IN THIS ISSUE

VOLUME 22 NUMBER 3 SEPTEMBER 2016

VISITABLE’S

WEBSITEWWW.ABLENEWS.COM

MOPD CELEBRATESMayor & Commish Present Awards at ADA Reception

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Commissioner Victor Cal-ise of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), along with the Mayor’s wife Chirlane Mc-Cray present the Frieda Zames Advocacy Award to long-time New York City disability advocate Edith Prentiss. Holding the Award for her Aunt is Prentiss’ niece Brooke Lynn Prentiss. Prentiss has advocated on issues including accessible taxis, improved mass transit and increased access to women’s health care, housing and education.

The Sapolin awards, named for former MOPD Com-missioner Matthew Sapolin, were presented at a re-ception at Gracie Mansion in honor of the 26th Anni-versary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Other recipients who were honored were the Brook-lyn Roasting Company (TITLE I ADA Sapolin Employ-

ment Award); Theatre Development Fund (TITLE II ADA Sapolin Public Service Award); New York City Regal Cinemas (TITLE III ADA Sapolin Accommoda-tion Award); New York University Ability Lab (TITLE IV ADA Sapolin Telecommunications Award).

The event was attended by more than 500 people including City officials, advocates and representa-tives of the community of people with disabilities.

The Mayor and MOPD recently released Acces-sibleNYC, the City’s first annual report on the state of people with disabilities. The interagency report outlines current and forward-looking efforts to im-prove accessibility and inclusion in transportation, education, employment and health, as well as City services, institutions and resources.

SEE ACCESSIBLENYC STORY ON PAGE 2

Women Want Balance Men Over-Represented On U.N. CRPD

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Mis-Managed MLTCHours Reduced forHome Care Services

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Brewer & CIDNY SurveyBarriers to VotingStudied in NYC

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Wandering LawBill Supports TrainingFor First Responders

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Celebrating ADAPride Parade &Rockland ILC Breakfast

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Inaccessible StationDRA & BILSSue MTA & NYCTA

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The Newspaper posiTively For, By & aBouT people wiTh DisaBiliTies

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Deadline for the October issue of Able Newspaper

Is Sept. 13

ABLE NEWSPAPERP.O. BOX 395, OLD BETHPAGE, NY 11804

516 939-2253 FAX 516 939-0540www.ablenews.com

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Postmaster: Send address changes to Able News at P.O. Box 395, Old Bethpage, N.Y. 11804. Periodicals are being paid for at Bethpage, N.Y. post offi ce. ©1994 ABLE NEWSPAPER. Able Newspaper is published monthly by Melmont Printing, 6 Robert Court, Bethpage, N.Y. 11714. Able welcomes manuscripts and suggestions for articles. However, to assure safe return, manuscripts must be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. No responsibility is as-sured for unsolicited manuscripts or art. Submissions are the author’s warranty that the material is not an infringement of the rights of others and that the material may be published without further approval. Editorial material does not necessarily refl ect the view of the editor/publisher of Able Newspaper. Advertisers are responsible for the content of advertisements. No part of this publication may be reprinted without the permission of the publisher. Able is not responsible for er-rors in advertisements beyond the price of the space occupied by the error. The pub-lisher reserves the right to decline advertis-ing for any reason.

Comoros ratifi ed the CRPD on June 16The Netherlands ratifi ed the CRPD on July 13

The 16th Session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The 16th session of the CRPD Committee is being held from 15 August to 2 September 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Com-mittee is considering the initial reports of Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Italy, Plurinational State of Bolivia, United Arab Emir-ates and Uruguay. The Committee is also considering the prog-ress made in the drafting processes of: draft general comment on article 6 (women and girls with disabilities), draft general com-ment on article 24 (right to inclusive education), draft guidelines on Independent Monitoring Mechanisms, and draft guidelines on periodic reporting under simplifi ed reporting procedure, with a view to adopt these documents. The ratifi cation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was defeated in the U.S. Senate in Dec. 2012 and has since not come to the fl oor for a vote.

THE U.S. HAS NOT YET SIGNED ON

CURRENT STATUS OF CRPD166 ratifi cations/accessions and 160 signatories to the CRPD, 89

ratifi cations/accessions and 92 signatories to its Optional Protocol (OP)

UN Women works to ad-dress the unique and intersecting challenges

that women with disabilities face.

As such, they fi nd it critical that women with disabilities are fully represented on panels, committees, human rights trea-ty bodies and across all areas of leadership so that their voices are heard. However, the Com-mittee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) will have just one female represen-tative. The recent election pro-

pact made important advanc-es in this area during the 60th session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2016, with the introduction of the UN Global Compact Panel Pledge, which urges men who are asked to serve on all-male panels to decline or to suggest a woman colleague instead.

The upholding of the princi-ple of balanced gender repre-sentation is especially vital for women with disabilities, who often encounter multiple and intersecting forms of discrimi-nation.

It is estimated that one in fi ve women lives with disability and that their prevalence rate of disability is higher than for men.

These women are two to three times more likely to experience early and forced marriage, ear-ly pregnancy and female gen-ital mutilation. Women and girls with disabilities also face unique educational, economic and political barriers.

UN Women is urging states’ parties to support the nomina-tion of women to the CRPD to re-dress the current situation and achieve balanced gender repre-sentation in 2019. In a press re-lease, they state “Without ade-quate representation of women on panels and committees, the voices of half of the population are not being heard.”

cess for nine positions resulted in all-male appointments for 2017, despite the candidature of three women for the positions and despite the CRPD stating that the members of the com-mittee should give consider-ation to balanced gender repre-sentation.

Many have expressed con-cern regarding the new compo-sition of the committee, and UN Women is calling for no panel or committee to be assembled without the representation of women. The UN Global Com-

Women Push for Balance in CRPD Makeup

Continued on page 15

Mayor Bill de Blasio, Dep-uty Mayor Richard Buery and Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabil-ities (MOPD) Victor Calise recently released the City’s first-ever report on the state of people with disabilities and in-teragency plans to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities across the five bor-oughs.

Through collaboration with dozens of City agencies, May-or de Blasio and MOPD are now cataloging current and forward-looking efforts to en-hance accessibility and inclu-sion in transportation, educa-tion, employment and health, as well as City services, insti-tutions and resources.

“This report addresses every aspect of life in New York City –

‘AccessibleNYC’ – A Report On State Of PWD Releasedhow we live, work, learn, play, and raise our children. Under-standing where we are today with issues of accessibility will allow us to set bold goals and propose innovative solutions,” said de Blasio.

“AccessibleNYC will help us to study ambitious and innova-tive ideas that have the poten-tial to bring lasting improve-ments to the lives of New York-ers with disabilities. When the city becomes fairer and more inclusive, we all benefit.”

“Being a life-long New York-er and a wheelchair user, I un-derstand from experience the complexity that people with disabilities face on a daily basis – from navigating our streets to obtaining needed services.

“This is truly an unprece-dented undertaking: never in

the history of New York City government have so many City agencies worked together on a comprehensive report to advance the interests of New Yorkers with disabilities. I am confident that the progress we make will be unprecedented as well,” said MOPD Commis-sioner Victor Calise.

According to MOPD by bringing together, in collabo-ration, dozens of City agencies, AccessibleNYC will confront the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in everything NYC has to offer.

The agenda reflects obsta-cles faced by people with dis-abilities in the areas of trans-portation, education opportu-nities, employment, housing, access to government services,

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Bill Mandates Mental Health Education In SchoolsNew York state Senate

and Assembly recent-ly passed the Mental

Health Education Bill, legisla-tion that requires mental health to be taught as part of health classes in middle schools and high schools in the state.

