Response to SABE pulling out of AFP conference in the fall by the exec. Director of the Arc.


Kendall

"Of all the tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busy-bodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."                            
                                                                                C.S. Lewis 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Justice For All Moderator [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2005 3:16 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Disability Organizations Respond to SABE's Letter

"Disability Organizations Respond to SABE's Letter"

Steve Eidelman of The Arc, [log in to unmask], writes the 
following in reaction to JFA's posting of Chester Finn's 
letters:

[Below] is the response sent to SABE. Chester Finn has 
assured us that SABE will not encourage people to boycott 
the meeting. We are redoubling our efforts to make certain 
that self advocates, as well as family members and direct 
support professionals, can attend the conference.

===========================

February 7, 2005

Dear Chester,

The Steering Committee of the Alliance for Full 
Participation would like to respond to your January 24 
letter notifying us that Self Advocates Becoming Empowered 
has decided to withdraw participation as a Founder in the 
Alliance for Full Participation's 2005 Summit, "Many 
Voices, One Vision."

The partners of the Alliance for Full Participation (AFP) 
deeply regret this decision. We regret that the AFP 
partners did not have the opportunity to respond and 
address SABE's concerns prior to the decision being made. 
The AFP partners will continue to extend an invitation to 
the SABE leadership to meet face to face to discuss and 
work together to resolve SABE's concerns. It is our hope 
that this invitation will be accepted so that our 
organizations can work together to determine a solution to 
these challenges and still continue to move forward to 
achieve the goals of the Summit. We regret any 
miscommunications or misunderstandings, and we hope that 
our partnership can begin again.

The leadership of the Alliance for Full Participation is 
absolutely hopeful that reconciliation with SABE can be 
reached, and we will continue to work to achieve this 
outcome. Should this not occur, the AFP is committed to 
ensuring that the voice of self advocates is heard at this 
Summit. We have and will continue to actively seek funding 
streams to provide scholarships for self advocates and 
family members to attend the meeting; we continue to 
encourage self advocates and family members to participate 
in the state teams and at the national conference; and we 
are committed to ensuring self advocate and family member 
leadership and representation in breakout sessions and our 
Town Hall meeting.

Chester, please feel free to contact any one of us so that 
we can work together to resolve SABE's concerns.

Sincerely, 

Renee L. Pietrangelo
American Network of Community Options and Resources

M. Doreen Croser, Executive Director
American Association on Mental Retardation, Inc.

Steven M. Eidelman, Executive Director
The Arc of the United States

George Jesien, PhD, Executive Director
Association of University Centers on Disabilities, Inc.

James F. Gardner Ph.D, President and CEO 
The Council on Quality and Leadership in Supports for 
People with Disabilities, Inc.

Robert M. Gettings, Executive Director
National Association of State Directors of Developmental 
Disabilities Services, Inc. 

Karen F. Flippo, Executive Director 
National Association of Councils on Developmental 
Disabilities 

Curt Decker, Executive Director
National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems, 
Inc.

Stephen Bennett, President and CEO
United Cerebral Palsy 

# # #

=====================

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