MAY 2002 • VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 AAPD News LATE BREAKING NEWS AAPD receives approval to become member of the Digital Credit Union. Great financial services on the way! See August issue for details. Making a Difference in Next November's Election It's Up to Each of Us To Help Get Out the Vote There are more than 35 million voting-age persons with a disability living in America. In the last mid-term election, 1998, only 1/3 of these individuals voted. Elected officials from State Capitols to Congress and to the White House have the ability to affect our lives in dramatic ways — for better or for worse. We must remember that these officials are elected one vote at a time. And we must exercise our power both as individuals and as a group by voting to help ensure that the people who are elected support our cause. If the majority of voting-age people with disabilities registered and voted, we could play a major role in steering the course for health care reform, education, housing, community living, employment, etc. We cannot expect elected officials to rally for our needs if we do not care enough to go to the polls and vote. Money influences elections. But it is the votes that count. For the past several elections we have seen candidates campaigning hard for the Latino vote, the women's vote, the elderly, and African Americans. It is not simply because these groups are supporting politicians financially (though that makes a difference). It is because they have proven themselves as a voting bloc that can make the difference on election day. Remember the Soccer Moms? They became an issue in the election because politicians of both parties wanted to win their votes, not because they were giving money to one party or the other. We need to get to the point where politicians view the disability community as equally important to other voting blocs. Most Governors and State Legislatures will be elected this fall as well as all of the House and 1/3 of the Senate. People with disabilities, and their friends, family members, and supporters must vote in all these elections. Inside this issue you will find a Guide to Getting Out The Vote. Please read it and make a difference in the upcoming November election. Getting out the vote takes some planning. Get started now! Steps to Promote Community Living for People with Disabilities Some disability advocates skeptical in light of current event On March 25, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson presented President Bush with reports from nine federal agencies outlining more than 400 specific solutions the agencies can implement to support community living for the nearly 54 million Americans living with disabilities. The reports stem from the first comprehensive federal review of barriers preventing people with disabilities from living in their communities instead of in institutions. Secretary Thompson also announced that the department will provide another $55 million to the "Systems Change Grants for Community Living" program to enable states to improve their community long-term care systems for people with disabilities and long- term illnesses. The reports look at barriers to community living in areas such as: health care structuring and financing; the shortage of accessible, affordable housing; problems attracting and retaining dedicated personal assistance workers; the shortage of support, including respite services, for caregivers and family members; the need for available, accessible transportation options; multiple barriers to employment; barriers to transitioning from school to post-secondary education; and limited access to technology such as assistive devices. The new "Systems Change Grants for Community Living" funding announced by Secretary Thompson builds on the goals in the New Freedom Initiative for increasing community integration for people with disabilities. HHS awarded nearly $70 million for this program in fiscal year 2001. The $55 million in new funding will enable the department to offer additional grants to help states improve their community-based services. The program includes Real Choice Systems grants, Community-integrated Personal Assistance Services and Supports grants, Nursing Facility Transition grants, and National Technical Assistance Exchange for Community Living grants. The input of people with disabilities, caregivers and family members, providers, and state and local governments played a critical role in compiling the reports. The federal agencies sponsored a national listening session in Washington, D.C., and a toll-free teleconference to hear testimony from members of the public. A Federal Register notice soliciting written input, generated comments from more than 800 individuals and organizations. While AAPD and other disability advocacy organizations applaud the effort the Administration is making in regards to community living, there is a level of skepticism on how much will be accomplished given the current status for people with disabilities around the country. For example: In Florida, a consortium of virtually every advocacy group for Floridians with disabilities told Governor Jeb Bush that the centerpiece of his administration's social service efforts was in shambles, leaving many disabled people desperate and without hope. Source: Miami Herald. In Kentucky, the Division of Protection & Advocacy filed a federal lawsuit to force the state to provide services for nearly 2,000 people waiting for them. The lawsuit asks a judge to order state officials to begin providing services to people with mental retardation within 90 days, rather than keeping them on waiting lists for months or years. Source: The Courier-Journal. In Michigan, people with disabilities sued the state, alleging that Michigan has violated the ADA and a 1999 U.S. Supreme Court ruling by forcing people with disabilities to live segregated lives in institutions rather than in their homes and communities. Source: The Detroit Free Press. Campaign 2002 Dear AAPD Members, This November, voters around the country will decide who makes policy at the national, state and local levels. Election results will influence whether we see adequate funding and increased access to housing, transportation, health care, and home and community- based long-term care (four issues that you identified as your top priorities in our December member poll). This November's elections will impact the upcoming reauthorizations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Rehabilitation Act, welfare reform, and the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century. The elections will influence whether we get prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries, whether we get a strong patient's bill of rights, whether we see strong defense and enforcement of ADA and other disability civil rights laws, whether funding for Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare are adequately protected, whether our access to the new digital economy is enhanced or compromised, and the level of scrutiny that will be applied to nominees for lifetime federal judgeships who will determine the extent to which the U.S. Constitution supports our civil rights. In this Congress, AAPD has been working hard on a range of legislative issues from election reform to the Family Opportunity Act to the Medicaid Community Attendant Services and Supports Act. We remain hopeful that we will see progress on many if not all of these fronts before November. However, if we are unable to pass important laws like these between now and the elections, we will have an opportunity in November to elect a Congress that will be more responsive to our legislative agenda. Voter turnout in midterm elections is often low when compared to years in which we elect a President. Let's work hard to reverse this tendency among people with disabilities and our supporters this November. With control of the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House, and more than 30 gubernatorial elections at stake, we cannot afford to sit quietly while the elections pass us by. We need to get involved in voter registration, voter education and voter turnout efforts. We need to host candidates forums and sound out the candidates on disability policy issues. We need to volunteer for campaigns and contribute to candidates we support. We need to author letters to the editor highlighting the policy differences among the candidates so that our communities know what's at stake. The bottom line is that if we want our government to be responsive to our priorities, if we want our elected leaders to take us seriously as a voting block regardless of their political affiliation, then we have work to do between now and November. I look forward to joining you in the coming months and years as an active participant in the democratic process that makes America great. Working together, we will make our voices heard this November. Andrew