Currently, some schools already teach about mental health, but many others do not touch on the subject. Despite the fact that more than 20 percent

of students are directly impact-ed by mental health issues, and many more are indirectly im-pacted, students can go through middle and high school and nev-er learning about depression, anxiety or suicide prevention.

Statistics show that one in every 12 high school students attempts suicide, more than 60 percent of students with seri-ous mental health issues do not graduate high school and one-

half of all lifetime cases of men-tal illness begin by age 14.

“The best way to eradicate mental health issues and end the stigma of mental illness is through prevention and edu-cation,” said Glenn Liebman, CEO of Mental Health Associa-tion in New York State (MHA-NYS). “This bill will help create a better understanding of men-tal health issues and wellness at a younger age. We thank the

Assembly and Senate for their leadership in the passage of the Mental Health Education Bill.”

“Students will now have ac-cess to potentially life-saving knowledge necessary for recog-nizing the signs and symptoms of mental health problems in themselves and others and how to get help before a possible cri-sis occurs,” said John Richter, MHANYS public policy direc-tor.

Medicaid Matters N.Y., a statewide coalition, along with the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, issued a Re-port called “Mis-Managed Care: Fair Hearing Decisions on Home Care Reductions by Man-aged Long Term Care (MLTC) Plans: July – December 2015.” The Report identified every fair hearing decision posted in the Office of Temporary and Dis-ability Assistance (OTDA) Fair Hearing Decision Archive con-cerning reductions by MLTC plans during the last six months of 2015.

The 1,043 decisions reveal a

Medicaid Matters N.Y. Reports MLTC Plans Arbitrarily Cut Hourspattern of arbitrary and illegal reductions in hours of home care services.

While most members win these hearings, for every mem-ber who had the wherewithal to request, travel to and pres-ent their case at a hearing, un-doubtedly there were many who could not.

The report calls on the state to restore services for these vul-nerable New Yorkers, to stop plans from engaging in these il-legal reductions and to improve its oversight of these private plans spending public dollars.

The number of decisions is-sued each month increased six-

fold during the six-month peri-od.

In 90 percent of the 1,043 hearing decisions identified, MLTC plans’ attempts to cut services were thwarted, either by a plan member winning the hearing or because the MLTC plan failed to show up to defend the proposed reduction at the hearing.

In a smaller but significant percentage of the decisions, the case was settled through an agreement in which the member – often without an attorney to advise them – agreed to accept

some reduction in hours that was less than the plan originally proposed.

Although most of the hear-ings identified for the report involved people in New York City, seniors and people with disabilities struggle with ar-bitrary home care reductions statewide.

Representation is available for people facing reductions in services by MLTC plans. Con-tact ICAN, the Independent Consumer Advocacy Network, 844 614-8800 or for TTY Relay Service call 711.

The deadline to register to be eligible to vote in the Nov. 8 General Election is Oct. 14. Citizens may register at a local board of elections or any state agency participating in the Na-tional Voter Registration Act.

Mail-In RegistrationMail registration applications must be postmarked no later

than Oct. 14 and received by a board of elections no later that Oct. 19.

Change of AddressNotices of change of address from registered voters received

by Oct. 19 by a county board of elections must be processed and entered in the records in time for the General Election.

Absentee BallotsLast day to postmark an absentee ballot application or let-

ter of application by mail for an absentee ballot is Nov. 1 and the last day to apply in-person at the Board of Elections for an absentee ballot is Nov.7. A ballot must be received by the local board of elections no later than Nov. 15. Military voter ballots must be received no later than Nov. 21. The last day to deliv-er ballot in person to the local board of elections (by someone other than the voter is Nov. 8.

Voter Registration Deadline Oct. 14

HeartShare consumer Gilbert Plaza, front, spoke out about fair compensation for direct support professionals at a recent City Hall rally that included New York Sen. Marty Golden (R-Dist. 22), back, as well as other government officials.

He talked about the positive impact his support staff has made and the importance of the job, which deserves more than just above minimum wage. The rally was part of a statewide coalition campaign of nonprofits that are asking Albany for a liveable wage above the current state average of $10 to $13. Other speakers, including city officials, conveyed that fair pay was also important to hire and retain quality workers and to avoid constant turnover of staff.

Plaza resides at a HeartShare's residence in Brooklyn and works the reception desk at its day habilitation program. His long-term goal is to live in his own apartment.

Advocate Speaks Out at Wage Rally

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Comment Period Extended Through Oct. 7 The comment period for

a proposed rule addressing Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Acces-sibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities has been extended by the De-partment of Justice (DOJ). On May 9, 2016, the DOJ published a Supplemental Advance Notice of Proposed

Rulemaking (SANPRM) in the Federal Register addressing the potential application of technical accessibility require-ments to the websites of Title II entities.

The comment period was scheduled to close on Aug. 8.

The Department has ex-tended the comment period by 60 days through Oct. 7, 2016, in order to provide additional time for the public to prepare comments.

For information visit www.federalregister.gov/.

A final rule revising the Justice Department’s Americans with Dis-

abilities Act (ADA) Title II and Title III regulations to imple-ment the requirements of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) was recently made available for public inspection by the Federal Register.

The final rule was published in the Federal Register and will take effect 60 days after publi-cation, which will be Oct. 11, 2016.

Congress passed the ADAAA in response to several Supreme Court decisions that narrowly interpreted the ADA’s defini-tion of disability, leading ulti-mately to the exclusion from coverage of individuals with cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, at-tention deficit hyper-activity disorder, learning disabil-ities and other disabilities.

The ADAAA made a number of significant changes to the meaning and interpretation of the ADA definition of disability to ensure that the term would be broadly construed and ap-

plied without extensive analy-sis so that all people with dis-abilities could receive the law’s protections.

Although the ADAAA is al-ready in effect and applies to entities covered under Title II and III of the ADA, the de-partment’s changes to its Ti-tle II and III regulations will help clarify the interpretation and application of the ADAAA. These changes also satisfy the Attorney General’s responsibil-ity to publish regulations that are consistent with any con-gressional changes to the ADA.

“This final rule clarifies Con-gress’s original mandate that eliminating discrimination against people with disabilities requires an expansive defini-tion of what disability means and who the law covers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gup-ta, head of the Justice De-partment’s Civil Rights Divi-sion. “The Justice Department’s regulation sets forth clear new rules, new examples and de-tailed guidance to ensure that courts, covered entities and people with disabilities better

understand the ADAAA.” The ADAAA’s provisions ad-

dressing the definition of dis-ability also apply to Title I of the ADA, for which the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued regulations in 2011.

The publication of the Title II and Title III rule ensures that the definition of disability is interpreted consistently for these three titles of the ADA.

For information about the ADAAA visit the department’s ADA website or call 800 514-0301 or 1-800-514-3083, (TTY).

The New York Law Journal (NYLJ) recently reported on cases that involved people with disabilities.

Olmstead and ADA CitedIn one case, the parents of a 34-year-old woman with down syn-

drome petitioned the court to appoint a guardian for the woman. Brooklyn surrogate Margarita Lopez Torres the woman has prov-en that she can live on her own safely with minimal supervision.

In her decision Lopez Torres cited the U.S. Supreme Court in Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999), and the Americans with Disabilities Act. To read the report visit http://www.newyorklaw-journal.com/id=1202763730674?keywords=stashenko&publica-tion=New+York+Law+Journal.

