Getting Off the Ground: My Experience Working in Government Affairs

November 13, 2018 | Shiven Patel, 2018 AAPD Summer Intern

This past summer I worked as an intern with American Airlines in Government Affairs through the AAPD Summer Internship Program. The Government Affairs team at American is basically the lobbying team for the airline; if there was any bill on the Hill that was of any concern to the airline, our team would go lobby in favor of the airline’s position on that bill.

I have loved aviation ever since I can remember. Additionally, I am also in the middle of my second year of law school. So an internship working in Government Affairs for the world’s largest airline was perfect for me. I must say that when I began working for the airline, even as an aviation enthusiast, I didn’t quite understand how much it takes to get one of our airplanes off of the ground. As I started working, I began to realize that complex legal issues can impact day-to-day operations significantly. For example, this summer we had an immigration issue in our office where our federal government had a policy that was separating children from their families at the border. When these children were separated at the border, the government would use American’s airplanes to transport these children. I remember that day very well; everyone in my office was talking about this issue. A decision needed to be made. Our Vice President of Government Affairs had a statement issued that requested the federal government to not use our commercial planes to transport these children. Several airlines followed suit afterward. The following day, President Trump decided to stop this immigration policy. I felt proud to be directly involved with a major issue that was happening in Washington this summer.

Additionally, another legal issue that I had to research was the issue of allowing untrained emotional support animals on our aircraft. As an airline, we understood that there are people who need to have these animals on the aircraft. However, the issue that we were facing was that we’ve had several instances where untrained animals have caused harm to other passengers by biting them. The most important thing to anyone who works in the aviation industry is the safety of our passengers. If allowing untrained animals onboard the aircraft poses a safety risk to our passengers, then it is up to us as an airline to review those policies and find a solution that does not compromise the safety of our passengers.

These are just some of the many legal issues that I have had the opportunity to work on this summer. The experience of working for the airline this summer was a 23-year-old dream that AAPD made come true. I feel like my experience working with American Airlines has helped me to understand that even issues that may seem small or unimportant can affect the entire operation of us transporting thousands of passengers every day. What that taught me was, that as a future attorney, you should always treat any issue, whether it seems big or small, with the utmost of importance — because you never know how that issue will affect your work down the line.

 

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Shiven Patel is a 2018 AAPD Summer Intern. He interned in the Government Affairs office of American Airlines.

Action Alert! National Call-In Day: No Tax on Disability! (Take Two)

December 10, 2017

The House and Senate each passed their own version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which means that now a conference committee must work out the differences between each bill to produce a final version. The private House and Senate Conferences will be meeting all week. A three hour meeting between the House and Senate Conferences is scheduled for December 13, 2017.

Senate Conferees:

  • Republicans: Hatch (UT), Enzi (WY), Murkowski (AK), Cornyn (TX), Thune (SD), Portman (OH), Scott (SC), and Toomey (PA)
  • Democrats: Wyden (OR), Sanders (VT), Murray (WA), Cantwell (WA), Stabenow (MI), Menendez (NJ), and Carper (DE)

House Conferees:

  • Republicans: Brady (TX-8), Roskam (IL-6th), Nunes (CA-22nd), Black (TN-6th)), Noem (SD-at large), Bishop (UT-1st), Young (IA-3rd), Upton (MI-6th), and Shimkus (IL-15th)
  • Democrats: Neal (MA-1st), Levin (MI-9th), Doggett (TX-35th), Grijalva (AZ-3rd), and Castor (FL-14th)

 

We’re hearing that a vote on the final tax bill is not going to happen this week. This delay provides us more time to protest this bill and shows that our efforts so far have been effective. Please join us for a national call-in day tomorrow (Monday, 12/11) to tell our Representatives to oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act! We’re told that call volume on Capitol Hill has been high – keep it up!

 

National Call-In Day: No Tax on Disability!

December 11, 2017

Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 (voice) or 202-224-3091 (TTY)

Join people with disabilities, our families, and advocates around the country this Monday, December 11, for another national call-in day to oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Note: We’re hearing that advocates calling Members of Congress that are not their own are being dismissed as outside agitators and are clogging up the phone lines – Please focus on calling your own Members of Congress and encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to do the same.

