JFActivist

Psycho Donuts to Open with a "Fun Mental Institution" Theme

From Mercury News (3/16/09):

Masha Zavarskaya,left Jordan Sweigoron(co-owner), Kipp Berdianski(co-owner), and store manager, Gregory Lim of Psycho donuts in Campbell.

Psycho Donuts in Campbell is a wild and crazy place

By Chris Vongsarath

Somewhere between classic Americana and completely insane lies the idea behind the newest doughnut shop in Campbell...

...Open for just a couple of weeks with little fanfare, the modest shop at 2006 S. Winchester Blvd. has brought a new twist to a classic treat. And it's not just the whacked-out delicacies that Psycho Donuts brass want to offer, but also an atmosphere just as crazy to go with it...

...In addition to carrying the classic doughnuts, the shop also offers nuttier creations such as the Massive Brain Trauma, a jelly-filled doughnut decorated with the face of a guy who looks like he's had better days and the Psycho, a pretzel-covered doughnut with a taste of "sweet, sour and spicy," Zweigoron said...

...The shop is an attraction in itself. Zweigoron and co-owner Kipp Berdiansky, both in the tech industry, went all out decorating the place to fit their lighthearted insane asylum theme.

In one corner is a padded cell that has become a favorite place for kids to take photos while wearing a straitjacket. The "group therapy" area sits under a flat-screen TV playing short films about doughnuts. And all over the walls is artwork for sale, created by Bay Area artists such as Christine Benjamin and Nicolas Caesar.

The employees are also decked out in lab coats and nurse outfits...

>>>For the Full Article

Comment Below: I usually try and remain objective and let you, the Readers, do the commentary, but I find this absolutely appalling.  We still have miles to go in changing attitudes in this country. There is nothing "fun" or "lighthearted" about straitjackets and institutions, and someone who "looks like he's had better days" decorating the Massive Brain Trauma is a fantastic way to reinforce negative stereotyping.  Am I overreacting? How can we take these (admittedly unintended) offenses and make them "teachable moments?"

United Call for Long Term Services and Supports inclusion in Health Care Reform

CCD Press Release (March 26, 2009):

NATIONAL AGING AND DISABILITY ORGANIZATIONS UNITED IN CALL FOR HEALTH CARE REFORM TO ADDESS NEEDS FOR LONG TERM SERVICES AND SUPPORTS

 

Washington

,

DC

(March 26, 2009) — In a historic step, national aging and disability organizations have come together to ensure that health care reform meets the needs of Americans for long-term services and supports.  Yesterday, coinciding with a Senate Finance Healthcare Subcommittee hearing, nearly 100 national organizations sent a letter to President Obama and relevant Senate and House committee leadership working on health care reform that highlights the vital role and importance of long-term services and supports.      

 

Long-term services and supports encompass a broad range of assistance with everyday activities, such as assistance and supervision with dressing, bathing, using the bathroom, preparing meals, taking medication, managing a home, and managing money.  An estimated 10 million Americans currently have needs for long-term services.  As the

U.S.

population ages and expands, the number of individuals needing long-term services is projected to increase to 26 million by 2050.  However, the nation lacks a comprehensive, proactive national public-private system for delivering long-term services and supports. 

 

Nearly half of all funding for long-term services is currently provided through Medicaid, which presents significant problems for beneficiaries.   The Medicaid program requires individuals to become and remain poor to receive the services and support they need.  In addition, there is an institutional bias in Medicaid where approximately two-thirds of all spending is directed towards nursing homes and other institutions instead of preferred community-based services.  And lastly, there are hundreds of thousands of individuals with disabilities and families on waiting lists for services and supports.

 

Fortunately, there are viable policy options.  Two significant pieces of legislation were reintroduced this week.  On Tuesday, Senator Harkin (D-IA) and Representative Davis (D-IL) reintroduced the Community Choice Act which would provide individuals with disabilities and seniors with an equal choice of receiving home and community-based services in Medicaid.  This legislation would help correct the institutional bias by requiring a community-based personal attendant services and supports benefit within Medicaid.  On Wednesday Senator Kennedy (D-MA) and Representative Pallone (D-NJ) reintroduced the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act.  The CLASS Act would establish a new national insurance program financed by voluntary payroll deductions to provide benefits to adults who become severely functionally impaired.  This new system will help to preserve the Medicaid program, which currently bears the brunt of covering long-term supports and services and will not be able to sustain an aging baby boom generation.  It would promote independence and dignity across the lifespan by ensuring beneficiaries the right to control and choose what services they receive, how and where they are delivered and who provides them.

