The Roving Activist’s Blog

This Action Alert comes to us from Brad, at NYSILC. Please respond soon!

Background:  We are three weeks from the Presidential Candidates Forum on July 26th in Columbus, Ohio.  AAPD has been talking to both Senator Obama’s and Senator McCain’s schedulers but they do not have a firm commitment from either candidate. This is not acceptable! It is time to start real pressure.

Action:  Click on the link to the CDR website below:

http://capwiz.com/rochestercdr/issues/alert/?alertid=11553991&type=CU&show_alert=1

Use the text message provided. Feel free to edit or add to it to convey your message, especially to elaborate about an issue that is important to you. Fill in the information boxes with your information. When done, click the “Send Message” button.

If appropriate, forward the alert to advocates who are most likely to take action in your group or network.

RA’s Note–Here is my response:

Dear

My name is Anita Cameron, and I live in Rochester, NY. As a registered voter with a disability, I am writing to request your participation in the Presidential Candidates Forum on July 26th in Columbus, Ohio on the 18th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The forum is sponsored by major national disability rights organizations, attended by a representative group of our peers, and will be simultaneously webcast to tens of thousands of advocates across the country. This is the premier event at which to communicate with voters with disabilities prior to Election Day 2008. To say that this is important to me is an understatement!

As one of the two presumptive Presidential nominees, you need to make it a priority to participate in this event. You must also be prepared to talk about issues important to Americans with disabilities such as the Community Choice Act, affordable, accessible, integrated housing, accessible public transportation, especially in rural areas, the 21st Century Communication Accessibility Legislation, IDEA/No Child Left Behind, and the U.N.Treaty on the Rights of People with Disabilities. I want to know specifically how you will address these issues if you become President.

Finally, I urge you to talk about people with disabilities in your speeches and on the campaign trail. I don’t want you to talk about us only when you’re talking to us. We are an important part of your constituency! I don’t care about what’s up on your website. I care about what you are saying when you’re on TV, in your ads, in your Town Hall meetings. Don’t treat us as if we don’t exist. We vote. I vote!

I look forward to your attendance at this important event.

Sincerely,

Anita Cameron

Denver ADAPT caught up with prez hopeful John McCain on Monday at a Town Hall meeting in Denver to kick off a series of such meetings across the nation. I’ll let them tell what happened. Here’s Dale with the story:

Denver ADAPT met with the Republican presumptive presidential candidate John McCain at a Town Hall Meeting today. Six members of  ADAPT, including teenagers from the Summer Youth Program, sat in the front of the auditorium to listen to Mr. McCain’s policies for his administration. When he took comments from the audience he handed the microphone to our own Dawn Russell. She reminded him that he had had 40 activists arrested in his offices in D.C. to which he promptly  agreed. Then she explained the legislation called the Community Choice Act and asked him why he was not signed on. Mr. McCain stated he would  not support the legislation. He then offered several poor reasons for his decision and ended by saying we would have to let the voters decide that one. Having recaptured the microphone he did state he supported the ADA, but had  no interest in hearing that the ADA had little to do with CCA. ADAPT members in silent protest left the auditorium. ADAPT has an answer — for now.

I hear McCain’s going to be in Ohio and Pennsylvania soon. Disability activists should be following him and Obama around the nation putting important questions to them about issues that concern us, because it’s obvious that they won’t raise them in public on their own!

I am running for Region 2 Representative for the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL). What is a Regional rep, and what do they do? Here it is straight from NCIL:

“The Regional Representative is the pivotal position in NCIL’s communication system with its membership. The Regional Representative is responsible for communicating at least quarterly with NCIL members regarding IL issues and working with any other group interested in pursuing NCIL’s goals within his or her respective region. The Regional Reps will assist the NCIL board and committees in building and coordinating grassroots coalition to advance NCIL’s advocacy activities. The NCIL Regional Representatives will also assist in the recruitment and retention of NCIL members. The regional representatives will disseminate information related to regional or state advocacy efforts to their regional members.”

