National Council on Disability Quarterly Meeting
Ritz Carlton Hotel
Pentagon City
Arlington, Virginia
November 22-23, 2003

Members
Lex Frieden, Chairperson
Pat Pound, First Vice Chairperson
Glenn B. Anderson, Ph.D., Second Vice Chairperson
Robert R. Davila, Ph.D.
Barbara Gillcrist
Joel I. Kahn, Ph.D.
Young Woo Kang, Ph.D.
Kathleen Martinez
Carol Novak
Anne Rader
Marco Rodriguez
David Wenzel
Linda Wetters

Absent
Milton Aponte
Graham Hill

Staff
Ethel D. Briggs, Executive Director
Jeffrey T. Rosen, General Counsel and Director of Policy
Mark S. Quigley, Director of Communications
Martin Gould, Ed.D., Senior Research Specialist
Julie Carroll, Attorney Advisor
Joan Durocher, Attorney Advisor
Brenda Bratton, Executive Assistant
Stacey S. Brown, Staff Assistant

Guests
Jonathan Young, Ph.D., Law Student, Yale University
Troy Justesen, Deputy Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Administration
Jennifer Sheehy, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education
Chris Kuczynski, White House Liaison, Office of Domestic Policy Council
Steven Tingus, Director, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
Henry Claypool, Co-Director, Achieving Independence by Modernizing Medicaid and
Medicare, Boston, MA
Karen Dalheim, Senior Attorney, Ethics Division, Office of the General Counsel
Kathy Brill, Parent, Pennsylvania
Jennifer Eckel, Project Director, Cherry Engineering Support Services, Inc. (CESSI)

Saturday, November 22, 2003

Call to Order

Chairperson Frieden called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. He stated that before this meeting, Ms. Cari Dominguez, Chairperson, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, had sworn in Ms. Anne Rader and Dr. Joel Kahn as members of the Council. Media training was conducted at the Republican National Committee for Ms. Rader and Dr. Kahn. Mr. Frieden thanked Council member Carol Novak for attending the training on his behalf.

Acceptance of Agenda
Motion 1
Ms. Pat Pound moved to accept the agenda as written. Passed.

Introductions/Public Comments
Mr. Frieden stated that Ms. Cathy Brill is joining the Council as a guest. She has attended several Council meetings in the past.

Approval of Minutes
Dr. Anderson stated that on page 6, under the Executive Director's Report, the date of the meeting should have read November 23, not 33; on page 15, the report from the Office on Disability in Mexico, the second sentence "that the President is on the same level as a highly appointed official from the U.S. Department of State" should read "that the director or head of the office is on the same level as a highly appointed official from the U.S. Department of State."

Motion 2
Ms. Kathy Martinez moved to accept the minutes with the noted corrections. Passed.

Chairperson Report
Mr. Frieden stated this has been a very busy period for the Council and staff. Staff has been working on a number of projects and members have all been engaged in committee work.

Mr. Frieden met with the new Assistant U.S. Attorney General for Civil Rights, Mr. Alexander Acosta, to discuss numerous issues pertaining to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other matters that affect people with disabilities. He believes that Mr. Acosta will be a good partner with the Council in ensuring ongoing implementation of the ADA.

Mr. Frieden was interested in Mr. Acosta's suggestions and acknowledged NCD staff for providing him with an outstanding dossier and background information to give Mr. Acosta.

Mr. Acosta will be working closely with Mr. John Wodatch and his staff at the Department of Justice.

Mr. Frieden met with Mr. Chris Kuczynski, Office of Domestic Policy, staff in the Office of Presidential Personnel, and others at the White House. He will be attending additional meetings in the coming weeks. Ms. Rader and Ms. Ethel Briggs will join him in New York to present a parchment resolution to Mr. Jeremiah Milbank, Jr., on December 2. Mr. Milbank was a member of the Council and treasurer of the Republican Party prior to enactment of the ADA. He was instrumental in bridging gaps between the Council and President Ronald Reagan concerning the ADA. Throughout his life he has followed a family tradition of providing assistance and a great many resources to disability organizations, particularly in the New York area.

A number of international disability leaders will attend a meeting of the Board of Rehabilitation International on February 12 and 13. NCD members are welcome to stay over for that meeting at their own expense.

The committee that Dr. Anderson chairs has been working on the annual progress report and has done an excellent job of focusing the Council's work.

Mr. Frieden thanked Ms. Gillcrist for planning the ADA Anniversary Celebration scheduled for July 24. This celebration will be in conjunction with the NCD quarterly meeting to be held in Washington, D.C. In addition to celebrating the fourteenth anniversary of the ADA, we will celebrate the Council's twentieth anniversary as an independent federal agency. Former President Bush has been invited to present the Bush ADA Medal at the celebration.

Mr. Frieden has sent a questionnaire to members seeking advice about management of the Council. Everyone has been very responsive in providing input. He and Ms. Briggs will meet to discuss the information received from the members. Input was solicited from the members regarding the evaluation of the Executive Director. Mr. Frieden has been in contact with the Personnel and Administration Committee regarding the performance standards and evaluation for the Executive Director.

Mr. Frieden stated that members should have received a query regarding a personnel policy that relates to staff work on weekends. It was agreed that weekend work will be voluntary for nonessential staff. Staff who attend weekend meetings will receive compensatory time. It has been determined that it is essential for the Executive Director and the Director of Policy to attend weekend meetings.

