FEBRUARY 2003 • VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1 AAPDnews Save the Date! October 17-19, 2003 AAPD and NOW Co-sponsor Women with Disabilities and Allies Forum: Linking Arms for Equality and Justice for All Bethesda Hyatt Regency Hotel Bethesda, Maryland Specific information will appear on the AAPD web site beginning in March, and detailed information will also be provided in the May issue of AAPD News. New Discount Mail-Order Prescription Drugs for AAPD Members! AAPD is pleased to announce we have contracted with Scriptsense, a Mail Order Prescription Drug Organization committed to offering our members significant discounts on brand-name prescription drugs. This mail order (only) pharmaceutical service is designed for individuals who require long- term use of national brand pharmaceuticals, with a minimum 90-day supply of the same drug required. There are no shipping charges for AAPD members. Scriptsense is not a pharmacy; prescriptions are filled at their affiliated licensed Canadian pharmacies, and only those prescription drugs that are approved in the United States are dispensed. The program offers a wide selection of brand-name prescription products that are the same as those supplied in the U.S. However, the costs are much lower because: • Canadians buy pharmaceuticals at lower prices • The U.S. dollar is worth more than the Canadian dollar • Canadian dispensing fees are fixed Scriptsense requires a prescription from a U.S. licensed medical doctor who has examined the patient. The prescription service features oversight and prescription review by Canadian physicians, and the drugs are dispensed by registered pharmacists through licensed Canadian pharmacies. The Canadian physician provides a secondary evaluation regarding the prescription and will contact the attending U.S. physician if any questions arise. The actual costs of medications do not change very much in Canada. However, the exchange rate does. As such, the drug costs may vary. Scriptsense will provide updated prescription medication prices both via phone and through their web site. Scriptsense is committed to maintaining customer confidentiality. The first step in subscribing to Scriptsense's service is to fill out an enrollment form. These can be obtained from their web site or by calling them. Prescriptions can be included with the initial enrollment. The enrollment information is then screened for completeness, prescription, and signature. It is then entered into an eligibility file and forwarded for Canadian fulfillment. A Canadian physician reviews the patient drug profile and prescription requests, approves the prescription for fulfillment, or confers with the U.S. attending physician. The Canadian pharmacist checks the eligibility file for history and fills and mails the prescription with accompanying information about the drug. Please allow a minimum of three weeks for your first prescription and two weeks for receipt of refills thereafter. The following is a comparison chart showing a few of the discount prices available on brand-name pharmaceuticals from Scriptsense. These prices are for illustration purposes only. Be sure to check with Scriptsense for updated prices. Prescription AAPD Provider US Price Savings Drug Pharmacy Price to AAPD Members Lipitor 20mg $188.90 $281.70 $92.80 Prilosec 10mg $158.85 $359.91 $201.06 Norvasc 10mg $153.80 $179.99 $26.19 Lopressor 100mg $48.28 $91.49 $43.21 Levoquin 250mg $407.94 $765.00 $357.06 Nexium 20mg $234.04 $350.97 $116.93 Actos 30mg $281.30 $428.94 $147.64 Avandia 8mg $254.11 $426.00 $171.89 Gucophage 850mg $42.30 $117.89 $75.59 Avapro 150mg $110.04 $140.40 $30.36 Accupril 10mg $80.65 $95.99 $15.34 Monopril 10mg $80.64 $105.00 $24.37 Prinivil 10mg $86.77 $105.00 $18.23 Zestril 10mg $90.49 $103.41 $12.92 Lotensin 10mg $67.93 $88.47 $20.54 Vasotec 10mg $79.14 $92.99 $13.85 Advair 500/50 $368.78 $581.97 $213.19 Pulmicort 200mcg $213.10 $380.97 $167.87 Serevent 25mcg $187.51 $233.97 $46.46 Flovent 125mcg $104.60 $261.27 $156.67 All calls concerning Scriptsense must go directly to them and not to AAPD. The program is open ONLY to individual AAPD members (this is not a family plan), and you must provide Scriptsense with your AAPD membership number (which you can find on your membership card and the mailing label of this newsletter). The program for AAPD members begins effective February 15, 2003. How to contact Scriptsense: toll-free (800) 831-9328 (V/TTY), Monday- Friday 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Eastern time). This phone number is for Customer Service for AAPD members only; e-mail info@scriptsense.ca or visit their web site at www.aapd.scriptsense.ca. Linking Arms in Dangerous Times Dear AAPD Members, The theme of the National Organization for Women's (NOW's) 2002 annual conference, "Linking Arms in Dangerous Times," provides a timely reminder of the importance of coming together in the context of an extremely challenging fiscal climate. With states facing the worst budget picture since World War II, children and adults with disabilities and our allies will have to fight harder than ever to protect key programs like Medicaid, Medicare, housing assistance, and public transportation in the context of widespread budget cuts. Reaching out and working across organizational lines is one of the most effective ways to increase the priority placed on our issues as policymakers look to make tough choices in the face of state deficits totaling more than $60 billion. With this in mind, AAPD is working with the Fair Taxes For All Coalition at the national level to encourage Congress and the Administration to provide support to the states in the context of any stimulus package signed into law. In October, AAPD will be partnering with NOW to co-host a national forum for women with disabilities and their allies. We are hopeful that the forum will lead to greater collaboration and broader support for priorities like the Americans with Disabilities Act, home and community-based long-term services and supports, and quality health care and justice for all. The forum is also a chance to share strategies for getting out the vote, having an impact on lifetime appointments to the federal bench, and cultivating emerging leaders in the struggle for civil rights. Cross-disability and cross-civil rights advocacy is critical if we are to weather the storms that lie ahead. As always, what occurs in the grass roots at the state and local level will be more important than what happens in Washington, D.C. If we are to prevail, we must put a human face on the impact of proposed budget cuts and we must make the fiscal case for maintaining investments in our priorities as a way of saving money in the long term. In these trying times, AAPD looks forward to linking arms with our members, with partners across the disability and civil rights movements, with the business community, and with our allies in and outside government so that we can emerge stronger, better organized, and ready to fight for an America that honors its commitments and empowers its citizens to reinvigorate the economy and improve their lives. Andrew J. Imparato AAPD President and CEO ImparatoA@aol.com "It's the right thing to do" Digital Credit Union Begins Web Accessibility Project By Tim Garner, VP Marketing, Digital Federal Credit Union Membership in Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a new optional benefit for AAPD members. DCU's web site is an important part of the member experience. The majority of DCU members make extensive use of it to find educational and product information, open accounts, and manage their money. Members visit our site more than a million times each month. Our new relationship with AAPD helped draw our attention to the need to make our web site