AAPDnews WINTER 2008 Inside 2008 Betts, Hearne Awards Transportation Q & A Web Access Toolkit Voting: Get Organized Follow the 2008 Presidential Election Timeline (Listing of election related events) Proposed Law Brings Inclusive Communications Technologies to People with Disabilities The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act The U.S. House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet recently published the “Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act” as a draft bill that is being hailed by disability rights advocates as a dramatic and comprehensive step forward in providing access to technology for consumers with disabilities. “It’s about time that people with disabilities receive assurances that they will be fully included as our nation’s communication technologies evolve,” says AAPD’s Senior Director of Telecommunications and Technology Policy Jenifer Simpson, who is also a steering committee member of the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT), the disability coalition advocating for the proposals. The measure would amend the existing Communications Act – the statute that impacts the telephone and video programming industries – to add new consumer protections to ensure that people with disabilities do not get left out or left behind as telephones and television programming increasingly rely on digital and Internet Protocol (IP) technologies. “Emerging digital and Internet-based technologies can provide people with disabilities with all kinds of wonderful opportunities for better employment and education, as well as improved citizenry,” adds Karen Peltz Strauss of Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD), another COAT steering committee member. “But that happens only if those technologies are designed to be accessible and affordable.” Although laws in the 1980s and 1990s guaranteed telephone and television access for people with disabilities, such as relay services, hearing aid compatible telephones, and captioning on TV, technology advances have created gaps that need to be bridged. “We need to be sure these laws apply to services provided over the Internet, or to the newer, smaller devices available today that display television programs,” says Rosaline Crawford of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), another key COAT participant. “While closed captions are required on all new television shows, very few that are also webcast contain captioning. This leaves behind millions of people who rely on that service.” The draft law would cover new types of electronic equipment now displaying video programming. “In addition, right now we can’t even find the way to turn on captions with the new, snazzy digital television sets that everyone wants to buy,” Crawford explains. “A new requirement for television manufacturers to put a captioning button on the remote control and captioning settings at the top level of on-screen menus will enable America’s growing population with hearing loss to enjoy television along with their families and friends.” Deaf people – who often use the Internet to communicate in video – would receive the Lifeline and Linkup discount for broadband service under another provision. “Low income video relay service users should have the same phone company subsidies as other low income people,” adds Simpson. “These individuals aren’t using traditional wire line phone services anymore. Instead, they are using the only phone service – video relay – that works for them in their native language. Why should they be penalized for being sign language users?” A related provision would authorize Universal Service Funds for the distribution of specialized telephone communications equipment needed by the 100,000 people in America who are Deaf-blind. Eric Bridges, another COAT leader with the American Council of the Blind (ACB), says the impact will be significant. “With this new program, America’s Deaf-blind population will have the same universal phone service everyone else takes for granted!” Another requirement would restore the video description requirement for television programs and ensure that TV devices transmit and deliver video description for people who are blind. Video description provides verbal descriptions of on-screen visual elements that are inserted during natural pauses in dialogue. “With this, people with vision disabilities can hear on-screen emergency warnings and also more fully participate in society through access to television programs,” says Paul Schroeder at the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), another COAT leader. Another proposal will require on-screen program menus and TV controls to be accessible through audio outputs. Schroeder adds, “There’s so much television programming we are missing because the controls are inaccessible or too difficult to use.” The next step for this draft bill is for consumers to contact the chairman, Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), and the ranking member of the House subcommittee, Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL), to stress the importance of the measure. Letters sent to the consumer’s U.S. House Representative asking to support and co-sponsor the “Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act” measure will also go a long way to ensure this bill is introduced. For more information please see AAPD Action Alert at www.aapd.com/News/tech/071223 coat.htm, visit the COAT Coalition website at www.coataccess.org, or contact Jenifer Simpson at AAPDjenifer@aol.com. Member profile AAPD Member On a Mission Minnesota State Representative is Making a Difference In 1998, Shelley Madore and her husband Paul learned their son Jason had autism. The following year, their daughter Erica was diagnosed with spina bifida. For many families, such personal challenges might be overwhelming. For Madore, they were defining moments that have lead to a path of public service. “I was determined that our family would not collapse under the weight of these challenges. We adapted to a “new normal,” the AAPD member says. Already an active community volunteer in Happy Valley, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities, Madore found comfort in even greater advocacy work over the next few years