J. Imparato AAPD President and CEO ImparatoA@aol.com Member Chat: FAQ'S and Facts We are departing a bit this month from our usual format to bring you some very important news and an important reminder. AAPD Announces New Discount Prescription Programs AAPD is pleased to announce a partnership with a new Benefits Provider offering our members access to two distinct discounted prescription medications programs. Under the Mail Order Only Prescription Discount Program, our members receive exclusive discounts of up to 30% or more on some prescription medications ordered from a mail service facility. Brand name and generic products, as well as diabetic supplies, are available. This program is free to all AAPD members and is designed primarily for Maintenance Medications. Prescriptions can be ordered through the Internet or a toll-free telephone number. Prescriptions are generally processed within 48 hours of order receipt and payment. There is no delivery charge. This new Member Benefit Program replaces the prior partnership AAPD had with RPS Pharmacy. The second program, the Discounted Prescription Drug Option, is for point-of-purchase (i.e., at your local pharmacy) prescriptions. It has a one-time signup fee of $9.95. You will be issued a membership card which you then show when filling your covered prescriptions at any of more than 40,000 participating pharmacies, including Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Kmart, Duane Reade, Rite Aide and many others. This Option also gives you access to the Wal-Mart Pharmacy Mail Order Service. AAPD members will be advised of details concerning these two new programs via mail and on our web site: www.aapd-dc.org. REMINDER: If you change your address please don't forget to let AAPD know. You can notify us by mail, phone or email at: AAPD Membership Services P.O. Box 97045 Washington, D.C. 20090-7045 1-888-712-4672 (toll-free V/TTY) Email: dianedeangelis@earthlink.net Looking Back: Disability Rights at a Crossroads By Jonathan Young Most disability rights advocates are familiar with major milestones in the history of disability issues, particularly the signing of the Section 504 Regulations in 1977 and the passage of the ADA in 1990. To the extent that there was a "birth" of the disability rights movement, most people point to the founding of the first independent living centers in the 1970s or the nationwide sit-ins preceding the Section 504 regulations. There is perhaps a tendency to draw a neat line, a continuous path of "progress," from the 1970s through the ADA to today. But this overlooks a much-neglected and important historical moment — a major crisis in the early 1980s that questioned the very existence of a disability rights movement. Although the guiding principles of the disability rights movement were fashioned in the 1970s, and newspapers and televisions shows across the country were talking about the "next" civil rights movement, there really wasn't a national disability rights movement in 1980. In July 1981, Bob Funk, co-founder of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), was celebrating how the independent living movement had become a "political force." But just three months later, Funk was saying, matter-of-factly: "it becomes apparent that the promises of freedom and equality of opportunity will not be sustained. Disabled people have achieved neither the unity nor the basic political power necessary to save the rights we have begun to take for granted." What had happened? Disability advocates in the 1970s frequently compared their efforts to the civil rights movement, and with good reason — so many of the issues were identical. But there was a major difference. Legislative victories like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 came in response to massive, high-exposure protests across the country. By contrast, the sentence-long text of Section 504 was slipped in with little-to-no fanfare in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. True, disability activists helped secure the regulations. But the legislation itself was due mostly to well-meaning members of Congress and their staff who understood the link between disability rights and the civil rights movement. It was only natural, then, that President Reagan's Task Force on Regulatory Relief targeted Section 504 for substantial re-writing. In a landmark 1979 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that only minimal reasonable accommodations were required under 504. Major newspapers across the country were challenging the costs of implementing Section 504. A Washington Post Op-Ed titled We're Overdoing Help for the Handicapped argued that structural accessibility amounted to "special privileges," while a Wall Street Journal editorial titled Ruthless Compassion described Section 504 as "a reductio ad absurdum of the blind legalism of so much regulation in Washington." Reagan's Task Force sought to significantly roll back the obligations under 504, an outcome that would have had significant implications for the regulations implementing other civil rights legislation. The Reagan administration also proposed massive budget cuts that would undermine many disability-related programs. Reagan's attempts to "purify" the Social Security roles of people who weren't "truly" disabled resulted in some people with disabilities being informed they owed tens of thousands of dollars in back payments (leading some beneficiaries to commit suicide). The Administration also proposed revised regulations for PL 94-142 (now the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA) that would have gutted children with disabilities' access to "a free, appropriate public education." The disability community, in so many ways, was on the defensive. But an amazing thing happened. DREDF helped mobilize a national effort to protect 504 and IDEA that brought together thousands of children and adults with disabilities, parents of children with disabilities, and other supporters who inundated the White House with thousands of letters. At first, advocates hoped at best to delay implementation of the revised regulations. But due to election- year political pressure, surprising advocacy, packed hearing rooms, leaked administration documents, and some behind-the-scenes education of key administration personnel, the Administration completely reversed itself and decided not to change the regulations. On March 21, 1983, Vice President Bush, who chaired Reagan's Task Force, wrote a series of letters informing advocates of the Administration's decision. In the history of the disability rights movement, winning the De-Regulation battle is every bit as significant as the signing of the Section 504 regulations and the ADA . It marked the moment when a disability rights movement began to catch up with disability rights legislation. As Funk said in February 1983, even before Bush's letter: "Fortunately, we know that there is a movement of disabled people that is not going to evaporate." What does this matter for today? First, we must remember that the disability rights movement is surprisingly young, and not take anything for granted. Second, the disability community must be prepared for more assaults on the gains that have been made. For example, not unlike the 1979 Davis decision, recently the Supreme Court has been substantially narrowing the scope of the ADA so many advocates fought so hard to obtain. Third, we must recognize that the long-term viability of the ADA, IDEA and other laws cannot be sustained by well-meaning public officials. The disability community must become a stronger political force that not only influences public officials but also helps determine who wins elections. Finally, advocates must forge stronger partnerships with the private sector to help foster a corporate culture that supports the full participation of people with disabilities, regardless of the interpretation of disability rights in the courts.The disability rights movement has proved itself in many ways. But causes never arrive. They either grow or die. Jonathan Young is a Ph.D. candidate in American history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, writing his dissertation on the history of the ADA and the disability rights movement. He serves as AAPD's National Coordinator of National Disability Mentoring Day and is the Editor of AAPD's Justice For All Listserv. Election to the AAPD board of directors The Nominating Committee of AAPD presents the following nominees for its Board of Directors. Every member of AAPD is invited and encouraged to cast a ballot in this important election. Your ballot is enclosed in this newsletter. The AAPD Board of Directors is your board, and it is your right as a member of AAPD to vote in this election. There are six board positions open. Please vote for up to 6 of the 10 candidates and return your pre-addressed ballot to AAPD so that it will be received no later than June 1, 2002. Thank you. Henry