more accessible to people with disabilities. We hired The Paciello Group, a leading expert on web accessibility, to audit our site and show us what needed to be changed. They taught us about the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) and federal Section 508 regulations. The W3C is short for the World Wide Web Consortium. This international group sets standards for web sites and browsers so the web works smoothly. The WAI is a set of guidelines that tell web developers how to set up web sites so people with disabilities – particularly those who are blind or have low vision and/or those who are deaf or hard of hearing – can have full use of the web. Mike Paciello of The Paciello Group helped create those guidelines. Section 508 regulations turned some of the WAI guidelines into requirements for government agencies and contractors. What do these guidelines address? People with different disabilities have different needs when it comes to the web. People who are blind use special technologies to read the web. Screen reading software reads the words, links, and graphic descriptions out loud. Braille readers convert the words on the screen to Braille. Others may need to change the size, color, or contrast of web pages to make them easier to read. They typically do this by changing accessibility settings on their browsers. People who are deaf or hard of hearing need to have all audible web content presented in writing. The Results of our Audit Fortunately, The Paciello Group audit found that our web site was already more accessible than most they've tested. They gave us a comprehensive report on the changes we need to make. In addition, we hired them to train our web development team on how to make the changes and how to determine if we are successfully meeting the guidelines. Diane DeAngelis, AAPD Director of Marketing and Member Services, was our guest at the training. Most of the changes we need to make will not affect the average user. The underlying web page code will contain labels and instructions that will help screen reading software describe what the listener is hearing. It will help people who need to change web page appearance do so with full access to all content. What Comes Next Our goal is to have all the necessary changes made by the middle of 2003. Our first changes will affect our home page and pages to the main sections. We will add a page to our site that explains our accessibility initiative and provides regular updates on the changes we're making. We'll also have an accessibility help page. Working With Our Partners Because of the complexities of some of the online services we provide, such as PC Branch and online loan applications, we partner with other firms to help us bring them to you. We have already started working with these companies to make them aware of web accessibility and are encouraging them to join our web accessibility initiative. It's the Right Thing to Do Why are we beginning this initiative? Because it's the right thing to do. Our Credit Union vision is that "all members achieve financial well-being." For that to happen, all our members need to have full access to all the products, services, and educational information we provide. For more information about DCU benefits, visit www.dcu.org, or call (800) 328-8797 or (800) 395-5146 (TTY), e-mail dcu@dcu.org, or write DCU, 220 Donald Lynch Boulevard, Marlborough, MA 01752. AAPD To Offer Two Washington DC Summer Internship Programs in 2003 for College Students with Disabilities AAPD will offer two significant summer internship programs in 2003 for college/university students with disabilities. One program places interns in federal agencies, while the other places interns on Capitol Hill. Up to 20 students will be selected. Microsoft-AAPD Federal Internship Program Expanding Tomorrow's IT Workforce Thanks to a major two-year grant from Microsoft, AAPD has been able to design and will launch this summer an internship program for 10 college/university students with disabilities who will work in federal agencies for 11 weeks. AAPD is proud and honored to be collaborating with the Microsoft Community Affairs and Accessible Technology Groups, which have long demonstrated their commitment to this country's disability community. This new internship opportunity will provide college students with disabilities — who have previously demonstrated interest in pursuing IT careers — with paid summer internships in DC-based offices of federal agencies and give the students a real-world work experience, while also providing them the chance to enhance their IT skills. The program will also give participating students the chance to further enhance their employment opportunities. Technology will be a core component of the Microsoft-AAPD Federal Internship Program. The interns will be required to work in close collaboration with their host agencies' key IT staff members. The Microsoft-AAPD Federal Internship Program will also serve to further educate and benefit the participating federal agencies regarding disability access issues, thus demonstrating (to both public and private employers) that students with disabilities are solid prospects as IT workforce members. All Microsoft-AAPD Federal Internship Program participants will be provided: • safe and fully-accessible housing in Washington, DC (for those not already having access to Washington housing), • significant stipends that are highly competitive with other prestigious Washington-based internships offered to college students, • transportation to Washington, DC at the start of the internship, and from Washington, DC upon the internship conclusion, • a fully comprehensive orientation, and • where necessary, assistance with accommodations at the work site. Information regarding this Microsoft-AAPD Federal Internship Program is currently being disseminated to all four-year colleges and universities, community colleges, and other higher education institutions including historically Black colleges, Tribal colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions, and others that serve diverse student populations. The deadline for submission of applications for the 2003 Microsoft-AAPD Federal Internship Program is March 17. All participants will be selected by an Advisory Committee in mid-April. To apply for the summer 2003 program or for more information, visit the AAPD web site: www.aapd-dc.org or call (800) 840-8844 (V/TTY). AAPD Congressional Internship Program This year will mark the second year that AAPD is offering a Congressional Internship Program to give undergraduate college/ university students with disabilities the unique opportunity to obtain firsthand knowledge of the legislative and political process. The AAPD Congressional Internship Program was launched in the spring of 2002 thanks to a generous grant from the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF). The first two AAPD Congressional Internships were awarded to Sophie Shifra-Gold and Jovita Douglas, both undergraduate students at Gallaudet University. Sophie interned in the office of the late Senator Paul Wellstone (D-MN), while Jovita split her internship between the offices of Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Congressman James Langevin (D-RI). Now in 2003, thanks to the renewed generosity of MEAF in the form of a two-year grant, plus a significant grant from Independence Technology, a Johnson & Johnson company, AAPD is able to expand the program. In 2003, AAPD will be able to: • increase the number of selected interns to as many as ten, • award each intern a stipend of $1,500, so that all interested students are able to apply, regardless of families' finances, • provide no-cost, fully accessible housing for interns who do not have access to housing in