National ADAPT is headed back to DC September 17th – 23rd to fight for disability rights and services. ADAPT’s fearless warriors will tackle various powerbrokers who should be doing more to enhance the rights and services of people with disabilities. Keep your eyes peeled here, on our ADAPT of Texas Facebook page, on National ADAPT Facebook page and in various other spots in the social media because doubtless, amazing stories will unfold! More details to come…
ELECTION TIME IS ALMOST HERE…
The Texas Disability Issues Forum (TDIF) is back for the 2022 midterm elections! Join us Monday September 19, 2022 in Austin to find out what major party candidates have to say on your most pressing issues, from healthcare to elections to education, and more!
To register click on this link
Candidates for Governor, Lt Governor, Attorney General and this year for the first time, Agriculture Commissioner will share their positions on disability issues.
Want to be a part of the action? Volunteer slots are still needed! Call Cathy at 512-442-0252. TDIF wants you to be prepared to cast your ballot in November, so they’re providing multiple ways to learn about the candidates and their stances on issues of interest to Texans with disabilities. Whether you want to be in the room when it happens, be a part of the event, or do some reading on your own time, they’ve got you covered.
Welcome the season of disability rights
We are entering the season of disability rights. One of them anyway. June 22nd marks the 23rd anniversary of the Olmstead decision where the supreme court said people with disabilities have the right to services in the most integrated setting. Thank you Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson (the plaintiffs). And just one month later, July 26th, is the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. We haven’t made it all the way but we need to celebrate how far we have come.
Don’t Dis the Vote Texas Premier
A short video and discussion designed to outreach and
build the Power of the Disability Vote.
Sat June 11th 3pm – 5pm 1300 Lavaca Austin, Texas
Family Life Center of the United Methodist Church
ASL Interpreter provided Snacks and Beverages
Bus lines #7 #20 #803
Y’all Come
Disability Vote Zoom Summit – Breaking Down Barriers to the Ballot
REGISTER TODAY FOR THE DISABILITY VOTE SUMMIT
June 29 – 30, 2022, 1:00-4:00pm ET | Virtual | ASL, CART, Spanish
Click here to Register Today https://aapd.us13.list-manage.com/track/click?u=08dab5cd58ad9250c3f56519f&id=e64bd2abe7&e=8258983e50
| WHEN AND WHERE IS IT? The summit takes place Wednesday and Thursday June 29-30, 2022 from1:00pm – 4:00pm ET. All the sessions will be virtual, streamed through Zoom, and free to all. We hope you’ll register to join us! WHAT IS IT? Join disability and voting advocates for a 2-day virtual summit focused on getting out the disability vote in 2022. Summit speakers will come from disability, voting, and civil rights advocacy communities across the country. This summit will include breakout sessions on: Why We Vote: Centering the Issues Making Elections More Accessible Partnering for Success Protecting Voting Rights and Access Making Voting Outreach More Accessible Motivating Disabled Voters in 2022 WHAT IS THE ACCESS INFORMATION? This event is free to all and will include ASL interpretation, English and Spanish captions, and Spanish audio translation. If you require any other accommodations, please email Jack Rosen at jack.rosen@ndrn.org with “Vote Summit — Accommodations Request” in the subject line. WHO IS ORGANIZING THIS SUMMIT? The 2022 Disability Vote Summit is co-hosted by the REV UP Voting Campaign at the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), and the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NAACD). |
Travis County Section 8 Waiting List to Open
Travis County Housing Authority (different from Austin’s HACA, yes we have 2 housing authorities here, City of Austin and Travis County) has announced that they are opening their Housing Choice Voucher (also known as Section 8 voucher) list:
Housing Choice Voucher
Waiting List Opening 7/1/2022- 7/8/2022
Pre-applications for placement on the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) waiting list program will be accepted starting Friday July 1, 2022 @ 8:00 AM, through Friday July 8, 2022 @ 5:00 PM. If interested in applying for the HCV waiting list, visit https://www.waitlistcheck.com/TX1128-3917.
