Dean: Americans With Disabilities Deserve Real Leadership

[MaineDem]

For Immediate Release
September 19, 2005
Contact: Damien LaVera - 202-863-8148

Americans With Disabilities Deserve Real Leadership

Washington, DC - While Hurricane Katrina revealed deep social and economic
fault lines that left large groups of Americans disproportionately vulnerable,
low income Americans with disabilities were among the hardest hit by this
crisis. Today, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean issued the
following statement:

"While everyone along the Gulf Coast faced unimaginable hardships in the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Bush Administration's failed leadership on
homeland security and emergency preparedness took an especially heavy toll on
Americans with disabilities, particularly those with low incomes. From an
evacuation and disaster relief effort that failed to address their needs to the
challenges of finding accessible housing, health care and prescription drug
coverage in the weeks since the storm, the unique challenges confronting
Katrina survivors with disabilities have been staggering, and the Bush
Administration's response has been unacceptable.

"The hallmark of this great nation is our commitment to ensuring that the most
vulnerable among us are not left behind in times of need. But the harsh reality
is that too many Americans with disabilities fell victim to the Bush
Administration's failed leadership and poor planning. Four years after so many
Americans with disabilities were unable to escape the World Trade Center, this
tragedy demonstrates the Bush Administration's failure to learn the lessons of
September 11th as they relate to the disabled.

"We have an opportunity to address the problems revealed in the aftermath of
this tragedy. Americans need real leadership that includes a reconstruction
effort that includes the needs of Americans with disabilities, one that
provides a model for a system in which Americans with disabilities are
integrated into their homes and communities and not forced into nursing homes
and institutions. President Bush and Republicans in Washington should join
Democrats in working to ensure that Americans with disabilities are fully
integrated into our society and included in our emergency preparedness plans,
so that, moving forward, they are never again left behind."

###

**********

Paid for and authorized by the Democratic National Committee, www.democrats.
org. This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's
committee.

[WePurrsevere]

1. WTG Dean!! The GOP doesn't give a tinkers darn about the disabled....

I still think Dean is awesome. IMO he's just the "pit bull" the Dem party needs in charge.

Just as with Seniors on SS the last few years has been horrible as they raise Medicaire premiums like crazy so the extra cost either darn near or totally wipes out what little COLA is given. Every year our costs go up like everyone elses and yet partly because of the Medicaire increases we often end up with a drop in the bucket compared to what the real CPI is. x(

IMO it would be so much better if they would look at SS COLA increases quarterly. Getting through the whole year on last years prices is a bear when things like gas, heating fuel (and what will increase because of those increases) have increased wildly.

If the Dems don't get control this next time through many disabled and seniors along with the poor and lower to mid middle class will be royally screwed and sans the kiss and K-Y. :scared:

[Wordie]

3. Agreed! Dean is just what we've been needing! n/t

[Wordie]

2. Recommended! With gratitude to Dean and to MaineDem for posting it.! n/t

[Traveling_Home]

4. Kicking Off Disability Rights!!!!! - ADAPT

Media Advisory
September 16, 2005

For Information Contact:

Bob Kafka 512-431-4085
Marsha Katz 406-544-9504

ADAPT to Congress: Fix the Problem!
People with Disabilities Devastated by Katrina While Katrina Also Devastates National Resources for All Persons with Disabilities

Who: ADAPT, the nations largest activist grassroots disability rights
organization

What: Press Conference

When: Monday, September, 19, 2005, 11 a.m.

Where: Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C Street SW, corner of 6th; attached to the FEMA Headquarters, in the Discovery I and Discovery II meeting rooms

Why: People with disabilities, who comprise 20% of the general population, comprised 25%-30% of those affected by Hurricane Katrina, according to the U.S. Census. It is likely they will comprise an even higher percentage of the fatalities. Many of those who survived remain uncounted and unregistered with FEMA because they were shipped to nursing homes, hospitals and other institutions all over the country where there are no FEMA Super Service Centers. Katrina exposed the lack of experience of FEMA and the Red Cross in dealing with the needs of persons with disabilities in
disaster situations.

We understand why people with disabilities were evacuated without their wheelchairs, service animals, and caretakers, said Mark Johnson, ADAPT Organizer in Georgia. In an emergency, you do whatever you have to do to get the most people out in the quickest way possible. But now that we are past that first response, FEMA and the Red Cross need to work with the disability community to assure that the needs of people with disabilities are met comprehensively, and that they dont languish in those institutional settings for years to come. The first order of business is an accounting of where all the people with disabilities ended up, and what their needs are now.

In an effort to assist the thousands of people left homeless in the wake of Katrina, low income and HUD subsidized housing has been made immediately available. Ironically thousands of poor people with disabilities have been waiting for up to ten years for accessible, affordable housing. There is also promising legislation in Congress to provide Medicaid Waivers for people with disabilities affected by Katrina. If passed, that legislation would help address the return to community for those people who were sent to institutional settings, but it is not known whether those waiver slots would reduce the number of slots available in the individual states.
Again, people with disabilities across the country have been waiting those slots, some for many years.