 

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is very close to reaching President Trump’s desk and becoming law. NOW is the time to call your Representative and tell them to OPPOSE this dangerous bill!

 

 

The Senate tax bill is extremely dangerous to the well-being of people with disabilities.

  • Tax cuts open the door for cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, and other services that benefit people with disabilities. While neither the House nor Senate tax bill includes direct cuts to these services, cuts are expected to follow to offset the $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.
  • The Senate bill eliminates the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate. The individual mandate helps make health insurance affordable. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 13 million people would lose access to affordable coverage by 2027 if the individual mandate were eliminated. Furthermore, insurance premiums would rise by 10%, which amounts to an increase of hundreds of dollars per year for nearly 7 million middle-income Americans and by over $1,000 per year for seniors, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
  • The Senate bill benefits the wealthiest Americans while the poorest would be worse off. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report which found that Americans earning less than $100,000 a year would, ultimately, not benefit from the proposed tax cuts. According to a Washington Post analysis of the CBO report, “By 2019, Americans earning less than $30,000 a year would be worse off under the Senate bill, CBO found. By 2021, Americans earning $40,000 or less would be net losers, and by 2027, most people earning less than $75,000 a year would be worse off. On the flip side, millionaires and those earning $100,000 to $500,000 would be big beneficiaries, according to the CBO’s calculations.”

 

The House bill is also damaging as it proposes to eliminate several tax deductions and credits that benefit people with disabilities. These include:

  • The Medical Expense Deduction: This tax deduction allows people to deduct large, unreimbursed medical and dental expenses that exceed 10% of their income. Approximately 8.8 million people utilize this deduction, 70% of which have an income at $70,000 or lower. Most filings are around $10,000 by people with high healthcare costs, which largely includes people with disabilities, chronic health conditions, and other medical conditions. People are allowed to deduct expenses for a variety of expenses including treatments, surgeries, medications, and medical travel.
  • The Disabled Access Credit and Barrier Removal Tax Deduction: Businesses that accommodate people with disabilities may qualify for tax credits and deductions including the Disabled Access Credit and the Barrier Removal Tax Deduction. This credit and deduction incentivizes small businesses to make their businesses accessible for disabled people. Small businesses can claim a 50% credit per year for expenditures between $250 and $10,250 that increase access and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • The Work Opportunity Tax Credit: This federal tax credit is available to employers for hiring individuals from certain target groups (including disabled people who receive services from Vocational Rehabilitation, SSI recipients, returning citizens, veterans, and long-term unemployment compensation recipients) who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. The current tax credit for hiring a person with a disability can be as high as $2,400 for a business.

 

The final version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act could contain any of these harmful provisions from the Senate and House bills.

While neither tax bill includes direct cuts to Medicaid or other disability services, these cuts are expected to follow to offset the roughly $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.

 

 

Additional Resources

Action Alert! Vote Likely this Week – Urge your Senators to Oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

November 27, 2017

The US Senate is expected to vote this week on their version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This legislation is a bad deal for people with disabilities – contact your senators and tell them to oppose this bill!

National Call-In Day: No Tax on Disability!
November 29, 2017

Join people with disabilities, our families, and advocates around the country this Wednesday, November 29, for a national call-in day to oppose the Senate’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

 

The House of Representatives passed their version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1) along partisan lines before the Thanksgiving holiday. If the Senate bill also passes, a conference committee may need to work out the differences between the two bills, which means provisions from either bill could end up in the final version (read AAPD’s Action Alert about the House bill).

The Senate tax bill is extremely dangerous to the well-being of people with disabilities.

  • Tax cuts open the door for cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, and other services that benefit people with disabilities. While neither the House nor Senate tax bill includes direct cuts to these services, cuts are expected to follow to offset the $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.
  • The Senate bill eliminates the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate. The individual mandate helps make health insurance affordable. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 13 million people would lose access to affordable coverage by 2027 if the individual mandate were eliminated. Furthermore, insurance premiums would rise by 10%, which amounts to an increase of hundreds of dollars per year for nearly 7 million middle-income Americans and by over $1,000 per year for seniors, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).
  • The Senate bill benefits the wealthiest Americans while the poorest would be worse off. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report this past Sunday, which found that Americans earning less than $100,000 a year would, ultimately, not benefit from the proposed tax cuts. According to a Washington Post analysis of the CBO report, “By 2019, Americans earning less than $30,000 a year would be worse off under the Senate bill, CBO found. By 2021, Americans earning $40,000 or less would be net losers, and by 2027, most people earning less than $75,000 a year would be worse off. On the flip side, millionaires and those earning $100,000 to $500,000 would be big beneficiaries, according to the CBO’s calculations.”

