AAPDnews
SUMMER 2007

The 2008 Presidential Candidates’ Positions on Critical Disability Issues
 In the last issue of AAPDnews, we shared a number of questions that were directed to the candidates for the presidency. The questions, developed by AAPD, ADAPT, the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), and Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), reflected issues most important to the disability community. Responses were sought from all of the Democratic and Republican candidates by May 31, 2007.

As of the printing of this newsletter, responses had been received from five of the campaigns —Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Christopher Dodd. In this issue, we are printing excerpts from these answers, focusing on the issues of housing, healthcare for all, and employment. To view the full text of each candidate’s answers, visit www.aapd.com and click on the 2008 Presidential Election Action Center link on the homepage. As answers are received from the remaining campaigns, they will be posted on the website. Excerpts from any future responses will be featured in upcoming editions of AAPDnews.

Barak Obama Answers
EMPLOYMENT
What steps would you take to reduce employment barriers and improve employment outcomes for Americans with disabilities?

The barriers that workers with disabilities face in the labor market and workplace are complicated, interrelated, and stubborn. It will take strong leadership from a President dedicated to increasing the employment rate of workers with disabilities in order to define our goals, marshal the necessary resources, bridge bureaucratic and programmatic boundaries, and lead employers, service providers, and people with disabilities into the future.

I recently met a 22 year-old woman with disabilities in New Hampshire. She spoke about her disabilities that have greatly affected her life, with symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis. Her requests were simple–she wanted to work and do those things that people with healthy bodies often take for granted. I am committed to making sure that those simple requests are honored. My goal is to increase the employment rate among workers with disabilities so that it is as close as possible to the employment rate for all American workers. Achieving this goal will require several steps.

First, we must recognize that with proper support, people with disabilities are strong contributors to society. All Americans, regardless of disability, deserve a dignified life, and there are many government programs that are essential to this commitment. I am a strong supporter of the 1965 Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act, which facilitates government purchase of products made by blind and severely disabled Americans. I have worked closely with the Chicago Lighthouse (a nonprofit serving the blind that manufactures office products) to strengthen this legislation. And I have called on the Government Accountability Office to investigate the federal government’s compliance with the Act’s mandates.

Second, we must increase educational opportunities for the disabled. What you learn plays an important role in what you earn and whether you are employed. Yet students with disabilities are more likely to drop out of high school and, even if they finish high school, are less likely to pursue four-year college degrees. We must fund IDEA and increase the emphasis in secondary schools on students’ transition planning for college. And we must provide the necessary funding for Vocational Rehabilitation and Pell Grants to support students with disabilities seeking college degrees.

Third, we must solve our health care crisis. One of the most important barriers to workers with disabilities seeking and keeping jobs is the uncertainty associated with the employer-based health insurance system. For adults with disabilities, no health insurance can mean irrevocable physical and mental health deterioration because they need regular care and supervision of their conditions by doctors and specialists. Without health insurance, they must pay for these services out of pocket and, as a result, might forego or delay the medical care they need. Yet 45 million Americans currently have no health insurance. A smaller percentage of workers currently have employer-provided health insurance than had it in 1987. A smaller percentage of employers provide health insurance. And the costs of health insurance to workers have risen. Assuring that people with disabilities can have jobs with health insurance will be a critical step to increasing their opportunities to find employment. That is why I am committed to signing a universal health care plan into law by the end of my first term in office and having a plan that will lower premium costs for a typical family by $2,500.

Fourth, we must strengthen our civil rights laws to protect disabled Americans from employment discrimination. I am committed to funding and better enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as strengthening other legislation to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal opportunity to participate in the workplace.

Finally, I will direct my administration to increase the employment of workers with disabilities during my first term. I will also use the authority provided to the President, as well as my bully pulpit, to encourage private-sector employers to increase their hiring of workers with disabilities. Among other things, private-sector employers should be encouraged to increase their use of existing tax benefits like the Work Opportunity Tax Credit to hire more workers with disabilities.

HEALTH CARE FOR ALL
What steps would you take to ensure that people with disabilities have access to affordable, quality health care that is responsive to their needs?

As president, I will sign a universal health care plan into law by the end of my first term in office. I will modernize the U.S. health care system to improve quality and reduce costs by $2,500 for a typical family. And I will increase investment in public health to prepare and protect Americans against emerging health threats and to reduce rates of preventable diseases.

My plan will cover the uninsured and lower costs to families and businesses. I will allow people who do not have access to group coverage through their employers or public programs (such as Medicaid, SCHIP, and Medicare) to buy into a national pool, which will offer a new public plan similar to the one I have as a member of Congress, and private plans that offer comprehensive benefits and meet quality standards. Federal subsidies will be made available to those who need it, to make coverage more affordable. And employers will have access to reinsurance to protect them from volatile and high increases in the cost of insurance. Finally, my plan will mandate health insurance coverage for every child in America.

My health care reform plan recognizes that although all Americans are affected by problems with our health care delivery system, certain patient populations are significantly more likely to experience difficulties gaining access to health care and to receive lower quality health care. I will require that all health care providers collect, analyze and report data on the quality of health care given to vulnerable populations, including those with disabilities, to ensure appropriate care and good health outcomes. My plan also emphasizes care coordination and integration, which is particularly important for individuals with disabilities who often have multiple providers. Last but not least, I will support additional training of health care workers so that they are better able to address the needs of disabled populations.

HOUSING
What would you do to increase the availability of affordable, accessible, integrated housing opportunities in the community for low and moderate income people with disabilities and their families? 

In too many communities, low-income families are priced out of the housing market. Between 1993 and 2003, the number of units affordable to low-income households fell by 1.2 million. As president, I will create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund to develop affordable housing in mixed-income neighborhoods. The Fund will use a small percentage of the profits of two government-sponsored housing agencies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to create up to 14,000 new units of affordable housing every year.

A family’s most important investment is their home. However, there is a growing epidemic of mortgage fraud crimes in which sophisticated scam artists use elaborate scams to cheat homeowners out of their mortgages. I introduced legislation that would increase funding for federal law enforcement programs, create new criminal penalties for mortgage professionals found guilty of fraud, and require industry insiders to report suspicious activity. In the Illinois state legislature, I cosponsored a bill creating the High Risk Home Loan Act to protect borrowers who enter into high-risk home loans
 
As president, I will fight to ensure more Americans can achieve and protect the dream of home ownership. I also support increasing federal support for affordable rental housing, and recently called for a new Affordable Housing Trust Fund to build up to 14,000 additional units each year for lower-income individuals in mixed-income neighborhoods.
In the Illinois Senate, I was also the chief cosponsor of a bill including disabled persons within the provisions granting an assessment freeze homestead exception to senior citizens. 

Bill Richardson Answers
EMPLOYMENT
What steps would you take to reduce employment barriers and improve employment outcomes for Americans with disabilities?
In addition to the steps I have outlined above, I would continue to challenge federal and state government agencies as well as private employers to employ people with disabilities. It is difficult to track employees with disabilities because of the confidentiality clauses regarding employment, but I would establish a method of determining how many people with disabilities are employed and challenge business to increase that number every year. Tax incentives will also be established to encourage private businesses to hire more people with disabilities.
Research shows that people with significant disabilities that hold college degrees are employed at about the same rate as their non-disabled peers. I would work on establishing student disability programs to encourage people with disabilities to further their education.
HEALTH CARE FOR ALL
What steps would you take to ensure that people with disabilities have access to affordable, quality health care that is responsive to their needs?
My plan for universal coverage would ensure that Americans—with or without disabilities—would have access to affordable, guaranteed coverage.

HOUSING
What would you do to increase the availability of affordable, accessible, integrated housing opportunities in the community for low and moderate income people with disabilities and their families?
I will support increasing the funding to HUD Section 811 for housing for people with disabilities. Nationwide, there is a shortage of affordable, available and accessible housing for people with disabilities. Adequate housing is something most Americans take for granted—the disability community cannot, not yet. 

