JEFFERSON CITY - Disabled Missourians and advocates rallied at the capitol for better accessibility to buildings, health care reform, and a number of other issues.
They also met privately with some legislators to share their ideas about improving their quality of life.
Rallying for more freedom and opportunities Missourians with disabilities and advocates rallied for the rights of those with disabilities are asking for just that
"A lot of businesses I go see, they're not accessible for me," said rally participant Mike Griffin."So, what I have to do is get their phone number and call them and literally have someone wait on me like I can't do it myself."
Choosing home care service over a nursing home is something advocates say shouldn't have to be a choice based on money.The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, wants more federal funding to help Missourians wanting to get in home care.
"They need this program to be able to live in their home and give them some kind of independence that they're not going to have when they go into some kind of facility," said rally participant Ellen Walls .
Nursing home administrators disagree and say the system is fine the way it is, because some Missourians with disabilities can't drive, administrators say some miss out on other parts of life by staying at home.
"Socialization, interaction with other residents, companionship. Recently, a resident just joined and one of his things is that he was lonely. And so, here, he had other residents and quickly made friends," said Tinay Buckley, Oak Tree Village administrator.
And AFSCME is doing more than just rallying at the capitol. It's also going virtual with a YouTube video spreading its message.