NCD's monthly bulletin for December, 2009

NCD - 31 Years of Disability Policy Leadership - 1978-2009

Following is the National Council on Disability's monthly bulletin for December 2009:

NCD to Release Two Reports at Houston Quarterly Meeting

NCD's next quarterly meeting will take place at the JW Marriott Houston, 5150 Westheimer, Houston, TX, beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 19, 2010, and ending at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, January 21, 2010. This meeting is open to the public.

During the meeting, NCD will release two of its latest reports: The State of Housing in America in the 21st Century: A Disability Perspective and Workforce Infrastructure in Support of People with Disabilities.

The housing release will be held on Tuesday, January 19 from 4:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. The presenters will include Jean Langendorf, Vice President, Community and Housing Services, Easter Seals Central Texas, and Janet Smith, Co-Director, Nathalie P. Voorhees Center and Associate Professor, Urban Planning and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago.

The workforce release will be held on Wednesday, January 20 from 9:15 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. The presenter will be Martha Artiles, Global Chief Diversity Officer, Manpower, Inc., San Jose, CA.

The quarterly meeting agenda will also include, among other things, presentations by the Honorable Kathleen Martinez, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy and Lex Frieden, Professor of Health Informatics and Professor of Rehabilitation, University of Texas at Houston; presentations on emergency preparedness and youth with disabilities in transition.

A specific time is also designated to receive public comment, supported by a toll-free call-in line, and input is encouraged and greatly appreciated. Individuals or organizations can also provide written comments by e-mail, fax, or mail. A public comment session will be held Wednesday, January 20 from 11:30 a.m. until Noon, CST. The toll-free call-in number is (888) 790-6568, and the pass code is "NCD Meeting." Written comments on disability-related issues of concern or interest can also be emailed to [email protected] at any time.

A reception will also be held at the hotel for meeting participants, audience members, and stakeholders from the disability community on Wednesday, January 20 from Noon until 1:30 p.m. Additional details about the meeting will be posted on the NCD Web site at www.ncd.gov as soon as they become available. You will also find the meeting agenda posted there approximately 10 days before the meeting is scheduled, and written comments for Council consideration can be submitted at any time by writing to [email protected].

NCD's purpose is to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, and that empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society. To carry out this mandate we gather public and stakeholder input, including that received at our public meetings held around the country; review and evaluate federal programs and legislation; and provide the President, Congress, and federal agencies with advice and recommendations.

NCD believes it is vital to hear from communities around the country on what works and what does not for people with disabilities. This meeting will provide another opportunity for that exchange.

For more information, please contact NCD's Director of External Affairs, Mark S. Quigley, at [email protected] or by telephone at 202-272-2004 (V), 202-272-2074 (TTY), and please visit our Web site at www.ncd.gov. There you can also sign up to become a member of our extensive listserv, where you will get frequent updates about NCD activities, reports, and news of importance to the disability community nationwide.

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 1,776 people who applied for the 300 delegate slots. The selection process was completed in November and notification of selected participants will begin in January 2010.

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. Accommodations required for participation during the meeting will be supplied. 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.

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.

The Summit sponsors list continues to grow. To date, it includes NCD; AbilityOne; AHEAD; Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program, U.S. Department of Defense; Easter Seals Project ACTION, Federal Transit Administration; Gallaudet University/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 (Access Board); RESNA; and Suntrust Bank. Watch the Summit Web site as additional sponsors are posted.

For more information, please visit the Summit FAQs page.

Emergency Management Update

The response to NCD's August 12 release of the report, Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities has been very favorable. As a result of the report, NCD has witnessed a dramatic increase in opportunities and requests for our participation in briefings, hearings, media interviews, conference and workshop presentations, and community outreach and research dissemination. In addition, NCD has fielded repeated requests for follow-up to the August 12 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.

In response to interest in this report, and to renew its commitment to fulfilling its mandates under the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act, NCD has decided to partner with Oklahoma State University, Dr. Brenda D. Phillips, and Ms. Elizabeth Davis to conduct a set of second generation research activities as a follow-up to Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities. The work of this team of emergency management experts is slated to begin mid-December.

NCD will participate in the National Evacuation Conference (NEC) at the JW Marriott Hotel in New Orleans, February 3-5, 2010. This conference will bring together the fields of transportation and emergency management to discuss evacuation planning to accommodate the needs of all people before, during, and after a major disaster. The purpose of the conference is to foster an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas surrounding a broad range of evacuation issues, particularly mass evacuations prompted by disasters.

NCD has submitted an abstract that will be presented at the conference and will also submit a written paper for the conference proceedings that may be used as a possible journal article. Pat Pound, NCD First Vice Chairperson, and Martin Gould, Director of Research, will make a panel presentation discussing the findings and recommendations from NCD's emergency management report.

Additional information about people with disabilities and emergency management can be found at NCD's Lessons Learned page and in NCD's 2005 report, Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning.

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
• The State of Housing in America in the 21st Century -- expected to be released in January 2010
• Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act: Implementation Evaluation and Recommendations for Reauthorization -- expected to be released in early 2010
• Workforce Infrastructure in Support of People with Disabilities: Matching Human Resources to Service Needs -- expected to be released in January 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 and Speakers Bureau

NCD Board Member Katherine McCary was appointed by Governor Tim Kaine to the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD), which serves as Virginia's Developmental Disabilities (DD) Planning Council. DD Councils are in every state and territory of the United States. They work for the benefit of individuals with DD and their families to identify needs and help develop policies, programs and services that will meet these needs in a manner that respects dignity and independence. Ms. McCary serves on the VBPD Employment Committee.

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].

NCD Board Transition

On December 16, President Obama announced his intention to nominate eight individuals to NCD.

Future Quarterly Meetings

Winter 2010, January 19-21, Houston, TX

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.