John Edwards Answers
EMPLOYMENT: 
What steps would you take to reduce employment barriers and improve employment outcomes for Americans with disabilities?
Work is central to our lives, not only for economic independence but also to give our lives dignity and meaning. However, two out of three working-age Americans with disabilities are out of work today. Excluding anyone from mainstream American life is morally unacceptable. It also needlessly wastes great potential. Reducing barriers can create tremendous economic opportunity for our country.
One of the goals I have set for America is lifting 12 million Americans out of poverty in a decade and eliminating poverty in America over the next 30 years. It is something we must do to restore our moral authority in the world. Restoring our moral authority means leading by example and making clear that hard challenges don’t frighten us, but call us to action.
In America, every person should have the chance to live up to his or her potential at work and in our communities. We cannot achieve that goal without addressing the barriers that confront Americans with disabilities when they seek to work. Too often, people with disabilities are denied that opportunity because unfair obstacles get in their way. I believe we must break down these barriers, and I have a comprehensive agenda to give every American equal opportunity.
First, we must concentrate on young people with disabilities who have higher dropout rates and lower college enrollment rates, making future employment more difficult. We must remove barriers to education. Those who do graduate have more difficulty finding a first job and getting their careers on track. Education must be accessible in elementary and secondary schools and in vocational schools, community colleges, universities, and graduate programs. I will ensure that the Department of Education strictly enforces the law and brings together experts to address means to eliminate these barriers.
We lose far too many Americans with disabilities in the transition from school to either the workplace or higher education. My Breaking Down Barriers initiative will give young people meaningful job experiences and create a sense of the possibilities of their future. It will provide them valuable skills and contacts for finding a job after graduation, helping them on the path towards success and self-sufficiency. I support vocational rehabilitation programs and the expansion of employment-based settings for federally funded job education.
Second, we must extend the possibility of independent living. For people with disabilities, living within their own communities is essential to job opportunities. Work from home opportunities exist in greater quantity and quality when a person with a disability has family and home resources to utilize each day. Full oversight of state implementation of the Olmstead requirements will be a core objective in my administration. I will also create 1 million new Section 8 housing choice vouchers and support ongoing funding of existing vouchers, creating greater housing opportunities for people with disabilities. A portion of these vouchers will serve low-income people with disabilities. To ensure accessibility, 
I will instruct the Department of Housing and Urban Development to determine whether local housing authorities are complying with requirements to provide a list of accessible units; regular publication of these lists is the only meaningful way to demonstrate compliance.
Third, the federal government has an important role in ensuring access to transportation. Accessible transportation is a critical component of increased work opportunities for people with disabilities. Funding and enforcement of transportation access requirements will be central to the mission of the Department of Transportation.
Fourth, we owe a special debt to veterans with disabilities. I would restore vocational training programs for disabled and occupationally challenged veterans. The Bush administration terminated the well-regarded program at the Department of Labor that offered skill training and job placement for disabled veterans. I would renew the program to help meet the post-Iraq needs of large numbers of military personnel returning from active duty, as well as older generations of veterans.
Fifth, to fight stereotypes and misconceptions, my Administration will work with national business leaders to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Employers who have a positive experience will likely be more willing to hire someone with a disability in the future.
Finally, we must vigorously enforce the law. I am committed to protecting the civil rights of people with disabilities. Full enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act is critical to continued job opportunities for people with disabilities. 
We should be sure that federal agencies are ensuring compliance by federal contractors, going beyond the current minimalist approach described by a recent report of the National Council on Disabilities. The Civil Rights Division and Office for Civil Rights in the Department of Justice will become more involved in the enforcement of the ADA and especially the Olmstead decision. Open communication with the disabilities community will be essential to the mission of the Justice Department in enforcing these federal protections for the disabilities community in both the public and private workplaces. As president, I would nominate judges who are committed to protecting the rights of all Americans. While I served in the Senate, I was proud to vote against the judicial nomination of Jeffrey Sutton, who argued that federal protections of the ADA were not needed.
HEALTH CARE FOR ALL
What steps would you take to ensure that people with disabilities have access to affordable, quality health care that is responsive to their needs?
I understand that health care is of special concern to people with disabilities. Not only do they have particularly important needs, but their independence often depends on good health care.
We must act now to guarantee universal health care coverage for everyone in America. I am proud to be the first major presidential candidate to propose a specific plan to transform America’s health care system and guarantee quality affordable health care for every man, woman and child in America. Under my plan, businesses will either cover their employees or help pay their premiums. 
The government will make insurance affordable through new tax credits and by leading the way toward more cost-effective care. 
New “health care markets” will give families and businesses purchasing power and a choice of quality plans, including one public plan based on Medicare. Finally, once these steps have been taken, all American residents will be required to take responsibility and get insurance. Insurance companies will not be allowed to discriminate against people with preexisting conditions or disabilities.
Under my plan, families without insurance will get coverage at an affordable price. Families that have insurance today will pay less and get more security and choices. Businesses and other employers will find it cheaper and easier to insure their workers.
Beyond guaranteeing coverage, there is much that we can do to ensure that people with disabilities receive quality care. Medical training and education should help primary care physicians, dentists, and allied health practitioners to work with adults with disabilities. Currently, federal funding for training physicians to treat patients with disabilities is focused on pediatric practitioners, but most people with disabilities are adults. Under my plan, we will establish a non-profit or public organization—possibly within the Institute of Medicine—to research the best methods of providing care, drawing upon data from Medicare and the new health care Markets and from medical experts from across the nation. Understanding and disseminating best practices for treating patients with disabilities will be an essential part of this initiative.

HOUSING
What would you do to increase the availability of affordable, accessible, integrated housing opportunities in the community for low and moderate income people with disabilities and their families?
Integrating people with disabilities into every part of society is the only way to guarantee equal access to all of the opportunities of society. It is also the morally right choice for society to make. Housing policy is central to this effort because integrating people with disabilities must start with where they live.
As I said above, a portion of the one million new Section 8 housing vouchers will serve people with disabilities—increasing greater integrated housing opportunities for people with disabilities, particularly those leaving institutional care. At least 5,000 of these vouchers over five years should be dedicated to people with disabilities making the transition from institutional care to independent living. I will direct HUD to ensure compliance with accessibility requirements that local housing authorities publish a list of accessible units. I will also expand outreach and education efforts to ensure that eligible Americans with disabilities know how to apply for vouchers.
We must also reform Section 811 housing—the segregated housing program for people with disabilities—to move toward more affordable, more accessible, integrated housing. In addition to ensuring affordable housing, the federal government has to do more to ensure that housing that receives federal funding—including tax credit financing—is accessible. We need to work to remove the obstacles that people with disabilities face when they go to visit their friends and family.
Finally, as I said above, I want to expand home ownership and home rental opportunities within the disability community. 

Hillary Clinton Answers
EMPLOYMENT: What steps would you take to reduce employment barriers and improve employment outcomes for Americans with disabilities?
I strongly believe that we have an obligation to help those with disabilities achieve meaningful employment opportunities. As a testament to this commitment, I rigorously fought the Bush Administration’s “WIA-Plus” proposal, which would have undermined the Vocational Rehabilitation program by allowing states to spend the money on a wide range of activities, including those that would not help individuals with disabilities address barriers to employment. As President, I pledge to financially support the Vocational Rehabilitation Program, while also proposing additional legislation that would empower Americans with disabilities. In addition, my husband was proud to sign into law the Work Incentives Improvement Act, which created the Ticket to Work legislation. This bill made it possible for individuals with disabilities to maintain their Medicaid coverage while working full-time. I believe people shouldn’t lose their health insurance if they chose to go back to work, and that we should work aggressively to remove barriers to work for individuals with disabilities. 
I firmly believe that programs like and Social Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance provide an invaluable safety net for those individuals that might need governmental assistance. And I am committed to helping beneficiaries of SSI and SSDI not just make ends meet, but also improve their life and meaningfully participate in society. 
As President, I will examine these programs to see how they should be improved, including by increasing the benefit level, in order to ensure that Americans living with disabilities can enjoy a greater standard of living and participate in the labor market to the degree they are able. For example, I cosponsored the Ending the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2005, a bill that sought to phase out the waiting period for disabled individuals to become eligible for Medicare benefits. 
I strongly feel that the federal government should spearhead the effort to provide meaningful employment opportunities to all individuals—especially individuals with disabilities. As President, I will encourage all executive agencies to aggressively recruit and retain qualified individuals with disabilities for federal service. Our country loses out when individuals with disabilities exit the federal workforce at higher rates than other workers. Individuals with disabilities bring a unique and important perspective to all aspects of governance. As President, I will ensure that the federal government carefully tracks data on the hiring and length of employment of individuals with disabilities and that we take corrective action if we continue to fall short of equity between disabled and abled workers. I will also ensure that we rely on best practices to increase the number of individuals with disabilities who are hired, increase their job satisfaction levels, and increase their duration of service so that it is at least on par with all workers. 

