For Immediate Release:
Contact:  Chris Hilderbrant, (585) 546-7510
April 20, 2012

(Rochester, NY) – Forty-four local activists leave for Washington, DC on Saturday, April 21, 2012, to participate rallies and protests for the civil rights for people with disabilities.  Local activists will join hundreds of other activists from across the nation in actions themed “My Medicaid Matters” taking place from April 22nd through April 25th.  The activists are part of a nationwide grassroots organization known as ADAPT.  The principle goal of ADAPT is to ensure that seniors and people with disabilities have the home care needed to live independently, not be forced into a nursing facility or other institution.

For this series of actions, joining ADAPT in the nation’s capital will be Actor Noah Wyle.  Wyle is best known for his award-winning work as Dr. John Carter on “ER”, which aired for 15 seasons on NBC. He received five Emmy and three Golden Globe nominations for his performance on the show. Currently he is starring in the TNT series “Falling Skies.” On April 22, Wyle will join hundreds of disability rights activists in Washington, D.C., as the celebrity runner in the 7th annual ADAPT Fun Run for Disability Rights. Hundreds of ADAPT activists from around the country will also do laps with Wyle around Upper Senate Park to raise funds for ADAPT’s campaign to preserve Medicaid for the nation’s aging and disabled citizens.

ADAPT, the nation’s largest cross-disability grass-roots disability rights organization, organized the My Medicaid Matters rally on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol in D.C. last fall that was co-sponsored by nearly 100 disability, aging and civil rights organizations. ADAPT will be in Washington the week of April 21-27 to continue to press the Administration and Congress to refrain from making cuts in Medicaid that will result in forcing people with disabilities and those who are aging out of their own homes and into nursing homes in order to receive the services and supports they need.

The local activists will be leaving from the Center for Disability Rights, 497 State Street, by an accessible chartered bus on Saturday, April 21, 2012.  The bus begins loading at 8:00 a.m. for a 9:00 a.m. departure.

People wishing to support Noah Wyle in the Fun Run for Disability Rights can do so at http://adaptfunrun.org/runner.php?id=677.  More information regarding the mission and history of ADAPT can be found at www.ADAPT.org.  Real-time updates of ADAPT’s actions in DC will appear on Twitter by following @NationalADAPT.