ADAPT was in Washington DC this month and three MCIL staff were able to attend. The national focus is currently the Disability Integration Act, which is a Civil Rights bill that will give Americans the right to live in the community. Senate Bill 2427, introduced by Sen. Schumer from New York, requires states and insurance providers that pay for Long Term Services and Supports to change their policies, provide community-based services first, and offer HCBS to people currently in institutions.
ADAPT visited the White House to make the case to the Administration that disability rights should not take a backseat to other civil-rights efforts. Following over sixty arrests at the White House, ADAPT brought the same message to the US Department of Justice. The DOJ had failed to bring a large Olmstead style case to reinforce the “integration mandate” of the ADA. To accentuate the point, at the same time ADAPT demanded Loretta Lynch keep the DOJ’s promise, a second smaller team of activists demonstrated in front of Vanita Gupta’s home demanding equal treatment of the civil rights of people with disabilities.
ADAPT also made a surprise visit to the US Department of Health and Human Services. Again, as ADAPT blocked all the entrances the to huge Washington DC monolith; a smaller team was at the home of Secretary Burwell in residential north DC. The focus of National ADAPT was to recognize that Medicaid rates have undercut the ability of Americans with disabilities to live in their own home and to assure that state Medicaid rates are sufficient to secure the workforce needed for community integration.
Please visit the ADAPT website to learn more about this important action and to see photos of MCIL activists in action.
No comments:
Post a Comment