B. Betts, M.D. (current board member) Betts is chairman of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) Foundation and Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University. Since 1963 he has held the various titles of: Medical Director, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago; Chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, The Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University; and President/CEO, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. He has been a force in rehabilitation medicine for more than 40 years. During this time he has worked to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities by advocating for improved accessibility as well as creating innovative teaching and treatment programs. Betts also established a full-time Injury Prevention Program aimed at lessening the incidence of preventable injuries, the Center for the Study of Disability Ethics, and was responsible for founding Access Living. In 1990 The Prince Charitable Trust, in Betts honor, established The Henry B. Betts Award, a $50,000 grant which is given annually to an individual whose work has improved the quality of life for people with disabilities. Judy Brewer (current board member) Judy Brewer directs the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). She coordinates several areas of work to make the Web more accessible, including technology and guidelines development, and education and outreach. Previously she directed the Massachusetts Assistive Technology Partnership, working on initiatives to increase access to mainstream technology for people with disabilities and improve dialogue between industry and the disability community. Her background includes management, technical writing, education, applied linguistics, and disability advocacy. She was named in the August, 2000 issue of Internet World as one of the "Net's Rising Stars," and received the 2002 Harry Murphy Catalyst Award. Judi Chamberlin (current board member) Chamberlin is a psychiatric survivor and an activist since 1971 in the survivor/consumer/ ex-patient movement. She is the author of On Our Own: Patient-Controlled Alternatives to the Mental Health System. She is affiliated with the Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation at Boston University and a co-founder and associate at the National Empowerment Center in Lawrence, MA. She is a member of the editorial board of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal and is profiled in Extraordinary People with Disabilities, a book for young people. In 1992, Chamberlin received the Distinguished Service Award of the President of the United States from the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. In 1995, she was the recipient of the N. Neal Pike Prize for Services to People with Disabilities from the Boston University School of Law. Tony Coehlo (first-time nominee) Tony Coelho has been a longtime advocate for people with disabilities, including the authorship and introduction of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a college student Coelho began having epileptic seizures, was barred from entering the priesthood, stripped of his driver's license, disowned by his family, and then struggled with depression. He was elected to Congress in 1978 and served as the first-ever elected House Majority Whip. Since leaving the House in 1989, Coelho has pursued a career in the private sector, including investment finance and corporate boards. President Clinton appointed Coelho Chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities in 1994 and Vice Chair of the Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities in 1998, where he advanced and coordinated federal disability programs and policies. "I would be proud to be a member of the AAPD Board," said Coelho, "and help AAPD work with both corporate America and our federal government to make the promises of the ADA a reality." Robert S. Cole (current board member) Cole is a partner in Cole Communications, a marketing communications firm in Bronxville, N.Y. that devotes much of its practice to counseling disability organizations. He currently serves on AAPD's Membership and Development Committees and was recently named to head its Political Participation Committee. Cole has been a volunteer public relations consultant to AAPD. In this role he formed an advisory board of journalists who cover disability issues and set up meetings with senior editors of The New York Times and AAPD that resulted in improved coverage of disabilities issues by the newspaper. Cole has served as Director of Development for the Deafness Research Foundation and on the boards of parent organizations for children who are deaf. His daughter is a graduate of Gallaudet University. If re-elected, he will continue to be active in the organization's communications, fund raising, and political activities. Bob Hamilton (current board member) Hamilton, the father of two children diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy, is President and CEO of Hamilton's Assistive Technology Services, Inc. But his service to people with disabilities goes beyond his company. He is a volunteer and advocate for community quality of life programs. He teaches consumer insurance rights to groups and individuals making them better advocates for payer benefits. He currently heads a taskforce to change the reimbursement system to better help people who are acquiring functional technology and services to enhance their independence. Hamilton has worked for disability rights from health care reform, to legislation, accessibility, consumer rights, transportation, and equipment funding. Tim E. Holmes (first-time nominee) Holmes is a 2000 recipient of the Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award for outstanding achievement in disability advocacy and leadership. He has served a key leadership role in multiple advocacy efforts. These include the Oregon State Rehabilitation Council where he currently serves as chair, the Grand Ronde Tribal Housing Authority where he also serves as chair, the Grand Ronde Community Resource Center, and the Blanche Fischer Foundation. He has worked as a bridge builder between cultures and communities. Under his leadership, the Housing Authority recently completed a 38-unit-HUD funded low income Elders universal housing development project and has begun another universal visitable project for families. "I believe in the Mission and purpose of AAPD. I would bring a commitment and willingness to serve to the best of my abilities. I have a great deal of experience working as an advocate for my people, and for the advancement of persons with disabilities." Karla Lortz (first-time nominee) Lortz is Executive Secretary for the Ohio Governor's Council on People with Disabilities, a position she has held for 14 years. In this position, she has administrative responsibility for the 21-member council, writes and publishes brochures on a variety of disability issues, and provides technical assistance to employers and others on a broad range of issues concerning Ohioans with disabilities. Lortz was actively involved in the passage of Ohio's Civil Rights Law during the 1970's and, more recently, has been involved in the passage and implementation of the ADA at both the national and state level. Frances Priester (first-time nominee) Priester, a 2001 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award recipient for her outstanding work in the area of disability advocacy and a child of a segregated South where her parents worked as sharecroppers, is a Consumer Specialist at the Elgin Mental Health Center in Elgin, IL. She also holds a law degree. Both she and her husband are bi-polar. For the past 10 years she has been an advocate for safe, decent, affordable housing for all people with disabilities. She recently collaborated with elected officials to conduct a successful major voter registration campaign. In her job she serves as the advocate for more than 300 consumers and continues to advocate for "decriminalization" of the mentally ill and a provision for law enforcement training on mental health. "My contribution to the Board and the association will be collaborative efforts to mount a national voter registration campaign inclusive of all disability groups." Claude Stout (first-time nominee) Stout is Executive Director of Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc. (TDI). TDI is a national non-profit advocacy organization that promotes equal access to telecommunications and media for Americans who are deaf, late-deafened, hard-of- hearing, and deaf-blind. Before TDI he served as Assistant Director for Community Affairs with the North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf. "Collaboration with government, industry, and other consumer groups must remain a high priority to maintain AAPD's visibility in disability policy development on every level. It is vital that AAPD