National Council on Disability Quarterly Meeting
Hilton Hawaiian Village
Honolulu, Hawaii
March 9-11, 2005

Members
Present
Lex Frieden, Chairperson
Pat Pound, First Vice Chairperson
Glenn Anderson, Ph.D., Second Vice Chairperson
Milton Aponte, J.D.
Robert Davila, Ph.D.
Barbara Gilchrist
Joel I. Kahn, Ph.D.
Young Woo Kang, Ph.D.
Kathleen Martinez
Carol Novak
Anne M. Rader
Marco Rodriguez
Linda Wetters

Absent
Graham Hill
David Wenzel

Staff
Present
Ethel D. Briggs, Executive Director
Jeff T. Rosen, Director of Policy/General Counsel
Mark S. Quigley, Director of Communications
Julie Carroll, Senior Attorney Adviser
Joan Durocher, Attorney Adviser
Carla Nelson, Office Automation Clerk

Guests
Ed Teixeira, Vice Director, Hawaii State Civil Defense
Joel Cline, Regional Operational Services Meteorologist, Pacific Regional Headquarters, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Service
Maria Lutz, Director, Disaster Assistance, Hawaii Red Cross
Bart Aronoff, Manager, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Cooperative Agreement for Hawaii
Ray Moody, Coordinator, Oahu Civil Defense Agency (OCDA) Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES)
Lucy Miller, Ph.D., Chair, Disability and Communication Access Board (DCAB)
Aileen Hiramatsu, Olmstead Coordinator, Hawaii Department of Human Services
Gary Smith, Executive Director, Hawaii Disability Rights Center
G. Bryan Harry, Pacific Area Director, National Park Service

Debbie Needham, Activities and Attractions Association of Hawaii
Judy Heller, President, Access Aloha Travel
Delsa Moe, Director, Cultural Presentations, Polynesian Cultural Center
Francine Kenyon, DCAB and (ACC) Park/Recreation
Krystal McKinney, ACC Park/Recreation
Kristine Pagano, DCAB
Longsford Phillips, Honolulu, Hawaii
Erica Jones, Director, Pacific Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC)
Francine Wai, Executive Director, DCAB
Jodi Asato, Assistive Technology Resource Centers of Hawaii (ATRC)
Gary L. Batcheuer, Department of Health (DOH)/DCAB
Dennis Schwind, County of Maui
L. D. Phillips, Bowe Lani
Lea Espirin Gubatan, Easter Seals Hawaii
Sidette Sakamaki, Department of Energy (DOE)
Ben Gorospe, Hawaii Department of Transportation (DOT)
Hiragana Kanji, DACR
Chuck Fleming, Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)
Kathy O’Connor, DOH
Doreen Higa, DOH/Hawaii Center for the Deaf and the Blind
Gary Noda, Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR)
Larry Scadden, Mayor’s Committee of Honolulu
Terry Spinola-Campbell, County of Hawaii
Edward H. Young, Jr., NOAA, National Health Service
Wil Koki, DCAB
Marie Kimmey, DCAB
Roxanne Harris, HEIL
Richard Weimer, Emergency Management
Denise Bartimus, Easter Seals Hawaii
Robin L. Denison, DOH
Joan Yamanaka, Department of Parks and Recreation
Oliver Luehr, Hawaii Services on Deafness
Christine Pilkington, DCAB, ADA Coordinator
Doran J. Porter, SILC
Monattiga, DCAB
Bert Matsuoka, State Civil Defense
Adele Ching, DCAB
David Poe, DCAB
Kirby Shaw, DCAB
Debbie Jackson, DCAB
Judy Park, DCAB
Dean T. Aoki, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources
Ar Tani, DOH
Lisa Hendrickson, MD, DOH/Bioterrorism Preparedness
Gary Bacheller, DOH/DCAB
John Marra, NOAA, Pacific Service Center
Larry Littleton
Chris Taken, DOT/Civil Defense
Lynn Murokami, DOH/Developmental Disabilities Division
Ruth Cuti, DHS/Civil Rights Compliance
Anthony Akamine, DCAB
Barbara Fischlowitz, ATRC
Joe Shacter, Developmental Disabilities Council
Megumi Nontami, Easter Seals Hawaii
Sumai Lui, Easter Seals Hawaii
Myran Tateyama, Easter Seals Hawaii
Dawn Stoyanoff, Easter Seals Hawaii
Consumer Representatives, Easter Seals Hawaii
Curtis Motoyama, DCAB
Duane Buote, DCAB
Cynthia Molina, Goodwill Industries
Amy Hennessey, McNeil Wilson
Emilia V. Daquiog, DHHAB
Carol Young, Vocational Rehabilitation
Karl Mikasa

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2005

CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Lex Frieden called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.