If you need affordable housing DO NOT LET THIS OPPORTUNITY PASS. This happens once in a blue moon and if you don’t jump on it you will be waiting for YEARS for another chance. It’s a lottery so you never know who will get lucky – so go for it!
Having problems getting your chair fixed? You are not alone
At our last ADAPT meeting we were discussing the problems of late getting your wheelchair or other DME fixed. The local go-to spots have been bought out by mega-corporations which seem to care little to none about our waiting weeks or months with broken equipment waiting on the world to change and these behemoths to get off their you-know-whats, get the parts, make an appointment, and fix the equipment. And van repair is much the same these days.
Well it seems this is not just an Austin issue. Mother Jones has an article on this problem (click here to read more). The article talks about National Seating and Numotion but here in Austin, the another part of the problem is Rehab Medical. First you must weave your way through a labyrinth of telephone answering messages and options. Then you must convince them you need help, Then you must wait for an appointment – and I do mean wait, like for a month or more. Then you must get your service request approved – again waiting and waiting. Then you wait and wait for parts. Then wait, wait, wait for another appointment and hope the parts they got are the right ones. I haven’t made it any farther than this so far, and don’t know anyone else who has either, so I’m not sure what happens after that.
Cool Publication Has Issue on Disability (look for ADAPT!)
Check out this e-magazine BorderLore. As I understand it, the e-magazine is about border culture and this issue is about disability culture. It’s called Cripping BorderLore. The editor Alisha Vasquez contacted me about using a picture from the ADAPT Online Museum and that’s how I learned about it. Click on this link to see the e-magazine! (Alisha will be a guest on Barrier Free Futures Radioshow this Saturday June 11 and as will all BFF shows it becomes a postcast afterwards.
HHSC’s 2022 ILS Independent Living Services Program Study
The Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), Independent Living Services (ILS) Program is seeking your input about the independent living services available to Texans with significant disabilities. Your thoughts and experiences regarding the ILS program, the Centers for Independent Living (CIL) contracted to carry out the ILS program and the work of the State Independent Living Council (SILC) are vital.
Using an internet browser, please log on to http://www.PRCsurvey.com/begin/HHSC
If you have any questions for the HHSC ILS Program regarding the study or its implementation, please contact HHSC at BlindandGeneralIndependentLiving@hhsc.state.tx.us
SHOW THE POWER OF THE DISABILITY VOTE on May 24
Sample Runoff Ballot:
https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2022/texas-runoff-2022-ballot-may-24/
If you have registered to vote by April 25th, you can vote in the Texas Runoff election EVEN IF YOU DID NOT VOTE IN THE PRIMARIES. If you did vote in the primaries, you can only vote in the runoff of the party you originally voted in.
Am I Registered? https://www.texas.gov/living-in-texas/texas-voter-registration/
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Important Dates
Texas Runoff Tues May 24th
Early Voting May 16th – 20th
Last day to request Ballot By Mail Friday May 13th (Return Mail-in ballots on election day, which is May 24. If they’re postmarked before 7 p.m. May 24th, they’ll be counted if they’re received by the county by 5 p.m. May 25.
Important Resources
League of Women Voters www.vote411.org
Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) https://www.disabilityrightstx.org/en/category/voting/
DRTx Voting Hotline 1-888-796-VOTE (8683) for free assistance.
Secretary of State https://www.votetexas.gov/mobile/index.htm
Texas AARP https://states.aarp.org/texas/election-voting-guide
Register2Vote https://register2vote.org/?Org=RevUpTX
Join the Texas REV UP Community:
Sign up for ongoing Texas REV UP Community Information by going to our website.
Scroll down and fill out your information:
www.revuptexas.org revuptx@gmail.com (512) 431-4085
Don’t Mourn Organize and REV UP
R EGISTER
E DUCATE
V OTE
U SE
P OWER
cool video on voting (on a California TV station!) :