National Council on Disability Monthly Bulletin for January 2010

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the National Council on Disability's monthly bulletin for December 2006:

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

NCD Conducts Houston Quarterly Meeting

NCD held its winter quarterly meeting in Houston, TX, January 19–21, 2010, and was welcomed on the first day by Houston Mayor Annise Parker.

NCD also heard from several speakers on January 19, including: Lex Frieden, Professor of Health Informatics and Professor of Rehabilitation, University of Texas at Houston, Houston, TX; John McCann, Transition Specialist, Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, Austin, TX; and Linda Johnson, Transition Consultant, Division for Blind Services, Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services, Austin, TX.

Housing Report Released

That same day, NCD released its latest report on housing entitled The State of Housing in America in the 21st Century: A Disability Perspective, which provides recommendations to improve housing opportunities for people with disabilities.

The research contained in this report provides a comprehensive overview of the state of housing in the twenty-first century and answers important questions about the current housing needs and options for people with disabilities living in the United States.  

Presenters at the release included: Janet Smith, Co-Director, Nathalie P. Voorhees Center and Associate Professor, Urban Planning and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL; and Jean Langendorf, Vice President, Community and Housing Services, Easter Seals Central Texas, Austin, TX.

NCD will continue its rollout of the housing report starting with an event at Access Living in Chicago on February 23 which will include consumers, advocates, policymakers and public officials. Following its Chicago release, briefings will be held in Washington.  

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

On January 20, Tony Koosis, Independent Living Program Director, Houston Center for Independent Living, Houston, TX, welcomed NCD.  

Presenters that day included: Bill Burnell, Manager, Customer First and Regulatory Programs, Continental Airlines, Houston, TX; Kathy Martinez, Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, DC; Colonel William Salter, Commander, Fort Hood Warrior Transition Brigade, Killeen, TX; Becky Hooper, Program Manager, Center for the Intrepid, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX; Phil Jenkins, Business Development Executive and Senior Engineer, Human Ability & Accessibility Center, IBM Research, Austin, TX; and Barbara Epperson, Attorney at Law, Houston, TX.

Workforce Infrastructure Report Released

NCD also released its report titled Workforce Infrastructure in Support of People with Disabilities: Matching Human Resources to Service Needs, calling for policymakers at all levels of government to proactively address current shortages and examine how labor market changes are driving both current and future supply.

The presenter for the release was Martha Artiles, Global Chief Diversity Officer, Manpower, Inc., San Jose, CA.

For additional information on the workforce report, please contact Martin Gould at [email protected].

Emergency Management Update

In response to the overwhelming popularity of NCD's 2009 emergency management report, NCD has created a new Web page, Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities—In the Public Eye, to highlight some of the report's impact. NCD has continued to witness a dramatic increase in opportunities and requests for its participation in briefings, hearings, media interviews, conference and workshop presentations, and community outreach and research dissemination related to emergency management. In addition, NCD has fielded repeated requests for follow-up to the report for: next steps research; filling the gaps in policy analysis; and, for ensuring that the community-at-large can easily access and utilize the report's comprehensive material.

The new Web page for the emergency management report will be updated as other report impacts occur.

National Summit on Disability Policy 2010

The NCD-sponsored National Summit on Disability Policy will take place July 25–27, 2010, at the Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel, 999 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC.

This National Summit is an invitation-only, working meeting to develop recommendations to guide improvements in disability policy and programs for the next decade.

Hosted by NCD, this 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.

Applications were received from more than 1,700 people who applied for 300 delegate slots. The selection process was completed in November and notification of selected participants will begin in early February.

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; the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board; RESNA; the Social Security Administration; and Suntrust Bank. Watch the Summit Web site as additional sponsors are posted. 

For more information, please visit the Summit FAQs page.

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

Disability Community Mourns a Loss of Judi Chamberlin

The disability community mourns the passing of Judi Chamberlin, an advocate for all ages who died on January 16. She was a true champion and leader for the rights of people with psychiatric disabilities. Judy helped draft NCD's 2008 paper Inclusive Livable Communities for People with Psychiatric Disabilities and NCD's 2000 report From Privileges to Rights: People with Psychiatric Disabilities Speak for Themselves. Limited hard copies of the 2000 report are also available on a first-come basis by contacting NCD at [email protected].

NCD Speakers Bureau

All NCD Board Members are available to make presentations at conferences and meetings. Requests should be directed to Mark S. 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