Disability Integration Act To Be Reintroduced on M.L. King’s Birthday

NDY’s Director of Minority Outreach Anita Cameron is leading ADAPT’s organizing efforts for the reintroduction of the Disability Integration Act (DIA) in Congress on M.L. King’s Birthday, Tuesday, January 15^th. Anita has been an ADAPT organizer and activist for decades and has the distinction of having been arrested for nonviolent civil disobedience for disability rights more times than any other disability activist in the nation. We’re truly proud that she will MC the program.

NDY Board officer Shonda McLaughlin will speak on behalf of NDY at this public event. Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Bob Casey, Senator Cory Gardner and Representative Jim Sensenbrenner have confirmed that they will speak, along with representatives of leading disability rights, seniors and civil rights organizations that are joining together to advance the DIA. These include, among others, Bruce Darling (ADAPT), Kelly Buckland (NCIL) and Vanita Gupta (Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights).

Below is the event invitation and more information about the bill and why it is so important to NDY. The event will be simulcast on National ADAPT’s social media.

You are cordially invited to celebrate the reintroduction of the Disability Integration Act, with colleagues and Disability Rights Activists. Reception to follow. January 15, 2019, 3 – 4pm ET, Capitol Visitors Center Room SVC 202-3 Washington, DC. ASL & CART & Spanish provided.

Note: If you are attending in person @uscapitol in DC for #FreedomDay2019 01/15/19 at 3pm EST please email first and last names to DCMetroADAPT@gmail.com by 12pm (EST) Monday, 01/14/19 to get on the admission list.

The Disability Integration Act is civil rights legislation. In the last session, DIA was introduced by Senator Schumer in the Senate and Representative Sensenbrenner in the House to address the fundamental issue that people who need Long Term Services and Supports are forced into institutions and denied their basic civil rights. The legislation builds on the 25 years of work that ADAPT has done to end the institutional bias and provide seniors and people with disabilities home and community-based services as an alternative to institutionalization.

As Anita has previously written, DIA “would give people with disabilities and seniors the civil right to receive attendant services and other supports at home, instead of in institutions. It addresses many of the concerns of those who would feel they have no option but assisted suicide by assisting people to live, for whatever time they have, rather than assisting them to die.”