National Council on Disability (NCD)
Quarterly Meeting
July 24–26, 2007
Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro
Chicago, Illinois
MEMBERS ABSENT
John R. Vaughn, Chairperson Robert Davila, Ph.D.
Pat Pound, 1st Vice Chairperson Graham Hill
Milton Aponte, J.D.
Victoria Ray Carlson (via teleconference)
Chad Colley
Marylyn Howe
Kathleen Martinez
Lisa Mattheiss
Lonnie Moore
Marco Rodriguez
Linda Wetters
STAFF
Mike Collins, Executive Director
Mark S. Quigley, Director of Communications
Martin S. Gould, Ed.D., Director of Research
Joan Durocher, Senior Attorney Advisor
Pamela O’Leary, Staff Attorney
Stacey S. Brown, Staff Assistant
GUESTS
Karen Tamley, Commissioner, Chicago Mayor’s Office of People with Disabilities
Paul H. Rasich, Regional Coordinator, Illinois Emergency Management Agency
Sarah Triano, Director of Programs, Access Living
Laurie J. Dittman, Senior policy Analyst, Mayor’s Office of people with Disabilities
Carol Wozniewski, Executive Director, Mental Health America of Illinois
Pamela Charles, CEO, The Growing Place Empowerment Organization
Lucy Sajdak, Member, Illinois Disability Services Advisory Committee
Gus Zografopoulos, Open Doors Organization
Peter Blanck, Ph.D., J.D., University Professor, Chair, Blatt Institute, Syracuse University
Silvia Zee, Staff Attorney, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
Roy Flora, Chief Operating Officer, US Franchise Systems, Inc.
Rene Luna, Consumer
John Catlin, FAIA, Partner, LCM Architects
Eugene Thornar, Professor of biochemistry, Rush University, Chicago
Marvel Vena, Rush University Medical Center
Paula Brown, Rush University Medical Center
Michael Alexander, Activist
Marsha Koelliker, Equip for Equality
Lynn Betts, Family Resource Center on Disabilities
Howard Rosenblum, Equip for Equality
Twana Johnson, Railroad Retirement Board
Serita Cole-Bolin, Railroad retirement Board
Sara Bianco, Equip for equality
George Terzakis, Progress Center
Linda Gremillion, State Council on Disability
Ken Walden, Access Living
Bob Vyverberg, Illinois Diversity
Martha Cooper, Progress Center for Independent Living
Alva Rodriguez, Program Center
Ramon Couldor, Schwab Rehab
Mary McGlun, United Cerebral Palsy
Brian Angle, united Cerebral Palsy
S. Darbonne, DHS/DRS
Adele Barsdale, AFEPSC
Patricia Wright, Easter Seals, Inc.
Ellen Harrington-Kane, Easter Seals, Inc.
Sandy Gaynor, RIC
David Robb, Village of Arlington Heights
Chase Castle, Chicago Public Radio
Alan Goldstein, Equip for Equality
Raymond D. Sje, Congressman Davis
Doris M. Lomax, HRDI
Lawrence Brown, DRACH
Rebecca May, Spina Bifida Association
David Markowitz, SEMCA
Carrie Kaufman, Access Living
Se Rhatigau, PCDID
Beto Bauero, Access Living
Mary Margaret Sharp-Pucie, Sharp Health Strategies
Dorothy M. Moser, Easter Seals, Inc.
Sheila Martinotti, University of Illinois Medical Center
Sara Brenster, Easter Seals
Carrie Paynes, DRAC/Access
Kelly Peirce, Coole City State Attorney’s Office
Robin Jones, Great Lakes, ADA Center
Judy Panko, Rehabilitation institute of Chicago
Eric Lipp, Open Doors Organization
Fred D. Jones, Access Living
Martha Younger-White, IDHS
Joann Stewart, Abraham Lincoln Centre
Anne W. Gunter, MA Progress CIL
Larry Biondi, Progess CIL
Audrey McCrimon, DHS
Yvette Alexander-Maxine, Red Cross
Kathleen Meade, Red Cross
Jessica Simpson, PACE, Inc.
