Disability Options Network News

I have not had a chance to pay my respect to the patriots who were
arrested in Washington DC recently…

and for that matter….

for ALL those who have taken the fight for justice to the street in 2005
and so many other times in recent years.

I mean ALL of YOU!

And, ALL of you who support those in the street battle in other ways!

You have my respect and admiration.
I am ALWAYS proud to be in your company.

I found an old tune that I offer as a salute to all of you.
(sung by a Pittsburgh folk singer, Anne Feeney)

http://www.annefeeney.com/Pages/jailforjustice.html

We have certainly done some very fine work in recent years.

Hi everyone,

I met many of you at this past national action, but for those of you
who I didn’t get a chance to meet/talk to, I am third-year undergraduate at
the University of Michigan pursuing an independent major in Community
Empowerment Studies. For my senior thesis project, I am interested in developing an organizational history of ADAPT and examining the ways in which ADAPT’s structure and tactics have influenced the disability community and empowered people with disabilities to demand their rights through non-violent action.

Basically, I am looking to spend the first half of next year (January - June
2006) visiting or talking to different local and regional ADAPT groups to
see how they have historically organized and currently organize to create change on the local, state, and national level. I am in the midst of putting together a project proposal in which I need to outline a rationale for where I will be going and what I hope to learn/gather from each visit.

Obviously, as much as I would like to visit everyone, financial, logistical,
and time restrictions are going to limit my itinerary to somewhere between 9 and 12 local or state groups. So, if you (i.e. your ADAPT group) would be
interested in being profiled in my thesis, please e-mail me at swatkin@umich.edu and let me know!! I would like to have a diverse sample of groups, and include chapters who are a newer, older, have an ethnically diverse membership, a large number of youth or former nursing home residents, an effective way of fundraising, any particularly significant victories or dramatic or unique actions, etc.

Thanks so much for your time and I look forward to hearing from you!!

FREE OUR PEOPLE!!

Sarah Watkins — Michigan ADAPT