Lex Frieden, Chairperson
December 2005

The Bulletin, which is free of charge and at NCD’s award-winning Web site (www.ncd.gov), brings you the latest issues and news affecting people with disabilities. To subscribe to the new NCD listserv, go to http://listserv.access.gpo.gov, click on Online mailing list archives, select NCD-NEWS-L, click on Join or leave the list, then complete the short subscription form. Please send your editorial comments to Bulletin editor Mark S. Quigley (mquigley@ncd.gov).

NCD Releases Long-Term Services and Supports Report

On December 15, NCD released The State of 21st Century Long-Term Services and Supports: Financing and Systems Reform for Americans with Disabilities (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2005/longterm_services.doc). The report calls on the Administration and Congress to create reforms that would immediately address long-term services and supports (LTSS) issues for people with disabilities and people who are elderly.

NCD broadly defines LTSS to reflect people’s essential needs for maintaining a quality of life with maximum dignity and independence, including housing, transportation, nutrition, technology, personal assistance, and other social supports.

NCD’s report offers two sets of recommendations. The first set, a more conventional set of strategies that would change the direction of LTSS gradually, includes the following recommendations: increase policymaker knowledge and understanding of public and private costs and benefits of LTSS for people with disabilities under age 65 and their families; design and implement an action plan to monitor and oversee states’ activities to meet their ADA obligations as a result of the Olmstead Supreme Court decision; decouple eligibility for home and community-based waiver services from a determination of nursing home eligibility; increase support for family members and others in their role as informal and unpaid caregivers for individuals with disabilities of all ages; improve the supply, retention, and performance of direct support workers to meet increasing demand; improve coordination and collaboration among federal agencies to align public policy and transform infrastructure to be responsive to consumer needs and preferences for a comprehensive system of LTSS; hold states accountable for rebalancing their system to increase home and community-based LTSS; explore a possible relationship between a private LTSS insurance product and publicly financed LTSS; and improve consumer understanding, knowledge, and skills to develop a person-centered plan and self-direct an individual LTSS budget.

The second set of NCD recommendations proposes dramatic changes through a new millennium policy with multiple financing streams to sustain LTSS for Americans with disabilities across the lifespan regardless of where they live or their level of personal resources and family support.

Speakers at the news conference included Carol Novak, NCD Board Member; Michael Morris, NCB Development Corporation; and Johnette Hartnette, NCB Development Corporation. Speakers during stakeholder meeting also included Virginia Dize, National Association of State Units on Aging; Elizabeth Clemmer, AARP; Bobby Coward, American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today; Paul Marchand, The ARC; Daniel Davis, National Council on Independent Living; and Donna Folkemer, National Conference of State Legislatures.

Katrina Follow-up

On December 13, the House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight conducted a hearing to review the response by charities to Hurricane Katrina. The hearing focused on relief services provided by charitable organizations and explored areas where service delivery, preparedness, and coordination could be improved. The witness list and testimony are available at http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?formmode=detail&hearing=455.

On December 29, the National Organization on Disability (NOD) released a Harris Interactive survey that states that emergency preparedness in the workplace is on the decline, but personal preparedness for people with disabilities is on the rise. The survey also found that while 12 percent of those without disabilities report less anxiety about their personal safety since 2001, the disability community has not experienced a comparable decline.

This new survey goes on to report a marked decrease in workplace preparedness for people with disabilities. Survey results reveal that 57 percent of people with disabilities indicate that they have a workplace plan, down from 68 percent in 2003.

For more information on the NOD survey, please go to http://nod.org/emergency.

For more information on NCD’s recommendations on emergency preparedness, please go to http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2005/publications.htm.

Legislative Update

On December 16, 2005, S.2124, Emergency Preparedness and Response for Individuals With Disabilities Act of 2005, was introduced in the U.S. Senate. This legislation addresses the needs of individuals with disabilities in emergency planning requirements and relief efforts in the event of a major disaster. It also increases the accessibility of replacement housing built with federal funds following Hurricane Katrina and other major disasters.

The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Air Carrier Access Act Update

Key Bridge Foundation (KBF) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the availability of a Model Training Program (MTP) that is easy to understand and use. DOT, in collaboration with the Key Bridge Foundation (KBF), recently published the Technical Assistance Manual (TAM) on the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and 14 CFR Part 382.

The purpose of the MTP is to promote the use of the TAM to assist air carriers in accommodating travelers with disabilities in a manner consistent with Part 382 and customer service considerations. Neither the MTP nor the TAM expands carriers’ legal obligations. Instead, they provide practical explanations and examples to ensure the proper implementation of Part 382. Furthermore, DOT is not mandating the use of the MTP and the TAM, but rather encouraging their use in connection with carriers’ existing training models to promote critical thinking and to ensure compliance with the legal obligations under Part 382.

Details on the MTP, as well as the text of the technical assistance manual, are available on the Internet at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/pubs.htm. For more information, please contact Omar Guerrero at omar.guerrero@dot.gov or at 202-366-1703.

For more information on the ACAA, please see NCD’s 1999 report Enforcing the Civil Rights of Air Travelers with Disabilities: Recommendations for the Department of Transportation and Congress (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/1999/acaa.htm).

White House Conference on Aging

The White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) conducted from December 11–14 in Washington, DC, made recommendations to the President and Congress to help guide national aging policies for the next 10 years and beyond.

Four of the top 10 resolutions adopted by the WHCoA track recommendations from NCD’s 2005 report The State of 21st Century Long-Term Services and Supports: Financing and Systems Reform for Americans with Disabilities (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2005/longterm_services.doc).

NCD members Milton Aponte, J.D., and Carol Novak participated.

For more information on the WHCoA, please visit http://www.whcoa.gov/.

Quarterly Meeting

NCD will conduct its next quarterly meeting via teleconference on January 30–31, 2006, from noon until 2:00 p.m. EST, at NCD, 1331 F Street, NW, Suite 850, Washington, DC. This meeting is open to the public and free of charge.

Disability Community Mourns the Passing of Allan Reich

The disability community mourns the passing of a great American disability rights leader. On November 8, Allan Reich, founder of NOD and president emeritus, died following a long illness. He was a true champion and leader for the rights of people with disabilities in the United States and around the world. His inspirational work in the field spans generations and set new benchmarks for the rest of us to follow.

On July 25, Allan was chosen as one of only three 2005 recipients of the George Bush Medal for the Empowerment of People with Disabilities.