NCIL CONFERENCE

Hundreds Turn Out at Annual Meeting

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The National Council for Independent Living held its annual meeting at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C., with a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) Committee on long-term care.

More than 300 people were in the audience in the main hearing room, with another hundred in an overflow room. Among the crowd was a sea of orange ADAPT shirts, emblazoned with the message “Community Choice Act – Free Our People – It’s Time.”

There was a six-member panel that testified, detailing the need for more and better community services. Andy Imparato of American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) spoke on behalf of AAPD, ADAPT, Self Advocates Becoming Empowered and NCIL. He spoke about the Community Choice Act, the CLASS Act and problems in the system.

A home care worker who was a member of Self Employees International Union gave the worker’s perspectives on the issue. The mother of a child with a disability spoke about the family’s perspective and the need for more community supports for children.

A provider of developmental disability services spoke, giving a provider’s point of view. All the speakers talked about severe problems that plague the long-term care system, the institutional bias in Medicaid and the need for more community choices.

Committee Chair Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) was in attendance for the testimony, as well as Sens. Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Ark.), Sherrod Brown (IOhio) and Tom Harkin (DIowa). Kennedy spoke about the need of choices and community services, and Harkin talked about the Community

Choice Act, as well as the contributions of ADAPT in these areas.