ADAPTers begin fourth day of protest at the Democratic National

Media Release



For Immediate Release:                  Contact:  Bruce Darling (585)
362-9843

July 24, 2009                                                     Cassie James
(215) 219-0694





ADAPT protest continues into day four, DNC retaliates with nuisance police
calls



Washington, DC - Throughout the day Thursday and overnight into Friday, ADAPT
activists maintained their vigil at the headquarters of the Democratic
National Committee (DNC) at 430 South Capitol Street SW, Washington, DC.  The
group was forced to cope with several electrical storms and torrential
downpours that flooded the street with 6 inches of water.  ADAPT has been at
the DNC headquarters since the protest began, Tuesday at approximately 1:00
PM.



During the protest Wednesday, DNC staff called the police on protestors when a
woman with a developmental disability used a megaphone outside the building to
pursue a response to ADAPT's request for a meeting with Chairman Kaine.  The
DNC staff again called police when a "Gremlins" toy, belonging to the same
woman, was placed on the stairs leading to the front door of the DNC
headquarters.  Finally, DNC staff contacted the Department of Transportation
to have them remove the accessible port-a-john that ADAPT had delivered on
Wednesday to a location nearby.  "It seems they would prefer us to be 'out of
sight and out of mind' like our brothers and sisters in nursing facilities and
other institutions," said Denise McMullin Powell of Delaware.



The DNC has refused to meet any of ADAPT's demands, including facilitating a
meeting with Congressional leaders and White House staff on health care
reform, apologizing for the Democrats' role in establishing the institutional
bias in long term care, and issuing a letter calling for the end of the
institution bias in 2009.  DNC staff that have talked with ADAPT have not
gotten approval from DNC chairman Tim Kaine to schedule a meeting with ADAPT.



"We are very disappointed to see the DNC and Democratic leadership uniformly
reject our demands," said Tom Earle of Philadelphia.  Mr. Earle continued,
"However, we have been pleasantly surprised by the number of rank and file
Democratic Members of Congress who have stopped to talk with us or even sought
us out.  We have definitely seen increasing support among these members for
ending the institutional bias of Medicaid and for passing the Community Choice
Act."



While ADAPT members in DC maintained their vigil at DNC headquarters, ADAPT
members in Kansas were successful in getting their state party's support.
ADAPT met with Kansas Democratic Party Executive Director Kenny Johnston this
morning.  He agreed to lend the Kansas Democrats' support to ADAPT's efforts
to eliminate the institutional bias in Medicaid long term care policy and
include provisions of CCA in the healthcare reform legislation that Congress
is crafting.



Johnston's letter reads, in part, "Last night the President said that the
'stars are aligned' for health care reform. They are also aligned to include
the key provisions of the CCA in any reform and end the seventeen year battle
to end the institutional bias. I hope the Democratic National Committee and
its members will join ADAPT's fight for this much needed piece of
legislation."  The letter was sent to DNC Chairman Governor Tim Kaine, Senator
Max Baucus, Senator Tom Harkin, Rep. Henry Waxman, HHS Secretary (and former
Kansas Governor) Kathleen Sebelius and Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson.



ADAPT members in Chicago were also active today.  The group rallied outside a
fundraiser attended by President Obama.  "We are sickened to see the Democrats
lining their pockets with cash while refusing to work with ADAPT to ensure
that low-income people with disabilities no longer be forced into
institutions," said Rahnee Patrick of Chicago.



On Friday afternoon, the President will be signing the Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) at the White House.  "We are
pleased that the President has decided to do this, said Bob Kafka, an ADAPT
organizer from Texas, "but ending the institutional bias in U.S. public
policies would be a true test of the Obama Administration's commitment to
people with disabilities and to the principles in the UN Convention."  ADAPT
is calling on the President to celebrate the anniversary of the ADA by
committing to end the institutional bias in principle and in public policy.



"I just have to point out that signing the Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities (CRPD) at the White House won't make a difference in the
lives of Americans with disabilities and older Americans who are trapped in
nursing facilities and other institutions," said Chris Hilderbrant of
Rochester.  "It's time for us to pass the Community Choice Act."



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NATIONAL ADAPT MAILING LIST - Adapt Community Choice Act List http://www.adapt.org