John R. Vaughn, Chairperson
May 2007

The Bulletin, which is free of charge and at NCD’s award-winning Web site (www.ncd.gov), brings you the latest issues and news affecting people with disabilities. To subscribe to the new NCD listserv, go to http://listserv.access.gpo.gov, click on Online mailing list archives, select NCD-NEWS-L, click on Join or leave the list, then complete the short subscription form. Please send your editorial comments to Bulletin editor Mark S. Quigley (mquigley@ncd.gov).

NCD Selects New Executive Director

Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Relief and Recovery Public Consultation
On May 30, NCD released a public consultation request to identify local best practices in the areas of homeland security, emergency preparedness, and disaster relief and recovery. The expectation is that local communities can offer workable solutions and advice to help the Federal Government (and its state and private partners) establish policies, disseminate information, and support best practices for those most immediately affected by natural and man-made disasters. This public consultation is designed specifically to identify proven examples of community efforts that successfully address programs and practices that successfully take into account the needs of people with disabilities in the areas of homeland security, emergency preparation, and disaster relief and recovery.

Why are we using a public consultation process? Running a consultation is not simply about more open government. We want to make our national policies more effective by listening to and taking onboard the views of the public and interested groups. Listening to the public has a number of specific benefits for us; it allows us to tap the widest source of information possible and thus improves the quality of the information received, and the advice it provides to Federal Government leaders; it alerts us to any concerns and issues and data not picked up through existing evidence or research; and, it helps us to monitor existing policy and determine whether potential changes are needed.

How can you participate in our public consultation process? Read the entire document (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/ncd_consultant_05-31-07.htm) to find out.

Breaking the Silence on Crime Victims with Disabilities On May 21, NCD, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities, and The National Center for Victims of Crime announced a new partnership addressing the long-neglected needs of crime victims with disabilities.

The ultimate goal of this partnership is to foster greater public awareness about crime victims with disabilities and to forge a national commitment to better serve this particularly vulnerable population.

In announcing the partnership, the three organizations released a joint statement that calls for expanded research to establish the prevalence and impact of crime against people with disabilities. The statement also calls for greater public education to raise awareness about the circumstances and needs of people with disabilities who have been victimized by crime; public policy changes that integrate crime victims with disabilities and their needs into the current framework of federal, state, and local services; increased access to programs and services that will help crime victims with disabilities rebuild their lives; and a national leadership forum that will serve as a unifying and proactive voice for crime victims with disabilities. (To read the full joint statement, see http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/pdf/05-21-07_jointstatement_crime.pdf.)

On May 30, the partnership conducted an on-line town hall meeting (www.ncvc.org) that connected victim service providers, disability activists, and others from across the country to discuss the joint statement in greater detail and identify specific strategies for addressing the needs of crime victims with disabilities.

Presenters included: John R. Vaughn, Chairperson, National Council on Disability; Olegario D. Cantos VII, Esq., Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice; Mary Lou Leary, Executive Director, The National Center for Victims of Crime; and Beverly L. Frantz, Institute on Disabilities, Temple University.

NCD Board Transition

On May 25, the U.S. Senate confirmed Cynthia Wainscott of Georgia as a new National Council on Disability (NCD) Council member. NCD welcomes Ms. Wainscott.

Ms. Wainscott is the immediate past chair of Mental Health America, formerly known as the National Mental Health Association. She was acting president and CEO of Mental Health America in 2006. She served as a member of the Institute of Medicine committee that recently released Improving the Quality of Health Care for Mental and Substance-Use Conditions, and is a founding board member of the Campaign for America’s Mental Health.

Ms. Wainscott will take office upon the signing of her commission by President Bush. Ms. Wainscott replaces outgoing NCD member Barbara Gillcrist.

We congratulate Ms. Gillcrist on the fine service she has provided to NCD and we will miss her passion for disability issues, her many random acts of thoughtfulness and the grace she always exhibited. We wish Ms. Gillcrist and her family the best as they pursue new challenges and opportunities.

NCD to Release ADA Reports at Quarterly Meeting

NCD’s summer quarterly board meeting will be held July 24–26 at the Crowne Plaza Chicago Metro, Chicago, Illinois. During the meeting, NCD will conduct panel discussions on emergency preparedness and livable communities/best practices. NCD also will release two reports: The Impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act: Assessing the Progress Toward Achieving the Goals of the ADA, and Implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act: Challenges, Best Practices, and New Opportunities for Success.

This meeting is open to the public. People with disabilities are encouraged to attend and participate in the daily public comment segments of the meeting.

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Parents

On May 21, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Winkelman v. Parma City School District, 05-983, that parents need not hire a lawyer to sue public school districts over their children's special education needs.

The decision came in the case of an Ohio student with autism spectrum disorder, whose parents argued they were effectively denied access to the courts because they could not afford a lawyer.

The Court’s opinion can be found at http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-983.pdf.

DOJ Issues New Installment of ADA Technical Assistance Materials

On December 5, 2006; February 27, 2007; and May 7, 2007; the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice issued installments of a new technical assistance document (http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/toolkitmain.htm) designed to assist state and local officials in improving compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in their programs, services, activities, and facilities. The new technical assistance document, which will be released in several installments over the next ten months, is entitled The ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments. The Tool Kit is designed to teach state and local government officials how to identify and fix problems that prevent people with disabilities from gaining equal access to state and local government programs, services, and activities. It also will teach state and local officials how to conduct accessibility surveys of their buildings and facilities to identify and remove architectural barriers to access.

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Mark S. Quigley
Director of Communications
National Council on Disability
1331 F Street, NW Suite 850
Washington, DC 20004