A New Year's Message From National ADAPT

This was posted on FB Jan 1

It's that time of year where a bunch of folks make New Year's resolutions. Most resolutions are things like lose weight, work out, be on time, and procrastinate less...

So what have your representatives in Congress resolved to change in 2011? We all KNOW they will give up working out by mid-January (if it lasts that long), will gain back 10 pounds after losing five, and will continue to be late to everything. Of course, they will find a hundred reasons to put off working on that procrastination resolution. So rather than waste this opportunity, THEY SHOULD RESOLVE TO ELIMINATE THE INSTITUTIONAL BIAS!

We contacted the Congressional candidates during the election and a number of them pledged to eliminate the institutional bias, but a lot of these folks didn't. Congress is about to come back into session, se we need to make sure that they know we want them to free our people.

We've posted a Congressional New Year's Resolution you can use to ask your members of Congress to end the institutional bias. The Congressional New Year's Resolution is at: www.cdrnys.org/resolution.

We know this will be a tough Congress to work with, but there is widespread support for this issue within the disability community. Every major national disability organization supports ending the institutional bias through the Community Choice Act. There is support for it beyond the disability community as well. We have estimated that the cost of CCA to middle class folks is only about $6 a year. Giving seniors and Americans with disabilities their freedom would cost as little as a big cup of coffee. And based on a Harris survey (click to see the fact sheet), 89% of those surveyed supported the legislation.

We are working with Congress on reintroducing the legislation, but we aren't waiting to ask our Senators and Congressional representatives to sign on and support it. Please give them a call or send an email asking them to make a New Year's resolution to eliminate the institutional bias.

FREE OUR PEOPLE! -The ADAPT Community