George Lye, CPGC
Kris Cichowski, Rehabilitation Institute Chicago
CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Vaughn called the meeting to order 8:30 am
ACCEPTANCE OF THE AGENDA
Motion 1
Mr. Aponte moved to accept the agenda as presented. Passed.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
Motion 2
Ms. Pound moved for the acceptance of the Atlanta quarterly minutes. Passed.
Karen Tamley, Commissioner
Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities
Ms. Tamley stated that she was glad to meet with the Council and was representing the City of Chicago and Mayor Daley.
Ms. Tamley stated that the Office of People with Disabilities was established by Mayor Daley in 1990 with a goal of promoting opportunity and inclusion for people with all types of disabilities that live and work ad visit the City of Chicago.
Ms. Tamley stated that her office relies on the ADA of being more than just a piece of paper for people with disabilities but also for the government for it is a tool to improve the quality of life and to promote equality for people with disabilities that live in Chicago.
Mr. Tamley stated that she has attended more resources in her department to increase compliance and continue to strengthen our commitment to the ADA. The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities in 2004 also took the lead on adding an accessibility code to our Chicago building code and pulled together all the state, local and federal accessibility requirements basically into one book and one local code. It has allowed us the opportunity to add in new accessibility requirements to strengthen both accessibility and the residential and commercially built environment in our city and it really brought the whole process together such as the building industry, architects, developers and disability community on revising and developing that code.
She stated that her staff is especially dedicated to plan a review in the department of construction and permits so that they can inspect plans for accessibility. She added that her office has been active on local, state and federal efforts to combat attempts to weaken the ADA and efforts to strengthen it, particularly, the ADA Restoration Act.
Council Members’ Reports
Ms. Pound stated ha she is the executive director of the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities. They have just finished a state legislative session. She stated the committee does a Barbara Jordan media award ceremony which has been conducted for the past 24 years and we have been able to watch and chronicle the media getting better at reporting about people with disabilities.
Ms. Pound stated that they have been very active in the emergency management arena. We have presented twice at the Texas homeland security hurricane conferences, with an attendance of over 200 participants.
Mr. Moore stated that he is the western area director for the wounded warrior project, which is a nonprofit supporting wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Two of the major issues that they are focusing on are traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorders.
He stated that his agency is trying to raise awareness and the government to put more focus on both so that the returning veterans as well as those in the civilian communities receive better treatment and benefits from these terrible injuries.
He stated that he sits on the western chair of the secretary of the veterans affairs, OIF OEF Iraq and Afghanistan Council. And their focus is on vocational rehab programs within the VA and maybe we can look at something like that for state and federal levels.
Ms. Martinez stated that she is the executive director of the World Institute on Disability (WID). One of the things that she is working on behalf the Council and WID is to work with folks around the country to determine a way that the United States can support the convention that is in force as they call it at the United Nations.
She stated that she and Ms. Durocher have been discussing and exploring ways that the Council can be a positive force in this process because people will be coming to us from different countries for ideas and solutions and best practices.
Ms. Martinez stated that WID is involved in the health care discussion and including people with disabilities. She stated that they are also involved in the whole asset development discussion and how people with disabilities can access asset development programs that were primarily developed initially for women who were getting off welfare and they continue to do work internationally.
Ms. Mattheiss stated that she is the executive director of Life Line Incorporated which is a nonprofit agency that supports families with disabilities in the Chattanooga and North Georgia area. She state that hey serve about 275 and continue to do respite and parent training on IDEA and special education disability law.
Dr. Kang stated that Senator Dick Durbin will be one of the honorees by AAPD at the ADA celebration in Washington DC. He added that he was a major sponsor for the senate resolution to designate January 13 as Korean American Day. He will represent the Council at the celebration.
Ms. Wainscott stated that she has been reviewing and editing the mental health report. She also wants the Council to think about making mental health a part of its work in a more visible and deliberate way with some action steps and outcomes.
Ms. Howe stated that she is passionate about accessible information technology and it wanted to assure that the worldwide wed is accessible to people with disabilities. She also has a passion for ALDA that was co-founded in 1988, which is an organization of individuals that became deaf as adults.
Mr. Aponte stated that the State of Florida , agency for person with a disability, they are proposing significant changes or cuts in funding for providing services for people with developmental disabilities. He stated that Florida has individually and collectively with others advocating trying to get together not only people from the State of Florida and it has been a struggle in trying to bring all advocates together to address the needs of people with developmental disabilities and the need to continue funding services and programs for them to become empowered and more independent.
