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Home / Albomlar / Tag ADA 62
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- ADAPT (779)
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 in stitutions 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 (563)
A TICKET White with red borders on left and right sides. On each border in white print it says Admit One. In the center top is a logo with a circle of 50 stars on the outside. Inside is a shield which is vertlcally striped on the bottom three quarters and horizontally on the top quarter. The shield is in front of an Eagle. The eagle's wings are spread wide and his feet are also spread wide and he is clutching one kind of plant in his left talons, and another in his right. His tail appears below the shield. In his beak he holds a banner which spreads over his head and reads I PLURIBUS UNUM. A fan-like shape behind the eagle is topped with circles and on the fan are 13 more stars Below the logo, the ticket reads: The White House Americans With Disabilities Act Signing Ceremony July 26, 1990 ~ 10:00 AM South Lawn Please Arrive Southeast Gate at 9:00 AM / Rain or Shine - ADAPT (561)
Thur., March 15, 1990 Rocky Mountain News GREATER DENVER & THE WEST * 19 Denver disabled keep pressure on at U.S. Capitol By John Brinkley News Washington Bureau WASHINGTON — A Denver-based group of disabled people continued its pressure on the U.S. Capitol yesterday, converging on the office of a congressman whom the demonstrators said was opposed to their agenda. The congressman, Rep. Bud Shuster, R-Pa., was not in. An aide refused to tell them where he was and said he would not be back in his office yesterday or today. Some of the disabled people vowed to camp out there until he returned. Michael Auberger, a 35-year-old quadriplegic from Denver, who co-founded American Disabled for Accessible Transportation, said Shuster had introduced legislation to exempt cities with fewer than 200,000 residents from having to equip mass transit buses with wheelchair lifts. If the exemption were enacted, “you're really screwed if you live in a city of 199,999,” Auberger said. Shuster also sponsored legislation to exempt cities that have “inclement weather," such as Denver, he said. “The transportation system in Denver could say, ‘we're not going to provide any m'ore lift-equipped transportation. We don't have to,’ ” Auberger said. “That's a major issue, because not everybody lives in the Sun Belt." Shuster’s administrative assistant, Ann Eppard, said she could neither confirm nor deny that Shuster had sponsored such legislation, and said the aide who would know was not in, either. The “visit” to Shuster’s office continued a week of often-militant protest by hundreds of ADAPT members, most of them in wheelchairs, from across the country. Their main purpose has been to push for quick passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which would extend a broad range of civil rights protections to disabled people. The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the bill, 40-3, on Tuesday as 104 of the disabled people were being arrested and jailed for unlawful entry and demonstrating in the capitol. The Senate passed its version of the bill last year. The arrestees, including Auberger, were released later with orders to appear in Court today. Auberger said his group was also concerned about the Bush administration's position that disabled people should not be entitled to punitive damages when filing discrimination suits against businesses that fail to accommodate them. Legislation is pending that would afford them that right, and Attorney General Dick Thornburgh has told Congress that the administration opposes it. “I think it's unfortunate that this administration doesn't want to see disabled rights equal with other minority rights,” Auberger said. Without the threat of punitive damages, “there's no incentive for a business to end discrimination.” - ADAPT (801)
The Washington Post, Metro Section 5/6/93 [Headline] The Disabled Plan to Show Washington They're Enabled—and Entitled By Liz Spayd, Washington Post Staff Writer Michael Auberger has shackled his wheelchair to city buses in Dallas. He has barricaded hotel entrances in San Francisco, and he has thrown himself in front of federal buildings, government officials, even oncoming traffic, all to draw attention to the rights of the disabled. This weekend, Auberger and hundreds of other activists from across the country plan to converge on Washington for a three-day blitz of demonstrations and marches in what promises to be the largest protest in history for people with disabilities. “We've written the letters, made the phone calls, had the meetings, and the bottom line is we're still being treated like second-class citizens." said Auberger, co-founder of ADAPT, an activist group that is spearheading the