ILLINOIS U.S.CONGRESSMAN RUSH CHANGES STANCE TO SUPPORT DISABILITY RIGHTS

Congressman Bobby Rush

After days of protest and pressure from disability rights activists in Chicago and Washington DC, Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush has withdrawn his sponsorship and support from the misleadingly titled, “ADA Education and Reform Act,” also known as HR 620. Disability advocates, activists, and organizations have all come out against the bill.

article by SARA LUTERMAN, for NOS Magazine | Nov. 6, 2017                                     

Scott Nance, a co-organizers of the direct action that ADAPT held outside Congressman Rush’s Chicago office, told NOS Magazine, “I am proud of the Congressman for being open to learning more about our concerns… Bobby Rush has preserved his identity as a leader in protecting the civil rights of every person.”

Rochester ADAPT activist Anita Cameron was pleased with the outcome and highlighted Congressman Rush’s own past activism. “I thank Congressman Rush for listening to his constituents and colleagues and coming off of HR 620… I hope that he hearkened back to his Black Panther roots.” Cameron also had praise for her fellow activists. “Thanks to Chicago ADAPT for their hard work to get the congressman to rescind his support of [HR 620].”

NOS Magazine reached out to Congressman Rush’s office, but they have declined to comment about the decision or the reasoning behind it. Congressman Rush also did not give a reason when he withdrew his cosponsorship on the floor. His office had released two previous press releases on the topic, but both explicitly stated that he would remain a cosponsor.

Scott Nance attributes the withdrawal to, “the combined efforts of advocacy from Centers for Independent Living and the direct action of ADAPT.” We also asked Scott Nance which HR 620 cosponsors ADAPT might target next. Nance responded, “[Congressman] Bill Foster, BIG TIME.” It is still unclear what action ADAPT will take, as they keep a tight lid on details about upcoming protests. NOS Magazine will continue to follow the story as it develops.

http://nosmag.org/congressman-bobby-rush-stays-true-to-activist-roots-hr620/

Senate Advances On Obamacare Repeal, Healthcare Advocates Fight For Medicaid - 64 Arrests

Many health care advocates were arrested at a Senate building, including several disabled activists.

article by Kaeli Subberwal for HUFFPOST | July 25, 2017
Crowds of protesters flooded the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building on Tuesday to protest efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, making the halls echo with now-familiar chants: “I’d rather go to jail than die of no Medicaid!” and “No cuts to Medicaid! Save our liberty!”

The protests came as the Senate voted on a motion to proceed with a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. The procedural measure, which passed 51-50, allows Congress to move ahead with its goal to repeal Obamacare. As the Senate voted on the motion to proceed, protesters in the Senate gallery chanted, “Kill the bill! Don’t kill us!”

While the Senate prepared to vote on the bill, the line along the wheelchair ramp leading into the Hart Building snaked onto the sidewalk. Once protesters, representing groups including ADAPT, an organization of disability rights activists, and the National Council on Independent Living, entered the building, they gathered into a group and began their chants calling for Republicans to end their fight to repeal Obamacare.

Many of the protesters were in Washington for the annual conference of the National Council on Independent Living, which held a rally on the West Front Lawn of the Capitol earlier Tuesday.

The rally’s speakers included House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez. Schumer emphasized the moral significance of the impending vote, saying, “You are reminding everybody how dismantling Medicaid is the wrong, inhumane way to go.”

Ashley Bridwell, a participant in the Hart Building protest, said that the benefits people with disabilities accrue from Medicaid are not luxuries.

“If the bill passes and Medicaid is cut by 30 percent, there are people in this room that will die as a result of the legislation and the cuts in the funding,” said Bridwell, who serves on the board of directors of a Phoenix-based center for independent livi

The consequences of a repeal are very real for protester Dina Garcia of Los Angeles. Garcia, her husband and their 11-year-old son would all be affected if Medicaid were cut. She vowed she would keep hounding Republicans to fight against the repeal.

“It’ll hurt so many people with disabilities,” Garcia said.

As the protesters continued chanting in the atrium of the Hart Building, a police officer raised a megaphone and warned them to desist or risk arrest. Slowly, protesters from the outskirts began to trickle away, and police officers formed a circle around the remaining crowd.