ACCEPTANCE OF THE AGENDA
Motion 1
Mr. Aponte moved to accept the agenda as presented. Passed.

INTRODUCTIONS/PUBLIC COMMENTS
Mr. Frieden welcomed guests and asked that they introduce themselves and make comments. Council members and staff introduced themselves.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Motion 2
Dr. Anderson moved to accept the minutes of the November29–December 1, 2004, quarterly meeting with the following change: under Progress Team Report, add Anne Rader, team member, and Gerrie Hawkins, staff. Passed

CHAIRPERSON'S REPORT
Mr. Frieden said that there has been some very constructive interaction over the past several months with the White House over the possibility of releasing the NCD safety report in a collaborative manner. The White House had some suggestions to the Council regarding this effort but ultimately indicated that an appropriate event would not occur for several months and that the Council should go ahead and release the report when it is completed.

Mr. Frieden noted that there is a new secretary of homeland security, Michael Chertoff, and he is orienting himself to the post. The NCD staff is providing him with background material.

Mr. Frieden stated that the Council has been working with the White House on the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). White House officials indicated that it is on the calendars of the president, first lady, and vice president. This does not necessarily mean that they will take part in the event, just that when they begin scheduling for the month of July they may include the event.

Mr. Frieden said that planning for the July quarterly meeting will include acknowledgment of the ADA. The Council is working with other federal agencies to conduct a joint program or seminar to look at the impact of the ADA. He said that he met with former President Bush, who said that he would participate in some way to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the ADA. Mr. Frieden said that the senior Bush has placed him in contact with Andrew Card, the president’s chief of staff, about doing something at the White House, with the president.

Executive Committee Report
Pat Pound reported that the Executive Committee had met three times since the last quarterly meeting. She said that the committee helped plan the agenda for this meeting, adopted the administrative procedures manual (which will become effective after this meeting if there are no objections), and adopted the report Saving Lives: Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities.

Ms. Pound said that the committee will have a paper written on whether cruise ships sailing under foreign flags must comply with the ADA. This issue was heard by the Supreme Court.

She said that the committee reviewed NCD papers on issues to provide technical assistance to the drafters of the UN Convention on Human Rights for people with disabilities.

The committee discussed changing the location of the September quarterly meeting, which was to be held in California. It was felt that it is not a good idea to travel in the last month of the fiscal year. The committee discussed the possibility of having a teleconference meeting in August and a meeting in San Francisco in October.

Ms. Pound said that the committee met with the ADA Planning Committee to discuss activities for the ADA 15th anniversary.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT

Work Plan Update
Ethel Briggs said that the work plan update would be covered in the team reports and the policy update. She said that she would not read the written report and asked if anyone had any questions.

Ms. Briggs said that midyear informal staff evaluations are under way.

She said that the Council and staff have been busy planning for the quarterly meeting scheduled for July 25–27, 2005, at the Ritz Carlton in Pentagon City, Alexandria, Virginia. The meeting will be held in conjunction with the 15th anniversary of the ADA. She said that an ADA seminar, co-sponsored by the Council and other federal agencies, is scheduled for July 26.

Ms. Briggs said that the Council met with Senate minority and majority appropriations staff to discuss its budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2006. She noted that the meeting was a success.

She said that the superintendent of the USS Arizona Memorial has invited Council members to be his guests for a tour of the memorial on Friday.

Ms. Briggs noted that several Council members had not submitted their Confidential Financial Disclosure Forms. If Council members do not submit these forms, they may not be able to participate in future Council meetings or other meetings/activities where they represent the Council. Members who do not wish to submit the form must sign the following statement:

I have not submitted my Financial Disclosure Form. I understand that
1. I must still comply with the applicable ethics laws, and
2. I am disqualified from participating in any NCD matters that come up during the meeting or at any time that could have a direct and predictable effect on my financial interests.

Policy Update
Jeff Rosen reported that the March 2005 policy update had been distributed via e-mail. He asked if anyone had any questions regarding the update.

Mr. Rosen noted that Linda Wetters is the Council's liaison to the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and Robert Davila is the liaison to the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). There is a possibility that both agencies will be restructured.