activities. “lf those channels don't work, you take to the streets." Organizers say the immediate purpose of the demonstrations is to demand that the federal government commit more money to helping disabled people live at home, instead of in institutions. At the same time, they want to continue the larger campaign for equal rights that produced the Americans With Disabilities Act, landmark legislation that went into effect last year. A march to the White House and a memorial service for Wade Blank, who was a leader in the movement, are expected to draw the largest crowds, both on Sunday. What may draw the most attention, however, are demonstrations on Monday and Tuesday, when protesters are expected to disrupt Washington with human blockades of buildings and streets. The exact places and times for those actions aren't being disclosed, but the targets could include public buildings, such as the Capitol and the White House, and some federal agencies. “We like to preserve the element of surprise," Auberger said. ADAPT — an acronym for American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today — has been staging protests every six months for more than a decade to fight what it says is the inhumane treatment of the disabled at nursing homes and other institutions. The group said it hopes to redirect 25 percent of the $23 billion in Medicaid funds currently budgeted for nursing homes into programs that would enable those with disabilities to have attendants in their homes. Currently, each state sets policy for how much Medicaid money will go toward attendant care programs, but there is no national policy. [Subheading] Disabled Activists Plan 3-Day Protest The strike on Washington is timed to pressure the Clinton administration into focusing on people with disabilities as part of its package of health care revisions, due out soon, activists said. "Clinton has talked about change and says he wants people to be able to live at home, but what we're looking for is more than just words," said Bob Kafka, an ADAPT organizer in Texas who plans to bring a caravan of about 50 people to Washington. In the past, ADAPT activists have drawn attention to their cause by employing sometimes sensational tactics. They have done belly crawls across hotel lobbies in San Francisco, clawing at passersby. They have taken sledgehammers to street curbs in Denver to protest sidewalks that were inaccessible to wheelchair users. And they have swarmed and blockaded buildings in virtually every major U.S. city; a demonstration in Chicago last spring forced the evacuation of more than 1,000 American Medical Association workers and created disruptions in a half-dozen other downtown facilities. Though such events have attracted media attention, some individuals and `groups` sympathetic to ADAPT’s cause question how effective they are in achieving the larger goal of attaining more money for in-home care. “We're sympathetic to their concerns, but we think the tactics they use bring attention to ADAPT and not the problem," said Claudia Askew, a spokeswoman for the American Health Care Association, which represents 11,000 nursing homes and is a frequent target of ADAPT protests. Disabled people also are somewhat splintered over whether ADAPT's approach helps or hurts their cause. “There are people with disabilities that think ADAPT is a little extreme," said Patrick McCurdy, vice president of Marylanders for Adequate Attendant Care, a group that generally relies on peaceful protests and negotiations to lobby for in-home care. McCurdy did defend ADAPT's technique as a necessary part of an overall approach to force change in a society that he said has long ignored the rights of disabled people. Few spoke up for those rights until recently, but the Americans With Disabilities Act provided new protections to disabled people and helped forge a civil rights movement among the 43 million people with physical or mental impairments. “A great byproduct of the [disabilities act] is the new sense of confidence and empowerment it has instilled within the disability community," said Justin Dart, chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, a small federal agency. “It's generated an enormous infusion of dignity and pride." Gregory Dougan, a District resident, said the renewed sense of hope is one reason he will take part in Sunday's march. Dougan, who was born with cerebral palsy and uses crutches, said he is fortunate to be able to live at home. But several of his friends live in institutions because they can't get the in-home care they need. And on Sunday, Dougan said, he will be thinking of them. "I'll be tired at the end of the day," he said, "but my crutches and me are going to that march." - ADAPT (550)