The police cordoned off the protesters with yellow police tape and began to arrest people one by one. Many of those arrested were in wheelchairs. As they progressed toward the door, each arrestee was heralded with applause; on their way out, many raised a hand in a victorious fist. 

Sixty-four people were arrested, according to a press release from the United States Capitol Police.
Although the atmosphere at the Hart Building was one of defiance and determination, the Affordable Care Act that the protesters were fighting to protect faces its biggest challenge yet in the aftermath of Tuesday’s vote.

“It’s crazy,” Bridwell said, “that for the first time we’re actually talking about it in terms of life and death.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/protesters-obamacare-repeal-senate_us_5977b667e4b0c95f375fa645

Ed Roberts Day 2017 - January 23rd - Empowering Advocates and Activists for People with Disabilities

Ed Roberts was both an advocate and an activist. He was a leader in the civil rights movement and championed the rights of people with disabilities. He was the founder of the first Center for Independent Living and the World Institute on Disability. Ed advocated for his right to attend a university and was a activist in the 504 sit-in held in San Francisco. He was known for a lot of things by a lot of people, but most importantly he believed in empowering others to become advocates and activists.
Ed Roberts Day 2017 is celebrated by a dedicated website, and is A Project of the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers at: http://yodisabledproud.org/ed-roberts-day/   

Please join a Twitter Chat on Monday, January 23rd - 3pm EST/1pm Central/12pm PST!
Tweeting about the importance of Ed and mentors like him in the disability community.
#MyMentorEd #EdRobertsDay17

For more information, videos, interviews on Ed Roberts amazing journey, we have numerous posts over the years:

• Celebrating a Disability Rights Pioneer: Ed Roberts
• Disability Activist Ed Roberts on "60 Minutes" in 1989 with Harry Reasoner (cc)
• Ed Roberts: His Words, His Vision : America's Disability Activist History : video
• Ed Roberts an advocate for inclusion and equality for people with disabilities: "Free Wheeling" video (cc)
• Ed Roberts and Judy Heumann 1984 Video Interview, Disability Rights Movement History

Day of Mourning Vigils- Remembering People with Disabilities Murdered by Caregivers on March 1st 2017

In the past five years, over four hundred people with disabilities have been murdered by their parents, relatives or caregivers.

On Wednesday, March 1st, the disability community will gather across the nation to remember these disabled victims of filicide – disabled people murdered by their family members or caregivers.

In the year since our last vigil, our community has lost 100 more people to filicide. These are just the cases that we are aware of - since we began monitoring this issue, we learn about more murders every week. We read the victims’ names, see their photographs, and gather what information we can about their lives. The criminal justice system has continued to give lighter sentences to parents and caregivers who murder disabled children. And we have seen both news and entertainment media continue to portray these murders in a sympathetic light.

We hold the Day of Mourning vigils to draw attention to these injustices, to commemorate the lives of victims, and demand justice and equal protection under the law for all people with disabilities. 

This would not be possible without the vital work of our volunteer site coordinators. Click here to learn about what site coordinators do, or to sign up to lead a vigil.

For the last six years, Autistic Self Advocacy Network , ADAPT, Not Dead Yet, the National Council on Independent Living, the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, the American Association of People with Disabilities, and other disability rights organizations have come together to send a clear message that disability is not a justification for violence. We’ll be at our local vigils on Wednesday, March 1st - and we hope to see you there.

If you're interested in leading a vigil in your area, please sign up to be a Day of Mourning vigil site coordinator.

SOURCE: Press Release - Autistic Self Advocacy Network

# As more information becomes available, we will update info.

Action Alert: Anderson Cooper's ADA Attack on 60 Minutes was dismissive of the disability community

The National Council on Independent Living is alarmed and appalled by the December 4th segment on 60 Minutes addressing the Americans with Disabilities Act and "drive-by lawsuits." The segment, hosted by Anderson Cooper, was one-sided, rife with inaccuracies, and glaringly dismissive of the disability community. 

Take Action

Contact Anderson Cooper and 60 Minutes and ask that they air another segment that gives equal airtime to the struggle of the millions of Americans with disabilities who still lack basic access to our communities. 

