JFActivist

Rest In Peace, Max Starkloff, Disability Rights Champion

From the Riverfront Times (12.27.10):

R.I.P. Disability Activist Max Starkloff, 1937-2010

Max Starkloff, a longtime activist for disability rights and founder of Paraquad and the Starkloff Disability Institute, two local organizations that help disabled people live independently, died this morning. He was 73.

The immediate cause of death is not known. Staffers at the Starkloff Institute were told that Starkloff had the flu and would not be coming in.

Starkloff broke his neck in a car wreck in 1959, when he was 21. The accident left him a quadriplegic...

>>> For the Full Obituary

From the Starkloff Disability Institute:

Max J. Starkloff, President and CEO

...When Max finally left the nursing home, they ran Paraquad as a "mom and pop" organization. Today, Paraquad is a permanent institution, providing independent living services and advocacy for thousands of people with disabilities, their families and employers.

Through Max's accomplishments, people with disabilities in St. Louis have gained the opportunity to live independently. Below are a few of his achievements.

• Co-Founded Paraquad in 1970, with his wife, Colleen, as a privately funded Independent Living Center;
• Secured first ever stateside, barrier-free legislation for local and state curb cuts;
• Acquired disabled parking legislation;
• Established Paraquad as one of the original 10 federally funded Independent Living Centers in the nation;
• In 1970, founded the St. Louis Chapter of the National Paraplegia Foundation;
• Labored for access to public buildings and schools;
• Received a commitment from the local transportation authority to adopt a policy that all new buses will be wheelchair lift-equipped;
• Organized and spearheaded a large coalition of people with disabilities, volunteers and community leaders to support the above transportation policy;
• Consequently, St. Louis was the first city in the nation to have lift-equipped buses on their streets;
• Influenced St. Louis' new light rail system to endorse and include total accessibility;
• Co-founder, and Founding President of the National Council on Independent Living;
• Served on the board of directors of the World Institute on Disability, Berkeley, California; Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Missouri; and Gazette International Networking Institute, St. Louis;

The single most outstanding aspect of Max Starkloff's contribution to the needs of people with disabilities is his record of achievement in developing a strong and expansive network of grassroots advocates for change. Through his direct contact with a wide spectrum of institutions and people who make the St. Louis metropolitan area a vital, accessible and growing community, he has become the community's single most important resource and authority on disability issues. He is a dynamic example of living a full life as a person with disability, which enables him to connect civic leaders with grassroots advocates and with disability issues in a compelling way.

Max and Colleen have three children, Meaghan, Max Carl and Emily Johanne (deceased), and two grandchildren, Maya and Talia.

>>> For the Full Bio

From KSDK (12.28.10):

Max Starkloff Dies

Missouris Congressman Lacy Clay, a long-time friend of Max Starkloff, described the Paraquad founder as a civil rights pioneer and trusted advisor.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss...He was a trusted advisor who helped me advocate for the rights of disabled Americans for almost three decades," Clay said. "At Paraquad, and across this country, Max Starkloff stood tall for the full inclusion of disabled Americans in all fields of endeavor.

"He was a true civil rights pioneer whose lifetime of courageous leadership made our country and our community stronger."

And friends said that is what he wanted, to pave the way for others with disabilities.

"Max demonstrated that he could not only be useful but could become a national leader in a movement," said friend Charlie Claggett, who is also writing a book on Starkloff.

His wife Colleen was a partner in all his endeavors. And friends said she'll make sure his work continues.

"I think max was just such a widely regarded leader and such a fine person," Claggett said. "I know we're all going to miss him as a person but his mission will continue so that's the good news."

Funeral arrangements are still being finalized.

>>> For the Full Article

When America believed in eugenics

From the New Statesman (12.10.10):

When America believed in eugenics
by Victoria Brignell

In the second of her series to mark disability history month, Victoria Brignell investigates America's past enthusiasm for eugenics and the profound suffering this inflicted on disabled people.

In the decades following the publication of Darwin's Origin of Species, a craze for eugenics spread not only through Britain but through America as well. Overbreeding by the poor and disabled threatened the quality of the human race, American campaigners warned. Drastic measures must be taken to avert a future catastrophe for humanity.