the Washington metropolitan area, • cover the cost of interns travel to and from Washington, DC, • significantly expand the program dissemination, in order to make it available to university students with disabilities nationally, and • conduct a fully comprehensive Orientation Program at the onset of the internship. Our goals for the 2003 AAPD Congressional Internship Program are to provide college students with disabilities the opportunity to improve their career and employment options, expose them to policymaking and legislative proceedings, and to how the political process works. Students will also work with their respective congressional office staff to select a significant technology policy issue on which to focus during the internship period. This program affords college students with disabilities highly sought-after Hill internships and, thus, it also serves to change the climate on Capitol Hill, by giving members and staff firsthand perspectives on policy issues affecting people with disabilities and to talents students with disabilities bring to them. The application submission deadline for the 2003 Congressional Internship Program is March 17, and participants will be selected by a national Advisory Committee in April. For additional information or to download the application, please visit the AAPD web site at www.aapd-dc.org or call (800) 840-8844 (V/TTY). BOARD OF DIRECTORS ELECTION IN JUNE AAPD'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS YOUR BOARD – EVERY MEMBER IS ENCOURAGED TO CAST A BALLOT IN THIS IMPORTANT ELECTION LOOK FOR YOUR BALLOT IN THE MAY ISSUE OF AAPD NEWS AAPD Current Board Members Henry B. Betts James J. Billy Judy Brewer Judi Chamberlin Mike Ching Tony Coelho Richard Ellis Marilyn Hamilton Judith E. Heumann Tim Holmes Andrew J. Imparato John D. Kemp Edward Kennedy, Jr. Paul Marchand Frances Priester Helen Roth Linda Shepard Robert Silverstein Margaret Staton Wesley Vinner Fred Weiner James Weisman Patrisha Wright Duncan Wyeth AAPD LEADERSHIP GALA An Evening of Awards, Recognition, and Advocacy —Being Held on March 4 AAPD will celebrate and honor seven disability community leaders at its second annual Leadership Gala on Tuesday, March 4, 2003, 6:30 - 9 p.m., at the Washington Hilton and Towers, Washington, DC. The 26-person Leadership Gala Steering Committee, under the direction of co-chairs Tony Coelho, Ruth Harkin, and Cheryl Sensenbrenner, is planning an evening of awards and recognition. AAPD will recognize five emerging leaders of the disability community and present each with a Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award of $10,000. The prestigious Henry B. Betts Award of $50,000 will also be presented by AAPD in collaboration with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Information on all award winners is available in this issue of AAPD News. Leading the event will be Leadership Gala Masters of Ceremony, The Honorable Tony Coelho and John Kemp, Chair, AAPD Board of Directors. Award presenters will include The Honorable Norman Mineta, Secretary of Transportation, and other representatives of the Administration as well as members of Congress. President George H. W. Bush has been invited to attend and participate in the presentation of the Henry B. Betts Award. We anticipate that attendees will again include AAPD members and other disability rights advocates, senior members of the executive branch, members of Congress, business and community leaders, and the media. The evening's festivities will begin with a reception, 6:30 - 7 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony and dinner, 7 - 9 p.m. Tickets are $85 per person. An invitation was included in the November issue of AAPD News. If you did not receive one, have questions, or wish to reserve your space at the Gala, please call (703) 556-4245 (voice) or (703) 556-0448 (TTY). The 2003 AAPD Leadership Gala promises to be another wonderful celebration of achievement, leadership, and progress toward AAPD's vision of political and economic empowerment for all individuals with disabilities. AAPD also extends sincere gratitude to the following funders who make both the Henry B. Betts and the Paul G. Hearne Awards Programs possible: Henry B. Betts Award Prince Charitable Trusts Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Awards The Bodman Foundation Milbank Foundation for Rehabilitation Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation The Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation AAPD is grateful to the 2003 Leadership Gala Corporate Sponsors (list current as of 1/14/03) $75,000 Lead Sponsor SAP $50,000 Platinum Sponsor Independence Technology, a Johnson & Johnson company $25,000 Gold Sponsors American Airlines AOL Time Warner Pfizer $10,000 Silver Sponsors Bristol-Myers Squibb Company The Honorable Robert J. Dole Hewlett-Packard National Association of Broadcasters Verizon United Technologies Corp. $5,000 Bronze Sponsors Darden Restaurants, Inc. Hart Intercivic Microsoft Corporation Philip Morris Companies, Inc. $2,500 Benefactors Digital Federal Credit Union HSBC Bank USA Manpower, Inc. Motion Picture Association of America Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville $1,000 Patrons California Disability Group Credit Union National Association, Inc. Richard Ellis Joukowsky Family Foundation Marwood Group LLC Metropolitan Foundation Vivendi Universal U.S. Holding Co. $500 Friends NCI Information Systems, Inc. In-Kind Blistex Thornburghs to Receive Prestigious Henry B. Betts Award Dick and Ginny Thornburgh, longtime advocates for the rights of people with disabilities, have been chosen to receive the 2003 Henry B. Betts Award. This prestigious recognition was announced December 20 and will be presented to the Thornsburghs March 4 at the Leadership Gala by AAPD and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. The award includes a monetary recognition of $50,000. Dick Thornburgh served as Governor of Pennsylvania, Attorney General of the United States under Presidents Reagan and Bush, and the highest- ranking American at the United Nations. While Attorney General, he worked tirelessly to bring the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law, and played a large role in the 1990 enactment of that monumental legislation. Dick has often referred to this as one of his proudest moments. He subsequently oversaw development of regulations implementing that legislation. He received the George Bush Medal in 2001 for his service to persons with disabilities. Dick is a founding member of the National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) and currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the World Committee on Disability. He filed a brief amicus curiae regarding the Olmstead case in the United States Supreme Court on behalf of N.O.D., asserting the validity of the integration regulations he issued as Attorney General. Today, he is counsel to Kirkpatrick & Lockhart LLP, a national law firm, in its Washington, DC office. Ginny Thornburgh's favorite words are "there are no barriers to God's love; there should be no barriers in God's house." She is Director of the Religion and Disability Program of N.O.D. and for more than 13 years has focused on making congregations and seminaries more welcoming to people with disabilities. N.O.D.'s interfaith Accessible Congregations Campaign urges congregations to identify and remove barriers to the full participation of people with disabilities. As a result, more than 2,100 houses of worship have enrolled in the campaign. Ginny co-authored and edited the award-winning publication, That All May Worship, now in its sixth printing, and From Barriers to Bridges, a guide to community action. The Thornburgh's son, Peter, suffered a serious brain