HEALTH CARE FOR ALL: 
What steps would you take to ensure that people with disabilities have access to affordable, quality health care that is responsive to their individual needs? 
As President, I will enact legislation to provide high quality affordable health care coverage for all Americans, including those with disabilities. I will ensure that disability advocates are included in the process of developing the legislation to provide health care coverage for all Americans, and that the system that I ultimately sign into law addresses the particular needs of individuals with special needs. Today, even those individuals who have health insurance are often under-insured—that is, when they need treatment, their health insurer denies the claim. These practices can have a particularly damaging impact on individuals with disabilities who often need care urgently. 
I have been working to address the major problems in our health care system for 15 years. I have taken on the health insurance companies and other special interests that too often work against the interests of those in need of care. In addition to addressing discriminatory insurance practices, we have to make sure that there’s affordable health coverage for all. 
To that end, we need to develop the best approaches to delivering quality cost effective care that meets the needs of individuals instead of continuing with the antiquated policy approach of today that applies a one size fits all model. 
Beyond co-sponsoring the Medicare Disability Waiting Period Act of 2005, I’ve also supported the numerous and inadequate state-based medically needy programs that have a bias towards nursing home rather than home and community based coverage. I believe it’s time to focus on patients needs rather than on bureaucratic constraints imposed long ago. As President, I will continue to champion these policies. 
Poorly run fee for service as well as managed care is the wrong prescription for everyone, particularly people with disabilities. Rather than applying old line thinking of managed care or fee for service, I believe we should move towards patient-centered care. When my husband was President, I lead the fight for the Patient’s Bill of Rights in order to protect patients’ access to specialty care. I have also proposed establishing an independent public-private Best Practices Institute. This Institute would be a partnership among the public and the private sector that would let doctors, nurses and other health professionals know what drugs, devices, surgeries and treatments work best. These programs will be able to allow us to deliver the most affordable, and the highest quality, healthcare services to all Americans. 
Our country owes a duty to our veterans for their service and as President, I will honor that duty. The current administration has done an inadequate job in providing quality healthcare and rehabilitation services to our veterans, especially those returning from recent combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. And I’ve been working to address these problems. I have previously proposed an independent review of denied claims to help veterans get the benefits they deserve. I have also passed legislation, called the Heroes at Home, to provide specialized treatment for veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries and help them and their families reintegrate into society; and introduced the Restoring Disability Benefits for Injured and Wounded Warriors Act of 2007 and the Protecting Military Family Financial Benefits Act of 2007, which would ensure that wounded soldiers receive the disability benefits they need and deserve and to further protect military family financial benefits. As President, I would continue to fulfill our promise to those veterans that have so selflessly fought for our country. 
I am a strong supporter of developing innovative ways to ensure that health and rehabilitation services are provided to minority groups, particularly Native Americans. In this regard, I am a cosponsor of current Senate Bill 1200, a bill that would expand and reauthorize the Indian Healthcare Act. As President, I will continue to outreach to those groups like Native Americans that have historically been denied high-quality health care. 
As a Senator, I have been actively involved with ensuring fair and equal access to Medicare Part D prescription drugs. I previously introduced legislation in the Senate to help the most vulnerable seniors and disabled Americans transition to new Medicare plans. I have also urged the administration to aid local pharmacists and beneficiaries, helping these individuals better administer the new Medicare program. As President, I will continue to fight for fair access to Medicare Part D prescriptions and to ensure that policies do not undermine continuity of care for any population served. 
For example, patients who have been relying on particular pharmaceutical treatments that are most appropriate for their needs should not be suddenly forced to switch medications by indiscriminate cost cutting practices by pharmacy benefit managers. Having said this, we do need to have a better understanding of the best pharmaceutical treatment options for all patients, which is why I have proposed establishing an independent public-private Best Practices Institute. This Institute would be a partnership among the public and the private sector that would let doctors, nurses and other health professionals know what drugs, devices, surgeries and treatments work best. 
I believe that the Medicare “homebound” rule has been enforced in a far too restrictive manner. As President, I will embrace a fair modification of Medicare rules so that disabled Americans are able to live their lives fully, without fear of losing their Medicare benefits. I look forward to addressing this inequality when I am President. 
I think that our government ought to ensure parity in health insurance coverage of mental health benefits. That is why I have cosponsored the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007. This bill would prohibit employers and health plans from imposing durational treatment limits and financial limitations on coverage for mental illness that do not apply to all other medical conditions. I believe this bill is one step in our effort to provide meaningful mental health care coverage. 

HOUSING
What would you do to increase the availability of affordable, accessible, integrated housing opportunities in the community for low and moderate income people with disabilities and their families? 
I think providing affordable, accessible housing opportunities is one of the most important keys to empowering citizens to be productive contributors to the broader community. While not unique to the disability community, it is even more important to people with disabilities. That is why I proposed the 21st Century Housing Act last year. The Act would reform and modernize the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), and allow for a long needed investment in personnel and technology infrastructure to remain competitive and useful to consumers. The 21st Century Housing Act provides the FHA with the flexibility to offer loan terms up to 50 years to decrease monthly mortgage payments and reduced or zero down payment plans to families that lack the upfront cash for a down payment. 
These types of program would extend housing opportunities to all individuals, especially those families that depend on governmental assistance. 
While I believe that we ought to ensure that all Fair Housing laws are enforced, I think we ought to have the government lead by example. 
To ensure that the government housing authorities act fairly, I have introduced the Federal Housing Fairness Act. This legislation would increase the FHA loan limits so that working families in high-cost areas can use the program. This Act would also ensure that working families in high cost of living states are not denied the benefit of this program. Likewise, I would champion rigorous enforcement of laws that govern fairness in private housing. 
I am committed to ensuring that HUD can implement its objectives and also assist states in complying with federal law and federal court precedent. Towards this end, I proposed the Suburban Core Opportunity, Restoration, and Enhancement (SCORE) Act in 2005, which established a $250 million Reinvestment Fund authorization within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 
This fund was specifically designed to allow local community leaders and elected authorities to develop initiatives in cooperation with private-sector partners. As President, I will continue to fund HUD, and oversee the agency to ensure that HUD is fulfilling its objectives.

Christopher Dodd Answers
EMPLOYMENT
What steps would you take to reduce employment barriers and improve employment outcomes for Americans with disabilities?
Despite progress made since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), people with disabilities experience unemployment at a rate far above the national average. Some estimates put the unemployment rate of people with severe disabilities at or near 70 percent. As President, I would encourage public/private partnerships as they relate to the recruitment, hiring and retention of people with disabilities, I would ensure that the tax code to encourages both private and nonprofit sectors to provide additional accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities and I would support funding of “disability program navigators” at state One Stop Career Centers created under the Workforce Investment Act. My Administration would also strengthen the EEOC’s enforcement of the ADA as it relates to job protections for people with disabilities, support efforts to increase the development of and access to assistive and universally designed technologies, and significantly expand efforts to ensure that federal jobs are fully accessible to all.

