Holiday Food Drive

Memphis Center for Independent Living Holiday Food Drive 

Through December 15, 2017

Non-perishable donations accepted

Monday to Friday,9:30am to 4:30pm

1633 Madison Ave, Memphis, TN 38104

Monetary donations also welcomed.

Baskets will be distributed December 19 to 21.

For more information:

Contact Christina Clift

(901)726-6404

What do you think about SNAP?

MCIL Focus Group: SNAP Benefits and the work requirement

On September 29, MCIL held a focus group to gage the Memphis disability communities reaction to the scheduled change to the Food Stamp Program. There were six participants in the focus group with various disabilities. The focus group started with a brief overview of the news about the addition of the work requirement and who it will cover.

The first question also helped to provide the group with basic information about the new work requirement.

What do you know about the SNAP work requirement?

The group responded with various bits of information about the change. They noted that it did not cover people with dependants and people in school. There was more discussion about what volunteer programs and work programs would exempt people from the requirement. The group knew details about the change, stating that people would not be instantly denied and that the beginning will be delayed.   

The bulk of the discussion was on the “able-bodied” requirement. The group felt that the distinction was aimed at people with disabilities, and that it was not clear. Everyone thought that it cast the disability community as not productive and not included.

How do you feel about the exemption of people with disabilities?

One respondent thought it depended on a person’s level of disability. They thought that if you have an obvious physical disability, you were also tagged with the stigma of the exemption. Another participant felt that all people should be held to the same standard, but the community should be ready to make accommodations that are needed just like in the ADA.

One participant thought that they should take out the term “able-bodied” and make other, more clear qualifications for who would be required to work and who would be exempt.

The group seemed to have a consensus that the exemption also limited the opportunities that people with disabilities would have. One respondent said that it means that “people with disabilities don’t have to try.”

Another participant said that more jobs means more opportunities, but if people with disabilities are left-out here, they will not find opportunities and not find jobs. Someone else pointed out that more jobs for people with disabilities also would mean more accessibility and more information in the community about work and accommodations.

How do you feel about an incentive program: people with disabilities that volunteer, work or are in a work program would get more benefits?

This hypothetical was positively received. One respondent said that volunteering means that person has more needs that are not covered by the job. The volunteer has more needs in transportation, laundry and general expenses. Another person in the focus group said that volunteers also have less time to do housekeeping and shopping. They all thought the incentive was a good idea and that a 100% increase was too much. The group felt that 50% was reasonable. For example, a $50 SNAP benefit would increase to $75 for a person with a disability in this hypothetical program.

What is the biggest employment issue for the community al large in Memphis?

Some things were suggested. The lack of a living wage, the dominance of temporary jobs without benefits and the lack of reliable public transportation. Because there was no clear biggest issue, the group added some other problems they felt the city faces. Getting businesses to come to Memphis was seen as a problem and that can be from education, economy or even transportation.

The focus group stated some specific problems when the question was applied to just people with disabilities. One respondent said that job-placement at the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation was a significant barrier for our community. There was however general consensus on this question for people with disabilities. Everyone, at this point, agreed that transportation was the biggest barrier for our community.

To solve this problem the group suggested more job-training and more job readiness. They felt that employers need more info and more options to hire people with disabilities. One participant said that poor education in our community from segregated schools and low expectations of students with disabilities was a barrier for our community. Some of the focus group rethought their feeling that transportation was the biggest barrier and felt that discrimination may be larger of a barrier than transportation.

Action Report Day 4

Tennessee needs the DIA

By Allison Donald

September 27, 2017- The last day of a National ADAPT action in Washington DC are reserved for visits to Capitol Hill.  Before, we could ascend on the hill ADAPT decided to have "brunch" at the home of the Health and Human Secretary Thomas E. Price.  ADAPT took over the street chanting, “We told you once we told you twice, ADAPT is here to talk to Price.”

Although there have been increased opportunities for community living, many individuals remained trapped in nursing facilities and other institutions and many of that underpin the progress we’ve made are being eroded or eliminated.  Tom Price has the ability to enforce the laws so that the civil rights and civil liberties of people with disabilities remain protected under the law.  If you would like to view ADAPT’s demands to HHS Secretary Price go visit www.adapt.org.  

As he stood looking down at from the upstairs window of his house, I hope he remembers that he can’t run from us, because we know where he lives and have no problem shutting down the street until he faces us.  

Our day was not done National ADAPT had meetings to attend with elected officials to speak with them about cosponsoring the Disability Integration Act (HR 2472) in the house and (S910) in the Senate.  My team members were Rodney Whitmore, Susan Norwood, Cathy Cranston, Brian Johnson, Toni Saia, and Michael Heinrich.

As a team we visited a total twelve Representatives and Senators from across the country. Michael Heinrich and I split off into a team and visited five representatives Gaetz (R-Fla.), Banks (R-Ind.), McSalley (R-Az.), McArthur (R-NJ), and Kustoff (R-TN.).  We did not get an opportunity to meet with any of these representatives, but we were given cards and we left them with a packet of information about the Disability Integration Act.  