injury as a result of a 1960 car accident. It is he who has inspired and grounded their advocacy efforts on behalf of all people with disabilities. Together the Thornburghs have worked in the public eye to maximize opportunities for persons with disabilities in their communities, jobs, schools, and congregations. "Ginny and Dick have translated personal experience as parents into more than three decades of powerful advocacy on behalf of all children and adults with disabilities. As public servants and civic leaders, they have been passionate advocates for community inclusion and full participation in all aspects of society, including places of worship, for ALL people," says Andrew J. Imparato, AAPD President and CEO. "They played key roles in passage and implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and remain steadfast champions for disability rights. AAPD is honored to partner with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in recognizing these trailblazers and the countless people their advocacy has touched. Working together, they have helped to change the world." The Henry B. Betts Award, created by the Prince Charitable Trusts and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in 1989,is administered by AAPD. It is named in honor of Henry B. Betts, M.D., a pioneer in the field of rehabilitation medicine who started his career with the Institute in 1964. He made it the base for his career as an advocate for people with physical disabilities and leader in the field of rehabilitation medicine. He devoted himself to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. "The Prince Charitable Trusts established this award to honor those who have spoken with conviction about the rights of people with disabilities and to acknowledge those leaders who have opened doors so that more individuals can express their creativity and make a contribution," says Frederick H. Prince, Trustee, Prince Charitable Trusts. "The recipients of this year's award, Dick and Ginny Thornburgh, embody the spirit of this award in every way, and we thank them for their wisdom and for sharing their gifts with this community." Five Emerging Disability Leaders to Receive the 2002 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award Five emerging leaders in the disability community will receive the 2002 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award March 4 at the AAPD Leadership Gala. Those individuals are Albert Cheong, San Francisco, CA, Claudia Gordon, Washington, DC, Carrie D. Griffin, Washington, DC, Peter Cody Hunt, Pittsburgh, PA, and Sarah Louise Triano, Chicago, IL. This year's recipients were selected by a national advisory committee from approximately 150 applicants. Each awardee will receive $10,000 to further his/her work in the disability community. "AAPD is delighted to once again recognize an extraordinary group of individuals, all of whom are helping to grow the strength and influence of the disability rights movement," says Andy Imparato, AAPD President and CEO. "These five individuals are making a difference in their communities and helping to build bridges to a more inclusive American society." The Milbank Foundation for Rehabilitation established The Paul G. Hearne Leadership Awards in 1999 to recognize and carry on the work of Paul G. Hearne, a renowned leader in the national disability community and co- founder of AAPD. Administration of this program was passed to AAPD in 2000, and the program is now referred to as the Paul G. Hearne/ AAPD Leadership Awards. To date, 29 individuals have received this award. Biographies of the 2002 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award Recipients Albert Cheong Albert Cheong is recognized nationally as a strong advocate for minorities with disabilities and for bringing the voice of Chinese people with disabilities to legislators. He lost his sight at the age of 13. In 1992, at the age of 25 and knowing no English, he moved to the U.S. He encountered difficulty, even in the Chinese community, because of the belief that if he could not see he could not work. This is what inspired Albert to begin to work to assist other Chinese-Americans with disabilities. Since 1996, he has been the Chinese Community Services Coordinator at the Independent Living Resource Center San Francisco (ILRC). He was hired having limited advocacy, public education, and public policy experience, but a demonstrable commitment to the inclusion of Chinese people with disabilities. He directs ILRC's Chinese Community outreach efforts. Under his oversight, the program has had an immediate and positive impact on the community. In 1998, Albert advocated to bring the voice of Chinese people with disabilities to government at the National Council on Disability (NCD) hearing on minorities with disabilities in San Francisco. His efforts resulted in the largest consumer showing ever at an NCD public hearing. In 2000, he was invited to join a Steering Committee for a Wellness Guide for California, and the Board of Directors for the California Protection & Advocacy Agency. He is currently on the Advisory Board of the National Technical Assistance Center for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities. Albert is the first person in the U.S. to conduct workshops in Chinese on public benefits, employment rights, and U.S. citizenship for people with disabilities. And, due to his efforts, the local Chinese language media is covering disability issues for the first time. He does a Chinese language radio show, as well as a newspaper column that is acknowledged as the most popular weekly column in the country's largest Chinese language newspaper. Albert's leadership goals include enabling Chinese people with disabilities to understand their rights and to have an education that will lead to employment. He plans to use his Paul G. Hearne Award to make an informational video in Chinese and English, designed to deliver a message to the world that Chinese people with disabilities have many abilities and, if provided the training and afforded the chance, can be strong community assets. Claudia Gordon Claudia Gordon is the first Black deaf female attorney in the U.S. She has been an advocate for people with disabilities since high school. It was her desire to address societal barriers faced by people with disabilities that motivated her to pursue a legal education and career. Since graduating from law school and being admitted to the Maryland Bar, Claudia has provided empowerment and legal education outreach and training to communities and organizations in both the U.S. and St. Thomas, USVI. "Being hailed as the first Black deaf female attorney in the U.S. has been an inspiration to members of this community, especially the youth, in setting high goals for themselves," she explains. Claudia worked as a Skadden fellow for two years at the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Law Center, where she provided legal advocacy through direct legal representation in civil cases, technical assistance, training, and outreach to persons experiencing discrimination because they were deaf. Since 1989 Claudia has been associated with the National Black Deaf Advocates Association (NBDA) and is currently its Vice-President. She has also provided advocacy leadership at the National Association of the Deaf Law Center; the Civil Practice Clinic at the Washington College of Law, Washington, DC Public Defender Service-Mental Health Division; the Black Law Students Association; and the Consumer Action Network. Additionally, Claudia has chaired a number of disability-oriented committees, participated in a number of advisory groups on disability and cultural diversity-related issues, and presented at a wide array of disability conferences and