 

 “While approximately 45 million Americans do not have medical insurance, over 200 million Americans lack any protection for the costs of long-term services and supports.  Americans should no longer have to impoverish themselves to cover the costs of services they or their family members need in the event of disability or advancing age,” said

Marty Ford

, Chair of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities.    The Community Choice Act and the CLASS Act will go a long way in meeting the current and future needs of Americans for long-term services and supports. 

Comment Below: What are you doing to spread the word about Health Care Reform and Long Term Services and Supports?  What should our next steps be as a community? How will these reforms affect you personally?

Action Alert: Support Upcoming Hate Crime Legislation

*** Action Alert ***

This letter from CCD in support of upcoming legislation on Hate Crimes has already been signed by nearly 60 disability organizations.  If your organization would like to sign-on as well, contact Michael Lieberman (contact information below).  We need as strong a voice as possible on this issue as the violence of hate crimes is an issue which affects us all. 

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Michael Lieberman

Washington Counsel

Director, Civil Rights Policy Planning Center

Anti-Defamation League

(202) 261-4607

(202) 296-2371 FAX

mlieberman@adl.org

March 25, 2009

Dear Representative:

 

The undersigned member organizations of the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) are writing to urge your support for the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crime Prevention Act (LLEHCPA), expected to be reintroduced this spring.  LLEHCPA would grant agencies the authority to investigate and prosecute federal crimes based on the victim’s disability, whether real or perceived, and would authorize funding to states to help with the prosecution of Hate Crimes.

Through much of our country’s history and well into the twentieth century, people with disabilities -- including those with developmental delays, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and other physical and mental impairments -- were seen as useless and dependent, hidden and excluded from society, either in their own homes or in institutions.  Now, this history of isolation is gradually giving way to inclusion in all aspects of society, and people with disabilities everywhere are living and working in communities alongside family and friends.  But this has not been a painless process.  People with disabilities often seem “different” to people without disabilities.  They may look different or talk differently.  They may require the assistance of a wheel-chair, a cane, or other assistive technologies.  They may have seizures or have difficulty understanding seemingly simple directions.

These perceived differences evoke a range of emotions in others, from misunderstanding and apprehension to feelings of superiority and hatred.  Bias against people with disabilities takes many forms, often resulting in discriminatory actions in employment, housing, and public accommodations.  Laws like the Fair Housing Amendments Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Rehabilitation Act are designed to protect people with disabilities from prejudice.

Perhaps most unfortunately, disability bias can also manifest itself in the form of violence — and it is imperative that a message be sent to our country that these acts of bias-motivated hatred are not acceptable in our society.

The federal government still has very limited authority to investigate and prosecute disability-bias federal crimes.  In 1994, Congress enacted a penalty-enhancement law for federal crimes in which the defendant intentionally selects a victim because of the person’s “actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation of any person” [28 USC 994 Note].  Also in 1994, Congress extended the Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990, a law requiring the FBI to collect hate crime statistics from state and local law enforcement authorities, to include disability-based hate crimes.  Still, hate crimes against those with disabilities remain vastly under-reported.

 

The LLEHCPA would broaden the definition of hate crimes to include disability, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity.  It also makes grants available to state and local communities to combat violent crimes committed by juveniles, train law enforcement officers or to assist in state and local investigations and prosecutions of bias-motivated crimes.

Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia have already recognized the importance of this issue and have included people with disabilities as a protected class under their hate crimes statutes.  However, protection is neither uniform nor comprehensive, and this has important practical and symbolic results.  It is vital for the federal government to send the message that hate crimes committed because of disability bias are as intolerable as those motivated by race, ethnicity, national origin, or religion.  The crucial resources provided to local law enforcement LLEHCPA would give meaning and substance to this important message.  It is critical that people with disabilities share in the protection of the federal hate crimes statute.

Too frequently, bias-motivated crimes against those with disabilities have gone unreported and unprosecuted.  The special problems associated with investigating and prosecuting hate violence against someone with a disability makes the availability of federal resources for state and local authorities all that much more important to ensure that justice prevails.

