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April 2011

Newsletter of Vol. 1 Issue 1


“Too many teach us
to suppress our
Maryland ADAPT anger, not to use it!
If anything, we're
too passive. Anger
is wonderful if you

Freedom
get energy out of it
and learn.“
-- Ed Roberts,

Flyer
founder of the
Independent Living
movement.

Maryland ADAPT ADAPT Invades Annapolis


Our activists began our advocacy efforts by
Relaunches visiting Annapolis several times during the
2011 Legislative Session. We started by
Maryland ADAPT officially relaunched under staging a protest inside the Statehouse on
new leadership last October after a two year Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which
hiatus. We unofficially call ourselves Maryland National ADAPT has traditionally
ADAPT 2.0. There are some former members considered to be “Freedom Day.” Our goals
from Maryland ADAPT 1.0 as well as a lot of were to raise awareness of the new
new members. Community First Choice Option (CFCO*),
which was created through the federal
It has been very exciting seeing everyone Affordable Care Act and urge the Governor
working together and finding out how everyone to adopt it for our state.
can use their strengths to benefit the group. Our
core membership has a nice mix of A few days later when the FY 2012 state
backgrounds and it is great to see how much budget was released we found that money
people want to pitch in. was set aside to explore how the CFCO will
benefit Maryland. Our action was picked
The most exciting part of this venture is that in up by the AP, and we received coverage
January 2011 Maryland ADAPT registered with from over 30 news outlets from as far away
the State Department of Assessment and as Canada. **
Taxation and is now officially registered as
Maryland ADAPT Incorporated! We also Maryland ADAPT visited Annapolis again
registered with the federal government for an on President's Day, where we undertook
Employer Identification Number back in the the task of visiting legislative offices and
fall. This allowed us to have an independent passing out letters. Our message was clear
business account. that people with disabilities want to live in
the community and cannot afford anymore
We have an exciting way to submit tax cuts to state funded services.
deductible donations that benefit both
Maryland and National ADAPT. Read page 3 Continued next page
to find out how!
Maryland ADAPT Would Like to
3 Maryland ADAPT
Thank: members taking a
The League for People with Disabilities, for break with a
letting us use space in their facility to hold Chicago ADAPT
monthly weekend meetings. member at the
2010 National
We would also like to thank People on the ADAPT Fun*Run
Go of Maryland and Women Embracing for Disability
Abilities Now for letting us advertise at Rights at Upper
their October events. We have tremendous Senate Park in
cross membership with all three Washington, D.C.
organizations, as well as On Our Own
Inc., Towson, and that advertisement was
invaluable to our growth. Support Disability Rights
Lastly, Maryland ADAPT would like to Donate to the 6th Annual
thank Wendy Weisbard for her donation of Fun*Run for Disability Rights!
paper goods which lasted for 6 months of
meetings. We are a grassroots Each Maryland ADAPTer has either a
organization, and every little bit helps! walk-around form or a personal page on
the website www.adaptfunrun.org
Would You Like to Join where you can donate via Paypal.
Maryland ADAPT? Maryland ADAPT has a chapter
fundraising goal of $5000. Will you help us
Are you interested in improving the lives
reach our goal? Even if it is a small
of people with disabilities?
donation, every little bit helps!
Contact:
Cheryl Gottlieb 301-758-4473 The money goes directly to National
Crosby King 410-336-5152 ADAPT (so it is tax deductible) and is
Erickia Bartee 443-518-8075 split 50/50 between Maryland and
National ADAPT and is National
There are NO membership fees!!! ADAPT's primary fundraiser.
ADAPT has done AMAZING things
You can write your check out to ADAPT
over the last 29 years. From getting
federal legislation passed, such as the
Fun*Run (with the name of the person
Americans with Disabilities Act and the you are sponsoring and chapter in the
Money Follows the Person, to local memo line) and mail it to :
measures, such as ensuring there are ADAPT Fun*Run
curb cuts in safe places to cross the 1640-A East 2nd Street Suite 100
street, ADAPTers work HARD to make Austin, TX 78702
sure that the job gets done.
*To learn more about the CFCO visit Other Fundraising Opportunities
www.thedpc.org/our-issues/long-term- Maryland ADAPT is also having a 50/50
services-supports/cfc-option
raffle at the League, restaurant day, and bake
**One place you can view our article is sale outside a local supermarket. Please
www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/politics/disa contact us if you want more information on
bled-protest-possible-budget-cuts-in-
those events.
annapolis-011711
Continued from previous page My First National Action
In addition to holding our own by a new ADAPT member
advocacy events, Maryland ADAPT
Last year I went to a memorial service on the first
members attended both the ARC
day of the National Adapt Action for all those we
Maryland's annual Developmental
knew who had died in an institution. It was at
Disabilities Day at the Legislature and
Independence Plaza, and we marched there from
On Our Own of Maryland (an
the hotel. I had been told when ADAPT marches ,
organization that serves people with
they go in single file and try not to let anyone break
psychiatric disabilities) and the
the line --even, for example, a mother who has to
Maryland Disability Law Center's
pick up her kid from daycare.
annual Action Annapolis event,
which was combined with a rally When I was marching however, I got it. So often
organized by the Mental Health when people know an individual is disabled they
Association of Maryland. put you in the category of "other" and treat you as
unequal. Our presence makes them uncomfortable.
Maryland ADAPT members also
Sometimes they avoid looking at you. During the
attended hearings on the Lorraine
march I felt powerful as a member of this group.
Sheehan Health & Community
For once, people had to look at us.
Services Act (also known as “Dime a
Drink”) and testified on a bill dealing Because it was a memorial we did not chant, but I
with medical orders for life-sustaining felt our single line made a powerful statement. We
treatment and another dealing with were not asking the public for control of our lives.
acceptance of §8 Housing Vouchers. We were taking control of it. We were making them
see us and setting the agenda.
In March Maryland ADAPT members
attended a meeting pertaining to the
upcoming renovations at the Senator
Theatre (a historic Baltimore movie
theater) in an effort to follow up on our
2005 effort to ensure safe and
accessible bathrooms are built at the
establishment.

