JFActivist

AAPD CO-SPONSORS ROLLOUT OF THE 2011 ANNUAL DISABILITY STATISTICS COMPENDIUM AND FIRST ANNUAL RESEARCH-TO-POLICY ROUNDTABLE

From AAPD (11.8.2011):

By Julie Arostegui, AAPD Policy Advisor

On November 2, 2011 AAPD co-sponsored, with the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability (UNH IOD), the First Annual Research-to-Policy Roundtable as part of the rollout of the 2011 Disability Statistics Compendium.  The event, which took place on Capitol Hill, brought together disability advocates, policymakers and researchers to discuss ways that research can assist policymakers in developing better coordination between safety net programs and employment services for people with disabilities. 

In the morning, representatives from the Center for Disease Control, U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Office of Disability and Employment Policy (ODEP) and the National Center for Health Statistics joined Andrew Houtenville of UNH/IOD to offer an overview of the statistics and give perspectives on data collection.

During the afternoon Research-to-Policy Roundtable, Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) welcomed the group and staffers from the offices of Senator Tom Harken (D-IA), Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) and Representative George Miller (D-CA) joined AAPD CEO Mark Perriello to offer legislative perspectives and discuss implications of the Disability Statistics Compendium for policy making.  The panelists acknowledged the importance of such discussions in providing information to legislators. 

The Disability Statistics Compendium annually compiles and reports statistics pertaining to people with all types of disabilities.  AAPD works with the University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability (UNH/IOD) to produce the Compendium, a project funded by the National Institute on Disability Research and Rehabilitation.

The 2011 Compendium serves as a reference guide for policymakers, compiling data on the prevalence of disability, employment participation, educational attainment and health status, federal expenditures, and state-level data. Discussion of the statistics focused on a persistent and continuing trend of high unemployment and poverty among people with disabilities.  For instance:

• Working-age people with disabilities have a 16.1% unemployment rate, almost double the 8.5% unemployment rate for people without disabilities.
• 27.3% of people aged 18-64 with disabilities who live in the community live in poverty, compared with 12.8% of their counterparts without disabilities. 

Reversing this trend must be a high priority.  The Roundtable discussion offered a valuable starting point for researchers and advocates to work with policymakers to use disability statistics to make good policy for people with disabilities. 

Click here for more information about the Disability Statistics Compendium

Click here for more information about UNH IOD

Unemployment Down for General Population, Up for People with Disabilities

via AAPD (8.5.11):
 

 

People with Disabilities Remain Unemployed at Higher Rate than Other Americans

July Stats Show Year-Over-Year Increase in Unemployment for Americans with Disabilities

 

While the unemployment rate for Americans without disabilities dipped slightly in July, the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) decried the disproportionately high unemployment rate for people with disabilities and its increase since July 2010. 

“A 16.8 percent unemployment rate is unacceptable.” says Mark Perriello, President and CEO of the nation’s largest cross-disability advocacy organization. This is a significant increase from July 2010, when we were at 16.4%. This needs to change.”

“More than three quarters of a million people without disabilities have been hired over the last year,” Perriello added. “It’s time for employers to step up to the plate, set some targets, and hire qualified people from our community as well.”

“For a qualified person with a disability who wants to work, who wants to get out there and contribute to her community, to be responsible for herself — we can’t say to that person, no, this country doesn’t value what you have to offer.” said Joyce Bender, AAPD Board Chair and President of Bender Consulting. "We need to open the doors of freedom through competitive employment to all people," she added.

According to the latest information released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 970,000 people with disabilities were unemployed in July 2011, compared to 919,000 last year.  [BLS table at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t06.htm]

AAPD has long recognized that employment plays a critical role in economic sufficiency and independence for people with disabilities. The organization is committed to improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities, and reversing the persistently high percentages of people with disabilities who are not working but are ready, willing, and able to work.   