We urge you to support the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crime Prevention Act.  This legislation is vitally important for the vulnerable population of individuals with disabilities, and must be enacted in order to bring the full protection of the law to those targeted for violent, bias-motivated crimes simply because they have a disability.

Sincerely,

Wrapping up Brain Injury Awareness Month

H. Res. 178 --- In the House of Representatives, U. S. 

 

Whereas traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults in the United States;

 

Whereas at least 1.4 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury each year;

 

Whereas each year, more than 125,000 of such Americans sustain permanent life-long disabilities from a traumatic brain injury, resulting in a life-altering experience that can include the most serious physical, cognitive, and emotional impairments;

 

Whereas every 21 seconds, one person in the United States sustains a traumatic brain injury;

 

Whereas at least 3.17 million Americans currently live with permanent disabilities resulting from a traumatic brain injury;

 

Whereas traumatic brain injuries may have a life-altering impact on both Americans living with resultant disabilities and their families;

 

Whereas concussions are serious injuries to the brain and multiple concussions can lead to lifelong disability and death;

 

Whereas most cases of traumatic brain injury are preventable;

 

Whereas traumatic brain injuries cost the nation $60 billion annually;

 

Whereas the lack of public awareness is so vast that traumatic brain injury is known in the disability community as the Nation's 'silent epidemic';

 

Whereas traumatic brain injury is the signature wound of the global war on terrorism as a result of roadside bombs and blasts;

 

Whereas the military personnel who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States in such war and who return to the United States with traumatic brain injuries will require additional Federal, State, and local resources;

 

Whereas there is a need for enhanced public awareness of traumatic brain injury;

 

Whereas the designation of a National Brain Injury Awareness Month will work toward enhancing public awareness of traumatic brain injury; and

 

Whereas the Brain Injury Association of America has recognized March as Brain Injury Awareness Month: Now, therefore, be it

 

Resolved, That House of Representatives--

 

(1) supports the designation of an appropriate month as National Brain Injury Awareness Month; and

 

(2) urges the President to issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States, Federal departments and agencies, States, localities, organizations, and media to annually observe a National Brain Injury Awareness Month with appropriate ceremonies and activities.

 

 

March 23, 2009

 

---

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=hr111-178

Register Now for the 2009 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium

There's Still Time to Register and Reserve Your Room at the Holiday Inn Inner Harbor

For the

2009 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium

New Perspectives on Disability Law: Advancing the Right to Live in the World

 

Be sure to let your colleagues and friends know that the deadline to register for this exciting and powerful symposium is April 10, 2009, and that the cut-off date for reserving rooms at the Holiday Inn Inner Harbor has been extended to April 3, 2009.  Don't miss this opportunity to voice your concerns to Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to President Obama for Disability Policy, at the 2009 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium on April 17th at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, Maryland.  Mr. Dale will speak on the Obama administration's policies on disability issues for approximately thirty minutes followed by a forty-five minute question and answer session.  In addition to Mr. Dale, the presenters for the 2009 symposium are:

 

• Maura Healey, Assistant Attorney General and Chief, Office of Civil Rights, Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
• Amy Robertson and Timothy Fox, Principals, Fox & Robertson, P.C.;
• Gerard Quinn, Professor of Law, National University of Ireland, Galway;
• Katherine Guernsey, International Lawyer and Adjunct Professor, American University School of International Service;
• Samuel Bagenstos, Visiting Professor of Law, UCLA Law School;
• Christine Griffin, Commissioner, United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and
• Peter Blanck, University Professor and Chairman, Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University.

 

Ari Ne'eman, founding president of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, will give the luncheon keynote address.

 

To view the full agenda, register online, or download the registration form to register by mail or fax, visit the symposium Web page at http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Law_Symposium.asp.  Hotel information may also be found on the symposium Web page.  The deadline to make room reservations at the Holiday Inn Inner Harbor has been extended to 3:00 pm, April 3, 2009.

The registration fee is $150; students may register for $20.  A limited number of scholarships to cover the registration fee will be available to individuals with demonstrated financial need.  Don't miss this exciting opportunity to interact with leading scholars, government officials, and advocates and to make your voice heard.  The deadline to register is April 10, 2009. 

