Nearly 2000 advocates and allies show up for showdown in Sacramento: Disability Capitol Action Day, May 15

Francisco Govoy and caregiver Teresita Perez Govoy, speaking about the impact of proposed IHSS cuts on people with substantial disabilities“Cuts cost more: you can’t balance the budget on cuts alone,” was the rallying cry of the estimated 2000 people from southern, mid and northern cities and rural towns who arrived in Sacramento on May 15 to be part of the 2008 Disability Capitol Action Day. Organized annually by the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC), the event is part coalition-building, with a unifying theme and rally; part education, with a forum of speakers on pressing disability issues and a resource fair; and part advocacy, with legislative visits on particular bills important to the disability constituency.

Jan Garrett, executive director of the Berkeley Center for Independent Living, advocating for SB 1198, a bill sponsored by DREDF and PAI to expand insurance companies' coverage of durable medical equipmentPAI and other disability rights organizations contribute financially and logistically, to support the growing coalition of groups that make Disability Action Day the centerpiece of their legislative advocacy efforts. This year, the budget cuts threatened to eradicate progress made over the last several years to shore up services and benefits keeping hundreds of thousands of Californians with disabilities out of nursing homes.

State Senator Elaine Alquist, discussing legislative prioritiesA wide range of speakers in the educational forum included: legislators and their staff members, people surviving on In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS), representatives of various disability groups explaining how the cuts would impact their daily lives and advocates detailing particular bills in front of the legislature. The overarching message was that because most Californians with disabilities are below or close to the poverty line, the services that are being reduced are vital - and even marginal cuts can result in the consignment of these individuals to nursing homes.

Deborah Doctor, PAI legislative advocate, deep in discussions with Marty Omoto, Director of the Californians' Disability Community Action Network (CDCAN) This candid shot shows the diversity and intensity of the crowd that came from all parts of California to demonstrate their commitment to reducing the impact of the state's budget cuts on people with disabilities Gina Semenza, field representative for U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, speaking about the proposed bill to restore the Americans with Disabilities Act

All photographs by Merle Levy, PAI staff member of the Legislative and Public Information Unit, Sacramento.