with a variety of civic issues. She was appointed to the City of Apple Valley’s Urban Affairs Committee and even found time to start the first-ever Cub Scout pack for boys with autism. In 2003, Minnesota made significant cuts to social service programs to balance a state budget problem. These cuts were deep in school and disability services and caused hundreds of individuals and families to leave waiver programs and Medicaid programs because increased parental fees became unaffordable. “I was disappointed to learn of the lack of compassion from leaders in my state,” she remembers. “That was what motivated me to run for office.” Madore entered the 2006 race for state representative in Minnesota’s District 37A on a platform that pledged to address transportation, healthcare reform, education funding, and property tax relief. The voters of Apple Valley and Burnsville rewarded her long and diverse history of voluntarism and activism with the house seat, and since that time her views and actions have had a broader influence throughout the state. In the course of her work, Madore is able to champion for disability rights at every turn. She works with advocacy agencies to address the significant funding issues that affect services for people with disabilities. “As a parent, I am very concerned about the future of my children in the current support models,” she says. “Lack of good jobs and benefits, insufficient accessible and affordable housing, and the huge problem of inadequate transportation services, most importantly transit services, need to be addressed.” “I have focused on transportation and health care reform during my first year here in the state legislature,” Madore continues. “I am also working on the problems with the low graduation rate for people with autism and mental health disorders, the lack of available professional services for diagnosis and treatment, and the funding problems we have for family and caregiver support programs.” The freshman legislator parlayed her knowledge and activism to vault to the position of vice-chair of the House Transportation and Transit Policy Subcommittee. Her efforts to expand transit options in her district and across the state were recognized when the Minnesota Public Transit Association (MPTA) named Madore a “2007 Friend of Transit” award recipient. “A comprehensive transportation system is vital to our economic success,” she says. “Efficient and accessible transit must be a cornerstone of that transportation system. Having options to get to work, to be able to live independently in your own home, and to stay in your community is so important to every Minnesotan.” As a supporter of universal single payer health care, Madore believes that until the system is reformed to absorb people with disabilities into the main stream, chronic unemployment and the lack of asset building opportunities will continue for many disabled citizens. “Too often families with disabled children are thrown into poverty because the primary caregiver is the parent. What is the cost to our national economy with this approach? We force people into poverty, then we blame them for needing help. That is just plain wrong.” Madore considers AAPD to be a valuable resource. She learned about AAPD while taking a Partners in Policymaking course and has been a member for several years. “As a busy parent who follows state law very closely, it is often hard to get that national perspective on these issues,” she explains. “AAPD does a good job of highlighting the issues. And I subscribe to the Justice For All listserv and use the information from it in committee work, to draft legislation, and for investigation of current state policies.” Just reading about her workload makes one wonder how Madore is able to balance the needs of her family with the challenges of public service. “To be honest, it is very hard. But my family was used to my busy schedule and I am very glad that we started self-advocacy training when my children were very young. They are their own best advocates and help me to get their needs met. Some days are better than others, but we get through it one day at a time. I get a lot of strength in being aware that what I am doing today will have an impact on more families than just my own in the future.” Madore believes it is important for persons with disabilities – and their parents – to become involved, especially at the local level. “Although the races for larger public office are very important, most services for people with disabilities are paid for at the local level so they need to get involved there,” she advises. “Having a regular voice and holding elected officials accountable on the local level is very powerful. Writing letters to the editor, attending candidate forums, working on campaigns are all terrific ways to get your message across.” “Get involved and don’t be afraid,” she sums up. “Fourteen percent of the population is a powerful voting bloc. It is time we make use of it and take back our power.” Congressional Hearings Support ADA Restoration, Community Choice Legislation Two pieces of AAPD-supported legislation, the ADA Restoration Act (ADAR) (H.R. 3195, S. 1881) and the Community Choice Act (CCA) (H.R. 1621, S.799) have been taken up in Congressional committee hearings recently, with respectable Member participation and plentiful attendance from advocates. On January 16, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing entitled, “Helping Families with Needed Care: Medicaid’s Critical Role for Americans with Disabilities.” Diane Rowland of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Stephanie Thomas of ADAPT, and Julie Beckett of Family Voices were among the witnesses who testified. On January 29, the House Committee on Education and Labor held a hearing entitled “H.R. 3195, the ADA Restoration Act of 2007,” at which AAPD’s own Andrew Imparato testified on behalf of AAPD. “In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was heralded as an ‘emancipation proclamation’ for people with disabilities,” he says. “Seventeen years later, on account of judicial activism, we are far from having a law that can be counted on to safeguard the fair treatment of people with disabilities in the workplace.” (Imparato’s testimony is available on AAPD’s