 

Symposium attendees will be provided documentation for CLE credit.  Individuals will be responsible for filing the application for CLE credit with their state board.

 

The 2009 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium is sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the American Bar Association Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law, the Maryland Department of Disability, the Texas Journal on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights, and the Legal Times.

For additional information about the symposium, contact:

 

            Lou Ann Blake, Law Symposium Coordinator

            National Federation of the Blind

            Telephone: (410) 659-9314, ext. 2221

            E-mail: lblake@nfb.org

Action Alert: Reading Rights Coalition Protest in NYC April 7

Submitted by Jenifer Simpson of AAPD

Text To Speech:  New Reading Rights Coalition Launches New York City Protest with Picket April 7

A new coalition of organizations and individuals – the Reading Rights Coalition -- is protesting the recent actions to limit text-to-speech output on electronic books. (For More Information See Below) They are launching their campaign with an  informational picket in front of the Authors Guild’s headquarters in New York City on April 7th from 12:00pm to 2:00pm EST. 

Text-to-speech output on any electronic device allows enormous numbers of people to hear or understand the written word and is a well-known form of accessibility for blind people and others with print disabilities.

Call to Action: Organizations wishing to attend the informational picket should designate a point person responsible for getting members to the protest.  Designee should e-mail John Pare at jpare@nfb.org with the expected number of protest attendees.  The goal is to have the largest turn-out we can muster. Authors’ Guild is at 31 East 32nd Street, New York, NY 10016

All disability advocates are encouraged to attend!

Reading Rights Coalition members are: American Association of People with Disabilities, American Council of the Blind. American Foundation for the Blind, AHEAD (Association on Higher Education and Disability), Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Burton Blatt Institute, DAISY Consortium, International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet (ICDRI), International Dyslexia Association, International Dyslexia Association – New York Branch, Learning Disabilities Association of America, National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Federation of the Blind,  NISH (formerly National Institute for the Severely Handicapped), National Spinal Cord Injury Association and others.   Contact John Pare if your organization wants to join the coalition, email jpare@nfb.org   AAPD contact jsimpson@aapd.com

 

From Chris Danielson

Director of Public Relations

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

 

As you may already know, Amazon, Inc. released the newest version of its e-book reader, the Kindle, on February 9 of this year.  The Kindle 2 includes a feature that allows e-books downloaded to it to be read aloud.

The Authors Guild has objected to this feature because it believes these e-books are licensed only for visual display, and under pressure from the Guild, Amazon has decided to allow authors and publishers to decide which books can be read aloud by this device.  Naturally, this is a blow to blind people and others with print disabilities who can benefit from the text-to-speech feature and who would love to be able to purchase books and start reading them immediately for the first time in history.  For this reason the National Federation of the Blind has joined with other organizations representing people who cannot use print effectively to fight the Authors Guild.

 

ACTION ALERT! Urge Congress to Fund Higher Education for Students with Disabilities

 

Submitted by AUCD:

March 25, 2009

 

ACT NOW TO FUND NEW PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT

 

·                     Below is a Dear Colleague letter being circulated by the office of Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY)

·                     It is asking other Members of the House of Representatives to sign on urging the appropriators to fund these important new programs in the FY 2010 appropriations bills.

·                     We know at least one Republican will be signing on, so this will be a bi-partisan letter

 

ACTION NEEDED BY NEXT WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1.

 

·                     CALL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE AND URGE THEM TO SIGN ON

·                     TELL THEM HOW IMPORTANT THESE PROGRAMS ARE TO THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY – THAT ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION IS A MAJOR BARRIER FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

·                     ASK THEM TO CONTACT LILLIAN PACE IN REP. YARMUTH’S OFFICE AT 202-225-5401 TO SIGN ON (THIS INFORMATION IS IN THE LETTER)

·                     CLICK HERE TO GET THE PHONE NUMBER OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES    http://www.house.gov/house/MemberWWW.shtml

So far the following members have signed on to the letter:  Rep. Hinojosa (D-TX), Rep. Scott (D-VA), Rep. Conyers (D-MI) and Rep. Petri (R-WI). 