• Contact 60 Minutes using their online contact form
• Contact 60 Minutes on Twitter: @60Minutes and @AndersonCooper
• Contact 60 Minutes on Facebook

Instead of addressing the fact that 26 years after the passage of the ADA there are still so many businesses not complying with the law, Anderson Cooper and 60 Minutes chose to focus on the largely overblown issue of "drive-by lawsuits." To be clear, NCIL condemns the actions of those attorneys who are abusing the ADA and making profits off of the civil rights of people with disabilities. While small in number, the actions of these attorneys are harmful to the nearly 57 million Americans with disabilities, and the repercussions of their actions risk increasing the access barriers that we already face. That is unacceptable, and we cannot stand for it.

That said, NCIL supports the right of people with disabilities who have faced discrimination to file complaints and lawsuits. Twenty-six years after the passage of the ADA, people with disabilities are still discriminated against by businesses that either don't take our needs into account or openly exclude us. With no oversight mechanism, we have seen businesses around the country wait to comply with the law until they receive a complaint, meaning that not only is the onus on the disability community to 'monitor' compliance, but also that until we complain we are excluded from their places of business. We are appalled that Anderson Cooper used his platform to shine a light on an undeniably small problem while paying no attention to the access issues millions of us face every day in our own communities.

On top of that, the segment was full of inaccuracies. First, Anderson Cooper stated that most states and the District of Columbia allow for monetary damages for accessibility violations under the ADA. This is false. The reality is that monetary damages are based on state laws in only a handful of states, and several of these states - including California where some examples in the segment were based - have recently passed legislation disallowing damages in addition to making it harder to file a claim under the ADA in the first place. Second, the segment presented compliance with the ADA as overly burdensome and bordering on unnecessary. In reality, the ADA is just one of a multitude of laws, requirements, and codes that businesses have to comply with, and implying that it is unnecessary is wrong and offensive. The segment implied that ADA compliance should only be necessary if people with disabilities patronize a business, while the fact of the matter is the people with disabilities often don't patronize businesses precisely because they aren't accessible to us! People with disabilities are full-fledged members of our communities, and the intent of the ADA was to ensure that all public spaces are accessible to all people.

Lastly, NCIL has grave concerns with the fact that Anderson Cooper did not include any disability activists in the segment. The only people with disabilities shown in the segment were portrayed as pawns being used by the unethical attorneys, and this is incredibly offensive. Twenty-six years ago, the ADA was passed because of the hard work and dedication of disabled activists all over the country. Now, 26 years later, we continue to fight for our civil and human rights to be recognized. The 60 Minutes segment's portrayal of people with disabilities was patronizing and inaccurate, and we demand better.

We strongly urge Anderson Cooper and 60 Minutes to air another segment that gives equal airtime to the struggle of the millions of Americans with disabilities who still lack basic access to our communities. 

SOURCE: National Council on Independent Living

"We Can't Breathe": The Deaf & Disabled Margin of Police Brutality

Nov. 30, 2016 -- The National Council on Independent Living’s Diversity Committee releases “We Can’t Breathe: The Deaf & Disabled Margin of Police Brutality Project.” This project includes a video and toolkit that can be utilized for educational training for disability organizations and agencies. The video discusses the narratives of 5 people with disabilities on the margins that have been victimized by police brutality and other forms of systemic violence. The We Can’t Breathe Toolkit was designed to equip disability organizations, agencies, and community members with the tools to process the video and build policies, programming, and advocacy that center intersectional organizing. The project addresses how state violence affects people with disabilities who are also women, people of color, and LGBTQ+. This training intentionally utilizes an intersectional framework to combat the racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia that pervade disability organizations and agencies.

In conjunction with the release of the We Can’t Breathe Project, there will also be a Facebook and Twitter chat the evening of November 30th from 7pm – 8pm EST. Anyone can participate in these conversations through the Facebook event page and/or NCIL’s Twitter page. 

SOURCE: Press Release

Presidential Candidates Questionnaire Results for America's Disability Community Concerns

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the National Council for Independent Living(NCIL), and the REV UP Campaign are pleased to share the results of the 2016 Presidential Candidate Questionnaire. These questions have been sent to the current presidential candidates Donald Trump (R) and Hillary Clinton (D).

Hillary Clinton (D) was the first candidate for the 2016 presidential election to complete the REV UP Presidential Candidate Questionnaire. 

