PAGE 1 JUNE 2013-NEW YORK ABLE NEWSPAPER VOLUME 19 NUMBER 1 JUNE 2013 THE NEWSPAPER POSITIVELY FOR, BY & ABOUT THE DISABLED IN THIS ISSUE VISIT ABLE'S WEBSITE WWW. ABLENEWS.COM Ne Ne Ne Ne Ne w w w w w Y Y Y or or or or or k k k AWARD-WINNING URGING OBAMA Organizers Say Prez. Reneged on Promises ADAPT protesters rally in Washington, D.C. Continued on page 14 F orty-one protesters were recently arrested after crashing through barri- cades and blocking the east en- trance outside the White House during a rally that was part of ADAPT’s week-long visit to Washington, D.C. The rally was meant to urge Pres. Barack Obama to support legislation that provides commu- nity-based alternatives to institu- tional placement for people with disabilities, something that ADAPT claims is sorely lacking in his administration. “The president has not taken the initiative to proactively cham- pion community living or the in- novative Medicaid programs that could make it a reality,” said Josue Rodriguez, ADAPT orga- nizer of Memphis. “In nearly ev- ery way, Pres. Obama and his ad- ministration have failed to live up to the promises about community living that he made during his presidential campaigns.” “I would tell the president to make the Community First Choice Option a mandate so that the Medicaid funds are not auto- matically spent on expensive nursing homes,” said Tom Earl, director of Liberty Resources in Busing Proposal Senate Bill Addresses Children of PWD PAGE 3 LTCCC Report NYS Nursing Homes Fail on Many Levels PAGE 3 Seeking Jobs DOL Joins with HERC To Increase Workforce PAGE 4 Restoration Act 2013 Law Focuses on SSI Benefits PAGE 5 Proposed Legislation Addabbo Wants $$$ Back in State Budget PAGE 5 City And State Sued Agencies Out Of Compliance PAGE 6 Sports Basketball and Wheelchair Games PAGE 16
Transcript
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VOLUME 19 NUMBER 1 JUNE 2013
THE NEWSPAPER POSITIVELY FOR, BY & ABOUT THE DISABLED
IN THIS ISSUE
VISITABLE'S
WEBSITEWWW. ABLENEWS.COM
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URGING OBAMAOrganizers Say Prez. Reneged on Promises
ADAPT protesters rally in Washington, D.C.
Continued on page 14
Forty-one protesters wererecently arrested aftercrashing through barri-
cades and blocking the east en-trance outside the White Houseduring a rally that was part ofADAPT’s week-long visit toWashington, D.C.
The rally was meant to urgePres. Barack Obama to supportlegislation that provides commu-nity-based alternatives to institu-
tional placement for people withdisabilities, something thatADAPT claims is sorely lackingin his administration.
“The president has not takenthe initiative to proactively cham-pion community living or the in-novative Medicaid programs thatcould make it a reality,” saidJosue Rodriguez, ADAPT orga-nizer of Memphis. “In nearly ev-ery way, Pres. Obama and his ad-
ministration have failed to live upto the promises about communityliving that he made during hispresidential campaigns.”
“I would tell the president tomake the Community FirstChoice Option a mandate so thatthe Medicaid funds are not auto-matically spent on expensivenursing homes,” said Tom Earl,director of Liberty Resources in
Busing ProposalSenate Bill AddressesChildren of PWD
PAGE 3
LTCCC ReportNYS Nursing HomesFail on Many Levels
PAGE 3
Seeking JobsDOL Joins with HERCTo Increase Workforce
PAGE 4
Restoration Act 2013Law Focuses onSSI Benefits
PAGE 5
Proposed LegislationAddabbo Wants $$$Back in State Budget
PAGE 5
City And State SuedAgencies OutOf Compliance
PAGE 6
SportsBasketball andWheelchair Games
PAGE 16
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Published ByMelmont Printing
PublisherAngela Miele Melledy
EDITORIAL STAFFAssistant
Allison Howe
Staff WritersBeth Guarino (emirita)
Emily KellerNorman Smith
COLUMNISTSDisabled in Action
T.K. SmallEdith Prentiss
Anthony TrocchiaTask Force
Assemblymember Michael CusickUnited Spinal Association
N.Y. ABLE NEWSPAPERP.O. BOX 395, OLD BETHPAGE, NY 11804
516 939-2253FAX 516 939-0540www.ablenews.com
The Deadline for Editorialand Advertising for the
July Issue of AbleIs June 11.
LETTERSTO THEEDITOR
United Cerebral Palsy(UCP) recently pre-sented itschief executive officer of NewYork City, Edward Matthews,with the 2013 Kathleen O.Maul Leadership Award at theUCP annual conference inCalifornia.
Matthews was recognizedfor his dedication and long his-tory of working to improve theservices for people with dis-abilities, including participat-ing in the overhaul of NewYork state’s Medicaid systemand serving on the steeringcommittee to implement thePeople First Waiver.
“For more than 20 years, Edhas served as the CEO of UCPof New York City, leading andgrowing that affiliate into oneof the strongest in the country,and he is a shining example ofUCP’s mission to advance theindependence, productivityand full citizenship of peoplewith a spectrum of disabili-ties,” said UCP PresidentStephen Bennett.
“The Kathy Maul Award isvery meaningful personallyand professionally,” saidMatthews. “To me, it repre-sents the values that Kathyand UCP have always stoodfor.
I am honored to join my dis-tinguished friends and col-leagues who have been recipi-ents.”
The award is presented to anexceptional chief executive ofa UCP affiliate in memory ofKathy Maul, an executive di-rector at UCP of Suffolk whodied at a young age and left alegacy of strong leadership andcommitment to UCP.
UCP Honors New York’s Ed Matthews
Letters PolicyLetters to the editor and columnsdo not necessarily reflect theviews of the publisher. All lettersmust be accompanied by name,address and phone numbers.
To the Editor,The Taxis For All Campaign
is very disappointed that the CityCouncil will not vote on Intro.433-A, Council MemberKoppell’s proposal for a gradualtransition to an 100 percent ac-cessible yellow-taxi fleet. The billhad a veto-proof majority of spon-sors.
Unfortunately, this week theCouncil Member had decided tomove forward with a much dif-ferent proposal than Intro. 433-A, in part because SpeakerQuinn would not support Intro.433-A. His new proposal wouldhave made the accessibility re-quirement null and void if thecost of running an accessible taxiwas 5 percent or higher than anon-accessible taxi. That’s a loop-hole big enough to
drive a fleet of cabs through.The Council’s new bill put a
price tag on civil rights, which noone should accept. However, wedid suggest the Council include
a way of mitigating the cost ofaccessible taxis so that highercosts to taxi purchasers would beoffset — a reasonable proposalthat has support in the taxi in-dustry. However, Council Mem-ber Koppell and, apparently,Speaker Quinn rejected this ap-proach.
This is not over. UnderSpeaker Quinn, the number ofaccessible taxis has remained
stuck at about 231 since 2007 outof 13, 237 taxis. That’s a recordthat must change.
Edith Prentiss, chair,Taxis For All Campaign
New York City’s UCP CEO EdwardMatthews, right, spent time withUCP President Stephen Bennett,after receiving a leadership awardat UCP’s conference in California.
Sen. Tony Avella (D-Dist. 11), left, spent time with staff and resi-dents of Queens Centers for Progress (QCP) before they set out ontheir five-mile trek for the annual QCP fundraising walk.