Background:

Last year Congress passed legislation to reauthorize the Higher Education Act – the Higher Education Opportunity Act.  This law includes sweeping new provisions intended to expand access to higher education to students with disabilities, including students with intellectual disabilities.  In addition, the law contains provisions to improve the preparation of K-12 general education teachers and college faculty who prepare new teachers in special education and other shortage areas.  However, these exciting new provisions require funding to be implemented.

Letter:

Help Students with Disabilities Access Higher Education

March 24, 2009

 

Help Students with Disabilities Access Higher Education!

Support Funding for the Disability Provisions Enacted in the Higher Education Act Reauthorization

 

Please Note: These are Programmatic Requests

Deadline – April 1, 2009

Dear Colleague:

Students with disabilities remain one of the most disenfranchised groups when it comes to higher education. Only 12 percent of working-age adults with disabilities currently hold a college degree, and the employment rate for this population is just 36.9 percent. We must do better.

When Congress reauthorized the Higher Education Act last year, we took an important step toward removing the barriers to postsecondary education for students with disabilities. The legislation emphasized the importance of educational opportunity for all, creating several new programs to improve the quality of education for students with disabilities. These programs will help general education teachers effectively instruct students with disabilities in elementary and secondary school, address the shortage of special education teachers, remove common barriers to postsecondary education, and increase access to postsecondary opportunities -- which rarely exist for students with intellectual disabilities.

Please join me in sending the attached letter to the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee requesting an investment in these critical programs. We must do all we can to help disabled individuals acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in today’s workforce and throughout their lives.

To sign the letter, please contact Lillian Pace in Congressman John Yarmuth’s office at 5-5401 or lillian.pace@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,

 John Yarmuth

Member of Congress

________________________________________________________________

Honorable David Obey, Chairman

House Labor/HHS/Education AppropriationsSubcommittee

2358 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

 

Honorable Todd Tiahrt, Ranking Member

House Labor/HHS/Education Appropriations Subcommittee

2358 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

 

Dear Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Tiahrt:

Dear Chairman Obey and Ranking

During last year’s enactment of the Higher Education Opportunity Act (P.L. 1110-315), Congress made a historic commitment to students with disabilities by establishing new provisions to expand access to postsecondary education. These provisions will help general education teachers effectively instruct students with disabilities in elementary and secondary school, remove common barriers to postsecondary education, and increase access to postsecondary opportunities which rarely exist for students with intellectual disabilities.

We respectfully ask you to build on this commitment with a $70 million investment in the Fiscal Year 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Appropriations bill for these disability provisions.

 

Teach to Reach Grants	$15 million
Graduate Fellowships to Prepare Faculty in High Need Areas at Colleges of Education	$15 million
Model Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Coordinating Center for Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities	$15 million
National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities	$3.0 million
Commission on Accessible Materials	$1.5 million
Model Demonstration Programs to Support Improved Access to Postsecondary Instructional Materials for Students with Print Disabilities	$5 million
Demonstration Projects to Support Postsecondary Faculty, Staff and Administrators in Educating Students with Disabilities	$15 million

 

Teach to Reach Grants ( Sec. 251)

Teach to Reach Grants were designed to address a significant problem in K-12 education – that general education teachers are not well prepared to instruct students with disabilities.   This lack of training contributes to the low performance of students with disabilities. These grants will go jointly to programs preparing general education teachers and those preparing special education teachers.

Graduate Fellowships to Prepare Faculty in High Need Areas at Colleges of Education (Sec. 258)

A critical shortage of special education faculty at institutions of higher education contributes to the chronic shortage of special education teachers. This program will support students preparing to become teacher educators in the high need fields: math, science, special education, English Language Learners.

Model Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Coordinating Center for Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (Sec. 766-769)

New model programs were authorized to develop degree, certificate, or non-degree programs at institutions of higher education for students with intellectual disabilities. These programs are designed to focus on: academic enrichment; socialization; independent living; and integrated work experiences and career skills that lead to gainful employment for individuals with intellectual disabilities. A coordinating center was authorized for the model programs for students with intellectual disabilities. The coordinating center will provide: recommendations related to the development of standards for such programs; technical assistance; and evaluations.

National Center for Information and Technical Support for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities (Sec. 777 a)

A national technical assistance center was authorized to provide cross-disability information and technical assistance nationally. The center will assist current and prospective students with disabilities. It will also assist faculty, staff, and administration of institutions of higher education to improve services, accommodations, retention rates, and completion rates of students with disabilities. The center will evaluate, improve, and disseminate information related to the delivery of high quality disability support services at institutions of higher education and report recommendations.

