Welcome to the October 2007 issue of the Real Choice Newsletter

In this Issue

	In Memory of Lisa Busjahn
	ADAPT Comes to Chicago
	Introducing Katie Dunne - Intern
	Our Vision for Illinois
	Campaign Principles

Upcoming Events

Liberty Launch is in full swing! Alton and Springfield events were energizing, and we are headed to Joliet on October 4. Click here to learn more and read about the progress.

About REAL CHOICE

The Campaign for Real Choice in Illinois is people with disabilities organizing for freedom and choice. We are a grassroots, citizen action organization consisting of people with disabilities and their supporters. For more on the Campaign, go to realchoiceinillinois.org

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In Memory of Lisa Busjahn

On August 25, 2007 we said goodbye to a dear friend and fellow activist. Lisa Busjahn of Champaign, Illinois was part of the Campaign since its inception. She was always eager to get going on the next event - especially if it involved going after the Governor. Lisa had tremendous passion for social justice and equality of all people. She always saw hope - even when others were discouraged. Her wicked sense of humor and great courage and passion for life will be greatly missed by all who knew her. We love you, Lisa!

ADAPT Comes to Chicago

 The national direct-action, disability rights group, ADAPT, staged three major protests in Chicago last month. About 600 individuals, most of them in wheelchairs, descended upon the city from September 8 – 12.

On September 10, ADAPT protesters took over the offices of the American Medical Association (AMA). They issued demands that included the AMA’s support of the Community Choice Act, which would allow people eligible for nursing home care to choose where and how money is spent to provide services and support--in their own home.

The next day, ADAPT blocked the three main entrances and exits at the Thompson Center, wedging their wheelchairs into revolving doors. Protestors blocked escalators in the building and turnstiles and vending machines at the Clark/Lake Chicago Transit Authority station in the center.

The blockade ended about 5 p.m. after ADAPT leaders met with Matt Summy, Blagojevich's deputy chief of staff, and Grace Hou, assistant secretary of the state Department of Human Services. The activists obtained promises that the governor would meet with the group before Oct. 17 and that he would not reopen the Lincoln Developmental Center.

On September 12, the last day of the protests, they shut down the Chicago offices of AFSME union. ADAPT activists demanded that the union stop advocating for the institutionalization of people with disabilities and support the Community Choice Act.

The Campaign congratulates ADAPT for a job well done. As Mike Miner eloquently put it in the Chicago Reader, "Individually, no one's more invisible than a person in a wheelchair. Collectively they're pretty spectacular."

To see video news clips of the actions, go to www.realchoiceinillinois.org/news.htm

Introducing Katie Dunne - Intern

My name is Katie Dunne and I am working with the Campaign for Real Choice in Illinois this fall. I was first introduced to this organization when Jen Knapp spoke in one of my classes. It sounded like a great group that was fighting for much-needed change in Illinois. When it came time to choose an internship for my Political Science major, this seemed perfect.

For as long as I can remember, my family has been involved in disability advocacy work and I’ve always planned on making a career out of it. My long-term goals are to graduate from U of I with majors in Spanish and Political Science, attend law school, and go into disability law.

In the short 5 weeks I’ve been working for the Campaign, I’ve learned an incredible amount about the services, programs, and resources (or lack thereof) for people with disabilities in Illinois. I’m looking forward to working with Barb, Lester, and Jen in their ongoing battle to give the citizens of Illinois real choice!

Our Vision for Illinois

By Lester Pritchard

Last month, I proposed the notion that the world of disability services in Illinois may be approaching a tipping point. I said that, if indeed we are approaching such a period of change, we need to be prepared to guide changes in directions that embody the fundamental principles of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” for all people with disabilities in Illinois. (To view last month's Newsletter, click here.)

The Campaign for Real Choice in Illinois has adopted as our vision the statement articulated in the Alliance for Full Participation Action Agenda (Alliance for Full Participation, 2005):

“We [people with disabilities] do not belong in segregated institutions, sheltered workshops, special schools or nursing homes. Those places must close, to be replaced by houses, apartments and condos in regular neighborhoods, and neighborhood schools that have the tools they need to include us. We can all live, work and learn in the community.”

Full inclusion for many people with disabilities, particularly those with significant disabilities, requires that certain tools be made available to them. These tools come in the form of supports and services. These supports and services need to be flexible, individualized, and non-invasive and should be measured using the following criteria.
1. They must be provided in integrated settings.
2. They must be person-centered.
3. They must result in the achievement of outcomes as determined by the individuals receiving them.
4. They must be delivered with reasonable promptness.
5. They must be easily accessible to people with disabilities and their families.
6. They must continuously meet high quality standards.

People with disabilities and their parents and supporters are beginning to demand something new in Illinois…freedom from the control of others, freedom from the captivity and confinement of institutions, and the freedom to act, speak and live according to choice.

That’s why the Campaign for Real Choice in Illinois exists…to give people the opportunity to participate in this movement for something new in our state.

We welcome your comments. Email us at info@realchoiceinillinois.org

Campaign Principles

We believe in:

Individuality – Disability services should be based on the needs and preferences of people with disabilities.

Consumer Control – People with disabilities and their families should have control over their lives.

Participatory Democracy – Citizens need to get involved in the political process.

Friction – Meaningful reforms in disability services will only be gained by challenging the status quo.

Action – Improving lives and altering the relations of power will be accomplished through united action.

For more information on the Campaign, go to www.realchoiceinillinois.org