Monthly Archives: January 2017

ADAPTs ADOPT A LEGISLATOR IN FULL SWING

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The Texas Legislature is back in town and ADAPT is back at the Capitol to educate them on many disability issues and perspectives.  This is a participatory event that lasts 180 days.  And ADAPT wants you there!

Aside from the budget, which is super tight this time around, thanks to legislators dedicating large amounts of the state’s revenues to Texas Department of Transportation (TX DOT), ADAPT is focusing on $13 an hour min. wages for community attendants; increases and improvements to community based services for people with disabilities; making sure TNCs (like Uber, Lyft, etc.) don’t discriminate against us; accessible, affordable, INTEGRATED housing (with no services required); and a host of other issues that will likely come up.  Also TX DOT is under Sunset Review and ADAPT wants to be sure they serve persons with disabilities in their future efforts, especially since they are being given so much dough ray me.

Visits, testimony at hearings, guerilla theater, the sky and our imagination are the limits.

Come join us. We believe the grassroots must be heard. You know more about all this than you think you do, and you can learn even more.  We meet at the Capitol Cafeteria (inside the Capitol on the E-1 level) every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 10 am and you can just drop by and join us; but don’t be late — we move out for action pretty darn quick!

ADAPT Participates in Local Marches

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Last weekend ADAPT was busy on the streets of Austin.  We were one of the hosts at the One Resistance March on Friday night for which a large group of local organizations got together to march and share information and concerns about the radical turns being taken by the federal government.  In addition to the march through downtown, in which about 7,000 people participated, representatives of many at risk groups spoke about their specific concerns, and a wall of barriers was torn down.  Danny Saenz spoke for ADAPT and Heiwa Salovitz participated in the wall tear down; both represented us proudly highlighting many disability issues!  Cathy Cranston and Robin Hoffpauir carried a PACT/ADAPT banner in the march.  It was all about supporting one another, resisting efforts to harm our people and mobilizing for action.  Lots of other ADAPTers turned out as well!

Saturday, among the 50,000 people at the Women’s March in Austin there were many ADAPT folks sprinkled in the crowd.  Being short in a massive crowd of primarily standing people, we operated on trust and the knowledge that there were others out there cause it was a trifle difficult to see each other.  But we met many supporters of disability rights.  Bob Kafka was especially pleased to see Katie (who used to be a VISTA at UCP TX) carrying a huge My Medicaid Matters sign.  There were lots of other people with disabilities and non-disabled supporters in the crowd.  The energy and intensity were terrific and we encourage one and all to go to the Women’s March on Washington website and sign up for follow up actions.  If you are interested in following up on disability issues locally contact ADAPT or call 512-442-0252.  We are meeting at the Capitol Cafeteria (inside the Capitol on the E-1 level) every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 10 am and you can just come and join us; but don’t be late — we move out for action pretty darn quick!