500 Disability Activists Storm Health & Human Service Building
500 ADAPT disability activists from around the county surround the US Department of Health & Human Services in the pouring rain. They demonstrate in support of the thousands of people with disabilities and older Americans who continue to be unnecessarily forced into and kept in nursing homes and other institutions because of the inaction and development of barrier-ridden regulations by HHS and the Bush Administration.
Watch this space for on the scene updates!
ADAPT DEMANDS
To: HHS SECRETARY MIKE LEAVITT
From: ADAPT Community
Date: April 28, 2008
Thousands of people with disabilities and older Americans CONTINUE to be unnecessarily forced into and kept in nursing homes and other institutions because of the inaction and development of barrier-ridden regulations by HHS and this Administration.
ADAPT demands that Secretary Mike Leavitt:
Improve the implementation of the Money Follows the Person Demonstration Projects by increasing flexibility states have;
IMMEDIATELY eliminate any rules which cause undue burdens regarding case management;
Eliminate any rules that discourage small grassroots providers from meeting the needs of the consumers they serve;
Eliminate any regulations and interpretations of “spousal impoverishment” and “risk” which promote institutionalization of persons with disabilities;
Work with ADAPT on ways to pass the Community Choice Act; and
Meet with leaders of ADAPT within thirty (30) days of this date to clarify any of the above and identify other barriers to home and community based services in all fifty states.
Read more & see videos:
http://www.nbc4.com/health/16039065/detail.html
Susan responds:
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 10:22 am →
It is pouring rain here. 500 activists outside about 50 inside. Truckers blocking the streets and honking their horn in support. Police are talking arrest, but nothing yet. Keep your fingers crossed for meeting with HHS.
Susan responds:
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 11:27 am →
No arrests yet, but police are putting up orange plastic fencing around some of the activists who are blocking the doors. Still pouring rain - and getting colder!
Susan responds:
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 12:29 pm →
A letter from the Philo Hall, Counselor to Secretary Leavitt was received. It commits to a meeting with ADAPT within 30 days in exchange for which ADAPT will stop barricading one exit and the parking garage.
A leadership team is meeting with Secretary Leavitt’s staff to give them background information to prepare for the meeting.
PHOTOS soon!
Susan responds:
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 1:37 pm →
The activists inside are locked in and not allowed to leave. The activists outside are no longer allowed to chant - and given there is a torrential rain and our demands have essentially been met, most, but not all are returning to the warm and dry hotel.
Check back later for comments from the wet activists.
Check back tomorrow for the tomorrow’s events!
Susan responds:
Posted: April 28th, 2008 at 3:39 pm →
Activists remarks - Day 1 ! More added as time goes on…..
Can’t comment now - my teeth are frozen and I gotta pee!
Marcus Berman: I felt more relaxed once I got here, and realized there were some emergency medical forms around. I think it is really important to list your medications because they can change since the last actions. I still do that even though I never intend to be arrested. Our achievements so far have paralleled our successes from previous actions. Every time I have been to an action it has always been positive.
Teddy Fitzmaurice: I went outside. 2 people got arrested, Not all of them . We are OK. Singing A D A P T - Community Choice - Our Home not Nursing Homes . We marched - walked. I fell asleep on the ground. It was wet, muggy. No thunderstorms. There were lots of security guards. We talked about President Bush and we talked about disability. I want freedom for my people now. We marched back to the hotel.
Michelle McTamless: I was pinned up against the wall and he got nasty. So the security guard got what he asked for.
Verna Spath: I did the hardest job of all today. I blocked the door for hours and hours and hours. I know why I did it. And I am glad I did it. But it was hours…
Ian Engle: It rained hard - all day! They cracked pretty quick. One of the assistant directors came out an spoke to us and he said he thought it was a civil rights issue and agreed to meet with us to discuss issues about the Money Follows the Person cuts and other proposed cuts in Medicaid. And we have followed up meetings scheduled - so I fell it was at least somewhat of a success.
LB Smith: It was pretty positive. I feel like we accomplished a lot. I didn’t have to do a lot. I felt like a participant. I got a late start. I had to work my way out there. I wasn’t as prepared for it as I should have been. I left my crutches and I should have brought them.I didn’t bring my air pump. Negligent on my part. Not as prepared as I should- not the scout I should be. I joined the black group. My group, I couldn’t find anybody cause it was raining. So I went to the first group I saw. I just felt very confident in what was going on. I feel like before I had to do to make things happen - and now I am letting the younger crowd take over. I still want some - but not so much. We had plenty of protection from the elements and that really helped.
Jim Orman: It was a fun day. I got to meet a special friend. He helped me out a lot. We’re both wet. We were blocking the garage. He came and asked me if I couldl block the cars with him and prevent them from going in and out. It was my third action. This was the best one.
German Guzman: Us Customs and Homeland Security will spend a lot of money on national security, but when it came to blocking the doors from us they had to use electrical conduit because they did not spend money appropriately for the guards to have a key. They cut off wires and roped the doors together.
