Recently ADAPT and PACT have been hearing about attendants who are not getting paid, or at least not getting paid on time. This is not cool, especially for attendants who – for the most part – are not paid well to begin with.

Desert ADAPT and PACT, our brothers and sisters in El Paso, have taken this issue on with some of the worst offending agencies.

Attendants already make very low wages and don’t have the leeway to ride out a delay in pay, and this affects not only them but the folks with disabilities and seniors they serve.

Health and Human Services Commission, HHSC, is the state agency that oversees attendant services programs and needs to back up the workers. There are Texas Pay Day laws and state agencies policies that not paying someone violates.

It turns out there is a toll free number to HHSC where people who are having these kinds of problems can call to report them. The number is 800-458-9858. If you know of such a situation call it in. But also call PACT Organizer Cathy Cranston 512-442-0252 so we can support your efforts too.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE​​​​   ​​​Contacts: Nancy Crowther

ATTENTION: MEDIA AND PRESS​​​       ​​​cell 512-808-7486

February 19, 2019​1:00pm​​​​       ​​David Wittie cell 512-577-8982

Community Members with Disabilities Demonstrate:

A Day Without Community Attendant Assistance

ADAPT and PACT are here at the Capitol today in an urgent call to the state appropriations for attention to a calamity that the state has refused to address: Recruitment and Retaining the Community Attendants. 

Individuals who depend on Community Attendants to live independently in the community are finding it difficult to recruit and retain Community Attendants at the wage of $8.00 an hour.

“We are calling for $15 an hour wage—RAI$E IT!” said Cathy Cranston, organizer for ADAPT and PACT. “We are here in the Capitol Rotunda to demonstrate what it looks like to not have any Community Attendants and what it means for people with disabilities.” The current base wage is $8 an hour.

Texans with disabilities of all ages who need long term services and supports are facing a crisis in their services.  A growing shortage of direct care workers, Community Attendants, means people with disabilities are without the vital assistance to maintain theircare. Community Attendants perform basic assistance with tasks the person cannot do for themselves, things like dressing, toileting,transferring, bathing and feeding. Without this assistance many people with disabilities cannot function nor live independently in the community, facing potential and costlier institutional assistance costing the state 10 times more than the cost to live in the community.  Yet with the wage of $8.00 an hour, (and NO benefits)it is getting harder and harder to find people to do this critical work.

The extremely low wages the attendants are paid is one of the primary reasons for this shortage. The economics of labor force competition shows that while someone starting work at a fast food restaurant, at Buc–ees, at Amazon, or any number of other unskilled jobs, will start at $12 to $15 an hour, or more. Texas Community Attendants start at eight dollars an hour.

More and more frequently, people with disabilities are literally having to sleep in their wheelchairs or spend long stretches in bed because no one can come to assist them. This leads to health complications such as pressure sores. After preventable hospitalizations, this can lead to people being forced into nursing homes or sent to rehab hospitals and it can even kill them. These alternatives (aside from death) are exponentially expensive than providing the services they needed in the community in the first place.

ADAPT and PACT believe part of the reason for ignoring this crisis is that people are out of sight of the decision makers.  “We want everyone to see exactly what happens when a person with a disability has no Community Attendant to assist them” said Nancy Crowther.  “We want people to see what being without Community Attendants means in our lives for just one day or over a lifetime.”

“We have done studies, met with bureaucrats, participated in work groups, testified again and again to the Health and Human Services Commission and the Texas Legislature.  We have made videos, interviewed those affected, and done everything we can think of to get this issue addressed” said Cathy Cranston, PACT organizer.

“Community Attendants are human beings.  We have families and real lives.  We care about our clients, but we must live as well and we deserve to be treated fairly” said Kika Grajeda, PACT organizer.

“I think my life is worth more than a hamburger, a tank of gas or some packing peanuts” added Josue Rodriguez. “Not paying Community Attendants what they are worth means people with disabilities suffer the consequences.  I think Texas can do better.”

“The situation is worst for seniors and adults with disabilities, from ventilator-users, to quadriplegics, to people with dementia or stroke.Community Attendants in these programs earn less than those who work for people who work in other programs even though they are doing the same tasks for the person.” Bob Kafka of ADAPT added.  “It is time to raise ALL wage$ to $15. Equal Pay for Equal Work.”

