JFActivist

AAPD Confers with Disabled Persons’ Federation of Guangxi, China

On September 22, 2011, AAPD was pleased to host a meeting with a delegation of representatives from the Disabled Persons’ Federation from Guangxi, China.  Attending the meeting for AAPD were Lara Schwartz, V.P. of External Affairs, Jenifer Simpson, Senior Director for Government Affairs and Frankie Mastrangelo, New Media Manager.  Guangxi province in China is on the southern border, alongside Vietnam, and is known for its mountains and plains and for its ethnic diversity, including 14 million Zhuang people.

The Chinese visitors from this provincial federation included Mr. Li Ruixiang, Vice Director-General and Ms. Huang Meiliang, Vice Researcher in the Personnel Department.  They were accompanied by city and countryside representatives:  Ms. Li Yonghua, Director-General of the Nanning Disabled Persons’ Federation; Mr. Liang Feng, Director-General of the Wuzhou Disabled Persons’ Federation; Mr. Nong Youming, Director-General of the Baise Disabled Persons’ Federation and Mr. Wang Zigui, Vice Director- General of the Guilin Disabled Persons’ Federation. Nanning, Baise and Guilin are major cities within the province.

The Guangxi group was very interested in the structure and operations of AAPD as a private, non-profit organization that both advocates for the civil rights of people with disabilities and for the programs needed by people with disabilities. They were also interested in some of the AAPD  leadership development programs, such as the Hearne Awards program, Disability  Mentoring Day and our Hill and Federal internship programs.

Li Ruiziang explained that there are about 3 million people with disabilities served by his federation in the province.  He said that there are about 20,000 staff involved, including volunteers. He said about 20% of the organization’s staff are people with disabilities.  The main programs of the federation include prevention of blindness, community eye health service and capacity building in local communities.

>>>For More on Guangxi go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangxi 

>>>For More on Guangxi Disabled Persons’ Federation go to http://bit.ly/q1xlmf 

 

Australian Disability Delegates Confer with AAPD

From AAPD (6.6.11):

AAPD International Program:

Australian Disability Delegates Confer with AAPD

by Jenifer Simpson, AAPD Public Policy & Research 

Photo: (l-r) Jenifer Simpson, Margaret Bowen, Kim Roe, Helena Berger, and Raymond Bennett

On June 6, 2011 Helena Berger, AAPD’s Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, and Jenifer Simpson, Senior Director for Government Affairs, met with a delegation of three people from The Disability Trust from the Sydney area in Australia. Operating primarily in one of the six Australian states, New South Wales, this non-profit organization both delivers services and focuses on the human rights of people with disabilities.  Visiting AAPD were Margaret Bowen, CEO, Kim Roe, Executive Manager, and Raymond Bennett, an advisor.

The Disability Trust operates a variety of programs in their state. These include supported employment, respite care, in-home services including direct care workers, aids and toys for children with disabilities, and sports and recreation programs for people with disabilities, among others.  We learned from our visitors that Australia is moving toward a more voucher-like program and away from provider-controlled services for people with disabilities. Called the National Disability Scheme, the proposal is for a federal insurance program replacing the current state-based programs. The new approach is currently under review with a report due in July from the federal government’s Productivity Commission. Controversial issues include whether a new tax needs to be levied, at what level the scheme will be funded, and how it will be overseen.

Of Australia’s 22 million people -- in a country almost as big as the U.S. – about 20 per cent of Australians have a disability, or about 4 million people. This proportion is increasing, particularly as the population ages with 19.8 per cent of all males and 20.1 per cent of all females report having a disability.  Our Australian visitors pointed out that about 700,000 Australians receive a Disability Support Pension, somewhat like SSI in the U.S. They believe that the unemployment rate is between 7-8% for Australians with disabilities, compared to 4.5% for Australians without disabilities, although they noted that this rate is not tracked by their government.

Disability Trust staff were very interested in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) implementation and enforcement.  They were also very interested in AAPD’s leadership programs such as Disability Mentoring Day, Hearne Awards and our Summer Federal and Congressional interns program. They were also interested in how AAPD programs are supported by the private sector and our ongoing relationships with companies to ensure more accessibility and usability, more hiring of people with disabilities, and reducing stigmatization of people with disabilities. We discussed the AAPD Annual Gala and how that is a key event for the organization.  There was considerable discussion about the use of electronic social media to ensure national groups stay connected with their constituencies and how to engage and involve advocates in concerns.  The Disability Trust mentioned they used a cloud-based social networking tool, Ning, to support some of their advocacy and other work, including fundraising.   The meeting was very cordial and the Australian delegates said they would welcome all visitors who travel there.