Mr. Aponte stated that he is interested in the employment of people with disabilities and that they advocate for all individuals with disabilities to be able to have a job, a place to live and earn a living without the risk of losing benefits and that has been part of the fight at he national level for years and the Council has addressed this issue as well. He concluded by adding that the Council is continuing its work in the area of education and its effect on people with disabilities.
Ms. Rader stated that she is the chair of the health care team and that they have been discussing various avenues at looking at this issue.
Ms. Rader stated that she works for Booz Allen Hamilton a management company based in McLean, Virginia, where she is an associate with their global health team on organizational change and strategic communications. In that capacity she works on public health issues affecting vulnerable populations into our global health work, especially as it pertains to public health, emergency management and strategic planning for evacuations.
Ms. Rader stated that they are a firm known for employment of people with disabilities because of the chairman is recognized internationally for his and his wife’s work in promoting employment of people with disabilities.
Mr. Colley stated that he has been involved in the disability movement during the civilian part of his career. He said that he was the president of Job accommodation Network of Americans and vice chair of the President Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. On the VA side, he has been chair of their advisory committee on rehabilitation active VSO involvement and currently commissioner for the Future of America’s Veterans, which is privately funded.
He stated that he and his wife have developed a seminar that they give to disabled veterans and their spouses to make sure they fully appreciate the greatest single asset a veteran has at that is to have a loving spouse in his or her life.
Ms. Wetters stated that she retired from the Ohio vocational rehabilitation system. She said that she has been doing several projects at the Council and they are the ADA, foster care and employment. She said that she was very proud about all of the reports is they sought a huge amount of public input whether it was stakeholders, surveys, interviews or visits.
Ms. Wetters stated that she represented the Council at a social beneficiary conference held in Atlanta, Georgia. The Ticket-To-Work Advisory Board brought together a group of beneficiaries of social payments, one from each state representing a variety of disabilities in ages and just basically sat them in the room and to see what can be done to improve communication.
Ms. Wetters stated that she remain active in the community and is involved in a committee starting this summer at her local community college which will bring people with developmental disabilities including mental retardation on campus to take classes in preparation for jobs with the mental retardation developmental disability agency.
FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT
Mr. Colley reported that the Council was operating under a continuing resolution for the first part of its fiscal year.
Mr. Colley stated that the purpose of the Finance Committee is to ensure that the Council is well informed of its financial status. To accomplish this, the committee reordered the documents so that members are able to see every expenditure, track expenses, and allow for comparison from previous years and the new fiscal year.
Mr. Colley explicitly explained the fiscal years and their expenditures he stated that the Council will end up with a surplus primarily due to staff vacancy and such factors will enable the Council to stay in the black at the end of this budget considering we have had other expenses that we did not anticipate.
Mr. Colley stated that the principle expenditure is that of Council members’ salaries due to more involvement and more travel. As a result, the Council is going to exceed its travel budget this year by $55,000 but fortunately it can be made up in other areas.
Mr. Colley stated that one considerable challenge that the Council needs to address this year is the office rent issue which has gone up in an access of 50 percent, which is an increase of $100,000.
Mr. Colley stated that the staff is attempting to go back and allocate some of the cost for some of the reports that they are going to be submitting and cost those against money that was actually turned back to the government in previous years.
Mr. Colley stated that the Council has had numerous contacts with GSA in regard to the lease situation.
Mr. Colley explained the logistics of the office space and the areas that are considered to undergo construction. The remodeling cost is estimated at $20,000.
Motion 3
Mr. Colley moved that the National Council on Disability authorize the chairperson to negotiate a new lease at its current location by reducing and surrendering to GSA unused space and reducing substantially the associated rental fee. Also, to authorize expenditures necessary to move offices, walls, doors to facilitate our new office footprint not to exceed $20,000 without further Council approval. Passed.
PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION
Individuals from the Chicago metropolitan area introduced themselves and talked about the issues of concern.
STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION
Ms. Wetters discussed the Council’s achievements and possible priorities for the future.
Ms. Wetters stated that years ago NCD led a coalition of disability organizations and people to actually establish the ground work for the Americans with Disabilities Act and its passage.