HEALTH CARE FOR ALL
What steps would you take to ensure that people with disabilities have access to affordable, quality health care that is responsive to their individual needs? 
I believe that the federal government has a responsibility to ensure that every American receives affordable, quality medical care that meets all of their needs. As President, I will call on the federal government to create a health insurance marketplace based on, and parallel to, the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan (FEHB). Every employer and individual will be given the chance to go to the marketplace to purchase high-quality, affordable health care or, if they wish, keep their existing insurance arrangements. No one will be forced into the marketplace, and individuals, as well as businesses, will contribute based on their ability to pay. By focusing on prevention, and by investing in technology and data collection for better care and better efficiencies, we can better serve all populations of patients. Savings in better care and better efficiencies will finance new coverage. In a Dodd Administration, universal health coverage will be achieved through universal responsibility and universal access will mean access to the doctors, treatments and medical equipment that an individual needs.

HOUSING
What would you do to increase the availability of affordable, accessible, integrated housing opportunities in the community for low and moderate income people with disabilities and their families? 
I have been a leader in supporting affordable housing nationwide, for all families.  In 1990, I was an original cosponsor of the National Affordable Housing Act, and I have long believed that access to a home that is comfortable, safe, and within close proximity to good schools, public services and parks, should be an attainable goal for every American, including people with disabilities and their families.  I believe we can increase housing opportunities for people with disabilities by including requirements for a certain number of accessible housing options in all new affordable housing projects, and a requirement that we retrofit older buildings and developments. 
Editor’s Note: Candidates are listed in the order they responded to our inquiries. The candidate’s responses have been reprinted exactly as they were received from the individual campaigns, and have not been edited by AAPDnews. As a result, errors in grammar, spelling, or syntax have not been corrected.

On The Docket
A Timeline of Important Events for the 2008 Election
Although voting is still 15 months away, the field of candidates for the 2008 presidential election continues to take shape. 
As we move closer to election day, there continues to be a growing number of events on campaign calendars across the country. 
At AAPDnews, we are continuing to update you on important milestones in the presidential 2008 election process. Our goal is to keep you informed about election activities in your area. We also want to allow you significant time to plan and execute any events you might wish to conduct or participate in on behalf of candidates of your choice.
While AAPD is a nonpartisan organization, we position ourselves as a resource for intelligence on each presidential candidate’s support of issues impacting the disability community. If you want to know more about where candidates stand on disability issues, please visit the 2008 Presidential Election Action Center at www.aapd.com. 
For your reference, below is a listing of confirmed election related events through the end of 2007. Mark these dates on your calendar now and make sure you express your views to the delegates who will be participating in your state caucus or in your state primary elections.
SEPTEMBER 2007
Sept. 6	New Hampshire Republican debate, sponsored by Fox News
Sept. 11	New York State primary
Sept. 26	Democratic debate hosted by NBC News/MSNBC in Hanover, New Hampshire
Sept. 27	PBS hosts a debate featuring 2008 Republican presidential candidates 

OCTOBER 2007
Oct. 15	Presidential candidates quarterly report due with the Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Oct. 18–21 Orlando, Florida Republican Party straw poll
Oct. 19–21	Socialist Party USA Nat’l Convention in St. Louis, Missouri
Oct. 20		Louisiana State primary, including governor
Oct. 21 	Prime-time televised debate replaces Florida Republican straw poll 
      	ABC News, WMUR-TV, and the New Hampshire Union Leader host a Democratic presidential debate in New Hampshire
Oct. 30		Democratic debate hosted by NBC News/MSNBC in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NOVEMBER 2007
Nov. 2		Waking the Sleeping Giant: A National Forum on Equality and Opportunity” Presidential Candidates Forum, Manchester, New Hampshire 
Nov. 2		Nevada Democrats host presidential debate at University of Las Vegas
Nov. 6		Nationwide General election that will include selection of governors in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Missouri, and mayors in Philadelphia, Houston, and Baltimore 
Nov. 10	Iowa Democratic Party Jefferson-Jackson dinner, Des Moines, Iowa 
Nov. 17	Louisiana State runoff, including governor (if needed)e

DECEMBER 2007
Dec. 31	Deadline to get on the ballot for the New Hampshire primary
For the most up-to-date information or for details on events scheduled after this issue went to press, visit the following websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_
election,_2008_timeline 
• http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/calendar/r

Kaiser Family Foundation Focuses on Election Issues
As the 2008 election cycle gains momentum, a number of issues are being thrown into the air for discussion and dissection by candidates, pundits, the news media, and the political parties. Few of those issues come close to receiving as much attention and exposure as health care and health care reform.
Acknowledging the importance of these subjects, the Kaiser Family Foundation launched a tracking poll in March of 2007 to gauge the public’s perceptions on health care reform, where it stacked up among other issues, and which candidates were most associated with advocating for health care policies. Here’s what the baseline survey discovered:
	• 44 percent of the survey sample felt that Iraq was one of the most pressing issues for the government to address. This finding cut across party lines as Republicans, Democrats, and Independents agreed that dialog on Iraq was needed.
	• 29 percent of the survey sample indicated that health care reform was one of our country’s most urgent issues. Of that sample, 26 percent wanted to hear presidential candidates discuss the issue.
	• 13 percent of survey participants responded that the economy was a problem that needed to be addressed.
Within the health care discussion, the Kaiser study discovered that the focus is most often on cost and coverage, rather than the quality of care or the government’s expenditures on health care. Data gathered also indicated that Democrats and Independents appeared to be more interested in pushing for coverage for the uninsured than Republicans. Finally, while approximately 60 percent of respondents couldn’t name a candidate that would be the clear champion on health care issues, Senator Hillary Clinton had the best name recognition at the time of the study.
The Kaiser study is being repeated every two months between now and the November 2008 elections. For more information or for current survey results, visit www.kff.org. g
This article was developed by the New York Times, and was posted on New York Times 
On the Web. To view the complete article, visit: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/times topics/people/h/jonathan_p_hicks/index.html

Disabled Candidate Wins New York Assembly Seat
Micah Z. Kellner, 28, who was born with cerebral palsy and sees himself as a voice for the disability community, recently won a special election for a New York State Assembly seat representing the Upper East Side of Manhattan. During the campaign, Kellner, a Democrat, frequently discussed his interest in improving living conditions for residents with disabilities, saying “This district has one of the largest populations of people with disabilities in all of New York City.” 

National Forum on Equality & Opportunity Wakes Sleeping Giant
On November 2, 2007, Granite State Independent Living (GSIL), in collaboration with AAPD and the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), will host a presidential candidates forum in Manchester, New Hampshire—one of the key states in the upcoming presidential primary process. Entitled “Waking the Sleeping Giant: A National Forum on Equality and Opportunity,” this forum on national disability policy will take place at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester, and will also be simultaneously webcast. Invited lunchtime keynote speakers include Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Representative Jim Ramstad (R-MN).
The daylong event will feature live appearances by the presidential candidates of both parties. There will be opportunities for questions and answers. Our hope is that the disability community will come together in a powerful way through the event and insist that the candidates articulate their positions on civil rights, employment opportunities, long term care, and many other issues of concern to the national disability community. AAPD, 
NCIL and GSIL have reached out to national disability organizations to support this effort as national sponsors. As of the printing of this newsletter, sponsorship support had been received from AAPD, AARP, The Arc of the United States, Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), GSIL, NCIL, National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations, National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA), Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), United Spinal Association and VSA arts.
For updates on this event as they become available as well as news on the candidates and campaigns, please visit www.aapd.com/News/election/peac2008.php.