meetings. Her writings on disability policy have appeared in various organizational newsletters. Currently, she is an independent consultant to the National Council on Disability (NCD). Claudia has identified two very strong personal goals for the next five years: to continue to advocate for the rights and quality of life of individuals with disabilities, on both a national and grassroots level; and to establish a direct service foundation for the deaf in Washington, DC. Carrie D. Griffin Carrie D. Griffin is the creator of "Women Without Barriers," a mentoring program for high school-aged girls with disabilities that not only establishes one-on-one connections, but also provides workshops on topics ranging from sexuality to careers, and advocacy to independent living. The recipient of scholarships from the Truman and ELA Foundations for her commitment to public service and disability rights, Carrie attended Harvard Law School where she became involved in the employment rights of people with disabilities. She was convinced that the largest psychological, economic, socio-cultural, and personal barriers that the women she met had were their own disenfranchisement from gainful employment opportunities. As she conveys, "I was motivated to preserve my interest, yet become skilled in legal approaches, and combine both in order to enable people with disabilities to access employment opportunities of their choosing." At Harvard Law School, Carrie worked as a research assistant to Professor Sam Bagenstos who argued an ADA case before the Supreme Court last term. She has served as an editor to the author of a plaintiff-side guide to disability rights litigation, and spent a summer as an Honors Intern in the Department of Justice's Disability Rights Section. Currently, she is serving a clerkship with Judge Neal Kravitz of the District of Columbia Superior Court. Carrie has also created an online organization of lawyers and law students with disabilities, the Disabled Lawyering Alliance (www.disabledlawyering.org), to provide mentoring, networking, and job opportunities. In less than one year,it has generated several hundred e-mail discussions, the exchange of job leads and the building of lasting relationships. She now proposes to expand this Alliance to include other professions, as a way of expanding employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Carrie's ultimate goal is to create a national organization committed to the professional development of people with disabilities. Peter Cody Hunt Peter Cody Hunt has been interested in working on disability-related issues since sustaining a spinal cord injury in college. He focuses primarily on disability research and policy at the academic institution and federal government level. His belief is that, while the ADA has significantly improved the quality of life of people with disabilities, the impact of the disability rights movement and the ADA have not yet reached or benefited the minority communities in this country. Peter's interest in working at the grassroots-level was spawned when he moved to Pittsburgh to pursue graduate studies. He noticed a large Asian community with disabilities that appeared to be isolated and disenfranchised. With a personal commitment to educating and raising awareness within the Asian community about disability issues, Peter served as a volunteer at the Three Rivers Center for Independent Living (TRCIL), first as an outreach liaison for the local Asian community and later as a Board member. Shortly thereafter, and with a fellow TRCIL Board member, he mobilized the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and Life's Work (Vocational Rehabilitation Center) to develop programs culturally appropriate to serve Asians with disabilities. Peter is also a network member for the Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He recently authored a monograph, Providing Rehabilitation Services to Vietnamese with Disabilities: Information for U.S. Providers, as part of the Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information and Exchange monograph series aimed at educating U.S. rehabilitation service providers to better serve people with disabilities born in foreign countries. For the coming year, Peter strives to work with his Paul G. Hearne Award mentor, William Chrisner III, CRC/CRA, President and Executive Director of TRCIL, to develop a model program to serve Asians with disabilities in small and rural communities. Peter also plans to complete his doctoral studies in rehabilitation science and technology in 2003; thereafter, he will seek a position in a national disability organization so that he may continue his advocacy work. Sarah Louise Triano Sarah Louise Triano has dedicated her life to promoting a culture that teaches and acknowledges the dignity and worth of all people, and to mentoring children with disabilities in order to ensure they do not grow up feeling ashamed. "We must take back the definition of disability and proclaim that shame will no longer be the basis for our identity," she explains. Sarah's advocacy began in 1992 when, at the age of 17, she participated in the nation's first Youth Leadership Forum for High School Students with Disabilities in California. She then went on to assist in the replication of this model youth leadership forum throughout the U.S. She received her BA in History of Public Policy from the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB), graduating valedictorian, summa cum laude, and Phi Beta Kappa. After graduation she assisted the National Council of Disability (NCD) in the creation of the National Youth leadership Development Conference in Washington, DC. In 2001, Sarah co-founded the National Disabled Students Union. Currently, Sarah is Director of the nation's first locally-based leadership and organized training program for youth with disabilities, Y.I.E.L.D. the Power to the Youth, at Access Living in Chicago. She has published articles and given speeches that directly attack existing definitions of disability in the dominant culture and attempt to awaken the consciousness of people with disabilities who have traditionally been excluded from the disability movement. These include an NCD report, Lift Every Voice: Modernizing Disability Policies and Programs to Serve a Diverse Nation, and Coming Home to Disabled Country, which was distributed in 2001 through the Justice-For-All e-mail network. In the coming year, and with inspiration from the late Justin Dart's work across the country in 1989 and 1990, Sarah plans to do a National Disability Pride Tour. She will visit several states and conduct two-day, disability- pride forums in local communities that will be designed to unite people with disabilities by focusing the establishment of disability pride as a common cause. Sarah articulates her goals as follows: to teach people with disabilities lacking access to a university about their history; to bring disability history to the people; to develop a sense of dignity and worth among people with disabilities nationally by holding disability consciousness-raising groups; and to mobilize and organize fragmented groups of people with disabilities at the local level and strengthen their collective capacity to bring about social change through targeted political education. AAPD and WASHINGTON Sutton Renominated to 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Disability Community Rallies In Opposition Jeffrey Sutton's renomination to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has met with strong opposition from the disability community. At his confirmation hearing January 29, disability advocates provided a crowd large enough to warrant moving the hearing to a larger room. Members of the disability community came from as far