Ms. Wetters state that the Council is in the process of bidding out and selecting to do a project on health care which will target some very specific issues related to targeted groups where the Council felt health care needs were especially important at the time.
Ms. Wetters stated that the Council has certain fixed costs that will continue to grow which includes salaries and rent.
Ms. Wetters stated that the Council comprised three lists of about 30 possible projects to consider for funding and took these topics from the last two planning sessions in which this Council conducted.
She stated that the Council also consulted with its advisory groups, international watch, youth advisory council, and the cultural diversity advisory group and asked them to give us the priorities and what things they want to accomplish in this budget planning process and strategic planning vision.
She stated that recommendations were taken from committee chairs as the issues their committees were looking at, what they saw as being necessary in the future as well as asked members for input.
She stated that he goal for this session is to talk, share ideas about 30 potential projects,, bring forward any new ideas, look at lumping categories and to speak passionately as the Council is always willing to about what they consider priorities based on this information.
Ms. Wetters submitted the list of strategic planning priorities to the Council and explicitly explained each of them.
After careful and thorough review of the issues that were a part of the strategic plan, members submitted recommendations and actions that they would like taken.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PANEL
Ms. Pound was moderator for the panel and introduced to the Council each guest.
Laurie Dittman, senior policy analyst from the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities stated that she works on city, state and federal policies affecting people with disabilities. She has spearheaded the development of policies related to emergency preparation and evacuation of people with disabilities including high rise evacuations.
Ms. Dittman stated after the September 11 disaster the City of Chicago passed the high rise buildings emergency procedure ordinance which requires high rise buildings of 70 feet and above to develop evacuation plans and to have them all filed with her office of emergency communication management and communication. She stated that the ordinance really became one of the significant ways in which they could assure that people with disabilities were included in the city’s emergency planning.
Ms. Dittman stated as a result of there efforts, the ordinance requires the following: Evacuation assistance for those who request approximate telephone evacuation plans required of all buildings, must identify the name and normal floor location of each occupant who has voluntarily self-identified that they would need assistance. Each plan must designate and describe the location of one or more places of refuge for all occupants who need assistance and the plan must be distributed to all tenants and be available in alternative format.
Ms. Dittman stated that the plan also requires identification of areas of rescue. It requires drill and frequency drills depending on the height of the building with an added component that people could self-identify as they come to hotels to receive that information about the hotels evacuation plans in alternative formats.
Ms. Dittman stated that part of the plan the evacuation ordinance was identification of fire safety directors and other building personnel who would take on responsibilities in the case of an emergency.
Paul Rasich, regional coordinator for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. He has been involved in public safety and began as a volunteer firefighter and also worked for a proprietary defense industry for several years and been with the Illinois Emergency Agency since 1999. He’s been deployed to several disaster areas and has responded to hurricanes and been involved at the state and national level related to accreditation issues related to emergency management.
Mr. Rasich stated that he has had the opportunity to be in a variety of situations, including the response of Florida after the 2004 hurricane season and response to Katrina. He stated that there needs to preplanning for disasters and resources and assets need to be there so that creative and knowledgeable people can to the best under those circumstances.
Mr. Rasich stated that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency is the coordinating agency for the emergency management function statewide and has a unique set of challenges. He added that sheltering post-Katrina became a clear are in which there were issues and have been blessed for we have not within our boundaries ever had anything of a magnitude that required us to do an evacuation of the size, scope, and duration of Katrina.
Sarah Triano is a disability rights activists, writer and speaker. She is currently in the doctoral program for disability studies at the University of Chicago. She founded the disabled students California youth leadership forums and has continued to participate in that process over time. She worked on a report for the Council about including people from various minorities in disability issues and was the proud recipient of the Paul Hearne Award in 2003.
Ms. Traino stated that she is the director of programs at Access Living in metropolitan Chicago and a woman with a couple of different hidden disabilities.
Ms. Triano stated that she was delighted that the Council was visiting their facility, it’s on the only one in the country that has a TTY in it for emergency purposes.
Ms. Triano shared with the Council stories of post Hurricane Katrina and about the evacuees that came to the Chicago area. She said at the time, there were only two shelters in Chicago and those that used wheelchairs were separated from their families and sent to nursing homes while the families went to a different shelter.