Maryland ADAPT's
Plans for the Future
On the business end of things, a short term goal is for Maryland ADAPT to apply for federal
nonprofit status after this current fund-raising cycle concludes. Our long range goal is to
enable us to apply for grants so that we can pay stipends to 4 or 5 members who are chosen to
work for Maryland ADAPT for a set number of hours per week.
Legislatively, Maryland ADAPT is working on appointing members to both the state's Long
Term Care Advisory Committee and the Coalition for Work Incentives Improvement.
We would like to expand our membership outside of the Baltimore City/County & Ann
Arundel County areas. Maryland ADAPT also plans to have a website up and running in the
next few months.
Lastly, Maryland ADAPT plans on having an impressive showing in Washington, D.C. April
30th-May 5th at both the 6th annual Fun*Run for Disability Rights and the Spring 2011
National Action.
Maryland ADAPT Member:
c/o 302 E Joppa Rd #1409
Towson, MD 21286
301-758-4473

We would really like to save a stamp and email this to you. Please let the Maryland ADAPT
eral member who sent this to you know if you want to be added to our email distribution list.

en to Here are the websites of organizations mentioned in this newsletter


National ADAPT: www.adapt.org
ong On Our Own Incorporated: www.onourownbalto.org
On Our Own of Maryland: www.onourownmd.org
People on the Go of Maryland:
www.thearcmd.org/programs/people_on_the_go.html
n the The ARC Maryland: www.thearcmd.org
The League for People with Disabilities: www.leagueforpeople.org
April The Maryland Disability Law Center: www.mdlclaw.org
The Mental Health Association of Maryland: www.mhamd.org
Women Embracing Abilities Now: www.wean1.org

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