Update on Australia’s National Disability Scheme at http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/28/3150259.htm

More about The Disability Trust organization at http://www.disabilitytrust.org.au/

More about people with disabilities in Australia at http://australia.gov.au/people/people-with-disabilities

More about NING at http://www.ning.com/

If you have a question or concern, please write [email protected]

White House and DOJ Report Progress in Disability Rights Advocacy

From AAPD (4.29.11):

White House Monthly Disability Briefings

By Jenifer Simpson, Government Affairs, AAPD

On Thursday April 28, AAPD participated again in the monthly disability outreach call that is conducted by Kareem Dale, Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy. These briefings focus on recent Administration leadership efforts and include key speakers working on disability policy and are open to anyone in the disability community, but are not press briefings. This call included some updates about the White House website in addition to presentations from Michael Strautmanis, who is Chief of Staff to  Valerie Jarrett (who is Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison) and by Mazen Basrawi, Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice.

White House website upgrades: Kareem Dale mentioned first that there have been upgrades to the “Disabilities” link on the White House home page, including links to recent Presidential position statements, such as on the budget, international issues, etc.  There is also a new online form for questions on disability and related policy. Online at http://www.whitehouse.gov/disability-issues-contact  Dale said that he receives about 100 email inquiries a day but that all of them will be answered.

 
Photo of Michael Strautmanis

National Autism Month: Strautmanis spoke first and talked about the establishment of April as Autism Awareness Month and a presidential global initiative to expand autism awareness, research and education worldwide. He said that about one percent of children in the U.S. have autism spectrum disorders, including his own 14 year old son.  He emphasized the need for changes in dealing with autism, saying that the federal process has to involve intergovernmental coordination of the various agencies to look at causes, treatments and prevention. See WH Press Conference on Autism Spectrum Disorders at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/04/25/meeting-needs-people-autism

  Photo includes Mazen Basrawi in foreground

ADA Enforcement: Mazen Basrawi spoke next about the critical steps forward that DOJ is taking to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act.  He noted that his background included being an attorney as the Disability Rights center in California and working on the ADA Title III case that the National Federation of the Blind brought against Target for inaccessible websites.  Basrawi focused on recent DOJ efforts under Titles II and III, saying they had settled and reached agreements in 25 cases in 17 states over the past two years. He talked about the successes in their Project Civic Access, reporting that they had entered into agreements with 27 counties, cities or states for non-discrimination under Title II. He also mentioned the commitments reached under ADA Title III with the Hilton Hotels, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Quiktrip gas/stores and with movie theaters. He also mentioned the recent settlements made with the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) to make the online law school application process accessible to blind applicants as well as the agreements with five universities that schools cannot use inaccessible technology. Basrawi encouraged call listeners to let DOJ know about any concerns or complaints they may have with barriers to access.

 Baswari reported that DOJ had received over 1,000 comments and oral testimonies in response to their July 2010 Advanced Notices of Rulemakings involving

Accessibility of Web Information and Services Provided by Entities Covered by the ADA, Movie Captioning and Video Description, Accessibility of Next Gen 911, and about Equipment and Furniture. However, he did not specify when any NPRMs or final rules would be issued.

Advocacy Steps

1.      Read DOJ April 26 notice about ADA Settlement to Make Law School Application Processes Accessible to Blind Applicants http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2011/April/11-crt-519.html

2.      Read latest agreements reached under Project Civic Access and other ADA cases at http://www.ada.gov/new.htm

3.      If you are not already signed up for notices about the monthly White House disability briefings, send email to [email protected] and in the email provide your name, the name of your organization, your title, your email address and phone number and then you will be added to distribution list.

4.      For more on the Autism Self Advocacy Network (ASAN), go to website at http://www.autisticadvocacy.org/  or send Email to [email protected]

For further information on how AAPD works with the Administration, please contact [email protected]

Department of Transportation Briefs Disability Groups on Policy Proposals

From AAPD (4.5.11):

Department of Transportation Briefs Disability Groups on Policy Proposals

By David Heymsfeld, AAPD Policy Volunteer

On Friday April 1, AAPD attended a meeting by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that summarized DOT's proposed policy agenda for the year. The meeting was targeted to "Disability and Aging Community Leaders" and included representatives from the American Council of the Blind, the National Association of the Deaf, the National Council on Independent Living, and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund. The DOT Speakers included Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Policy, and Bob Ashby, Deputy Assistant General Counsel for Regulation and Enforcement.

Three areas were covered in the briefing to disability and aging community leaders: reauthorization proposals, enforcement, and proposed rulemakings in the federal surface transportation programs.