Upstate Dog ChallengeIn a second case the NYLJ reported that Western District

Judge Charles Siragusa kept intact a lawsuit challenging an up-state New York school district's requirement that an adult dog handler accompany a disabled third grader and her service dog at all times in school.

He denied summary judgment to the Gates-Chili Central School District, allowing the U.S. Department of Justice to move forward with a suit it filed on behalf of the 8-year-old under the Ameri-cans with Disabilities Act. The report can be read at http://www.newyorklawjournal.com/id=1202764210077/Upstate-School-Dis-trict-Cant-Evade-Disabled-Students-Service-Dog-Suit.

School Answer RequiredIn another case reported by the NYLJ Acting Manhattan Su-

preme Court Justice Lynn Kotler, ruled for New York City Public Advocate Letitia James and ordered the Department of Educa-tion and Chancellor Carmen Fariña to publicly answer James' questions about alleged deficiencies in the city's Special Edu-cation Student Information System (SESIS). Visit http://www.newyorklawjournal.com/id=1202764210077/Upstate-School-Dis-trict-Cant-Evade-Disabled-Students-Service-Dog-Suit to read the details.

All three of these stories were reported by Joel Stashenko for the NYLJ.

DECISIONSDisability Issues Reported by the NYLJ

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A bipartisan group of sen-ators recently passed S. 2614, Keven and Avon-

te’s Law, legislation that will help safeguard children with developmental disabilities from wandering, also known as elope-ment.

According to a recent na-tional survey, a third of school-age children with autism have wandered away from caregiv-ers. The law is named in honor of two boys with autism who per-ished after wandering.

Nine-year-old Kevin Cur-tis Wills wandered from home and drowned in Iowa’s Raccoon River in 2008. Four-teen-year-old Avonte Oquen-do left his school and drowned

Legislation Aims to Protect Against Wanderingin New York City’s East River in 2014.  

“The feeling of dread and helplessness families must feel when a loved one with Alzhei-mer’s or autism goes missing is unimaginable,” said Senate Ju-diciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa. “But with the Senate’s approval of Kevin and Avonte’s Law, we are one important step closer to increasing the chances of a pos-itive ending to many of these nightmares.

“This bipartisan bill applies proven community alert sys-tems to help locate people with Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism and related disorders who may be susceptible to wandering

away from safety. It also sup-ports training for first respond-ers and other community offi-cials to better prevent and re-spond to these cases.

“By preventing similar trage-dies in the future, we can hon-or the lives of Kevin, Avonte and others who lost their lives because a medical condition caused them to wander from safety.”

The law will allow Justice Department grants to be used by law enforcement agencies and nonprofits for educational and other programs.

The grants would facilitate training and emergency proto-cols for school personnel, supply first responders with additional

information and resources, and make locating technology pro-grams available for individuals who may wander from safety.

“We sincerely thank the champions of Kevin and Avon-te’s law in the U.S. Senate who worked tirelessly to pass this legislation aimed at protect-ing individuals who may wan-der from safety,” said Angela Geiger, president of Autism Speaks.

“Protecting our loved ones is a crucial issue for our communi-ty, and we look forward to advo-cating for this legislation in the House of Representatives to ful-ly empower communities to pre-vent wandering and locate loved ones who may be missing.”

A class-action lawsuit filed in federal court alleges that the State University of New York (SUNY) at Purchase Col-lege violates federal and state disability law by not providing students and visitors with mo-bility disabilities equal access to its educational and cultural programs.

Specifically, the lawsuit states

Suit Alleges SUNY Purchase Inaccessiblethat those who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices en-counter widespread physical ac-cess barriers along the campus’ paths of travel that can prevent them from getting to classes and other areas. For example, SUNY Purchase does not pro-vide adequate ways, like func-tioning elevators, to navigate up the stairs and hills that lead

to the most important part of the campus. Other hazards and hurdles include uneven and crumbling pavement, missing curb cuts, dangerously steep slopes and insufficient signage to routes intended for people with disabilities.

SUNY Purchase, a public col-lege in Westchester County, is a four-year educational institu-

tion as well as a cultural hub that offers visitors entrance to its performing arts center, an art museum, various summer camps for children and events for seniors. Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), a national nonprofit legal center, brought the suit on behalf of the West-chester Independent Living Cen-

Continued on page 14

Manhattan Borough Pres. Gale Brewer and the Center for the Independence of the Disabled in New York (CID-NY) recently issued the results of their survey of voters in the April 2016 presidential prima-ry. In the survey, Brewer’s of-fice and CIDNY gathered feed-back from 128 New Yorkers on their experience in the April Primary, with a focus on is-sues affecting equal access and voting rights for New Yorkers with disabilities.

According to CIDNY, the survey results show a number of serious concerns that need to be addressed by the City’s Board of Elections. The survey found that more than 70 per-cent of poll sites surveyed by CIDNY had at least one kind of accessibility barrier.

Twenty percent of respon-dents reported their poll site was overcrowded, a significant problem for voters who use wheelchairs or who live with

Brewer And CIDNY Survey Spotlights Barriers To Voters

other mobility impairments and nearly a quarter (24 per-cent) of voters who attempt-ed to use an accessible Ballot Marking Device reported that they were unable to vote pri-vately and independently, in some cases because poll work-ers were not trained on how to properly assist voters without violating their privacy.

“The Americans with Dis-abilities Act and our human rights laws represent a promise to New Yorkers with disabili-ties, and these survey results show we’re breaking that prom-ise with inaccessible poll sites and inadequate training,” said Brewer. “Our survey provides a checklist of problems for the Board of Elections to monitor and resolve before the fall.”

“Voters with disabilities know they have been disen-franchised – something we’ve documented since 2003” said Susan Dooha, executive di-

Continued on page 11

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UNITED SPINAL NOW

BY JAMES WEISMANCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Schumer Supports Community Living

Twenty-six years after the pas-sage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and 17 years

after the Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision, which requires states to provide programs and services to in-dividuals with disabilities in the most integrated setting ap-propriate, the federal government has yet to address an enor-mous problem.

Individuals with disabilities who might need help with everyday tasks such as eating, dressing, bathing and main-taining medications may not be given the option to live in the setting of their choosing. Many people needing these types of services are forced, by third-party payers like Medicaid, into nursing homes against their will.

A 2010 Harris poll showed that 89 percent of Americans and 94 percent of retired Americans support legislation that re-quires people be able to get Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS) at home instead of forcing people with disabilities and seniors into nursing home facilities and other institutions.

New York Sen. Charles Schumer is sponsoring legislation – the Disability Integration Act (DIA) – which rights this wrong. DIA would ensure that any individual eligible for institutional care can receive LTSS in the setting of their choice. The aver-age cost of institutional care in the U.S. is about $91,000 per person, per year.

As has been pointed out to government repeatedly by people with disabilities, home care is cheaper and more desirable to most Americans. Nevertheless, an institutional bias continues to exist which would be eradicated should the Disability Inte-gration Act pass.

DIA would prevent public entities and insurance companies that pay for LTSS from using waiting lists, arbitrary screen-ing, capping services, underpaying workers for services or tak-ing any other action that would restrict access to home and community-based services. The Act provides a fi nancial incen-tive for states that adopt DIA quickly by increasing their fed-eral medical assistance percentage – i.e., the federal share of state Medicaid expenditures.

Sen. Schumer knows that contact with family and friends is essential to quality of life. He intends, via the DIA, to require the Department of Health and Human Services to issue reg-ulations to develop minimum requirements for coverage with which LTSS providers will need to comply.

The Democratic National Committee initially omitted DIA from its platform. Community integration, including the right to LTSS, was not a basic tenet of the party. However, just be-fore the convention, DIA was added to the platform.