away as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, Delaware, and New Jersey. In Ohio, Sutton's home state, local disability leaders held a press conference opposing his confirmation that was attended by every major daily newspaper in the state in addition to CBS-TV and many radio stations. The following day, January 30, many Ohioans boarded a bus for DC and participated in a press conference there. Sutton pleaded with committee members not to hold his work as a lawyer against disability and civil rights against him, arguing he was only representing his clients' point of view. Democratic senators criticized his attempts to weaken or eliminate protections for state employees with disabilities and older workers. In Garrett v. University of Alabama, Sutton argued successfully that Congress did not have the authority under the Constitution to apply the ADA to states in employment discrimination suits for damages. He argued that unnecessary institutionalization should not be a violation of the ADA in the L.C. v. Olmstead case, but thankfully the Supreme Court declined to follow his lead in that case. Democratic senators on the committee urged other committee members not to rush to judgment, but to allow ample time to question Sutton thoroughly. Jim Ward, of ADA Watch, was quoted by AP as saying, "We don't want to in any way be painted as saying he's prejudiced against people with disabilities. It's an ideology he represents." The issue before the Senate in confirming judicial appointments should not be what is in an individual's heart but rather the practical impact of a legal and judicial philosophy that would limit the federal government's ability to enforce disability rights laws. Whether or not judges embrace a judicial philosophy that would restrict disability rights enforcement is an urgent and entirely legitimate line of inquiry that should be made. Discussing the impact of a state's rights judicial philosophy on the enforcement of disability rights protections is not accusing individuals of racism or other prejudice. Prior to his renomination, AAPD and other disability rights groups sent letters to President Bush asking him to reconsider nominating Sutton to the Court of Appeals. Andy Imparato, AAPD President and CEO, said in a letter to the President, "Since you nominated Jeffrey Sutton in May of 2001, AAPD has joined literally hundreds of national, state, and local disability organizations to oppose his appointment. It is unprecedented for our community to speak out so loudly in opposition to a judicial nominee, and we do so because we are convinced that his extreme views represent a real threat to our civil rights. Please honor your commitment to a strong ADA and refrain from renominating Mr. Sutton to a federal judgeship. Please listen to the strong protests of your constituents with disabilities and put forward candidates who understand the importance of Congress's ability to remedy this nation's abysmal history of exclusion, segregation, sterilization, institutionalization, and impoverishment of its citizens with disabilities." After Sutton's renomination, AAPD and other disability rights groups sent letters of opposition to the Senate's Judiciary Committee chair, Senator Orrin Hatch. Senator Hatch has been a long-time supporter of federal civil rights for Americans with disabilities. Working with Senators Dole, Kennedy, Harkin, and others, he helped build the voluminous record of egregious discrimination that persuaded his colleagues to overwhelmingly support the ADA when it was enacted in 1990. In defense of that record, Senator Hatch filed an amicus brief in the Garrett case supporting the constitutionality of the ADA as applied to state employers. However, it appears he will support the Sutton confirmation. AAPD urges its members to keep abreast of judicial nominees and to contact their Senators when a nominee threatens protections under the ADA or other civil rights laws. LOOK FOR A FULL REPORT ON STATE BUDGETS AND THE IMPACT ON MEDICAID AND OTHER SERVICES — IN THE MAY ISSUE OF AAPD NEWS President Proposes $1.75 Billion Program To Help Transition Americans With Disabilities From Institutions To Community Living In his 2004 budget to be announced in February, President Bush will propose a new $1.75 billion, five-year program to help Americans with disabilities transition from nursing homes or other institutions to living in the community. The proposal is one of several new efforts to be included in the FY 2004 budget for the President's New Freedom Initiative, a nationwide effort to integrate people with disabilities more fully into society. Altogether, the President's New Freedom budget proposals will represent $2.1 billion in planned new spending over five years, with $417 million in new spending proposed for FY 2004. The proposals build on recommendations made to the President last year in "Delivering on the Promise," a comprehensive survey of federal policies and rules that may impede community living for those with disabilities. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tommy G. Thompson says, "The President and I are committed to changing policies that unnecessarily confine people with disabilities in institutional settings. We want to work with the states and the disability community to change old programs and develop new ones that will serve people with disabilities in the settings that work best for them." Proposals in the FY 2004 budget will include: "Money Follows the Individual" Rebalancing Demonstration $1.75 billion over five years, with $350 million proposed for FY 2004. This five-year demonstration would assist states in developing and implementing a strategy to "re-balance" their long-term care systems so that there are more cost-effective choices between institutional and community options, including financing Medicaid services for individuals who transition from institutions to the community. Federal grant funds would pay the full cost of home-and-community-based waiver services for one year, after which the participating states would agree to continue care at the regular Medicaid matching rate. This significant demonstration would build upon existing state success stories in Texas, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Washington. It also provides incentives to states for increased use of home-and- community-based services and would help provide information on costs of different approaches. New Freedom Initiative Demonstrations $220 million over five years, with $11 million proposed for FY 2004. This initiative would fund four demonstrations that promote home-and- community-based care alternatives. Two of the demonstrations provide respite care services for caregivers of adults with disabilities or long-term illness and children with substantial disabilities. Another demonstration provides community-based care alternatives for children who are currently residing in psychiatric residential treatment facilities. The President proposed these demonstrations for FY 2003, but it is not expected that Congress will include this in its final FY 2003 appropriations. Spousal Exemption $95 million over five years, with $16 million proposed for FY 2004. This proposal would continue Medicaid eligibility for spouses of disabled individuals who return to work. Under current law, individuals with disabilities might be discouraged from returning to work because the income they earn could jeopardize their spouse's Medicaid eligibility. This proposal would extend to the spouse the same Medicaid coverage protection now offered to the disabled worker. The budget will also propose to establish a new state option enabling Medicaid presumptive eligibility for institutionally qualified individuals who are discharged from hospitals into