NCIL is divided into 8 regions across the nation. Region 2 includes New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. I am excited and honored to run for this position, and honored that Chris, our Director of Advocacy, and my boss, nominated me for this. Here is the text of the nomination:

2008 NOMINATION

NATIONAL COUNCIL ON INDEPENDENT LIVING

REGION REPRESENTATIVE

ANITA CAMERON

Anita Cameron has been an activist for the rights of people with disabilities for over 20 years. Ms. Cameron is a member of ADAPT, NCIL, AAPD, and Not Dead Yet. Over her many years as a leader in the disability community, Ms. Cameron has demonstrated a commitment to grassroots organizing, direct action, civil rights, communication, and diversity. Ms. Cameron embodies many of the values which NCIL embraces.

Ms. Cameron currently lives in Rochester, NY, and works for the Center for Disability Rights. She has lived in Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, among others. Ms. Cameron’s father is of Cuban decent and she has family in Puerto Rico.

In our discussions about possibly becoming the representative for Region II, Ms. Cameron expressed sincere excitement about being able to communicate with the NCIL members across New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. She also expressed a desire to work toward greater involvement of the NCIL grassroots in working for the systems changes that will improve the lives of people with disabilities across our nation.

Ms. Cameron would happily accept input regarding NCIL issues, effective immediately, at her email acameron@rochestercdr.org. She has stated that she looks forward to being able to proudly represent the people of Region II.

It’s also in Spanish. Go to the CDR Website if you’d like to see it!

Some of you know that yesterday, June 27th, was my birthday! 43 years ago, to the utter surprise of my parents (they thought they were having ONE baby, not TWO), I entered the Universe. Hopefully, its just a tiny bit of a better place because I am in it–I believe I was put here to do exactly what I’m doing!

On Tuesday, while we were in Albany, Cindy got me a singing birthday card, and got EVERYONE to sign it–how sweet!

I was disappointed yesterday because I couldn’t have lunch with my partner, Lisa. We work at the same CIL, and usually have lunch together, but she had to leave that morning for an all day training. She had been telling me all week about this upcoming training, so it wasn’t like I didn’t know. I hung with Terrie and did some work. I got a couple of e-mails from co-workers wishing me a happy birthday, and Karen sent me a balloon and a card from her, and her son, Nick. Sherry, Terrie’s mom, called to with me a happy birthday, and I called Yvette, my twin sister to give her some birthday cheer.

Several of my Facebook friends left me birthday messages, and Steve sang happy birthday to me. According to a couple of folks, I have birthday presents coming in the mail. COOL!!!

Lisa texted me throughout the day telling me how boring the training was, and how hot it was in there. Somehow, it made me miss her more. At 5:00, she came to pick me up from work. She said that her chest was hurting where she’d pulled a muscle several days ago lifting something, so she was going to take some Tylenol and take a nap, then, we’d go out to dinner. She mentioned that our friend, Tito, was going out of town, but would meet us for dinner.

We got to our door, and opened it, and I noticed the shadow of someone in our house. I immediately got freaked out, and was starting to bellow, but Lisa calmly walked in, and like a dummy, I followed her, only to discover–

FIVE of our friends were there, and the whole place was festooned with birthday gear, and something good was cooking on the stove, and there were presents on the table and snacks, and drinks, and, and, OMG!!! I literally have never been so surprised in all of my life!

Lisa then confessed. There never was a training! She left work early to get the housed cleaned, cook my favorite dishes, and get me a cake and my gifts. Tito and The Gang were in on it, and helped out while Lisa was gone shopping. I couldn’t believe it! OMG!!! We ate, sat around, and chilled, and played UNO and Monopoly (the Lord of the Rings edition, of course) until after nine.

I still can’t believe it, and thank you to everyone who sent birthday wishes, cards, etc, or who simply thought of me–but especially, thank YOU Lisa, for making my day, and being in my life!!!!!