website under the Policy Positions & Activities link). Carey McClure, an electrician with muscular dystrophy who lost his ADA case, and Robert Burgdorf, a disability law professor at the University of the District of Columbia, were also among those who testified. The witnesses at each hearing have been stellar, helping to establish a solid Congressional record of the need for both bills. For summaries of the hearings and links to testimony as well as all the latest-breaking news on both ADAR and CCA, click on the JFActivist blog (www.jfactivist.org) and the ADAR blog (www.adarestoration.blogspot.com). ADA Restoration Act of 2007 (H.R. 3195, S. 1881) • Introduced July 26, 2007 • 244 Co-Sponsors in the House (as of 2/8/08) • A growing number of Co-Sponsors in the Senate Purpose of the bill: Seeks to alter the definition of disability under the ADA in response to Supreme Court cases which have so narrowly construed the original definition that people with epilepsy, diabetes, cancer, psychiatric disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and many others routinely are shut out of civil rights protections when bringing cases of employment discrimination. Community Choice Act (H.R. 1621, S.799) • Introduced March 21, 2007 • 68 Co-Sponsors in the House (as of 2/8/08) • 19 Co-Sponsors in the Senate (as of 2/8/08) Purpose of the bill: Seeks to increase access to community-based services and supports by giving individuals who are eligible for nursing home or other institutional care equal access to community-based services and supports, including attendant services. Federal Government Falls Short as Employer, Again Dear Members, In the Fall 2004 issue of AAPDnews, I used this column to call attention to data that had recently been released by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) documenting an alarming decline in employment of people with significant disabilities in the federal government between fiscal years 1994 and 2003. In January of this year, the EEOC released a new report noting that the problem has only gotten worse since 2003 and seeking to prod the Federal government to take affirmative steps to address this problem and increase the representation of people with significant disabilities in the federal workforce. The new report, entitled Improving the Participation Rate of People with Targeted Disabilities in the Federal Work Force, is on the EEOC website at www.eeoc.gov/federal/report/pwtd.html. In the new report EEOC notes that the percentage of federal employees with “targeted” disabilities (a cross-disability group that includes workers with the most significant disabilities) has declined each year since reaching a peak of 1.24 percent in fiscal years 1993 and 1994. The report notes that while the federal government grew by over 135,000 workers between fiscal years 1997 and 2006, the number of federal employees with targeted disabilities decreased during that period from 28,671 to 24,442, leaving them at 0.94 percent of the overall federal workforce. Alarmed by this trend, EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations undertook to identify barriers and make recommendations for how federal agencies can improve their outcomes in attracting and retaining qualified workers with significant disabilities. Among the EEOC’s findings were: • inadequate coordination between federal agencies and job placement programs that serve people with disabilities; • ongoing existence of fears, myths and stereotypes within the federal government regarding the employment of people with disabilities; • lack of strategic planning at the agency level to improve hiring and retention of people with disabilities; • a daunting federal application process, and a lack of knowledge on the part of federal hiring officials in how to use the special “Schedule A” appointing authority that enables federal agencies to expedite onboarding of workers with disabilities; • lack of knowledge regarding accommodations among agency officials; and • perhaps most importantly, a lack of accountability among all levels of the federal government in setting and attaining goals to hire people with disabilities. The report also includes a number of recommendations, including: • the establishment of numerical hiring goals for people with targeted disabilities on an annual basis, something required by EEOC Management Directive 715 but rarely happens; • providing mandatory training on disability for all management officials; • developing procedures for ensuring management accountability, as well as verification that goals are obtained; • ensuring that diversity considerations are included in senior leaders’ performance appraisals; and • issuing a policy statement from the agency head, emphasizing the agency’s commitment to equal employment opportunity and encouraging managers to use special hiring authorities to fill vacancies. Within cabinet level agencies, the percentage of workers with targeted disabilities ranges from a high of 1.73 percent at the Department of Treasury to a low of 0.36 percent at the Department of State. In this election year, AAPD has questioned all of the presidential candidates regarding their plans for making the federal government more reflective of the U.S. population, where people with significant disabilities make up approximately 10 percent of the population. To see how candidates responded to that and other questions, visit the AAPD Presidential Election Action Center on our website at www.aapd.com/News/election/peac2008.php. EEOC is to be commended for continuing to highlight this ongoing problem that is not getting enough attention from agency heads, the White House, Congress, or the media. Commissioner Christine Griffin is spearheading a federal effort to increase employment outcomes for people with disabilities in the federal government, and we need to add our voices to this important effort. I encourage AAPD members to continue to raise this issue with the Bush Administration, with candidates for President, and with your members of Congress. We need agency heads to set goals and to be held accountable for achieving those goals, and we need to secure commitments during this election season so that this problem doesn’t continue to get worse. Andrew J. Imparato AAPD