For more on AAPD and employment visit: http://www.aapd.com/site/c.pvI1IkNWJqE/b.5606959/k.6189/Disability_Employment.htm

The Self-Defined Perspectives of Women and Girls with Disabilities

via the Center for Women Policy Studies (7.29.11):

In 2011, the Center launched an online series of new Barbara Faye Waxman Fiduccia Papers On Women and Girls with Disabilities. The 2011 Barbara Faye Waxman Fiduccia Papers will present the self-defined perspectives of women with disabilities – both in the USA and globally – on such topics as: access to health care, reproductive rights and health, violence against women and girls, women and AIDS, educational equity, family life and parenting, employment and economic development, balancing work and family, participation in Government at every level – from local to national to international.

>>>To View the Fiduccia Papers

A Message from Immediate Past AAPD Chair, Tony Coelho

I wanted to alert you to an important upcoming opportunity to make your voice heard on health care policy.

Among the health reform law’s many important provisions was one that creates a new, independent program for comparative effectiveness research. For the first time, this program gives patients a voice, and a vote, to make sure the research gets done in a way that meets the needs of all patients.

Now we need to make our voices heard. I know first hand how easy it is for the health system to tell us as patients and people with disabilities what is “best” for each one of us. I also know how hard it is to change this system so that we can tell it what is best for each one of us.

That’s why I’m asking for your help. If we can make sure this new research institute gets it right, it could give us a lot of valuable information to guide our health care decisions. But if it isn’t done right, it will just feed a system that tells us what is best for us based on an “average” result.

Each one of us is different, with different medical needs, life circumstances, and health care preferences. The opportunity we have right now is getting the research agenda to reflect these differences rather than obscuring them. 

The new institute created to do this research – the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), is holding a Board meeting on July 18-19 in Washington D.C. The Institute is run by a board of governors representing different parts of the health care system, including government, doctors, patients, medical product manufacturers, and insurance companies. As the institute gets up and running, it is vital to make sure the Board understands how important it is to work through open and transparent procedures that give full opportunity for meaningful input and involvement from our community and to define research in ways that are centered on the needs of patients and people with disabilities. You can find out more about this important issue in a one-page background document here.

Since becoming chairman of the Partnership to Improve Patient Care, I have been fighting to ensure patients have a voice in the national research agenda.  Please join me at PCORI’s meeting next week and help me make our voices heard. The meeting is at the Westin Georgetown Hotel, located at 2350 M Street, N.W., Washington D.C., on:

• Monday, July 18, 1:00pm ET to 5:30pm ET
• Tuesday, July 19, 8:00am ET to 11:45am ET

All sessions are open to the public, and those who would like to speak can sign up to speak on-site on the day of the event or email info@pcori.org.

For more information on PCORI’s meeting and what you can do to help keep CER patient centered, call Sarah van Geertruyden at 202-494-5924, or email at saravg@thornrun.com

 

Sincerely,

Tony Coelho

Creative Budget Solutions: Invest in Medicaid Buy-In Programs

From AAPD (7.8.11):

AAPD-Boston University Research Project Reveals Medicaid Buy-In Programs' Strengths

This spring AAPD partnered with the Knowledge Dissemination Project at Boston University in an effort to synthesize and disseminate research on the effectiveness of state Medicaid Buy-In (MBI) programs.  MBI programs allow people with disabilities to “purchase” Medicaid health insurance with a monthly premium.  Research synthesized at Boston University indicates that not only do Medicaid Buy-In programs help people with disabilities transition into employment by giving them access to affordable health options while working, but the programs have measurable impacts on state budgets.   Medicaid Buy-In programs increase income tax revenue, stimulate local economies, reduce demand for social services, and reduce medical expenditures and health costs.

AAPD has launched web resource center to provide information on the Medicaid Buy-In program and the results of the research.   At www.aapd.com/medicaidbuyin activists can learn about the success of the programs in that MBI enrollees earn more money, work more hours, contribute more taxes and rely less on food stamps that those with disabilities who are not enrolled.  Activists can also learn how to take action to advocate for program improvements which include clarifying program logistics, coordinating with SSI work incentive programs and limiting grace periods for enrollees.