actively maintains an outreach program to promote unique skills and abilities that people with disabilities have to contribute to America's economy and other community life experiences. I want to lend my expertise to this effort." A Congressional Insider's View: How to be an Effective Disability Policy Change Agent Bobby Silverstein, J.D. (former Staff Director and Chief Counsel, U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy and current AAPD Board Member) has developed training materials on CD-ROM on how to be an effective disability policy change agent. The CD-ROM includes 10 handouts (Powerpoint) and memos (MSWord), publications, and three comprehensive guides. The materials, designed for new and veteran advocates, offer the skills, tools, and tips needed for working more effectively on Federal, state, and local policy and within coalitions. The training materials also offer an understanding of the core principles of our Nation's emerging disability policy framework, how to interact better with policy makers and staff, how to enhance your strategic planning skills for moving disability policy, how to work productively in coalitions, and how to enhance your negotiation skills for positive outcomes. Silverstein served as staff director and chief counsel of the Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy for more than a decade. He also served as Counsel to the House Subcommittee on Select Education. During his tenure on the Hill, he worked on more than 20 disability-related bills enacted into law, including the ADA, IDEA, Rehabilitation Act, Tech Act, Family Support and the Developmental Disabilities Act. For more information or to order a CD-ROM containing Bobby's training materials, contact Melanie Gabel, The Arc of the United States, Center for the Study and Advance- ment of Disability Policy, 202-223-5340 (V/TTY) or email melanie@csadp.org. 15% of all proceeds will be donated to AAPD. AAPD Scores Big Legislative Win for Disability Community By Rep. E. Clay Shaw, Jr. (R-Fla.) The disability community rang in 2002 with an impressive federal victory. In January, President Bush signed legislation establishing important federal rights for Americans with disabilities who receive payments from a structured settlement. This new law, known as the Structured Settlement Protection Act, is the culmination of nearly five years of effort by a remarkably broad alliance that includes leaders from throughout the disability community. As chief House sponsor of this legislation, I was personally involved in this issue from the beginning. And the story of how this bill overcame significant hurdles to become law is a testament to the leadership and strong credibility of organizations such as the AAPD. This issue involves "structured settlements." Structured settlements are used to compensate victims of serious, often permanently disabling injuries suffered in accidents or in the workplace. Under a "structured settlement," an individual receives guaranteed payments tailored to his or her needs. These payments can also be tailored to include funding for children's education, future healthcare, or other basic living needs of the family. I am proud to say that I have been a long-time supporter of structured settlements during my more than two decades in Congress. Structured settlements constitute a private sector funding alternative to taxpayer-financed programs to meet the ongoing, long-term medical and living needs of victims of disabling injuries and their families. Structured settlements enable these injury victims to live with dignity and economic independence. However, several years ago a cottage industry sprang up. Known as the factoring industry, they sought to entice injury victims receiving structured settlements to sell off their future payments — their very means of future support — in exchange for a sharply- discounted lump sum of cash. Incredibly, I discovered, there was virtually no regulation to protect these injury victims and their families. That is why I introduced the Structured Settlement Protection Act with broad bipartisan backing in Congress. The measure establishes strong safeguards to protect structured settlement recipients from the factoring companies and ensure that the structured settlement continues to serve its intended purpose of providing long-term financial security. A court would have to find that it is in the best interests of the injury victim and his or her family before any future payments could be sold off. The law also mandates that the terms of the transaction are fully disclosed for scrutiny. President Bush signed the Structured Settlement Protection Act into law as part of the legislation providing relief to the victims of the September 11 tragedies. More than 30 states, including my home State of Florida, have also passed legislation to implement the court review of potential structured settlement factoring transactions. Thousands of bills are introduced in Congress every year and only a small fraction ever become law. The fact that this bill beat the odds and became law is a testament to the tremendous support that came from disability rights leaders such as the AAPD. AAPD's active leadership was crucial to our success, because it put a human face on the issue for Members of Congress. First elected to Congress in 1981, Rep. E. Clay Shaw, Jr. (R-Fla.) is a senior Member of the House Ways and Means Committee. He has been a long-time advocate for people with disabilities and structured settlement recipients. washington update Congress and White House Pledge "No Child Shall be Left Behind" Bipartisan Education Act Signed into Law January 8 The following is a release from the White House. Possibly the most sweeping reform of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) since it was enacted in 1965 was signed into law by President Bush on January 8. The new No Child Shall Be Left Behind Act redefines the federal role in K-12 education and will help close the achievement gap between minority students, students who are disadvantaged, or students who have disabilities and their peers. The Act is based on four basic principles: stronger accountability for results, increased flexibility and local control, expanded options for parents and an emphasis on proven teaching methods. There are 6.1 million students with disabilities in the United States and this new law will help ensure they all receive a quality education. The following are some of the provisions in the new law that will help students with disabilities: The Act provides unprecedented new flexibility for all 50 states and every local school district in America in the use of federal education funds. States will receive the freedom to target up to 50 percent of federal non-Title I dollars under the Act to programs that will have the most positive impact on the students they serve, including students with disabilities. Assessments must provide for adaptations and accommodations for students with disabilities as defined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Assessment results and state progress objectives must be broken out by student groups based on poverty, race and ethnicity, disability and limited English proficiency (LEP) to ensure that no group is left behind. States' definitions of "adequate yearly progress" (AYP) must include separate measurable annual objectives for continuous and substantial improvement for the achievement of groups of students, including students with disabilities. The local education agency (LEA) plan, which is required in order to receive a sub grant under the No Child Left Behind Act, must be coordinated with other federal programs, including the IDEA. The plan must describe how the LEA will coordinate and integrate services under Title I with other education services such as services for students with disabilities to increase program effectiveness, reduce duplication, and reduce fragmentation of the instructional program. Additionally, LEA applications must describe how the LEA will provide training to enable teachers to teach and address the needs of students with different learning styles, particularly students with disabilities and students with LEP. States are required to include in their grants applications a description of how the professional development activities will be coordinated with professional development activities provided under other federal, state and local programs. Under the IDEA the U.S. Department of Education is currently funding 36 State Improvement Grants and expects to fund 8 or 9 more this year so almost every state will have one. Grantees must spend 75 percent of the funds on professional development. The Early Childhood Educator Professional Development grant applications must include a description of how the project will train early childhood educators to meet the diverse educational needs of children in the community. For more information about the No Child Left Behind Act, visit