Amid popular fears about the decline of the national stock, one of the main drives behind the formation of American immigration policy at the end of the 19th century was the desire to exclude disabled people. The first major federal immigration law, the Act of 1882, prohibited entry to any 'lunatic, idiot, or any person unable to take care of himself or herself without becoming a public charge.'...

...In 1937, a Gallup poll in the USA found that 45 per cent of supported euthanasia for "defective infants". A year later, in a speech at Harvard, WG Lennox argued that preserving disabled lives placed a strain on society and urged doctors to recognize "the privilege of death for the congenitally mindless and for the incurable sick". An article published in the journal of the American Psychiatric Association in 1942 called for the killing of all "retarded" children over five years old...

>>> To Read the Full Article Chronicling the Eugenics Movement in the US

HIV/AIDS and Disabilities: Making the Connection

From the State Department (12.13.10):

HIV/AIDS and Disabilities: Making the Connection

By Louise Fenner

Imagine going to a clinic to be tested for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, if you are deaf and cannot read or use formal sign language. The doctor gives a “thumbs-up” sign. Does it mean “yes, you have HIV” or “yes, you are OK”?

This happened in Mozambique, and the patient went home not knowing his HIV status, said Rosangela Berman Bieler, a Brazilian journalist who is among a growing number of health activists trying to give persons with disabilities better access to HIV/AIDS services. Her group, the Inter-American Institute on Disability and Inclusive Development (IIDI), works with governments in Latin America, the Caribbean and Portuguese-speaking Africa. Berman Bieler spoke December 3 at a conference chaired by Judith Heumann, the State Department’s adviser on disability rights...

>>> To Read the Full Article

House Passes Resolution for National Ed Roberts Day

Congressman George Miller Standing up for California’s 7th District

For Immediate Release: December 15, 2010
Press Office:  202-225-2095
 
Miller’s legislation recognizing disability advocate Ed Roberts passes House Legislation expresses support of national Ed Roberts Day in honor of the Bay Area advocate
 
WASHINGTON- Disability rights advocate Ed Roberts, renowned in the Bay Area, nationally and internationally, was honored by Congress today, thirty-three years after he and Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) both advocated for civil rights for people with disabilities at protests in San Francisco.
 
Miller introduced H Res 1759 to declare the support of the House of Representatives of a national “Ed Roberts Day.” The bill passed the House today by a vote of 386 to 8. 
 
“Ed’s lifetime of advocacy was critical in the struggle for civil rights for people with disabilities,” Miller said after the resolution passed the House. “Ed’s commitment remains a tremendous inspiration and I’m honored to sponsor this resolution recognizing his work.
 
“Having known Ed and being able to call him a friend was an honor and a gift for me - as was working with him back in 1977 at the protests in San Francisco,” Miller continued, referring to the 1977 disabled rights protest, and the subsequent Congressional meetings, both held at the Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) building in San Francisco.
 
In addition to supporting the establishment of Ed Roberts Day, Miller’s legislation acknowledges the accomplishments Roberts made in helping reduce barriers, increase access and improve lives for persons with disabilities.
 
Roberts, who passed away in 1995, was a long time disability rights advocate and California resident. After contracting polio as a teenager, Roberts relied on a respirator to breathe.  He became the first student with significant disabilities to attend UC Berkeley, where he began advocacy efforts and helped found the campus’ Physically Disabled Students Program.
 
In 1975, Roberts was named the Director of the California Department of Rehabilitation and played an important role in the sit-in at the HEW building in San Francisco. Protesters with disabilities had staged the sit-in to call for the implementation of new regulations which would establish certain rights for people with disabilities. Roberts and other advocates worked with Miller and then-Representative Phillip Burton to hold ad hoc Congressional hearings in the building to discuss the issue at hand – the implementation of a federal regulation that prohibited exclusion or discrimination in a federal program based solely on a handicap.  Twenty years later, Miller’s and Roberts’ actions were noted in a compiled retrospective of the protests: 

On April 15, 1977, Congressmen George Miller and Phillip Burton held an ad hoc meeting of the House Education and Labor Committee to take testimony from disability activists and HEW official Gene Eiderberg who floated a "separate but equal" trial balloon and 18 issues that would be reviewed before passage could occur. Ed Roberts, Director of the California Department of Rehabilitation, said that Califano's proposed changes were "a blueprint for segregation." Representative Miller said that as far as he was concerned "the goddamn thing is not negotiable."
 