the community. This would make it more feasible to discharge a person who has been hospitalized to the community, rather than to an alternative institutional setting, or to ensure that the institutional placement is of short duration. Expanding on an existing effort, the FY 2004 budget will also include $40 million for "Systems Change Grants" to support states in their planning to create new systems to support people with disabilities in the community instead of in institutions. All HHS press releases, fact sheets, and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news. AAPD Joins Coalition to Oppose New Tax Cut Package AAPD has once again joined a coalition to oppose President Bush's tax package (AAPD also joined the opposition coalition in 2001). Known as the Fair Taxes for All Coalition, to date more than 150 national groups have signed on to oppose the President's tax package. Represented in the coalition are national education, child advocate, religious (including major denominations), urban development, economic, disability, and women's organizations. The coalition has put together a statement of principles, which reads as follows: The package of tax cuts proposed by President Bush is too costly and would do little to stimulate the weak economy and create jobs now. The tax cuts are far too large, poorly designed, and highly inequitable. The new tax cuts jeopardize the nation's ability to meet its domestic and foreign responsibilities, threaten national and state fiscal stability and security both now and in future years, and inequitably distribute the benefits they provide. In contrast to the Bush plan, any economic package must provide temporary, short-term stimulus that is fiscally responsible and equitable. Any such package should include aid to states to help respond to their fiscal crises, and should focus on people who will spend the money now, including those hit hard by the economic downturn. Due to the adverse effects the President's tax program will have on disability related programs, AAPD encourages its members to contact their elected officials and ask them not to support the President's tax package. Families USA Offers Revised Kit Families USA has recently finished updating its state budget cuts kit titled Preserving Medicaid in Tough Times: An Action Kit for State Advocates. The kit includes new pieces on HIFA Waivers, Pharmacy Plus Waivers, Fighting Budget Cuts, Getting Coverage without Holding a Press Event, and Dealing with Negative Press. Other pieces in the kit include Premium Assistance, Preserving Enrollments, and Long-Term Care. To access the kit go to: www.familiesusa.org/Action520Kit520State5Advocates/2003/action kit2003. htm. Medicare Rights Center Launches Consumer Advisory Board The Medicare Rights Center (MRC) has launched a National Medicare Consumer Advisory Board. Currently the board is made up of 35 men and women with Medicare from 23 states, and will expand over this year to focus on policies affecting access and affordability. Consumer Advisory Board (CAB) members work in partnership with MRC staff to exchange information on Medicare issues and develop policy positions for communities, the media, and elected officials. Through regular teleconferences, the members advise MRC, a national not-for-profit consumer group, on emerging health care concerns in their communities. Each CAB member coordinates outreach and direct action efforts, from testifying at public hearings to writing letters to local papers. CAB members also conduct state-specific research, identify Medicare consumer forums, and partner with local senior and health care advocacy groups. "The consumer voice is frequently the last voice heard in the national health care debate," said MRC President Robert M. Hayes. "We intend to change that." CAB is currently developing strategies for the 108th Congress and will work to improve public education on eligibility for Medicare Savings Programs, which help people with limited incomes with their health care costs. CAB members will meet with their federal elected officials during the current Congressional recess. CAB members comprise a diverse group, representing retirees from a variety of fields including education, health care, labor organizing, and the arts. Nearly all are active members of community-based groups. MRC is currently recruiting representatives from additional states (www.medicarerights.org/maincontentpolicytakeaction.html). Interested applicants must have Medicare and should e-mail CAB Director Isela Chavarria at ichavarria@ medicarerights.org or Policy Associate Andrea Kastin at akastin@medicarerights.org for additional information. Medicare Rights Center (MRC) is a national, not-for-profit consumer service organization working to ensure that older adults and people with disabilities receive high-quality, affordable health care. For more information about MRC,call (212) 204-6233, or visit the MRC web site: www.medicarerights.org. Newly Published Guide Will Help Emergency Personnel Work With People With Disabilities The National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) has released the first edition of its Guide on the Special Needs of People with Disabilities for Emergency Managers, Planners and Responders. The Guide is designed to acquaint front-line emergency personnel with specific issues that impact 54 million Americans – roughly one in five people – who have disabilities. This population segment is especially vulnerable in disasters. According to Harris Poll studies conducted for N.O.D., people with disabilities are less prepared for an emergency should one occur. Since general preparation for emergencies became central to the national agenda following the 2001 terrorist attacks, N.O.D. has called on officials at all levels to include the disability community in their planning efforts. When making emergency preparedness plans, N.O.D. stresses it is critical to take people with disabilities into account and that they should be invited to participate in the planning. "Emergency preparedness requires resourcefulness, and this the disability community has in abundance. Our experience can be very valuable to emergency planning groups at all levels," said N.O.D. President Alan A. Reich. The 28-page guide highlights key disability concerns to emergency managers, planners, and responders so their emergency plans include the needs and insights of people with disabilities before, during, and after a crisis. The guide is designed to help these professionals make the best use of budgets and resources as they strive to include all community members in emergency preparedness. It is relevant to diverse emergency situations, from fires to natural disasters and man-made catastrophes. "The importance of emergency preparedness for the disability community really hit the nation in the wake of September 11," said N.O.D. Emergency Preparedness Initiative Director Elizabeth Davis, who was among the rescue personnel at Ground Zero that day. "Many who escaped the towers, including several with severe disabilities, credit the preparedness training and drills done there following the 1993 bombing. Planning ahead gives people their best chance to get out safely and gives emergency personnel the best ability to work with specific groups like the disability community." Topics covered in the guide include: • tools and resources to develop an emergency plan, working with people with disabilities, • stories of successful planning in cooperation with the disability community, • Harris Poll research on preparedness levels of people with disabilities, and • practical steps to involve and communicate to the disability community. Emergency management professionals may receive up to three free copies of the Guide. Other requests may