Avella, an advocate for the disabled, served as grand marshalland official ribbon cutter for the event, which included about 250participants who walked from QCP in Jamaica to Kissena Park andback. Many high school students throughout the area took part inthe walk, including Richmond Hill High School, which raised themost money. Proceeds will enhance QCP programs for people inQueens County who have developmental disabilities.
Walk Benefits Queens Centers
Sen. Joseph Addabbo, Jr.(D-Dist. 15) recently votedin the Senate Education
Committee to approve legislation(bill S.738) which would enableparents who are physically dis-abled to obtain bus service fortheir children, even if their closeproximity to the school would oth-erwise make them ineligible fromreceiving the service.
The bill is meant to providetransportation for students incases where their parent is un-able to walk or drive them in or-der to ensure that their childrenarrive safely to school each day.Under the legislation, school dis-tricts would agree to providetransportation on a case-by-casebasis, based on proof of theparent’s disability. Currently,state law specifies that school bustransportation does not need tobe provided to children from kin-
dergarten through eighth gradeif they live within two miles oftheir school, and it is also not pro-vided for high school students if
their home is within three milesof their school building.
“In these cases most kids eitherget a ride to school from their par-ents or may walk to their schoolif they have adult supervision tokeep them safe from harm,” saidAddabbo, who was recently reap-pointed to the Senate EducationCommittee. “However, if a child’sparents are physically disabledand cannot drive or accompanythe child to school, something
The Long Term Care Com-munity Coalition (LTCCC) hasreleased a report on 18 NewYork nursing homes that failedto meet minimum standards inthe first quarter of 2013.
Although none of the homesreceived federal penalties, 11of them were fined by the state,and corrective or punitive ac-tions were taken against sevenothers that put their residentsin jeopardy or provided sub-standard quality of care.LTCCC is also reporting on ac-tions taken by the attorneygeneral’s Medicaid Fraud Con-
Nursing Homes Sanctioned Across New York Statetrol Unit (MFCU), which pros-ecutes cases of resident abusein nursing homes, and the Of-fice of the Medicaid InspectorGeneral (OMIG), which is re-sponsible for ensuring thatproviders participating in theMedicare and Medicaid pro-grams who abuse their posi-tions are excluded from thoseprograms.
MFCU findings include fal-sified patient treatmentrecords, resident abuse, misap-propriation of patient funds andpoor care resulting in harm toan elderly resident. The OMIG
cases included stealing narcot-ics and money from residents,failing to provide care and fal-sifying records.
For on specific nursinghomes and sanctions visitwww.nursinghome411.org/?articleid=10011.
The U.S. Department of La-bor (DOL) will fund four toeight cooperative agreementstotaling nearly $18 million toimprove educational, trainingand employment opportunitiesfor individuals with disabili-ties.
The grants represent thefourth round of fundingthrough the Disability Employ-ment Initiative (DEI), which isjointly funded and adminis-tered by the Employment andTraining Administration andthe Office of Disability Em-ployment Policy. To date, thedepartment has awardedgrants totaling more than $63million in 23 states.
DOL to Provide Employment Grants“The Disability EmploymentInitiative is working to put jobseekers with disabilities towork,” said acting Secretary ofLabor Seth Harris. “Throughthe American Job Center sys-tem, DEI programs in 23states, and more to come withthese additional grants, areproviding people with disabili-ties a broad range of services.”
Funds will be awarded tostate workforce agencies to col-laborate with workforce invest-ment boards in local areas.Awards will range from $1.5 to$6 million each to be spent dur-ing a three-year period.
Grant applications are avail-able at www.doleta.gov/grants.
Bill Proposes Busing for Kids of Disabled Parentsneeds to be done to help the fam-ily out and make sure that stu-dents get to classes safely. Everychild deserves a chance to go to
school and to get there safely, andall parents deserve the peace ofmind that their children are ableto get an education without fall-ing prey to harm on the way totheir classrooms.”
The legislation was ap-proved in the Senate Educa-tion Committee and will headto the Senate Finance Commit-tee for approval. A similar billwas passed by the Legislaturelast year, but Gov. Andrew
Cuomo (D-N.Y.) vetoed it.“I’m constrained from approv-
ing this bill, not because I don’tshare the sponsors’ concerns, butbecause I oppose taking away thepower of district residents to de-termine what transportation, atadditional cost, would be appro-priate in their communities,”stated Cuomo in his veto mes-sage.
“I know that other school dis-tricts just do it,” said HarveyWeisenberg (D-Dist. 20), a sup-porter of the measure. “I’ve beenrepeatedly asking if we need astate law to obtain decency. Thewill of the school districts is pre-venting passage of the bill in theAssembly.
As a former special educationteacher and parent of a disabledchild, I just don’t understand it –other districts around the countydo it.”
“I just don’t understand it – other districtsaround the county do it.”
-HARVEY WEISENBERG(D-DIST. 20)
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Ben Trockman, center, recently visited with Rep. Larry Bucshon(R-Ind.), second from left, during his recent trip to Washington, D.C.,where he lobbied for airline accessibility for individuals with physi-cal disabilities.
It took him 12 hours to travel there by car from his home in Indi-ana, because flying is not an option for him, due to airlines’ insis-tence that he transfer to their small wheelchair that will fit down theaisle of the airplane and that his motorized wheelchair be shippedalong with other baggage. The 24-year-old committee member ofEaster Seals, who was left paralyzed after a motorcycle accident in2006, is advocating for airlines to make accommodations for mo-torized chairs.
Previously, he spoke before the Indiana House and Senate andwas instrumental in getting a resolution passed. He also started anonline petition that already has more than 1400 signatures.
Trockman was accompanied, left to right, by his mother Jill,brother Josh and father Wayne.
The Labor Department’s(DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy
(ODEP) and the Higher Educa-tion Recruitment Consortium(HERC) have recently joinedforces to increase the employ-ment of people with disabilitiesin higher education.
ODEP’s Assistant SecretaryKathy Martinez and PaulaAlfone, mid-Atlantic director ofHERC, signed an alliance agree-ment that will serve to increaserecruitment, retention and ad-vancement at colleges, hospitals,research labs, government agen-cies and related organizations.This collaboration is an out-growth of last year’s higher edu-cation sector summit held byODEP in conjunction with theCollege and University Profes-sional Association. Summit pan-
elists and participants exploredthe reasons that people with dis-abilities are underrepresentedamong the faculty and staff of in-stitutions of higher learning.
“It is critical to correct this im-balance, because students, bothwith and without disabilities,benefit from having teachers andmentors who reflect society’swide diversity and talent,” saidMartinez. “This alliance will helpus develop strategies for increas-ing employment opportunities.
“HERC views its alliancewith ODEP as critical to itsmission of helping our 600member organizations recruitand retain the most talentedand diverse workforce, includ-ing people with disabilities,”said Nancy Aeber-sold,HERC’s founder and executivedirector.
DOL & HERC Form AllianceMan Fights To Fly
Health and Human Services(HHS) Secretary KathleenSebelius recently announcedpartnerships with several phar-macies to help consumers learnabout new Medicare benefitsavailable to them under the Af-fordable Care Act (ACA).
“Our pharmacy partners arehelping their customers make in-formed health care decisions,”said Sebelius. “These partner-ships will help people with Medi-care learn more about new pre-ventive services such asmammograms and the new an-nual wellness visits that areavailable at no charge for every-one with Medicare.”
These partnerships, with CVSCaremark, Walgreens, ThriftyWhite, Walmart and Sam’s Club,will provide a range of educa-tional materials on preventive
Pharmacies Help Spread the Wordservices and savings on the pre-scription drug coverage gap.
