as shared by many today.
It’s a travesty that we can address! Twenty-five years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, people with disabilities – including young people – don’t benefit from the ADA because they are still trapped in nursing facilities and other institutions. Inside the facility, they don’t get to use accessible public transportation, enjoy accessible public accommodations or seek employment.
To address this injustice, Senator Schumer (NY) is ready to introduce the 2015 version of the Community Integration Act that creates a new Title of the ADA. This legislation will require states and insurance providers that pay for Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) to provide community-based services first and offer HCBS to people currently in institutions. This legislation has broad-based support in the disability community from groups including ADAPT, the National Council on Independent Living, and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.
The proposed legislation says “No individual ... shall be denied community-based long term services and supports so the individual can live in the community and lead an independent life.” It also makes it illegal for a state and insurance providers that pay for LTSS to fail to provide HCBS by using waiting lists, screening people out, capping services, paying workers too little for services, or the other excuses which states have used to keep people from living in freedom.
The proposed legislation requires each state to offer community-based services and supports to any individual who is eligible to go into an institution. It also requires states to take active steps to make sure that there is enough affordable, accessible, and integrated housing. Finally, the legislation also includes new enforcement mechanisms to assure that states comply with it when it becomes law.
You can learn more about the legislation here:
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TAKE ACTION NOW!
Urge Senator Durbin AND Senator Kirk to cosponsor the Community Integration Act!
Simply call 1-866-220-0044 and ask for the Senator's office.
Say:
I am calling to ask you to be an initial cosponsor of historic legislation being introduced by Senator Schumer that assures people with disabilities can live in the community and lead an independent life. Thank you for supporting previous versions that addressed this critical civil rights issue.
As we celebrate 25 years of the ADA, it is time that we address the fact that there is no right to community integration and freedom for some people with disabilities. Please join the Senators who will initially cosponsor this legislation and contact Senator Schumer’s office today. Thank you.
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Thank you for taking action! We are not just remembering the history of the ADA and our civil rights movement. We continue to make it!
FREE OUR PEOPLE!
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