[LGT-National] TODAY, Stories and Events

[Mark_Johnson at shepherd.org]

1.
http://www.propublica.org/feature/nursing-homes-get-old-for-many-with-disabilities-621

Ten years ago today, the U.S. Supreme Court said that bias amounted to
discrimination.  Now, as disability advocates celebrate the anniversary of
that landmark ruling, they worry the Obama administration is backing away
from a pledge to give more people with disabilities the option to live at
home.


2. http://www.progressive.org/mpervin062109.html

In 1995, lawyers sued the state on their behalf under the ADA, which
requires states to provide services for people with disabilities in the
most integrated setting appropriate. The case worked its way to the U.S.
Supreme Court, which ruled that such needless, unending
institutionalization did indeed violate the very core of the ADA.

IDEAS FOR TODAY, http://www.aapd.com/olmstead/ :

* Call your Governor's office,
http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.5dbb9333fc52447ae8ebb856a11010a0/
, ask for a implementation update, future implementation plans and time
table
* Deliver, preferably take some colleagues,  a signed copy of the AAPD's
health reform petition to local Congressional offices,
http://petition.aapd.com/healthcarereform/
* Pitch a story related to the decision, template Op-Ed at AAPD's web site
by the end of this week
* Blog about the decision
* Create media (example, http://www.nickscrusade.org/wordpress/?p=771 )
related to the decision
* Get a group of people to go visit a nursing home or institution
* Get a group together to talk about the decision and health reform.
Provide food (potluck), have everyone sign AAPD's petition and write a
letter to there members of Congress about CCA, CLASS Act, etc..
* Pass out flyers at a grocery store, shopping mall, or other busy site
(example, http://www.adaptoftexas.org/ )