Today is National Call-in Day to support the Community Choice Act. This Act received national publicity on April 27th, when 91 people were arrested in front of the White House for participating in a peaceful protest. Although protesters being arrested is not unusual, what makes this instance unique is that a majority of those arrested were people with disabilities. Close to a hundred people with disabilities (many of whom are wheelchair users) handcuffed themselves to the fence of the White House attempting to urge President Obama to take action on the Community Choice Act, which is currently making its way through the House and Senate. Although our country’s health care system is in the midst of widespread reform, without the Community Choice Act, hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities will be unnecessarily segregated in institutions against their wishes.
The Community Choice Act will allow people with disabilities who currently reside in nursing homes (almost 2 million individuals nationwide) the option to receive care within their own homes. This bill will finally be enacted more than ten years after the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Olmstead that the unnecessary institutionalization of people with disabilities is a form of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
People with disabilities overwhelmingly prefer to receive care in their own communities amongst friends and family. Where community services have been provided, they have cut costs to Medicaid by up to a third. Cost effectiveness aside, this bill would allow people with disabilities the choice to live as integrated members of the community rather than being pushed to the fringes of society. Ultimately, this act places the decision-making power in the hands of those who will use the services rather than in the hands of the powerful lobby groups who advocate on behalf of the nursing homes that stand to lose many of their residents (and their money) to in-home care.
The following is a statement made by Damon Martin who is a person living with a disability who was arrested at the protest in Washington.
My name is Damon Martin. I have Cerebral Palsy and I am from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am one of the many ADAPTers [the organization that led the protest] that was arrested in Washington, D.C. I believe I was arrested because I fought for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" as it appears in the Declaration of Independence. How can any person, Disabled or otherwise, attain any of these essentials living in a nursing home? Hopefully with this new administration now in the White House they will agree with us ADAPTers that only with the passage of the Community Choice Act (CCA) will health care truly have been reformed. Sadly, this act has not yet been passed into law. If my show of civil disobedience can bring light to the ongoing struggle that The Disabled Community has fought for several years then I say loud and clear:
I’D RATHER DIE IN JAIL, THEN LIVE IN A NURSING HOME!!
Protesters such as Mr. Martin have been fined and a legal defense fund has been established to help them raise the $15,000 to pay fines and legal fees. Although only about $1,000 has been raised thus far, the organization responsible for raising the money (ADAPT) is optimistic about reaching its goal. Many of the protesters who were arrested are low income so any contribution that you can offer would make a difference. If you would like to help, you can donate to their legal defense fund at www.adapt.org or you can contact your state representative to urge him or her to support the Community Choice Act Bill.
Contact your state representative at www.contactyourcongressman.gov. Today, June 4 (Between 9AM and 6PM EDT) is also National Call-in Day for all who support this bill. Call-In Number: 1-800-828-0498 (Toll Free).
You will be connected with the Capitol switchboard. You must provide the switchboard with the name of your Representative to be connected.
Here is a sample script for your message:
Hello (state your name and where you are calling from). I'm calling to ask Representative ------- to help make sure that the Community Choice Act (HR 1670) and long-term services and supports are part of health care reform. Long-term services and supports are essential to the health, well-being, and community participation of individuals with disabilities and seniors. The Community Choice Act (HR 1670) would end to the institutional bias within Medicaid and give Americans a REAL CHOICE in where they receive long term services and supports. Thank you.
Please call in today and urge your representatives to vote for the Community Choice Act.
Other related links:
Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago
http://www.accessliving.org
www.passthecommunitychoiceact.org
www.nickscrusade.org
www.ncil.org/news/communitychoiceact.html
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