Roberts later co-founded and became the President of the World Institute on Disability.
 
The full text of H Res 1759 is here. The resolution was cosponsored by Representatives Sam Farr, Rush Holt, Barbara Lee and James Langevin

>>>Full Text of HR 1759

Social Security In Jeopardy? How You Can Help

From AAPD (12.23.10):

What’s Up With Social Security?

By Daniel Dwyer, AAPD Policy Intern

On December 13, 2010, AAPD attended a briefing on Social Security held by the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD). AAPD is a dues paying member of CCD and is pleased to disseminate information about a program that is essential to many people with disabilities and their families. The December 13 briefing was conducted by Virginia Reno, Vice-President of Income Security for the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI). Her talk provided an overview of the current Social Security disability programs and included discussion of potential policy options and what they might mean for our community.

In summary, she said that Social Security is not in immediate jeopardy and changes to it should be considered cautiously.  She pointed out that the estimated cost of Social Security, as a share of the entire economy, is projected to rise only modestly over the next 75 years from the current 4.8% to about 6%.  This is in contrast to Medicare, which she said is unsustainable due to the soaring costs of healthcare.  Ms. Reno pointed out that Social Security has broad support across the political spectrum, by an overwhelming majority of Americans, and is vital to the survival of millions.  Therefore, she asserted, Social Security should be dealt with separately by a Commission focused solely on it, not just part of a debt-reduction commission like the President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.

Facts about the Social Security disability program presented at the briefing:

• One in four American households has someone who receives Social Security benefits, totaling about 58 million people (one in six Americans).

• About 8 million of those recipients are disabled workers and another 0.9 million (900,000 people) are adults who have been disabled since childhood.

• Social Security disability pays monthly benefits, based on a person’s past earnings, to people who are no longer able to work due to a significant illness or impairment that is expected to last at least a year or result in one’s death within a year.

• Disabled workers rely on Social Security for 75% of their total income, on average, and a majority of those receive at least 90% of their income from Social Security.

• In 2010, the average monthly benefit for a disabled worker was $1,064 or $12,768 per year.

• In families with a disabled worker, the average monthly benefit is $1,797 or $21,564 per year, and accounts for about half of the family income. 

The Social Security trust fund will have a surplus of $77 billion this year but according to current projections by the Social Security Administration, these trust fund reserves will run out by 2037 if changes are not made to the system because of the increase in the number of retirees from the ‘baby-boomer’ generation.

Proposals to close the gap, as presented at the briefing:
There are many proposals to close the gap.  Any changes to retirement benefits in Social Security could possibly affect disability benefits as well because they are both calculated according to the same formula.  Here are some under consideration:

• Reduce the annual cost of living adjustment (COLA).  The COLA is an increase in benefits each year, in order to keep pace with inflation.  One proposal is to reduce that amount by about 1%.

• Change the way the COLA is calculated by using a “chained” Consumer Price     Index (CPI) to gauge inflation instead of the more traditional CPI.  The   “chained” CPI rises slower, causing the COLA to increase slower as well.

• Note that there was no COLA in 2010, nor is there one scheduled for 2011.

• Increase Employee and Employer tax rates slightly.  The current 12.4% Social    Security tax rate, split evenly by employees and employers (6.2% each), could    be raised to 14.32% or paid at the rate of 7.16% each.

• Raise the $106,800 cap on earnings, above which no Social Security taxes are aid currently.

• Make contributions to employee “flexible spending accounts” and other   employee set-asides also subject to Social Security taxes as well, like 401(K)’s are currently.

The briefing came about because the CCD Social Security Task Force received a special grant from the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) to promote greater understanding of the importance of Social Security for people with disabilities and their families. This grant is especially timely because multiple proposals to address the national deficit propose ways to change the current structure and payment of Social Security benefits. These changes could have major implications for the economic security of people with disabilities and their families.

Action Steps:

1. NASI would like to hear personal stories from AAPD members and others about how important Social Security is to them. Please send to policy@aapd.com.

2. Please comment on any of the proposals discussed above either in the comment section below or to policy@aapd.com

For instance:

(a) how do you feel about a reduction in the cost of living adjustment, especially if the economy does not expand?

