[DEBATE] : (Fwd) Obama healthcare victims (cont.): 100 disabled activists

[Patrick Bond]

May 14, 2009

Dear Friends of Disability Rights Activism:

The ADAPT Community has just returned from an intense 4-day action in 
Washington, DC.  ADAPT activists sent a message to the Obama 
Administration and Congress that people with disabilities and older 
Americans want long term services and supports, including the reform of 
the institutional bias in Medicaid and Medicare, to be included in any 
health care legislation.

We thought the Obama Administration and the Democratically controlled 
Congress would be more receptive to our message of including long term 
services and supports in health care reform.  That was their promise. 
However, their surprisingly negative response can not dim our call to 
end the institutional bias in our long term care system.  ADAPT did not 
back down.  If this issue is put off yet again, how many lives will be 
stolen as people are forced into unconscionable options?

Our message was sent at a cost.  Over 100 ADAPT activists were arrested 
at the White House fence on Monday and Capitol Hill on Tuesday, 
demanding President Obama and Congress end the institutional bias by 
including the Community Choice Act in health care reform legislation.

We need your assistance to offset what we project to be at least $15,000 
of fines and legal fees that we will be assessed for our disability 
rights activism.  Most ADAPT activists are low income people with 
disabilities, many on SSI.  All contributions will be used for fines and 
legal fees and are tax deductible.

We will not be intimidated.  ADAPT activists will continue our battle to 
end the institutional bias in Medicaid and pass the Community Choice Act.

All contributions can be sent to:

ADAPT Community Legal Defense Fund
1640A East 2nd St Austin, Texas  78702

For an Institution Free America,

Rahnee Patrick, Organizer The ADAPT Community