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Home / Albums / Washington DC, Spring 2003 18
- ADAPT (1416)
- ADAPT (1415)
- ADAPT (1414)
Able New York Award Winning THE NEWSPAPER POSITIVELY FOR, BY & ABOUT THE DISABLED [Headline] 100 ARRESTED [Subheading] ADAPT Demands Apology from Bush [image] [image caption] D.C. police arrest protestors at White House fence. [article begins] Police arrested 100 members of ADAPT on Mother's Day when they refused to leave the front of the White House while demanding an apology from President George Bush for the institutional bias in Medicaid that robs Americans of choice in long-term care services. Before the arrests, 500 members of ADAPT from 30 states listened as a dozen people gave personal testimony about the harm they suffered for many years when forced into nursing homes and other institutions. Backed by a 150-foot banner filled with pictures and similar personal stories from across the country, they told how the Medicaid institutional bias had stolen their lives, and about the freedom they now feel living in their own homes. "It's pretty ironic that a few feet behind us is our American flag waving in the breeze on top of the White House," said Gayle Hafner, of Maryland ADAPT, one of those arrested. "Our flag is supposed to symbolize freedom. Try telling that to all the people who are locked in nursing homes and institutions right now for the crime of disability, or to Linda from Maryland who is here because she is trying desperately to get out of a nursing home. Does this country legitimately owe us an apology for all our stolen lives? You bet it does!" Along with the apology from President Bush, and Congress, ADAPT was in Washington seeking additional support for passage of MiCASSA, the Med-icaid Community-based Attendant Services and Supports Act. S. 971 has been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), along with nine additional co-sponsors. In the House, H.R. 2032 has been introduced by Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) and Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL), along with 25 additional co-sponsors. In MiCASSA, Medicaid money follows the person, in-stead of being attached to a set-ting like a nursing home, thus permitting people to choose to receive their long-term care services in their own homes in the community instead of being forced into institutional settings to get the assistance they need. MiCASSA also includes the provision of significant economic incentives for states to help their transition from institutional to community-based services as the option of choice. "It's time for the President to return his attention to the domestic agenda," said arrestee Bobbie Coward of Capitol Area ADAPT. "With most of the states experiencing fiscal crises tied to Medicaid, MiCASSA will provide some measure of relief, and will put in place a safety net for both the states and their older and disabled citizens. The President and Congress need to get busy solving problems right here at home. ADAPT is committed to one of the solutions being the passage of MiCASSA, and we'll be back in D.C. this fall, marching all 144 miles from the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia to make sure it happens." The next day ADAPT stopped traffic on busy Constitution Ave. and on surrounding streets including an entrance to Interstate 395, for seven hours Monday to gain a meet-ing with U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) officials. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Ralph Boyd, filled in for his absent boss, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, meet-ing with 500 ADAPT activists from 30 states for more than an hour in the middle of the closed street in front of DOJ head-quarters. Several ADAPT demands for Ashcroft and the DOJ related to the lack of compliance by states with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA requires state and local governments to provide services and programs, including long-term care, "in the most integrated setting." States had until 2002 to perform self-evaluations detailing their ADA deficiencies and their pro-posed correction plans. Accord-ing to ADAPT officials, when asked if DOJ would agree to review the state plans for compliance with the ADA, especially in regard to long-term care services, Boyd answered, "Yes." Calling the ADAPT protest "Democracy in action," he added that he and his staff would be willing to personally visit and investigate institutions when they receive specific complaints from community advocates. "Mr. Boyd also promised to review the many civil rights complaints we have filed against states that aren't moving people into the community from nursing homes and institutions in compliance with the ADA and the U.S. Supreme Court Olmstead decision," said Anita Cameron, ADAPT Organizer from Denver, Colorado. - ADAPT (1413)
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This page continues the article from Image 1414. Full text is available on 1414 for easier reading. - ADAPT (1429)
THE WASHINGTON POST MONDAY, MAY 12 2003 B3 METRO In Brief THE REGION [Headline] Protesters Denounce Medicare Rules About 150 people in wheelchairs gathered outside the White House yesterday to demand an apology from President Bush and Congress for what they said were decades of forced institutionalization caused by rigid Medicare rules that favor nursing homes and other institutions over at-home care for the disabled. About two dozen protesters, chanting "free our people," hand-cuffed themselves to the fence in front of the White House, but D.C. police officers quickly unlocked and confiscated the handcuffs. Organizers said the protest was the start of five days of action to push for passage of the Medicaid Community-Based Attendant Services and Supports Act, which would allow people with disabilities to receive Medicaid to cover care in their homes rather than forcing them to go to nursing homes and other facilities. MARYLAND - ADAPT (1428)
