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calling for a meeting with the
president, who has never met with members of the disability community.
"Disability issues are not partisan. Four years ago when President
Bush issued his New Freedom Initiative and his executive order mandating
implementation of the U.S. Supreme Court Olmstead decision, we believed
him," said Steve Verriden, Wisconsin ADAPT organizer. "But here we
are four years later, facing the worst Medicaid cuts in history, which
will, without a doubt, keep people illegally confined in nursing homes
and other institutions and force even more people into those settings.
This loss of personal freedom and all the president's empty promises
are unconscionable because they mean more stolen lives."
Bush's New Freedom Initiative articulated that people with disabilities
have the right to access all parts of their community and the American
way of life. It directed all federal departments to assess and plan
removal of barriers that prevent people with disabilities from having
that access.
According to ADAPT the Olmstead Executive Order promised older
and disabled Americans home and community based services and supports,
instead of the forced institutionalization that results from the institutional
bias in the nation's Medicaid program. States must pay for nursing
home services, but are not required to pay for the same services
in a person's own home and community.
"The people who led our march were those who have had years of their
lives stolen by the Medicaid institutional bias," said Cassie Jones,
Philadelphia ADAPT organizer. "We want the president to hear loud
and clear that we are tired of having to wait for our freedom." "We're
lying cuz you're lying," was the name of the demonstration at the
HHS (Health and Human Services) building, where there was an early
morning lie-in. Wheelchair users slid out of their chairs and crawled
into sleeping bags on foam mats and they were served breakfast in
bed.
According to ADAPT, the momentum to reverse the institutional bias
in the nation's long term care system by HHS has ground to a halt. Thousands
of people with disabilities and older Americans are still unnecessarily
being forced into nursing homes and other institutions because of
the inaction of HHS coupled with the administrations proposed cuts
to and caps on Medicaid.
As part of this grassroots campaign, ADAPT urged disability advocates
to contact Sen. Charles Grassley, asking him to introduce the legislation
that includes Money Follows the Individual, as well as schedule hearings
on MiCASSA. According to ADAPT, his office has had this draft legislation
since July 25, 2003 and nothing has been introduced. He says he will
hold hearings but has not set a date. For information contact ADAPT,
512 442-0252 .
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