Take Action

AAPD believes that information from the success and challenges of MBI programs should inform policy considerations about how best to facilitate increased earnings and employment for people with disabilities. AAPD will be circulating more information on this topic through the Justice For All blog at www.jfactivist.com in the months to come.

Spread the Word

Download the below resources to share with family members, clients, policy makers and service providers.

>>> For a Fact Sheet Medicaid Buy-In (Word)

>>> For the Medicaid Buy-In Research Summary (Word)

>>> For a Medicaid Buy-In PowerPoint of Highlights

>>> For the Full Medicaid Buy-In Report (Word)

EEOC Looks at Disparate Treatment in 21st Century Hiring Decisions

via AAPD (6.24.11):

EEOC Looks at Disparate Treatment in 21st Century Hiring Decisions

By Julia Feinberg, AAPD Policy Intern

On Wednesday June 22, 2011, AAPD attended the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) meeting on “Disparate Treatment in 21^st Century Hiring Decisions,” held in Washington, D.C. The EEOC is chaired by Jacqueline Berrien with Stuart Ishimaru, Constance Barker, Chai Feldblum, and Victoria Lipnic as Commissioners.  The meeting looked at how discrimination during the hiring process affects minorities, including people with disabilities.  Nine witnesses were called to provide evidence and discuss the impacts of disparate hiring practices. 

During the opening statements, all Commissioners noted that working is not only important financially but also for an individual’s sense of self-worth and connection to their community.  They also noted the difficulty of reporting and getting information to people who have been discriminated against in the workforce.  It was discussed many times during the hearing that often people do not know they have been victims of hiring discrimination. 

Recent Cases: EEOC General Counsel David Lopez described a successful court case where two deaf men were refused employment by Wal-Mart.  The Courts ruled in the men’s favor and, as part of the settlement, a television ad was played for several weeks promoting the employment of people with disabilities.  This ad was shown in the hearing and had a visible affect on the Commissioners.  Lopez also described a clip from an ABC show “What Would You Do?” where two deaf women applied to be kitchen workers in a café and were refused jobs.  While some customers stood up to the discrimination they saw, others gave the manager legal advice saying he should have accepted their applications and not called them instead of outright saying he wouldn’t hire them because they were deaf.  These “advisors” were professional recruiters and managers.

Silent or Covert Discrimination:  The first two panels focused on “silent discrimination,” where the employer doesn’t outright say or show that he or she is discriminating.  This was a recurrent topic throughout the meeting.  It especially came up during discussion of contingency or temporary staffing agencies, that is, companies that match employers with employees looking for work.  Since hiring laws are different for the contingency agencies, many companies can get away with discriminatory hiring practices by using these types of companies.

Bill Lann Lee, an attorney at Lewis, Feinberg, Lee, Renaker, & Jackson on the first panel called this “covert discrimination.”  Grace Speights, attorney at Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius, and Katherine Kores, an EEOC District Director in Memphis were also on the first panel. The second panel was composed of Supervising Trial Attorneys Kate Boehringer and Diane Smason at the EEOC Baltimore and Chicago offices, respectively, with Ana Lopez and Jeannette Wilkins as Charging Party Members in two major EEOC cases.  This panel highlighted the real life challenges of workforce discrimination and gave an in-depth look at how companies use covert discrimination.

Research and Training Issues: Marc Bendick from Bendick & Eagan Economic Consultants and General Counsel Rae Vann from the Equal Employment Advisory Council, a non-profit employer association, discussed discrimination research and training on the third and last panel.  Bendick provided staggering statistics about the prevalence of discrimination in the workforce and also specific industries that were especially “hard core discriminators.”  For instance, he said that 20-25 % of people have encountered hiring discrimination across all fields of the workforce.  Advertising and construction industries were among the worst with about 67% discriminating against applicants.

 

Vann concluded the meeting by outlining the training programs that the EEAC has developed over the past few decades to reduce workplace discrimination.  The hope is to change the attitude within all offices so that anti-discrimination is company policy, not just federal law.