Mr. Rosen said that the administration is currently using analysis to measure outcomes of programs, and they are very results-oriented. Agencies must have empirical data to show that their programs have specific impacts.

Ms. Wetters reported that RSA is involved in the process of reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act, which is conducted every five years; at this point, they are overdue by two years. Title IV of the Act provides funding authority for the state vocational rehabilitation programs as well as for NCD. Title I of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) authorizes one-stops throughout the country, which are mandated to provide job training and placement services. Ms. Wetters said that there is some interest in creating better communication between Title I and IV, for the benefit of the one-stops and the state rehabilitation systems.

She said that the one-stops do not have enough money to operate the services they are supposed to provide, and the state rehabilitation programs in many cases serve as a source of funding for the one-stops. She said that the Council needs to monitor the data from RSA and from counselors in the field, and stay informed about federal budget cuts. The proposal from the administration calls for the elimination of 66 positions from the RSA.

Mr. Rosen said that the Executive Committee has discussed some of the disability-related cases before the Supreme Court. He mentioned the case related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the dispute regarding burden of proof. The burden-of-proof issue has caused a split across the country, and the Supreme Court has to consider more than just the procedural aspect. The Executive Committee is having a paper written to address this issue.

Public Relations Update
Mark Quigley reported that 210,000 copies of Council reports were downloaded in FY 2004, which saved the agency over $1million in printing costs. He said that in the first quarter of FY 2005 alone, the Council's website had a million hits. More people have the opportunity to receive information from NCD in a fast and efficient fashion. He added that the administration and other agencies should be interested in the impact and results of the Council's work.

Mr. Quigley said that most of the agencies contacted have agreed to participate in the 15th anniversary celebration of the ADA. He thanked the Council members for their assistance. The federal partners are helping with planning for the ADA seminar on July 26. He added that the White House has been kept apprised of this activity.

FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORT
Marco Rodriguez noted that Council members could find a status report at Tab 5 in their meeting notebooks. He said that the Council is in good shape financially. Approximately $1 million for policy programs will be obligated before the end of FY 2005. Several of the contracts for research studies have not yet been funded.

Barbara Gilchrist suggested that the Council should be setting its goals for FY 2007. Ms. Briggs added that the timeline for the FY 2007 budget justification was also included at Tab 5 of the meeting notebooks. At the July meeting, the Council will need to take action on the draft budget justification. The FY 2007 budget request is due to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the first week in September.

TEAM REPORTS
ADA Team
Dr. Davila reported that the Council released its report Righting the ADA at a press conference at the National Press Club on December 1, 2004. He said the press conference was very well attended.

He said that Lockheed Martin had been selected to conduct the ADA impact study. Lockheed Martin has identified 150 people representing a cross-section of persons with disabilities, advocates, supporters, and service providers to participate in focus group discussions and one-on-one interviews for data collection. Additionally, five regional meetings have been scheduled. He said he hopes that Council members will be able to attend some of the meetings.

Dr. Davila said that the Council needs to move forward with the transportation paper. He said that it is an excellent paper and he hopes everyone has a chance to read it. Kathy Martinez congratulated Julie Carroll on the paper.

Dr. Davila noted that Council members were familiar with the Supreme Court case regarding the ADA and cruise lines. He said that the Council’s paper on this issue was very well written and addresses a number of legal issues that should be covered. Dr. Davila said that, at its last meeting, the ADA Team discussed class action suits that the Council may need to address in the future. Ms. Martinez congratulated Ms. Carroll on another excellent paper.

Motion 3
Dr. Davila moved to accept the transportation paper. Passed.

Employment
Ms. Wetters reported that the Consensus-Building Conference on Social Security was held January 26, at which approximately 100 stakeholders reviewed seven topic papers on practices that support the return (and transition) to work for social security beneficiaries. The conference goal was to achieve consensus on a prioritized list of recommendations for social security policy change.

In addition to issues of work opportunities, conference attendees discussed the continuing problem with the definition of disability, who comes into social security programs and what happens to these people, and social security work incentive programs and demonstration grants. Ms. Wetters said the meeting was very open, with much interesting discussion.

She said that Virginia Commonwealth University, the NCD contractor, will draft a report on the consensus-building conference, the interviews that have been conducted as part of this project, and the literature review. The draft report will be submitted for review to outside sources and then shared with Council members for their review and comments.