US NEWS & WORLD REPORT, Sept. 18, 1989 PHOTO (by John van Beekum for USN&WR): An older woman with white hair and pearl earring and necklace (Barbara Bush) in a dark dress stands besides two men in dark suits and ties. All are slightly smiling and looking off to their right. Caption reads: Why the rights law has moved swiftly: Most leaders behind the Americans with Disabilities Act have special reasons to promote it-they are disabled or have relatives who are. President Bush, whose son Neil, left, has dyslexia and son Marvin, right, has a colostomy, guaranteed the bill's passage with his support. - ADAPT (560)
U.S. to mandate bus service for disabled By The Associated Press WASHINGTON — The government announced plans yesterday to require that all federally aided bus systems buy only vehicles that are accessible to the disabled and provide special door-to-door transit for those who can’t make it to bus stops. Requiring both access and special services for all systems is expected to “increase significantly the amount and quality of service available to persons with disabilities,” said a Transportation Department announcement. In Denver, all buses owned by the Regional Transportation District are equipped with wheelchair lifts, and the district also provides a door-to-door service for handicapped riders. Groups representing the handicapped praised the Washington announcement and a transit industry spokesman said bus companies are prepared for it. The proposed rule, expected to become final in September after a period for public comment, would match some of the requirements of legislation pending in Congress and meet the key transportation demands of disabled-rights activists. More than 150 people were arrested in two incidents last week during demonstrations in Washington for the Americans With Disabilities Act. “The Bush administration is committed to policies that will ensure that people with disabilities have the opportunities available to other persons to use our mass transit system,” said Transportation Secretary Samuel Skinner. Announcement of the proposed rule met the requirements of a Philadelphia federal court order that required the department to examine and change existing regulations but did not mandate what the changes should be. The order came in a suit by more than a dozen groups representing the handicapped. - ADAPT (556)
Cover of the magazine Habilitation! there is a line of only partially readable text:something Research and something Coalition The picture which fills the cover is of a crowd of people with various disabilities sitting in wheelchairs, 15 people are visable but it seems they are just a part of a much bigger crowd. Most are ADAPT members wearing various ADAPT T-shirts, one fellow has a white button down shirt and tie. Facing the camera, they are cheering and clapping . At the bottom of the picture six more people, again apparently part of a much larger group, face the rest, backs to the camera. In the center Justin Dart sits sideways to the camera. He is wearing his signature hat, black rimmed glasses, a coat and tie; in his lap are papers and he is holding something like a pen in one hand. He appears to be addressing the crowd around him. Directly behind him, her back to his back, stands a short woman who appears to be a sign language interpreter. - ADAPT (562)
USA Today, Wednesday, March 14, 1990 * 3A CLOSE-UP: RIGHTS OF DISABLED House panel passes landmark bill. As wheelchair-bound activists demonstrated at the Capitol, a sweeping civil rights bill for the disabled survived a key House vote. The Energy and Commerce Committee, successfully fending off an attempt to exclude people with AIDS or the HIV virus from the bill's protection, recommended the measure 40-3. Passed by the Senate last year, the bill gives the disabled the same civil rights and job protections that minorities won two decades ago. It also calls for public places and public transportation to be made accessible to people in wheelchairs and requires telecommunications systems to accommodate the deaf. "Ensuring equal rights for the disabled will result in greater productivity and responsibility for a significant portion of our population,” said Rep. Thomas Luken, D-Ohio. An estimated 43 million disabled could be affected. Meanwhile, police arrested 104 disabled demonstrators who confronted House Speaker Thomas Foley, D-Wash., in the Capitol Rotunda on the second day of intense lobbying by disabled people seeking quick passage of the bill. Foley reassured the demonstrators he is “absolutely satisfied” the measure “will become law.” Earlier, Rep. William Dannemeyer, R-Calif., was rebuffed in attempts to exclude people with contagious diseases or behavioral disorders from coverage. “When the people of this country realize just how far-reaching (the bill) is, they will rise up in opposition,” he predicted. But Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said the bill does not protect people with diseases that can be transmitted through the air: “If someone poses a threat, they can be discriminated against." (Help sought for AIDS victims, 2D) PHOTO (AP): Close-up of a man's face with large glasses, large ears and dark hair. He has a look of urgency on his face. Caption reads: Luken: Cites 'productivity' - ADAPT (528)
