Incitement
Incitement
Incitement
Volume 16 No. 3
A Publication of ADAPT
Fall 2000

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[image caption] Bell forged from the shackles that used to bind the feet of psychiatric inmates across the nation. A reminder of what Liberty really means and why we must never stop until we are all free.

[Headline] ADAPT returned to DC by Stephanie Thomas

This fall ADAPT returned to DC. Everyone is sick of that town and all that goes on there. But someone must do the dirty job of making folks account-able. Following up on our issues, ADAPT folks do what needs to be done!

[Subheading] THE BILLION DOLLAR BLUNDER

To begin our week of actions, ADAPT took on the biggest issue. Just the week before the President had announced a billion dollar give away to the nursing
home industry. After all the work and effort that has gone into trying to reverse the institutional bias, the President's action was a slap in the face to the disability community. Not only would this be a trip to the federal candy store for the nursing homes, but it would also require states to kick in the match money, and in all likelihood this would have to come from the states efforts to fund implementation of the Supreme Court Olmstead decision.

ADAPT had met with Secretary Shalala about our concerns earlier in the week, but as she could not commit to any solutions at that time, we knew we had to take the issue to the door of the one who caused the problem. So on Monday, 400 strong ADAPT took to the streets of DC to confront President Clinton. At one point the police, for some unknown reason, pulled in two police cars and then a bus to park diagonally across an intersection in an attempt to block our march. But ADAPT would not be stopped, and going around these obstacles, headed up Pennsylvania Ave. to the White House.

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Incitement is produced from the offices of Topeka Independent Living Resource Center (TILRC). Articles, letters, compositions, displays and photos are encouraged. Please contact Tessa Goupil for deadlines for submission of materials. The Editor reserves the right to edit or omit any material that is submitted. For more information, contact Tessa Goupil at TILRC or Stephanie Thomas at ADAPT.

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[text resumes] Lining up along the fence, those who were willing to be arrested chained themselves with handcuffs and motorcycle chains to the fence. With so many of Ica/ our brothers and sisters locked away in nursing homes, and President Clinton working to block our efforts to free them, a symbolic message needed to be sent. 400 of us who were chained began the chant "I'd rather go to jail than to die in a nursing home." We stretched across the entire fence in front of the White House. Inside the fence the secret service men in black moved out across the grass, onto the roof tops, with submachine guns poorly secreted inside what looked like dry cleaning bags.

Through the fence we could see a media event had been prepared, but it seemed the White House was not interested in holding the event with 400 angry disabled people as a back drop. But for once the national media took an interest and came out to cover the issue.

White House staff came out after a long while and took our demands. It was hot, not much was happening on the surface of things, but no one wandered off to see the sights. Everyone held firm, chanting as the hours went by. Finally our leadership team was invited to send a delegation inside to negotiate with the Chief of Staff John Podesta. After some tough wrangling, Podesta committed the President to meet with ADAPT before the end of October.

[Subheading] GARRETT RALLY

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Tuesday was the day of the Rally for the Garrett case. A big logistics question was how to keep our ADAPT folks together enough in the larger crowd at the rally so we would be ready for some "direct action" once the rally was over. C rack troops and crack leadership turned that potential nightmare into a smoothly executed operation.

The rally, sponsored by American Association of People with Disabilities, was held at Upper Senate Park and featured an array of speakers: from Jessie Jackson, Martin Luther King III and Ted Kennedy Jr. to Mike Auberger, Mike Oxford and Justin Dart. The Mental Health Association brought a huge eight ton bell forged from the shackles that used to bind the feet of psychiatric inmates across the nation. Gallaudet University turned out in force despite a murder on campus the day before and prob-lems with police investigation of the case. Thousands of advocates from all across the country gathered to send a message to Congress and the Supreme Court "Don't Tread of the ADA!"

[Headline] SUPREME FOLLIES

After a long hot afternoon of speakers, everyone at the rally lined up and marched to the Supreme Court for a closing ceremony. However, this event was be-smirched when the Capitol Police would not let the interpreters stand on the Supreme Court steps so they would be visible above the crowd. Just as the back of the line was arriving, the interpreters were being threatened with arrest, but were refusing to back down. We began chanting "Let them Interpret, Let them on the Steps" and the police were reminded that there were hundreds of ADAPT folks and others who would, likely, be joining the interpreters on the steps (a highly illegal activity during a rally at the Supreme Court) if they were not Is-allowed to be elevated so they could be seen. Suddenly a solution was found, and almost as quickly as it started the ceremony ended the rally.