Ms. Wetters said that the request for proposals (RFP) for the employment study is out; the deadline is March 22, 2005. The proposals will be reviewed by external reviewers. She said that the RFP is asking that a Business Advisory Committee (BAC) be established as part of the study.

Joel Kahn said that he and other committee members had a discussion about the BAC with Maggie Roffee of the Office of Disability Employment Policy. Objectives for the BAC were folded into the RFP.

Dr. Kahn noted that when the Council considers items for its FY 2007 budget, it should take into account proper staff support for the BAC.

Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA)
Ms. Gilchrist said that the CRIPA report was given to another contractor because the original contractor was unable to complete it. The new contractor has had experience with CRIPA in the Department of Justice (DOJ) Special Litigation Section. She is now in private practice and has agreed to complete the report for $11,000. She said that the first contractor did an excellent job.

Ms. Gilchrist said that the DOJ is in the position of having to explain why they are not enforcing this Act.

Motion 4
Ms. Pound moved that the CRIPA report be connected with the reports on consumer-directed health and implementation of Olmstead. This would give the Council the opportunity to make the connection between Olmstead and CRIPA. Passed.

Health
Carol Novak reported that the Council's long-term services and supports study is coming along quite well. She said the team has received the Goal IV report The State of 21st Century Long-Term Services and Supports Financing and Systems Reform for Americans with Disabilities. This report describes the innovative methods states are using to modernize the long-term services system.

Ms. Novak noted that, in long-term services and support, turnover is high, pay is low, and it is hard to find qualified individuals for the position of director of services. In Wisconsin, a worker cooperative requires that all direct service workers who have a share in the co-op provide long-term services and supports for people with disabilities. The co-op offers health benefits, vacation time, and sick leave.

Ms. Novak said that she expects a lot of substantial material from Michael Morris and his group. They have asked for an additional six weeks to complete the project.

Ms. Novak reported that NCD, in collaboration with the American Planning Association, will prepare a follow-up report to Livable Communities for Adults with Disabilities. The association is instrumental in fostering implementation of the livable communities concept. She noted that there was an association representative on the panel when the Council released the livable communities report. The association is cooperating with the Council's contractor to develop a training program.

Ms. Novak said there will be a follow-up project to the livable communities report with the Center for Home Care Policy and Research and the NCB Development Corporation to publish a series of case studies describing successful agency collaboration and cooperation leading to policy decisions and changes that have benefited people with disabilities and the general public.

Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee
Milton Aponte stated that the committee has conducted a teleconference and continues to address issues of how to serve people with disabilities across cultural lines. He noted that the Council conducted a forum during its last quarterly meeting and that representatives of several civil rights organizations were in attendance. Mr. Aponte said the committee plans to hold a forum on March 29, 2005, in Washington, D.C., with various civil rights organizations to share ideas and views.

International Watch
Ms. Martinez reported that the committee has been very active since the release of the foreign assistance report. She said Council staff has been working with various congressional staffers and was instrumental in getting international development language into the Omnibus Appropriations Bill. The bill appropriates $2.5 million so that disabled individuals in developing countries have access to more funds to specifically address disability issues and requires that an international disability conference on rights and advocacy be held. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is required to include disability considerations in all its programs.

Ms. Martinez reported that the Council sent a letter on tsunami relief to former Secretary of State Colin Powell, requesting that people with disabilities be included in all international efforts. She said staff participated in a meeting with Interaction, a trade organization of all federal contractors that conduct international work, to clarify how USAID may be looking to include people with disabilities.

Ms. Martinez said the committee has drafted a letter on behalf of the Council to encourage the new chairman of the World Bank to continue the work of the previous chairman.

Joan Durocher said that the Council sent Condoleezza Rice a congratulatory letter on her appointment as secretary of state and asked her to continue to work with the Council as Secretary Powell did.

Mr. Rosen said that the State Department has established an eight-person advisory committee on disability issues. John Kemp, Former NCD member, and Kathy Martinez are members of the committee, which will convene soon.

Ms. Martinez said the Council has hosted delegations from Spain, Australia, Japan, and Kosovo to discuss disability rights and the role NCD has played in international development and as an advisory body to the president and Congress. She noted that the Japanese delegation was composed of members of parliament.

Anne Rader said that she was nominated to participate in a 13-member delegation representing nonprofit organizations that serve youth, people with disabilities, and seniors. She visited Japan as a part of this delegation in January.