Resources: To file an EEOC complaint or “charge,” go to the link http://www.eeoc.gov/employees/charge.cfm

To learn more about ADA and disability employment protections go to http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/disability.cfm

 

Question:  Have you experienced silent or covert discrimination as a person with a disability seeking or maintaining employment? Please comment in the box below or tell us via email to Policy@aapd.com

 

 

Know Your Rights! DOJ Issues New Technical Assistance Document on Enforcement of Olmstead

via The Department of Justice (6.23.11):

Justice Department Issues Technical Assistance Document on Enforcement of the Supreme Court Decision in Olmstead v. L.C.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice released a new technical assistance document describing public entities’ obligations and individuals’ rights under the integration mandate of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 1999 landmark Supreme Court decision, Olmstead v. L.C.  The Olmstead decision held that the ADA requires public entities to provide community-based services to persons with disabilities when such services are appropriate; the affected persons do not oppose community-based treatment; and community-based services can be reasonably accommodated.  The document also provides questions and answers on a variety of ADA enforcement issues related to Olmstead. 

Additionally, in commemorating the 12^th anniversary of the Olmstead decision yesterday, the department launched a new section of its ADA website, www.ada.gov/olmstead, providing information and resources about the decision and its enforcement. In addition to the newly created technical assistance document, users can visit the site to find briefs filed by the Department, as well as other materials relevant to this important area of law. 

The ADA website provides easy access to an extensive collection of ADA technical assistance materials and settlement agreements, as well as information about enforcement, mediation, technical assistance and certification activities and links to other sites with ADA information. The addition of the new Olmstead section of the site will provide critical information to individuals with disabilities, advocates and state and local officials responsible for complying with the ADA’s integration mandate...

 

>>>To Read the Full Press Release

 

Knowledge is power! How will you help spread the word about this crucial information? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

21st CVAA Law Supports Wireless and Online Freedom for PWD

via AAPD (6.21.11): 

21st CVAA Law Supports Wireless and Online Freedom for People with Disabilities

By Jenifer Simpson, AAPD Senior Director for Government Affairs

Leaders from the disability community spoke on June 16, 2011 at the American Computing & Machinery annual conference, "Computers, Freedom & Privacy or CFP2011," held at the Georgetown Law school conference center in Washington, DC. Their panel entitled "Accessible and Usable Technologies Support the Freedom of People with Disabilities" linked the requirements of the 21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (“21^st CVAA”) with freedom and privacy for people with disabilities.  

“There is no freedom and little privacy for many people with disabilities,”said Jenifer Simpson of AAPD “unless the technology devices and tools that connect with the Internet are designed with accessibility at the outset.”  Mark Richert of the American Foundation for the Blind told the audience that "The 21st CVAA is the most sweeping accessible technology legislation ever enacted." He then detailed many of the provisions of the Act that support access to online content for people with visual and other disabilities. He noted that content has to be constructed also so that it can be made usable for people with disabilities, such as users of screen readers. Jim House of Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing mentioned the recent U.N. report that says in essence that "Access to the Internet is a human right and that includes people with disabilities."

These speakers explained the new law’s regulatory requirements for captioning of television shown on the Internet, for accessible browsers in wireless broadband devices for blind people, for creation of an equipment distribution program for deaf-blind people to connect to the Internet, hearing aid compatibility of Internet-enabled or smart phones, and video description of television for people who are blind.  They also provided examples of current technologies that do and don't include accessibility. Apple, Blackberry and Google technologies were part of this discussion, as well as the wireless industry's new online tool that allows the user to search for a wireless device based on types of features and specific disability manifestations.

Conference audience members raised questions about the schedule for implementation of the new law – most of the regulations should be issued by the FCC by the end of 2013 --and whether there were research funds available for new technologies. COAT panelists emphasized the importance of dissemination of information about accessibility solutions; additionally, Mark Richert noted that "There are already many solutions, they just need to be incorporated."  Audience members included Andrew Phillips of the National Association of the Deaf  and Angela Campbell of the Institute for Public Representation who works pro bono on captioning issues. The "Computers, Freedom & Privacy” conference addressed multiple privacy, cyber security and political freedom issues from both national and international perspectives.