[Subheading] ADAPT TACKLES SOME ELEPHANTS

But ADAPT's work was far from done. We had already hit the Democratic Administration for their failures to promote real choice. However, the Republicans also have a far from stellar record on this issue. Presidential candidate Bush's states' rights stance on ADA could prove a greater threat than the Billion dollars, and he had ignored requests by ADAPT and other groups to meet and discuss the issue of promoting real choice and getting rid of the institutional bias, or ADA civil rights versus states rights. So we simply headed from the Supreme Court down First street a couple of blocks to where the Republican National Headquarters were conveniently located. Our goal was to get the RNC to broker a meeting between Governor Bush and ADAPT representatives.

This being the night of the second Presidential debate, there was a flurry of activity going on when we arrived. It seems they had planned a major fundraising party where people were to pay $1,000 to come and watch the debate and sip Champagne or martinis and munch on hors d'euvres. But these plans were adapted. Though we didn't get inside, we shut down the headquarters and the Re-publican Social Club next door. All doors, even the garage were blocked and no one was moving until we got a commitment of a meeting. After a while the police began negotiations and then our negotiation team was let inside to talk with their staff. The usual lines of "he can't be reached," etc. were used and then it seemed we were making some headway and would get a date for a meeting. Meanwhile, a few die-hard Republican staffers and supporters climbed in and out of windows, and party goers began to gather and then, as time passed, to trickle away.

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About 9:30 PM, the cops made their brilliant move. Sirens wailed from a squadron of cop cars, and a small fleet of Metro buses came squealing up the street and stopped on the sidewalk by the club. Pull-ing certain people away from the doors on the north side of the building, the police brought everyone out of both buildings and loaded them onto the city buses. Then almost as suddenly all the buses and cop cars pulled away. Though we had not won a meeting, we had flushed out Bush's position. The message was clear: Bush would rather loose a half million dollars than meet with representatives of the disability community! It was almost the witching hour when ADAPT headed back. One more day of actions lay ahead of us.

[Subheading] DAVID AND GOLIATH

Our last day in DC we had one more message to deliver. MiCASSA is our fall back if the Supreme Court overturns Title II of the ADA, and we have not forgotten this bill. Thought it will not pass in totality this session, included in this years' proposed (but as of this writing not yet passed) bud-get is a section to help states transition from their current institutionally biased system of services to a more community based one. However, we want to see the entire bill pass, and for that we want more supporters.

A group, which had remained notably silent on the bill was the infamous AARP, American Association of Retired Persons. Though they had on numerous occasions been asked to take a position, and several letters had requested a meeting, AARP had not bothered to respond. We were taking our third day to rectify that situation.

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Before we headed to their marbled halls however, we stopped on the national Mall to hold our big meeting. With Washington Monument behind us and the US Capitol as a backdrop ahead we discussed the actions of the day before, and as much as possible in such public location, what still lay ahead.

Then we turned and headed up 7th St. AARP is such a big deal they don't just have a headquarters building in DC, they have two buildings which take up literally half a city block. Their brass plated double doors lead into two marble lobbies which connect via an open atrium between the buildings. Most surprising, their security is greater than at most Federal buildings, with a small army of security guards, buzzer systems and locked doors. When entering simply to get a brochure one is given an escort through the building.

Despite the Fort Knox quality of the place ADAPT would not be kept out. The first half of the group headed for the farther building, while the second half stopped and entered the nearer building. A tussle at the doors of the further building slowed that group down, but not by much. Soon negotiators in both lobbies were calling for the CEO Horace Deets to meet with ADAPT. Within an hour our negotiation team was meeting with their people to hammer out an agreement on the actual meet-ing, and within another hour ADAPT had completed the final action with another victory. Tentative date for this meeting is November 9th.

At the ADAPT final meeting that night new people from across the nation spoke out about how the week had transformed them, and those of us there who were older hands at these actions listened and thought how we too had been rejuvenated by the power of our people together, united and focused on our goals.

[Subheading] ROLLING FREEDOM EXPRESS SPREADS CALL FOR JUSTICE

With less than two month's notice and planning, members of ADAPT and other disability groups across the United States, pulled off a major campaign for justice and civil and disability rights this fall. The Rolling Freedom Express, RFE as it was called, was an eight day, 10 city bus caravan which travelled from Alabama to the nation's capital. It's purpose: to raise awareness about the latest attacks on the Americans with Dis-abilities Act, ADA, especially the Garrett vs. U of Alabama case which threatens the constitutionality of the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, and which went before the Supreme Court on October 11th. Delegations from Colorado, Georgia, Kansas and Texas ADAPT formed the core group and were joined by supporters along the way. RFE Coordinators Babs Johnson, Tony Perrone and Greg Jones, as well as the other road warriors agreed with Jones "it was great to see people come out and be involved. The tenacity of the groups was terrific. This has been an impressive turn out for a very important cause!" Babs added "we were welcomed in each city. It was wonderful." Here are the highlights of
this historic event:

BIRMINGHAM, AL The origin of the Garrett case seemed the obvious launching point. So on September 22nd, with excellent help from the Birmingham CIL, the RFE began. Patricia Garrett and Milton Ash, the two folks in the Garrett case, were there and extremely appreciative of the over 150 supporters gathered in downtown Birmingham at Ingram Park, a site often used during civil rights campaigns. They had thought they were alone in their fight, they said, but now knew better! The Mayor of Birmingham, wearing a "Rolling Freedom Express - Don't Tread on the ADA" T-Shirt, also spoke to those assembled and promised his complete support for the ADA. The event, covered by National Public Radio, NPR, and lots of other media, ended with supporters riding the bus (beautifully wrapped in its Rolling Freedom Express message of support for the ADA) out of town with the procession on it's way to Atlanta.