The New York Times NATIONAL Wednesday, March 14, 1990 DISABLED PROTEST AND ARE ARRESTED More than 100 Are Charged in Capitol Demonstration on Rights Legislation by Steven A. Holmes, Special to the New York Times WASHINGTON, March 13 -- More than 100 disabled protesters in wheelchairs were arrested today during a boisterous demonstration in the Capitol Rotunda, where they pressed for swift passage of a sweeping civil rights bill for the millions of Americans with physical and mental disabilities. “We're taking the strategies of the 60's that helped get rights for black and brown people and women, and using them for people with disabilities," said Wade Blank of Denver, one of the leaders oi the protest. The protesters, who had intended to be arrested, were part of a group of about 150 that met with House Speaker Thomas S. Foley and other Congressional leaders at the Rotunda to demand quick action on the Americans With Disabilities Act. The measure would require that all new buildings and services that serve the general public accommodate the disabled. When Mr. Foley declined to promise a specific date for passage, some in the group began to boo. Arrests Take Two Hours After the legislators departed, the group gathered in a tight circle and began chanting, "Access is a civil right" and “The people united will never be defeated!" Demonstrating in the Capitol is against Federal law. Members of the Capitol police force, many dressed in riot gear, cleared the Rotunda of tourists, surrounded the protesters and used large chain-cutters and acetylene torches to break the links that bound several of the protesters‘ wheelchairs together. The police then wheeled them out. The process took about two hours. Officer Greg Nevitt, a police spokesman, said 104 people had been arrested and would be charged with demonstrating in a Capitol building and unlawful entry. Mr. Blank is one of the founders of Americans Disabled for Accessible Public Transit, or ADAPT, a group that represents the militant wing of the disabled-rights movement. in the past, it has staged disruptive acts to publicize the plight of the disabled. in September, the group organized a demonstration in Atlanta where 25 people were arrested for blocking more than a dozen Greyhound-Trailways buses to protest the company's refusal to install wheelchair lifts. The Americans With Disabilities Act, which would extend to the disabled the same protections against bias that are provided for women and members of minority .groups, has recently hit a snag in the Bush Administration's reluctance to go along with tough penalties that could be imposed against companies that failed to comply. But it has already passed the Senate and cleared another hurdle today when the House Committee on Energy and Commerce approved it by a vote of 40 to 3. Two other House panels, the Committee on Public Works and Transportation and the Judiciary Committee, still must vote on the measure. House leaders say the bill will probably reach the House floor by mid-April. - ADAPT (539)
Spineline (a publication of Shepherd Spinal Center) Photo: A large group of marchers head up the hill on a wide sidewalk winding around a huge tree. At the front of the march people hold large posters, and the ADAPT flag flies proudly over the front of the group a few rows back from the front. People are walking as many as eight across in some places, while in others they are in pairs. Many people are walking, while some are in wheelchairs. The line continues off the back end of the picture. THE WHEELS OF JUSTICE ROLL In March, 20 Georgians took part in a national non-violent campaign in Washington to encourage the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Among them was Mark Johnson, Shepherd's advocacy specialist, and Ellen Broach of SSC's therapeutic recreation department. Thirty-one states were represented in the week-long campaign, during which participants met with the leadership of the House of Representatives, where the act is still pending approval by two committees. In addition to a march down Pennsylvania Avenue (see photo above) and a rally in the Capitol rotunda, participants made personal visits to their representatives to urge support for the act. “It was an extremely successful week," said Mark Johnson. “We touched the hearts and minds of people who are important in the passage of this law, and helped them to understand both the logic and the need for the changes." Not only did the group gain the attention of important lawmakers, the media was not far behind. A story on CNN Headline News highlighted the march, while the entire editorial page of USA TODAY featured articles in support of ADA, with one guest columnist opposing the bill. ADA has received wide support from Democrats and Republicans, and it is expected to be passed by the full house in May. Watch upcoming issues of Spinal Column for a full update on this landmark civil rights legislation for people with disabilities. - ADAPT (610)