Reauthorization proposals:

Assistant Secretary Trottenberg noted the following as of particular interest to the disability community:

--the criteria for discretionary grants under the new "livable communities" program (proposed at $4 billion a year) would include facilitating universal accessibility of transportation;

--the program to upgrade transit facilities to a "state of good repair" would make funds available for repairing elevators and escalators and other equipment. In general, DOT proposes a 128% increase in overall transit funding; they have not proposed a specific amount for disability related access infrastructure;

--for railways they would make funding available to Amtrak for level platforms and other improvements to ensure equal access. This would be funded out of Amtrak’s capital funding. There would be no specific set-aside for ADA compliance;

--in transportation planning programs, they would emphasize planning before projects go forward, to ensure equal access.

At this time, these are conceptual proposals so there is no legislative language. Of course, it will be up to Congress to decide whether to accept any of the proposals.

Enforcement Activities:   Blane Workie, Deputy Assistant General Counsel  emphasized  the cases they have completed  against Delta and Jet Blue imposing substantial fines for the airlines’ failure to fulfill their obligation to assist disabled passengers in enplaning and deplaning aircraft. They will bring other cases, when violations are uncovered.

Regulatory Proposals:  Deputy Assistant Secretary Ashby said that DOT hopes to complete action this year on regulations to ensure that new and altered commuter and inter-city rail stations provide equal access to trains. They did not discuss what the final rule would provide. However, they indicated that a difficulty was that some rail stations are owned by freight railroads who do not want to raise their platforms and in some cases, DOT may not have authority to require the freight railroad to do so.

Ashby said that the proposed rule requiring transit systems to make reasonable modifications to policies, practices and procedures to avoid discrimination is on a slower schedule

Pending Rulemakings:  DOT also plans to issue Notices of Proposed Rule Making on a number of aviation issues. These will likely involve:

--whether airlines should be allowed to follow the "seat strapping method" to stow wheelchairs;

--facilitating of passengers' ability to carry ventilators, respirators and Continuing Positive Airway Pressure Machines on aircraft;

--improving the accessibility of airports, including closed captioning of audio-visual displays, and lifts used on tarmac areas;

--seeking cost information, on a number of issues, including accessibility of airline automated kiosks, and closed captioning of in-flight entertainment.

Readers should note that some of these regulatory proposals have been pending for a long time, and that all were previously scheduled to be completed in 2010.

If you have a specific complaint against a transportation agency, please write to the appropriate office. These are listed on the US DOT website at http://www.dot.gov/citizen_services/disability/complaints.html You may also send a copy of your complaint to AAPD, 1629 K Street NW, Suite 950, Washington DC 20006. Attn: Policy or write [email protected]

PWDs in Japan, What is Happening and How You Can Help

>>> Donate Now Here <<<

From the Relief Headquarters for Persons with Disabilities of Tohoku-Kanto Great Earthquake:

Dear Friends,

To support persons with disabilities affected by the Tohoku-Kanto Great Earthquake on 11 March, DPI-Japan, JIL, Yumekaze Foundation and other Disability Organizations established "Relief Headquarters for Persons with Disabilities of Tohoku-Kanto Great Earthquake".

Today they open their site in English.  Please circulate among your network!
http://dpi.cocolog-nifty.com/en

Currently, this blog is providing updates from the "Relief Headquarters for Persons with Disabilities of Tohoku-Kanto Great Earthquake".  This HQ is organized by persons with disabilities to support persons with disabilities affected by the great earthquake.

It will be updated continuously with fresh information thanks to the support of Taisuke of DPI Asia-Pacific office.

Recent Posts Include:

Mass media pays less attention to PWDs in disaster (21 March)

National Welfare Center becomes Shelter for PWDs (19 March)

and Iwaki IL Center evacuates to Tokyo (19 March)

For donation, please visit the following site.
http://dpi.cocolog-nifty.com/en/2011/03/we-need-your-su.html

Dear friends,

On behalf of my colleagues, I sincerely appreciate messages of concern and sympathy from all over the world.

On March 11, massive earthquake hit east-northern part of Japan.  The earthquake recorded unhistorical scale - Magnitude 9.0 - and caused tens of thousands of causalities.  Hundreds of persons with disabilities are highly suffered from this disaster. 

DPOs in Japan immediately set up an emergent disaster relief headquarters at Japan Council on Independent Living Centers (JIL) and appointed me as director.  The headquarters started operation on March 15 in collaborations with DPI-Japan and various groups of persons with disabilities of all over Japan.

