Rochester Disability Community Under Attack

The Center for Disability Rights is under attack - Tell Maggie Brooks to Restore the CDPAS Contract by phone and in person!

The Center for Disability Rights is under attack by the Monroe County Executive, Maggie Brooks. Without warning, on July 22nd, CDR received a terse, 5 sentence letter informing us of the contract termination with no explanation included. All of our CDPAS consumers received a letter the same day telling them that the county is terminating its contract with CDR and that they have until just August 1st to choose from one of five for-profit agencies for their Consumer Directed Personal Assistance.

The next day, we received from a friend in the local media, a copy of a three page letter from the County Executive to the media. The letter was filled with blatant falsehoods mixed with misunderstandings of the roles of CDR and the county in the CDPAS program. Here is CDR's letter to Maggie Brooks debunking her allegations against CDR:
http://www.whec.com/whecimages/cdr_letter-to-county.pdf. Videos of consumers refuting the county's charges are here: http://www.youtube.com/user/cdrnys. Share these; make them go viral as meanwhile, Brooks continues to use the media as a buffer to not have to talk with us. Many more documents available on CDR's website at www.cdrnys.org.

Our consumers and their attendants have been thrown into chaos and Ms.
Brooks refuses to talk to them. Nearly 300 consumers are in danger of losing their attendants and possibly their services outright.

Currently consumers, supporters and staff have camped out in front of the County Building on Main Street in Rochester. We have been out there 24/7 since Monday and will continue until this is over.

We need your help!

TAKE ACTION: CALL MAGGIE BROOKS!

Call Maggie Brooks and urge her to restore CDR's contract for the sake of the hundreds of people who like their services and want to continue them.

Then ask at least two friends to do the same.

Be respectful, but be firm. Her phone should not stop ringing!

County Executive Maggie Brooks: (585) 753-1000

TAKE ACTION: JOIN US FOR A RALLY!

The Center for Disability Rights and Rochester ADAPT will be having a rally on Monday, August 2, 2010

11:00 AM at 39 West Main Street, Rochester, NY

Although this has been mentioned in the media, key issues are not being raised or addressed:

- Monroe County is not explaining why CDR's program is still being shut down when most of the people who were investigated are actively refuting claims that they were neglected.

- Monroe County is not explaining why a successful program run by a disability-led, consumer controlled organization is being dismantled and given to for-profit entities.

- Monroe County is not explaining why it continues to refuse to acknowledge the voices of the people with disabilities who want to stay and let them make their own choices.

Monroe County folks are the same people who used the R-word.

Now they are talking ABOUT us, and refuse to talk WITH us.

Please come and help us make our voices heard!

39 West Main Street, Rochester, NY

Monday, August 2, 2010

11:00 AM

We will be continuing our vigil throughout the weekend.

People can feel free to come and join us!