National Council on Disability Monthly Bulletin for February 2010

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the National Council on Disability's monthly bulletin for February 2010:

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 ([email protected]).

NCD -- 32 Years of Disability Policy Leadership—1978–2010

Emergency Management Update

NCD's rollout of findings and recommendations from its 2009 report Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities continued on February 4, when NCD First Vice Chairperson Pat Pound and NCD Director of Research and Technology Martin Gould presented at the National Evacuation Conference in New Orleans, LA. Their presentation can be found at http://nationalevacuationconference.org/files/presentations/day1/Pat_Pound_and_Martin_Gould.pdf.

Housing Report

On February 23, NCD, along with the University of Illinois at Chicago and Access Living, held an event highlighting the release of NCD's housing report, The State of Housing in America in the 21st Century: A Disability Perspective, in Chicago, IL. Chicago Public Radio highlighted the event that morning http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=40211 and it was covered by Medill Reports Chicago that evening.

The report offers a comprehensive overview of housing and answers important questions about the current housing options for people with disabilities living in the United States. The NCD report is one of the most comprehensive national studies of housing for people with disabilities. NCD's Chairperson and First Vice Chairperson, Linda Wetters and Pat Pound, met with stakeholders the day before the event to discuss ways to use the report to implement new strategies to open up housing opportunities for people with disabilities. Lynne Grosso, Director of Enforcement, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, responded to NCD's recommendations at Tuesday's events. The publication includes detailed reports in several areas of affordable, accessible and integrated housing.

For more information about the housing report, please contact Joan Durocher at [email protected].

National Summit on Disability Policy 2010

The NCD-sponsored National Summit on Disability Policy is an invitation-only, working meeting to develop recommendations to guide improvements in disability policy and programs for the next decade. It will take place July 25–27, 2010, at the Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel, 999 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC.

The Summit commemorates the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Topics for discussion will include: Civil Rights, Education, Emergency Management, Employment, Healthcare, Housing, International Affairs, Statistics and Data, Telecommunications and Technology, and Transportation.

The invitations for those selected to participate in the Summit as delegates or alternates were sent out in February.

To help ensure full participation, a limited number of scholarships will be available for consumer delegates (individuals with disabilities not representing an organization). The scholarship will cover hotel and a pro-rated per diem amount for two or three days as needed to assist with meals not covered as part of the Summit. Each delegate will be responsible for travel and other expenses. Disability-related accommodations (such as CART, sign language interpreters, Braille, and electronic formats, etc.) required for participation during the meeting will be provided. Lodging expenses for a personal care attendant traveling with the delegate may also be requested. Scholarships will be awarded upon request once delegate selection is complete.

The hotel has a limited number of accessible guest rooms. These rooms will be reserved and guaranteed on a first-come, first-served basis, so get your reservation in early. If you can manage in a regular guest room but require a few minor adjustments such as removing the bathroom doors, rearranging the furniture, etc, please make your reservation by calling 1-800-468-3571 or 202-898-9000, mention that you are attending the NCD Summit and indicate your specific needs to the reservation clerk. If you must have an accessible room and they have all been reserved, please contact the NCD Summit Planning Team at 866-538-9521 or by email at [email protected] for a list of nearby hotels with accessible rooms.

For those interested in becoming sponsors, the National Summit offers a unique sponsorship opportunity that allows you to:

• Reach over 10,000 community organizations and people with disabilities by having your sponsorship displayed on notices publicizing the Summit.
• Reach over 300 national agencies and organizations by having your logo prominently displayed on Summit-related materials and at the meeting venue.
• Reach the wider network of the disability community by having your sponsorship recognized in meeting proceedings and documents with anticipated circulation throughout federal agencies, congressional offices, and the disability community.
• Enjoy the satisfaction of participating in and supporting an historic event.

You can select from a range of sponsorship levels offering varying benefits. Contact us at [email protected] or call 866-538-9521 ext.103 to become part of this outstanding event.

To date, the Summit sponsors list includes NCD; AbilityOne; AHEAD; Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program, U.S. Department of Defense; CVS Caremark; Easter Seals Project ACTION/Federal Transit Administration; Gallaudet Interpreting Services/Sorenson Video Relay Services; Goodwill Industries; HSC Foundation; Inglis Foundation; Kessler Foundation; National Industries for the Blind; Office of Disability and Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; RESNA; the Social Security Administration; Sprint Relay; and Suntrust Bank. Watch the Summit Web site as additional sponsors are posted.

For more information, please visit the Summit FAQs page http://www.neweditions.net/ncd2010/faqs.html.

Tribal Consultation

On February 5, 2010, NCD initiated its first Tribal Consultation plan to implement Executive Order 13175 as required in Presidential Memorandum of November 5, 2009. Representatives from the Consortia of Administrators of Native American Rehabilitation (CANAR) discussed as communication options face-to-face meetings, teleconferences, correspondences—and outreach to key organizations involving tribal leaders like the National Indian Health Board, National Indian Education Association, and National Congress of American Indians. NCD looks forward to partnering with CANAR as a bridge to meaningful and ongoing consultation about an array of disability policy issues impacting Tribal people, communities, programs, and services.

NCD Current Issues

NCD's list of current and proposed research projects includes studies and reports on:

• National Disability Policy: A Progress Report—expected to be released in early 2010
• Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act: Implementation Evaluation and Recommendations for Reauthorization—expected to be released in early 2010
• Towards the Full Inclusion of People with Disabilities: Examining the Accessibility of Overseas Facilities and Programs Funded by the United States
• Improving Access to Health Care, Special Education, and Long-Term Services for Marine Corps Family Members with Disabilities
• Keeping Up: Technology's Rapid Changes and Effects on People with Disabilities

NCD Member Activities

NCD First Vice Chairperson Pat Pound presented on February 8 to the Texas Housing and Health Services Coordination Council on NCD's most recent reports: The State of Housing in America in the 21st Century: A Disability Perspective; and Workforce Infrastructure in Support of People with Disabilities: Matching Human Resources with Service Needs.

NCD Second Vice Chairperson Marylyn Howe participated in the National Leadership Summit on Emergency Management and Assistive Technology Reutilization February 23–24 in Washington, DC. This invitation-only event is sponsored by the Pass It On Center, a national technical assistance center focused on the reutilization of assistive technology and funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

NCD Board Member Lonnie Moore returned to Iraq for a week as part of the Troops First Foundation, Operation Proper Exit. As part of this trip, he had the opportunity to meet with many of the troops in Iraq and discuss life after becoming a veteran with a disability. Mr. Moore also had the chance to see first hand the drastic improvements made in Iraq and how the country is continuing to improve itself as well as take over its own security.

NCD Board Member Anne M. Rader participated on February 3 in the "Opportunities for Community Development Finance in the Disability Market" conference at the Federal Reserve in Washington, DC.

All NCD Board Members are available to make presentations at conferences and meetings. Requests should be directed to Mark Quigley, National Council on Disability, 1331 F Street, NW, Suite 850, Washington, DC 20004 or by email to [email protected].

Future Quarterly Meetings

Spring 2010, April 26–28, Detroit, MI

Summer 2010, July 28–29, Washington, DC

Please visit NCD's Quarterly Meetings page for updated news about all meetings when that information becomes available.

About the NCD Bulletin

The Bulletin, which is also available at NCD's Web site, 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.

Editorial comments can be sent to Bulletin editor Mark S. Quigley at [email protected].

SOURCE National Council on Disability