Allison works to get Sen. Alexander to cosponsor the DIA

National ADAPT in Washington to get Disability Rights Legislation

By Allison Donald
I traveled with National ADAPT to Washington DC to secure Republican Co-Sponsorship in the US Senate. The Disability Integration Act has 123 total cosponsors and sixteen Republican cosponsors on the House side, but the civil-rights legislation does not have any Republican cosponsors in the Senate.  During our time in DC National ADAPT visited the office of Senator Jeff Flake (Arizona), Senator Ben Sasse (Nebraska), Senator Isakson (Georgia), Senator Don Young (Alaska), Senator Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Ted Cruz (Texas), Lamar Alexander (Tennessee), and Corey Gardner (Colorado).

I was with a group of 20 ADAPTers who split up into smaller teams to inform the US Senate about the Disability Integration Act and its impact on the Constitutional rights of people with disabilities. My team included (Stephanie Woodard, Sophie Poost, and Katie) all from Rochester, New York we met up with everyone in the office of Georgia senator Isakson. We then proceeded to the office of Texas senator Ted Cruz.

This was National ADAPT’s eighth visit to Senator Cruz’s office in two years to ask why he has yet to cosponsor the Disability Integration Act, S 910. 

“To be honest I have not read the bill,” said Greg Beretan, a Cruz staffer. “We feel very strongly that the text of the bill actually fits with everything Senator Cruz has spoken about.” 

We waited for another thirty minutes and Judd Stone, Chief Council for Senator Cruz walked in the office and wanted to discuss the legislation with my team.

“This is extremely complex," said Judd Stone, "and there are way too may laws in here to give an offhand opinion.” 

As a result of this meeting National ADAPT secured an October 1st meeting to answer other questions Cruz’ staff may have about the bill. The meeting was productive and far less infuriating than our encounter with the staff of Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander.

As we exited the office of Senator Cruz we stopped in the hall of the Dirksen Senate building to put on red and black plaid flannel shirts to match the one that is encased on the wall in Senator Lamar Alexander’s office. National ADAPT began to file into the Senator's office and occupy the space. We were there to share the story of the Underground Railroad for Tennesseans who had to escape our state and moved to Colorado because of the lack of supports and services for people with disabilities.

While we were engaged in conversation with Senator Alexander’s staff, the police were called and we were asked to leave. Senator Alexander and his staff displayed a complete disregard for not only us, but the thousands of Tennesseans who were locked in expensive institutions. 

Since Senator Alexander did not want to see us at his office National ADAPT went to his apartment.

I traveled with the ADAPT group to Senator Alexander’s apartment door in our red and black plaid shirts. We began to knock and put leaflets under his door as well as the doors of his neighbors. National ADAPT led by Anita Cameron also began to sing “We who believe in freedom shall not rest until freedom comes." The song continued as we were being escorted out of the building by security. 

National ADAPT left Senator Alexander a clear message, that Tennesseans wanted him to support people with disabilities living in the community and not expensive institutions. It was satisfying it was to pay Senator Alexander a visit at his home. 

National ADAPT’s work was not done, however, we had some unfinished business with Colorado Senator Corey Gardner.

The next day we visited the office of Colorado Senator Corey Gardner. ADAPT was there to confront the staff about the Senator’s refusal to co-sponsor the Disability Integration Act S910. 

While we sat in the office for two hours, staffers were coming in and out and we began to ask the question:

“Why is Senator Corey Gardner the only member of the Colorado delegation not to sign on to the DIA?” 

We did not get a sufficient answer and began to chant “we have waited long enough; DIA today." For the next two hours until the staff had all five protestors forcibly removed from the doorway of the office and then thirteen more were arrested

from the office itself. We spent a total of 12 hours in the Senate buildings and waiting on ADAPTers to be released from custody as a result of the interaction with Senator Corey Gardner office.

National ADAPT took some positive steps forward with Texas Senator Ted Cruz and his staff, but the interactions with his fellow Senate colleagues Corey Gardner and Lamar Alexander proves there is still so much work to be done.

FREE OUR PEOPLE!