In disaster plagued areas, serious shortage of fuel and electricity is a big problem.  Personal assistants cannot reach to users' home.  Respirator users have difficulty in obtaining electric power. Even if they have generators, it is difficult to use portable generator due to lack of fuel.  Shortage of food is also serious...

>>> To Download A Petition Asking the Japanese Government for Appropriate Emergency Relief Supports

Your support is highly, highly appreciated.

Yukiko Nakanishi and Shoji Nakanishi, Director
Relief Headquarters for Persons with Disabilities of Tohoku-Kanto Great Earthquake

From the TakeAway (3.21.11):

Japan Relief: Helping the Most Vulnerable
John Hockenberry's story interviewing Shoji and Yukiko Nakanishi

The tsunami came too quickly. Japan's coastal towns had only a 30-minute warning, which was barely enough time to escape the wave, and for many disabled citizens, not enough time at all. The disabled are among the most vulnerable victims of the recent destruction in Japan. Yukiko and Shoji Nakanishi are members of a Japanese relief organization that is working tirelessly to provide shelter and evacuation support to northern Japan's disabled populations.

>>> To Listen to the (Uncaptioned/Untranscribed) Interview

From the Beacon Broadside (3.17.11):

Postcard from Japan: Disability and Disaster
by Suzanne Kamata

Whenever I case a new location, look at friends' vacation photos, or watch travelogues, I wonder about wheelchair accessibility. I wondered the same thing on Friday afternoon, watching disaster coverage on TV with my eleven-year-old daughter in Japan.

An hour earlier, when I went to pick her and her wheelchair up from school – the school for the deaf, which is housed in an aging four-story building with no elevator – her principal rushed out to my car to tell me to hurry home. He told me that a tsunami warning had been issued for Tokushima Prefecture...

>>> To Read Kamata's Full Account

What do Egypt, Libya and Wisconsin have to do with Disability Rights?

 From the National Disability Leadership Alliance (formerly JFAAN) (3.9.11):

***** Please forward to your lists and networks! *****

Hello all!

Please join us for the next Organizer's Forum!

TOPIC: Connecting Local Organizing with National and International Struggles...

"What do the labor struggle in Wisconsin and the protests in Egypt and Libya have to do with us?"

TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 1-2 pm Eastern Time (10-11 Pacific)

Call in number: 712-432-0080

Code: 193134#

Speakers:

Jason Glozier, Grassroots Organizer, Access to Independence, and ADAPT Organizer

Tim Sheehan, Executive Director, Center for Independent Living for Western Wisconsin

3rd speaker TBA to help us talk about what the protests in Egypt, Libya, etc. have to do with local disability rights organizing

Topics to be addressed include:

* Do folks involved in local disability rights work need to know about the labor union struggle in Wisconsin and the protests in Egypt, Libya, and other countries? Why is it important?

* How do we connect folks on a local level to these other struggles? How do we educate people?

* How do we use these struggles to inspire people to take action on a local level?

CART: The call will have real-time captioning (CART)! The website where you will be able to view the captioning is http://www.2020captioning.com/livefeed.php?event=AAPD  Thank you to the National Disabilty Leadership Alliance for sponsoring the captioning of this call.

NOTE: We have set up a listserv to allow everyone to easily get notices about the Organizer's Forum, called [email protected]. Please check your spam filter for an invitation that you may have received, or email [email protected] so I can add you.

Background:

The Organizing Workgroup of the National Disability Leadership Alliance (formerly JFAAN) hosts these calls the third Tuesday of every month as a resource for disability organizers, in an effort toward building the organizing capacity of the disability community across the country.  They  generally follow the format of a Welcome followed by 2-3 experts in a given area speaking for 10-20 minutes on their experiences, advice and challenges. The calls include a 20-30 minute question and answer period.

To ask questions via CART: Sign-in to the Chat function on the right side of the transcript and type your question.  One of the call facilitators will read out any questions posted there.

Because we want to maximize the generously donated CART services, we will begin the call promptly at 1pm and end the call promptly at 2pm (eastern time).  A few other reminders about call etiquette:
·         Say your name before each time you speak
·         Speak one at a time
·         Speak slowly and as clearly as possible

So you can mark your calendars now, Organizer’s Forums are held on the 3rd Tuesday of every month.  If you have suggestions for call topics or presenters for upcoming topics, please email them to [email protected] or [email protected].

Looking forward to talking with you all next Tuesday!

Jessica Lehman and Diane Coleman
Co-Chairs, National Organizing Workgroup

Russian Delegation Confers with AAPD

From AAPD (2.22.11):

AAPD Acting CEO, Helena Berger (lower right), and Senior Director for Government Affairs, Jenifer Simpson (center left), speak with Russian delegates about cross-disability collaboration. 