Rocky Mountain News 9/8/89 [Headline] Senate OKs disabled-rights bill [Subheading] Access to jobs, transit, eateries guaranteed for AIDS victims, too WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate voted 76-8 last night to approve legislation to guarantee 43 million disabled Americans — including most AIDS victims —- rights to employment, transportation and the use of restaurants and other businesses. Lawmakers debated the bill with sign-language interpreters allowed on the Senate floor for the first time in the institution’s history to make the proceedings available to deaf audiences watching in the galleries and on television. Supporters likened the Americans With Disabilities Act to the Civil Rights Act 25 years ago that guaranteed blacks and other minorities their right to participate fully in American society. The act is “a 20th century Emancipation Proclamation for people with disabilities,” said Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the bill's chief sponsor. Fifty-nine senators of both parties added their names to the legislation. An amendment made Congress subject to the law. “The Americans with Disabilities Act is a landmark statement of basic human rights that will make the promise of equal opportunity a reality. for 43 million Americans with disabilities,” said Harkin. Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., had challenged a definition of disabled that includes people with the AIDS virus, saying 85% are homosexuals or drug users. “This bill responds to those 15% who are not," said Harkin, who also quoted the health and human services Secretary, Dr. Louis Sullivan, as saying there is no medical reason for discrimination against AIDS sufferers. The legislation prohibits employment discrimination by businesses with 15 or more employees, although the limit would be 25 employees for the first two years. All privately owned stores, restaurants and other businesses would be prohibited from discrimination. All new buses would have to be made accessible. Area lawmakers voting against the measure were William Armstrong, R-Colo., Malcolm Wallop, R-Wyo., and Jake Garn, R-Utah. - ADAPT (564)
PHOTO: The West steps of the Capitol and on them in the foreground a man in a suit coat and dark pants, with obvious effort, pulls himself up the steps. In his left hand is a pair of crutches. His head is bowed down below his shoulders. In the middle of the steps another person is crawling up the steps on hands and knees. In front of this person is another crawling. Several camera people are standing on the steps filming people crawling up. In the middle an man in a suit with a box-like brief case walks up the steps. The crawlers appear to be fairly dispersed on the stairs. At the top of the picture you can see the Capitol building and the start of the dome. Caption reads: Over 75 ADAPT members crawl up the Capitol steps that symbolize Congressional obstacles to passing ADA; March, 1990. - ADAPT (546)
TIME 3/26/90 American Notes CONGRESS A Crawl-In At the Capitol There had never been such a sight at the entrance to the U.S. Capitol. Dozens of disabled people abandoned their wheelchairs and crawled up the steep stone steps on knees, elbows and backs. The climb was not really necessary. The Capitol is equipped with ramps and elevators for wheelchairs. But the point was to rally support for the Americans with Disabilities Act, which would require public buildings and transportation systems to accommodate the disabled. One major obstacle to passage of the bill is the fear of small-business groups that it might be amended to allow disabled people to bring damage suits if they are discriminated against. To prevent an avalanche of court cases, the Justice Department has urged Congress to specify the circumstances under which the disabled could sue for damages. A compromise is expected. PHOTO (by Terry Ashe): Very dark image of several people climbing the steps. One is holding a sign which reads in part "Americans with Disabilities Act." Behind the climbers is part of the capitol building with columns. Caption reads: Making a point, the disabled surmount the Capitol steps. - ADAPT (611)