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ADAPT of Texas/Personal Attendant Coalition of Texas (PACT) * 1100 S. IH35*Austin, TX 78704* 512-442-0252*     Fax: 512-906-1166* ADAPTOFTEXAS.org* Personal Attendant Coalition of Texas (PACT) Cathy Cranston* flacacata@aol.com*   Nancy Crowther* ncrowther21@gmail.com * www.adaptoftexas.or

Accessible, affordable, integrated housing was the goal at ADAPT’s 2008 protest at HUD HQ

Tuesday May 8th at 11 am, ADAPT of Texas, as part of the national Our Homes, Our Voices campaign to support affordable housing, will be delivering accessible doors to our local, state and national government folks.  We will meet up at 11 am in front of the  Austin’s Neighborhood Housing and Community Development offices at 1000 East 11th ST and will go on from there! The doors covered with messages about why we support afordable, accessible, integrated housing – but there’s room for you to add your own message too.  

With HUD Secretary Carson wanting to raise rent on folks in Public Housing and add more barriers to push people out cause the waiting lists are so long, we need as many voices as possible. With the state of Texas killing our non-discrimination against people on vouchers city ordinance, we need as many voices as possible. With Austin gentrifying and becoming less affordable by the nano-second, we need as many voices as possible.   So join us!  

Check out the ADAPT of Texas Facebook page for more info… https://www.facebook.com/events/2021852021469370/ 

Want to know more about the national week of action?  Go to Our Homes Our Voices  You can look up other Texas events for this week there too.  And see highlights from last year.

Over 200 activists from the disability rights group ADAPT are gathered at the Health and Human Services Headquarters (HHS) in the Hubert Humphrey Building. The activists are calling on HHS and the Trump Administration to prioritize policies that will ensure the integration and equality of disabled Americans.

“Health and Human services continues to act as though institutional nursing services are their constituents and we are commodities through which the nursing facilities can make their money.”, said Nancy Salandra, organizer from Philadelphia ADAPT. “This has to stop and stop now. We need to be placed in charge of services and supports that will allow us to remain in our own homes and communities. Experience has repeatedly shown that placing us in charge will result in lower per-person costs, so there is no excuse for further delay.”

We are therefore demanding that Tom Price, secretary of HHS:

• Publicly acknowledge that Disabled Americans who require Long Term Services and Supports have the right to Life and Liberty as guaranteed under the Constitution;
• Ensure that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services use their authority to require states to implement managed care in a manner that affirmatively promotes community living.
• Work with ADAPT and the National Council on Independent Living to reestablish the Money Follows the Person program as a funding stream for the provision of community transition services.
• Stop the torture of Disabled Americans by instructing the FDA Administrator to finalize the FDA’s proposed rules banning the use of shocking devices.
• Publicly recognize that inadequate Medicaid rates have driven down attendant wages and consequently undercut the Life and Liberty of Disabled Americans and utilize HHS’s authority to assure that state Medicaid rates are sufficient to secure the workforce needed for community integration; and
• Instruct the HHS Office for Civil Rights to take a stronger role in Olmstead enforcement by requiring states to develop and implement a plan to promote community living and comply with the Olmstead decision.

ADAPT’s history, the issues it is fighting for, and its activities can be found at www.adapt.org, the NationalADAPT Facebook page and on Twitter under the hashtag #ADAPTandRESIST.

Morning, 9/26/17 – Washington, D.C. Activists from the disability rights organization ADAPT have gathered outside the offices of  Senators Lindsey Graham, Bill Cassidy, Dean Heller and Ron Johnson to demand that they withdraw the ACA repeal amendment which bears their name. The Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson Amendment cuts Medicaid funding for home and community based services which enable disabled people and seniors to live in the community and lead an independent life.

“This bill is just a worse version of the bill that Americans soundly rejected over the summer,” said Marilee Adamski-Smith. “When Republicans proposed capping Medicaid and allowing states to eliminate protections this summer, those proposals were met with massive protesting from many Americans who do not want Congress to strip the rights of disabled people, seniors, medically fragile children, and poor people.”

Senator Graham had been critical of the summer’s rush to pass the “Better Care Reconciliation Act”, of which the Senator had said on Twitter “A bill – finalized yesterday, has not been scored, amendments not allowed, and 3 hours final debate – should be viewed with caution.” Yet Senator Graham’s own bill, which has been unanimously opposed by the Medicaid Directors of all 50 States, is being considered under an equally hasty and opaque process. Senator Cassidy promised earlier than any final health bill would provide protection for individuals with pre-existing conditions, but Senator Collins has said that her reading of this bill is that it would allow for higher, possibly unaffordable rate increases for persons with pre-existing conditions. Senator Heller earlier voted against similar bills.