As some of you know, on June 23rd and 24th, Rochester ADAPT went to Albany, the state capital, to, ahem, take care of some business. Actually, we visited the Assembly chamber (and had our pics taken with Asm. Joe Errigo, and Asm. Bill Reilich, co-sponsors of A10440, the Assembly version of a bill that would establish an Independent Living Center in Ontario County), then, visited the office of Asm. Susan John, to present her with a life-sized letter with 500 signatures in support of the aforementioned legislation, which she won’t sign on to. We then paid a visit to the office of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to present him with a gift of 500 postcards signed by folks in support of A10440.

ADAPT then took over the offices of the Department of the Budget (DOB) because they will not release the reimbursemnt rates for agencies participating in the Nursing Facility Transition and Diversion (NFTD) Waiver. The law enacting this waiver was signed four years ago, but the waiver has not been implemented because the rates have not been released! Check out Chris’s post, ADAPT takes on Albany, on the CDR Blog to find out what happened!

The next day, we visited the Department of Health (DOH) to follow up, and to put some hard questions to Bruce Rosen, the Director of the Money Follows the Person (MFP) Program, and the NFTD Waiver, and Stuart Rosenblatt, Director of the Division of Planning and Policy. Afterwards, ADAPT stormed the State Education Department building and demanded to meet with its commissioner.

So, did ADAPT meet The Commish? What went down at DOH? Check out my CDR Blog post called Day Two of ADAPT Takes on Albany to find out!

We have 3 more Community Choice Act co-sponsors! They are:

Rep Ellsworth, Brad [IN-8] - 6/19/2008

Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] - 6/23/2008 Another New Yorker–Yaaaay!

Rep Musgrave, Marilyn N. [CO-4] - 6/23/2008 Miracle DO happen! Extremely conservative, but she saw the light! Kudos to the Colorado folks for their hard work getting her signed on!

I got this e-mail from Chris on Wednesday. Sorry, I’m a tad late in posting it, but it’s been a really busy time for me.

Hey Everyone!

I just got a call from Senator Nozzolio’s staff. She reports that our bill to establish an Independent Living Center in Ontario County just PASSED THE SENATE!!

It is awesome news!

Unfortunately, we’re still stuck in the Assembly Education Committee and State Education Department is opposing the bill, but by passing the Senate we are MUCH CLOSER to getting ILC status for CDR and Ontario County!

Keep up the good work!

RA’s Note: We will be in Albany on Monday, and will return home on Tuesday night. This trip has much to do with our IL funding efforts. I’ll be sure to tell you all about it!

Our 110th Community Choice Act co-sponsor joined on Tuesday. He was a past co-sponsor of MiCASSA.

Rep Reyes, Silvestre [TX-16] - 6/17/2008

Welcome back!

A friend of mine, Dawn Zuppelli, hosts a show on Rochester Indy Media. Recently, she interviewed me and Mustafa “Moose” Hayes for one of her shows. The show features our work at CDR helping individuals, like Moose, get out of nursing facilities and our efforts through ADAPT to change the laws and policicies that segregate our people. It was really cool to do the show, and I am honored that Dawn thought of me and Moose to do this interview.

A description of the show can be found at: http://rochester.indymedia.org/newswire/display/21401/index.php

The show itself is online at: http://blip.tv/file/998470

During the first break, there is a clip from Gremmy Almighty, featuring our unofficial mascot, Gremmy, and his adventures with ADAPT. Dawn, who has been on many ADAPT actions as our ASL interpreter made this video because well, she’s crazily obsessed with, and loves Gremmy. Psst! I can’t talk, I love him too! If you want to see that Gremmy video in its entirety, click here.

Unfortunately, there is no captioning and no transcript for either of these. I apologize, but it is beyond my control in this circumstance.

We have another co-sponsor of the Community Choice Act!

Rep Abercrombie, Neil [HI-1] - 6/5/2008

Rep. Abercrombie had signed on to MiCASSA, the previous version of CCA–Welcome back!

This brings us to 109 members in the House! Keep up the GREAT work!