Clinton Campaign Response to REV UP Questionnaire

Donald Trump (R) also did respond to the REV UP Presidential Candidate Questionnaire.

Trump Campaign Response to REV UP Questionnaire 

SOURCE: American Association of People with Disabilities

Participate With The 2016 Presidential Candidate Questionnaire on Disability Issues

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the National Council for Independent Living (NCIL), and the REV UP Campaign are pleased to release the 2016 Presidential Candidate Questionnaire. These questions have been sent to all of the current presidential candidates. Their responses will be shared publicly once received.

You can view the Questionnaire here.

We need YOUR HELP getting all of the campaigns to respond and complete the survey. A letter including these signatures will be sent to all of the campaigns that do not respond to the survey.

TO PARTICIPATE WITH THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANIDATE QUESTIONAIRE, VISIT:   https://aapd.kindful.com/register/presidential-candidate-questionnaire-2016

You can also tweet at each campaign to encourage them to complete the survey!

SOURCE: AAPD

Action Alert NCIL: Independent Living At Risk for 2016 Budget Cuts

As 2016 nears its end, Congress is hard at work on the budget before the current short-term continuing resolution expires on December 11. Lawmakers are expected to write an omnibus combining the 12 annual funding bills into one. As we wrote in a previous alert about the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, overall funding levels are higher now due to $33 billion in sequestration relief. But that still does not bring us up to pre-sequestration levels, which means that we are still at risk for budget cuts – cuts that the IL program simply cannot afford.

We must keep advocating for increased funding for Independent Living. Congress has until next week to work on appropriations. Please contact your members of Congress today to ensure that they know how important IL is to their constituents around the country. You can do so by visiting the NCIL Action Portal and sending a message to your Senators and Representatives. While it is important that we reach all members of Congress, this is especially important if you have Senators on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (list below). Please take action now!

Appropriations L-HHS-Ed Members

Republicans:

• Tom Cole, Chairman (OK)
• Steve Womack, Vice Chair (AR)
• Charlie Dent (PA)
• Chuck Fleischmann (TN)
• Andy Harris (MD)
• Scott Rigell (VA)
• Martha Roby (AL)
• Mike Simpson (ID)

Democrats:

• Rosa DeLauro, Ranking Member
• Chaka Fattah (PA)
• Barbara Lee (CA)
• Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA)

# the information posted is as shared from the National Council on Independent Living

http://www.advocacymonitor.com/

ALERT November 2015: Stop Attack on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) !

as shared from the National Council on Independent Living from Oct 30, 2015

They couldn’t wait for the banners to be taken down from 25th Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 25th Anniversary celebrations. Adding insult to injury, Representative Poe (R-TX) introduced H.R. 3765, the ADA Education & Reform Act, on October 20, 2015. The bill has already garnered support from others, including Representatives Collins (R-GA), Jolly (R-FL), Marchant (R-TX), and Lamar Smith (R-TX). 

Please reach out to your Representatives and ask them not to support this piece of legislation.

The bill is being touted as an education bill, which is a new approach by the American Hotel & Lodging Association and others supporting it. You may remember when NCIL members held a “pool party” at their office (located just a few blocks from the 2012 NCIL Annual Conference) after they supported similar legislation to damage the ADA.

ADA Notification Act with a Twist

H.R. 3765 contains language similar to that used in past proposed legislation that would have limited the ADA. Section 3 of the bill creates a new crime for sending “a demand letter… alleging a violation of [Title III] of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990…” that does not meet certain requirements. This in itself is damaging and unacceptable. In no other civil rights legislation is it a crime to file a complaint.

Should this legislation pass, it would become effective 30 days after enactment.

As NCIL members, it is important that we take action on this bill before it gains legs. Now is the time to reach out to your legislators and ask them not to support H.R. 3765, which would create additional barriers to our civil rights as persons with disabilities. If enacted, this bill could set damaging precedence potentially affecting other civil rights legislation by making notification a crime.

NCIL will be working with other disability rights organizations to stop this bill. Should additional actions be required, we will reach out to the membership. We must ensure that the ADA stays strong by stopping proposals like this before they gain traction.