Several steps are being takenas part of this initiative. CVSCaremark is distributing mate-rial about new preventive ser-vices covered at no cost to ben-eficiaries at its more than 7,300stores and 600 MinuteClinic lo-cations, through brochures, reg-ister receipt messages andonline.
Thrifty White Pharmacy isproviding information on preven-tive services at its 85 locationsthroughout the Midwest. Wal-greens is distributing informa-tion in nearly 8,000 pharmaciesand more than 350 Take CareClinic locations, as well as usingin-store announcements. HHS isworking with Walmart andSam’s Club to provide healthcareinformation online.
Legal Counsel ForPersons With Disabilities
And Their Families
Protecting YourRights Concerning:
Kassoff, Robert & Lerner, LLP
Estate Planning For Persons With Disabilities
• Asset Preservation • Supplemental Needs Trusts
• Medicaid and Medicare• Social Security
• Wills and Guardianships
Chair, New York State BarAssociation Elder Law Section
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Edgemere Inn on the little Peconic Bay
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A Wheelchair Accessible B&B in Southampton
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R ep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) recently intro-duced the Supplemen-
tal Security Income RestorationAct of 2013 (H.R. 1601), whichwould protect low-income indi-viduals with disabilities andthe elderly.
“Rep. Grijalva and House co-sponsors should be congratu-lated for their leadership in pre-senting the SSI RestorationAct,” said Neal Winston, amember of the National Acad-emy of Elder Law Attorneys
Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Dist. 15) is co-sponsoring legis-lation (S.4777/A.6692) thatseeks to restore cuts made toprograms for individuals withdevelopmental disabilities inthe recently adopted 2013-2014state budget.
“While the Office for PeopleWith Developmental Disabili-ties (OPWDD) was originallyslated for a $120 million cut inthe new budget, I find it repre-hensible that we were only ableto restore $30 million for these
Legislation Aimed at Raising SSI Benefits(NAELA). “Over the past fourdecades, SSI has become themost important governmentprogram for bare subsistencefor the poorest of our aged,blind and disabled citizens, andyet the allowable income andresource standards are lockedat 1972 levels, while inflationhas significantly reduced thevalue of these amounts.”
More than 8 million Ameri-cans rely on SSI for their dailysurvival. However, a growingnumber of older SSI recipients
are homeless, because of theoutdated financial restrictions.The SSI Restoration Act seeksto align the SSI program withmodern day rates of inflation byupdating the income disregardand the resource limit.“Modernizing these benefits toalign with today’s cost of livingwill help improve the quality oflife for older Americans and in-dividuals with disabilities,”said NAELA President-electHoward Krooks. “SSI is a criti-cal benefit that protects low-
income seniors and individualswith disabilities from absolutepoverty, but the current ben-efits and transfer rules make ittoo difficult for these individu-als and their families to handleunpredictable costs and ad-equately plan for the future.”
The legislation is stronglysupported by NAELA, the Con-sortium for Citizens with Dis-abilities and the LeadershipCouncil of Aging Organizations,as well as other prominent na-tional advocacy organizations.
Senator Seeks Restoration of Funds Cut in State Budgetservices, basically chopping $90million in state support fromsome of our most important pro-grams serving some of our mostfragile residents,” said Addabbo.“Even worse, when federalmatching funds for these ser-vices are factored in, these pro-grams for disabled children andadults are actually taking a$180 million hit. In a state bud-get that totals $135 billion, I findit pretty hard to believe that wecouldn’t come up with another$90 million to avoid decimating
human services programs forthose most in need.”
The bill calls for up to $90million to be provided forOPWDD, fully restoring the lostsupport. A special commissio-ner’s advisory panel, as man-dated by the state budget, hasbeen working with advocates forthe developmentally disabled topropose and implement an ac-tion plan to achieve savings inthe programs without sacrific-ing quality of care. But sincethere is no guarantee that this
goal will be achieved, Addabboand a number of his Senate andAssembly colleagues of both par-ties believe specific legislation isneeded to ensure adequate sup-port for OPWDD.
According to the senator, fail-ing to restore this funding couldresult in severe reduction orelimination of crucial services.He also said that resources mustbe found to repay the federalgovernment for sizable Medicaidoverpayments received by theOPWDD in past years.
Serving Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.
How will you keepthe services you need?At Independence Care System, a nonprofit Medicaid managedlong-term care plan, we workwith you to coordinate thehome care, health care and social services you need to live at home.
Independence, your way.
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A class action has beenfiled on behalf of thethousands of blind and
visually-impaired residents ofNew York who receive Medic-aid or Food Stamps benefits, al-leging that city and state agen-cies are not complying with thelaw by failing to make impor-tant information about theseprograms available in acces-sible formats.
The defendants are the NewYork City Human ResourcesAdministration, the New Yorkstate Office of Temporary andDisability Assistance, the NewYork state Department ofHealth and their respectivecommissioners, namely RobertDoar, Kristen Proud and NiravShah. The lawsuit, Rafferty v.Doar, is pending in the U.S. Dis-trict Court for the Southern Dis-trict of New York.
The law requires that govern-ment agencies must communi-cate effectively with people withdisabilities, including theseclass members who cannot readstandard print materials. Theyrequire and are legally entitledto alternative formats such as
New data indicates a positivetrajectory in employment out-comes for people with disabilities,according to “Trends in DisabilityEmployment - National Update,”a recent monthly analysis issuedby the Kessler Foundation and theUniversity of New Hampshire’sInstitute on Disability.
In Bureau of Labor Statistics
Cherie Braun Diaz, left, and Mel-issa Braun Dennis accepted a daVinci Lifetime AchievementAward on behalf of their father,Ralph Braun, at an awards ben-efit at the Ford Conference andEvent Center in Michigan.
Braun, founder of The BraunCorporation, was honored post-humously. Diagnosed with mus-cular dystrophy at six, he wenton to create one of the world’sleading manufacturers of mobil-ity products.
The Michigan chapter of theNational MS Society created theawards in 2001 to recognize thelatest developments and re-search in adaptive and assistivetechnologies. Proceeds from theevent benefit the chapter inMichigan.
Suit Alleges City and State Out of ADA ComplianceBraille, large print, audio tapesor electronically.
According to the suit, the de-fendants have failed to createor distribute notices, applica-tions, instructions and otherimportant documents in theseformats. It alleges. Accordingthe lawsuit, these failures vio-late the Americans with Dis-abilities Act (ADA), Section 504of the Rehabilitation Act, thepublic accommodation require-ments of the New York stateand City Human Rights Laws,New York state Office of Tem-porary and Disability Assis-tance regulations, and the pro-cedural due process rights guar-anteed by the 14th amendment
to the U.S. Constitution.“Blind and seriously visually
impaired individuals have aright to equal access to informa-tion about their public benefits.The failure to provide it is un-lawful discrimination,” saidCary LaCheen, senior staff at-torney at the National Centerfor Law and Economic Justiceand counsel for plaintiffs.“Utilities and banks send no-tices and bills in alternative for-mats. Information about thesepublic benefits programs is noless important. Yet the defen-dants provide it in a format thatis impenetrable to our clients.”
“When the government cre-ates a public benefits program,
it is obliged to make informationabout that program available tothe public. Not just some conve-nient subset of the public,” saidMichael Daly of Drinker, Biddleand Reath, co-counsel for plain-tiffs. The defendants wouldhopefully agree that they cannotgive our clients information thatis inaccurate.”