President and CEO International Human Rights Disability Advocate Eric Rosenthal Honored with 2008 Betts Award Eric Rosenthal, a pioneer in the field of international human rights advocacy for people with disabilities who has brought unprecedented international awareness to their concerns, has been named recipient of AAPD’s prestigious 2008 Henry B. Betts Award. Rosenthal established and is executive director of Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI). Through MDRI, Rosenthal has investigated human rights conditions in 23 countries. He has trained and supported the work of disability activists around the world to fight these abuses. “When you see the suffering and hear all the stories, there’s a certain outrage. But it’s not all about outrage. It’s also about inspiration. There are some amazingly inspiring activists.” Rosenthal grew up with manic depression in his family. He was interested in psychiatry when he entered college, but after working on a psychiatric ward became uncomfortable with the coercion he observed. After law school he went to Mexico and documented abuses against indigenous people held naked and in filth in psychiatric facilities. When he brought this to the attention of international human rights groups, they were uninterested. In response, Rosenthal established MDRI in 1993. “Eric Rosenthal’s work has been revolutionary,” says MDRI Director of Americas Program Alison A. Hillman de Velásquez. “He has labored tirelessly for the recognition and enforcement of the rights of arguably the most marginalized and stigmatized population of persons with disabilities, persons with psychiatric diagnoses and intellectual disabilities, and for the recognition of the rights of persons with disabilities as human rights.” MDRI’s reports have been the first to bring widespread recognition that discrimination and abuse of people with disabilities constitutes a violation of international human rights law. The United Nations recently adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in no small part due to Rosenthal’s role promoting disability rights as human rights. Rosenthal documents and effectively fights human rights abuses, has won precedent-setting legal victories before international tribunals, and has brought support to people with mental disabilities to fight for their own rights. “Eric Rosenthal has helped to galvanize international attention to the human rights violations that people with significant disabilities are subjected to every day,” says AAPD President and CEO Andrew J. Imparato. “His vision, passion, strategic advocacy, and belief in self-determination and human dignity are changing policies and changing lives in a disability movement that is increasingly connected across the globe.” The 2008 Henry B. Betts Award is being presented collaboratively by AAPD and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago at the AAPD Leadership Gala in Washington, DC, on March 5, 2008. It is named in honor of Henry B. Betts, M.D., a pioneer in the field of rehabilitation medicine who started his career with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in 1964 and has devoted himself to improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. The award program was created in 1989 and is funded by the Prince Charitable Trusts. Diverse Leaders from New York and Chicago to Receive 2008 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Awards Two outstanding individuals working for disability rights in different ways are receiving the 2008 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Awards, which are being presented this month at the AAPD Leadership Gala in Washington, DC, on March 5. Brett Eisenberg, whose work and influence within corporate America is helping people with disabilities to find employment, and Rahnee K. Patrick, a young disability rights movement activist who is particularly passionate in her work with youth and students with disabilities, will each receive cash awards of $10,000 to further their work in the disability community. “The two individuals selected for the Hearne Award this year are breaking down barriers and building bridges in very different settings, but with common goals,” says AAPD President and CEO Andrew J. Imparato. Resetting the Corporate Landscape in New York Brett Eisenberg works as disability coordinator for American International Group (AIG) in their Manhattan headquarters in New York. In this capacity, he leads the corporation’s Disability Initiative programs in various areas, including recruitment and retention, corporate affairs, assistive technology, and products and services. He has created programs whereby AIG is able to focus on the disability population to better serve their needs as well as the company’s needs. “Professionally, it is always special to be recognized for your achievements,” Eisenberg says. “It is especially meaningful since people with disabilities like me have had trouble penetrating into the corporate world.” Eisenberg serves on the AIG Corporate Diversity Council. But his extensive involvement and outreach to assist people with disabilities in finding employment goes beyond his daily work at AIG. Eisenberg contributes his time, talent and energy as a member of five business advisory councils, including Abilities, Inc., Just One Break, Inc. (JOB), and Fedcap. In addition, he founded and now directs the New York chapter of the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation. “Attitudes are the biggest barrier, and not just from those who don’t understand or take the time to understand the potential of people with disabilities in all aspects,” he says. “It’s also the attitudes of some people with disabilities who don’t stand up for their rights and don’t advocate.” Breaking Down Barriers in Chicago Rahnee Patrick has been an outspoken advocate and activist for disability rights for as long as she can remember. And she is teaching a new generation of people with disabilities how to find their voice. Patrick joined Access Living, Chicago’s renowned disability advocacy organization run by people with disabilities, in 2002. In her current position as its youth and education team leader, she addresses equal educational access for students with disabilities in Chicago Public