www.ed.gov/nclb. MICASSA Co-Sponsor List Growing MICASSA, H.R. 3612, is attracting more co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. Is your Representative a co-sponsor? Call, write, or email your House members and ask him/her to co-sponsor H.R. 3612. Make a Call — Make Things Happen To find out how to reach your members of Congress go to www.house.gov or www.senate.gov or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. To reach the White House go to www.whitehouse.gov or call 202-456-1414. Medicare Vision Rehabilitation Act AAPD has joined the campaign to help pass the Medicare Vision Rehabilitation Services Act H.R. 2484/S. 1967. The bill, which currently has more than 90 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, will ensure access to Medicare-covered vision rehabilitation services for older adults who are blind or partially sighted. This legislation will standardize Medicare coverage nationwide and add vision rehabilitation professionals to the Medicare program as eligible providers, making their specialized services available for the first time to Medicare beneficiaries. Vision rehabilitation professionals are uniquely trained and nationally certified to rehabilitate people with the entire spectrum of vision loss, from partial sight or low vision, to total blindness. Such professionals include orientation and mobility specialists, rehabilitation teachers, and low vision therapists. Currently, one in five older Americans — about 7.3 million people age 65 and older — reports some degree of vision impairment, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses. More than 700,000 of these older adults are legally blind. Four eye diseases are the major causes of age-related vision loss — macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts. Glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy are especially prevalent among African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. Vision impairment is identified by the Alliance for Aging Research as one of the four leading causes of lost independence among older people. Costs for medical and long term care for older Americans who lose their independence each year are $26 billion greater than if they had remained independent that year. While vision loss cannot always be prevented, vision rehabilitation services can restore an individual's functional abilities, safety, and independence. Vision rehabilitation services can prevent falls, burns, and other injuries, and can enable visually impaired people to practice healthy behaviors in diet, exercise, and disease management — thus reducing health care and dependency costs. Call, write, or email your member of Congress, asking him/her to co-sponsor H.R. 2484. Call, write, or email your two Senators, asking them to co-sponsor S. 1967. To send emails directly to Congress visit: www.medicarenow.org. For more information, contact: Lorraine Lidoff, Director, National Vision Rehabilitation Cooperative, 508-487-5815, llidoff@att.net. Family Opportunity Act Needs Push From AAPD Members 289 Members of Congress are sponsoring bill to save families from Economic Disaster AAPD is encouraging its members to write, call or email their Congressional Representatives and ask them to support the Family Opportunity Act (S. 321/H.R. 600) also known as the Dylan Lee James Act. This bill, which already has 75 Senate and 214 House co-sponsors, would allow working families with incomes up to 300% of the poverty level ($52,950 for a family of 4) to "buy in" to Medicaid, which covers their children's needed health services. The Family Opportunity Act is not a new welfare program. It is a welfare prevention program designed to strengthen and keep families together and secure families' economic stability. The diversity of this bill's chief sponsors — Senators Grassley (R-IA) and Kennedy (D- MA) and Representatives Sessions (R-TX) and Waxman (D-CA) — demonstrates its broad national bipartisan, bicameral support. It builds directly on the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA) that permits adults with disabilities to improve their economic status without losing access to critically needed health benefits. More than 300 national organizations have endorsed this bill. Additional Medicare Cuts by October 1 Additional cuts in the Medicare home health benefit are scheduled for October 1 of this year. Currently these cuts have no adjustment for more costly or more vulnerable patients and therefore will fall heaviest on the most costly patients (those who suffer from chronic illness or serious illness as well as those in rural areas). AAPD urges its members and friends to phone, write, or email the White House to eliminate this cut. Please contact the Administration soon as the White House is preparing a letter now listing the Medicare relief they believe should be provided this year. Please also contact your representatives and senators and ask them to do the same. In 1997, Congress cut similar Medicare funds in the balanced budget amendment. That cut resulted in 900,000 beneficiaries being eliminated from the home health benefit with the greatest drop being among the highest utilizers (the most chronically and seriously ill) and rural patients. Health Care Access Resolution Introduced in House By Diane Lardie, Former Executive Director of the Universal Health Care Action Network Discrimination in access to the U. S. health system was not a major focus of the ADA (political realism carried the day). Insurers, therefore, have no legal sanctions and can continue to exclude anyone perceived to have special health care needs such as those with a pre-existing condition. Employers, too, hesitate to hire people with disabilities or other pre-existing conditions for fear their hiring will result in higher employer health premiums. Traditionally, the presence of a pre-existing condition has been and still is certain to result in a denial of health insurance coverage at worst or, at best, highly inflated premiums. What is the solution? Guaranteed health coverage that can only come when national policy declares that everyone must have health care that he or she needs —universal health care. How can we get there? Make health care for all a political issue so that policymakers must act and the time for doing that is now. A major step in that direction is the Health Care Access Resolution (House Concurrent Resolution 99 — HCAR) introduced in the House of Representatives. The resolution directs Congress to enact legislation by 2004 (prior to the next presidential election) that provides access to comprehensive health care for all Americans. It spells out 14 principles for reform but does not specifically endorse any one model. HCAR was created by the Congressional Health Care Task Force founded in 2000 to promote strategic planning to achieve affordable, high quality health care for all. Headed by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), the task force includes 44 members of the House of Representatives. The list of congressional co-sponsors for HCAR is growing weekly, 57 U.S. Represent-atives signed on as co-sponsors. During this election year, call your Representative and ask him/her to co-sponsor HCAR.Tell him/her how many people with disabilities live in his/her district and how important this is to their well-being. If your Representative has an opponent in the race, call and ask the person if he/she would support HCAR if elected to the House of Representatives. House Concurrent Resolution 99 Directing Congress to Enact Legislation by October 2004 that Provides Access to Comprehensive Health Care for All Americans Now, therefore be it resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), that the Congress shall enact legislation by October 2004 to guarantee that every person in the United States, regardless of income, age, or employment, or health status, has access to health care that: 1. is affordable to individuals and families, businesses and taxpayers and that removes financial barriers to needed care; 2. is as cost efficient as possible, spending the maximum amount of dollars on direct patient care; 3. provides comprehensive benefits, including benefits for mental health and long term care services; 4. promotes prevention and early intervention; 5. includes parity for mental health and other services; 6. eliminates disparities in access to quality health care; 7. addresses the needs of people with special health care needs and underserved populations in rural and urban areas; 8. promotes quality and better health outcomes; 9. addresses the need to have adequate numbers of qualified health care caregivers, practitioners, and providers to guarantee timely access to quality care; 10. provides adequate and timely payments in order to guarantee access to providers; 11. fosters a strong network of health care facilities, including safety net providers; 12. ensures continuity of coverage and continuity of care; 