(b) If Employees are expected to pay more into Social Security, up from 6.2% to 7.16%, how much of a bite is that out of people’s paychecks?

(c) If Employers are expected to pay more into Social Security, such as 7.16% instead of 6.2%, do you think that will have an effect on hiring of people or annual increases in wages?

(d) If the cap on earnings is raised beyond $106,800, do you think that might impact middle class families?

(e) How do you feel about contributions to Social Security also being taken from Flexible Spending Accounts (such as for Health costs or Education costs)? Do you think this will impact middle class families?

(f) Do you have other ideas about how the gap could be closed?

(g) Do you think a separate Commission on Social Security to look at the revenue gap is a good idea, rather than have this program included as part of a debt-reduction commission like the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.

For further information on the CCD Social Security Task Force, please visit their website at http://www.disabilityandsocialsecurity.org/  This website includes fact sheets and other information about Social Security and people with disabilities. A video clip of a similar briefing by Virginia Reno is on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thfBaXGLCSk (not captioned!). For more on the National Academy on Social Insurance, visit http://www.nasi.org/  For more on the President’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, visit http://www.fiscalcommission.gov/

Groundbreaking Bill on Supportive Integrated Housing Passes!

From JFAAN (12.22.10):

 

Another Disability Legislative Win: Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act Passes!

The Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2010 (S.1481) has passed the Senate and the House, and is now on its way to be signed by President Obama.  S. 1481 authorizes an innovative 811 demonstration program, which promotes integrated housing opportunities for people with disabilities. The new law, once implemented, creates 3,500 to 5,000  new affordable and accessible units every year without increasing Section 811 appropriations. During recent years, the program has produced fewer than 1,000 units annually.  Advocates are pleased that from FY 2011 to FY 2015, $300 million will be authorized for Section 811.
 
“Reasonably priced housing is a critical piece of the puzzle for disabled persons seeking to become independent,” said Senator Mike Johanns. “This bill will streamline efforts to provide them adequate and affordable homes and ensure no one slips through the cracks. I’m pleased my colleagues agreed that this bill is the right direction to provide stability for these vulnerable citizens.”  Congratulations, housing advocates!

Item provided by sister disability organization, National Council on Independent Living, a member of the Justice For All Action Network (JFAAN) coalition of disability groups.

From Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (12.22.10):

Breaking News!

Congress Enacts Legislation to Reform HUD’s Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities Program

December 22, 2010

The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities Housing Task Force (CCD Housing Task Force) is pleased to announce that the Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act of 2010 was passed by Congress yesterday and will soon be signed into law by President Obama.  

This groundbreaking legislation will reinvigorate and modernize the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities program that provides critically important affordable housing linked with community-based supportive services for the most vulnerable people with disabilities.  By leveraging other sources of capital funding, such as federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits, the reformed Section 811 program will now fund thousands more units of supportive housing every year and – for the first time – create integrated supportive housing units within affordable housing properties.

The CCD Housing Task Force and the Technical Assistance Collaborative (TAC) led an intensive three-year advocacy effort that culminated yesterday in the House of Representatives.  On Friday December 17th, the U.S Senate passed this legislation – S 1481 – by unanimous consent.  The House passed a similar bill in 2009 and voted yesterday to adopt the bill passed by the Senate before final adjournment of the 111th Congress.

"This legislation is a significant accomplishment which will improve the lives of thousands more people with the most significant and long-term disabilities” said Andrew Sperling, CCD Housing Task Force Co-Chair.  “We are extremely proud to have been a part of this important effort.  We are also enormously grateful for the assistance TAC provided in helping to re-configure this important program.”

The CCD Housing Task Force also applauds the bipartisan leadership that made this legislation possible and extends its thanks to the Members of Congress who – along with their staff – helped make this important legislation a reality including: 

• Congressman Christopher Murphy (D-CT) and Congresswoman Judy Biggert (R-IL) who were the lead co-sponsors in the House;

• Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) and Congressman Spencer Bachus (R- AL), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee;

• Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) who were the lead co-sponsors in the Senate; and

• Senator Christopher Dodd (D- CT) and Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee.