The plaintiffs are asking thecourt to require the agencies tocreate a process for providinginformation in a range of alter-native formats, create a proce-dure for identifying clients whomay need them, provide a no-tice of the right to them and toappoint someone to monitorcompliance.
Employment Data Shows Upward Trend for PWDdata released in early April, theemployment ratio rose 5.4 percentfrom 2012 to 2013 for people withdisabilities.
“This change indicates that agreater proportion of people withdisabilities are working,” saidJohn O’Neill, Kessler’s director ofemployment and disability re-search. “In contrast, for peoplewithout disabilities, the employ-ment-to-population ratio re-mained about the same.”
However, the percentage ofpeople with disabilities who areactively looking for work has de-clined from 5.2 percent to 4.5 per-cent during the same period.
“Of course, this could meanthat some people stopped looking
for work, but overall people withdisabilities are participating inthe labor market,” said AndrewHoutenville, a professor of eco-nomics at the institute. “Thesenumbers still need to be inter-preted with caution because of thelack of seasonal adjustment. Fiveyears of data are required to ad-just for seasonal fluctuations.Data for people with disabilitieshave been formally tracked sinceJune 2008, so that adjustmentwill be incorporated later thisyear.”
The monthly analysis reportsare partly funded by a grant fromthe National Institute on Disabil-ity and Rehabilitation Researchand Kessler.
Approximately 150 donorsand patrons enjoyed aspecial brunch hosted by
The United States Olympic Com-mittee (USOC), The Royal Foun-dation of the Duke and Duchessof Cambridge and Prince Harryat the Olympic Training Centerin Colorado to celebrate the im-portance of sports in the rehabili-tation of people with disabilitiesand injured service members re-turning from combat. The foundation, the prince andthe USOC formed a partnershipin 2012 focused on providingphysical activity for woundedservice members and people withphysical disabilities in theUnited Kingdom and the UnitedStates. The organizations kickedoff the partnership at a BritishEmbassy event in Washington,D.C., which coincided with the2012 Warrior Games, and an-other event at the ParalympicGames in London. Proceeds ofthe various events total morethan $500,000 for programs inboth countries, which focus on in-spiring wounded service mem-bers to explore new physical chal-lenges as part of their recovery.
Wounded Warriors Celebrated in Colorado
In addition to Prince Harry,other guest speakers includedWarrior Games competitor andthree-time Paralympic medalistU.S. Navy Lt. Brad Snyder,brunch committee chairpersonPeter Ackerman, USOC ChiefExecutive Officer ScottBlackmun and USOC Chief ofParalympics Charlie Huebner.
Prince Harry
*Audio description and open captioning
available for select performances.
• Wheelchair Accessible• Braille and Large-Print programs• Assistive Listening Devices
Also Available at Lincoln Center• Braille Map of Lincoln Center• Braille and Large-Print Calendar of Events• American Sign Language Interpreted Tours• Accessible Parking• Open captioning for foreign films only
Midsummer Night Swing June 25–July 13 Lincoln Center Festival* July 5–28Lincoln Center Out of Doors July 24–August 11 Mostly Mozart Festival July 27–August 26
Speakers at the brunch in Colorado,left to right, include Prince Harry,brunch committee chairperson PeterAckerman, USOC Chief Executive Of-ficer Scott Blackmun and USOC Chiefof Paralympics Charlie Huebner.
NEWLY CONSTRUCTED APARTMENTS FOR RENT
Preferences for Performing Artists / Performing Artist Personnel
and Manhattan Community Board 4 Residents 529 West 29
th LLC is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for a 139-unit building,
including 7 units available for the disabled at 529 West 29th
Street in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. This
property features a 70% preference for performing artists/performing artist personnel, a 15% preference for
residents of Community Board 4 age 62 years or older, and a 15% preference for residents of Community
Board 4 regardless of age. Occupancy is planned for January, 2014. This will be a smoke-free site.
Number of Apartments
Available
Apartment
Size
Household
Size
Total Annual
Income Maximum*
57 Studio 1 $36,120
2 $41,280
37 1-bedroom 1 $36,120
2 $41,280
45 2-bedroom 2 $41,280
3 $46,440
4 $51,540
* Income guidelines subject to change.
Qualified applicants will be required to meet income and household size guidelines and additional selection
criteria to qualify. Request an application by mailing a letter or postcard with your complete mailing address,
including apartment number and zip code, to: RMCAO, 328 Eighth Avenue, Box 311, New York, NY 10001.
Requests must be received by June 17, 2013. Completed applications must be returned by regular mail only
(no priority, certified, registered, express or overnight mail will be accepted) to a post office box number
that will be listed on the application and must be postmarked by July 1, 2013. Applications will be opened
only after the application deadline of July 1, 2013. Applications will be selected at random and logged in the
order that they are opened. Due to the limited number of apartments available, once 4000 applications are
logged, no more will be opened, but will be held for future use, if needed. Lower priority will be assigned to
applications postmarked after July 1, 2013 or to duplicate applications from the same household. Unopened
applications will not receive an acknowledgment that their application has been received.
529 West 29th
Street LLC does not discriminate on the basis of disability.
No Brokers Fee. No Application Fee.
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The Medicare Drug Sav-ings Act of 2013 was re-cently introduced in the
Senate and House of Represen-tatives, legislation that wouldrestore Medicaid-level drug re-bates for low-income Medicarebeneficiaries, which the Con-gressional Budget Office claimswould save the federal govern-ment $141 billion for 10 years. “This bill offers a stark andfar superior alternative tosome of the most discussedMedicare savings proposalsthat would burden people withMedicare with more costs orless care,” said Joe Baker,president of the MedicareRights Center (MRC). “Thislegislation allows Medicare tosecure reasonable drug prices,making the Medicare programmore efficient without shiftingcosts to people with Medicare,half of whom live on annualincomes of $22,500 or less.” At the time Medicare Part Dwas created, low-income indi-viduals on Medicare who had
drug coverage through theMedicaid program wereswitched to Medicare Part Ddrug coverage. However, therewere no rebates, because theywere eliminated in Medicare,creating even more revenue forpharmaceutical manufactur-ers. The new bill would restorethose rebates, creating savingsfor the federal government andfor taxpayers.
MRC and more than 30other national organizationssent a letter to the legislation’ssponsors, praising it as “a prin-cipled approach to controllingMedicare spending that pro-tects beneficiaries unable to af-ford even higher health carecosts” and offered specific factsabout restoring drug rebatesfor low-income beneficiariesthat policymakers should con-sider during budget negotia-tions.
One point they made in theirletter is that pharmaceuticalspending on research and de-velopment would not be at risk.
Legislation Introduced toRestore Drug Rebates
Extensive product lines New and Pre-owned Wheelchair accessible vehicles Custom mobility van conversions
If you can dream it, we can get you there.
I’ll Drive!
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Yachad has honored 30temples throughout thecountry with the Inclu-
sive Synagogue Award in recog-nition of their outstanding effortsto offer accommodations and ser-vices that make congregants withdisabilities feel more welcome.
Each of the award winners re-ceived a plaque which states,“Yachad’s mission is not only toinclude individuals with disabili-ties and challenges into the Jew-ish community but to raise theawareness of the responsibility ofthe Jewish community to includeall members of their congrega-tion, regardless of the challengesthese individuals may face.”