Online tool to assist in finding the best wireless device is at http://www.accesswireless.org/Home.aspx, includes open captioned videoclip.

For more on the Conference, visit http://www.cfp.org/2011/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

For further details on the 21^st CVAA, please write policy@aapd.com

 

Can you provide examples of current technologies that do or don't include accessibility? Please share your thoughts in comments below.

In DC: Recruiting Persons with Disabilities for National Survey

via the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (6.17.11):

 

                

   Research Participants Needed

         The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is looking for:

Individuals with a disability

OR

People who live with an adult who has a disability

To help develop questions that will be used in a national survey.

 

$40 for a 1 hour session

Call (202) 691-7524 and ask about the “CPS Study” for more information

 Interviews will be conducted at the Bureau of Labor Statistics office near Union Station (2 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, DC 20212) or, for individuals with a disability, arrangements can be made to meet at a location in the DC area convenient for you.

 This study runs from June 13th–July 8th.

New Bipartisan Report Reviews Medicaid's Effectiveness in Addressing Health Needs of Children and Adults with Disabilities

Via First Focus (6.13.11):

New Report Reveals Medicaid’s Enormous Success in Protecting Children & Vulnerable Populations

Today, with threats of serious budget cuts looming, a new report demonstrates the effectiveness of the Medicaid program in addressing the health and financial needs of children and other vulnerable populations.

The synthesis, entitled Medicaid Works: A Review of How Public Insurance Protects the Health and Finances of Children and Other Vulnerable Populations examines the program that, since its inception in 1965, has been serving as a lifeline to millions of our nation’s most seriously ill and impoverished citizens. Today, Medicaid is the source of coverage for more than one-third of all children and is the dominant source of long-term care financing for senior citizens in America.

Authored by Professors Leighton Ku and Christine Ferguson of the George Washington University and commissioned by First Focus, the report describes the enormous success of Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in increasing health insurance coverage among children; strengthening access to medical, health, and developmental services; and safeguarding the finances of low-income families and individuals. The brief also explores the potential impact of the fiscal year 2012 budget resolution approved by the House of Representatives, which would block grant the Medicaid program. Such a proposal would end Medicaid as we know it- causing states to reduce enrollment, limit benefits, cut provider payments, and shift more costs onto the children and families who rely on public programs.

"In the midst of heated budget discussions, sometimes it is forgotten that Medicaid serves some of our neediest children, seniors, parents and people with disabilities, who have serious health problems and need access to affordable and efficient health care services,” said Dr. Leighton Ku, one of the report’s authors and a professor at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. “This paper helps to remind us of the many ways in which Medicaid has helped protect the health and finances of millions of needy Americans."

Additional key findings of the report include:

• Medicaid and CHIP are essential sources of coverage for individuals with serious health conditions. [from the summary of key findings] Since children with Medicaid are more likely than children with private coverage to be in poorer health or have serious health conditions, Medicaid’s benefit structure is designed to meet these complex health needs. A large number of serious health problems are more prevalent among children with Medicaid, including asthma, autism, dental and vision problems, ADHD, developmental delays, depression, and seizure disorders. Many of these areas are poorly covered under private insurance. Medicaid’s Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment requirement ensures that children are appropriately screened and treated, giving them the greatest promise to grow up to be healthy and productive adults. Adults and the elderly served by Medicaid are also in poorer health than others and need Medicaid’s health protection.

• Medicaid and CHIP are cost-effective. While Medicaid spending has risen due to the growing number of people who are in need of coverage, Medicaid per-capita expenditures have grown much less than private health insurance premiums and more slowly than overall health care growth.

• Medicaid and CHIP are pioneers for health system improvements. The Medicaid program gives states enormous flexibility to design their programs to meet their state’s needs with a majority of funding provided by the federal government....

>>> For a summary of key findings

>>> For the full report

>>> For the full press release