Schools, and focuses on the holistic well being of youth with disabilities, including their self-esteem, sexual health, and the development of leadership and self-advocacy. “Rahnee passionately advocates against something every oppressed group faces – lack of choice – and I have had the opportunity to witness that leadership in action on several occasions,” says Sarah Triano, her program director at Access Living. Patrick currently serves as a co-leader of Chicago ADAPT, and is an active member of Not Dead Yet and co-founder of Feminist Response in Disability Activism (FRIDA). She is an award-winning writer and writes about issues around disability, race and women. “I believe the measure of a community’s fairness is how it treats its women and disabled,” Patrick says. “As long as women are considered property and people with disabilities are treated as worthless, the work is not done. I have to be a part of changing the world’s current reality.” The 2008 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award recipients were selected on a highly competitive basis by a national advisory committee. This program carries on the work of AAPD founder Paul Hearne, a renowned leader in the disability community, and realizes his goal of cultivating emerging leaders with disabilities. AAPD thanks the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation for its support of this program. AAPD Recognizes Gala Sponsors The AAPD Leadership Gala secures support annually that is critical to AAPD’s operations. Revenues directly fund programs that benefit AAPD members and the disability community as a whole through advocacy work, programs, member benefits, and outreach. AAPD will host its seventh-annual AAPD Leadership Gala on March 5 in Washington, DC. Sponsorship is being provided by a wide array of corporations and organizations. Notably, Independence Technology has provided a $100,000 lead sponsorship commitment. AAPD extends its deepest gratitude to all sponsors for their strong endorsement and demonstrated support of the disability community. For a complete list of all gala sponsors, visit www.aapd.com/gala/gala08/gala08sponsors.php. “Independence Technology is proud to once again be the Lead Sponsor of this tremendous event, which recognizes leaders in the disability community. Our company is dedicated to providing people with disabilities with greater freedom and independence, and we want to congratulate and salute all of this year’s award recipients.” Paul Humbles, Vice President, Sales & Reimbursement Independence Technology, a Johnson&Johnson company Ask the Experts: The Place for Answers Accessible Transportation Marilyn Golden is a policy analyst at the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), our nation's foremost national law and policy center on disability civil rights. A highly lauded ADA trainer, she has given thousands of people comprehensive knowledge on how to make this law a reality. Golden plays a key role in federal policy development in the areas of transportation and architectural barriers. Q: Sometimes I miss a stop on my bus route. Aren’t they supposed to announce stops to give people time to prepare to exit? A: The ADA provides public transit riders with disabilities many tools for obtaining equal access to the bus and train, as well as protections in riding ADA paratransit programs. But transit agencies are not always heeding the ADA regulations, the guidance from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), and the determinations of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) that guarantee your civil rights to ride. For example, on the bus, the stops must be announced often enough to orient you to your surroundings. Major intersections and destinations such as big shopping centers, as well as transfer points and any requested stop, must also be announced. Q: I use paratransit to commute to work and to meet other appointments. When I ask for help from the vehicle to the door the driver says it’s against the rules. Sometimes they try to schedule pickups much earlier or later than I request, too. Is this acceptable? A: On ADA paratransit, if your disability necessitates that you be helped to and from the door, then generally drivers must provide that assistance, regardless of whether or not the agency has a “curb service only” policy. There are some exceptions when such assistance would be an undue burden. Also, when you schedule a paratransit ride, if you have a particular appointment time, the transit agency must take that time into account. For example, if the building where you work doesn’t open until 8:30 a.m., it is not acceptable for the transit agency to leave you outside your office building at 7:30 a.m. to wait in the snow and ice for an hour. Similarly, if your workday does not end until 5 p.m., so you ask for a 5:15 pick up, it is not acceptable for the transit agency to insist you must be picked up at 4:15, requiring you to miss the last 45 minutes of your work day! Q: How do I report a problem about my local transit authority if they do not respond to my needs? A: If you have questions or concerns, or you think you may be experiencing discrimination based on your disability in the provision of public transit service, you are encouraged to call the Federal Transit Administration Office of Civil Rights at (202) 366-4018 or (202) 366-5273 (TTY). You can also submit a written complaint. A rider complaint form can be found at the FTA ADA website at www.fta.dot.gov/ada. Disability Employment Starbucks Listens, Brews Positive Practices for Employees with Disabilities Starbucks employee Adam Novasam says his company listens to its employees, and that’s a strong statement coming from a Deaf person. Novasam is a utility specialist in property and utility management at the headquarters of Starbucks Coffee Company in Seattle, Washington. His job involves working on a team that makes sure landlord and utility bills are managed and sent to its payment department. “I do a lot of negotiating with landlords and communicating with other departments within Starbucks.” He says working for Starbucks is anything but a “daily grind” and says the company has done a good job minimizing barriers for disabled employees. “Starbucks’ culture, and the leaps and