I will be following up with David Kustoff, because he is a Representative from Tennessee.  Michael and I also visited Congressman Cohen’s office as a follow-up visit and to thank him for being a co-sponsor of the DIA.

Our final meeting of the day was with the staffers of Senator Lamar Alexander.  Lamar Alexander is the chairman of the H.E.L.P (Health Education Labor and Pension) committee.  His support is critical to the successful passage of the DIA.  Furthermore, it is imperative that he stands up for the life and liberty of Tennesseans with disabilities.

Mid-South ADAPT has visited the Memphis office of Lamar Alexander many times over the past several months and all we have gotten in response is lip service and pre typed letters mailed to our homes.  Mr.  Morton expressed to us that Senator Alexander does not support many bills.  I was not worried about the bills he chooses to support.  As a person with a disability I am concerned about the inadequate home and community based services that are being delivered, the lack of a cohesive plan that will allow people with disabilities to work on the necessary independent living skills a person is going to need to stay in the community, and the mediocre wages some personal care attendants are earning.  In all of these issues Tennessee ranks near the bottom in providing for its citizens with disabilities and the people who take care of us.  The Disability Integration Act (HR 2472) (S910) will address these needs.

I was sitting at the head of the table as Michael unrolled the scroll of three hundred names who had all signed on in support of the Disability Integration Act.  The scroll hit Alexander’s staffer who was seated at the other end of the table Michael was sitting informed Mr. Morton (Alexander staffer) that Alexander’s inaction and his unwillingness to answer whether he is firmly for or against the civil rights is no longer and acceptable answer.  

"I do not have much faith in the state of Tennessee to do what’s right by its citizens," said Michael Heinrich, “because in the past former administrations have had to be taken to court to enforce the civil rights of people in Tennessee who have a disability.”

Senator Lamar Alexander it is your move. Do you support civil rights for people with disabilities Yes or No?  The people of Tennessee deserve an answer, because disability rights are constitutional rights. 

#ADAPTandResist

Free Our People!

Action Report Day 3

ADAPT Continues to Protect Medicaid

By Allison Donald
September 26, 2017- National ADAPT took the streets for a third consecutive day with the understanding that even after the failure of the Graham-Cassidy bill, there is still more work to be done to ensure that this bill stays dead.

 

National ADAPT returned to the Hart Senate building to confront the Graham (R-S.C., Cassidy (R-La.), Heller (R-Nev.), Johnson (R-Wisc.) the coauthors of this bill.  Each team was dispatched to a Senators office.  Our mission was simple tell our stories and how the cuts to Medicaid would affect our lives as people with disabilities.  

The red team members crowded into Johnsons’ office and began to tell their stories and talk about the impact these cuts will have on their.  The staffers were so impressed and moved by the stories that they set up a meeting for later this evening that will be attended by Marilee Adamski-Smith and Joseph Adamski-Smith (Wisconsin ADAPT) members.  The purple team was assigned to Lindsey Graham’s office.  As they were being escorted out of the office Lindsey Graham passes by surrounded by five bodyguards.  As he passed by, he looked over in the direction of the purple team and gave them a smirk.  

The orange team was assigned to Heller and that went off without incident but they were escorted out after the second warning about arrest.  

I found myself on the blue team and in Senator Bill Cassidy’s office.  Denise McMullen-Powell was day leader so as she began to yell her story to staffers and so did I. As we were being threatened with arrests Denise grabbed the hand sanitizer off the Senator's desk and ask each of us “if we want to wash our hands to get the stench of this office off of us.”  Each person received a small amount of sanitizer while they were sitting in the office.

After leaving the Hart building we all regrouped and marched to the Upper Senate Park where Senator Bob Casey’s (D-PA.) held a press conference on healthcare.  He thanked every person in the park.  

“If it were not for the efforts of people with disabilities we would not have made it to the edge of victory in this fight for healthcare," said Sen. Casey, "but we can’t stop, because they (Republicans) won’t stop.”  

Our next stop was the Health and Human Services to confront Thomas E. Price.  He is the Health and Human services secretary.  The Department of Health and Human Services is the federal agency most directly responsible for ensuring that Americans with disabilities who need long term supports and services receive them in the most integrated setting.

 

The police placed barricades in front of the entrance of the building to prevent us from entering the building. In true ADAPT style we blocked the doors.  The stand- off began and so did the endless chant “Just like a nursing, you can’t get out.”  Elaine Sabol, nicknamed Spitfire, was determined to get her eighty-forth arrest.  She climbed out of her chair and started scooting under the barricades while her ADAPT family chanted, “go spit”.  

The standoff between ADAPT and the building security lasted eight hours.  Orange team leader Scott Nance capped off our visit to the Health and Human Services building by taping the signs to the windows around the building.  

Even though we have won the battle, the war for life and liberty for people with disabilities continues.  National ADAPT will be on Capitol Hill to as ask our Senators to support and cosponsor the Disability Integration Act (HR2472) (S 910).

Free Our People!