“With this in mind, Yachadworks with synagogues andtemples throughout NorthAmerica to build a welcoming andnon-restrictive environment inthe place where Jewish life cen-ters in each community, that is,the synagogue,” said Batya Jacob,director of Yachad’s InternationalJewish Resource Center for Inclu-sion and Special Education. “Weare pleased to recognize thesethirty communities which are ac-tively involved in inclusion of all
Temples Recognized for Inclusionmembers of their synagogues andhope to be able to add additionalshuls in the coming years.”
For the selection process, areasof focus included Braille signageand prayer books, wheelchair ac-cess, American Sign Langaugeservices and youth programs forspecial needs children, amongothers.
Honorees in New Jersey in-clude Ahavas Achim in HighlandPark, Young Israel of EastBrunswick, Mt. Freedom JewishCenter, Congregation AhawasAchim Bnei Jacob and David inWest Orange. Award winners inNew York are the Great NeckSynagogue, Congregation TorasEmes of Staten Island, ShaareiTorah Orthodox Congregation ofSyracuse, Congregation ShearithIsrael of New York and Congre-gation Beth Shalom in Roches-ter.
Yachad, the flagship programof the Orthodox Union’s Na-tional Jewish Council for Dis-abilities, provides social, educa-tional and recreational pro-grams for individuals withlearning, developmental andphysical disabilities.
Young Women’s & Empowerment Programs
The Young Women’s Program (ages 14-21) and the Empowerment Program (ages 21-32) are designed for
Mary Ann Malack-Ragona,executive director of theAlzheimer’s Disease ResourceCenter, said the recent failure
Promising Alzheimer’s Drug a Failure in Clinical Trialsof a potential treatment forAlzheimer’s disease will notdiscourage researchers fromtheir quest to find a cure or
treatments for the disease.This statement came soon
after Baxter International an-nounced that its drug,Gammagard, had failed to stopthe decline of mental cognitioncaused by Alzheimer’s diseasein a late-stage clinical trial.The company said the drug,which is an immunoglobulintherapy, was unable to end thedecline in either cognition ordaily functioning when com-pared with a placebo.
The trial involved 390 pa-tients with mild to moderatedisease who were treated for18 months. Baxter said thecompany would discontinueother trials on this drug.
“Every one of these clinicaltrials is significant, becauseeach trial provides additionalinformation and insight, whichcan help in finding a cure forAlzheimer’s disease,” said.Malack-Ragona.
“There are over 5 millionpeople with a diagnosis ofAlzheimer’s disease, and 77million baby boomers are atrisk for Alzheimer’s disease.Alzheimer’s Disease ResourceCenter provides care and sup-port for individuals and fami-lies coping with the diagnosisof Alzheimer’s disease and is
working to fund local researchto find a cure for Alzheimer’sdisease.”
Helen Hayes Hospital inWest Haverstraw, N.Y.,recently unveiled the
newest development in cut-ting-edge assistive technologywith a state-of-the-art acces-sible apartment.
The Smart Apartment is aninteractive model, located
within the rehabilitation hos-pital, which gives patients andcommunity members the op-portunity to test out a varietyof hi-tech equipment targetedto help individuals with dis-abilities lead independent livesin their own home.
Technology allows an indi-vidual to turn on the televisionor to send a message from acomputer with the blink of an
Keith Gurgui using the eye-gaze technology
Ramon Toledo Merca using spec-ialized keypad technology
eye. Opening the front door,changing the room tempera-ture and adjusting the windowblinds can be accomplishedwith a simple voice command.A remote control can helpsomeone lower a closet cloth-ing rod that would have previ-ously been out of reach for cer-
tain people with physicaldisabiities.
The apartment consists of agreat room, kitchen, bedroom,bathroom and laundry area.The technology is designed tohelp individuals with mobilityand cognitive limitations, aswell as the elderly.
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Beginning on June 1, 2013
Marien-Heim of Sunset Park,
a 167 unit building including
14 accessible units located at
4520 – 4th Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11220
Is reopening its waiting list
For rental to single people aged
62 years of age or more or households the head to which
(or spouse) is aged 62 or more and/or mobility impaired
persons, with limited income
Qualifications
will be based on Section 8 Federal guidelines.
Interested persons may obtain an application
Writing to
Marien-Heim of Sunset Park
4520 – 4th Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11220
Include a SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE
Or in person at Marien-Heim of Sunset Park
4520 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11220
Monday thru Friday
9AM – 12 Noon
Completed applications
sent by REGULAR MAIL ONLY to the P.O
Box Indicated on application
Mail must be received by
July 15, 2013
500 Applications Will be Selected by LOTTERY
A showdown occurred at a NYCCouncil hearing regardingIntro #433-A which, if passed,
would require all new taxis to be ac-cessible.
A year and a half ago Gov. AndrewCuomo signed a bill requiring the addition of 2000 new accessibletaxis to the fleet of 13,000 yellow cabs which serve Manhattan below96th St. and the NYC airports. Several days later a Federal DistrictCourt judge held that the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC)must provide meaningful access to NYC’s yellow cabs.
The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed and thecase is now back at the trial level where the judge has grantedplaintiff’s motion to amend the complaint to require all van-style taxisto be accessible, as required by the US Department of Transporta-tion (USDOT) ADA regulations. The claim would require the NissanNV200, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s choice for the Taxi of Tomorrowto be accessible.
Bloomberg seeks to perpetuate the inaccessibility of the taxi sys-tem. The state law, supported by Cuomo, which would have requiredthe addition of 2000 accessible cabs, was declared unconstitutionalby a N.Y. court which held that the addition of new taxis to the fleetis a matter to be determined by the NYC Council.
This brings us to Intro #433-A, a measure supported by a veto-proof majority of Councilmembers, introduced by disability advocateand friend, Councilmember G. Oliver Koppell. Not surprisingly Com-missioner David Yassky opposed the bill. Instead, he favors a dis-patch program which began several months ago and sends the 233accessible cabs already in operation to callers familiar with the pro-gram.
Bloomberg, Yassky, Council Transportation Chair James Vaccaand Council Speaker Christine Quinn do not support this bill despite$700 million being spent by Medicaid and Access-A-Ride on trans-portation for wheelchair and scooter users. Vacca would not allow ahearing on Councilmember Koppell’s bill until Koppell exercised“sponsor’s privilege”, a Council procedural rule allowing Koppell toforce a hearing.
Vacca is probably doing the bidding of Quinn, whose office hasrefused to allow her to meet with representatives of people with dis-abilities seeking access to the yellow cabs.
Quinn, herself a gay activist, was outraged when two gay menwere asked to leave a cab in which they were embracing. Apparently,she feels no such outrage over tens of thousands of wheelchair andscooter users who reside in and visit NYC everyday who cannot ac-cess the taxi system.
Since the hearing, Koppell, while still committed, is concerned aboutimposing additional costs on the taxi industry. He has proposed astudy to determine actual costs of operating accessible vehicles withsubsidies if costs are excessive or even (we hope not) a moratoriumon the purchase of accessible taxis until this can be worked out.
Quinn, currently running for mayor, seeking both Bloomberg’ssupport and the support of the yellow cab industry, will have a lot tosay about this bill’s future.
Change happens. In a country where gays are marrying and ablack man is President, it does not require too much imagination toenvision saving hundreds of millions annually on ADA paratransitand Medicaid ambulettes while providing taxi service to all residentsand visitors, not just to those who can walk.