Ms. Triano stated that this disaster showed us those in the disability community have known for a long time about the kind of abuses that are happening in nursing homes across the country.
Ms. Triano stated that one of the recommendations that was mentioned in an NCD report and needs to be hammered home is the training of Red Cross personnel on the issues important to people with disabilities and how to handle these situations.
RECESS
The Council recessed for the afternoon at 3:00 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2007
Mr. Vaughn reconvened the Council meeting at 8:30 a.m.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Mr. Collins thanked the Council for allowing him the opportunity to serve in this capacity and that he has been settling in and familiarizing himself with the position in the past month.
Mr. Collins stated that he has spent a lot of time trying to get the rent issue under control. He stated that he has been negotiating the lease with GSA and working with Thomas Clark, GSA financial officer who helps in determining the Council’s expenditures. He added that staff has been instrumental in assisting Mr. Clark and that he is happy where the Council stands financially.
Mr. Collins stated that he has participated in various teleconferences with Council members to gain understanding of their travel needs and other things associated with their participation at meetings.
Mr. Collins stated that future meeting arrangements have been made and that interested has been expressed to him from national organizations and federal agencies that are interested in joining us in New Orleans. Individuals from Homeland Security, RSA, and FEMA as well as White House liaison Daniel Gade who Mr. Vaughn and I had the pleasure of meeting.
Mr. Collins stated that he also has participated in committee and team teleconferences which many discussions were around the release of the ADA reports at this meeting.
Research and Technology Update
Dr. Gould discussed four areas that are underway at the Council. They are as follows: Controller General of the Government Accountability Offices Disability Forum, codifying the impact of the National Council on Disability, particularly this Council’s work since 2002, coordination of research process and procedures and the government initiative for the inclusion communication technologies (G3ICT) through the United Nations and related partners.
Dr. Gould stated that he represented the Council at the Controller General of the United States Disability Forum and that the Council was presented among 40 other stakeholders to discuss what the controller general has termed modernizing disability policy. This is part of an initiative that is a combined effort of the government accountability office and select members of Congress.
Dr. Gould stated that the structure of the meeting was to discuss what’s working well and what should be improved, strengthening partnerships and coordinating for modernizing disability programs, modernizing measures, a piece on the perspective of the Hill, Members of Congress and their staff and finally priority advertising next steps to achieving a 21st century disability policy.
Dr. Gould stated the Council was very active at the forum in April and we have had the opportunities in the past month to review what they call a fatal flaw version of their report.
Dr. Gould said that he had reviewed the fatal flaw report and gave feedback and thought that the Council will be pleased to know that many of their comments and input were taken down and were included at least in the fatal flaw version. Quite a bit of material and attributions were made to the Council in relation to disability program measures, outcomes, and indicator initiatives.
Dr. Gould stated that staff is looking at the papers and reports they produced and examining them in terms of their impact as best as we can tell in the legislative, executive and judicial branches and at the communities at large which includes the media.
Dr. Gould mentioned that staff is looking to better coordinate its research and policy work. We are continuing to look and standardize processes, practices, and procedures that we use that like much of our work continues improvement and we will be talking more about that when we return to the office.
Dr. Gould stated the Council has a couple of reports we are closing out, the annual progress report and the two ADA reports. He added that the educational, foster care and employment reports are expected to be completed by summer and for Fall closure to the financial incentive report and mental health paper which gives way to cuing up for the health care and vocational rehabilitation reports for the remaining of this fiscal year.
Finally, the global 3ICT initiative was attended by Mr. Vaughn and himself at the UN in March and they would like the Council to work with them as they begin to fashion their final overall report and to work with them about possible ways for them to seek input and get their hands around best practices.
PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION
Mr. Lawrence Brown stated that he is an advocate for housing and veterans and people with disabilities. He said that housing in this country is a sad a sad situation especially in Chicago. The need for affordable housing, low income housing, subsidized housing is needed.
Mr. Brian Angle explained his experience in places of business and their lack of accommodations and accessibility.
Mr. Angle stated that the United States is needs more affordable low-income housing for families and individuals with disabilities. So many people are stuck in nursing homes and waiting to live independently.
