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80 ADAPT Disability Activists Arrested Attacking Segregation in Chicago
Chicago, IL--- More than 500 ADAPT activists from around the country
converged in Chicago September 8th-13th to take action against a
crisis in Illinois that is the poster child for a larger national
problem. The crisis is directly caused by a record of bad decisions
made by Illinois state officials, and the institutional bias built
into the way the nation’s long term care (LTC) system is funded.
Today activists made “house calls” to the American Medical
Association (AMA). Thus far, 80 have been arrested. Their demands are as
follows:
Demands are to
1. Endorse Community Choice Act and actively promote its passage (e.g.
include on AMA website and on advocacy agenda);
2. Work with ADAPT to develop an action plan to assure that people with
disabilities and seniors get REAL CHOICE in services/supports and are
able to live in most integrated setting. Provide membership with
continuing medical education programs about community-based
alternatives to institutionalization;
3. Require that AMA Board of Trustees and leadership divest
themselves of all financial interests in nursing facilities, etc.;
4. Develop AMA ethics policy that all AMA member MDs must full
disclose their financial interests in any facilities to their
patients when discussing issues, and not refer any patient to an LTC
facility in which they have any financial interest
ADAPT will assure that Gov. Blagojevich knows that his plans to
reopen a state institution for persons with developmental
disabilities and his lack of support for Money Follows the Person
legislation are actions of segregation and in violation of the U.S.
Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision. ADAPT will also challenge the
Illinois Congressional delegation to take a leadership role
nationally in eliminating the institutional bias so people with
disabilities and older Americans can live at home with dignity.
Currently, Illinois ranks 41st in the nation for providing the
community-based services that will allow disabled and older citizens
to stay in their own homes. Illinois’ long record of being in the
bottom ten states puts it among the worst when it comes to human
rights in general and disability rights in particular.
“It turns my stomach to know that my state, historically a home of
civil rights in America for people of color, is the same state that
is one of the worst civil rights performers in regard to people with
disabilities,” said Chicago native Larry Biondi, an organizer with
Chicago ADAPT
While in Chicago, ADAPT held a national housing forum that will
be attended by HUD Fair Housing Assistant Secretary Kim Kendrick, and
state and local officials. At the forum, ADAPT presented its
national housing agenda; took testimony from people across the
country who have had difficulty finding affordable, accessible,
integrated housing; and distribute information on pending
visitability legislation, and the redirection of HUD’s 811 Supportive
Housing program funds to projects that are integrated. Currently, the
811 program primarily funds segregated housing situations for people
with disabilities.
“As we have begun to make progress in getting people out of
institutions, and preventing people from being forced into
institutions, the lack of affordable, accessible, integrated housing
in typical neighborhoods has become glaringly apparent,” said Beto
Berrera, a member of Chicago ADAPT and a Chicago housing expert. “We
are hosting this national housing forum so that federal officials can
hear just how bad the situation is, and to gain their support in
working with us to right this wrong.”
