[first article continues from another, unidentified article]
By about 11:15 a.m., the groups inside Rayburn have occupied the congressmen's offices and a hearing room of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where Dingell is chairman and Barton the ranking member.

The navy blue informs of the Capitol police appear in greater numbers. One is carrying an assault rifle. Demonstrators have to decide whether to leave the area or stay. If they stay, they will be arrested.

[Subheading] 'A sense of injustice'

McMullin-Powell wasn't interested in getting arrested when she first took up with this bunch 11 years ago. She was permanent disability with post-polio syndrome, and had been readingJoe Shapiro's book "No Pity." In it, she learned about ADAPT's efforts to promote the rights of those with disabilities. The work made sense to her and she decided to go to Atlanta for one of the group's events.

She got arrested twice.

"It was just too inspiring," she said. "You can't be in the middle of people like that and not do what they're doing. You can't back off when you see the passion they have. There was a sense of injustice as to what was going on-and that hasn't decreased at all."

[image]
[image capition] Daniese McMullin-Powell has earned colleagues' respect for her dedication and feistiness.

[text resumes, but is cut off] said. "The state council is an outlet for that passion, but a bit more subdued because it's with the state."

Her family and friends sometimes roll their eyes when they hear of some of her activities, she said. And she is frustrated by the lack of involvement in "wimpy" Delaware.

"But a lot of my friends want to be more involved. and just can't," she said. "I guess they don't quite get that little but of an edge they need to put them over."

[new article begins]

[Headline] Shortage of attendant services keeps many disabled institutions
By Beth Miller
The News Journal

Washington-Daniese McMullin-Powell and other members of ADAPT are pressing lawmakers to give people with disabilities more say and better options in where they live.

This week, they protested in Washington, D.C, to draw legislators' attention to the Community Choice Act, legislation they said would give people who want to live in the community-instead of nursing homes-a better shot at federal funds.

According to a survey this year by the state Department of Health & Social Services, 797 of the approximately 6,800 people living in Delaware nursing homes said they would prefer to be living in the community.

But the community-based support available-nurses, attendants, affordable housing and the like-cannot match the demand. And not all who want to live in the community are able to do so, said Pam Tyranski, deputy director for Medicaid and Medical Assistance for the state social services department.

"In Delaware, nursing-home beds are in such demand, we are not seeing inappropriate placements into nursing homes," Tyranski said. "If clients had more opportunities for housing in the community, who's to say that ratio wouldn't shift if they had other alternatives? But we are tight on beds."

Tyranski said two primary obstacles keep people in institutional settings.

"The nurses in our long-term-care unit will always explore the least-restrictive environment for every client," she said. "Their biggest obstacles are a safe place that is accessible for the client. There are a lot of folks who have no family, friends, and no one willing to take responsibility for coordinating care and helping out clients in the community."

Sen. Joe Biedn, D-Del., is among the co-sponsors of the Community Choice Act.

"For many years now, I have supported efforts to allow people with chronic illnesses and disabilities to live in the least restrictive, most comfortable environment possible," Biden said in a written statement this week.

Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del., also suuports the bill, which creates incentives for states to provice community-based attendant services.

"It is necessary to match those in need with the adequate and necessary level of assistance, and this bill creates an additional option of keeping people in the comforts of their own home while providing care," he said.

Staffers for Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said he supports the idea behind the bill.

In Delaware, the Governor's Commission on Community-Based Alternatives has worked on. a comprehensive plan for enhancing community supports for people with disabilities. The commission, chaired by Rita Landgraf and Vincent Meconi, secretary of the social services department, expects to complete its five-year plan this summer. McMullin-Powell is a members of the commission.

Contact Beth Miller at 324-2784
or bmiller@delawareonline.com

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Tuesday 23 July 2013

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Thursday 10 December 2020

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