 

The Senate is scheduled to vote on its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act this week – We must stop this very harmful and unpopular legislation NOW!

 

Take Action

Contact your Senators and tell them to oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act!

What to say:

  • Please vote NO on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
  • This tax bill will hurt people with disabilities and their families.
  • Tax reform should not be rushed. People should have time to understand the legislation and how they will be affected.
  • Services that benefit people with disabilities and low-income Americans – such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Supplemental Security Income – are in danger of losing funding to help pay for these proposed tax cuts.
  • Eliminating the individual mandate will reduce access and increase costs for people with disabilities and all Americans.

 

Call your Senators

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091 (TTY) and ask to be connected to your Senator.

 

National Call-In Day: No Tax on Disability!
November 29, 2017

Join people with disabilities, our families, and advocates around the country this Wednesday, November 29, for a national call-in day to oppose the Senate’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

 

Meet with your Senators

You can arrange a meeting in Washington, DC or in your home state, depending on when Congress is in session. Contacting Congress allows you to request a meeting with your Member of Congress. You can also check the Town Hall Project for congressional events in your area.

 

Email your Senators

Contacting Congress provides unique links to email your Senators directly.

 

Tweet your Senators

Twitter has become a powerful tool to communicate with elected officials directly. Find your Senators on Twitter and tell them to oppose these bills.

 

Additional Resources

Action Alert! Urge Your Senators to Vote NO on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

November 17, 2017

Yesterday, on November 16, the House of Representatives passed its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (H.R. 1). Now, the Senate is finalizing their own version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The legislation was recently voted through the Senate Finance Committee, clearing the way for a vote on the Senate floor after Thanksgiving.

These tax bills are extremely dangerous to the well-being of people with disabilities.

  • Tax cuts open the door for cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, and other services that benefit people with disabilities. While neither the House or Senate tax bill includes direct cuts to these services, cuts are expected to follow to offset the $1.5 trillion added to the deficit due to providing large tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. Medicaid and other disability services were the target of intense cuts over the summer through the various Affordable Care Act (ACA) repeal bills proposed in the House and Senate. There is no doubt that these same services remain on the chopping block to help pay for the proposed tax cuts.
  • The Senate bill eliminates the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate. The individual mandate helps make health insurance affordable. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that 13 million people would lose access to affordable coverage if the individual mandate were eliminated. Furthermore, insurance premiums would rise by 10%, which amounts to an increase of hundreds of dollars per year for nearly 7 million middle-income Americans and by over $1,000 per year for seniors, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).

The Senate is scheduled to vote on its Tax Cuts and Jobs Act the week after Thanksgiving.

 

We must stop this very harmful and unpopular legislation NOW!

 

Take Action

Contact your Senators and tell them to oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act!

 

What to say:

  • Please vote NO on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
  • Tax reform should not be rushed. People should have time to understand the legislation and how they will be affected.
  • Services that benefit people with disabilities and low-income Americans – such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Supplemental Security Income – are in danger of losing funding to help pay for these proposed tax cuts.
  • Eliminating the individual mandate will reduce access and increase costs for people with disabilities and all Americans.

 

Call your Senators

Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091 (TTY) and ask to be connected to your Senator.

 

Meet with your Senators

You can arrange a meeting in Washington, DC or in your home state, depending on when Congress is in session. The Senate is planning to vote on their version of the tax bill after Thanksgiving. This provides an opportunity to meet with your Senators while they are in your home state over the holiday. Contacting Congress allows you to request a meeting with your Member of Congress. You can also check the Town Hall Project for congressional events in your area.

 

Email your Senators

Contacting Congress provides unique links to email your Senators directly.

 

Tweet your Senators

Twitter has become a powerful tool to communicate with elected officials directly. Find your Senators on Twitter and tell them to oppose these bills.

