May 17th 2012

Dear Friends of ADAPT and Medicaid:

ADAPT’s work on the “MY MEDICAID MATTERS! Campaign continues

Now we need the community’s help.

On Monday April 23rd 74 ADAPT activists got arrested in the Cannon Building in Washington, DC protesting the proposed $800 billion reduction in Medicaid funded programs. These draconian cuts in Medicaid were part of the Republican budget presented by Representative Paul Ryan, Chair of the House Budget Committee.

In the past, the DC Courts allowed the ADAPT lawyer to represent all the activists who got arrested and negotiate either a fine and/or community service.

However in an unprecedented move the DC attorney is now requiring all 74 activists, many who are low income on SSI or SSDI, to return to DC on May 22nd. They are refusing to allow our lawyer to represent us, thereby requiring ADAPT activists to physically appear in DC Court on May 22nd. We estimate that ADAPT activists will incur costs between $100,000 – $150,000 for travel, hotel, food and possible fines up to a $1,000 per person. Low income ADAPTers will need help with these expenses.

We won’t be intimidated by the system!

Medicaid funded programs are too integral to our goal of full community integration.

So we are creating an MMM! Legal Defense Fund to fight back. We want to raise the money to offset as much of these costs as possible. To do this we need your help!

We would appreciate your contribution to the MMM! Legal Defense Fund. All contributions are tax deductible. All donations will be used for costs related to the MY MEDICAID MATTERS! Campaign.

Thank you for your support of disability rights and full community integration.

To support the ADAPT activists you can send your tax deductible donation to:

ADAPT

MMM Legal Defense Fund

1640A East 2nd St.

Austin, Texas 78702

512/442-0252

or

Through PayPal www.adapt.org

For an Institution and Barrier Free America,

The ADAPT Community