ATLANTA, GA — The King Center was the next site for the RFE, Don't Tread on the ADA rally. Kate Gainer, of the Multicultural Coalition and long time

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ADAPT member, delivered the opening and closing remarks. The President of People First of Georgia, a representative of the Multicultural Coalition on Disability & Diversity, and Daniel Levitas Executive Director of GARUS spoke powerfully about this case's importance for civil rights. As a symbolic connection with the mental health bell (created from the iron shackles in which patients at psychiatric institutions used to be chained not so long ago) a bell was rung for freedom. After the rally the RFE caravan took off, first from the King Center to the State Capitol and Attorney General's office, then on to site number three.

[Subheading] NASHVILLE, TN Gray and rainy weather did not daunt the spirit of the crowds which came from across the volunteer state, from Memphis to Knoxville. At the Capitol's Bicentennial Mall, speakers from the Memphis Center for Independent Living (Deborah Cunningham), ADAPT of Memphis (Tim Wheat) and of Nashville (Paul Ford), as well as the Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities called for justice and an end to the attacks on our civil rights. "This case, the Garrett case, is much more than a employment case. A negative ruling could end our equal opportunity" Wheat said.

[Subheading] LOUISVILLE, KY —
Neither rain, nor sleet, nor dark... kept the ZFE from its fourth event. Plans to move the press conference and rally onto the bus proved unnecessary as the weather broke! Despite a desolate morning, about 100 people turned out along with local media, to cheer support. The Governor's representative Pam Wallace read a letter from the Governor supporting the ADA, and the Mayor's representative Saundra Williams delivered a proclamation from the Mayor also sup-porting the ADA. Louisville ADAPT's Laura Evanoff told the crowd "the ADA signaled equal opportunity and equal rights for all persons with disabilities. We finally felt the day had come when we could honestly say 'America for All!'.... But now a decade later our rights are under massive attack from all sectors." She added, "I am not a lawyer, but I've been told that losing the Garret case could be the domino that topples the whole ADA." Afterward local supporters joined the RFE caravan as it headed north to Ohio.

[Subheading] COLUMBUS, OH
The sun shone, for a change, and the beautiful day welcomed the caravan and 200 local supporters gathered at Ohio's Capitol building. Three TV stations, two local radio stations, the newspaper and both NPR and the Associated Press were there. Mary Butler and other speakers from the Center on Deafness, Mid-Ohio center for independent living (MOBIL), and the Arc, all expressed their concerns regarding the Garrett case now in the Supreme Court and the attempts to whittle away at the rights of disabled people. Roland Sykes, who kicked off the event, said "Passage of the ADA was a struggle and protecting it will be one too. Let me be more adamant it will be a war with many fronts, a war we must not lose! Many of us may have started to take these positive changes for granted. We advocated for many years and now we wanted to just get on with our lives. Well the Garrett case is a wake up call. A wake up call that says the ADA is under attack and could be weakened or lost! We must be united!"

[Subheading] PITTSBURGH, PA — With a band playing and folks lunching at tables and restaurants around the bustling Market Square, plenty of members of the public heard the RFE message in downtown Pittsburgh. Mayor Tom Murphy and City Councilmember Alan Hetzberg joined the RFE crowd of 200 to declare their support for the ADA, welcoming this important event to their city. Bill Crisner, Executive Director of the Three Rivers Center for Independent Living, Kathleen Kleinmann of ADAPT and Tri-County Patriots for Independent Living Director, Mark Murphy from the Disability Law Project, Kyle Glozier of ADAPT and Lucy Spruill former ADA Coordinator for the City were among the disability advocates who spoke out against the attacks on the ADA and the importance of civil rights protections for all. Another victorious advocate who spoke at the event was Diana Lesmeski, the famous "flagpole mom" who chained herself to a flagpole to dramatize her fight for educational services for her disabled son. Several van loads of locals joined the caravan as the beautifully decorated RFE bus led the way out of town.