Commission on Accessible Materials (Sec. 772)

Many students with disabilities cannot effectively participate in higher education because the instructional materials are not accessible to them. This long standing and challenging problem will be assessed by a Commission representing all stake holders and recommendations will be made for remedies.

Model Demonstration Programs to Support Improved Access to Postsecondary Instructional Materials for Students with Print Disabilities (Sec. 773-775)

Model demonstrations were authorized to promote development of systems to improve the quality and timely delivery of course materials in specialized formats for students with print disabilities.

Demonstration Projects to Support Postsecondary Faculty, Staff, and Administrators in Educating Students with Disabilities (Sec. 760-765)

First authorized in 1998, these are competitive awards made to institutions of higher education for development of model practices for faculty so that they are skilled in instructing students with disabilities. Activities were expanded during reauthorization, and include the development of: teaching methods and strategies; effective transition practices; distance learning; and disability career pathways.

An investment in these programs will reap countless economic benefits and give exceptional students the opportunity to reach their full potential. Only 12 percent of working-age adults with disabilities currently hold a college degree, and the employment rate for this population is just 36.9 percent (American Community Survey, 2007). Clearly, we must do more, which is why we are urging you to provide funding for these disability programs in the FY2010 appropriations bill.

Thank you for your consideration of this request, and we hope we can count on your support.

Sincerely,

Obama Nominates ODEP Asst. Secretary Kathy Martinez

From Diversity Inc. Magazine (March 23, 2009):

Obama Nominates ODEP Asst. Secretary Kathy Martinez

By Zayda Rivera

Internationally recognized disability-rights leader Kathy Martinez was nominated for assistant secretary for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) by President Barack Obama on March 20.

Martinez

, who has been blind since birth, specializes in employment, asset building, independent living, international development, and diversity and gender issues from her work as executive director of the World Institute on Disability (WID). Her impressive resume includes Proyecto Vision, WID's National Technical Assistance Center to increase employment opportunities for Latinos with disabilities in the United States, and Access to Assets, an asset-building project to help reduce poverty among people with disabilities.

She was also responsible for leading the team that produced the acclaimed
international webzine Disability World ( http://www.disabilityworld.org/ ) in both English and Spanish...

>>> For the Entire Article

Comment Below: Thoughts on this new appointment? What issues would you like to see her address first? What in her record is most/least appealing to you?

American Airlines and AAPD To Honor Positive Portrayals of Disability

 

FOR RELEASE: Thursday, March 26, 2009

 

 

American Airlines AND AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

TEAm Up TO HONOR BEST TV COMMERCIAL

FORT WORTH, Texas – American Airlines is partnering with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) to create an award honoring the best U.S television commercials featuring positive portrayals of people with disabilities. Together, the two organizations will support and recognize the efforts put forth by companies that feature disabled people in their television advertising in creative and compelling ways.

“American Airlines has a long history of diversity and inclusion and is proud to partner with the AAPD to establish this award in honor of all of our employees, customers and partners with disabilities,” said Will Ris, American’s Senior Vice President - Government Affairs and member of the AAPD’s Board of Directors. “We want to acknowledge creative companies who are supporting people with disabilities and understand the business value of inclusive advertising.”

The contest, set to begin in July, is scheduled to run for several weeks. Companies and agencies will be able to submit their commercials, which will be judged by a panel of experts to determine the best of the group. The final winner will receive a highly-coveted month of free advertising airtime on the American Airlines inflight entertainment system, making the winning commercial visible to the tens of thousands of travelers the airline serves each day.

“With more than 56 million people with disabilities in the U.S. alone, it is surprising that companies don’t market more aggressively to disabled people and our families,” said Andrew Imparato , President and CEO of AAPD.  “We are delighted to partner with American Airlines to leverage the power of television advertising to help raise the visibility of our community as a powerful consumer force and as valued members of society.”

            The American Association of People with Disabilities is the country’s largest cross-disability membership organization with more than 100,000 members throughout the United States.  American Airlines Chairman and CEO Gerard Arpey announced this competition at AAPD’s Annual Leadership Gala in Washington, D.C., on March 4.