13. maximizes consumer choice of health care providers and practitioners; and 14. is easy for patients, providers and practitioners to use and reduces paperwork. Bond/McConnell Provisions Weaken Voting Bill On November 7, 2000 at least 6 million Americans were deprived of their most fundamental right in our democracy — the right to vote and to have that vote counted. Many thought they had voted, only to have their ballots cancelled by systemic errors; others were simply turned away from the polls. Scores of Americans responded, demanding that the flaws in our election systems that plagued voters be fixed. But, few states have acted. And, although blue ribbon panels were created, Congressional hearings were held, and studies of the problems were carried out, federal legislation has not been passed to ensure that all citizens have a full opportunity to vote. Numerous election reform bills have been proposed, but only one (S. 565) contains strong language about non-discrimination, gives states $3.5 billion to reform their voting systems, and has national voting standards (i.e., provides for: voting machines that are accurate and permit voters to verify their choices; machines and polling places that are accessible to voters with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency; and provisional balloting.) But in their effort to quickly get a bill through the U.S. Congress, the sponsors of S. 565 have agreed to changes proposed by Senators Bond and McConnell that will discriminate against minorities, students, the elderly, and people with disabilities. The discriminatory provisions include: • Photo ID/documentation requirement that is clearly discriminatory to minorities, people with disabilities, students, and the poor and which can be applied in a manner that is unequal, unfair, and non-uniform. Republican Senators Bond and McConnell have refused to lessen the discriminatory impact of this provision; • Removing National Voter Registration Act safeguards, including important voter registration standards; • Weakening the fundamental rights contained in the Voting Rights Act for the first time since 1965; and • Creating a "Safe Harbor" Provision that allows states to delay meeting national standards until 2010 — five federal elections from now, including two presidential elections! The senators advocating these changes claim they are needed to stem "fraud," but they have been unwilling to ensure that in the process voters will not be discriminated against. AAPD LEADERSHIP GALA – A HUGE SUCCESS The first-ever AAPD Leadership Gala, held in Washington, DC, on February 27, 2002, exceeded all expectations. The Honorable Tony Coelho, former Majority Whip of the U. S. House of Representatives, served as master of ceremonies. The Honorable Claude Allen, Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, read a supportive letter from President Bush, who was unable to be present. The Leadership Gala was the forum for recognizing the Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award recipients and The Henry B. Betts Award recipient. Additionally, it provided the opportunity for AAPD to come together with members of Congress and leaders in the corporate community to share their dedication and commitment to the issues regarding people with disabilities and their families. Seven members of Congress presented the Paul G. Hearne/ AAPD Leadership Awards to awardees. Each awardee received $10,000. Alicia Contreras received her award from Representative Tom Lantos (D-CA). Daniel Davis received his award from Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY). Annie Forts received her award from Representative John Sununu (R-NH). Noah Linn Hendershot received his award from Representative Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD). Kristin Jones received her award from Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI). Frances Priester received her award from Senator Richard Durbin (R-IL). And, Jerry White received his award from Senator Byron Dorgan (D-SD). Mary Lou Breslin, recipient of the The Henry B. Betts Award, was introduced by Representative James Langevin (D-RI), who presented her with the $50,000 cash prize. Other members of Congress in attendance included Representative John Baldacci (D- ME), Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ), Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA), and Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA). Alvenia Rhea Albright, lead sponsor American Express's Director of Diverse Business Partnerships-Global, spoke about the importance of building lasting partnerships between the business sector and the disability community. She continued with what American Express is already doing in this area and invited the other corporations present to follow suit. American Express was the lead sponsor of the Gala. At a reception prior to the Leadership Gala, Raymond Oglethorpe, President of AOL, extended his personal congratulations to all award recipients and also spoke to the need for building bridges between the disability and business communities. AOL was the pre-dinner reception sponsor. AAPD extends its congratulations to all of the award recipients and sincere gratitude to every single attendee, without whom the Leadership Gala would not have been possible. GALA SPONSORS 2002 AAPD LEADERSHIP GALA SPONSORS AAPD gratefully acknowledges the generosity of the following Leadership Gala sponsors. It is their gifts that made the Gala and the Leadership Awards possible. $150,000 The Prince Charitable Trusts, in support of The Henry B. Betts Award $100,000 The Milbank Foundation for Rehabilitation, in support of the Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Awards Platinum Lead Sponsor American Express Reception Sponsor AOL Time Warner Gold Level American Airlines The Bodman Foundation (in support of the Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Awards) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company The California Endowment (in support of the Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Awards) Independence Technology, a Johnson & Johnson company MetLife Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (in support of the Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Awards) National Association of Broadcasters Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation (in support of the Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Awards) Verizon Silver Level BellSouth DaimlerChrysler Corporation Election Systems & Software, Inc. Equality Staffing Genentech Hart Intercivic McDonald's Corporation Microsoft Corporation Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville PC SBC Communications Sagamore Associates Sequoia Pacific Voting Machines The Walt Disney Company Volkswagen of America, Inc. Bronze Level Darden Restaurants Eli Lilly & Co. HSBC Bank USA Issue Dynamics, Inc. Kimberly-Clark Corporation Motion Picture Association of America Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company National Council on Independent Living National Dental Association Novartis Corporation Paralyzed Veterans of America Raytheon Corporation Recording Industry Association of America Wisconsin Energy Corporation Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Patron Level The Honorable Robert Dole Leslie Harris & Associates The Marwood Group Metropolitan Foundation Motorola, Inc. Friends Level Advamed Bender Consulting Services, Inc. The Blanck Family Foundation Digital Federal Credit Union Easter Seals Society The Emerson Group Grocery Manufacturers of America Learning Disabilities Association of America National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. Rehabilitation Technology Works, Inc. The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars In-Kind Blistex, Inc. Cingular Wireless Liz Claiborne, Inc. Madeline De Vries Public Relations Midwest Express Airlines Olay Revlon, Inc. Southwest Airlines Voting Machine Manufacturers Participate in Leadership Gala AAPD extends its appreciation to the voting machine manufacturers who were Silver Level sponsors of the February 27 Leadership Gala: Election Systems & Software, Inc., manufacturer of the i-votronic System; Hart Intercivic, manufacturer of the E-Slate System; and Sequoia Pacific Voting Machines, manufacturer of the AVC Advantage System. Because of the ongoing debate on Capitol Hill regarding voting accessibility (specifically the Equal Protection of Voting Rights Act of 2002), it is critical that AAPD and the voting equipment manufacturers work closely together to ensure equal voting accessibility and voting rights for all Americans. Additional thanks goes to the folks at Sequoia Pacific, who brought equipment to the Leadership Gala for demonstration purposes and were present to respond to questions. Microsoft Actively Supports Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act By Laura Ruby When Congress voted to strengthen Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act