opposed died in the legislature last week. Romer disputed the senator's claims in his remarks to the conference. Later, in an interview, he said Considine is “off in left field" and out of step with his own political leadership on transportation issues. "I agree you've got to take advantage of all the savings you can. You've got to innovate with RTD; I signed (Considine’s) privatization bill last year. But more privatization won't take care of our highway problems.” Considine and DelliBovi seemed in-step on privatization, though. The UMTA boss said the key to emerging federal policy in the public transit area is "dwindling resources.” During DelliBovi’s two-year tenure at UMTA, the agency maintained the Reagan administration's bent toward frugal funding for transit construction and operations.
ADAPT (642)
PHOTO by Tom Olin: Tim Cook stands amid a mass of ADAPT folks in wheelchairs, standing with signs and without. People are milling around an in the distant background are police cars and other vehicles and a grassy hill with trees and shrubs. No one is especially looking at Tim. He is wearing a white dress shirt, tan pants and a bright red necktie. His hands are on his hips and in his left hand he is holding his jacket and briefcase. In the crowd behind Tim you can see Gwen Jackson, Julie Nolan, Laura Hershey, Frank McColm and many others, and a TV reporter and camera are interviewing someone. Tim is the attorney who represented ADAPT in our case against DOT (ADAPT v. Burnley). This picture was apparently taken in Baltimore, but since Tim was so integral to the case it is included here. Everyone, all the hot shot disability lawyers, said Tim could not win this case -- but he did. [Tim is one of my heroes. -- Stephanie Thomas]
ADAPT (473)
PHOTO by Tom Olin: George Roberts, wearing an UMTA name badge, an ADAPT headband and black and gold ADAPT "no steps" T-Shirt, looks down as Bob Kafka and he chain their wheelchairs together. Bob is bent forward, doubled over, using his arms to hide the lock as they attach their wheelchairs.