September 2006 Youth Advisory Committee Document
NATIONAL COUNCIL ON DISABILITY: A BRIEF HISTORICAL LOOK AT THE YOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE

• Interest in youth perspectives can be linked to the National Council on Disability’s (NCD) experience working directly with youth and young adults with disabilities since the mid-1990s.
• During the late 1990s NCD initiated annual national summer youth leadership conferences that were subsequently modeled by federal partners.
• Collaboration with other federal entities such as the President’s Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities, Social Security Administration, Departments of Education and Labor helped the youth leadership training and self-determination efforts.
• NCD elevated the level of its youth awareness raising work, leadership training and self-direction opportunities in two ways by: (1) supporting and advising a collaborative five-year project (National Youth Leadership Network) for youth research and leadership training; and (2) including youth perspectives obtained directed from youth in national level policy making with the establishment of a Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) for this agency.
• NCD’s decision to establish the advisory group was finalized in 1999. Administrative work was completed and the committee obtained its charter under the Federal Advisory Committee Act in January 2000.
• Ten youth were invited and accepted NCD invitations to become the original cohort of YAC members and their initial public meeting occurred in Washington, DC during NCD’s quarterly meeting and the week of ADA celebrations, July 2000. Officer selection was assisted through members’ prior acquaintances as participants in the 1990s summer youth conferences for youth with disabilities.
• Subsequent cohorts of YAC members have been selected through an application process that includes submitting a complete application package (cover letter, resume, one letter of recommendation) and after a rating process on factors of leadership, youth-oriented, and disability issues experiences, the process also involves telephone interviews for a list of top finalists.
• Fiscal Year 2006 recruitment yielded a record 140 applicants for seven of 12 positions and resulted in the first time since the original cohort back in 2000 that the vast majority of members were new compared to continuing members to YAC.  Fiscal Year 2007 recruitment was conducted and application materials are being processed to fill four positions. Staggered membership tenure has been in place since the start of the committee. YAC Mentors assist to ensure smooth transition and can serve along with members not to exceed duration of the charter.

WHO COMPRISES THE YOUTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE?

Approximately fifty-five different youth and young adults with disabilities served on NCD’s Youth Advisory Committee between fiscal years 2000 and 2006. Council Member Liaisons included Mrs. Ela Yazzie King (2000-2003) and Mr. Marco Rodriguez (2003-present) providing guidance and support to the YAC and its Designated Federal Official, Dr. Gerrie Hawkins (2000 – present). YAC leaders have included the following individuals:  Michael Ching (CA), Chair (2000), Goyo Stinchfield (ME), Vice Chair (2001) and Chair (2002), Thomas McKeithan (DC), Vice Chair (2002); Christina Mills (CA) Chair (2003), Betsy Valnes (SD) and Rebecca C. Moore (NY), Co-Vice-Chairs (2003); Renaldo Hemphill, Secretary -Temp (AR); Isaac Huff (NJ) Chair (2004), Rebecca Hare (CA/DC) Vice Chair (2004); Jeremy Block (NC); Eric Peebles (OH); Denna Lambert (AR), Vice Chair; Stephanie Enyart(CA), Secretary (2004); Gina Semenza (CA) Chair (2006), Amy Litzinger (TX) Vice Chair (2006), Miranda Pelikan (MI), Secretary (2006); Stephanie Orlando (NY), Chair (2007), Gary Goosman (Vice Chair (2007), Reagan Lynch (TX) Secretary (2007). Members have included youth between ages 16 and 25 (at the time of application); some have been students (high school through graduate school programs), and/or employed individuals in a wide range of jobs. They have brought to the table an array of documented experiences at the local, state, regional and national levels. Some members have self-identified with specific sensory, learning, intellectual, physical and/or physical health related, and mental health disabilities. YAC membership selection has been strongly influenced by requirements identified in the charter plus evidence of demonstrated leadership, youth oriented, and disability experiences that can help propel the perspectives of youth with disabilities as inclusive and valued aspects of the overall national policy scene.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE TRACK RECORD OF YAC COMMITTEE ACCOMPLISHMENTS?

Since the year 2000, the members of the YAC have worked collaboratively with the DFO to:

• Develop by-laws for procedural operations and make revisions over the years based on observation of needs and suggested by members such as the addition of two slots for high school students, a YAC Secretary, YAC Mentors, and workgroup roles.
• Conduct public meetings via telephone at least quarterly each year;
• Provide written rationale for NCD’s support of one annual face-to-face meeting with opportunity for interaction with NCD council members and where possible, other national level leaders;
• Engage in internal (committee) awareness raising that included inviting topical experts to YAC dialogue and discussion opportunities and/or briefings about emerging and critical issues;
• Provide youth perspectives to NCD’s study/project teams aligned with agency priority work & key issues;
• Solicit perspectives from other youth and young adults with disabilities around the country;
• Draft documents that provide findings and recommendations based on data gathered from respondents on topics of interest to people with disabilities, including recommendations to NCD;
• Submit NCD approved YAC documents for agency website posting and to interagency topical workgroups upon request;
• Share personal stories related to key issues with Capitol Hill staffers and members of Congress;
• Disseminate NCD’s approved materials on issues impacting youth with disabilities to appropriate parties on Capitol Hill;
• Research key topics of interest through existing published/unpublished literature and worked on compiling “youth friendly” succinct issue summaries;
• Develop a YAC brochure & fact sheets on self-determination, self-empowerment & assistive technology;
• Conduct national forums for dialogue about youth employment and leadership challenges & resolutions;
• Serve as guest panelists, speakers, presenters at and planners for national and international conferences on issues that impact lives of people with disabilities, including youth and young adults. 
• Respond to an increase in the requests for dissemination of youth-friendly material by groups across the country.

[This document is subject to periodic updates as the leaders and accomplishments change]