in 1998, people with disabilities nationwide began to realize two valuable goals. First, Section 508 now requires all federal agencies to ensure that electronic or information technology they develop, procure, maintain or use is accessible to people with disabilities, whether they are federal employees or members of the public. A technology's accessibility is measured by how well it conforms to standards developed by the U.S. Access Board and published in the Federal Register on December 21, 2000. Second, Section 508 creates a strong incentive for technology companies to build more and better accessibility features into their products. Although Section 508 neither regulates the technology industry nor requires private companies to alter their products, it does establish strict accessibility standards that any technology must strive to meet before the federal government can consider purchasing it. Therefore, a technology company that wants to do business with the federal government — one of the world's largest markets for technology — must make accessibility a priority. At Microsoft, we believe Section 508 is good for everyone: government, industry, and people with disabilities. By using Section 508 to highlight the value of accessible technology to its employees and constituents, the federal government is encouraging industry to compete more vigorously to develop innovative technologies that are accessible to all users. Many state governments and universities are following the federal example, adopting procurement policies that require technology to be accessible. These changes are creating new education and career opportunities for the estimated 54 million people with disabilities in the United States, including 8.5 million who remain unemployed but want to work. Microsoft is fully engaged in Section 508, working closely with federal information technology (IT) managers and industry leaders to help government agencies comply with the new policy and providing tools other companies need to develop accessible technologies that meet the federal standards. Internally, Microsoft has implemented a rigorous process to ensure that its product teams consider Section 508 standards at each stage of design and development for every new Microsoft product, and that those technologies are tested against each of the federal standards. And because Microsoft builds only one version of its products — rather than separate versions for government, business and home users — new accessibility features that are added because of Section 508 will benefit all users, not only federal employees. After evaluating a product, Microsoft completes a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), an informational tool developed by industry and government to assist federal IT professionals with the market research duties they are required to perform under Section 508. The VPAT describes precisely how a product does and does not meet Section 508 standards. Microsoft then posts the VPAT on its corporate Web site, providing both government officials and consumers easy access to the information. Product VPATs, information about Section 508, and related topics can be found at http://microsoft. com/enable/microsoft/section508.htm. Actually, Section 508 complements and reinforces the work Microsoft is already doing to make technology universally accessible. Our commitment to accessibility began in July 1995, when we adopted a corporate policy making it the responsibility of every Microsoft employee to ensure all users have access to our products and services. That policy outlined a comprehensive strategy we still use today: • Develop products, technologies and services that are accessible and usable by all people regardless of their capabilities. • Build relationships with the disability community to help us better understand and respond to customer needs. • Equip and motivate the development community to produce great accessibility solutions. • Empower customers with information to make informed choices about the new and existing products they use. Microsoft has continued to deliver on its commitment by creating a host of new accessible technologies and making each new release of its existing products more accessible than the last. Office XP and Windows XP — the most accessible operating system Microsoft has ever released — are the latest examples of established Microsoft products that continue to achieve new levels of accessibility. Today, the Accessible Technology Group at Microsoft has more than 40 people working full-time with product developers, assistive technology manufacturers and disability advocates to ensure that people with disabilities can easily access and use not only Microsoft products, but also hardware and software developed by other companies. Laura Ruby is Program Manager for Regulatory and Industry Affairs in the Accessible Technology Group at Microsoft. Academy Award Venue Inaccessible to Wheelchairs Academy Awards May Welcome Diversity But Kodak Theatre Does Not According to a complaint filed in March in U.S. District Court, the Kodak Theatre, where the Academy Awards took place, is not accessible to people who use wheelchairs, as required by the ADA and federal and state disability anti-discrimination laws. The suit, filed by the Western Law Center for Disability Rights on behalf of Elizabeth Bancroft and Joyanna Wendt, charges the owners and operators of the Kodak Theatre with violating the ADA and California laws requiring that newly constructed buildings be fully accessible to people with disabilities. The Kodak Theater was completed in 2001 and opened last November. Dr. Bancroft, who uses a wheelchair, attended a rock concert there in December with Ms. Wendt. In spite of requesting wheelchair accessible seating in advance, no wheelchair accessible space was reserved for them. Instead, they were placed in a space behind a row of seats. When other patrons stood up to see the show, Ms. Bancroft's disability prevented her from standing, so she was unable to see the show. "We were completely shocked that a brand new theatre would have no real wheelchair access," said Ms. Bancroft. "We paid for good seats to see one of our favorite artists and, instead, I could not see most of the show. The situation really ruined our evening." The Western Law Center's investigation revealed that the Kodak Theatre includes an insufficient number of wheelchair spaces. Out of approximately 3,500 seats, only 28 were identified as wheelchair accessible. The ADA and California law require a venue of that size to have at least 36 wheelchair seats, plus adjacent seating for companions. In addition, the few wheelchair spaces provided were not usable because they were not on level surfaces, were not large enough, and did not provide lines of sight over people standing in front of them. Some levels of seating do not provide any wheelchair seating at all and one level is not even reachable by people who use wheelchairs. "There is simply no excuse for this blatant violation of the law. The ADA allows older buildings some leeway in moving toward accessibility, but new buildings are required to comply strictly with the design standards. This is an international venue, touted to provide the best in arts, theatre, music, and awards, and it doesn't meet the basic legal standards," according to Eve Hill, Executive Director of the Western Law Center. AAPD and the U.S. Department of Labor Present: A National Disability Employment Awareness Month Event National Disability Mentoring Day: Career Development for the 21st Century Make a Difference in your Community! www.aapd-dc.org/mentor.html National Disability Mentoring Day is a partnership between the American Association of People with Disabilities and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy. October 16, 2002 American Association of People with Disabilities Creating a Phone Campaign to Get Out The Vote November 5, 2002 is Election Day The centerpiece of any election is the "get out the vote effort." It is, by far, the most important task. Public forums, debates, and town hall meetings are fine, but they reach very few people. The loudest voice is spoken at the polls. Getting out the vote requires planning and follow-up, but no special skills or experience. All one needs is the commitment to make this election and future campaigns and elections different. Think ahead a few years and imagine a campaign where candidates for high political offices are discussing disability issues and making commitments to the disability community. It can happen. But it will only happen when many people with disabilities go to the polls and vote. AAPD members are strongly encouraged to go to the agencies/organizations with whom they have an association and ask them to sponsor a non-partisan volunteer get out the vote effort. Non-for-profit disability service providers can by law and should conduct non-partisan get out the vote