Youth Advisory
Mr. Rodriguez said that the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) meets each month via teleconference. Since the Council’s November quarterly meeting, the YAC has been working on policy, development of a transition paper, and outreach. With regard to policy, the work group is focusing on raising awareness on youth disability issues. The initial drafts of various sections of the transition paper have been reviewed in the committee and returned to the authors for revisions. The outreach project involves recruiting new members. Mr. Rodriguez asked Council members to give him the names of any young people in their areas who might be interested in becoming members of the YAC.

Progress Report
Glenn Anderson reported that the first three chapters of the 2004 progress report have been completed. The team has reviewed the second chapter and everything looks good. Dr. Anderson explained that he and Martin Gould review each chapter, and then pass it along to team members for their review. The remaining chapters will be reviewed in April and the project will be completed in May.

RECESS
The meeting recessed at 4:00 p.m.

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2005

Mr. Frieden reconvened the meeting at 10:00 a.m. and asked Council members and staff to introduce themselves again. He thanked Lucy Miller, chair of the Disability Communication Access Board (DCAB), and Francine Wai, executive director, for inviting the Council to hold its quarterly meeting in Honolulu in order to interact with individuals committed to various activities on behalf of people with disabilities. It greatly helps the Council to hear the views of persons with disabilities who live outside the Washington, D.C., area.

Mr. Frieden announced that the morning session would feature a panel presentation on natural disasters and emergency preparedness for people with disabilities. In the afternoon, there would be two panels: one on consumer-directed health care for people with disabilities and one on Olmstead implementation in Hawaii.

Young Woo Kang facilitated the panel discussion on natural disasters. He said that the Council will soon release a report that addresses disability-related issues of emergency preparedness.

Dr. Kang said that emergency preparedness was of interest to the Council before September 11th; however, the issue has received more attention since then. People with disabilities should be included in all levels of emergency preparedness.

According to the Harris Survey of emergency preparedness managers commissioned by the National Organization on Disability, cities, regardless of their size, need to make more of an effort to include people with disabilities in their planning. Sixty-nine percent of emergency managers said they had planned for people with disabilities; however, only 54 percent had planned for special education students; 50 percent did not include special needs; 59 percent did not have any plans for the pediatric population; and 76 percent said there were no paid experts to deal with people with disabilities.

Dr. Kang quoted the former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge, as saying that all Americans are faced with difficulties during emergencies, and people with disabilities and their families face a number of unique challenges. Dr. Kang said that the panelists would describe what their agencies and organizations are doing to addresses these unique challenges. The following individuals made presentations: Ed Teixeira, vice director, Hawaii State Civil Defense; Joel Cline, regional operational services meteorologist, Pacific Regional Headquarters, NOAA Weather Service; Maria Lutz, director, Disaster Assistance, Hawaii Red Cross; Bart Aronoff, manager, CDC Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Cooperative Agreement for Hawaii; and Ray Moody, coordinator, Oahu Civil Defense Agency, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES).

A question-and-answer period followed the presentations.*

RECESS
The Council broke for lunch at 1:00 p.m.

Mr. Rodriguez facilitated the panels on consumer-directed health care and Olmstead implementation. He introduced Lucy Miller, and the other members and staff of Hawaii DCAB introduced themselves. Carol Novak, chair of NCD’s Health Team, and Anne Rader, team member, spoke on consumer-directed health care.

Ms. Novak reported that the Council awarded a contract several years ago to Boston University to conduct research on consumer-directed health care; the report was released in Washington, D.C., in October 2004. She shared the report recommendations and summarized the topics addressed in the report. Ms. Rader explained what the Council was looking for in this study.

Mr. Rodriguez introduced the panelists who spoke on Olmstead implementation. The panelists included Lex Frieden, NCD chair; Jeff Rosen, general counsel/director of policy, NCD; Aileen Hiramatsu, Olmstead coordinator, Hawaii Department of Human Services; and Gary Smith, executive director, Hawaii Disability Rights Center.

A question-and-answer period followed the two panel presentations.*

Recess
The meeting recessed at 4:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2005

Mr. Frieden reconvened the meeting at 9:00 a.m. He announced that the Ms. Pound would facilitate a panel discussion on recreational activities for people with disabilities.

Ms. Pound introduced the panelists who spoke on recreational activities for people with disabilities. The following individuals presented: G. Bryan Harry, Pacific Area director, National Park Service; Debbie Needham, Activities and Attraction Association of Hawaii; Judy Heller, president, Access Aloha Travel; and Delsa Moe, director of cultural presentations, Polynesian Cultural Center.