Ms. Jessica Simpson from PACE, Incorporated stated that she works for a center for independent living and that they are very concerned with “money follows the person” because of her interactions with consumers that they have gotten out of a group home and then were stuck in a situation where they are trying to find personal assistants.
She stated that they are advocating that people support that they get that legislation passed because it makes sense that there is money to live in a group home, yet when you live independently which is a lot cheaper there are resources.
Mr. Tom Wilson, personal assistant and health care team leader at Access Living talked about the programs and some issues that come from his agency.
He stated that they have a PA program and PA orientations are conducted were a database of personal assistants that consumers hire can access are kept. There is a pilot emergency PA backup program which serves people between 6 am and noon whose PAs have not shown up. They are a deinstitutionalization program in which we have moved out nearly 200 people from nursing homes and move out approximately 20 to 25 people a year.
Mr. Wilson continued to add that there are about 200 people in nursing homes on a waiting list to be discharged that have found about the program by word of mouth.
Mr. Wilson stated that Access Living does long term care advocacy and have worked hard to implement Olmstead. We have worked served on task forces, worked on legislation and held protests but Illinois continues to be an institutionally dominant state. We continue to pass the money follows the person legislation and support the litigation that Access Living and equip for equalities have done to acquaint Olmstead rights.
Mr. Wilson continued to discuss the various areas and issues that are underway at Access Living.
Mr. John Marshall, Social Security Administration and area work incentives coordinator for the Chicago metropolitan area joined the Council meeting.
Ms. Sandra Darvon from the Illinois Division of rehabilitation Services Department of Human Services represented her agency and director Dr. Rob Killbury.
Mr. George Trazakas from the private sector stated that community based nonprofit organizations that serve people with disabilities are competing with each other for both public and private resources, programs participants, political influence and the all to human urge for prestige and reputation.
Mr. Trazakas stated that one of the most serious threats to the disability rights movement is the media’s portrayal of people with disabilities. Media professionals are in a unique position to shape the public image of people with disabilities. The media has historically constructed a prejudicial, misinformed and often humiliating portrayal of people with disabilities and has successfully imprinted that image onto the public consciousness.
LIVABLE COMMUNITIES/BEST PRACTICES PANEL
Ms. Carlson stated that in preliminary communications, the Council staff included a request of panelists consider sharing with the Council a description of their organization purposes, goals and key issues as well as three questions and guidelines were addressed to the panelists.
Those questions are: What are some of the challenges that have come to the attention of your organization directly from people with mental health needs, their families and other advocates. And if it is applicable, indicate whether your organization has observed any related patterns or trends.
Second, what do people indicate as practices and programs, if any that seem to be working.
Third, what would you call the attention of the federal government as some priority issues that need to be addressed to ensure that people with mental health needs can be and are included in the growing movement toward creating livable communities.
Ms. Carol Wozniewski, executive director for Mental Health America of Illinois stated that mental illnesses are increasingly becoming the leading cause of death in disability in the United States and this issue needs more attention and we need to put our heads together to be looking at ways to improve the system in Illinois and across the nation.
Ms. Wozniewski stated that her organization is the only statewide nonprofit, non-governmental advocacy organization that’s concerned with the entire spectrum of mental and emotion alleged disorders. She continued to inform the Council of her agencies programs, services its functions.
Ms. Pamela Charles, chairperson of The Growing Place Empowerment Organization reported that her agency is responsible for peer support, socialization, self-advocacy, wellness and recovery.
She stated that the mission statements of the Growing Empowerment organization is to nurture a commune based mental health consumer run that provides voice validation hope and respect for adults with psychiatric disabilities.. It is a community-based, not for non-profit organization which grew out of the resolve of a group of consumer advocates, persons with a history of psychiatric disabilities, which have become empowered to share successful strategies of education, peer support advocacy, and quality enhancing programs experiences with their peers. The overall goal is to assist other consumers to maintain a sustained and growing recovery while living in their own homes and with neighbors.
Ms. Lucy Sajdak, Illinois Disability Services Advisory Committee stated that she currently coordinates and teaches the psychiatric rehabilitation program at Moraine Valley Community College. It is a state educational program for a person who wants entry level into mental health services. She said that she also represent the Growing Place on a number of boards as well.
