ADAPT DEMANDS Congress support our right to live in the community by funding home and community based services, supporting our Community Workforce, making personal protective equipment available, and ensuring we have affordable, accessible, integrated housing.
ADAPT has sent an Open Letter to Congress demanding action. We must ensure Congress pays attention and responds to our needs!
Post on social media, write an email, organize a car parade around your Congressmembers Offices! In any way you can, tell Congress:
- Unnecessary institutionalization has been illegal since at least 1990. Now the COVID pandemic has exposed further dangers of congregate living.
- Forcing people into institutions is not only a violation of our rights, it is a DANGER to our safety, well-being, and our LIVES.
- We need the services and supports that allow us to safely shelter-in-place in the community.
- Community services must be available to keep people from being institutionalized in congregate settings.
- Programs, services, and supports must be available to allow people to move back into the community to live in the most integrated setting.
- Direct Service and Support Workers are essential to keeping us alive, safe and healthy. They deserve to be recognized and protected by receiving increased wages, overtime pay, hazard pay, and protective gear.
- The number one barrier to home and community living is lack of affordable, accessible, integrated housing. Housing must be developed. The shortage of housing that is affordable, accessible and integrated is past the critical stage. Likewise rental subsidies must be vastly increased.