 

About The American Association of People with Disabilities

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the country's largest cross-disability membership organization, organizes the disability community to be a powerful voice for change – politically, economically, and socially.  AAPD was founded in 1995 to help unite the diverse community of people with disabilities, including their family, friends and supporters, and to be a national voice for change in implementing the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To learn more, visit the AAPD website:  www.aapd.com.

 

 

About American Airlines

American Airlines, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection^® airlines serve 250 cities in 40 countries with, on average, more than 3,400 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 900 aircraft. American's award-winning Web site, AA.com^®, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld^® Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in over 140 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, AmericanConnection, AA.com, We know why you fly and AAdvantage are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR)

 

CCA Update: Let's Keep the Pressure On

From the JFA Moderator with information provided through Adapt:

Tuesday, we had an electric kick-off.  There was a lot of energy, not just from the participants who had packed the room and were spilling out into the hallway but from the Congressmen and presenters as well.

Dawn Russell from Adapt, Andy Imparato from AAPD, Marty Ford from CCD, John Lancaster from NCIL, Victor Robinson from SABE and Mitch LaPlante from UCSF each contributed to the excitement and conviction that this will be the year to bring change.  I have included some of the pictures I snapped on my phone.  If you were present and have better quality or angle shots, send them to me and I'll get them up on the blog.

Amazingly we had already got bill numbers for the Community Choice Act:

S 683  and  HR 1670.

Thanks to all of your hard work we already have 13 co-sponsors in the Senate and 25 in the House of Representatives! Check the lists below.  If you're Senators and Representatives are not on them, call or email them to let them know how IMPORTANT this bill. 

 

Of course, we will need more than these to pass the bill.

Let's keep up the great work

 

Sponsor: Sen Harkin, Tom [IA] (introduced 3/24/2009)      Cosponsors (13)

 

Latest Major Action: 3/24/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

COSPONSORS(13), ALPHABETICAL

Sen Bennet, Michael F. [CO] - 3/24/2009

Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] - 3/24/2009

Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] - 3/24/2009 Sen Dodd, Christopher J. [CT] - 3/24/2009 Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 3/24/2009 Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] - 3/24/2009 Sen Kennedy, Edward M. [MA] - 3/24/2009 Sen Kerry, John F. [MA] - 3/24/2009 Sen Sanders, Bernard [VT] - 3/24/2009 Sen Schumer, Charles E. [NY] - 3/24/2009 Sen Specter, Arlen [PA] - 3/24/2009 Sen Stabenow, Debbie [MI] - 3/24/2009 Sen Tester, Jon [MT] - 3/24/2009

 

****************

Sponsor: Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] (introduced 3/23/2009)      Cosponsors

(25)

Latest Major Action: 3/23/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

 

 

 

COSPONSORS(25), ALPHABETICAL :

Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 3/23/2009

Rep Brady, Robert A. [PA-1] - 3/23/2009

Rep Carney, Christopher P. [PA-10] - 3/23/2009

Rep Christensen, Donna M. [VI] - 3/23/2009

Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] - 3/23/2009

Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] - 3/23/2009

Rep Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14] - 3/23/2009

Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] - 3/23/2009

Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] - 3/23/2009

Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] - 3/23/2009

Rep Kaptur, Marcy [OH-9] - 3/23/2009

Rep Kind, Ron [WI-3] - 3/23/2009

Rep Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10] - 3/23/2009

Rep Langevin, James R. [RI-2] - 3/23/2009

Rep Larson, John B. [CT-1] - 3/23/2009

Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] - 3/23/2009

Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] - 3/23/2009

Rep Meeks, Gregory W. [NY-6] - 3/23/2009

Rep Moore, Dennis [KS-3] - 3/23/2009

Rep Olver, John W. [MA-1] - 3/23/2009

Rep Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10] - 3/23/2009

Rep Sanchez, Loretta [CA-47] - 3/23/2009

Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13] - 3/23/2009

Rep Sestak, Joe [PA-7] - 3/23/2009

Rep Velazquez, Nydia M. [NY-12] - 3/23/2009

 

Harkin gives opening comments

 

Rep. Davis give his opening comments and statement of support.

 The panel speaks (right to left): Ford, LaPlante, Lancaster, Imparato, Robinson and Russell with Moderator Mike Oxford to the far left and the audience in the foreground.