  • Senate Twitter Handles
  • The #TaxCutsAndJobsAct could force massive cuts that block grant #Medicaid and damage state programs for people with disabilities. No to #TCJA. #TaxOnDisability

 

 

Additional Resources

 

 

Implementing Universal Design in the Workplace

November 12, 2017 | Ariel Carlin, 2017 AAPD Summer Intern

The Administration for Community Living (ACL) is a federal agency devoted to supporting people with disabilities and the aging population in our country. The administration, like many, have had changes this past summer including new leadership which has welcomed Melissa Ortiz as Commissioner. The Administration for Community Living deserves praise for their work and commitment to the American citizens.

What I found striking when interning with ACL was not only the diversity among cohorts but the workplace itself was inclusive and cognitive of Universal Design. Universal Design (UD) is a design concept that creates access to all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design in regards to products and environments. For example, all doors opened with the touch of a button, creating an overall ease of access throughout the workplace whether you were a wheelchair user or running from one meeting to another with full hands. Individual’s cubicles were designed for that specific employee. Some aspects of an individual’s cubicle that varied included lighting, desk height, number of computer screens, chair type, and or any assisted technology to effectively participate in daily work functions. It was evident that the ACL administration looked for optimal inclusion in all breadths of the work environment.

Interning with the Policy and Evaluation team was a very unique experience. Each day I gained more knowledge on federal policies regarding things such as housing or healthcare but more importantly I gained a greater understanding of the importance of diversity within the workplace. Seeing and working alongside individuals of varying abilities, race, religion, age, gender, sexuality or otherwise benefited the quality of work we produced. The varying perspectives and character strengths are vital in this field of work. To best serve and protect the American people through these areas of policy, the diverse cohort and inclusive, universal environment are necessary for success. ACL is a federal agency that models an inclusive workspace.

Experiencing this atmosphere this past summer was a privilege.

 

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Ariel Carlin is a 2017 AAPD Summer Intern. This summer she interned with the Administration for Community Living within the Department of Health and Human Services.

My Disability Isn’t A Tragedy

November 3, 2017 | Annika Ariel, 2017 AAPD Summer Intern

Picking up my laundry was only supposed to take three minutes and twenty-three seconds. I had made frantically grabbing my clothes from the dryer and taking them back up to my dorm a science, one that I had mastered in the never-ending pursuit of finishing my readings at a reasonable hour. So when I realized that the laundry room was full of people, my first thought was damn, this is going to take five minutes.

Smiling at the upperclassmen who had apparently taken over the laundry room for the night, I walked out. My only mistake was pausing and checking my phone just as I was out of their view.

“So is she, like, blind?”

“Yeah, think so. I have no idea how she does it. I think I’d kill myself if I were blind.”

“She’s apparently an orientation leader for next year. I wish I knew how she could do that. Can’t exactly ask, though.”

I had upstairs on my Braille notetaker a copy of Emerson’s essay “Experience”, and the first line kept running through my head—“where do we find ourselves?”. At that point, I had been at Amherst a semester and a half. While many accessibility barriers existed and continue to exist at Amherst, this was my first direct experience dealing with the misconceptions of other students. I watched awkwardly as the men, apparently having realized I was standing nearby, walked out of another door.

I found myself thrust out of the comfortable disability bubble I had put myself into. Up until that point, I had believed that ignoring my disability was, somewhat ironically, the best way to educate people. If people just saw that I was a ‘normal’ person who ‘happened’ to be blind, they would eventually be able to look past my blindness. However, I was being forced to realize that this approach was inadequate—if I ignored my blindness as much as possible, people ended up being even more confused and misinformed. Sometimes, this manifested itself as me being told I didn’t ‘seem’ blind or people have lingering questions they were too scared to voice. Simply put, shoving my disability to the side resulted in misconceptions remaining unaddressed.

Coincidentally, that same semester I was enrolled in Amherst’s one class on disability. For the first time in my life, I was reading about the social model of disability. I began viewing my blindness not as a flaw, not as something to be ashamed of, but just as another part of the human experience. By being open about who I was, not only was I more comfortable in my own body, but others around me became more comfortable and knowledgeable about disability. My disability isn’t a tragedy; it’s simply a different way of living.

 

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Annika Ariel is a 2017 Summer Intern. This summer she interned for Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA).

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