College Students, What Will You Be Doing Next Summer? 
Why not an Internship in Washington, DC?
Since 2002, AAPD has been offering college students with disabilities the opportunity to come to Washington, DC to serve as congressional interns on Capitol Hill or as information technology (IT) interns in federal government agencies for the summer. 
This past Memorial Day weekend, AAPD welcomed 18 students from the states of California, Oregon, Washington, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kentucky, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. Through the generous support of Microsoft and the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF), interns received stipend and housing through AAPD during their summer internships. 
Eight students worked on Capitol Hill, addressing and researching constituent concerns, giving tours, attending hearings, and conducting research for legislative staff. Ten IT interns worked in Federal agencies in various capacities, such as help-desk support staffers, quality assurance analysts, IT specialists, accessibility compliance specialists, and website developers.
To enhance the interns’ work experiences, AAPD identified 18 professionals from the public policy profession to serve as career mentors. By staying connected with their mentors throughout the summer, the students gained valuable insight into career options, participated in networking events, and gathered general career advice.
As if the interns were not busy enough with their workload, they also attended professional development events AAPD arranged with partners in the consulting and technology industries, and other non-profit organizations. Through these events, the interns attended a policy forum that focused on technology and the employment of people with disabilities, learned more about the U.S. Access Board, met staff from IBM and the World Bank, or attended a civil rights brown bag lunch series.
Living together as a group also had a huge impact on the 18 interns. Not only did they adjust to living with roommates, who were complete strangers only three months earlier, but they also learned to understand and accommodate each person’s disabilities, which ranged from sensory to developmental to psychiatric disabilities. After getting to know their new roommates, the interns became fast friends, and spent their weekends in fun ways, like visiting the museums and monuments, and exploring Washington’s neighborhoods of Dupont Circle, Georgetown, Adams Morgan and Chinatown. 
Every May, the AAPD staff anticipates the arrival of the students from around the country. 
As the internships progress, our staff looks forward to hearing about the interns’ adventures in DC, the people they have met, and the most memorable issue or project they worked on for the summer. When they leave in August, we always hope that at least one intern from each class will return the following summer to serve in another internship or start a new job. Four interns from the 2006 class returned to Washington, DC in 2007 to do just that.
In Fall 2007, AAPD will be publishing the applications for the Mitsubishi Electric America-AAPD Congressional Internship Program and the Microsoft-AAPD Federal IT Internship Program on the AAPD website. If you are an undergraduate student, we hope you will consider becoming an AAPD intern in 2008, or encourage someone who would be a good candidate to apply. Application deadlines will be in mid-December 2007. Stay tuned for the applications at www.aapd.com. 
To learn more about this summer’s class, please visit: www.aapd.com/awards/leadership.php#ip.

Time to Get Equal

Dear Members, 
In June, I had the opportunity to participate in a rally for Independent Living near 10 Downing Street in London that was organized by the U.K. disability community, with strong leadership coming from a service provider called “Scope.” Scope has been spearheading a campaign in the U.K. called “Time to Get Equal.” The symbol for the campaign is a bright yellow circle with a bright blue equal sign, and there were a number of people at the rally in wheelchairs who had that symbol covering the wheels of their chairs. The image was very powerful.

After the rally, two AAPD staff members and I had a chance to visit the Scope offices and meet with their senior staff.  Scope has historically been a large service provider not unlike UCP in the United States. From what I saw and heard, I believe Scope could be a real model for what a modern disability service provider organization should be. A majority of Scope’s board of directors are people with disabilities, and they have disabled people in significant numbers at all levels on their staff. Their organization had the look and feel of a large disability-controlled organization like Independence First in Milwaukee or Granite State Independent Living in New Hampshire. They have been working with renowned disability activist Rachel Hurst to transform their organization, and they are well on their way. They spend close to $10 million annually on what they call “campaigning” and what we would call “advocacy” and “lobbying.”
 
Scope’s “Time to Get Equal” campaign is about ending discrimination against people with disabilities in the U.K. It covers a broad range of areas including but not limited to abuse, access, attitudes, education, employment, the internet, and transportation. The messaging is edgy, field-tested, and appealing to young people and seniors. In short, the campaign is effective and is having an impact on the way people with disabilities are perceived in English society. The rally attended was part of a “Time to Get Equal Week” of activities throughout the U.K. to raise awareness of the campaign and sign up individuals who want to get involved. To learn more about Scope and the campaign, go to www.scope.org.uk.

As you might imagine, I was inspired by what I saw in the U.K. and I will be working with the AAPD Board, staff, members, and coalition partners to develop something equally effective for the U.S. disability movement. I encourage AAPD members to send me your ideas at ImparatoA@aol.com. The week before I went to London, I had the opportunity to attend a televised awards ceremony in Dublin for organizations that were recognized for being the best in seven categories related to customers, employees, and constituents with disabilities. The ceremony marked the end of a nine months assessment process which examines excellence in business practices related to disability (www.theabilityawards.com), and is the brainchild of a dynamic blind Irish woman named Caroline Casey. Casey founded and runs the Aisling Foundation (www.theaislingfoundation.org), which developed the concept, pulled together the right partners, and is involved in evaluating and selecting the awardees with the help of a blue ribbon panel of judges. 

What was most impressive to me about the Ability Awards was not the posh ceremony at Dublin Castle, although that was very impressive. The thing that really excited me was the level of media attention that this awards program receives in Ireland. This happened in part because the ceremony included a strong showing from disability, business and government leaders, including the President of Ireland. The ceremony was televised on one of the top Irish television networks on Thursday night between 10:45 and 11:45 p.m. Two days after the ceremony, Ireland’s leading newspaper, the Irish Times, had a special section of their newspaper devoted to profiling the honorees and related sidebars that explored a variety of topics related to the business case for disability best practices. I was able to do a radio interview on one of the top national radio shows in Ireland the afternoon before the awards ceremony. I also had the opportunity to meet with Gar Holihan, the CEO of the Aura Cobh Leisure Center (www.auraleisurecenters.ie.), the company that received the top honor. Holihan’s company is a medium-sized leisure/fitness company in Ireland that completely gets the business value of welcoming customers with disabilities and their families at their facilities and events. 

Having had the opportunity to meet many disability and business leaders in Ireland and the U.K., I came back to the States convinced that AAPD and our partners can do a better job making the business case for doing the right thing by our community, engaging CEOs and other top managers in our work, getting attention to our issues in the mainstream media, and taking creative and innovative approaches to getting our message out. 

To be sure, our friends in Ireland and the U.K. disability communities feel they have a lot to learn from AAPD and other disability organizations in the U.S. as well. With the goal of sharing ideas and best practices and building a stronger global disability movement, I am committed to engaging in more cross-Atlantic dialogues and sharing in the months and years to come. Working together rather than in isolation, we will get to equal faster. 

Andrew J. Imparato
AAPD President and CEOO

Disability Employment Forum: Focus on Technology
AAPD and Cornell University collaborated again on June 8, 2007, to present a forum on “Harnessing Technology to Expand Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities.” Forum speakers included Paul Schroeder, Vice President, Government Affairs, American Foundation for the Blind; Kelby Brick, Esq., Director, Legal and Regulatory Affairs at Hands On Video Relay Services; and P.J. Edington, Governmental Programs Executive, IBM Human Ability and Accessibility Center. Jeff Rosen, Esq., Counsel at SNAP Video Relay Services, moderated the forum. His remarks focused on 
the intersection of technology and disability employment policy, and the opportunities and risks for both employees with disabilities and employers in the public and private sectors. 

At the opening session of the forum, Susanne Bruyere, Director of the Employment and Disability Institute at Cornell University, cited statistics from Cornell-conducted research that confirm the critical importance of examining the impact of technology on people with disabilities in educational and employment settings. She reported that 94 percent of over 800 community colleagues surveyed offer online services, and almost 90 percent of over 400 Human Resources representatives surveyed reported using online job postings “a great deal” or “some of the time.” These results accentuated the need for accessible and usable websites that are essential to advancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Later in the forum, Schroeder drew attention to the need for assistive technologies in the workplace to be compatible with information technology applications. He further emphasized the importance of emerging products and services needing to converge with the growing number of formats and protocols in the marketplace. Brick discussed the barriers created by managers and information technology support staff who are unwilling to consider and implement the wide range of assistive technologies. Edington reminded attendees that transportation to and from work, personal care assistance, tax credits and other financial incentives continue to be vitally important to supporting employees with disabilities, as well as their employers. Edington also affirmed the need for computer science/engineering students to have required courses on accessibility and usability to ensure that new technologies are accessible and usable at the outset.

Closing remarks by Steven James Tingus, the former Director of National Institute on Disability Research and Rehabilitation and Chairperson of the Interagency Committee on Disability Research, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education, emphasized the importance of policies that tie the real work experiences of people with disabilities to research endeavors. 