include charges for shipping and handling. Copies can be requested by e-mail to epi@nod.org or by fax to (202) 530- 0727. The guide is also posted on the Internet and may be downloaded at no charge from www.nod.org. City of Chicago Creates Landmark Public-Private Sector Task Force on Employment of People with Disabilities Submitted by the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities Mayor Richard M. Daley, realizing the need for the City of Chicago to significantly enhance employment and economic opportunities for Chicagoans with disabilities, recently signed an executive order creating a Mayoral Task Force on the Employment of People with Disabilities to develop a coordinated and aggressive citywide plan to bring more people with disabilities into the workforce. The Task Force will be the cornerstone of the Daley Administration's bold vision to achieve a local employment rate of people with disabilities that is as close as possible to that of people without disabilities. This first-of-its kind municipal level Task Force follows the mandate established by President Clinton's unprecedented Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities created in 1998. The foundation for the Mayor's Task Force rests in the creation of public-private sector partnerships utilizing the expertise of representatives from the business, economic development, civic, and disability communities. "The major challenge - not just in Chicago, but across the nation - is to provide more opportunities for people with disabilities," Mayor Daley said at the Task Force kick-off breakfast for business, government, and disability community leaders. "It's fine to make office buildings accessible. But how much good does that do if people with disabilities can't find jobs in those buildings?" To ensure that the City of Chicago sets a precedent as the model for other cities to follow, Mayor Daley brought together William Osborn, Chairman and CEO of the Northern Trust Corporation, David Hanson, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), and Jackie Edens, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development, to serve as co-Chairs of the Task Force. Under the guidance and leadership of these Co-Chairs, the Task Force is divided into five Work Groups, each addressing a specific employment- related goal. These include: a statistical analysis of the employment rate of people with disabilities in Chicago; revision of Chicago procurement policies to increase economic and professional opportunities for people with disabilities; Chicago becoming a model employer of people with disabilities; improvement of employment outcomes for youth with disabilities; and the establishment of private-public sector partnerships designed to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities both locally and nationally. Led by a Work Group Leader with an Associate Work Group Leader, each Work Group consists of members from the business, economic development, civic, academic, and disability communities recognized for their expertise in employment and disability-related issues. These leaders include Marca Bristo (CEO, Access Living), Frances Priester (Consumer Specialist, Elgin Mental Health Center), David Malone (Chief Procurement Officer, City of Chicago), Jerry Roper (CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce), Andrew McKenna (CEO, Schwarz Paper), and Robin Jones (Program Director, Great Lakes ADA and IT Center). The Task Force, commissioned for three years, requires each Work Group to submit reports with their findings and recommendations to Mayor Daley in May 2003, May 2004, and July 2005. These reports must include, but are not limited to, the following: implementation of a reliable method to more closely measure the unemployment rate of people with disabilities living in Chicago; revising City of Chicago procurement policies structured to increase opportunities for businesses owned and operated by people with disabilities; recommendations for improving recruiting and hiring policies for people with disabilities in the City of Chicago; policy recommendations to improve educational and vocational opportunities as well as improved transition-to-work programs for youth with disabilities; and recommendations for promoting public-private sector partnerships in areas such as economic incentives and assistive technology resulting in the establishment of "best practices‚" developed to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. "We have a unique opportunity to break down barriers and attitudes that have traditionally prevented people with disabilities from working," said MOPD Commissioner David Hanson. "And in doing so, we will create real employment opportunities for people with disabilities in ways that will benefit all Chicagoans. The diversity and caliber of the Task Force members assembled is a clear indication that Chicago understands the complexity of these issues and what must be done to effectively address these problems and solve them." The benefits realized from implementing the Task Force's recommendations are expected to be both financial and social in nature. By increasing the employment rate of people with disabilities, important financial benefits will be realized such as the generation of increased tax revenues, greater consumer spending, and the savings of tax dollars currently used ineffectively to assist people with disabilities. As more employees with disabilities enter the workforce, there will naturally be a greater sense of independence and self-esteem long overdue for this population. For more information about the executive order, Task Force or other programs, please call (312) 744-7050 (voice) or (312) 744-4964 (TTY). AAPD Members Taking Advantage of DCU! Over the past six months, nearly 4,000 AAPD members have joined DCU, benefiting from the credit union's full spectrum of financial services. DCU offers AAPD members mortgage, auto, vacation and personal loans, credit cards, and more. Through DCU's Mobility Loan Program, AAPD members have already received loans totaling nearly $6 million to purchase adapted vehicles, wheelchairs and scooters, and make home access modifications. If you haven't joined DCU, you are missing out on their competitive loan rates and commitment to their vision that all members shall have financial well-being. See our August 2002 issue of AAPD News for full details about joining the credit union, visit our web site at www.aapd-dc.org, DCU's web site at www.dcu.org or call DCU directly at (800) 328-8797 or (800) 395- 5146 (TTY). Join DCU today – all it requires is a $5 deposit to a DCU checking or savings account. Digital Federal Credit Union 220 Donald Lynch Boulevard, PO Box 9130 Marlborough, MA 01752-9130 An AAPD Member Writes About DCU... "I want to tell you something wonderful AAPD has done for my husband and me. In the last newsletter I saw information on DCU. Ross and I had been looking for a lower interest rate on our car loan. We checked into it, joined, and were notified this week they accepted our request for a car loan. It all happened very quickly. This is a wonderful benefit of membership at AAPD. This is the lowest rate we were able to find through banks or other credit unions. It has significantly reduced the amount we will pay each month on our car. Thank you so much for this information. It has made a measurable difference in our lives." All the best, Lorre Correction In the November AAPD News we inadvertently stated that AAPD's web site pages were viewed by 6,000 every month. That figure should have been 60,000 views per month . For AAPD Membership Inquiries: Toll-Free Telephone (866) 241-3200 (V/TTY) Written AAPD Milford Office 258 Main Street, Suite 203 Milford, MA 01757 Visit our web site at: www.aapd-dc.org