Sen. Schumer’s infl uence in democratic-party politics is well known as he is Vice Chair of the Conference and Chair of the Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Center. He is well respected by fellow democrats who have repeated-ly elected him to leadership positions. United Spinal honored Sen. Schumer for his work to guarantee the right to live in the community and his sponsorship of the Disability Integration

Continued on page 15

Job Title: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator (Part-Time)

Description: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator will build uponand administer the ADA accommodation program from start to finish. Theposition will also be involved in the Light Duty/Return-to-Work program.Other duties include but are not limited to the following: Identifies andperforms outreach to employees possibly requiring accommodations;educates management and employees on the rights and duties under theADA; coordinates with management and employees to develop and provideemployees effective and reasonable accommodations; develops writtenmaterials and other informational pieces regarding the ADA program;develops and maintains internal measures to track ADA status andcompliance and maintains and documents records of all disability andaccommodation issues ensures compliance with applicable laws,regulations, and policies; assures that workers with disabilities are providedeffective and reasonable accommodations allowing them to work productivelyand safely; assure Township-Sponsored activities, Township Facilities andevents address accessibility and accommodation concerns.

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, human resource management,business administration or related field and two years of personneladministration experience are required (or a combination of educationand/or training and/or experience which provides an equivalent backgroundrequired to perform the work of the class); a minimum of three (3) yearsof experience in a position that involved evaluating and administeringreasonable accommodation issues subject to the ADA or §504 andcompletion of a course on barrier-free design or ADA accessibilityguidelines which was sponsored or approved by the New JerseyDepartment of Community Affairs or a department which oversees theUniform Construction Code in any other State, the American Institute ofArchitects, the Paralyzed Veterans Association, or the United SpinalAssociation.

Salary: DOQ

Hours: Part-Time, three days weekly (not to exceed twenty one hours perweek).

Apply: Send resume or application to:Ms. Braedon Gregory, HRIS Coordinator,Human Resources Department, Township of Montclair,205 Claremont Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey 07042or email: bgregory@montclairnjusa.org

Closing Date October 1, 2016

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

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A flash dance mob broke out ahead of the 2nd Annual Disabili-ty Pride Parade in New York City. Video of the dance mob are be-ing send to First Lady Michelle Obama. The White House has agreed to include it in the First Lady’s Let’s Move Campaign.

Taking Pride in NYC

Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabili-ties Victor Calise, third from left, speaks at opening of the pa-rade and introduces three Grand Marshalls, left to right wear-ing sashes, Mary LeDonne, Marilyn Saviola and Ambassador Oh Joon Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations.

Attendees gather at the Rockland Independent Living Center (RILC) Americans with Disabilies Act breakfast to celebrate the 26th Anni-versary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Rock-land County residents were honored at the event that was attended by 150 people.

During the breakfast, RILC Exec. Dir. David Jacobsen, announced the introduction of BRiDGES, RILC’s implementation of a Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) system to support and guide the advocacy services they provide to individuals with disabili-ties and RILC hosts the celebration breakfast every year to recognize organizations and individuals in the community for their contribu-tions in advancing autonomy for people with disabilities.

This year’s honorees were Legal Aid Society of Rockland County, Inc. (Sen. Eugene Levy Memorial Independent Living Award); Michele Cayo, Assistant Parole Services Program Specialist, Hudson Valley Region, DOCCS (William H. Mullin Memorial Systems Change Advo-cate Award); Michele P. Green, District Coordinator for Workforce De-velopment & Business Relations, ACCES-VR (Keith B. Hayes Memo-rial Spirit of Mentoring Award); Scott Smith (Will A. Morales Memorial Award); Edwin Shockley (The Spirit of Recovery Award); and Marie Quirk (The BRiDGES Award).

Parade kicks off lead by Grand Marshalls, Deputy Mayor Richard Buery who represented Mayor Bill de Blasio, Victor Calise, second from right and State Assemblyman and Chair of the Task Force On People With Disabilities David Weprin. They were followed by an esti-mated 5,000 marchers. The parade moved from Union Square Park to Madison Square Park where a celebration awaited them.

Rockland ILC Introduces Initiative at ADA Event

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Comics Empower is an audio com-ic store for those who are blind and/or the visually impaired.

The idea behind the Comics Empow-er store is to provide audio versions of comic books, much like the Graphic Audio site. The main difference is that Graphic Audio adapts and dramatizes comic books whereas Comics Empower provides a panel by panel description so the listener knows what’s in every comic. Comics Empower puts people who are blind fi rst and this has been illustrated in a recent site update that puts the sighted in a dependent situation requiring the aid of a blind person using a screen reader.

Comics Empower have redesigned their website so the blind and visually impaired using screen readers like NVDA or JAWS can have an advantage over sighted people. When a sighted per-son visits the Comics Empower website they will see a black web-page and hear a bit of introductory audio.

This is a rare fl ip of the accessibility conversation. Typically, the blind must ask sighted people for help on inaccessible web-sites but now the sighted are at a disadvantage, something that the designers were fully aware of when making the changes.

On the only page that sighted people can read, the message is very clear about their reasons and intensions. They write, “You know how when you walk into a comic book store, all the new issues are spread out on the walls or the shelves? Well, when a blind person walks in, she or he can’t see anything.

“The experience in Comics Empower, the comic book store for the blind, is reversed: The blind can see everything on the page and you can’t see anything. By doing this, we hope to raise aware-ness about the blind or visually impaired’s experience in comic books. And here we plan to change that experience.”

At the bottom of the page, it reveals an adaptive way for sight-ed people to look at the website. This method perfectly illustrates the way those who are blind and visually impaired have to adapt. Sighted people will soon understand that this isn’t the best solu-tion, but that’s the entire point.

Sighted people can select all the text on every page that they cannot read and navigate using this method. At the time of this writing, there isn’t a link or an easy way to make the text vis-ible to sighted people without having to look for a solution and problem solve, which, of course, mirrors the adaptive technology landscape perfectly.

It may also encourage web developers to stop and think about the benefi ts of web access, as well. The developer of the website id in an email that the design is here to stay because it promotes awareness.

BLINDVIEW

BY ROBERT KINGETT

Sighted Can’t Read Website

Contact Us At 516 939-2253

The following will be featured in upcoming issues ofAble along with the usual informative news

OCTOBER Employment - Disability Employment IssuesNOVEMBER Elections - A look at the candidates.DECEMBER Education, Schools and Camps - Inaddition, many agencies spotlight their educational programsin this issue. Free editorial space with your ad in this section.

UPCOMING ISSUES

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The New York state Depart-ment of Health (DOH) recent-ly launched a new procedure that fast-tracks the approval of Medicaid applications for appli-cants who have an immediate need for either personal care or consumer directed personal as-sistance.

The directive implements a law passed last year which re-quires local Medicaid offices to process and approve a Medic-aid application in seven days and authorize personal care in

New Procedure Can Expedite Medicaid Service12 days if there is dire need. The procedures require submit-ting a new attestation form cer-tifying the applicant's specific need, along with a physician's order.

When managed long-term care became mandatory in 2012, there was no more ac-cessing home care through the local Medicaid office. Their role was then solely to process ap-plications. Once approved, a dual eligible needed to obtain a conflict-free assessment, then

choose and enroll in a managed long-term care plan. When it passed the 2015 law, the state legislature was responding to reports of long delays in the ap-plying and enrollment process.

There are other significant improvements, such as the ability of married applicants to request spousal impover-ishment protections for their spouses. Previously, this bud-geting method could only be requested after the individual enrolled in a plan. Also, people

who are temporarily in the hos-pital or a nursing home may re-quest expedited Medicaid and/or home care so that they can return home.

