INCITEMENT
INCITEMENT
INCITEMENT

Volume 15 No. 1
A Publication of ADAPT
Spring/Summer 1999

[Headline] 30th Time is a Charm!
by Stephanie Thomas
ADAPT's 30th biannual national action drew over 600 activists from across the nation for one of the greatest actions to date! Washington DC in May was the location for this auspicious gathering, and the nation's capitol was decked out in style with azaleas, cherry blossoms and fine weather. Though the log jams in the hotel with that many wheelchairs was a lesson in patience and perseverance, the comradeship and sheer mass of hard core activists more than made up. Sunday's workshops and meetings were a navigation experiment but once inside one could learn about the history of ADAPT from those who were there, a kid's eye view of the movement, legal aspects of civil disobedience, nonviolence from some of it's most intense practitioners, as well as updates on all the issues. Equally important, networking was almost impossible to avoid as we made our way through the ADAPT bazaar in the front hall: caps, shirts, magnets, beanie babies, books, blankets, clocks, etc. And best of all, all profits going to help more activists participate!

[Subheading] SMILING OLMSTEAD SCORES WITH THE EVIL EMPIRE

[Image]
[image caption] photo by Carolyn Long

Monday morning bright and early we headed out to visit the evil empire participants: National Governors' Association, US Conference of Mayors, National Council of State Legislators, the State and Legal Center and the Council of State Governments. These groups signed on to another brief (separate from the one the 26 states signed onto) in the Olmstead case which also asked the Supreme Court to overturn the integration mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA. Nationally, the disability community spent the last several months advocating very effectively to get the supporting states on the one brief to reverse their position, reducing the number of states participating from 26 down to 7. However, these evil empire groups refused to budge and staunchly maintained their anti-integration position against people with disabilities. ADAPT demands for these group were to withdraw their names from the amicus brief opposing the integration requirement in the ADA in Olmstead case schedule ADAPT presentations on most integrated setting for their boards and national conference; identify people in or risk of going into a nursing home and/or other institution and develop the funding and a written, specific plan of service to g or keep them out; support the introduction and passage of MiCASA, and meet with ADAPT on a biannual basis.

Being so large, we split into smaller teams to simplify movement. Snaking through subways we had three destinations. Two teams would converge on the Hall of the States, where several of these groups officed. At the same time, the third headed straight to the US Conference of Mayors offices. 200 ADAPT visitors headed upstairs on arrival to deliver this message stay the hell away from our right to liberty and justice. (This is especially true for the folks, since cities do very little with long term care and attendant services. Mayors should mind their own business.) Entering the office, ADAPT folks started looking fo the top brass in every office, something th staff found so disconcerting they left to let ADAPT run the place. It seemed the May-ors' big wigs were off on safari in Africa. Certainly the Executive Director was surprised when he called back to the office di morning and ADAPT answered his phone hey just trying to help out here. Though their president-elect Denver's Mayor Wellington Webb recently penned the Conference a letter expressing his discomfort with their involvement in this Olmstead amicus brief, the staff were a rigid bunch and it took a day of occupation by ADAPT before they started to comprehend what life is like when you are not in control of your home and supports, and they agreed to set up a meeting when the honchos returned from their world travel.

Created on

Thursday 18 July 2013

Posted on

Friday 6 December 2019

Albums

• Washington DC, Spring 1999 - 30th National Action

Visits

316

Rating score

no rate

Rate this photo