BY JAMES WEISMANSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & GENERALCOUNSEL
UNITED SPINAL NOW
At Least We Got A Hearing
NEWLY CONSTRUCTED APARTMENTS FOR RENT
50 North Fifth Street is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for 46affordable housing rental apartments now under construction at 50 North Fifth Street in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. This building is being constructed through the Inclusionary Housing Program of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). The size, rent and targeted income distribution for the 46 apartments are as follows:
*SUBJECT TO OCCUPANCY CRITERIA**INCLUDES GAS FOR COOKING ***INCOME GUIDELINES SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Qualified applicants will be required to meet income guidelines and additional selection criteria to qualify. To request an application, mail a self-addressed envelope to: Housing Application Fifty N. Fifth, C/O 260 Powers Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211 OR you may
Download an application from www.Fiftynorthfifth.org
Completed applications must be returned by regular mail only (no priority, certified, registered, express,overnight or oversized mail will be accepted) to a post office box number that will be listed on the application, and must be postmarked by July 1, 2013. Applications postmarked after July 1, 2013 will be set aside for possible future consideration.
Applications will be selected by lottery; applicants who submit more than one application will be disqualified. Disqualified applicants will not be accepted. A general preference will be given to New York City residents. Eligible households that include persons with mobility impairments will receive preference for 5% of the units; eligible households that include persons with visual and/or hearing impairments will receive preference for 2% of the units. Current and eligible residents of Brooklyn Community Board 1 will receive preference for 50% of the units. Applicants who can document displacement by Hurricane Sandy and/or its related storms will receive preference for 25% of the units. Eligible City of New York Municipal Employees will receive a 5% preference.
No Broker’s Fee. No Application Fee.
MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG, Mayor The New York City Department of
Housing Preservation and DevelopmentMATHEW M. WAMBUA, Commissioner
Abilities First is launching a campaignthat will kick off with a free dance pre-sentation by children with disabilities atthe Poughkeepsie Galleria Mall June 7.
Following that date, families can sharepersonal stories about their children viaemail, which will be reviewed and postedon the organization’s blog, Facebook andTwitter.
Some of the stories will be used in a2014 ebook.
One of the participating families willbe randomly selected to win a one-yearmembership to the Mid-HudsonChildren’s Museum, along with a cashprize of $200.
For more information visit www.abilitiesfirstny.org.
GAY MEN’S GROUP MEETSMONTHLY IN MANHATTAN
Disabled Queers of New York (DQNY) isa men’s group that meets on the first Sun-day of each month at the LGBT Commu-nity Center in Manhattan from 12 p.m. to 2p.m.
The Long Term Care Community Coali-tion has published the guide, “Piecing To-gether Quality Long-Term Care: AConsumer’s Guide to Choices and Advocacyin New York,” which is available for free atwww.ltccc.org.
It covers many topics including housing,advocacy, service and support options.
CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGYWILL BE ON DISPLAY AT SUMMIT
The Federal Communications Commis-sion (FCC) will co-host the second annualM-Enabling Summit in Virginia, June 6 and7.
More than 120 speakers will discuss andshowcase the latest in accessible mobiletechnology.
To register visit www.m-enabling.com.
BOOK CHRONICLES BATTLEWITH ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Diane Bradshaw recently published abook about her husband, a World War IIveteran who battled with Alzheimer’s dis-ease for five years.
“I Am Arnold” chart’s the diseases pro-gression and problems with the often inad-equate care the veteran received at a NewYork VA hospital.
To purchase the book visit www.revdianebradshaw.com.
CONFERENCE ON EMERGENCYPREPAREDNESS PLANNED
A conference on shelter, transportationand evacuation during emergencies forpeople with disabilities will be held in Geor-gia, June 3 through 5.
The event will feature expert speakers,as well as a short film and a photo essayabout Hurricane Sandy.
To register and more information call843 817-2651.
WEBSITE FOR CHILDRENEMPLOYS UNIVERSAL DESIGNThe Educated Cat calls itself an “e-tail”
online business that incorporates univer-sal design. The site offers games and toysthat are fun for everyone including thosewho are disabled and those who are not.
Buddy Dog, was developed with thehelp of autistic children. This stuffed dogwith crinkly vest and red bow tie gentlyvibrates and is also wonderful for childrenwith low vision and a friend for childrenof all abilities. A version of Uno is pre-sented with plain text and braille and Petethe Repeat Parrot helps children to learnto speak clearly. The Educated Cat hasalso developed card games and game ac-cessories that can be used by people of allabilities.
Ann-Ellen Lesser at The Educated Cat ishappy to discuss universal design and helpwith questions about products. She can bereached at www.theeducatedcat.com.
TECHNOLOGY SYMPOSIUM WILLFOCUS ON NEEDY COUNTRIESA symposium on disability, technology
and rehabilitation in low and middle in-come countries will be held June 27 and28, at the University of Washington, Se-attle, Wash.
Discussions will focus on improving ac-cess to technology and rehabilitation prod-ucts and services in countries with low re-sources.
For information visit www.idtr.uwctds.washington.edu/workshops/2013.
YOUTH SUMMIT HOSTEDBY ADAPT IN ILLINOIS
The ADAPT youth summit will be heldAug. 2 to 6, in Chicago, Ill.
Potential young leaders will meet disabil-ity rights activists of all ages and learn howto become advocates.
Attendees from New York can apply fora scholarship of up to $250 at www.nysilc.org.
For information call Josue Rodriguez,901 726-6404, ext. 114.
AUTISM CONFERENCESCHEDULED IN PENNSYLVANIAThe Autism Society is presenting its 44th
annual conference July 10 through 13, atthe David L. Lawrence Convention Centerin Pittsburgh, Pa.
For the first time, the registration fee hasbeen waived for individuals on the autismspectrum, and a new reduced family rate isavailable.
For information call 301 657-0881.
TWO BOOKS PUBLISHED ONDEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIESThe American Association on Intellec-
tual and Developmental Disabilities haspublished two books.
“Forging a State-Federal Partnership”provides information on how the govern-ment assumed a dominant role in disabil-ity policy between the Kennedy andObama administrations. “State of theStates in Developmental Disabilities” pro-vides in-depth analysis of public spend-ing on programs and services in theUnited States.
To order copies call 301 604-1340.
PROPOSALS ACCEPTEDFOR AIDS CONFERENCE
The National Minority AIDS Council isaccepting proposals from individuals whowould like to present a seminar, workshop,roundtable or poster presentation at the2013 U.S. Conference on AIDS in Louisi-ana, Sept. 8 through 11.
For those inexperienced in putting to-gether an abstract submission, a mentorprogram is available.
For information on being a presenter oran attendee, call 202 483-6622.
PRESENTERS BEING ACCEPTEDFOR GALLAUDET SYMPOSIUMGallaudet University has announced a
call for papers for its symposium April 9and 10, 2014.
Proposals are being accepting for pre-sentations that explore the history andculture of the deaf, with a preferencegiven to those that tie in with Gallaudet’slegacy.
Written proposals should be no morethan 250 words, and signed proposalsshould be a maximum of two minutes.
Submissions and questions should besent to [email protected] is Oct. 30, 2013.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
To have your event or meet-ing listed, send informationto Able News, P.O. Box 395,Old Bethpage, N.Y., 11804.The deadline for calendaritems is the 10th day of themonth preceding the date ofpublication. Calendar itemswill be accepted only if theyhave a specific date.
MAY 31West Coast Yachad FamilyShabbaton at the SheratonAgoura Hills, Los Angeles. Forinformation call Ian Lurie 310229-9000 ext. 206. ThroughJune 2.
JUNE 1ICS & United Spinal: From2013 within Women’s HealthConference for Women withPhysical Disabilities 425 East25th St. For information call 877958-8427.