campaigns aimed at getting more people with disabilities to vote this November and in future elections. These service providers include Independent Living Centers, Light Houses for the Blind, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, to name just a few. When asking the agency, tell them you will volunteer to help. And that you will recruit some other volunteers. Stress how few people with disabilities are currently voting and how they can turn this number around and make a difference in the lives of their clients. Also stress this is a non-partisan effort and not a campaign favoring one candidate over the other. Let them know you can provide informative guides and materials from AAPD. The service provider is key to having a successful get out the vote drive in your area because they hold the keys to making it happen. The service provider has a client list of potential voters and credibility and trust with those people on the list. Just as the "get out the vote effort" is the centerpiece of a political campaign, the "list" is the centerpiece of the effort. On the list are the names, phone numbers, and addresses of those potential voters with disabilities and their friends and families that you and other volunteers will be contacting and getting to the polls to vote or to vote through an absentee ballot. Additionally, a call coming from a familiar service provider carries a great deal of credibility and the potential voter on the other end will know it is someone they can trust. Working the List Lists should be current with correct phone numbers and addresses and compiled in a simple database format that can later be modified. As the campaign develops you will want to sort perspective voters by varying criteria such as, "regular voter," "needs a ride," "needs a babysitter while voting," etc. Additionally, you will need to acquire a copy of your community's voter file. Your local board of elections maintains a public record of every voter and how often they voted (but not who they voted for). You can obtain this list from local election officials or from the state election office. Additionally, ask the local board of elections for a precinct finder. The finder will be used when making calls to potential voters. For larger lists, it is more efficient to contract out the process of matching the sponsoring agency's list against voter file information (list enhancement). Your state chief election official can provide a list of private companies that offer this service. Some volunteer groups have large list-enhancement programs and will often allow other groups to participate in their program. It is important to determine who on your list have been frequent voters and who doesn't vote. A frequent voter is a person who has voted in at least three out of four recent elections. A frequent voter might be willing to help with the get out the vote effort. As soon as you have determined who these individuals are, you and the agency should recruit them to help. Individuals who have voted in two out of four recent elections are "occasional voters". Non-voters are most likely not registered. These individuals should be called prior to the registration deadline and offered the opportunity to register. List workers (callers) need to be able to answer questions regarding the voting process in your area. Prior to calling, research the following for your area: rules concerning absentee ballots, laws that concern voting and people with disabilities (for example federal law allows voters with disabilities to be accompanied by and to receive assistance from another person in the voting booth), and voting equipment that will be used on Election Day (given the fiasco of the last presidential election, some areas are changing voting machines, etc., frequently the decision to use certain kinds of voting equipment is done on a local or county level). Divide your list by frequent voters, occasional voters, and non-voters. Include addresses and phone numbers and, if you have them, email addresses. By September 1 you should be ready to call the frequent voters with disabilities on the list and recruit them to help. If the sponsoring agency does not have office space large enough for several volunteer callers (calls are made in the evening and on the weekend), many not-for-profit organizations such as the Urban League or the YMCA/YWCA will make their phones available for a non-partisan effort. Calling from home should only be a last resort. Caller Materials Every volunteer caller will need the following: prepared script (prepared by someone in your volunteer group), instruction sheets (calling rules and how you want the caller to record information) and service requisition forms (to keep track of who needs what services on Election Day), voter registration information (where and how to register), polling place information (including where to vote, what kinds of voting equipment will be available, and physical accessibility), absentee ballot information, and a potential voter calling list (several smaller lists for individual callers to use should be made from the main list) with space for recording voter information given to caller. Sample Phone Script • Hello, my name is (your name) and I am a volunteer for the (name of the sponsoring agency) Get Out The Vote Project. • Would you like to see more vigorous enforcement of the ADA? (or substitute with a particular issue of concern to the agency's clients) (Wait for affirmative response) • Do you plan to vote on Election Day? • I am calling to remind you the election is on November 5. • We want every politician to know that people with disabilities vote. • This election addresses issues that affect you and your life such as: (list several issues of importance to the sponsoring agency's clients) • Do you wish to vote by absentee ballot or at the polls and do you need a ride to the polls or assistance voting? • Do you know where you go to vote? (give them the information if they don't have it) Thank you for your time. First Phone Campaign The first phone campaign should take place in early September. The campaign will consist of calling everyone on the list and asking the following questions: • Are you registered to vote? (You should know the deadline for voter registration in your area and have registration materials to send them.) • Do you vote by absentee ballot? (You should have access to absentee and alternate format ballots to send to individuals who vote this way and you should know when they must be returned to the election office.) Absentee voters should have a follow-up call prior to the deadline to determine if they have mailed the ballot to the election office. • How many voting-age individuals live in the household? Are they registered? etc. • Do you know where to vote? • Do you have any questions about voting machines or voting laws? • Will you need a ride to the polls or assistance voting? Second Phone Campaign The second phone campaign should take place approximately seven to ten days prior to Election Day. Again, it is important to try to call everyone on the list. It is also important to speak to individuals and not just leave messages. Callers, through questions, should determine the following information: • does the potential voter plan to vote, • is their non-voting a lack of interest or because of hardship, • does the potential voter need any assistance in getting to the polls or information on the issues, and • what time the voter plans to vote on Election Day (morning, afternoon, or evening). Once again, log this information. Based on transportation and other needs discovered during the calling, plans for voter assistance should be firmed up and assigned to volunteers. Third Phone Campaign The third phone campaign will take place on Election Day. Every registered potential voter must be called on Election Day and asked if they have voted and if not when they plan to vote or if they need transportation, etc. A clear line of communications between callers and the coordinators for transportation and other needs should be maintained so that your group can respond quickly to unexpected problems. If you are planning a get out the vote effort in your community, let us know. We want to keep track of voting activities going on around the country and we have additional materials we can share with you to help your campaign. To tell us what you are doing and for more information on AAPD's Disability Vote Project call 1-202-955- 6114 (V/TTY) or email Dickson@essential.org. Go to AAPD's website www.aapd- dc.org to find more get out the vote materials. AAPD American Association of People with Disabilities 1819 H Street, NW Suite 330 Washington, DC 20006-3603 Return Service Requested To request an alternate format call 1-800-840-8844 (V/TTY) For AAPD Membership Inquiries: Telephone 1-888-712-4672 (V/TTY) or 1-866-241-3200 (V/TTY) Written P.O. Box 97045 Washington, DC 20091-7045 Visit our web site at: www.aapd-dc.org