THE DENVER POST Saturday, September 9, 1989 [Headline] New disabled-rights bill will challenge society By Charles Green Knight-Ridder News Service WASHINGTON — When Congress banned discrimination against blacks 25 years ago, the premise of the legislation was straightforward: Blacks and other racial minorities were supposed to be treated like everyone else. Now, as Congress moves to prohibit bias against the physically and mentally disabled, it is finding that discrimination is not so easy to define. ls it discriminatory, for instance, for a department store to stock merchandise that is out of reach of a customer in a wheelchair? Is it discriminatory for an employer to reject blind job applicants who would need someone to occasionally read memos and papers to them? Is it discriminatory for a child-care center to refuse to hire someone infected with the AIDS virus? Those are some of the questions that government regulators and the courts are likely to be addressing once the Americans with Disabilities Act, which passed the Senate Thursday night, becomes law. “In terms of its impact on American society, this is going to bring an equal if not greater change to society than the Civil Rights Act of 1964,” predicted the bill’s chief Senate sponsor, Democrat Tom Harkin of Iowa. But reconciling the sweeping promises of the new legislation with the economic realities of modern American life won't be easy. “I’m not sure we're not going to be revisiting this legislation" after its effects are better known, predicted Sen. Dale Bumpers, D-Ark., chairman of the Senate Small Business Committee. The legislation still must clear the House and be signed by President Bush, but few obstacles are expected. Bush has already endorsed the measure and House sponsors predict swift consideration, starting with hearings next week. The bill holds both enormous promise for the estimated 43 million disabled Americans and countless questions for the employers, business establishments and transit operators that would have to comply with it. The bill’s promise stems from its rationale: that disabled Americans can participate more fully in society if barriers to their participation are removed. “It will be the legal and philosophical foundation on which to build a truly equal opportunity society," said Justin Dart, chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. “Equal opportunity for the disabled is wonderful. Nobody is going to argue with that, but the practical realities are that there will be large costs associated with that,” said Nancy Fulco, an attorney with the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. And, as Fulco noted, Congress wants businesses to pick up the costs. Thus far, it has included no financial assistance or tax breaks to help firms comply with the expense of complying with the disabilities bill. The bill requires employers to make workplace changes to accommodate disabled employees unless they would cause an “undue hardship." But the determination of “hardship” is left for regulators and the courts to decide. Likewise, businesses must be made accessible to disabled customers so long as the alterations are “readily achievable,” another standard that will be left for regulators and courts to determine. The changes won't be required at once. Many provisions will not take effect for two years after enactment. Even so, it could take years for businesses to sort out what’s required and for the disabled to begin feeling the impact of the law. “There's no doubt in my mind that the first time some businesses find out about this is when they‘re slapped with a lawsuit," said Fulco. "Small businesses will have to hire an attorney to tell them what they should be doing or not doing.“ - ADAPT (603)
Weekly Reader Edition 4 Volume 71, Issue 7, October 27, 1989 PHOTO (-(c) 1988. Paralyzed Veterans of America, by permission of Paraplegia News): A metrobus (city bus) is stopped at a bus stop. A man in a wheelchair is sitting on the lift that comes out from the front door of the bus. He's wearing a sports coat, tie and has a neat beard and laptray with something like a brief case or computer resting on the lap board on his chair. He is up at the level of the floor of the bus and he is talking with 2 women in business attire who are standing on the sidewalk at the bus stop. There is an tall, modern office building across the street behind the bus. Caption reads: Buses with special lifts help disabled people in wheelchairs travel around. [Headline] New Law for Americans with Disabilities Can a deaf person use a public telephone? Can a person in a wheelchair work on the top floor of a tall building? Can a mentally retarded person work and earn money? The answer to all of these questions is yes—if they receive special help. A new law in the U.S. may provide that special help for millions of disabled Americans. The law is called the Americans with Disabilities Act. The law says that Americans who are disabled have the same rights as Americans who aren't disabled. The law may help change and im- ... (Continued on page 2) INSERT: Vocabulary Box disabled—not able to do something right—something to which a person has a claim