JUNE 2Parents Supporting ParentsWalk-A–Thon 10 a.m. atCanarsie Park, East 85th St./Seaview Ave., Brooklyn. For in-formation call 718 251-0527.
JUNE 3Ira S. Stevens Conference“Re-Visioning Recovery Ser-vices in a Newly OrganizedHealth System: What Works?”sponsored by the The MentalHealth Association of West-chester County at the Double-Tree by Hilton, Tarrytown. Forinformation call Chuck Rosenow914 345-5900 ext. 7528.
Medicaid Pool Trusts: Train-ing for Professionals & Advo-cates 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. atHunter College, 2180 3rd Ave.call 212 396-7835.
JUNE 5Creating a Safe Eating Envi-ronment for Individualswith Developmental Dis-abilities workshop presentedby AHRC New York City 6 to 8p.m. at 83 Maiden Lane, Man-hattan. For information 212895-3446.
Health Consumer Rights:NYers for Patient & FamilyEmpowerment Spring Recep-tion: Making Law Work forHealth. For information call 646278-5689.
JUNE 6Help Your Neighbors Find Ac-cessible Housing 9 a.m. to 5:30p.m. at Westchester ResidentialOpportunities, 470 MamaroneckAve., #410, White Plains. For in-formation call Ariana Calderon914 428-4507 ext. 336
Manhattan ADD: Attention,Executive Function & DeepBrain Stimulation 6:15 to 9p.m. at West End CollegiateChurch, 245 West 77th St., WestEnd Ave. For information visit
www.maaddsg.org.JUNE 7
Flash Mob of children withdevelopmental disabilities 4p.m. at the Poughkeepsie Galle-ria Mall. For information visitabilitiesfirstny.org
JUNE 9In/finite Earth Emerging Art-ists Program Entry Deadlinesponsored by VSA and theKennedy Center for artists ages16-25. For information visitw w w . c a l l f o r e n t r y . o r g /festivals_unique_info.php?ID=1213.
Disabled in Action Meeting1:30 to 4 p.m. at Selis Manor, 1stfloor auditorium, 135 West 23rdStreet between 6th and 7th Ave.For information call 718 261-3737.
JUNE 14Health Advocacy CareersRoundtable 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. atSarah Lawrence College, OneMead Way, Bronxville. For infor-mation call 914 395-2602.
JUNE 15Seeing Through Drawingworkshops for adults who areblind or partially sighted 11 a.m.to 1 p.m. at Metropolitan Mu-seum of Art, Ruth & Harold UrisCenter, 1000 Fifth Ave. For in-formation call 212 650-2010.
JUNE 17ADD General Support &Group Discussion 6:15 to 8:30p.m. at YMCA, 125 West 14thSt., 6th Ave. For informationvisit www.maaddsg.org.
JUNE 18Organizers Forum: HIV/AIDSand connections to the main-stream disability rights move-ment. For information call 712432-0080.
Bronx Mental Health CouncilConsumer Committee 2:30 to4:30 p.m. at BILS. 4419 ThirdAve., #2B. For information callMarlene Williams 718 562-6712.
JUNE 19NYC Mayoral TransportationForum 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. atBaruch College Vertical CampusConference Center, 55 LexingtonAve., Manhattan. For informa-tion visit www.utrc2.org/events/MayoralForum.
Westchester Disabled On theMove annual meeting, 2 to 5p.m. meets at 984 North Broad-way, Ste. LL-10 (lowerlevel),Yonkers. A light dinnerwill be served and two guest
speakers will discuss “SpecialEducation”. For information callJoe or Sheryl at 914 968-4717by June 12.
ONGOING EVENTSFree Workshops and Servicesat United Cerebral Palsy of NewYork City Family Connect Cen-ters throughout the five bor-oughs. For information call 718436-7979 ext.704.
Disabled Queers of NewYork (DQNY) is a men’s groupthat meets on the first Sundayof each month, 12-2 p.m., at theLGBT Community Center inManhattan. Contact Anthony [email protected].
Free Creative Writing Pro-gram/Writing Workshop Sat-urdays 2 to 4 p.m. for Gulf, Af-ghanistan & Iraq Vets. For infor-mation call Zachary Sussman212 992-9809.
Social & Support Group Satur-days 5:30 to 7 p.m. at NAMI-NYC,505 Eighth Ave., #1103, 35th St.For information call 212 684-3264.
Acting Class for actors withphysical disabilities, 12 to 1p.m. Sundays at Church St.School of Music & Art, 74 War-ren St., W. Broadway. For in-formation call Ron Destro 917627-2334.
Tour with ASL Interpretaion1:30 to 2:30 p.m. every 4th Sun-day at the Museum of ModernArt, 11 W. 53rd St., LauderBuilding entrance. For informa-tion call 212 408-6347.
Knitting & Crochet Groups 11a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays at ICS, 25Elm Pl., 5th floor, Brooklyn. Forinformation call 718 907-1600.
CHADD Meeting Children andAdults with ADD, first Mondays,5:55 p.m. at 65 W. 89th St. Forinformation call Harold Meyer212 724-9699.
SORT Support Group/Work-shop for Clutterers/Hoardersfirst Mondays 6 to 8 p.m. at EIS,1233 Second Ave. For informa-tion call 212 308-2210.
Writing Workshop first andthird Mondays at NAMI. For in-formation call 212 684-3264.
Rights for Imprisoned Peoplewith Psychiatric Disabilities,first Mondays, 12 to 2 p.m. at Ur-ban Justice Center, 123 WilliamSt., 16 floor. For information call646 260-6575.
Housing and Benefits ClinicsMondays and Tuesdays 10 a.m.to 1:30 p.m. and Writers Work-shop every Thursday, 4 to 6 p.m.at CIDNY 841 Broadway #30113-14 Sts. For information callEva Eason 646 442-4156.
ASL Interpreted Tours secondMondays at the Jewish Museum,1109 Fifth Ave., Manhattan. Forinformation call 212 423-3225Voice or 212 660-1515 TTY.
Japanese Family SupportGroup: “Kazoku no Tsudoi”fourth Mondays 6-7:30 p.m. atNAMI-NYC Metro, Eighth Ave, 35St, # 1103. For information [email protected].
Lupus Alliance of Long Is-land/Queens Support Grouponce a month on Tuesdays 7:30to 9 p.m. in Flushing. For infor-mation call 516 802-3142.
TBI Support Group first Tues-days, 12:30 to 2 p.m. at BCID, 27Smith St., Brooklyn. For infor-mation call 718 998-3000.
Brooklyn Family SupportServices Advisory Councilthird Tuesdays 10 a.m. at 25Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn. For in-formation call 718 642-8512.
Deaf Computer Class everyWednesday, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.and 2 to 4 p.m. at BCID, 27 SmithSt., Brooklyn. For informationcall 718 998-3000.
Body/Mind Support Group for& by people who are both physi-cally and mentally disabled/chal-lenged, 6 to 8 p.m. every 2ndWednesday at HILC, 289 St.Nicholas Ave., #21 lower level.
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ADAPTContinued from page 1Pennsylvania. “The Medicaid ex-pansion of the Affordable CareAct should include cost-savinghome- and community-based ser-vices helping to put an end to theinstitutional bias.”
Another stop on ADAPT’s jour-ney included a meeting with rep-
resentatives of the Department ofJustice’ (DOJ) Disability RightsSection in regards to the 1999Olmstead decision, which statesthat unnecessary institutionaliza-tion is discriminatory. Advocatesrelated personal stories to theDOJ staff about their experiences
in nursing homes and the uphillbattle to return to their ownhomes and communities.