Ms. Sajdak reported on the mental health and domestic violence treatment for women with a history of sexual abuse and or lifetime trauma.
Ms. Gus Zografopoulos of Open Doors Organization and is a businessman and owns his catering business and restaurants.
Mr. Zografopoulos spoke about his businesses and how he went about training businesses and consumers about disabilities. He stated that in 2001 Open Doors Organization which is a non-profit organization stated by Eric Lipp in Chicago and its mission was to create a society in which persons with disabilities had the same opportunities as non-disabled individuals. The main initiatives were research, training, awareness and media outreach. There is quite a bit of training conducted in schools, businesses and all aspects that has do with consumers. He continued to add the other activities that occurred over the consumer of 5 years with the organization.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
ADA
Mr. Aponte stated that the Council has two ADA implementation reports that will be released at this Council meeting: The Impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Implementation of the Americans with Disabilities: Challenges, Best Practices, and New Opportunities for Success. He added that a brief press conference will commence upon its release followed by a panel.
At the San Diego quarterly meeting in January, the Council voted to accept the invitation from the Disability Business Technical Assistance Center to present a 90 minute conference on the ADAD implementation report. The audio conference is now scheduled for August 7. Details for participating in the audio conference will be shared with Council members as soon as they are available.
Employment
Ms. Wetters reported that the Council has finished the Empowerment for Americans with Disabilities Breaking Barriers, Careers and Full employment report. It is being edited. Staff is working on a potential release of that report in September, which will hopefully be released on Capitol Hill.
Ms. Wetters stated that the Council has conducted four focus groups nationwide with its contractors and also conducted a series of issue briefs on specific areas including self-employment and transportation. She stated that the major components of this report is to establish a business advisory committee and the report does not make a formal recommendation on who the Council may partner with but it throws out some other federal agencies as potential participants.
Financial Incentives
Dr. Gould reported that the Council is investigating the role financial incentives may play in improving the lives of people with disabilities, including in the area of employment. Financial incentives can take the form of a tax credit, for employees with disability-related work expenses or for the employers fro the removal of disincentives at work.
Progress Report
Ms. Wetters reported that this report is a legislated report by Congress which is to be prepared on an annual basis which reports the progress of disability policy in America.
She stated that the report has come to completion and is rather lengthy and covers just about anything the Council has talked about and has done over the course of a year.
Motion 4
Ms. Wetters moved that the executive committee will pass on this report at the executive committee meeting which will be scheduled for August 5. Passed.
Educational Outcomes
Ms. Pound stated that this report attempts to look at evidence-based outcomes in terms of effects of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the No Child Left Behind Act. She stated that our contractors did case studies in ten states as well as interviewed many stakeholders about the actual implementation.
Ms. Pound stated that the Council is nearing the final editing stages of the report and that the Council has a request from Congress in which we released an earlier version of the report because it was a specific request from Congress and that was rather exciting.
Disability Data and Statistics
Ms. Pound reported that the concepts of this report are to look at the quality of life indicators as well as review the landscape. She stated that the Council has asked the contractors to re-work the report a little bit and it should be released in mid-August.
Health Care
Ms. Rader reported that the team has been very busy over the past two month. An RFP was released two months ago to look at the health care of people with disabilities in three specific sectors. They are women, veterans, and people with communication disabilities.
Foster Care
Ms. Carlson reported that this reports makes several policy recommendations which was explained in there entirety. She added that she hopes that the report will continue to press for positive change.
Motion 5
Ms. Carlson moved for the acceptance of the Foster Care Report. Passed.
International Watch
Ms. Martinez reported that International Watch has been very busy and has met twice since the last quarterly meeting. She stated that request for meetings with delegations have been on the increase and staff has meet with delegations from Uganda, the Middle East, and India.
Ms. Martinez added that the committee has four recommendations : a comparative analysis of U.S. law to the convention, educational tools, and a report on implications to the United States if the convention were ratified by this country, and a public awareness campaign.
Legislative
Mr. Aponte reported that the Legislative Committee is a newly formed committee that was created at the Atlanta Council meeting in Aril 2007.