“We call on Senators Graham, Cassidy, Heller and Johnson to keep earlier promises and commitments and  to withdraw this amendment which is a disaster for disabled Americans and seniors who rely on Medicaid,” said Vickie Cuscino. “This bill is being pushed through with a false and manufactured urgency and the final product, which will have your names on it, Senators, will cause millions of Americans with disabilities, seniors, and children to die.”

Disabled Advocates protested inside and outside the Senate Finance Hearing Room to demand that the Senate vote against the Graham-Cassidy amendment to repeal the Affordable Care Act and decimate Medicaid – ADAPT – Free Our People!

Thirty five stalwart ADAPT of Texas members traveled to Washington DC to join with National ADAPT to call attention to the attack on people with disabilities currently taking place in Congress and Trump administration.  While Health and Human Services Secretary Price jet sets around the country in private planes burning up federal funds faster than you can say “jack robinson”, ADAPTers schlepped to DC from around the nation to put themselves on the line in defense of people with disabilities.  Due to the speed and strength of the attack on people with disabilities ADAPT sprang into action with a double header this afternoon.

Prong #1:

Disability Advocates Petition Attorney General Sessions 
for Olmstead & Civil Rights Enforcement

Sunday 9/24/17 – Washington, D.C.— Activists from the disability rights organization ADAPT are gathering at Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions’ apartment in DC to demand that he make the integration and civil rights of disabled Americans a priority at the Department of Justice.

“Attorney General Sessions is in a unique position to advocate for disabled people,” said Jennifer McPhail. “Millions of Americans are forced into institutions simply because they are disabled. Disabled Americans have fewer due process protections before being locked in institutions than people who have been accused of crimes. ADAPT has petitioned the Justice Department under Obama but did not see deinstitutionalization being made a priority. We are demanding that the new Administration be responsive to the Disability Community.”

ADAPT issued a list of demands for the Justice Department, including:
•    Acknowledge that unwanted institutionalization denies Disabled Americans their Constitutional right to Liberty;
•    Work with ADAPT and the Disability Rights community to pursue high-profile Olmstead/ADA enforcement actions in every state to address the institutionalization of thousands of people with disabilities – of all ages – in nursing facilities;
•    Work with ADAPT and Autistic advocates to stop the torture of Disabled Americans in the Judge Rotenberg Center who are subjected to electric shocks and other painful aversives; and
•    Work with ADAPT and the National Council on Independent Living to ensure that the ADA is enforced in such a way that Americans with Disabilities are not discriminated against or institutionalized in the event of a natural disaster.

“There’s no asterisk on the Constitution that says you are too disabled to enjoy life, liberty, and property free of government interference,” said Bruce Darling, an organizer for ADAPT. “Yet that’s what people with disabilities experience every day in this country. The Attorney General can help secure the Constitutional rights of millions of disabled Americans by working with our community on these priorities.”

Prong #2:

Disability Advocates Bring the Fight for Deinstitutionalization Home for Union Boss

9/24/17 – Washington, D.C. Activists from the disability rights organization ADAPT are gathering at AFSCME President Lee Saunders’ home in DC to demand that the largest public service employees union support the integration and civil rights of disabled Americans by endorsing the Disability Integration Act.

“ADAPT leadership has worked with AFSCME – even seeking their support crafting DIA’s legislative language before a bill was ever introduced in Congress.  We appreciate the efforts to help ensure that we have the strongest bill possible, however, AFSCME’s behind-the-scenes support is no longer sufficient”, said Mike Oxford, organizer with Kansas ADAPT.

The Disability Integration Act is bipartisan civil rights legislation, introduced by Senator Schumer and Representative Sensenbrenner, that ensures that people with disabilities have the right to live in the community. “This Bill is vital to ensuring disabled people’s freedom is no longer at constant risk to a system that is biased towards our institutionalization.” said Anita Cameron. “I have been a lifelong union supporter, but while our life and liberty are under threat AFSCME remains silent. Their silence as we are being attacked lends support to our oppression.”

ADAPT hopes that in making our appeal directly to Saunders, the union will promptly declare its support for the legislation. “We have a long history of working with unions to promote the rights of disabled people.” said ADAPT community organizer Bruce Darling. “SEIU is a vocal and public supporter of our legislation and AFSCME needs to follow suit and endorse this legislation.”

This just starts the week, ADAPT will be in DC till Thursday Sept 28th so keep your eyes peeled for more stories, pictures and more.

ADAPT’s history, the issues it is fighting for, and its activities can be found at www.adapt.org, the NationalADAPT Facebook page and on Twitter under the hashtag #ADAPTandRESIST.