A question-and-answer period followed the presentations.*

Council members and staff were invited by Doug Lentz, superintendent, USS Arizona Memorial, to tour the memorial as his guests in the afternoon. This tour would give Council members an opportunity to experience firsthand the accessibility features of the memorial.

Mr. Frieden thanked all participants who attended the Council meeting for their aloha spirit. NCD members and staff were presented with boxes of candy.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Assisted Suicide Paper

Mr. Frieden reported that the Executive Committee reviewed a paper on assisted suicide that was developed in 1997. He said that there seems to be no need to commission another paper on the topic, as the 1997 paper appears to be relevant to the current discussion. He said that the committee discussed reissuing the 1997 paper with a cover letter.

Ms. Pound said she was pleased with the paper, especially the straightforward way it stated the Council's policy and beliefs. Although events have occurred since the paper was written, she said that she feels comfortable reissuing it with a cover letter and/or a press release. The press release and/or cover letter could include any necessary updates.

Motion 5
Ms. Pound moved that the 1997 NCD paper on assisted suicide be reissued with a cover letter that includes an update and explains why the Council is releasing the paper in 2005. Passed.

Ms. Novak said that the cover letter should reflect the fact that having a disability isn’t the problem; it is the lack of reasonably high quality of life, opportunities, access, and supports that may lead a person with a disability to consider suicide. She emphasized that the Council should use this as an opportunity to put across the point that it is not the disability; it is the lack of services and quality of life.

Ms. Rodriguez said that the paper should be printed in response to the portrayal of disability in the movie “Million Dollar Baby.” Ms. Gilchrist noted that suicide is a very selfish act that leaves everyone behind feeling guilty.

Personnel
Mr. Frieden said that government personnel procedures require that accumulated comp time be used by the end of the calendar year, unlike other time, which may be carried over. However, sometimes Council meetings are scheduled in December and the holidays follow shortly thereafter, so staff does not always have an opportunity to use comp time by the end of the year. Each federal agency may establish a policy to carry over comp time. Mr. Frieden proposed that NCD employees be given six months in the new year to use comp time earned in the last six months of the previous year.

Council members agreed by consensus to adopt the comp time policy presented by the chairperson.

Quarterly Meeting

Mr. Frieden proposed that the next quarterly meeting be scheduled for a Friday or Monday in May in Washington, D.C., at the NCD office. He noted that those who want to attend would have the weekend to travel; those who cannot attend because of other commitments can participate via teleconference. He said the meeting will cover the recommendations to be included in the long-term services and supports report and estimated that it would last for three hours.

After much discussion, it was the consensus of the members to have an abbreviated meeting on a Friday or Monday in May with the primary topic to be recommendations to be included in the long-term services and supports report. Members who wish to travel to Washington to participate are welcome to do so; others can participate via teleconference. The date will be determined through an e-mail survey of members.

Mr. Frieden said that the date will be chosen on the basis of when most members can participate by telephone or in person.

NEW BUSINESS
Mr. Aponte described an experience that he and Mr. Rodriguez had with inaccessibility at a local restaurant.

Ms. Gilchrist acknowledged the outstanding work of Jeff Rosen and Gerrie Hawkins on the CRIPA paper.

Mr. Gilchrist said, with regard to the tsunami relief effort, that Kofi Annan has asked former President Clinton to oversee this project and to ensure the rebuilding of the devastated areas. She said that someone needs to notify Mr. Clinton about the disability issues that will be involved in the rebuilding. Mr. Rosen said that Judy Heumann, former Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, who knows Mr. Clinton, has been working with him on this issue.

Ms. Rader thanked Mr. Frieden and Ms. Briggs for nominating her to represent United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) on the delegation that visited Japan. She added that the UCP Arts Public Policy Conference was held several weeks ago in Washington, D.C., and she was pleased to see NCD staff members Jeff Rosen and Julie Carroll on a panel.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ms. Briggs reminded members and staff that they would be picked up at 2:15 p.m. for the visit to the USS Arizona Memorial.

Mr. Frieden thanked the people of Hawaii for hosting the Council and thanked the interpreters for their outstanding work.

ADJOURNMENT
Motion 7
Mr. Aponte moved to adjourn the meeting. Passed.

The meeting adjourned at 1:50 p.m.

*Verbatim transcripts of all panel presentations and discussions are on the NCD Web site (www.ncd.gov).