Members also arrived at thenational headquarters of the Ser-vice Employees InternationalUnion (SEIU) and the AmericanFederation of State, County and
Municipal Employees (AFSCME)to protest the unions’ role in de-veloping labor rules that will re-quire seniors and people with dis-abilities to bring strangers intotheir homes, force others into in-stitutions and reduce the take-
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212 674-2300
WHEELCHAIR MEDICWe’re Mobile So You Can Be, Too
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or visit www.wheelchairmedic.com
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VAN CONVERSIONSTo Advertise in Able’s
Access Index Call 516 939-2253
PERSONAL PLACEPERSONAL PLACEMEET A COMPANION, PHONE FRIEND, PEN PAL, OR EVEN A SPOUSE
A •Asian B• Black C •Christian D •Divorced F•Female G •Gay H •Hispanic J •Jewish M •Male N/D •Non drinker N/S • Non Smoker P •Professional S •Single W•White
GUIDELINES: Able assumes no liability for the contents of or replies to any personal advertisements, or the actions of any individuals. Any such liability rests exclusively with the advertiser, or a respondent to suchadvertisements. Able may, in its sole discretion, reject or delete any personal advertisements which it deems inappropriate. This service is intended solely for personal advertisements of singles.No ads will be accepted from couples, groups or organizations. Advertisers and respondents must be 18 years of age or older. No ads will be published seeking persons under the age of 18.
CHECK ENCLOSED Make Checks payable to Able Newspaper
VISA MASTERCARD AMERICAN EXPRESS
PERSONAL ADS
TO PLACE AN AD TO ANSWER AN ADJust write up your ad and mail with your check or money order toAble Personal, P.O. Box 395, Old Bethpage, N.Y. 11804. We willassign an Able Personal number and forward all responses to you.Be sure to include your name and address. Just $12 for 15 wordsplus $1 for each additional word to appear one month.
Put your response letter in an envelope with the A# of the personyou are writing on the front. Put this envelope in another envelopeaddressed to Able Personals, P.O. Box 395, Dept. RS, Old Bethpage,N.Y. 11804. Enclose $2 per response to cover the cost of handlingand mailing fees. Do not send cash. Checks or money orders only.Be sure to include your address or phone number. For faster re-sponse place 44 cent stamp on envelope.
CUT OUT AND SEND WITH YOUR PERSONAL AD
NAME
ACCT# EXP. DATE
ADDRESS ZIP PHONE
SIGNATURE
Silver fox, tall, sexy, non-nerdy, finan-cially secure, own business andhome,N.N.J. A363
SWM, 62, seeks a nice lady for seriouslong term relationship. Race, religionunimportant. Please include phone. A362
60-year-old widow, seeking man whodrives and enjoys an easier lifestyle forfriendship. A364
57, WDF, sincere, attractive, seeksmale for friendship and relationship.Nassau, Suffolk and Boroughs ok. A 366
Single, Latin male, 69, musician, sin-cere, sensitive, good sense of humor,seeking sincere woman for friendshipor possible relationship. A365
Attractive, refined, shy, WM, 60, 5’4”,mild diabetes/ hearing loss (no aids),seeks LTR with same, easy going fe-male 45-65. I’m mobile, love to travel,read and take celebrity photos. A367
BSM, 38, fairly handsome, 5’9”,Aquarius, starving artist/ free-lancer,writer and illustrator. On gov’t assis-tance looking for SF, 30’s for pen pal,platonic relationship to start, but roomfor more. All races welcome. A368
SWM, 49 and single, uses wheel-chair and drives handicap van.Seeks SWF for friendship and dat-ing. In Nassau or Suffolk County.I enjoy fishing, LI Ducks baseballand comedy clubs. A 369
WF, 70-Mild disability, uses cane,meet new friends-Senior M/F lunchgroup forming. Nassau. A 370
APM, 58 seeks BF friendship anddating. I love to travel in Austra-lia and Singapore. A371
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ADAPTContinued from page 14home pay of attendants. Accord-ing to many advocates, part of theproblem stems from unions mak-ing more money in dues from in-stitutional care than from homecare, because nursing home work-ers make a higher income thanhome care workers.
“We don’t oppose our atten-dants receiving improved pay andbenefits, in fact, we support it,”said David Wittie, an ADAPT or-ganizer from Texas.
“Labor advocates have urgedpeople to support these rules toassure that attendants get paidminimum wage and are paidtime-and-a-half for overtimework,” said Bruce Darling,ADAPT organizer from Roches-ter, N.Y. “The disability commu-nity recognizes the invaluable role
that attendants play. We don’toppose the requirement that at-tendants be paid minimum wageor preferably better, but the over-time requirement will have a se-rious negative impact on peoplewith disabilities.”
ADAPT met with SEIU andAFSCME to discuss the Depart-ment of Labor (DOL) disregard-ing a law that requires they in-clude people with disabilities inwriting new rules about Medic-aid services, including the com-panionship exemption. But nego-tiations came to an abrupt endwhen the two unions walked outof the meeting. However, anothermeeting was scheduled for thenear future.
During their visit to the De-partment of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), advocatessecured a commitment for nation-wide guidance from HUD on com-pliance with Olmstead. A new se-nior advisor at HUD was commis-sioned to write a statement on thelegislation.
“It’s a complete scandal thatthousands and thousands ofpeople with disabilities are wait-ing to get out of institutional set-tings, and HUD is moving at onlya glacial pace to address thisneed,” said Darling. “Everyonethinks the housing crisis inAmerica is only about foreclo-sures. While that is huge, thereis another housing crisis that isgoing vastly unaddressed.”
“We are here today becauseHUD has told us that they prom-ised to issue agency-wide policy
on this problem,” said DanieseMcMullin-Powell of DelawareADAPT. “I was there when theymade this promise to us in Janu-ary. They even showed us a draft.Why hasn’t it been issued? IsHUD backpedaling on progress?”
In addition to the rally andmeetings, ADAPT held its annualFun Run for Disability Rights inUpper Senate Park.
“The atmosphere was celebr-atory and jubilant, thanks inlarge part to our Fun Run part-ners who also braved the weatherto set up various accommodationsand sundries in support of our ef-forts,” said Tim Wheat of ADAPT.“ADAPT was not only able toraise funds for the cause, but alsoraise awareness of our commit-ment to free our people.”
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SPORTS SCENE
Cerebral Palsy of Westchester’s (CPW) Barrier Breakers recentlyhosted and won a wheelchair basketball tournament at theWestchester County Center, with a score of 43 to 33.
The team squared off against the Wildcats from The WestchesterSchool for Special Children.
Basketball Teams Face-Off Upstate
All players were recognized with a medal for their participationin the game. Both teams also hit the court for a foul shooting con-test that took place during half-time, sponsored by the MidWestchester Elks, where trophies were awarded to the winners ineach group.
For more information, call the BURKE WHEELCHAIR GAMES HOTLINE(914) 597-2850 or log on to www.burke.org
to download the registration form
COME JOIN US AND BE A PART OF THE EXCITEMENT!
On Saturday, September 28th, nearly 100 wheelchairathletes of all ages will compete in a variety of track
and field, table tennis and slalom course events.
THE 2013 BURKEWHEELCHAIR GAMES
BE A PART OF AN INSPIRING AND UNFORGETTABLE EVENT
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Registration begins at 8:30AM
Entrance fee is $25 for athletes.
Financial assistance withregistration fee may be available.