bounds technology has made, combine to let me use a variety of accommodations ranging from sign language interpreters to a webcam,” he explains. “The webcam, or video phone, is how I communicate with landlords around the country. It works like a charm.” He also says the company is very supportive of all people with disabilities — employee partners or customers. Starbucks has several partner groups, called “Partner Networks,” in which people with similar interests can share, learn, and grow with one another. Novasam serves as treasurer for the “Starbucks Access Alliance” group for partners with disabilities and their allies. “The company not only talks about support but also gets behind that support with action,” he says. “One of the guiding principles here is to ‘embrace diversity as an essential component in the way we do business’ and Starbucks has proven to me it’s not just words on a page.” Two forces in Novasam’s life helped prepare him for entering the corporate world: his parents and Gallaudet University. “My parents have always been very supportive of my aspirations and my goals and they never let my inability to hear interfere with our relationship. They are both signers so communication has never been the barrier for me like it is for many Deaf people.” “At Gallaudet University I learned to be a leader, or rather, my leadership abilities came to fruition,” he continues. “I was president of my fraternity and participated in other leadership roles around campus. I still maintain leadership roles in my community, including being board president of the Deaf Blind Service Center here in Seattle.” Asked to offer advice for aspiring corporate executives with disabilities, Novasam explains, “We often say we want people to see us for who we are and not for our disability. I think that works both ways. We must see ourselves and believe in ourselves as who we are despite our disability. We also have to team with our allies, and sometimes even with those who are not our allies, to see progress and accommodations happen. At times, that means being creative and amenable in what we ask for as an accommodation.” “We are the experts on our disabilities,” he continues. “If we see ourselves as experts with experience and knowledge to share with others, we can work together to level the playing field in such a way that we can be seen as the people we are with the skills and values we possess.” AAPD Website: A Powerful Connection The AAPD website is more than simply information about us. It’s powerful information about and for you! Latest News • Action Alerts 2008 Presidential Election Action Center JFActivist Blog ADA Restoration Act Blog Disability Resources Employment Opportunities Internships/Fellowships Leadership Development Scholarships & Awards AAPD Policy Statements Disability Mentoring Day And More! Knowledge IS Power! Click on www.aapd.com and stay connected! On The Docket A Timeline of Important Events for the 2008 Election AAPDnews continues to update you on important milestones in the 2008 presidential election process. Our goal is to keep you informed about election activities in your area. 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 as of our publication deadline. MARCH 2008 March 4 Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, and Vermont primaries March 8 Wyoming Democratic caucuses March 11 Mississippi primary APRIL 2008 April 11 Pennsylvania primary MAY 2008 May 6 Indiana, North Carolina primaries May 13 Nebraska Republican primary, West Virginia primary; Hawaii Republican state convention May 18 Kentucky, Oregon primaries May 23-26 Libertarian Party national convention, Denver May 27 Idaho Republican primary JUNE 2008 June 3 Montana and South Dakota primaries, New Mexico Republican primary; Puerto Rico Democratic state convention Please note that these dates are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information or for details on events scheduled after this issue went to press, visit the following websites: • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election, _2008_timeline • www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/calendar Captioned presidential debates – Free access to captioned Democratic and Republican presidential debates can be found at: • www.taudiobook.com/catalog/index.php? main_page=page&id=20&chapter=0 2008 State Election Deadlines State In Person Registration Deadline Via Mail Registration Deadline Primary Indiana Mon., April 7, 2008 Mon., April 7, 2008 Tues., May 6, 2008 Kentucky Tues., April 22, 2008 Tues., April 22, 2008 Tues., May 20, 2008 Montana Mon., May 5, 2008 Mon., May 5, 2008 Tues., June 3, 2008 Nebraska Fri., May 2, 2008 Fri., May 9, 2008 Tues., May 13, 2008 North Carolina Sun., April 6, 2008 Sun., April 6, 2008 Tues., May 6, 2008 Oregon Tues., April 29, 2008` Tues., April 29, 2008 Tues., May 20, 2008 Pennsylvania Sun., March 23, 2008 Sun., March 23, 2008 Tues., April 22, 2008 South Dakota Mon., May 19, 2008 Mon., May 19, 2008 Tues., June 3, 2008 West Virginia Tues., April 22, 2008 Tues., April 22, 2008 Tues., May 13, 2008 Note: If you do not see your state’s upcoming primary listed above, it is because the voter registration date for that primary has already passed. Convention Dates May 23-26, 2008 , Libertarian Party National Convention, Denver July 10-13, 2008 , Green Party National Convention, Chicago August 25-28, 2008, Democratic National Convention, Denver September 1-4, 2008, Republican National Convention, Minneapolis ELECTION DAY November 4, 2008 Medicaid Toolkit Now Available Online Do you need to know more about Medicaid? The Alliance for Health Reform has produced a comprehensive “Medicaid Toolkit” that is available online. This toolkit will help you understand who the Medicaid program covers, how it is financed, how it differs from Medicare, how states can alter Medicaid through federal waivers, and what the future holds for the program. Created as a resource for news media, the toolkit also offers story ideas, selected experts with contact information, helpful website links, and a Medicaid glossary. The toolkit, produced with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is at www.allhealth.org/publications/Medicaid/Medicaid_Toolkit_75.asp. Past AAPD Congressional Intern Jack Brandt