National Council on Disability Monthly Bulletin for November, 2007

    WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the National
 Council on Disability's monthly bulletin for November, 2007:
 
     The "Bulletin," which is free of charge and at NCD's award-winning Web
 site (http://www.ncd.gov), brings you the latest issues and news affecting
 people with disabilities. To subscribe to the NCD listserv, go to
 http://listserv.access.gpo.gov, click on "Online mailing list archives,"
 select "NCD-NEWS-L," click on "Join or leave the list," then complete the
 short subscription form. Please send your editorial comments to "Bulletin"
 editor Mark S. Quigley (mquigley@ncd.gov..' target='_blank' title='(mquigley@ncd.gov..'>(mquigley@ncd.gov...
     NCD Releases Employment Recommendations
     At a news conference on October 1, the first day of National Disability
 Employment Awareness Month, NCD released a report that presents the best
 practices in the public and private sectors and the promising public
 policies and initiatives that increase employment opportunities for people
 with disabilities.
     The employment rate of working-age people with disabilities remains
 only half that of people without disabilities (38 percent compared with 78
 percent in 2005).
     The report, Empowerment for Americans with Disabilities: Breaking
 Barriers to Careers and Full Employment, comprehensively reviews the issues
 integral to the employment of people with disabilities. It has two broad
 aims: 1) to summarize the existing knowledge regarding the employment of
 people with disabilities in a series of short issue briefs; and 2) to
 present new information on the perspectives of employers, people with
 disabilities, and disability specialists on the key barriers and
 facilitators of employment.
     News conference speakers included Linda Wetters, NCD Member, Columbus,
 OH; Ted Childs, Principal, Ted Childs, LLC, South Salem, NY; Bobby Coward,
 Chairman, Capitol Area ADAPT, DC; Richard Horne, Supervisory Research
 Analyst, Research and Evaluation Team, Office of Disability and Employment
 Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, DC; and Doug Kruse, Ph.D., Principal
 Investigator, Rutgers University, Program for Disability Research,
 Piscataway, NJ.
     The entire report with findings and recommendations can be found at
 http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/NCDEmployment_20071001.htm or
     http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/pdf/ncd94_Employment_2007
 1001.pdf.
 
