Report On

DISABILITY CAPITOL ACTION DAY

MAY 20, 2004

By the disability community
For the disability community

The vision for Disability Capitol Action Day was that people of all disabilities could come together on one day, after the May Revise, to fight not just for our own disability issue, but for each other. On May 20, 2004 that vision became a reality as over 2,500 people representing all disability groups spent the entire day fighting to preserve our freedom and way of life.

The large crowd overflowing through the West side of the Capitol was perhaps the most diverse ever seen in a disability rally, diverse in ethnicity, ages, and disability. We were the disability voice of California coming together. We were people with all kinds of disabilities, family members, friends, and workers all united in our common cause. As one organizer said, "This is what we can do when we ALL work together."

And we were successful. The critical budget hearings in the Senate and Assembly that day saw major victories for our cause in IHSS, wages and benefits, SSI/SSP, and developmental services. But as the state budget process heads to a conclusion in June, we need to keep working together to hold the line.

Disability Issues Forum

At 10:00AM over 700 people gathered at the Sacramento Convention Center for the Disability Issues Forum to learn about the impact of the Governor's May budget proposals on people with disabilities.

The forum was supported by grants from the California Endowment, the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers, and The Arc of California, and was moderated by Patricia Yeager of the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers. Presentations were given by Eve Hill of the Western Law Center for Disability Rights, Rebecca Gonzales from the California Budget Project, Sergio Alunan, of Public Authorities for IHSS, Pat Napoliello from California Alliance for Inclusive Communities, Virginia Knowlton and Deborah Doctor of Protection and Advocacy, Inc., and Sally Zinman, from the California Network of Mental Health Clients.

March to Capitol

After the forum, at 11:30 AM, over 1500 people marched from the convention center to the Capitol. The line of enthusiastic chanting marchers, with banners and signs, stretched all the way down 13th Street onto L Street to the West steps of the Capitol by 10th Street. The marchers arrived to cheers from the hundreds already gathered for the rally by the Capitol.

Rally at Capitol

The rally allowed us to express outrage at the constant targeting of the disability community in the state budget process. This was the third year in a row that the lives and independence of people with disabilities have been on the table, and we came together to say it must stop. Cuts in In-Home Supportive Services, Developmental Services, children’s Mental Health, SSI/SSP, Medi-Cal, and more target people with disabilities of all ages.

As rally participants flowed over the steps and terraces onto the lawns and under the shaded trees, the rally also became a celebration of our community. The stage was set in front of the West Steps and surrounded with hundred of people front and back and banners with pictures of people with disabilities who would be affected by the proposed cuts. Master of Ceremonies Tony Sauer introduced singers Nancy Thomas and Stephanie Hafner; speakers Maggie Belton, Delores Bazua, Rachel Ford, and Hector Mendez; and poets Leah Gardner and Leroy Moore. Jessie Lorenz and Herb Levine from the Independent Living Resource Center of San Francisco spoke and distributed a Unity Chain through the crowd with hundreds of paper links. Each link was from one person with a story of how the Governor’s proposed cuts would impact their lives.

Legislative Visits - Legislative Hearings

The power of the rally spilled into the Capitol with small groups visiting Legislators from their home districts, explaining through the example of their own lives how the budget proposals would affect thousands. Hundreds of rally participants attended the critical budget hearings on IHSS, wages, developmental services, and SSI/SSP. After months of advocacy by many groups in many forms, the budget committees voted in our favor on most issues. By the end of the budget subcommittee hearings, on Saturday May 22, the disability community was positioned well to keep our services intact.

But much can happen until the budget is signed. As we write, the Conference Committee is concluding its work, and differences between the Legislature and Administration will go to the four legislative leaders (of both parties) and the Governor. Once the budget is passed, the Governor may reduce budget items through the line item veto.

The goal of Capitol Action Day was to unite and push back the budget cuts and protect our freedom and way of life. We have come a long way towards that goal. But our work is not yet done.

DISABILITY ACTION COALITION

ORGANIZERS

• California Alliance for Inclusive Communities
  
• California Foundation for Independent Living Centers
  
• California Network of Mental Health Clients
  
• Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
  
• Protection & Advocacy Inc.
  
• Service Employees International Union
  
• Western Law Center for Disability Rights

SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

• ARC California
  
• ARC San Francisco
  
• AT Network
  
• Assistive Technology Group
  
• Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program
  
• California Association of Family Empowerment Centers
  
• California Autism Coalition
  
• California Association of Public Authorities
  
• California Council of the Blind
  
• Californians for Disability Rights
  
• California Rehabilitation Association
  
• Center for Accessible Technology
  
• Coalition of Californians for Olmstead
  
• Disability Rights Advocates
  
• Disability Rights Enforcement Education Services
  
• Disabled Women’s Alliance
  
• Family Voices
  
• Fiesta Educativia
  
• Home Care Council
  
• Coalition for the Preservation of the Lanterman Act
  
• NorCal Center on Deafness
  
• Laidlaw
  
• Marin County
  
• Quality Home Care Coalition
  
• Through the Looking Glass
  
• United Cerebral Palsy-Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento
  
• Wheelchair Center
  
• Whirlwind Wheelchairs
  
• World Institute on Disability

Organizations Providing Monetary Assistance

• Arc California
  
• Arc San Francisco
  
• Assistive Technology Group (Water and Wheelchair Repair)
  
• California Association of Public Authorities
  
• California Endowment (Forum)
  
• California Foundation for Independent Living Centers
  
• Marin County
  
• Laidlaw
  
• Protection and Advocacy, Inc.
  
• Service Employees International Union

Funding for this page comes from non-government sources