In addition, applicants will be eligible if their voluntary infor-mal caregivers cannot continue to provide needed assistance to the applicant. Earlier drafts had suggested that an applicant whose family is currently provid-ing informal care does not have an immediate need, even if this care cannot continue.

$21M Later Bronx Station Still Not Accessible

Continued on page 11

A class-action lawsuit recently filed in fed-eral court alleges the

Metropolitan Transit Author-ity (MTA) and New York City Transit Authority NYCTA) ig-nored the legal requirements of the Americans with Disabili-ties Act when they completed a $21.85 million rehabilitation to the Middletown Road station in the Bronx, but failed to install an elevator.

The MTA closed the station for seven months in 2013 to 2014 to undertake extensive work that included replacing

staircases, structural steel framing, ceilings, walls, floors, and track structure, and yet this station serving a busy area of the borough is still inacces-sible to people who use wheel-chairs or other mobility assis-tive devices.

“This is not the first time that the MTA has spent mil-lions of dollars improving a subway station while ignoring the legal mandate to simulta-neously make it accessible,” said Michelle Caiola, Managing Attorney at Disability Rights Advocates, “which is why New

York City has one of the worst public transportation systems for people with disabilities in the United States.”

Almost 26 years after the passage of the ADA, only 19 percent of New York City sub-way stations are fully accessi-ble. By contrast, 100 percent of Washington D.C. stations, 100 percent of San Francisco Bay Area stations, 74 percent of Boston stations and 67 percent of Chicago stations are wheel-chair-accessible.

Disability Rights Advocates brings the suit on behalf of the

Bronx Independent Living Ser-vices (BILS), Disabled in Ac-tion of Metropolitan New York (DIA) and two Bronx residents with mobility disabilities who need elevators to access sub-way stations.

“Inaccessible public trans-portation interferes with the ability of people with disabil-ities to hold down jobs, keep medical appointments, and partake in community activi-ties,” said Brett Eisenberg, Ex-ecutive Director of BILS.

“Many may take access to the

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0 OBITUARIES

Gerard “Jerry” Kelly, United Spi-nal’s executive director from 2002 through 2005, died June 18. Kel-ly, who had brain cancer for three years, was 70.

Kelly was a paraplegic veteran who worked as deputy executive director to James Peters from 1971-2002. In that role, Kelly managed direct mail fundraising programs, worked closely with the United Spi-nal board of directors and with Par-alyzed Veterans of America’s (PVA) board of directors.

Kelly provided advice for mem-

Former United Spinal Dir. Gerard ‘Jerry’ Kellybers and led the organization through two difficult transitions - first as Pe-ters’ replacement when he died and second when the organization tran-sitioned to become United Spinal.

“Kelly lived the model that we hope is achievable by all of our member,s said United Spinal Pres. and C.E.O. “He was well adjusted to living with a disability, integrated and active in his community, and a good boss. He was a real New York-er, raised in Queens and educated in Brooklyn.

“He was committed to making

the world a better place for people with spinal cord injury/disease and wheelchair users everywhere. Those of us who knew Jerry have suffered a great loss. He was a friend, a lead-er, and a role model.”

A memorial mass followed by interment with honors at a military cemetery in the Denver, Colo. area was held. In lieu of flowers, dona-tions can be made to Porter Hospice, Denver, Colo. (www.porterhospital.org/POH/Home/), or to the chari-ty of the donor’s choice.

He is survived by his wife

Lynn, daughter Carolyn, son-in-law Mike, and granddaugh-ters Trinity and Faith.

Disability Rights Advocate’s (DRA) co-founder and executive director, Larry Paradis, recent-ly died at the age of 57.

DRA’s other co-founder and supervising attorney Sid Wo-linsky will continue, along with another colleague, to direct the work of the nonprofit legal cen-ter. DRA, established in 1993, works to advance equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities nationwide.

“I’ve lost a dear friend, com-rade and brother,” said Wolin-sky. “Larry touched the lives of millions of people and made the world a better place.

The work which Larry so bril-liantly and tirelessly executed is not finished. DRA will continue to honor his legacy by pursuing the goal about which he was most passionate – advancing the rights of men, women and children with disabilities.”

Paradis became disabled as

Disability Rights Lawyer Larry Paradis

a young adult while attend-ing Harvard Law School, after which he devoted his life to pro-tecting the civil rights of oth-ers with disabilities. At DRA, he took on and won hundreds of precedent-setting cases that involved issues such as health care, employment, transporta-tion, education, disaster plan-ning, voting and housing.

He was named one of Califor-nia’s attorneys of the year (CLAY) in 2011 and 2003 by “California Lawyer” magazine. In 2004, Lar-

ry was voted trial lawyer of the year by the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association.

In addition, Paradis served on the boards of many advoca-cy organizations including the Berkeley Center for Indepen-dent Living, Disability Rights Bar Association, National Council on Disability, Interna-tional Watch Committee, Amer-ican Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, Berkeley Commission on Disability, Dis-ability Statistics Center and the Center for Personal Assistance Services.

“It has been my honor and privilege to have Larry as a friend, colleague and mentor,” said Linda Dardarian, chair of DRA’s board.” Larry was an amazingly talented, brilliant and accomplished disability rights trailblazer and a deeply good, caring, decent and giving person.

Larry broke down barriers all across this nation. If you use a wheelchair or scooter and can freely travel because the cor-ners have curb ramps, Larry did that. If you are blind and can access websites to shop or read books, Larry did that.

If you are deaf and can watch captioned movies at your local theater, Larry did that.

If you have a disability and can enter your polling place and use the voting machine pri-vately, Larry did that. Larry spent his life working tirelessly so that people with disabilities would be fully included in all as-pects of American life.

That is his legacy, and he will be loved and admired forever for it.”

He is survived by his wife and two sons.

A legacy fund will be estab-lished in his honor at www.dra-legal.org.

Champion of Autism Advocacy Suzanne Wright Suzanne Wright, Autism

Speaks co-founder, recently died of pancreatic cancer at 69.

“What Suzanne Wright has done to raise awareness of au-tism is immeasurable,” said Au-tism Speaks Chairman of the Board Brian Kelly and Presi-dent Angela Geiger in a joint statement. “Even during the past few difficult months, her determination never wavered. For more than a decade, she has been a tireless advocate on the national and international stage. Persuading the world to see the potential in each child and adult on the vast autism

spectrum is her greatest legacy. As we look to the future, Autism Speaks remains committed to advancing the important mis-sion she began.”

In 2005, Wright and her husband Bob founded Autism Speaks after their grandson was diagnosed with autism. At the helm of Autism Speaks, Wright helped create the icon-ic blue puzzle piece logo that is now recognized across the world to represent autism.

Working with the Ad Council, she and her husband launched a 10-year public service announce-ment campaign. They were also

key in persuading the United Nations to establish April 2, as World Autism Awareness Day and launching the internation-al Light It Up Blue campaign that lights landmarks, buildings and homes in 157 countries.

Wright was born in the Bronx, raised in West Hempstead and finally settled in Connecticut. In addition to her work with Autism Speaks, she had an ex-tensive history of active involve-ment in community and philan-thropic endeavors, primarily fo-cused on helping children. She was a trustee emeritus of Sar-ah Lawrence College, her alma

mater, and served on the board of the Tony Randall Theatrical Fund. She also received numer-ous awards, including the Wom-en of Distinction Award from Palm Beach Atlantic Univer-sity, the Child Magazine Chil-dren’s Champions Award.

