Victories for People with Disabilities

The grassroots advocacy for the "REAL" Choice Campaign 2000 has brought about significant victories and erosion of the institutional bias in this country.

The Labor H. Appropriations bill (and other appropriation bills) have funded many things we all have advocated for so long. In case you have forgotten, the REAL Choice Campaign consists of passage of MiCASSA at the national level and the implementation of the Olmstead decision at the state level. Victories to celebrate:

• $50 million for states to use to change the institutional bias in their service systems. You will hear these called Olmstead grants or MiCASSA grants. The money will be used by states for a range of activities (See Section 4 of MiCASSA for the list of things states can choose to use the money for). Each state can apply for this grant money without state match. These funds are in the Health Care Financing Administration's (HCFA's) budget.

• $20 million for nursing home transition grants. This money will be used by states to identify ways to get and/or keep people with disabilities out of nursing homes. Currently 8 states have such grants (from previous funds). This money will allow HHS to expand this to every state in the country. These funds are in the Health Care Finacing Administration's (HCFA's) budget, too.

• 2000 housing vouchers over 5 years that will be used in assisting people with disabilities to get out or stay out of nursing homes. Affordable and accessible housing not linked to support services is critical to moving people out of or keeping people out of nursing homes. This money is a step in the right direction to this goal. These vouchers are funded in the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) budget.

• $28 million for the HHS/Office of Civil Rights. Some of this increase in funding will go to investigating Olmstead complaints. These funds are in the Health and Human Services (HHS) budget.

The message of the "REAL" Choice Campaign is getting through. Did we get all we wanted this year - the passage of MiCASSA? Not the whole bill, but a significant part of it in 2000, and next year will bring the "MiCASSA Odyssey 2001."

Has Olmstead been totally implemented? Not totally in 2000 but we made significant steps at the federal level and in many states. Next year may be the year of liberation for thousands of people with disabilities.

Our grassroots advocacy must intensify in 2001, if we are to FREE OUR PEOPLE! It will require us to continue to organize in our communities and to build the power to change the institutionally biased long-term care system.

Keep up the good fight - Don't Mourn...ORGANIZE!

AND DON'T NEGLECT TO CELEBRATE THESE VICTORIES!
Together we will FREE OUR PEOPLE in 2001.