Katrina created a visible emergency that represents only the tip of the iceberg of the invisible emergency of poverty and disability services, said Stephanie Thomas, National ADAPT Organizer. The whole disability services and supports system needs fixing, for Katrina survivors and for all Americans with disabilities. Disabled people should not always come last.


# # #

--

DISCLAIMER: The JFA Listserv is designed to share
information of interest to people with disabilities and
promote dialogue in the disability community. Information
circulated does not necessarily express the views of AAPD.
The JFA Listserv is non-partisan.

JOIN AAPD! There's strength in numbers! Be a part of a
national coalition of people with disabilities and join
AAPD today. http://www.aapd-dc.org


JFA ARCHIVES. All JFA postings from 1995 to present are
available at:
http://www.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAabout.html


NOTE: Some Internet Providers (including AOL, Earthlink and
Juno) may see JFA postings as spam because of the large
volume of JFA mail recipients and fail to deliver the
posting. If this happens, the JFA system may automatically
unsubscribe some email addresses. Should you stop receiving
JFA Alerts, please subscribe to JFA again as per the
instructions at
http://www.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAsubscribing.html
You may also need to contact your service provider to find
out how to prevent JFA postings from being recognized as
spam.

PLEASE EMPTY YOUR EMAIL INBOX REGULARLY. JFA automatically
deletes subscribers that are over their message quota. How
If you stop using an account please unsubscribe that old
account.

With hundreds of inbound emails and thousands of outbound
emails daily, JFA can not respond to every message.

We thank you for your understanding and continued
outstanding advocacy!

Fred Fay, Moderator

JUSTICE FOR ALL -- A Service of the
American Association of People with Disabilities
http://www.aapd-dc.org/JFA/JFAabout.html

=====================================================================
Justice-For-All FREE Subscriptions
To subscribe or unsubscribe, send mail to [e-mail]
with one or the other in the body of your message:
subscribe justice
unsubscribe justice

[jillan]

9. Thanks for these links!

I will look into them further, as I have
a daughter with disabilities; and I am extremely worried
about what this administration is doing to her rights;(

[newyawker99]

11. Hi Traveling_Home!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[adaada]

5. Many left behind in New Orleans were disabled, or elderly. Thanks, Dean!

[Larkspur]

6. Keep speaking the Truth Howard so the Repukes can get a taste of Hell

Recommended!!

[Imagevision]

7. Americans -> period!

screw the Bush administration!

[melissinha]

8. Hope he cosults Harkin

He's the go to guy on disability rights. Just watched his address regarding Katrina on how he was coordinating with Landrieu on flood relief. He made reference to the Iowa floods of 1993, he hopes to use his experience with that disaster to help New Orleans. Didn't hear him mention disabilities in his address, but I am sure he's on it.

[zann725]

10. People with Disabilities (even on SSDI) are often less eligible

...for housing, Drug benefits, food stamps than victims from Katrina or Seniors. Since SSDI benefits are slightly higher (not much) than regular SS benefits, that slightly-higher amount DISqualifies them for bigger Drug discount benefits available to Seniors on straight SS. Their SSDI income also disqualifies them from Food Stamp eligibility. Section 8 Housing vouchers in many areas have been discontinued for some time now (making housing and living independantly UNaffordable for most Disabled)...which is why you see so many people in wheelchairs among the homeless everywhere.

And while Women with children (or family units) can get "some" help with housing from Welfare facilities, "single" Disabled people have nearly all "avenues" of help closed to them.

The "wait" for SSDI benefits to begin can take anywhere from 1-1/2 to OVER 2 years to begin (even WITH an attorney). And most Long Term Disability carriers which (THEORETICAllY) should begin in the
6 month after Disability commences time-frame...MOST Long Term Disability carriers drag-out the denial process for 2-3 years (to infinitum), thus making supplement to SSDI benefits (an affordable amount to live on) a NON-reality for most people with significant Disabilities.

Also, since the Americans With Disabilities Act was essentially castrated by the Reagan/Bush Admin's, there is little if no protection on the job for most people with Disabilities on the job. While a person with Disability might "luck out" and get a considerate employer, in most cases now (given rising Health care costs, and employer's potential liability in employing someone with significant and/or long-term healthcare needs) is just not "profitable" or in the interest of said employers to employ someone with a significant Disability.

Yeah, it's about time the DEM's address the rights of the Disabled...NOT only the Disabled "victims" of Katrina. Many Disabled across the country, particular over the last few weeks watching public sympathy for victims of Katrina, probably no doubt sat back, dismayed and overwhelmed that no one seems to notice their personal 'natural disaster' and abandonment by the current Admin. and overall political system (DEM leadership included as well).

[Traveling_Home]

12. Well said

Problem for the disabled is far from simply the effect of Katrina. It's a civil rights issue. To described it very well.

[ladylibertee]

13. Dean for President.....Again