[Subheading] HARRISBURG, PA --- At the state Capitol building droves of advocates called for an end to the attacks on the ADA. Linda Anthony of Keystone ADAPT and Executive Director of Pennsylvania Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities, PCCD, rousingly opened the event. Glenn Niman of PCCD; Kevin Casey of the Protection and Advocacy agency; Statewide Independent Living Council Executive Director Sandi Webber, and Vince Portzline of ACT, all spoke eloquently about the importance of the ADA and what loosing it would mean to the disability community. Chico Ross, of PCCD and ADAPT, told of being institutionalized and fighting to get out, and how a loss in the Garrett case could mean our fight to get folks out of nursing homes and other institutions could go down the toilet. The Disability Law Project's Tom Earle addressed the legal threats and the current court battles. Doris Washington, mother of a son with autism, talked about her son's discrimination and fear of lack of protections if the ADA were to be erased. Ending with a march across the bridge which spans the Susquehanna river, the caravan then rolled on to the City of Brotherly Love.

[Subheading] PHILADELPHIA, PA — where the Constitution of the United States was drafted, where states' rights versus federal protections were first debated, hosted Friday's Rally. Over 200 people gathered to hear speakers decry the states' rights threats to the ADA. With the Liberty Bell as their backdrop, disability rights advocates spoke out. A man from Speaking for
Ourselves sang "We Shall Over-come." Philadelphia ADAPT's Erik von Schmetterling called for justice for all, pointing out that when rights of some are denied, the rights of all are threatened. Larry Bricks, a deaf advocate, Dorothy Ruffin of Philly ADAPT, and Connie Schuster of Artists for Recovery, talked about the importance of the ADA's guarantees in their lives.

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[paragraph continues] Tom Earl of the Disabilities Law Project, and Fran Fulton of Liberty Resources (which shut down their office for several hours so that all the staff and consumers could participate in the rally) warned of the real threat this case and others in the pipe-line to the Supreme Court. Three TV stations and NPR were there.

[Subheading] BALTIMORE, MD —
The last day of the RFE began in Baltimore's Fort McHenry, site of a critical Civil War battle. There Bernie Fitzpatrick told the gathered crowd that recent burns to his legs and trouble finding home care to change his dressings had put him at risk of being admitted to a nursing home. He implored the crowd to "...keep fighting for me, and I'll be there to fight with you. ADA Today, ADA Tomorrow, ADA Forever."

[Subheading] WASHINGTON, D.C. — After 10 cities in 6 states over 8 days, the Rolling Freedom Express rolled to a stop in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building. With horns blaring, the caravan was led to the court by Bobbie Coward, Jr. and Mwenea Ajanaka who rode out front in their electric wheelchairs. As the freedom riders disem-barked from a long line of vehicles follow-ing the official Rolling Freedom bus, they looked straight ahead to see "Don't Tread on the ADA" and "Civil Rights not State's Rights" banners framed by the words carved into the stone above the Supreme Court door-" EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW." Speakers included: Justin Dart, Chair of the DC Statewide Independent Living Council Don Galloway, Jorge Pineda of Capitol Area ADAPT, Kyle Glozier of PA ADAPT; American Association of Persons with Disabilities' Director Andy Imparato, and Jacquida Patrick, the 2000 Ms. Washington, D.C. Senior Division. Coward concluded "the disability civil rights movement is my watch, and though threats may occur I am committed to our hard won rights not being lost-not on my watch!"

[Subheading] THANK YOU, FROM A MOM TO ADAPT

I have been a nurse for over 20 years and the adoptive mother of a beautiful boy with special needs for 12 years. When I returned from the capitol security briefing on Monday and found many of the ADAPT people cuffed to the White House I stopped long enough to determine "what's wrong." One of the gentleman explained the ADAPT group and reason for being in DC. I thanked him and crossed the street, found a tree and sat down and cried. My heart is so thankful that there is an organized group of people that fight daily for my child and our life. Many times I have wanted to curse the darkness. I didn't know there was more like me. Now, my heart if full of light. Thank you.

During my meetings with senators and representatives on Wednesday and Thursday I heard little musings about the "ADAPT group." My heart swelled with pride. Although I do not see myself as being an "activist," I have learned to fight for my child. I will not succumb to his demise due to systematic inconsistencies and red tape. 12 years ago I brought him home from the hospital, 8 years moved with him across state lines in foster care, 7 years ago adopted him, and broke him out of a children's home 6 years ago. I guess that is a bit of "action."

Whatever I can do to help, I will and I will contact the people here in Illinois. I could get food, wipe brows, offer a cool spray or a drink of water, instead of being cuffed to the fence. If you need that help, I will help you and enlist my friends.

Thanks for your work, Chrissy L. Nelson

PS: My eyes still fill with tears at the thought of you being cuffed to the fence and blocking the doors. Be well my friends, I honor you with my life.

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• The Rolling Freedom Express & Washington DC, fall 2000

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Canon

Model

Canon EOS 40D

DateTimeOriginal

2013:07:18 12:21:40

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f/11.0