ADAPT FREE OUR PEOPLE The Honorable George W. Bush President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President: The long term care policies of this country have unnecessarily segregated people with disabilities, regardless of their age or disability, from the rest of the community by placing us in nursing homes or other institutions. This segregation has a long history, beginning in the mid 1800's when asylums for those with mental and cognitive disabilities began to spring up all over the country. In general, the 19th century was the period when schools and institutions for persons with physical disabilities, deafness, blindness, mental illness and intellectual disabilities took root in the United States as well as the rest of the world. The 20th century continued the repression, discrimination and segregation of people with disabilities with both forced institutionalization and also forced sterilization. Disabled people have survived through these indignities by relying on our tenacity and resourcefulness and through support from family and friends. In more recent times we have won a community support services network, but it has been underdeveloped and under funded while institutional models continue to be funded at 2-4 times the cost. In fiscal year 1997, $108.8 billion was allocated for long-term care services and rehabilitation, housing and veterans activities by government in the United States. Over 50% of these funds went to keeping hundreds of thousands of persons with disabilities in segregated settings such as nursing homes, sheltered workshops and mental institutions (Braddock, 2000). Medicaid, the largest funding source for long term care, has had an institutional bias since its beginning in1965. In 2001 $75.3 billion was spent on long term care services. 71% of these funds ($53.1 billion) were spent for nursing home or other institutional services. Only $22.3 billion (29%) were spent for all community long term care services. (MEDSTAT) While showing the bias in funding, these statistics do nothing to reveal the true devastation that the long term care policies of this country have inflicted on people with disabilities regardless of their age. Millions of people have had a portion of their lives stolen from them because of these long term care policies. Your administration has begun to address some of the inequities that exist in the long term care system through your Olmstead Executive Order and some of the proposals in the New Freedom Initiatives. These proposals, however, do not address the effects these policies have had years of their lives stolen by being warehoused in nursing homes and other institutions. Nor do they go far enough to prevent present and future generations from similar treatment. Many of these individuals will be in Washington, DC from May 10th through 15th and would appreciate it if you could do the following during this week: 1. Issue a written public statement, signed by you, apologizing to the people who have lost a portion of their lives because of the long term care policies of the United States; and 2. Meet with 50 representatives of those individuals who have been in nursing homes and other institutions to discuss how the New Freedom Initiatives will assure that no person is forced into a nursing home or other institution because of the lack of community options; and 3. Support for MiCASSA legislation soon to be introduced; 4. Direct HHS to issue a policy directive that there is currently no federal barrier preventing states from transferring the money serving a person in a nursing home or other institution to serve that person in a home and community setting. This apology would send a powerful message that the long term care policies of the previous eras are a thing of the past, that the US is pursuing a Community First agenda and that the our government respects the people whose lives have been negatively effected by the long care policies of our country. Would appreciate your response by May 9th. For an Institution Free America: The ADAPT Community 1339 Lamar Sq Dr. Suite 101 Austin, Texas 78704 512/431-4085 - ADAPT (1427)
This page continues the letter from Image 1428. Full text is available on 1428 for easier reading. - ADAPT (1426)
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RO DM VA M2 TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2003 B7 THE REGION [Headline] Protest Shuts Constitution Ave. [Subheading] Activists Disperse After Meeting Justice Official By DAVID A. FAHRENTHOLD Washington Post Staff Writer More than 100 activists for the disabled, including dozens in wheelchairs, blocked a stretch of Constitution Avenue NW for much of the day yesterday to protest Justice Department policies. The protest shut down the heavily traveled street between Ninth and 12th streets NW, in front of the Justice Department's headquarters. Motorists faced detours from 12:30 p.m. through the evening rush hour as police allowed the demonstration to continue. The protesters began to leave about 8 p.m. after meeting with Assistant Attorney General Ralph F. Boyd Jr. and agreeing to a dialogue with Justice Department officials. "We're feeling good that there is a beginning, and we'll have to wait and see what happens from there," said Marsha Katz, a spokeswoman for the protesters. The activities were organized by the group ADAPT for the second day in a week of planned events. ADAPT leaders said they wanted to press the Justice Department to force states to make changes that [image] [image caption] Activists demand Justice Department action to require states to use less restrictive options instead of nursing homes to treat people with disabilities. BY SARAH L. VOISIN-THE WASHINGTON POST [text resumes] would result in better conditions for the disabled, such as less emphasis on nursing homes and institutions and more reliance upon community-based programs. Protesters arrayed wheelchairs in front of the Justice building and across Constitution Avenue, and some held a banner with "Stolen Lives" written on it, intended to dramatize the condition of some disabled people in nursing homes and other restrictive environments. A Justice Department official de-fended the government's record on the issue, saying that authorities have investigated seven government-run nursing homes in recent years and are pursuing probes of eight others. D.C. Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey said last night that his department made no at-tempt to arrest yesterday's protesters or forcibly clear the commuter thoroughfare because similar ADAPT demonstrations in previous years had ended voluntarily. "People look for us to do that sort of thing [make arrests]. And if we do make arrests, we wind up getting criticized," he said. "If there's some way we can try to let them get their point across but not make arrests, that's something we'll do." Staff writer Clarence Williams contributed to this report. - ADAPT (1421)
Incitement Incitement Incitement Volume 19 No.1 A Publication of ADAPT Spring 2003 [Headline] No More Stolen Lives [Subheading] A New "Soldier's" Viewpoint, May 2003 by Jeffrey L. Smith On Sunday May 11, 2003, as I stood lined up in front of the White House in Washington DC with several hundred other protesters I thought to myself "Jeff are you SURE you're ready to GO TO JAIL for this cause? As the police officers gave their third and FINAL warning for us to move away from the President's residence I rather quickly decided to "do what I HAD to do." The members of our organization ADAPT had made it crystal clear to me that possible arrest MAY be a price to pay to show we are serious about our mission. I stood my ground with about 90 other people on the side of the arrest line the cops had taped off. This time no one was actually taken to jail. The police decided to just do on-the spot arrests/citations. In years past the cops have indeed taken ADAPT members directly to jail, wheelchairs and all. On Monday May 12, 2003, as I stood in front of the Department of Justice on a very dreary day in Washing-ton DC my heart swelled with sheer Pride! I stood there with at least 200 other [image] [image caption] ADAPT blocked the of Constitution and 9th sts. an entrance to the freeway. Photo by Anita Cameron [text continues] people that had a variety of disabilities (many in wheelchairs) and was an integral member of an "ARMY fighting a system" to ensure that our CIVIL RIGHTS would stop being violated' I thought to myself ?Man now THIS is POWER!" I was new to all this. Within only the past few months I had started working at an Independent Living Center which launched me on a new journey in life. I had never BELONGED in any way such as this. I was a soldier in an army of our times. This Army was NOT military in nature. No. Its target was a system which unjustly imprisoned people that are "different." I was hearing HORRIBLE stories from people who could live independently on their own with relatively minor services from personal-care attendants, yet their primary means of health insurance - Medicaid — would pay only for institutionalization. Some of these stories I was hearing involved cases of abuse, neglect, and varied other unfavorable elements. The WORST part of this for the individuals was they had NO CONTROL over their own lives. They were in JAIL for NO reason. They had committed NO "crimes" other than that of being different/ Abnormal. I SO empathized with these people. I myself had suffered two mild strokes since 1995 and was fortunate to have Medicare, which paid for ALL my services. Had I had only Medicaid, then I could've too been "relentlessly sucked into the same system." We had the Dept. of Justice blocked off most ALL day. We had major intersections surrounding the property barricaded to where traffic was shut down. The citizens of DC were getting Highly Pissed at us "NUISANCES." We passed out info to curious passers-by. The few that I spoke with agreed that the system had to change. We finally forced a meeting with us from Assistant Attorney General Ralph Boyd, [head of Civil Rights for the Dept. of Justice. He made certain commitments. At this point we aren't really sure whether or not his words were mere "lip service" just to get us off his back. On Tuesday May 13 we engaged in one last "blockade" of a Nurses Association, and on Wednesday May 14 we met with various State legislators. On the 15th I traveled back to my home in Memphis, TN and have pretty much been on a high since. People will talk of our country's MILITARY might, but OUR "soldiering missions" used not a Single GRAIN of gunpowder! I was never able to be accepted into any branch of USA military due to my "medical condition." But I have been TOTALLY and unconditionally accepted into an army of a diffeent kind. I am PROUD to be an ADAPT soldier and ready for action! [two images] [caption for both images] (above) Day leaders Erik, Linda Anthony, & Steve Verriden went to to see if the Nurses were going to live up to their word, but they found the doors were locked. Photo by Mark and Tisha Cunningham (left) The nurses were boasting what a fortress their building was, but ADAPT would not sit down for their underestimation of people with disabilities. Here Billy the Kid demonstrates a rolling crawl technique to get up the steps to a side door of the ANA. Photo by Anita Cameron - ADAPT (1420)
This page continues the article from IMAGE 1421. Full text is available on 1421 for easier reading.