Mr. Aponte stated that the committee has provided written testimony on three different matters to Congress and there was a hearing on communications, broadband and competitiveness in which the committee submitted written testimony to that to be part of the record and used the Council’s recommendations that were published in its policy paper entitled, The Need for Federal Legislation and Regulation Prohibiting Telecommunications and Information Services Discrimination. He added that the committee also provided several testimonies.
Youth Advisory
Mr. Collins stated that the committee is in need of a new Council liaison because Marco Rodriguez is no longer on the Council.
Mr. Collins stated that several recommendations came forward from the committee and explained them in there entirety. Some of the items were:
tracking and reporting the employment rate of youth with disabilities
address employer training and tax incentives needs
incorporate youth with disabilities in federal government programs and campaigns
raising income earning limits under benefits program
creating easy-to-read materials about benefits
Cultural Diversity
Mr. Aponte stated that the committee held two public meetings in which two advisory members attended and those presentations provided cultural and linguistic competency training to service providers for returning military personnel and veterans in the 21st century.
Mr. Aponte mentioned that the committee had recommendations that they suggested the Council look into.
Mental Health
Ms. Wainscott reported that the committee will make a decision whether to use an independent reviewer for our mental health paper to make sure all positions are covered. She added that she would like the Council to favor the parity legislation.
Homeland Security
Ms. Pound stated that the Council has discussed its new responsibilities under the Homeland Security Act which are loosely defined as advising FEMA. The committee met once in June to try and figure out what we are going to do with the additional $300,000. The council has agreed to occupy a public solicitation for programs or best practices and the due sate has been setback.
Ms. Pound stated that the Council is researching ways to do a national conference. She stated that the committee appreciates Ms. Rader’s representation on the Interagency Coordinating Council as well as staff that have been helping
Ms. Pound stated that a concept paper has been comprised asking about the feasibility of doing a conference on emergency preparedness that would cut across people with disabilities, elderly and the poor. The committee will meet again to determine the best way to utilize the funds.
Dr. Gould stated that the Council was interviewed by the Government Accountability Office per the direction of the Senate and House Homeland Security Committees and they spend about 40 minutes asking the Council questions as follow-up to the GAO’s evaluation of FEMA and the American Red Cross. GAO has to benchmark their follow-up study using the Council’s paper and the impact of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina remaining challenges.
RECESSED
The Council recessed at 2:30 p.m. to participate in a site visit at Access Living.
THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2007
Mr. Vaughn reconvened the Council meeting at 9:00 a.m.
PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION
The Council listen to comments presented my members of the general public from the Chicago metropolitan area as well as those that were joined in via teleconference.
ADA REPORTS NEWS CONFERENCE
The ADA reports with release under a news conference and Ms. Wetters introduced and gave background of each panelist.
The panelists were:
Peter Blanck, Ph.D., J.D.
University Professor
Chair, Burton Blatt Institute
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Silvia Yee
Staff Attorney
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund
Berkeley, CA
Roy Flora
Chief Operating Officer
US Franchise Systems, Inc.
Atlanta, GA
Rene Luna
Consumer
Chicago, IL
These panelists presented to the Council their expertise and personal experiences in the area of the ADA.
BUDGET PLANNING
The Council and staff covered a wide array of projects and other related issues that are underway and planned for the agency’s future goals for FY 2009 and beyond.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Mr. Moore reported that President Bush has organized the Dole-Shalala Commission which will investigate the activities that are going on at Walter Reed and some of the transitions at VA.
Mr. Moore outlined the numbers and types of soldiers injured in the war. He said improvements recommended is to immediately create comprehensive recovery plans to provide care and support at the right time and place. The goal is to insure an efficient and smooth transition back to military duty or civilian life. Establish a single point of contact for patient and families and eliminate delays and gaps in treatments and services.
Ms. Wainscott stated that she would like the Council to follow up on the commitment law, Senate Bill 234. She added that the Walter Reed care giver issue presented by Mr. Colley should be investigated.
Note: Ms. Wainscott moved that the Council and staff investigate measures on the commitment law Senate Bill 234 and the caregiver issue. Ms. Rader supported the motion with a caveat that the staff needs to investigate the law seeking background information, for there are always two sides to a story and both sides are needed to give a proper response.
New Business
None at this time.
Announcements
None at this time.
Motion
Mr. Vaughn moved to adjourn the meeting at 4:00 p.m. Passed.
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