This forum is one of a series sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education through a grant to Cornell University. 

Further information is available on Cornell University’s website at www.ilr.cornell.edu/EDI/p-eprrtc-policyforum.cfm or contact AAPD by email at AAPDinfo@aol.com.

People with Disabilities Can Do Any Job
By Andrew J. Houtenville and William A. Erickson, Cornell University

Within the 2005 American Community Survey, the Census Bureau collected information on 469 occupational categories. Working-age people (ages 21–64) with disabilities are represented in all 469 categories. In other words, when we look at each of the 469 occupations we find people with disabilities working in those jobs. 

The difficult part about interpreting this finding is that there is no way of knowing whether people with disabilities are being hired into these occupations and/or whether these occupations are “creating” people with disabilities via occupational hazards. However, this finding suggests that people with disabilities can do any job. 

There are occupations in the economy where people with disabilities are clearly underrepresented, especially in those related to management/finance/sales, as well as in the education sector. When we look at the most numerous jobs in the United States (comprising those with more than a million workers and representing 30 of the 469 categories), the job with the lowest percentage of people with disabilities 
(3.9 percent) was “elementary and middle school teachers.” In other words, of elementary and middle school teachers, 3.9 percent were people with disabilities. The next four lowest jobs were “chief executives and legislators” (4.0 percent), “accountants and auditors” (also 4.0 percent), “sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing” (4.1 percent), “postsecondary teachers” (4.4 percent), and “front-line supervisors/managers of non-retail sales workers” (4.5 percent).

In ongoing research efforts at the Cornell StatsRRTC, we are looking further into this finding—examining differences across states, disability type and age. For statistics on the people with disabilities, go to our website www.DisabilityStatistics.org. 

The StatsRRTC is a collaborative effort of Cornell University, AAPD, and other leading research organizations. It is funded by the National Institute on Disability 
and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). 


From an AAPDnews Reader... 
In the last issue of AAPDnews, we asked our readers to share their personal stories with us. Following is the first in an occasional series of short insights into the lives of the individuals who make up AAPD. 
To submit your own story, email us at aapdmemberservices@earthlink.net.

The Girl in the Window
For more than 40 years, she has sat in the second floor window overlooking the busy street. At the corner, directly across from the window, there is a bench that I have used every day, since I was delivering morning papers. I still perch there every morning with my dog Duke, say a prayer and check my lottery tickets. 

She is omniscient up there where she resides. Every day, and ever vigilant. So often my prayers have been for her. Our parents told us she was special. Indeed, everyday when we were in school the yellow bus would take her away. Now, after all these years I sit there in the morning in wonderment...our affliction is so different, our lives so disparate, yet we are so connected. 

This is what AAPD is for me. It’s a connection. Throughout my life, I never really realized that we are all connected. There are times when I wanted to toss in the towel because of apathy or some hypocrisy, and then my newsletter comes and I can reconnect with the girl in the window and all that life has in store. 
Francis X. Downey


Five Key Questions On Accessible Voting
The right to vote is one of the freedoms that Americans hold sacred. However, on a national level, gaining access to polling places and being able to actually use the equipment to cast a ballot privately and independently are issues yet to be effectively resolved.

Recently, AAPDnews had an opportunity to discuss voting accessibility with Jim Dickson, AAPD’s Vice President of Government Affairs who also directs AAPD’s Disability Vote Project. 
Q.	What are the hallmarks of successful accessible voting?
A.	Voting is truly accessible if the following three conditions are satisfied. First, the polling place and the equipment must be equally accessible to individuals with disabilities and those without. If you can’t get to the polling place or the voting equipment, accessibility has not been achieved. Second, regardless of their disability status, voters need to be treated fairly at the polls. If you have a question or need assistance, you should be treated politely and professionally by poll workers. Finally, there needs to be technology to support independent voting. If you’re unable to cast your vote because you cannot operate the equipment, the polling place is not accessible
Q.	How important is human interaction in an accessible voting process?
A.	It’s a huge consideration. Most poll workers get no more than two hours of training, yet it takes at least two hours to learn the high points of disability etiquette. Further, most poll workers have very limited knowledge of how the voting equipment works; in most cases, they have no training on how to help a voter with a disability cast a private and independent ballot.

Q.	Has access for voters with disabilities really improved?
A.	Yes, it has, but we have a long way to go before we can really consider America to be a country that provides accessibility to all voters, disabled or not. In 2000, approximately 80 percent of this country’s polling places were considered inaccessible. However, many of those locations became accessible when doors were unlocked, ramps were installed or other physical obstacles were removed, or accessibility improved with the introduction of new equipment that put voting within reach of more individuals. By 2006, 65–75 percent of the country’s voting places remained inaccessible, with only 35–40 percent fully supporting independent and private voting. Rhode Island, North Carolina and the District of Columbia deliver the best levels of accessibility, while other states have done little to improve voter access to polling places and equipment.

Q.	What about voting equipment? Have voting equipment manufacturers really made an effort to make it accessible to people with disabilities?
A.	For the most part, the manufacturers of voting equipment have made a good-faith effort to create new systems or to develop modifications that make the machines accessible to everyone. For example, at first, there was only one manufacturer that offered sip and puff or dual switches to accommodate voters with disabilities. Now, nearly all manufacturers offer sip and puff capabilities, dual switches, and accommodations for voters who are blind or have low vision. That’s progress.

Q.	What can AAPDnews readers do to support accessible voting?
A.	Aside from getting to the polls and casting their ballots at every opportunity, AAPD members and other AAPDnews readers can pressure their legislators to honor the tenets of the Motor-Voter Bill, which linked an application for a driver’s license with voter registration. Most states are doing a poor job of following through on the voter registration side of the equation. If you’re not registered, you can’t vote, and thus you can’t do your part to bring about change.

For questions about accessible voting, email Jim Dickson at aapdvote@earthlink.net. 


Ask the Experts: The Place for Answers
Emily Niederman is the Legislative Director at Powers, Pyles, Sutter, and Verville, P.C., a Washington, DC-based law firm that specializes in health care, education and the law of tax-exempt organizations. She also staffs the Independence Through Enhancement of Medicare and Medicaid (ITEM) Coalition, a group of 75 disability-related organizations with the mission of improving access to assistive technology. AAPD is an active member of the ITEM Coalition.

Q. 	I have multiple sclerosis and regularly use a walker to get around my home. However, I am beginning to need a wheelchair to take care of things like grocery shopping, going to the bank, attending church, as well as getting to my part-time job. A friend of mine told me that since I have Medicare, I probably won’t qualify for coverage of a wheelchair. Is she right?
A. 	Unfortunately, your friend could be right. The Medicare program currently restricts coverage of mobility devices to include only those that people require in their homes, rather than in their homes and communities. This rule is commonly referred to as the “in the home” restriction, and has been around for years. Policy changes over the last several years have made it even more problematic for individuals like you who want and need to move beyond their front door to live independently. 

Because the people at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have said that they do not plan on changing this rule anytime soon, advocates have turned to Congress for help. Congressmen Langevin (D-RI) and Ramstad (R-MN) have introduced the Medicare Independent Living Act of 2007 in the House of Representatives, which would allow individuals like you access to the mobility devices they need to participate in activities outside of their homes. Senator Bingaman (D-NM) is planning on introducing similar legislation in the Senate. 

It is important that your members of Congress know that this legislation is extremely important to their constituents. Call your Representatives and Senators through the capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask them to support this important legislation.

Q. 	I was recently denied a power wheelchair by my insurance company because my clinician determined that I could get around my home with a manual one, despite not being able to go much farther than the end of my driveway without power. Why did this happen?
A. It sounds like your health insurance company is following the overly restrictive “in the home” requirement, originated by Medicare, in an attempt to control costs. Currently, Medicare will only pay for the wheelchair that you need to complete indoor activities, and, unfortunately, many private insurance companies take their coverage cues from that policy. Advocates are working on changing the Medicare policy, in anticipation that it will not only improve access for Medicare beneficiaries, but by extension, Medicaid recipients and individuals with private insurance as well. If you would like to share your personal stories with advocates who are working to change this restriction email them at wheelchairnow@gmail.com. .

