This is a really big deal, nerdy as it might sound.  Filling out the census takes 5 minutes or less.  The census is what the feds use to count population to figure out how much money states, cities, etc. get for things like public transportation, public health care, community development (like sidewalk $ and more), education, roads, job training, school lunches and much more.  Over $400 Billion is spent on local communities by the numbers from the census.  It also helps design districts for US Congress reps and state legislative representatives and senators.   

Go to  my2020census.gov to respond online,

By phone: 

• English (for 50 states and Washington, D.C.): 844-330-2020
• Spanish (for 50 states and Washington, D.C.): 844-468-2020
• TDD (Telephone Display Device): 844-467-2020
• https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond/responding-by-phone.html has more phone numbers for other languages.

Or mail. Go here for more details https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond/responding-by-mail.html

Some people don’t really want you to be counted, which should make you want to be counted even MORE!  Because you do count, but not if you let them stop you.  

Here’s a little soap opera, Counting All My Children, that Rev Up made to encourage you to fill the Census out (Notice any actors you know?):

  click here for episode 1

  Click here for episode 2

 click here for episode 3 

BUT WHATEVER YOU DO, YOU HAVE ONE WEEK TO DO THIS IMPORTANT JOB!  

September 22 was national voter registration day and Rev Up held a live online event to share information on registering and voting. Below is a link to the edited version of the REV UP Texas Natl Voter Registration Day event. (The link is also on the REV UP Texas website.) Click this link to see the event which is about 30 mins.  

REVUP Texas: What You Need to Know to Vote

Remember October 5th is the last day to Register you want to vote on Nov 3rd.

People went to jail and even died for your right to vote, so use it.  If you aren’t already registered, step one is to register, and you can do that easily via Register2Vote.org Go to the site, fill out the form, they send you a registration card that is properly addressed and filled in.  All you have to do is sign it and drop the postage paid form in the mail. Do it soon because time is running out.  

Rev Up Texas website has information for voters with disabilities, including an accessible video interview with US Senate candidate MJ Hegar. Incumbent candidate Cornyn has been asked numerous times for an interview and if he ever responds they will post his interview as well (if you are a Cornyn supporter you can help by giving him a nudge, cause he has ignored all requests so far.)  They have lots of great videos on the site and tons of good information.  Check it out!!!  Questions?  You can contact them at: revuptx@gmail.com 512-431-4085

Monday October 5, 2020   is the deadline to register in Texas.

Early in person voting starts 10/13/20 and goes until 10/30/20.  To find a location near you the Secretary of State has a site VoteTexas.gov that will tell you where to vote closer to the election day.

Or go to your county clerk’s or election website. If you’re not from one of the places listed below just googling your county’s name elections should take you to the right place: 

Austin/Travis County       El Paso  

Houston/Harris County       Dallas

Fort Worth & Arlington     San Antonio 

Hildalgo County            Corpus Christi

Many of these sites will let you check if you are still registered, see a sample ballot and much more.  The Texas League of Women Voters also has tons of good information on races, voting, and much more including info for voters with disabilities! 

This year, 2020, is the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote.

Did you know the person who wrote the preamble to the Constitution had a disability?  Yup, that’s a fact and here’s a one minute video to tell you a LITTLE bit more about it, courtesy of REV UP. Click here to see and get a chuckle.

http://www.revuptexas.org/gouverneur-morris-we-the-people/

photo by Cathy Cranston

ADAPT/PACT joined Texas Alliance for Retired Americans, Texans for Bernie 2020, Del Valle Community Coalition on the morning of July 30^th to celebrate Medicare’s 55^th birthday and to promote Medicaid expansion in Texas.

Thirty individuals and twenty-five vehicles attended the caravan. We all enjoyed decorating our vehicles to prepare for the caravan as we social distanced with our donned mask.

We drove from Huston-Tillotson University to the Governor’s Mansion then to the Capitol to send a message to Governor Abbott that Texans want Medicaid expansion.

Texas has the highest rate of uninsured adults and children in the country and this was our chance to advocate for all-inclusive HealthCare that covers everyone. We all had a great time honking loud and proud as we drove past the Governor’s Mansion and the Capitol several times. Upon finishing we returned to Huston-Tillotson and called it a day.

Healthcare For All!

Personal Attendant Coalition of Texas (PACT), ADAPT of Texas (Austin), Desert ADAPT (El Paso) and Gulf Coast ADAPT (Houston) want to  thank the following individuals and organizations for their continued support in assisting us in obtaining PPE for our community:

Centene Corporation/Superior – Wade Rakes

Tabitha Taylor with the City of Austin

Austin Council Member Ann Kitchen – Ken Craig

Austin Council Member Kathie Tovo – Nici Huff

Austin Emergency Supply Foundation – Nashid Braswell

Amerigroup Healthplan – Stacy Barnett

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar – Susie Byrd

Committee of 100 – Justin Ho and Nyx He

We have sent the masks to community attendants that serve people with disabilities across all populations. We have (so far) mailed out approximately 5200 masks since April until now. 207 individuals have received the masks.

At the beginning of the pandemic, it was very difficult to find PPE for the essential workforce of Community Attendants.  The home care agencies had difficulties in obtaining the masks and gloves as we all were competing with the hospitals and institutions for the PPE. 

While some focus and concern moved to congregate living facilities like nursing homes and group homes, over time, there seemed almost no attention to the people in the community who face similar dangers, just in less public settings. 

We started this project because we found many community attendants were having to reuse their masks multiple times. Some home care agencies have been able to obtain the PPE, while many are still finding it difficult to obtain sufficient amounts of PPE.  

Thanks to the generous donations from our partners PACT and ADAPT of Texas are continuing to assist in minimizing the spread of COVID-19 and keep people with disabilities, seniors and their community attendants safer.