Washington, D.C. - No one is affected more by the crisis in long term care than persons with disabilities and those who are aging. When ADAPT, the nation's leading grass roots disability rights organization, didn't get a response to a meeting request it sent last August to AARP, the nation's largest aging advocacy group, a personal visit from hundreds of ADAPT members got the desired result.

Blocking the doors of the AARP building for an hour got ADAPTa meeting with AARP Director of Legislation and Public Policy, John Rother, and the promise of a meeting with AARP Executive Director Horace Deets, to coincide with ADAPT"s meeting with President Clinton later in October. One of the top agenda items for that meeting will be the needed reform of the current institutionally biased long-term care system.

"As we negotiated with Mr. Rother, both groups were very clear that we have common goals, and that by partnering on our common issues, like home and community based long term care services, we all win," said Barbara Toomer ADAPTOrganizer from Utah who also belongs to AARP. "Mr. Rother admitted that the AARP approach has been fairly cautious and that they could certainly be working more aggressively on home and community based services."

Along with ADAPT's MiCASSA legislation, which would provide choice in long term care for all Americans, ADAPTwants AARP members to know how the 1999 Supreme Court Olmstead decision can return people to the community who do not wish to be institutionalized or relegated to nursing homes.

Today's demonstration and meeting with AARP ended an action packed week in Washington. ADAPTmembers from over 30 states now return home to work locally on the re-introduction and passage of MiCASSA, the implementation of the Olmstead decision, and maintaining the integrity of the ADA.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT) Please visit our website at http://www.adapt.org/

For direct inquiries regarding this press release please use the contact information at the beginning of this message or Email adaptpr@adapt.org