     NCD Releases Livable Communities Proceedings
     On October 1, NCD posted the proceedings from its news conference of
 October 31, 2006, where NCD released its report, Creating Livable
 Communities
 (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/livable_communities.htm or
 http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/pdf/livable_communities.pdf).
 The event was co-hosted by NCD and AARP at AARP world headquarters in
 Washington, DC. The event included two expert panel discussions. Panelists
 commented on the report findings and shared their views about what adults
 with disabilities and seniors need in order to live in the community with
 independence, choice, and control, and what the public and private sectors
 as well as consumers can do to help communities become more livable.
     The event's cosponsors underscored the point that the disability
 community and aging network have much in common. By 2030, one in five
 people in the United States will be over the age of 65. Currently, more
 than 4.7 million Americans aged 65 years or older have a sensory disability
 involving sight or hearing, and more than 6.7 million have difficulty going
 outside the home. As the elderly population grows, it is likely that the
 number of people aged 65 and older with disabilities also will grow,
 particularly among those 75 years of age and older. Therefore, it makes
 sense for the disability community and aging community to work together,
 align goals, and share resources to address the challenges ahead.
     NCD and AARP agree that the livable community concept is central to the
 goal of fostering independence, choice, and control for people with
 disabilities and seniors. The livable community concept has been a key
 focus of NCD's recent work. Communities in the United States are facing
 increasingly difficult choices and decisions about how to grow, plan for
 change, and improve the quality of life for all citizens, including people
 with disabilities. NCD believes that, for the promise of full integration
 into the community to become a reality, people with disabilities need safe
 and affordable housing, access to transportation, access to the political
 process, and the right to enjoy whatever services, programs, and activities
 are offered to all members of the community by both public and private
 entities.
     The entire proceedings can be found at
 http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/livable_communities_10-01-07.
 htm or
 http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/pdf/livable_communities_10-01
 -07.pdf.
     UN G3ict Update
     NCD is a contributing chapter author in the recently released book
 titled The Accessibility Imperative. The NCD chapter is based on its 2004
 report Design for Inclusion
 (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2004/online_newmarketplace.htm).
 The Accessibility Imperative is the first publication to offer a
 comprehensive overview of the many implications of the United Nations
 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for Information and
 Communication Technologies. A milestone in documenting the ever-increasing
 global challenges of information communication technologies accessibility
 for people living with disabilities, The Accessibility Imperative will
 serve as the foundation of the ongoing international dialogue established
 by G3ict -- the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and
 Communication Technologies -- among multiple stakeholders. This
 multi-authored book explores how to best implement the dispositions of the
 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities from the perspective
 of people living with disabilities, industry, governments, and
 international institutions. It includes the full text of the Convention and
 a compendium of case studies.
     Legislative Update
     On October 4, the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on the
 Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties held a hearing on the ADA
 Restoration Act of 2007 (H.R.3195), a bill that would restore the intent
 and protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.
     Among other things, the bill amends the ADA to: (1) redefine
 "disability" as a physical or mental impairment, a record of such an
 impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment; and (2) to
 define additional terms, including "mental impairment" and "physical
 impairment." The bill also requires that the Act's provisions be broadly
 construed.
     NCD's executive director Michael C. Collins was among those providing
 testimony to the Committee. His testimony can be found at
     http://judiciary.house.gov/HearingTestimony.aspx?ID=591.
     H.R. 3195 is sponsored by Representative Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) with 232
 cosponsors and was introduced July 26, 2007. It was referred to the House
 Education and Labor, Judiciary, Transportation and Infrastructure, and
 Energy and Commerce committees.
     The Senate companion bill, S. 1881, is sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin
 (D-IA) with two cosponsors; it was also introduced on July 26, 2007. It was
 referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
     NCD Welcomes New Staff Member
     On October 29, Lisa Grubb joined the NCD staff as special assistant to
 the executive director. Prior to joining NCD, Ms. Grubb was a key
 participant in Virginia's efforts to implement changes in state policies
 for people with disabilities. Ms. Grubb has represented Virginia nationally
 in her role as executive director of Virginia's Statewide Independent
 Living Council. Prior to her career in advancing disability rights, Ms.
 Grubb was instrumental in creating and implementing Individual Development
 Accounts in Tennessee.
     NCD Advisory Committee Members Honored
     Congratulations to two NCD advisory committee members who were recently
 honored for their contributions and leadership. They are Bobby Coward and
 Daman Wandke.
     Bobby Coward, a member of NCD's Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee,
 received an award at the 2007 celebration and awards reception of the
 Protection and Advocacy Agency in Washington, DC. Besides serving on the
 CDAC, Bobby is executive director of his own corporation, DIRECT Action,
 and chair and spokesperson for Capital Area ADAPT. He is also a past
 recipient of the Justin Dart Award.
 
     Youth Advisory Committee member Daman Wandke is a semifinalist for the
 American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) 2008 Paul G. Hearne
 Award. The AAPD award recognizes young leaders.
     Former NCD Board Member Honored
     Former NCD board member John D. Kemp was honored by being one of seven
 recipients of the 2007 Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award
 for his exceptional commitment to helping Americans with disabilities
 succeed in the workplace. Congratulations, John.
     Quarterly Meetings
     NCD's fall quarterly meeting will take place at the Hyatt Regency
 Boston, One Avenue de LaFayette, Boston, Massachusetts, on Thursday,
 November 29, 2007, from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.; Friday, November 30 from
 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.; and Saturday, December 1 from 8:15 a.m. until
 11:15 a.m.
     Public comment sessions will be held Thursday, November 29 from 4:30
 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. and on Friday, November 30 from 1:00 p.m. until 1:30
 p.m. A toll-free call-in line will also be available to the public during
 those times. A reception for all meeting participants, audience members,
 and people with disabilities from the community will be held on Thursday
 afternoon from 5:00 p.m. until to 6:30 p.m.
     As part of the November 29 agenda, NCD will conduct a panel discussion
 on emergency preparedness from 1:15 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. and a panel on
 assistive technology and universal design from 3:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.
 For more information, please contact Mark Quigley at mquigley@ncd.gov..' target='_blank' title='(mquigley@ncd.gov..'>(mquigley@ncd.gov..
     NCD's winter quarterly meeting will be held January 28 - January 30,
 2008, at the New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center, 859 Convention
 Center Boulevard, New Orleans, LA.
     These meetings are free of charge and open to the public. People with
 disabilities are encouraged to attend and participate in the daily public
 comment segments of the meeting. The agendas will be posted at
 http://www.ncd.gov/ prior to each meeting.
 
 
 

SOURCE National Council on Disability