Balances Artistry with Advocacy When AAPD wanted to feature the work of an artist with a disability on its 2008 AAPD Leadership Gala invitation and program, they did not have to look far. A past AAPD Congressional Intern, 28-year-old Jack Brandt of Richmond, Va., was the logical choice. A passionate and talented painter, Brandt has never allowed cerebral palsy to prevent him from putting his energy, talent and ambition to work. Three summers ago the James Madison University graduate served as an AAPD Congressional Intern in the office of Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY). Then, in 2006 as a Virginia Governor’s Fellow, he drafted a large portion of the state’s annual community integration status report, analyzed the state budget for its impact on people with disabilities, and participated in the Governor’s Hurricane Preparedness Task Force. And as a board member for Valley Associates for Independent Living in Harrisonburg, he initiated a get-out-the-vote campaign and continues to issue action alerts on important issues, develop policy positions, and encourage others to become more active in the political process. As his community activism has flourished over the years, so, too, has his artistic expression as a painter. Brandt has held several successful exhibits and maintains a Jack Brandt Studios website (www.brandtstudios.com) that displays and sells his work. In “The Tired,” the painting selected for the gala invitation and program, one may not see more than colorful blurs at first, but a closer look reveals a very complex piece of art. Brandt, who currently works fulltime as a disability rights advocate at The Virginia Office for Protection & Advocacy, uses his art in his advocacy, encouraging others to fully develop their abilities and pursue their dreams. It is also a powerful way to speak. “Art allows me to be expressive and bold,” he says. “Painting enables me to speak more directly to an individual as opposed to other means of communication.” Web Access and Community Colleges: A New Online Resource William A. Erickson, Sara VanLooy — Cornell University Community colleges play a vital role in educating students with disabilities and are a crucial link to better employment. Technology can open doors to education for students with disabilities, but inaccessible web sites can pose significant barriers to people who are visually impaired, Deaf, or have learning disabilities. The Employment and Disability Institute (EDI) at Cornell was funded by the U.S. Department of Education National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research to study Internet-based student services at community colleges. EDI worked in collaboration with the Institute for Community College Development (ICCD) at Cornell University. The majority of the 700 community colleges surveyed said that they use the Internet to provide admissions and financial aid applications, course catalogs, class schedules, course registration, and billing online. Some colleges have made some of these services available only on the web. This has serious implications for students with disabilities, who will encounter potentially insurmountable barriers if web pages are not well designed. Accessibility and usability testing of a sample of college web pages found many problems. Both disabled and non-disabled users were frustrated by inaccessible pages, unclear instructions, confusing navigation, and unfamiliar terminology. Many required assistance to complete the application form, and the majority reported confusion with the entire process. Virtually all of the websites examined performed poorly on both the accessibility evaluations and the usability testing. Barriers that could prevent users from being able to complete an admissions application existed on many college websites. Many testers, regardless of disability status, required assistance to complete the application. Due to usability and/or accessibility issues, a number of testers with learning disabilities or visual impairments (screen reader or screen magnifier users) were unable to complete the application even with assistance. Four out of five of the control testers without disabilities required assistance with the online application on one site. Our usability testing illustrates how critical user testing is in web design for all users, not just users with disabilities. This study led to the development of a tool to help college administrators and others who wish to address the broader issues of web accessibility to improve the accessibility and usability of their websites. The Web Access Toolkit (www.webaccesstoolkit.org) provides resources and a process for achieving long-term web accessibility and enhanced usability for all users, disabled and nondisabled alike. For more information on this project, contact Bill Erickson at wae1@cornell.edu, or call Cornell University at (607) 255-7727, or (607) 255-2891 (TTY). Getting Out The Vote Voting Rule #1 ... Get Organized For many people, getting organized is one of life’s major challenges. To accomplish daily tasks, it’s essential to have a plan of attack. It’s no different with mobilizing the disability vote. AAPD has put significant resources behind “get-out-the-vote” efforts around the country with the Disability Vote Project (DVP), directed by AAPD’s Vice President of Government Affairs Jim Dickson. DVP has successfully helped form coalitions across America to identify, educate, and motivate individuals with disabilities to exercise their constitutional right to vote. According to Dickson, “Our largest challenge is organizing voting efforts. Organizing begins with a list, and we have found that the majority of the disability community’s lists are not well organized or scrubbed. In many cases, they haven’t been matched with the voter file, so we don’t even know if the people on the list are actually registered to vote or if they have voted at all in past elections.” To address these issues, DVP has supported state coalitions in their efforts to perform list enhancement and to register people with disabilities. DVP has also provided strategies to get people to the polls, many of whom have never been asked to vote before in both primary and general elections. In cities and towns around the country, the