Wright is survived by her husband of 48 years, siblings, three children, and six grand-children.

In lieu of flowers, the fami-ly requests that donations be made to Autism Speaks or the Lustgarten Foundation, which advances pancreatic cancer re-search.

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rector of CIDNY. “If the City wants to come into compliance with federal civil rights law, it is within its power to do so. The mayor and the Council don’t have to wait for the state to ‘fix’ the New York City Board of Elections.

“It is within the City’s power to make City build-ings used as polling sites accessible to people with disabilities. In fact, the New York City Board of Elections is already under court order to make New York City poll-ing sites accessible to voters with disabilities.

“We applaud Manhattan Borough President Brewer for joining us in raising the voic-es of voters with disabilities who have been consistently denied their civil right to vote privately and independently at the polling sites, like everyone else.”

A memorandum on the re-sults of the survey and the sur-vey questions and results can be found at the

Borough President’s website, http://manhattanbp.nyc.gov.

VOTER SURVEY Continued from page 5

STATION STILL NOT ACCESSIBLEContinued from page 9subway system for granted, but for our members and constituents, the exceedingly few elevators is a daily reminder of how little effort the MTA has placed on making it a system open to all,” said An-thony Trocchia, president of DIA. “Hopefully, this suit can initiate a change in MTA priorities.”

Disability Rights Advocates is a non-profit disability rights legal center.

With offices in Berkeley, Ca-lif. and New York City, DRA’s mission is to advance equal rights and opportunities for people with all types of disabil-ities nationwide.

To advance that mission, DRA regularly advocates for greater access to all types of transportation systems, includ-ing subway systems, taxi fleets, car-sharing services, and side-

walks. DRA and the MTA en-tered into a groundbreaking settlement in 2011 requiring the MTA to construct an eleva-tor at the newly-renovated Dy-ckman St. subway station on the 1 line.

A copy of the complaint is available at http://dralegal.org/press/bronx-subway-station-still-in-a c c e s s i b l e - w h e e l c h a i r - u s -ers-21-85-million-later/.

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MANHATTANKIPS BAY AREA

RE-OPENING WAITING LISTHenry Phipps Plaza South, located in the Kips Bay area of Manhattan, is please to announce that applications are now being accepted for studio, one, two, three and four bedroom apartments for the waiting list. Households must meet the below income and family size requirements.

Apartment Type Family Size* Monthly Rent** Total Annual Income***

0 Bedroom 1 $952 $32,640 - $38,100

1 Bedroom12

$1,020$34,971 - $38,100$34,971 - $43,500

2 Bedroom234

$1,224$41,966 - $43,500$41,966 - $48,960$41,966 - $54,360

3 Bedroom45

$1,413$48,446 - $54,360$48,446 - $58,740

4 Bedroom56

$1,576$54,034 - $58,740$54,034 - $63,060

*Household size includes everyone who will live with you. Including parents and children. Subject to occupancy criteria**Rent subject to change and includes electric and gas for cooking***Household earnings include salary, hourly wages, tips, Social Security, child support, and other income for household members. Incomeguidelines adjusted for family size

ALL APPLICANTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO MEET INCOME, CREDIT, BACKGROUND CHECK AND OTHER CRITERIA

Qualified Applicants will be required to meet income guidelines and additional selection criteria. To request an application, mail a POSTCARD to: Henry Phipps Plaza South, 902 Broadway, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10010 or downloaded from http://www.phippsny.org/housing-application/. 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 October 11, 2016. Applications postmarked after October 11, 2016 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 applications will not be accepted.

Please note that applications will be selected via a lottery and placed on the waiting list. Applications will be interviewed based on the future availability of vacant units.

NO BROKERS FEE. NO APPLICATION FEE.SUPERVISED BY DEPARTMENT OF HUD

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INFORMATIONFORUM

BIKE CLUB TO HOST ITS SECOND ANNUAL EVENT

The Team Viscardi Bike Club will hold its second annual event on Willets Road in Albertson on Oct. 1, 9:30 a.m.

Participants will use the Long Island Expressway with police assistance. The event will include food, games, vendors, raffles and prizes.

To register call Joe Slaninka, 516 368-2271.

FAMILY CAREGIVERS IN BERGEN ENTITLED TO FREE SUPPORTSIn-home caregivers of loved ones can re-

ceive free education and support. The caregiver must be unpaid and at

least 18 years old. The care recipient must be a Bergen County resident of at least 60 years old that has a chronic disease or dis-ability.

The caregiver initially meets with a registered nurse, followed by a number of visits from a physical, speech and/or occu-pational therapist, as well as a registered dietician.

A licensed clinical social worker is also available to offer short-term coun-seling to the caregiver for stress man-agement.

For information call Daniel Kotkin, 201 336-6504.

USABA AND NIB PARTNER FOR EMPLOYMENT OF THE BLIND

The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) is partnering with the National Industries for the Blind (NIB) to provide people who are blind and visually impaired with employment opportunities.

NIB, with 94 agencies nationwide, helps people find employment in fields that in-clude manufacturing, technology, call cen-ter operations, managerial positions and many others.

For information contact Kevin Brous-ard, kbrousard@usaba.org.

YOUNG MUSICIANS SOUGHT FOR ANNUAL COMPETITION

Applications are being accepted from musicians with disabilities, ages 14 to 25, for the annual VSA International Young Soloists Competition.

They can apply as an instrumental or vocal soloist or as ensembles. All genres of music are accepted.

The Kennedy Center will select up to four winners, who will win a $2,500 prize, profes-sional development activities and the opportu-nity to perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. For information visit www.kennedy-center.org/education/vsa.

DREDF TO HOST 39TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) will be celebrating its 37th anniversary at Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley, Calif., Sept. 15, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The campus is wheelchair assessible. Sign language interpreters and captioning will be provided.

For information call Ingrid Tischer, 510 644-2555.

SUBMISSIONS BEING ACCEPTED FOR POLIO PHOTO CONTEST

Post Polio Health International is hold-ing a photo contest.

Submissions should depict individuals with polio leading happy and active lives. There will be one grand prize winner and four runners up.

The deadline is Oct. 3, with winners to be announced two weeks afterward. For information visit www.post-polio.org/wer-estillhere/WSH2016contest.pdf.

TOOLKIT PROVIDES INFO TO ADVOCATES OF HCBS

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law and many other disability organiza-tions created a toolkit to help advocates push for strong implementation of the new Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Settings Rules in their states. It provides information about the rules and actions that can be taken by advocates.

The rules require all settings funded by Medicaid HCBS to provide full integra-tion in community life, control of person-al resources and employment opportuni-ties. States have until 2019 to transition into full compliance.

For information visit www.bit.ly/Ba-zelonHCB Srules.

NETWORK ADDRESSES ADULT HOUSING SHORTAGE

The Autism Housing Network is a re-source for individuals with developmental disabilities and/or their caretakers to find proper residential placements.

The network helps people explore var-ious quality housing solutions at a time when demand continues to outpace supply and years-long waiting lists keep growing. For information visit www.autismhousing-network.org.

ABLE ACCEPTS EVENT AND PROGRAM INFORMATION Able Newspaper will print event and

program information from agencies when space permits. Send items to ablenews@aol.com.

WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE FORPARENTS AND PROFESSIONALSGary Shulman, a long-time special

needs director, provides interactive workshops for professionals and fam-ily members of children with disabil-ities.

These sessions are held at schools, agen-cies and various other venues. Topics can include parenting, stress reduction for caretakers, communication strategies, fos-ter parenting, inclusion in mainstream set-tings, transition to adulthood, recreation, socialization, government benefits and en-titlements.