Section 811 Reforms

The Frank Melville Supportive Housing Investment Act makes long overdue improvements to the Section 811 program by:

• Modernizing and simplifying the capital advance program for non-profit sponsors,

• Integrating supportive housing for people with disabilities into larger multi-family affordable rental housing developments,

• Protecting an existing tenant-based program targeted to people with disabilities, and

• Creating an innovative subsidy approach that will allow states to leverage additional capital funds for the creation of new units of supportive housing.

This important legislation is named in honor of the late Frank Melville, the first Board Chair of the Melville Charitable Trust.  Frank Melville and the entire Melville Charitable Trust family have been national leaders in promoting supportive housing as a highly successful and cost effective best practice that can prevent and end unnecessary institutionalization and homelessness among people with the most significant and long-term disabilities.

Emergency Issues: Survey on Emergency Communication and People with Disabilities

From AAPD (12.22.10):

Emergency Issues: Survey on Emergency Communication and People with Disabilities

A researcher at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta is working on a research project on the use and usability of wireless technology by people with disabilities.  They are conducting a survey about two aspects of the way people with disabilities use emergency communications: 1) contacting 911 emergency services like fire, ambulance, police, etc.; and 2) receiving alerts about public emergencies like weather alerts, Amber alerts, etc.

People with disabilities are encouraged to take the survey on-line at: http://www.wirelessrerc.org/news/take-the-2010-Emergency-Communications-survey.html

Or via phone, toll-free at: 1-800-582-6360.

Participants will be entered into a drawing for a $250 Amazon gift card with the drawing to take place during the first week of January 2011. Results of the survey will be published. For further information please contact John Morris, Ph.D., Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (Wireless RERC), Shepherd Center, 2020 Peachtree Road, NW, Atlanta, GA 30309, via email john_morris@shepherd.org.

President Obama's Recent Nominations Include PWD's

From the White House (12.20.10):
 
President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts
 
Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:
 
•         John Lancaster, Member, Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace 
 
President Obama said, “I am grateful these impressive men and women have agreed to join this Administration, and I am confident they will serve ably in their new roles. I look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead.”
 
 President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:
 
John A. Lancaster, Nominee for Member, Board of Directors of the United States Institute of Peace
 
John A. Lancaster recently retired as the Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), the oldest disability grassroots organization run by and for people with disabilities. NCIL advances the independent living philosophy and advocates for the full integration and participation of people with disabilities in society. Currently, Mr. Lancaster serves as the Treasurer of the Board of Trustees for Handicap International Federation (HI) and serves on the Board of Directors of Handicap International, USA.   He also serves as a Board Member of the United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD) as Past President. Mr. Lancaster serves on the Board of the Global Universal Design Commission and the Potsdam (New York) Humane Society. He served in the Federal Government as Executive Director on the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities from 1995-2000, and had been a member of that committee since 1991. From 1981-1987, Mr. Lancaster was the Director of the Office for Individuals with Disabilities for Governor Harry Hughes of Maryland. Mr. Lancaster received his J.D. and B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. As a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps, he commanded an infantry platoon in combat during the Vietnam War, earning a Purple Heart and Bronze Star in 1968.

…
 
From the White House (12.8.10):
President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts
 
 Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts:
  
•         Clyde E. Terry, Member, National Council on Disability
 
President Obama said, “I am confident that these talented individuals will greatly serve this Administration and the American people. I look forward to working with them in the coming months and years.”
 
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key administration posts:
 
Clyde E. Terry, Nominee for Member, National Council on Disability
 
Clyde E. Terry is the Chief Executive Officer of Granite State Independent Living and is responsible for the organization’s advocacy, grant, and service activities to assure independent living and economic self sufficiency for persons with disabilities in New Hampshire. Prior to this position, Mr. Terry was the Executive Director of the New Hampshire Developmental Disabilities Council. He also spearheaded a national coalition of disability organizations on election reform and election accessibility for persons with disabilities and co-authored the 2001 publication “Voters Denied Equal Access at the Polls; A Status Report of the Accessibility of Polling Places in the United States.” Mr. Terry received his B.S. from Emerson College and his J.D. from the Franklin Pierce Law Center, now the University Of New Hampshire School Of Law.

White House Internship Opportunity, Summer 2011

From the White House (12.21.10):

The deadline for the Summer 2011 White House Internship Program is January 9, 2011

Please circulate to your networks.
 
