Hi, y’all.

Today I attended the first meeting of the Occupy Austin OccuKripz, a new working group for disabled occupiers and their allies. Austin is home to a very active ADAPT office and a couple of their activists have been occupiers since the start. It’s a natural match — both groups are radical nonviolent activists in love with direct action (the ADAPT office features framed portraits of some of their most memorable arrests) and disabled people have a lot of reasons to Occupy.

Members of ADAPT were the only activists arrested on the floor of the Texas legislature during its last session. The formation of the group seems like a natural way to formalize the connections we’ve already been making and a way to strengthen us both. The main goals currently are to ensure that Occupy events are accessible and to encourage occupiers to support Medicaid, which is under attack nationwide.

After the meeting, my allies introduced me to their favorite Mexican restaurant (jokingly called the ADAPT cafeteria). I’d never been before, and it may be my new favorite East Side Austin tex-mex. Gotta love a working group that meets blocks from my house!

That’s what’s on my mind tonight. What about you? This is today’s open thread.