Disability Delegates from Samara Russia Confer with AAPD

By Jenifer Simpson, AAPD

On February 7, 2011, in a two-hour meeting, Helena Berger, AAPD Acting President and CEO, and Jenifer Simpson, Senior Director for Government Affairs, met with a delegation of ten disability organizational leaders from Samara, a city of over 3  million people on the Volga river and one of the larger, wealthier cities in Russia. The meeting was convened by Legacy International, an NGO focused on building the skills and capacity of non-profit organizations worldwide. The delegation included several executive directors, researchers and education heads from Samara’s charity organizations that provide services and supports to people with disabilities, with many providing services to children with disabilities and their parents. 

Conversation focused on advocacy skills for parents of children and young adults with disabilities, on the civil rights of people with disabilities and the challenges of employment and independent living.  The Russians were particularly interested in how AAPD is a cross-disability organization and the programs on leadership and development of young people with disabilities and disability mentoring. There were also very interested in how AAPD is funded with some conversation focused on the annual AAPD gala, how AAPD works with the private sector to influence company policies internally, and how companies support AAPD. The delegates said they thought AAPD’s approach was “creative and unusual” and said they had elicited many ideas to take back with them. They were interested in building further relationships with AAPD and other disability organizations, particularly on solving common employment issues.

For more on AAPD International Activities, please contact [email protected]

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

Deaf Rapper Gains Popularity

From the JFA Moderator (12.10.10):

Deaf Rapper Bridges Divides

Signmark, a Deaf Rapper from Finland, came to New York City to do a "Silent Shout," an action for human rights connecting people from around the world who are experiencing oppression.  Signmark says he was drawn to rap and hip-hop because he identifies with the feelings of being over looked and needing to fight to be heard. He has been traveling the globe using music and sign from the US to Kazakhstan, from Japan to New Zealand.  His music features strong, deep beats and an optimistic message.  His performances are energetic and draw diverse crowds.  The first deaf rapper to be offered a record deal, he has released two albums and has started a business focused on education and media to counteract prejudice.

Signmark - Smells Like Victory from Signmark on Vimeo.

>>> For Signmark's Website

>>> Watch a video of Signmark's "Against the Wall"

>>> Watch the (Uncaptioned) CBS Piece on Signmark

NCD Partners with State Department Recognizing International Day of Persons with Disabilities

From The National Council on DIsability (12.2.10):

NEWS RELEASE

National Council on Disability Partners with U.S. Department of State to Recognize International Day of Persons with Disabilities

WASHINGTON—The National Council on Disability (NCD) is cosponsoring three panel discussions with the U.S. Department of State in observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3. The panels will include discussions on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), violence against women and girls with disabilities, and HIV/AIDS and disability.

The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3 was established by the International Year for Disabled Persons in 1981. The Day is set aside to promote a better understanding of disability issues with a focus on the rights of people with disabilities and societal gains that come from the integration of people with disabilities in every aspect of the political, social, economic, and cultural life of their communities. The World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons developed the goal of full and effective participation of people with disabilities in society and development, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1982.
 
”NCD has a long and rich history of involvement with the international community in advocating for the rights of all people with disabilities. We are proud to have worked in collaboration with so many on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which was adopted in 2006 and signed by the United States. We must continue to work together to create measurable goals to increase the inclusion of people with disabilities in every corner of the globe,” said Joan Durocher, NCD’s General Counsel and Director of Policy, who presented at the World Standards Cooperation accessibility workshop held recently in Geneva, Switzerland. NCD also participated in the recent meeting of the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICT (G3ICT) forum co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and George Washington University, where Ms. Durocher discussed NCD’s upcoming overseas accessibility study, which examines Article 32 of the CRPD and the inclusion of people with disabilities around the world.

According to NCD Chairman Jonathan Young, “We are delighted that this collaboration continues today with NCD participating in the State Department’s observance of International Day of Persons with Disabilities. It is our intention to continue to work with people with disabilities around the world to achieve equal opportunities to better themselves as they live, learn and earn their way to success as they define it.”

“It is estimated that there are 50 million people with disabilities in the United States and 650 million people with disabilities worldwide. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we know that our work is far from over. We have made great accomplishments in this country and around the world, but much more needs to be done,” said NCD Executive Director Aaron Bishop.

NCD is an independent federal agency charged with advising the President, Congress, and other federal officials and entities on all policies, programs, practices and procedures affecting people with disabilities. NCD’s mission is to further the goals enshrined in the ADA of 1990: equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for all people with disabilities. NCD also provides technical assistance on disability issues to countries around the world.