We are writing to let you know that the White House Internship Program’s summer 2011 application has been posted. The application deadline is Sunday, January 9. We hope that you can share the information with student leaders across your network. For more information and to apply, please visit www.WhiteHouse.gov/internship.
 
"This program will mentor and cultivate young leaders of today and tomorrow and I’m proud that they will have this opportunity to serve…I want to commend all who apply for their desire to help through public service to forge a brighter future for our country.”
 
—President Barack Obama, May 22, 2009
 
President Obama believes in the capacity of young people to move America forward. He is committed to providing young leaders from across the nation an opportunity to develop their leadership skills and fostering a continued commitment to public service through the White House Internship Program. This hands-on program is designed to mentor and cultivate today’s young leaders, strengthen their understanding of the Executive Office of the President and prepare them for future roles in public service.
 
To learn more about the program, please visit whitehouse.gov/internships.
 
How To Apply:
 
Go to: www.whitehouse.gov/internships
 
A completed application includes:
 
two essays
three letters of recommendation
resume

Affordability of Phone Services as Important as Accessibility

From AAPD (12.20.10):

Affordability of Phone Services as Important as Accessibility

By Jenifer Simpson, AAPD Senior Director of Government Affairs

 (l-r) John Mathis (CAP), Jenifer Simpson (AAPD), Maureen Thompson (KUSFF), John Breyault (NCL). 

While working for accessibility and usability of phone services is accomplished through implementation of the 21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act of 2010, affordability of phone services remains critical for people with disabilities.  To that end, AAPD is a member of the Keep the Universal Service Fund Fair (KUSFF) coalition, a group of over 170,000 individuals and more than 20 organizations focused on ensuring that affordability of phone services remains a priority. AAPD’s particular focus is on the Lifeline-Linkup program funded by the federal Universal Service Fund (USF).  This program provide discounts on basic monthly service and initial installation or activation fees for telephone service at the primary residence to income-eligible consumers, and benefits thousands of people with disabilities and their families.

KUSFF members -- including AAPD -- met with Commission staff at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on December 9, 2010 to emphasize that as the FCC begins to go forward with any proposals to reform the Universal Services Fund (USF), that the phone services needs of people who are low income, including people with disabilities, are not forgotten. This KUSSF group included Donald Mathis of Community Action Partnership, Jenifer Simpson of AAPD, John Breyault of the National Consumers League and KUSSF executive director Maureen Thompson; the group presented a consumer coalition viewpoint to the FCC on the USF.

It’s important to remember that the USF is a subsidy mechanism for phone companies that makes sure that low income and rural consumers have availability of affordable phone services. The fund also ensures that schools, libraries and rural healthcare providers receive Internet service at discounted rates. Every telephone user pays a percentage of their monthly phone bill to the Universal Service Fund, a line item on most phone bills. Because the number of companies receiving subsidies from the fund is expanding, the fund has doubled in size since it originated, adding up to 15% onto consumers’ bills, and should not continue to increase.  Consumer advocates believe that it is critical that the USF recognizes, embraces and supports the various and newer technologies, such as broadband, that Americans use to connect with the world.  However, it is just as important to ensure that any changes to the fund, such as the methodology for distribution of the funds to phone companies and for collection from companies and consumers, also protect the most vulnerable consumers, such as seniors, rural Americans, minorities, and Americans with disabilities.  Sharp increases in the line item amount on phone bills could impact negatively some people with disabilities, for instance, or could change the options available.  At the meeting, FCC staff indicated that there would several rulemakings in 2011 about the USF, including proposals to change the eligibility and verification process for the Lifeline-Linkup program and how outreach for this program is conducted. Rulemakings might also address whether broadband service is included, of great interest to many who have let go traditional wireline service in favor of phone services using the Internet.

AAPD will continue to monitor policy changes in USF to ensure affordability of phone service for people with disabilities. Please comment below or send an email to policy@aapd.com.

FCC Fact Sheet on the Lifeline Linkup program at http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/lllu.html

FCC Page on the Universal Service programs at http://www.fcc.gov/wcb/tapd/universal_service/

More on the Keep the Universal Services Fund Fair (KUSFF) coalition at http://www.keepusffair.org/

More on Community Action Partnership at http://www.communityactionpartnership.com/

More on National Consumers League at http://www.nclnet.org/