Miscellaneous

NCD Bulletin, July 2009

NCD Bulletin A Monthly Newsletter from the National Council on Disability (NCD)

John R. Vaughn, Chairperson July 2009

NCDโ€”30 Years of Disability Policy Leadershipโ€”1978โ€“2009

NCD Conducts Minneapolis Quarterly Meeting

NCDโ€™s Summer quarterly meeting was held in Minneapolis, MN, July 20 โ€“ 22, with 79 people in attendance and 20 people speaking during the public comment sessions.

On July 20, speakers addressing NCD included: Dave Schwartzkopf, Chair, Minnesota State Council on Disability; Colleen Wieck, Executive Director, MN Developmental Disabilities Council; Mary Hartnett, Executive Director, Commission of Deaf, Deaf/Blind, and Hard of Hearing Minnesotans; and Stephen โ€œCorkyโ€ West, Director, Oneida Nation Job Training Programs.

On July 21, NCD heard from several speakers including: Natalie Vestin, Grant Program Associate, Promising Practices in Pandemic Influenza Preparedness, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota: Mary Burfeind, CDC Pan Flu Grant Coordinator, MN Department of Health, Office of Emergency Preparedness; Kimberley T. Peck, Director of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, MN Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEEP); Karen Quammen, Project Consultant, Pathways to Employment, MN DEEP; Joe Timmons, Research Fellow, Institute on Community Integration, National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, National Center on Secondary Education and Transition; Alyssa Klein, Transition Specialist, Pathways to Employment and Rehabilitation Services/Vocational Rehabilitation Services, MN DEEP; Shauna McDonald, Director, Community Resource Development, PACER Center; Greg Lais, Executive Director, Wilderness Inquiry; Bill Botten, Access Specialist, United States Access Board; Pamela Parker, Manager, Special Needs Purchasing; MN Department of Human Services; and John Tschida, Vice President, Public Affairs and Research, Courage Center.

Presentation summaries will soon be available at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/quarterly/quarterly.htm.

NCD to Make Emergency Management Recommendations

NCD will release its latest report on emergency management and people with disabilities on August 12 at the International Association of Emergency Managersโ€™ 2009 National Conference on Community Preparednessโ€”The Power of Citizen Corps at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. NCD will also release the report on September 23 at the Wireless Emergency Communications State of Technology Conference at Georgia Tech Research Institute Conference Center in Atlanta, GA. NCD Vice Chairperson Pat Pound will announce the release during each conference.

NCD will continue its rollout of this important report with another release by NCD Chairperson John R. Vaughn on September 29 at the enAbled in Emergencies Conference at the Hilton Philadelphia Airport in Pennsylvania.

In this report, NCD offers information and advice to assist all levels of government in its work to establish evidence-based policies, programs and practices across the lifecycle of disasters. This report provides examples of effective community efforts with respect to people with disabilities, and evaluates many emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and homeland security program efforts deployed by both public and private sectors.

For more information about people with disabilities and emergency management, please visit NCDโ€™s Lessons Learned page and NCDโ€™s 2005 report, Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning.

Emerging Trends Public Consultation

NCD is gathering public input for a study of emerging issues and trends affecting the lives of people with disabilities. Information gathered will be used in the development of NCD's next annual progress report to the President and Congress, National Disability Policy: A Progress Report, which is required by Section 401(b) of the Rehabilitation Act.

The purpose of this public consultation is to gather input to inform NCD's assessment of the status of the nation in achieving policies that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, and empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.

The entire document and information on how to respond is available at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2009/NationalCouncilonDisability.doc.

NCD Announces Technology Research Opportunity

On June 26, NCD announced a research/funding opportunity for a cooperative agreement to evaluate how Americans with disabilities are faring in this new digital media age. The study is titled โ€œKeeping Up: Technologyโ€™s Rapid Changes and Effects on People with Disabilitiesโ€ (NCD-09-04).

NCD is interested in examining the accessibility of new media and technologies developed, documenting successful development processes, understanding consumer needs, and identifying the facilitators and barriers to the technology transfer for employment purposes.

NCD 2010 National Summit on Disability Policy

NCDโ€™s 2010 National Summit on Disability Policy will take place July 26โ€“27, 2010, at the Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel, 999 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC.

The purpose of the Summit will be to discuss significant issues for all people with disabilities and develop policy recommendations for the next decade. It will also highlight the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was signed into law on July 26, 1990. Three-hundred people with disabilities and other stakeholders, including federal, community, and private sector disability experts, are expected to participate as delegates to this history-making summit.

Issue papers being prepared in advance of the Summit will identify key factors surrounding important issues, and will become the foundation of discussion for Summit delegates as they develop future policy recommendations. Subjects include civil rights (including voting issues), employment (including asset accumulation and finance), disability statistics and data education, healthcare (including mental healthcare, i.e. whole health), homeland security (including emergency preparedness), housing, international issues, telecommunications and technology, and transportation.

A limited number of co-sponsorships are still available. Those interested in supporting this historic event should contact NCD Executive Director Mike Collins at ncd@ncd.gov or (202) 272-2004.

UN Convention Update

NCDโ€™s celebrates the July 24 announcement from President Obama of his intention to sign the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Convention). Since the Convention opened for signature on March 30, 2007, NCD has been urging signature of this landmark treaty. In both our mandated advisory role and that of promoting policy that enhances the lives of people with disabilities, NCD was pleased to support the efforts of the United States throughout the development of the Convention. The Convention will be signed by the United States in New York on July 30.

The full text of the Presidentโ€™s remarks can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-on-Rights-of-Persons-with-Disabilities-Proclamation-Signing/.

Current Issues

NCDโ€™s list of current and proposed research projects include studies and reports on:

NCD Speakers Bureau

NCD Chairperson John R. Vaughn will deliver welcoming remarks at the U.S. Business Leadership Networkโ€™s โ€œConnecting the Dots: Business Solutionsโ€ conference in September at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington, DC.

NCD Executive Director Mike Collins will participate in Virginia Governor Timothy Kaineโ€™s Forum on Disability and Economic Development on September 15 at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in Virginia.

All NCD Board Members are available to make presentations at conferences and meetings. Requests should be directed to John R. Vaughn, Chairperson, National Council on Disability, 1331 F Street, NW, Suite 850, Washington, DC 20004 or by email to ncd@ncd.gov.

NCD Board Member Confirmed as ODEP Assistant Secretary

Congratulations to former NCD board member Kathy Martinez, who was confirmed on June 22 by the U.S. Senate to be Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). She resigned her NCD membership on July 19.

Under Assistant Secretary Martinezโ€™s direction, ODEP will provide national leadership on disability employment policy by developing and influencing the use of evidence-based disability employment policies and practices, building collaborative partnerships, and delivering authoritative and credible data on employment of people with disabilities.

Future Quarterly Meetings

Fall 2009, October 26โ€“28, Holiday Inn Express, 920 Broadway, Nashville, TN

Winter 2010, January 19โ€“21, Houston, TX

Spring 2010, April 26โ€“28, Detroit, MI

Summer 2010, July 28โ€“29, Washington, DC

More information will be available at NCDโ€™s Quarterly Meetings page.

About the NCD Bulletin

The Bulletin, which is also available at NCDโ€™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 mquigley@ncd.gov.

Source : http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/bulletins/2009/b0709.htm

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