Stacy: So this was my 1st action Oh man Before the action there was a lot of talk about whether or not you are willing to be arrested; whether you are in or out but when an action starts none of that really matters. Yoou just go and do the thing. If you you get in all the better. I didn’t get in but I was standing at the front door surrounded by wheelchairs and a cop tries to get by me because we hadn’t tightened up He wanted me to move but really where could I go…He turned around and started yelling”Who is your Leader”. We started chanting. The volume was amazing!!!!!!!!!! Then the truckers started circling and the decible actually went up.
Ramona:Great day, got a little wet, had a little fun…. all good.
Robin “Spitfire” Sabel: First of all, the best thing that happened to me was to join ADAPT. They literally saved my life. I was in a back ward of a nursing - where they send you just to die. What happened to me there would give you nightmares. Stage 4 bed sores, sodomy, rape, starvation, torture, and general abuse. Now, I diagnosed post traumatic stress disorder - the Viet Nam Vet syndrome. The orderly was going to murder me with a lethal injection - an overdose of demerol when ADAPT friendly visitor came in to check on me - saw the orderly. First she yelled - your not even under. What are you giving her. He said a narcotic. She has anopen trach. You can’t give that to people with breathing compromises. Then she saw the amount in the syringe. 10 minutes later my insurance let me be transfered to Brynmor Rehabilitation. I love it there. I was there for 17 years. Afterwards, I could live independently with an attendant. I call nursing homes death camps. I am Jewish. I qualify. I tried to be very conservative. I thought that would please my parents. I would make Newt Gingrich look like a radical. I even called myself handicapble - YECH!
Then joined Disabled in Action. They are the Philadephia Chapter. Cassie sent me on my first action. I don’t know why she asked me if I wanted to get arrested. I said yes. Know I ma known as Spitfire. I make abby look like Ronald Reagan. I have been arrested 61 times and still going. No violence. I do the best civil disobedience since th e60s. In the real 60s I was a teenager and my greatest wish was to be a civil rights protester. Inever thought in a million years I would beon my own at a civil rights protest. I even read my rap sheet. I am a nonviolent political agitatr who still thinks it is the 60s. You don’t know how empowering it is to have 6 huge cops carry me at 4′6′ out. I live on my own without a daytime attendant - unless I get busted. Then I drive the correctional officers nuts by making them carry me EVERYWHERE. No violence. I’m just onoxious. I sing like a wounded animal. I love to drive them nuts that way by singing old civil rights songs. I am easily underestimated. I have a moderate to severe speech impairment, but give me a computer and I am a geek. Just ask any cop and they will tell you they know me very very very well. I hope to die at a demonstration. I am 57 years old and the doctor keeps saying, she’ll never last the night. Oh Yea? Never surrender.
Kenny Buck: It was an interesting day for me and my wife Lisa. She was in a doorway all day, blocking a doorway by the Department of Health & Human Services. I think they should have come out sooner, so we could be back at the hotel earlier than they did. Because of the threat of weather and the the threat of tornadoes we should have been in the hotel sooner. At no time did they think of our safety and there is no thought of our friends safety either. Roxanne kept her scooter this afternoon and I don’t know what happened but she went to the hospital. I hope they see this blog and contact the SE Wisconsin ADAPT to cover her medical bills.
stephen menz: today in DC ws good cause I was helping somebody push a wheelchair,cause empowerment comes if you are standing or in a wheelchair,the gift of empowerment cam to me last where,I am disable where docors told the idea of being safe was the to go,I decide to speak agaist the environment after that I see things in a new way scince my first action,I really realize that I can help peope with a disabilty o use to help people to build on the strength instead of supessing ones well being for profit!
Jessica Riegle, Rochester NY: It was my first time at a ADAPT action. I am a student intern at Center for Disability Rights. I got word that these actions are long and trying. I got told that in line that when it was time to run. Run. I was fun to go up to Department of Health and Human Services and storm in there. It didn’t know what to expected in the racing up to the door. It was rush of feeling. It was nice, and proud moment in the social action.
Tom Pugh: After 25 years, as active member of ADAPT, today’s action was the greatest one I have ever been involved in. Our group of about 70 people shouted down the truckers horns as they went by with Free My People. Great job ADAPT!!!!
John Eger: I was very impressed by today’s action. And I am hopeful that positive results will be derived from it. I wish ADAPT a Happy 25th Anniversary.
Susan responds:
Posted: April 29th, 2008 at 3:20 pm →
Day 2—-
Wheelchair Protest Forces Republican National Committee Building Lockdown
Tuesday, April 29; 3:02 p.m. http://www.rollcall.com/
About 100 protesters have gathered at Republican National Committee headquarters on First Street Southeast, forcing police to put the building on lockdown.
Also Senator John McCain’s office surrounded. Arrest began about 3:30. By 4:30 at least 30 arrested. The activists were trying to get John McCain to commit to signing the Community Choice Care Act if elected. Both other presidential hopeful have said they would.