Over 120 Arrested When ADAPT Refuses to Sign Statement Supporting Institutions

Over 120 Arrested When ADAPT Refuses to Sign Statement Supporting Institutions



Chicago--- Today ADAPT confronted Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) on their support of reopening the state’s Lincoln Developmental Center institution, and AFSCME’s refusal to endorse any legislation supporting home and community-based services for people with disabilities. AFSCME responded by asking ADAPT to sign a statement supporting institutions authored by AFSCME director Henry Bayer, and when that didn’t happen, Bayer had over 120 people arrested for blocking the doors, elevators and parking lot of the AFSCME building.



“It’s impossible to negotiate human and civil rights issues with people whose only concern is their own pockets…no matter how many people are warehoused and deprived of their liberty as a result,” said Mike Oxford, Kansas ADAPT Organizer. “They typed up a statement supporting institutions and asking for money, and then couldn’t understand why we didn’t want to sign it.”



ADAPT has met repeatedly with AFSCME leadership, receiving a commitment from Gerald McEntee, the union’s president, to sign on to legislation that supports home and community-based services and supports for people with disabilities and the elderly. That promise was never kept, and was one of the reasons ADAPT visited the Council 31 offices.



“For an organization that has its roots in the civil rights movement, their treatment of people with disabilities is even more despicable,” said Randy Alexander, Memphis ADAPT Organizer. “The union and its members make a lot of money by advocating to keep people with disabilities and older folks stuck in nursing homes and other institutions instead of being able to live in their own homes like other people. It’s unconscionable that the union fights for workers’ rights at the expense of our rights. In ADAPT, we know that you can’t have one without the other.”



The arrests at AFSCME concluded the week of ADAPT action in Chicago. The week began with a national Affordable, Accessible, Integrated Housing Forum, attended by federal officials who heard testimony from people with disabilities about the lack of adequate housing, and the discrimination they have experienced when trying to secure housing. The forum was followed by three days of action on the streets that included gaining a commitment from Governor Blagojevich for permanent closure of the Lincoln Developmental Center, and assuring ADAPT a seat at the table as Illinois enacts its Money Follow the Person demonstration. The next ADAPT action will be in Washington, D.C. April 26-May 2, 2008 when ADAPT celebrates its 25th anniversary.

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And it appears they have a blockade going on today as well.

80 arrested at ADAPT Protest

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.”

*I* Do not accept Jerry's apology

sorry glaad, as a disabled quuer male, i do NOT accept the apology. As a disabled filmmaker, activist, writer and (obvisiously) blogger, I find it funny that an ex-star loses his job on Grey's Anatomy for saying the word on the set, yet glaad is rushing to accept his apology. go to new mobility to look at the sexism he has not apologized for.

Wow, not like he walked out of a public book reading swearing up a storm because disabled people challenged him...

blogging against jerry lewis

um. my blog is video...



Thanks to the folks at Crip-Power.org

Mike R.