AAPD Announces New 2007 Board of Directors and Officers
AAPD is delighted to announce its new Board members and Officers for 2007, based on the results of a recent election. Each director brings a strong personal commitment to AAPD and the disability rights movement. Following are brief biographies of each of the seven new AAPD Board members: 

Kelby N. Brick, Esq.
A Deaf attorney, Brick leads the legal and regulatory affairs area of Hands On Video Relay Services, Inc. (HOVRS), which works to take down communication barriers for Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Previously, he was the National Association of the Deaf’s Director for Law and Advocacy, where he successfully mobilized the NAD in establishing precedents and landmark decisions in litigation, legislative and regulatory areas. Brick co-authored the book, Legal Rights: the Guide for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People, in addition to writing numerous articles that have appeared in various publications. He graduated from Temple University Law School, the first Deaf person ever to graduate from that institution. 

Robert E. (Bobby) Coward, Jr.
A resident of the District of Columbia since birth, Coward is co-founder/director of DIRECT Action (Disabled Individuals for Real Empowerment and Community Training) and chair/spokesperson of the Capital Area ADAPT. A forceful communicator, advocate, and example for people living with disabilities, Coward is leading the local fight for independence and full integration into society. After attending the University of the District of Columbia, where he majored in Aviation Maintenance Technology, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. Then in 1992, he suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of an auto accident, and is a quadriplegic. He is committed to promoting independent living options for people with disabilities to live in the community with access to housing and services in the District, and he organizes persons with disabilities to speak out against injustice and inaccessible policies and realities in the District. He has been the recipient of many awards for his leadership and advocacy, including the 2005 Andrew Wood advocacy award by the District of Columbia Mayors Committee on Disabilities for exemplary efforts and promoting the empowerment of persons with disabilities residing in the District of Columbia. He is also a 2000 recipient of the Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award.

John Dziennik
Dziennik is the Executive Director of the Oregon-based Blanche Fischer Foundation, a foundation committed to expanding the awareness of the needs of the disability community in the philanthropic world. He has held governor’s appointments to the Oregon State Rehabilitation Council, which he chaired, and to the State Independent Living Council, where he served as vice chair from 2002 to 2006. He was elected Region representative to the board of the National Council on Independent Living in 2004, a position he held for two years. He also served on the board of Disability Funders Network (DFN) from 1999 to 2005 and was treasurer for three of those years.

B. Keith Fulton
Fulton is Vice President—Strategic Alliances for Verizon Communications, the country’s largest telecommunications provider, where he is responsible for the company’s outreach to disabled, multicultural and senior citizen constituencies throughout the U.S. Previously he was a senior policy analyst for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Policy Analysis and Development, and before that, vice president of the AOL Time Warner Foundation and vice president for Time Warner’s Corporate Relations division. Fulton also founded and directed the Technology Programs and Policy office of the National Urban League, where he was responsible for crafting and guiding the League’s strategic technology vision on behalf of the national office and its 115 local affiliates. 

Will Ris
Ris is Senior Vice President, Government Affairs for AMR Corp. and American Airlines, and is also a member of the American Airlines Executive Committee. An attorney with broad experience in government and transportation, he is responsible for directing all activities on behalf of American Airlines with Congress, the administration, and a broad range of federal agencies. His previous positions include 13 years with the Wexler Group, a Washington, DC-based government relations firm, and serving as counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Ris serves as Chairman of the Board of The Green Door, Inc., a nationally-recognized organization that provides people with mental illness the resources and support to recover, live, and work in the Washington, DC community. 

He is a member of the board of Meridian International, which is the leading sponsor of international cultural, educational, and political exchange in the nation’s Capital, and of the board of the renowned Ford’s Theater.

Corey L. Rowley
Rowley is Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Statewide Independent Living Council. She has written and negotiated legislation at the state and national level and has been active in the disability community for more than thirteen years. A woman with a disability, Rowley is an active member and a former vice president of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL). She authored the Emerging Disability Policy Paradigm to engage the disability community in a dialogue about effective systems change. In conjunction with the Paradigm, Rowley created and delivered hands-on training modules to communicate each of the roles, which give participants as close to real life policy/legislative experience as possible. 

Betsy Buttrill White	
A retired central banker who currently works as a consultant, White was previously a Monetary Policy Advisor to the Da Afghanistan Bank at the International Monetary Fund, and senior monetary policy advisory to the Central Bank of Iraq at the U.S. Treasury. Prior to that, White spent more than 25 years 
in a number of senior positions at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. She has published scholarly papers and articles in a variety of leading academic, banking, and policy publications, and has taught as an Adjunct Professor of Economics at Manhattanville College. She holds a M.A. and a Ph.D. in Economics from Stanford University. 

Thanks to AAPD Immediate Past Chair Helen Roth
For the past two years, AAPD has benefited greatly from the commitment and guidance of its Board of Directors chair, Helen Roth. Roth completed her two-year term on June 30, and was succeeded by Cheryl Sensenbrenner.

“I am extremely gratified at the growth of AAPD over the past few years,” commented Roth. “We have expanded as an organization, and become much more effective at advocating on behalf of people with disabilities on a nationwide basis. Our work in the areas of voting and communication policy has been particularly fulfilling, and our ability to raise funds, retain professional staffers, and to deliver real value to our members, both inside and outside the beltway, has positioned us for ongoing success. It has been my pleasure to serve as chair.
”
As she assumed the helm of the Board, Sensenbrenner praised Roth’s leadership. “I have always appreciated Helen Roth’s fairness, institutional knowledge, and grace,” she remarked. “She communicates with purpose and class, and has really set a standard for those that follow her.” AAPD extends its most sincere thanks and gratitude to Helen Roth for her tremendous commitment to the organization as Board chair, and for her extraordinary leadership. 

ADA Restoration Act Strengthens Disability Rights
On July 26, 2007, 17 years after the signing of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), former Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) announced the introduction of the ADA Restoration Act of 2007 (H.R. 3195, S. 1881). This action showcased bipartisan and bicameral support reminiscent of the work that lead to the passage of the original ADA.

Congressman Hoyer recalled the signing of the ADA as one of his proudest moments in public service. He went on to express concern that, despite his and Congress’s clear intent, the Courts have narrowly interpreted the law, and have limited its scope. Senator Harkin echoed this view, stating that Congress and President George H.W. Bush intended the law to protect all individuals who were treated less than favorably on the basis of a current, past, or perceived disability. 

Explaining the purpose of the proposed legislation in restoring the ADA’s original intent, Congressman Sensenbrenner said, “Today, we want to place the ADA rightfully back among our Nation’s great civil rights laws. The ADA Restoration Act will force courts to focus on whether a person has experienced discrimination on the basis of disability, rather than require individuals to demonstrate that they fall within the scope of the law’s protections at all. This change harmonizes the ADA with other civil rights laws.”
Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), John Lancaster, Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living, and Elizabeth Goldberg, Chair of the Epilepsy Foundation Youth Council, also offered remarks. Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-NY), current and former members of Congress, and leaders of the national disability rights movement including Andrew Imparato were present for the event. The gathering was also well attended by advocates and media.

AAPD Celebrates 17th ADA Anniversary and Recognizes Champions Following the ADA restoration event 
AAPD hosted its annual ADA Anniversary Celebration on Capitol Hill. The gathering focused attention on many of the positive forces of change made possible under the ADA.  Andrew Imparato, AAPD President and CEO, was emcee.

Clarence Otis, Chairman and CEO of Darden Restaurants, and a Justice for All award recipient, remarked that a cultural shift was set into motion by the passage of the ADA in 1990.  Otis remarked, “It is wonderful to be part of this celebration.  It is especially meaningful to us, because at Darden we strive to create a workforce that’s reflective of our communities, that’s reflective of our marketplace, and that certainly includes all Americans with disabilities. We’re committed to continuing to grow rich in all facets of diversity. We’re convinced that we learn and we grow together as people and as a business by bringing meaningful differences to the table, understanding those differences, and embracing those differences.”

Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner spoke as well. Prior to his remarks, he asked his wife Cheryl, a person with a disability and Chair of the AAPD board, to join him at the podium. Speaking very personally, he said, “Her disability does not define her. It inspires her, and it inspires her to rise above the crowd, to be a leader, and to make sure there are opportunities available to people who have future disabilities. The ADA Restoration Act is one of the best ways to do this.”

AAPD presented its Justice for All awards to two legislative champions for the disability community.  This year, awards were presented to Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Richard Durbin (D-IL).  AAPD also recognized national disability rights advocate Nancy Ward and Ambassador Luis Gallegos of Ecuador. AAPD also presented certificates to its 2007 MEAF-AAPD Congressional Interns and Microsoft-AAPD Federal IT Interns.

Ambassador Gallegos, in accepting his award, said, “I accept this award in the name of all those who worked tirelessly to craft a UN convention on human rights for persons with disabilities. I believe we have planted the seed for a change in global society that will allow 650 million people to take ownership of their cause and ultimately of their destiny.  This is a worldwide movement that goes well beyond our national barriers.”

Andrew Imparato, AAPD President and CEO, spoke of the importance of the self-advocacy movement, and explained that Nancy Ward is an extraordinary leader who recognizes that people with disabilities are their own best advocates. “We don’t need professionals to speak for us. We don’t need other people in our families to speak for us. We can speak for ourselves. While I recognize that some people have disabilities preventing them from speaking, a group like Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE), which Nancy formed, is very creative in finding ways to let people speak for themselves,” Ward’s passionate remarks eloquently summed up the meaning of the entire ADA anniversary day. “You know, this country was based on differences. And so, I think that it’s the differences that make this country very strong.”

Civil Rights Award Honoree
Shown (left to right) at the May 31st Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR) annual awards 
dinner: Veteran L. Tammy Duckworth, who was honored by LCCR with a Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award; Larry Irwin, former Executive Director, Paralyzed Veterans of America; and AAPD’s Andrew Imparato, who is a member of the LCCR Executive Committee.

State Snapshots Highlight States’ Gains and Lags in Healthcare Quality
New State Snapshots released by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) show states have made promising gains in health care quality. They also identified areas in need of improvement, ranging from cancer screening to treatment of heart attack patients.

AHRQ’s annual web-based State Snapshots help state health leaders, researchers, consumers, and others understand the status of health care quality in individual states. The 51 State Snapshots—every state plus Washington, DC—are based on 129 quality measures, each of which evaluates a different segment of health care performance. 

The data, drawn from AHRQ’s 2006 National Healthcare Quality Report, come from various sources that cover multiple years. The statistics provide state-specific information but also underscore the reality that some shortcomings in health care quality are widespread. 

To view the full article on this year’s State Snapshots tool, go to statesnapshots.ahrq.gov.

Editor’s Note: The release of this year’s “State Snapshots” is complemented by the launch of NHQRnet and NHDRnet, a pair of new, interactive web-based tools for searching AHRQ’s storehouse of national health care data. These online search engines allow users to create spreadsheets and customize searches of information in the “2006 National Healthcare Quality Report” and the “2006 National Healthcare Disparities Report”. To access AHRQ’s new NHQRnet, go to nhqrnet.ahrq.gov. For NHDRnet, go to nhdrnet.ahrq.gov.For more information, contact AHRQ Public Affairs, (301) 427-1998 or (866) 739-4505 (TTY).

UCP Releases Strategies for Improving Medicaid Services
United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) has released The Plan for Inclusion, a menu of policy options and tactics designed to work in tandem with The Case for Inclusion, a recently released UCP report that ranks and analyzes how states are serving Americans with intellectual and developmental disabilities under Medicaid. 

The UCP state ranking data sheds light on areas states are underperforming, while The Plan for Inclusion offers suggestions for action. The Plan is intended to help advocates:
      Understand the unique challenges within their state;
	•	Communicate that information to policy makers, state administrators, media and key stakeholders;
	•	Prioritize areas needing attention; and
	•	Match priority areas with action steps that have proven effective in other states.
Every state has room for improvement and The Plan for Inclusion can be a resource to advocates as they create or review a work plan for change. The full text of The Plan for Inclusion, the full text of The Case for Inclusion 2007 (UCP’s state Medicaid rankings and analysis) and state-by-state data are available at www.ucp.org/medicaid. 
.
National Vocabulary Championship Sharpens Student Skills
The National Vocabulary Championship (NVC) offers high school students a fun way to boost their vocabularies and better prepare for SAT/college entrance exams. The program, which was created by GSN (The Network for Games) and The Princeton Review, offers free educational resources, creates spirited competition through testing and game play, and awards more than $100,000 annually in college tuition and school grants. 

For more information about these awards, visit www.winwithwords.com. 

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2007 AAPD Board members and Officers
Joyce Bender , Bender Consulting Services Inc., Treasurer
The Honorable Ralph Boyd, Jr., Freddie Mac
Kelby Brick, Hands On Video Relay Services
Linda Chavez-Thompson, AFL-CIO
The Honorable Tony Coelho, Disability-Rights Advocate, Vice-Chair
Robert “Bobby” Coward, Capital Area ADAPT
John Dziennik, Blanche Fischer Foundation
Wendy Elliott-Vandivier, Elliott-Vandivier, Hibbs & Associates, LLC
B. Keith Fulton, Verizon
Alison Hillman, Mental Disability Rights International
Ambassador Bradley Holmes, Global Telecommunications & IT Consultant
Gregg Howard, Independence Technology
Andrew J. Imparato, President and CEO, AAPD
Edward Kennedy, Jr., Secretary, Marwood Group
Richard Knowles, SAP Americas
Will Ris, American Airlines
Helen Roth, Disability Policy Consultant, Immediate Past Chair
Corey Rowley, PA Statewide Independent Living Council
Leslie Schmid, Retired Marketing Executive, Disability-Rights Advocate
Cheryl Sensenbrenner , Disability-Rights Advocate, Chair
James Weisman, United Spinal Association
Frances West, IBM Human Ability & Accessibility Center
Betsy Butrill White, Economics Consultant
Betty Williams, Arc of Indiana
Tony Young, NISH

We Want To Hear Your Personal Stories
AAPDnews is your newsletter. Please take a moment to email or write Diane DeAngelis, Director of Marketing and Member Services at AAPD, with your comments and stories about what it means to you to be an AAPD member, how AAPD has played a role in your personal experience, and what you derive from your AAPD membership. Also be sure to express any comments you would like to share with this newsletter’s readers. Comments and stories will be published in future issues of AAPDnews. Diane can be reached at aapdmemberservices@earthlink.net.
Following are a few of the comments we’ve received in the past few months:
	As a non-disabled person, I grew up largely unaware of the many issues facing people with disabilities across the country, from accessibility to discrimination. As I’ve learned more over the last several years, I’ve realized that these are civil rights issues that should concern us all. Joining AAPD has been one way I’ve been able to support work on disabilities rights, and has helped me stay aware of the important work being done in this area.
	J.B., AAPD member in Washington, DCD

It Pays to be an AAPD Member
AAPD is committed to delivering exceptional value to each and every member. In addition to providing advocacy on behalf of individuals with disabilities, AAPD offers a wide range of member benefits, including:
	• 	Complimentary subscription to AAPDnews
	•	Eligibility to join Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU)-Mobility Vehicle Loans (Adapted Vehicles); Access Loans (Assistive Technology & Devices); and a full range of financial services
	•	Discounted subscription to New Mobility magazine
	•	Avis and Hertz Car Rental Discounts
If your AAPD membership is due for renewal soon, be sure to reconfirm your commitment to the organization that is committed to you. Thanks for your support!

“Thanks for your support in providing AAPD information for the attendees of our upcoming workshop for persons with spinal cord injuries and their family members. It’s so important for them to know about all the work AAPD does to advance the rights of people with disabilities.”
T.M., AAPD member in Minnesota

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