For information contact gary.shulman@nyc.rr.com.

GRANTS AVAILABLE FOR LONG TERM CARE

Nonprofits throughout New York state are invited to apply for grants to participate in the Independent Consumer Advocacy Network (ICAN), funded by the New York state Department of Health (DOH).

ICAN is the state Ombuds Program for people with Medicaid who need long-term care services. Applications are due by Sept 15.

For information contact czoubul@cssny.org.

ORGAN DONORS AND OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS NEEDED

Matching Donors is a nonprofit that finds and registers living donors for people who need life-saving organ transplants in the United States.

The organization, which has helped save thousands of lives, is asking the public to consider becoming a donor. Individuals who can’t donate a kidney or other organ can still help by donating a used car, boat or plane, as well as any monetary dona-tion.

For information visit www.MatchingDo-nors.com.

STUDY INDICATES LEVEL OF ACCESS IN CATHOLIC PARISHESThe Center for Applied Research in

the Apostolate recently completed the first-ever nationwide survey of how Cath-olic parishes are including people with physical and intellectual disabilities.

Some key findings from the report show that 96 percent of parishes have a wheelchair accessible entrance, 43 per-cent have a list of professional resources for referrals, 72 percent have volunteers who are disabled and 93 percent offer ac-commodations for participating in social events.

For a full report visit www.cara.george-town.edu/Disabilities.pdf.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 1Writers Workshop 4 to 6 p.m. at CIDNY 841 Broadway #301 13-14 Sts. For informa-tion call Eva Eason 646 442-4156. Also Sept. 8, 15, 22 & 29.

Peer Support Group 1 to 3 p.m. at BCID, 27 Smith St., Brooklyn. For infor-mation call 718 998-3000. Also Sept. 8, 15, 22 & 29.

SEPTEMBER 2Low Vision/Blind Support Group 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at BCID, 27 Smith St., Brooklyn. For information call 718 998-3000. Also Sept. 9, 16, 23 & 30.

Friday Night Hangout for seniors and adults with phys-ical disabilities, 5 to 8:30 p.m. at ICS, 25 Elm Pl., 5th floor, Brooklyn. For information call Latricia James, 718 907-1622. Also Sept. 9, 16, 23 & 30.

SEPTEMBER 3Movie Club, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at NAMI, 505 Eighth Ave., 35th St., #1103. For in-formation call 212 684-3365.

SEPTEMBER 5 Stroke Brain Injury Sur-vivor Support Group 12:15 p.m. at SUNY College of Op-tometry, 33 W. 42nd St. For information call 212 938-4040.

VISIONS Senior Speak Out 3 p.m. at Selis Manor, 135 W. 23rd St. For information call Eliza beth Lee 646 486-4444. Also Sept. 12, 19 & 26.

Learn to Draw & Paint with Rich 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at ICS, 25 Elm Pl., 5th Floor, Brooklyn. For information call Latricia James 718 907-1622. Also Sept. 12, 19 & 26.

Knitting & Crochet Group for seniors and adults with physical disabilities 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at ICS, 25 Elm Pl., 5th floor, Brooklyn. For information call Latricia James 718 907-1622. Also Sept. 12, 19 & 26.

Housing and Benefits Clinics, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at CIDNY 841 Broad-way #301 13-14 Sts. For in-formation call Eva Eason

646 442-4156. Also Sept. 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 & 27.

Double Trouble Support Group 6 p.m. For information call 212 684-3365. Also Sept. 12, 19 & 26.

SEPTEMBER 6Art for Everyone 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at ICS, 400 Fordham Rd., 10th floor, Bronx. For informa-tion call Latricia James 718 907-1622. Also Sept. 13, 20 & 27.

Hand Cycle Training 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Burke’s Main Hospital Building, #7, 785 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains. For informa-tion contact Aoudheusden@burkeorg. Also Sept. 13, 20 & 27.

Metropolitan Parents’ Cen-ter: Education Advocacy Workshop 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Sinergia, 208 2 Lexington, 4th floor #333. For information call Godfrey Rivera 212 643-2840 ext 307. Also Sept. 13, 20 & 27.

Tuesday Art Sampler 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at ICS, 25 Elm Pl., 5th floor, Brooklyn. For information call Latricia James 718 907-1622. Also Sept. 13, 20 & 27.

Creative Writing Circle for seniors and adults with physical disabilities 5 to 7:30 p.m. at ICS, 257 Park Ave. S., 2nd floor. For information call Latricia James 718 907-1622. Also Sept. 13, 20 & 27.

TBI Support Group 12:30 to 2 p.m. at BCID, 27 Smith St., #200, Brooklyn. For information call 718 998-3000. Also Sept. 13.

SEPTEMBER 72016 Paralympic Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Cover-age on NBC. Through Sept. 18.

Memory Arts Café free art events for people liv-ing with Alzheimer’s, care-givers and public 6 p.m. at NY Memory Center, 199 14th St., Brooklyn. For in-formation call 718 499-7701.

SEPTEMBER 8PCAC Meeting 12 to 2 p.m. at MTAHQ, 2 Broadway, 20th floor Board Room. For infor-mation call 212 878-7087.

SEPTEMBER 9MAADDSG Addressing Treat-ment Resistant ADHD, Depres-sion, Anxiety 6:30-9 p.m. at 245 77th St. near West End Ave. For information call 845 278-3022.

Self-Advocacy Conference presented by SANYS at the Al-bany Marriot, 189 Wolf Rd., Col-onie, NY. For information visit http://sanys.org/news/?page_id=3965. Through Sept. 10.

SEPTEMBER 11Disabled Queers 1 to 3 p.m. at the LBGT Commu-nity Center, 208 West 13 St., Manhattan. For infor-mation call 718 389-8180.

SEPTEMBER 13Adult Support Group 6:45 p.m. at NY Branch IDA, 71 W. 23rd St. #1527. For infor-mation call 212 691-1930.

Law Clinic for people with ID & DD 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at BCID, 27 Smith St., #200 Brooklyn. For information call 718 998-3000.

SEPTEMBER 14The Largest Minority Ra-dio Show 9 to 10 p.m. pre-senting news and views of peo-ple living with disabilities on WBAI 99.5 FM. Also Sept. 28.

NYAPRS: Advancing Whole Health & Healthy Commu-nities: The Pathway to Pop-ulation Health at the Hudson Valley Resort & Conference Center, Kerhonkson. For in-formation contact caseyc@nyaprs.org. Through Sept 16.

SEPTEMBER 15United States Confer-ence on Aids at the Diplo-mat Resort, Hollywood, Fla. For information call 202 483-6622. Through Sept. 18.

DREDF Anniversary Cock-tail Party 5:30 to 8 p.m. at EdRoberts Campus, Berkley, Calif. For information call In-grid Tischer 510 644-2555.

ICAN Grants Applica-tions Deadline for non-profits. For information con-tact czoubul@cssny.org.

SEPTEMBER 16Parkinson’s Support Group 10:30 a.m. in the Noyes Con-

ference Center at Helen Hayes Hospital, Route 9W N. West Haverstraw. For infor-mation call 845 786-4321.

NJ Council on Special Transportation Expo 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Ocean Place Resort, 1 Ocean Blvd., Long Branch, N.J. For in-formation contact Michael Vieira njcost@njcost.com.

SEPTEMBER 18Disabled in Action Meet-ing, 1:30 to 4 p.m. at Selis Manor, 1st floor auditori-um, 135 West 23rd Street be-tween 6th and 7th Ave. For information call 718 389-8180.

