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In the nation's capital in November to press Congress on the Medicaid Community Attendant Services Act (see p. 22), American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today, in its role as the direct-action wing of the movement, took care of two other items: Greyhound ADAPT protesters took over Dept. of Transportation offices for five hours to force a commitment from DOT to issue rules spelling out access requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act for over-the-road buses like Greyhound. DOT Chief of Staff Michael Huerta pledged the Dept. would issue final rules by next Sept. 15 -- and send a letter to Greyhound urging them to buy only lift-equipped buses from now on. In the absence of rules, Greyhound has been able to -- legally -- avoid putting lifts on their buses; spokespersons have continued to say they have no plans to buy new buses with lifts. Nursing home money The group also wrested from HUD secretary Andrew Cuomo a commitment to meet to discuss changing the HUD practice of financing nursing homes. ADAPT contends that HUD monies go to nursing homes rather than into financing accessible housing. ADAPT also wants answers to HUD's refusal to enforce Section 504 (See "Where are the barrier-free apartments? Nobody knows," D. R. Nation., Nov./Dec.) -- and for the federal agency to change its definition of homelessness "to include persons incarcerated in nursing homes and other institutions" so they can "more readily access housing subsidies which would promote community living," says ADAPT.
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