ADAPT is having its 25th birthday! This April will mark the 25th anniversary of the first national ADAPT action. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of my first national ADAPT action. I’d been hanging around ADAPT since 1986, always on the fringes — a shy, quiet young thing, totally unremarkable, except that I was Dennis Schreiber’s attendant and interpreter. Almost anybody around back then remembers Dennis, but probably doesn’t remember the mousy little Black girl with unruly hair who was his attendant. That was me.
What is ADAPT, you ask? Well, ADAPT is a national, grassroots disability rights organization that began in Denver, Colorado. It was started by 19 people with disabilities who wanted access to public transportation and public places in their community. Many of them had been incarcerated in a nursing home for most of their lives, and had only been out a relatively short time. One of their first big battles was with the Regional Transportation District (RTD), Denver’s transportation authority. After countless meetings and negotiations that went nowhere, the group had had enough, and staged a two-day protest where they blocked the intersection of Colfax and Broadway, the busiest streets downtown, blocking buses, and getting out of their wheelchairs and lying in the street. That was the “shot heard ‘round the world”, if you will, and people with disabilities in other cities wanted to learn how to do direct action to bring about change.
You can’t even begin to talk about ADAPT without talking about Wade Blank. Wade was once an activities director in a nursing home called Heritage House This was the place where the original group that started ADAPT was incarcerated. Wade’s history of working for social justice and social change began long before then, but while at Heritage House, he listened to the dreams of the young folks trapped there, and ultimately helped them to free themselves, and move into the community. They founded Atlantis Community, the second oldest independent living center in the nation.
Once the Gang of 19 was out in the community, they realized that there were many barriers—inaccessible public transportation, restaurants, stores, and other places. Wade imparted his knowledge of community organizing and activism to the budding activists, and they began the daunting task of fighting for the right to go where everyone else could go.
Today, ADAPT has grown from the “Gang of 19” to a grassroots network of thousands of people with disabilities and our allies, with at least 500 people from over 30 states, and sometimes other countries, continually showing up at each action. We are a diverse group…by disability, by politics, by gender and orientation, by race, by ethnicity, by age (literally cradle to grave, and even having had people die at actions), by geography, by ability to communicate and/or use assistive communication, by income (though most of us are at or below poverty level), by marital status or arrangement, by work experience or former occupation, or inability to work, by institutional history, and so much more! We are a real community, even family, that celebrates births, and the lives of those who have passed on, and celebrates the achievements of each of us, be it personal or systemic. Though we have no bylaws, elected officials, or directors, we have managed to realize many significant achievements.
We have gone from being considered rag-tag “militants”, “radicals”, and “hippies” to being a powerful force to be reckoned with. We represent the cutting edge of disability rights and activism, and have gained the respect of many elected officials and other powerful people. Some may not like ADAPT, but they do respect us, and it is much easier to get to the table to help shape policy.
I, too, have grown. I started out as a shy, mousy 21-year-old, who rarely spoke, and when I did, it was barely above a whisper. I desperately wanted to work for social justice and social change. Having been born only three years before the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I felt guilty for not being able to fight for the civil rights of African Americans. I had been involved in several peace and justice movements, but I never felt at home, and never felt as if I were a real part of things. Also, I often was the only African American taking part in the activities.
I joined ADAPT near the end of 1986. At the time, I was living in Chicago, IL, my home town. A friend of my godmother, a Sister in the order of the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND), called her to see if there was anyone that she knew who would be interested in working as an attendant for a man who had a disability. The man, Dennis Schreiber, belonged to a disability rights organization and travelled, and needed someone as a back-up staff. My godmother immediately thought of me, and suggested that I apply for the job. I did, and the rest is history. For the first year, I just hung out, quietly participating in local actions. I was so amazed at the work that ADAPT was doing locally with transportation issues. I also felt at home because here were people who either looked like me, or had similar experiences. Then, in March of 1988, I was finally able to go on my first national action—DC Siege/DOT! I was forever hooked, and from then on, I went with Dennis on ALL of the actions.
Shortly after I joined ADAPT, I met Wade Blank, and we hit it off immediately. In December, 1988, I moved to Colorado Springs, CO, to work with Atlantis/ADAPT. They had recently opened a new office in Colorado Springs. We often went to Denver to participate in actions or meetings, so I saw a lot of Wade, and was able to learn more about organizing and activism. In 1991, I moved to Denver to work in the main office as a community organizer, working directly with Wade, who became my mentor. Though Wade passed away only two years later, I felt enriched and blessed by being able to work with him. The pearls of wisdom that he sent my way were countless!
Over time, I grew from the aforementioned mousy chick, to a fiery activist. I have become a ham, of sorts, in ADAPT, singing, chanting, and helping to keep up our troops’ spirits. I have also become a leader, sometimes helping with negotiations, and stuff, but mostly helping to keep people informed, safe, and pumped up during the actions. I now live in Rochester, NY, and usually help to plan our local actions.
ADAPT has changed my life. I learned how to be an activist, and catalyst for change. I have learned (and am still learning) the political process, and policymaking. Through ADAPT, I have done some really cool and amazing things like help to plan a successful two-week vigil in Colorado to protest budget cuts that could have sent hundreds of people with disabilities back into institutions. I participated in the Free Our People March, where 210 people wheeled and walked from Philadelphia, PA, to Washington, DC, to bring awareness of, and to call for the passage of MiCASSA (Medicaid Community-based Attendant Services and Supports Act), now the Community Choice Act (CCA). I was one of 50 ADAPT members who met with President Bill Clinton in the East Room of the White House. I wouldn’t have been able to do these things had I not been with ADAPT.
That is why I am so excited about ADAPT’s 25 anniversary! We will be in Washington, DC from April 26-May 2, 2008. There will be some amazing stuff happening for this celebration:
April 27
National Fun*Run
ADAPT will hold its 2nd Fun Run/Roll, with the incomparable Marca Bristo as the Honorary National Runner/Roller. For more information visit:
http://www.adaptfunrun.org
April 30
When You Remember Me
Showing of the movie, “When You Remember Me”, a made-for-TV film starring Jeff Savage, Kevin Spacey, and Ellen Burstyn that chronicles Wade Blank’s work freeing youth from a Denver nursing home…work that morphed into the creation of both Atlantis, and ADAPT, will be shown in the evening. Here is the link the synopsis of the movie:
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/129908/When-You-Remember-Me/overview
May 1
The entire day will be given over to the celebration! Here is just some of the amazing things that will be taking place:
StoryCorps—if you listen to NPR, then, you are familiar with StoryCorps, where people record their stories for the Library of Congress, and some of these are aired on NPR. StoryCorps will be at our hotel recording stories from ADAPT folks. I am so excited! Here is the link to StoryCorps:
http://www.storycorps.net/
ADAPT Museum–There will be two huge rooms of multimedia ADAPT historical displays, including blow-ups of 50 of Tom Olin’s incredible photos, every T-shirt from every ADAPT action over the past 25 years, artifacts, memorabilia, first person accounts of every action, videos, slides, music. The folks from Denver are bringing most of the items, news clippings, etc.
ADAPT Jeopardy—this is Jeopardy! ADAPT style!
Tales Around The Campfire—with Mark Johnson
The Show
The Barbeque
Several dignitaries have been invited. Representative Pat Shroeder, who came to the first Denver action back in 1975 will be there!
This is only a partial list of what is happening, so come join us for this magnificent celebration of 25 years of activism. I’ll see you there!