Stroll and Roll, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to raise funds for the Kessler Founda-tion will be held at Verona Park. For information and to register visit www. kes-slerfoundation.org/SNR.

SEPTEMBER 24The 2016 Burke Wheelchair Games at Burke Campus, 785 Mamoroneck Ave., White Plains. Registration at 8:30 a.m. For information call 914 597-2850.

SEPTEMBER 27Parkinson’s Support Group for Family Members 2 p.m. in the Noyes Conference Center at Helen Hayes Hospital, Route 9W N. West Haverstraw. For information call 845 786-4321.

ONGOING EVENTSFree Workshops and Services at United Ce-rebral Palsy of New York City Family Connect Cen-ters throughout the five boroughs. For information call 718 436-7979 ext.704.

Lupus Alliance of Long Island/Queens Support Group meets once a month on Tuesdays 7:30 to 9 p.m. in Flushing. For informa-tion call 516 802-3142.To have your event or meeting listed send information to www.ablenews@aol.com. The dead-line for calendar items is the 10th day of the month prior to the date of publication. Calen-dar items will be accepted only if they have a specific date.

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ter (WILC), a nonprofit advocacy center that works on behalf of people with disabilities, and two individuals with mobility disabil-ities who have encountered barri-ers first-hand.

“It is difficult to get around for students like me who have a disability,” said Kayle Hill, a SUNY Purchase student. “In-stead of being able to just focus

on being a student, I always have to think about how to get to class and other activities on time in spite of obstacles like steep hills, broken elevators and confrontations with staff about my accessible parking pass.”

“Members of our community want to go to SUNY Purchase to see performances, art exhibi-

tions or to audit classes. Unfor-tunately, the college has failed to consider our safety and con-venience, and we then have to think twice about whether attending an event or class at SUNY Purchase is worth the extra struggle,” said Michael Hellmann, WILC community advocate and wheelchair user.

“We can only imagine how

many would-be students and visitors are discouraged from attending this college because of these ongoing barriers to ac-cessible paths of travel,” said Christina Brandt-Young of DRA.

“The law in this area has been clear for decades, and a state-funded institution has no excuse for non-compliance.”

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Act at our 5th Annual Roll on Capitol Hill last June.

We also honored Stephanie Woodward, a United Spinal member and lawyer for the Center for Disability Rights in Rochester, New York. Steph-anie’s Disability Integration Act advocacy and involvement at the drafting stage is the reason United Spinal chose to honor her.

DIA states “No public enti-ty or LTSS insurance provider shall deny an individual with an LTSS disability who is eli-gible for institutional place-

Schumer for addressing this enormous gap in service pro-vision that plagues many with disabilities throughout the U.S.

UNITED SPINAL NOWContinued from page 6

ment or otherwise discrimi-nate against that individual in the provision of, commu-nity-basedlong-term services and supports that enable the

individual to live in the com-munity and lead an indepen-dent life.”

Kudos to Ms. Woodward for her advocacy and to Sen.

and access to the built environ-ment.

The City has created addi-tional full-time positions in key City Agencies that work closely with MOPD and act as liaisons to New Yorkers with disabil-ities, including the Depart-ment of Transportation, the

Human Resources Administra-tion, the Taxi and Limousine Commission and the Depart-ment of Parks and Recreation. MOPD’s Business Develop-ment Council provides strate-gic advice on best practices in outreach, recruitment, train-ing, hiring and promotion of

PWD and its NYC: AT WORK initiative will connect talent to businesses and provide access to employment opportunities for a minimum of 700 unem-ployed or underemployed peo-ple with disabilities.

Visit www.nyc.gov/MOPD to read the full plan.

ACCESSIBLE NYCContinued from page 2

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SPORTS SCENE

More than 4000 athletes from 170 nations will compete in 22 different

sports at the 2016 Rio Paralym-pic Games in September.

Paracanoe and paratriath-lon are two new events that will debut in Rio. With three medal events in both men’s and women’s para-canoe, a to-tal of 60 athletes are expected to compete in the debut of the sport, which is almost identical to canoeing for able-bodied ath-letes. The inaugural Paralym-pic Games paratriathlon event will feature a 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike and 5-kilo-meter run.

This year’s games will get more airtime than ever before, with NBC broadcasting more than 70 hours of coverage, be-ginning with the opening cer-emonies on Sept. 7, at 7 p.m. It will conclude after the clos-ing ceremonies, which will air Sept. 18. On most days, cover-

Top Athletes Set to Compete in Rioage will air from 2 to 5 p.m., 7 to 9 p.m., and 1 to 5 a.m. In ad-dition, TeamUSA.org and US-Paralympics.org will provide comprehensive online

Meanwhile, there has been a bit of controversy regarding

fi nancial problems that could affect the games.

Budget cuts may alter the number of workers, transpor-tation options and sports ven-ues. These circumstances seem partly due to Brazil’s ongoing

economic crisis, low ticket sales and limited number of spon-sors.

Another controversy in-volves the ousting of all Rus-sian Paralympians because of a doping scandal.

The women’s and men’s goalball teams that will rep-resent Team USA at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in Septem-ber have been announced. The women’s team is com-prised of six players, four of whom have competed in at least one Paralympic Games. Team members are Jen Armbruster, Eliana Mason and Asya Miller of Oregon, Lisa Czechowski of Arizona, Amanda Dennis of Georgia and Marybai Huking of Utah.

They will compete against Algeria, Brazil, Japan and Is-rael.

Goalballers Headed to Paralympics Announced“The team is really look-

ing forward to the competi-tion they will face in Rio,” said women’s head coach Ken Armbruster. “With the excep-tion of China, we’ve played against or seen every team we’ll be playing in Rio. I don’t believe there is a clear favor-ite.

We match up well against all of the teams, and our ex-perience should be a plus for us, as several of the teams will be making their first Paralympic appearance.” On the men’s side, half the players named have compet-ed in at least one Paralympic

Games. Team members are Daryl Walker and

Tyler Merren of Florida, Jo-seph Hamilton of California,Andrew Jenks of Delaware, John Kusku of Michigan andMatthew Simpson of Georgia. They will compete against China, Finland, Lithuania and Turkey.

“This is a very determined team,” said men’s head coach Mike Legé. “We have worked very hard all year refining technical skills and empha-sizing teamwork.

We’re looking forward to competing against the best teams in the world.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and other offi-cials recently announced that the county’s half marathon has been designated as interna-tional and national champi-onships for the intellectually disabled.

The International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability, known as INAS, has sanctioned the half marathon as an interna-tional championship, and Ath-letes Without Limits has des-ignated the race as its first-ev-er national championship.

The Catholic Health Ser-vices Suffolk County Mar-athon, half marathon and newly added 5K will take place Oct. 30, starting and ending in the village of Pa-tchogue. It will culminate with a festival that features music and food.

“We are pleased that our race will serve as an op-

Race Is International Course For Intellectually Disabled

portunity for all athletes to demonstrate their skills,” said County Executive Bel-lone (D-N.Y.). “An intellec-tual disability should never be a barrier to those want-ing to enjoy participating in sports. We are thrilled that we will serve as a host to these two championships.”

“Athletes Without Limits and INAS are honored and excited to award the Suf-folk County Half Marathon the U.S. National Champi-onship for athletes with an intellectual disability,” said Barry Holman, chairman of the board for Athletes With-out Limits. “We know the Suffolk County government and community are going to put on a fantastic event that will showcase the drive, tal-ents and achievements of runners with an intellectu-al disability from the U.S. and internationally.’’