Sincerely,

Mike Bachhuber & Steve Higgins, NCIL ADA / Civil Rights Subcommittee Co-Chairs

http://www.advocacymonitor.com/

Improving Disability Access and Inclusion Among Sexual Health Providers - Webinar October 28th

Please check out this Webinar on October 28, 2015; 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The following information is as posted by the National Council on Independent Living.

A National Teleconference & Webinar

October 28, 2015; 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Eastern

Register online

People with disabilities are denied equal access to conversations, resources, health care, autonomy, and lived experiences relating to sexuality, sexual health, and relationships. Ableism has allowed sexual health providers, educators, parents, and others to desexualize people with disabilities – especially young people with disabilities, people with disabilities who are also LGBTQ+ or of color.

Join us on October 28 to change that reality.

Since January, Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) have operated Real Talk: Conversations and resources about sexuality for young people with disabilities and sexual health providers. Supported by a grant from the HSC Foundation, Real Talk has provided the space for young people with disabilities to create tips and resources for sexual health providers and other professionals on how they can provide inclusive, culturally-appropriate, accessible education and resources to people with disabilities.

Real Talk began with a series of dialogues with young people with disabilities about their experiences with sexual health providers. These dialogues culminated in the creation of a guide for sexual and reproductive health providers about inclusion and accommodations when working with this people with all types of disabilities. Register today to learn simple ways sexual and reproductive health providers can better serve young people with disabilities.

Target Audience: This training is intended for sexual health providers, general practitioners, educators, parents, and others that work with young people with disabilities. This presentation is also likely to benefit young people with disabilities interested in understanding their rights and educating sexual health providers to be more inclusive and accessible. 

Action Alert: Prevent Drastic Cuts for Prosthetic Medicare Coverage!

as shared by our colleagues at the National Council on Independent Living in Washington, DC!

Medicare has proposed a revision to their current lower limb prosthesis policy that will severely restrict access and coverage. This proposed policy will create a new, much lower standard for prosthetic care, and we need to make sure it does not move forward.

Proposed policy (PDF): http://www.medicarenhic.com/viewdoc.aspx?id=3109

 

There are many problems with the proposed policy. Some of these problems lie in the discriminatory functional assessments that have been proposed. According to the policy, assessments of an individual’s functional success will be negatively impacted if the individual uses a mobility device, or if the prosthesis does not provide the appearance of a natural gait. An individual’s failure to walk unassisted or with a ‘natural gait’ can limit access to higher quality and clinically appropriate prosthetics. Both of these requirements are discriminatory and do not reflect reality for many amputees.
 
Additionally, new amputees will be required to meet extensive criteria before being determined eligible for their initial prosthesis. Among other requirements, individuals must undergo excessive evaluations (including neuromuscular, cardio-pulmonary capacity, and cognitive evaluations), which will result in major delays in the delivery of much needed devices. Beyond that, new amputees’ individual needs and capabilities are completely discounted, and all new amputees are restricted to a basic “preparatory” prosthesis. Once they are eligible for a new prosthesis, only current functional abilities will be considered when determining prosthetic needs - potential functional abilities will no longer be considered.

 

This proposed policy’s restrictions are broad and far-reaching. Individuals who have certain health conditions can be denied access to higher quality prosthetics. Limitations have been placed on feet and ankles by combining them into a single code, and coverage has been limited for roll-on prosthetic liners. All of the new restrictions imposed by this policy are unacceptable.
 
Please take a moment to sign the petition ( https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/rescind-medicare-proposal-restricting-access-prosthetic-limbs-and-returning-amputees-1970s-standards-care ) seeking to rescind this proposal. If the petition reaches 100,000 signatures by August 30, the White House is obligated to respond! At the time of this alert, they are over three-quarters of the way there - let’s reach 100,000! 
 
Once you’ve signed the petition, please send comments to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and your representatives in Congress ( http://national-council-on-independent-living.rallycongress.com/18425/prevent-drastic-cuts-prosthetic-coverage/ ). The comments have been drafted, but please feel free to personalize them as you see fit. CMS and Congress need to hear that NCIL members around the country are extremely concerned with this proposed Medicare policy. 
 
People who rely on Medicare should not have to face unnecessary hurdles to receive quality prosthetic limbs. The proposed changes to the current policy will limit choice, reduce quality, and restrict access. Please help us ensure that this harmful and discriminatory proposal is rescinded!