efforts are beginning to pay off. Grassroots Engagement - Tactics in Philly “Across our organization, we stress the development of the disability voting bloc to all of our clients,” explains Fran Fulton, supervisor of skills training at Liberty Resources, an independent living resource provider in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “Until we establish that bloc, candidates won’t take our issues seriously. When we build the numbers, we’ll get their attention.” Liberty Resources has actively participated in list enhancement activities to identify and contact members of the disability community who are registered to vote. In addition, the organization reaches out to every new client it serves by asking if they are registered to vote. If not, they are provided with the forms to do so on the spot. List enhancement and voter registration are only part of the approach at Liberty Resources. In this past election cycle, Fulton and her colleagues sent out teams to visit polling locations to determine if they were really accessible. “We wanted to know if the people with disabilities we sent to the polls could physically vote,” she notes. “This round of visits is just the beginning. Over the next two elections, we plan to train and send more volunteers to polling places. Some will be equipped to rectify problems that are easily addressed on the spot — such as offering personal assistance or helping individuals operate voting equipment. We are sending staffers into the field to educate voters, and we are encouraging the local board of elections to make sure inaccessible areas we’ve pinpointed are taken care of.” Coalition Building in Georgia Tripp Cook, director of the Georgia Disability Vote Project (GDVP), agrees with Fulton that registration and education are important steps to take in organizing the disability voting bloc. However, he also sees coalition building and cooperation between organizations as key factors in getting people with disabilities to the polls to vote. “GDVP is sponsored by the Georgia Association of Training, Employment and Support (GATES) and our membership is comprised of disability provider service organizations,” explains Cook. “None of our members are advocacy organizations, per se, but they are all committed to supporting the disability community and promoting its right to vote.” He agrees that list sharing and enhancement are important activities, but points out that it’s necessary to develop performance goals to really know if efforts are working. Establishing benchmarks that measure organizational effectiveness is a new concept for many players that provide services and support to the disability community, and one that Cook’s group encourages its members to use in encouraging their constituents to vote. “In the past, we really didn’t identify the issues that rally the disability community and encourage individuals to go to the polls,” Cook says. “Instead, we focused nearly all our efforts on tactics – such as list enhancement and manipulation. Now, we’re concentrating on framing our priorities, crafting and communicating our messages to the politicians, and measuring the results of our initiatives. Ultimately, we want to seat the vision that there is a community of people with disabilities with specific interests and objectives that must be addressed in the election dialog.” Keeping a dialog going from election to election is the coalition’s ultimate goal in getting out the vote efforts. “The disability community needs to realize that it is not enough to only participate in the general elections that occur in November,” sums up Dickson. “If you want the disability community to have its issues play a part in the election discourse, you need people with disabilities to be primary voters as well as general election voters. Politicians know who votes on election day.” To learn more about DVP initiatives in your area, contact Jim Dickson by phone at (202) 457-0046 (V/TTY) or email at jamescdickson@earthlink.net. AAPD Board Vice-Chair Tony Coelho: Transforming Disability Into a Lifetime of Advocacy In 1967, a 22-year old Tony Coelho – on the verge of joining the priesthood – walked into a doctor’s office for a check-up. He walked out a diagnosed epileptic. In a matter of days, the state took away his driver’s license. He lost his health insurance. His church rejected him. And so did his family. What was to be a routine physical left the young man an emotional wreck. Depression took hold. He drank. He turned suicidal. His epilepsy, however, had one more unexpected consequence. “After all that rejection,” he says, “I determined never to let anybody – or anything – stop me again.” Rather than take his vows to the priesthood, he vowed to make something of his life. “Epilepsy gave me the strength to turn my life around.” And he’s spent the rest of his life doing just that. In 1978, Coelho won a Congressional seat from California. As a Congressman, he rose to the rank of House Majority Whip. With his growing influence, he found himself in the position to write and sponsor the ADA. “Little did I know that it would have the impact it has today,” Coelho says. “This little seed has not only been planted here in the U.S. but has spread worldwide.” As a member of the AAPD executive committee, Tony Coelho brings his political savvy to the organization. “Our cause is right,” he says. “Politicians want to help people with disabilities. They know we’ve been discriminated against over the years. And they want to correct things.” Foremost on the AAPD agenda: the ADA Restoration Act. “AAPD is playing a central role in its passage,” Coelho explains. “As one who has a disability, it’s exciting to see AAPD gain influence on Capitol Hill. Today, we’re an organization that successful politicians want on their side.” Are You Receiving JFA Email Alerts? If not, would you like to receive these advocacy alerts distributed by AAPD? It’s easy to subscribe! Just go to: www.aapd.com/JFA/index.php and enter your email address in the “Sign up for JFA Email” box. AAPD Headquarters 1629 K Street NW Suite 503 Washington, DC 20006 202-457-0046 (v/tty) 800-840-8844 (toll-free v/tty) AAPD Member Services 18 Harvard Drive Milford, MA 01757-1208 508-634-3200 (v/tty) 866-242-3200 (toll-free v/tty) 1