American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today
of Connecticut

About ADAPT of Connecticut

What does ADAPT stand for? 

ADAPT  has a long history of organizing in the disability community and using civil disobedience and similar non-violent direct action tactics to achieve its goals.  In 1983, as a project of the Atlantis Community in Denver,  ADAPT began it’s national campaign for lifts on buses and access to public transits for people with disabilities.  ADAPT mailed out flyers to peoples with disabilities inviting them to Washington, DC for disability rights training.  At that time in 1983, three people from Connecticut went to the training.  ADAPT started as American Disabled for Accessible Public Transit.  For seven years ADAPT blocked buses in cities across the United States to demonstrate the needs access to public transit.  Many went to jail for the right to ride.

ADAPT played a major role in gaining passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, (ADA), particularly in ADA’S stringent requirements relating to accessible transit, and its being seen as a civil rights law.  Passage of this bill has meant victory for ADAPT in our struggle for life on buses.

Once the transit issue was won and access had began to be guaranteed, ADAPT felt its was clear attendant services must be our next issue.  In a national planning meeting in July 1990, ADAPT targeted a reallocation of Federal and State Medicaid dollars from institutional programs to consumer controlled community based programs.  “ADAPT is not the official name of the organization, it is no longer an acronym.

Because of outdated attitudes toward people with disabilities which label us as “sick”, our needs are seen as “medical “ and a huge system of institutional facilities has developed to provide exclusively for these needs.  This institutional industry which has developed, continues to use up massive amounts of funds to maximize the statue quo.  ADAPT wants to reverse the bias so that community based attendant services are the common option, and nursing homes are a last resort.

ADAPT is like no other organization of which you may be a member of.  From the national to the local level, ADAPT has an informal structure.  There are no money dues, no membership cards.  How do you join?  To become involved with ADAPT you must have an active interest in the issue of changing the long term care systems, getting people attendant services in the community and getting folks out of nursing homes and other institutions.  The key word is active.  ADAPT is an activist organization .  This means you are willing to give your time and energy to bring about changes in the long-term care systems and to free our people.   

Photograph by Tom Olin

The national organization is made up of local groups and individuals who want to be part of ADAPT and are willing to fight for accessibility and community based attendant services.  Groups represented cities, states, and region across the country.

ADAPT is an activist organization focused on changing the long term care system, starting a national attendant program and freeing our people from nursing homes and other institutions.  Each local ADAPT group develops it own style and structure .  Decisions are usually made by group consensus.  Which each local group has local members and local issues, which they address, all work on ADAPT’s national attendant services campaign.  National networking provides information, strategies for each one of these groups.

Connecticut’s ADAPT chapter, which has been run by a few people, is interested in growing.  ADAPT of Connecticut is asking if you would consider becoming a member.  If you are considering becoming involved in ADAPT of Connecticut and want to join us or just want more information contact us at:
 

How do you join?

If you want to become a member of ADAPT of Connecticut or want more information, contact us at: ADAPT of Connecticut, (860) 524- 9073, or email us at adaptofct2@juno.com.