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September 12, 2007 After a protest that eventually closed the Thompson Center Tuesday, disabled activists and Gov. Blagojevich's office agreed on plans they say will help move the disabled from nursing homes to community settings. Protesters initially blocked elevators and escalators inside the building. By Tuesday afternoon, more than 200 demonstrators shut the building down completely by blocking doors with their wheelchairs. The blockade ended about 5 p.m. when the governor's representatives agreed to some of the group's demands, which included proposals Blagojevich's office said it had already planned to carry out. Activists want the state to spend less money sending disabled people to nursing homes and other institutions. The money saved, they say, should pay for assistance programs that would enable disabled people to live in their own homes. Blagojevich's office agreed to set up a meeting with ADAPT, the group that organized the protest, by Oct. 17. Officials also ensured that the troubled Lincoln Developmental Center in Lincoln would not reopen. Officials also said ADAPT would be part of a committee to help with a $58 million program to move the disabled from nursing homes and institutions to the general population. Hundreds of visitors were inconvenienced during the protests. Tacara Juarez couldn't get her driver's license after taking the day off to come downtown. Robert Lozano couldn't give blood. Lesley Perrin missed a workers comp arbitration hearing. Monday, ADAPT activists blockaded the American Medical Association building for nearly four hours. Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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