ADAPT (disabled activists) attempts To meet with Rep. Paul Ryan to discuss Medicare/Medicaid issues in Chicago: Video & Article: May 2011

Rep. Paul Ryan Refuses To Meet With ADAPT Disabled Activist

Uploaded by dogstar7 on May 16, 2011 : YouTube
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Members of the advocate group ADAPT protest outside the Palmer House in Chicago after being denied another meeting with Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee. Ryan's proposed budget would turn state Medicaid funding into a block grant to states. ADAPT wants to increase funding and earmark spending for individual care.

This interview was interrupted --- and ultimately DISRUPTED --- by a woman with a camera who refused to identify herself or the purpose of her recording. Her questions were argumentative and lead to a verbal altercation.

BECAUSE THE EXCHANGE THAT FOLLOWED THIS INTERVIEW WAS A DELIBERATE PROVOCATION OF THESE PROTESTERS, IT WILL NOT BE SEEN.

In this clip, we are told about over 100 disabled and their supporters arrested in Washington DC on May 3rd, 2011
http://adaptold.adapt.org/adaptpr/archive.php?mode=A&id=304;&sort=D

"Of the 60 million people counting on Medicaid right now, 8.5 million are
people with disabilities; 8.8 million are low income frail, elderly and
disabled individuals who rely on Medicaid to plug the gaps in Medicare
coverage, such as long term care. Medicaid pays for vital services such as
wheelchairs and prostheses for people with spinal cord injuries and other
physical disabilities; prescription drugs for people with mental illnesses
and other medical conditions; services to assist people with intellectual
disabilities to live and work in the community rather than be forced into
an institution; and screening programs to identify and diagnose
disabilities for children.

There is widespread support for services for the people with disabilities
and older Americans. According to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll,
69% of Americans oppose cutting Medicaid. These results are consistent
with a 2010 Harris survey that found that 89% Americans supported a tax
increase to assure that people could receive services in their own homes,
rather than being forced into nursing facilities or other institutions.
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) polls repeatedly find
that the vast majority of seniors want to age in their own homes with any
needed services.

"We cannot accept this invasion of our liberty any longer. The
institutional bias in federal and state policies steals our freedom, our
families, our homes, and our very lives," said Bruce Darling, an organizer
with Rochester ADAPT. "The Ryan Plan's claim of 'flexibility' is a lie.
We don't need flexibility in Medicaid cuts. We need flexibility in
Medicaid spending so people can choose the less expensive community
service options they want, and that will ultimately contain costs."