Executive Committee Report
Ms. Pound reported that the Executive Committee has been focused on adopting reports as they are released and on planning future meetings. Minutes of the October Executive Committee are included under Tab 3.

Mr. Frieden stated that the Executive Committee meets the first Wednesday of every month at 3 P.M. Eastern Time. He invited other members to join if they wish.

Executive Director's Report
Ms. Briggs stated that staff evaluations have been completed. The upcoming Council meeting has been scheduled for February in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The date and location for the April meeting have not been determined. However, the Council has been invited to New Mexico, either Albuquerque or Santa Fe. Once a decision is made, Ms. Briggs will email members/staff the date and location.

The summer Council meeting will be held in July instead of August, around the time of the July 24 ADA anniversary celebration.

Ms. Briggs has created a suggestion box to gather information regarding meetings and other operations of the Council. However, as she did not have the box with her, members could email suggestions to her.

2004 Work Plan
Ms. Briggs reported that NCD's annual work plan has undergone numerous changes. It now includes the vision, mission statements, goals, and objectives from the strategic plan.

An objective was added to Section 4.7 to increase the Council's capacity to serve its mission with strategic development and growth. Milestones were included with target dates for reaching each objective, along with the person(s) responsible. Members gave some suggestions on how to make the plan clearer.

Policy Update
Mr. Rosen stated that the public policy staff had conducted a one-year performance review of their policy work and had received comments and feedback from the Chairperson, members of the Council, the Administration, Congress, and other stakeholders.

The policy staff has developed several indicators of impact:

• an impact on public policy that can be measured through inclusion of legislation, bills, budget requests, and public testimony;
• promoting disability awareness through media stories; the information gathered is distributed and used by the public throughout the country;
• engaging in meaningful partnerships through federal agency collaborations, public/private coalitions, meetings, and conference panels; and
• building bridges between disability groups and other population groups.

The public policy team would like to look at the interconnectivity of its research work. Many different projects are under way on different timelines; it would be useful to examine cross-cutting issues and overarching themes, such as in the livable communities project.

In FY 2004 the policy staff will be doing follow-up work on projects that were conducted last fiscal year. Because of limited resources, that work was prioritized as follows:

• ADA
• Olmstead Report
• Foreign Policy
• Diversity Issues (CDI and Native American Reports)

• Air Carriers Access Act
• Section 504 Report
• Progress Report
• Fair Housing
• Juvenile Justice
• Mental Health
• Reauthorization (HEA, IDEA, TANF, MA)

Based on the Council's previous budget, the policy team has developed a baseline budget of $563,000, two-thirds of which (approximately $300,000) is allocated for two major research projects: Long-Term Care and Return to Work, transitioning people from Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) to employment. The staff has developed a draft scope of work and is awaiting a response from the Council team to help direct and guide them in regard to the latter study.

Olmstead Report
Mr. Rosen stated that there has been a great deal of feedback from this study. Staff would like to set up a dialogue with stakeholders about the report, but it is rather difficult because of limited resources. However, a webcast of federal and private experts on the Olmstead decision would allow for discussion and comments from the public.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Project
Mr. Rosen stated that staff has submitted a draft of the technical assistance manuals for mediators and mediation consumers to the EEOC for review and is awaiting feedback by December 15.

Native American Report
Mr. Rosen stated that the policy team has worked very hard with stakeholders on the Native American report. Staff has spoken with the representatives of Native American groups and appropriate personnel so they can help with follow-up and report dissemination.

Progress Report
Dr. Anderson stated that the committee has postponed its deadline for conclusion of the draft Progress Report. The original plan was to complete a draft by mid-December; it has been rescheduled for January. The committee is working on a plan to gather input from all members of the Council.

Public Relations Update
Mr. Quigley reported that the Council is working on a new Web page. The current Web page is five years old and needs to be updated. There will also be an Internet site where members and staff can look behind the scenes at drafts and completed documents. This site will be accessible by user ID and password.

Mr. Quigley represented the Council at the White House Initiative on Asian American and Pacific Islanders Community Day at the Montgomery County Executive Building in Rockville, Maryland. Representatives from federal, state, and local agencies attended. He met high-level officials from the Social Security Administration and other federal agencies.

Finance Committee Report
Mr. Wenzel reported that the Council is on a continuing resolution through January 31, 2004. This means that the Council will be operating on a percentage of its FY 2003 budget. He stated that Mr. Holland said that the Council will be able to operate provided it does not commit to many large item obligations.

An audit will be conducted on the Council's FY 2003 financial statements. Completion of the audit is expected by the end of the year. Ms. Briggs stated that a teleconference will be scheduled in January to vote on the audit report, which is due to the Office of Management and Budget by January 31, 2004.

Team Reports

Universal Design
Dr. Kahn reported that the Universal Design Team has been meeting with the contractors from Georgia Tech, who are on schedule to have the report completed by summer 2004.

That there are two slight difficulties with voice recognition, which Ms. Durocher is addressing. The team has an action plan, so that even if it does not get an industry partner on the voice recognition area, the report will still be successful.

Reauthorization of Laws
Ms. Pound reported that the Reauthorization Team has issued the higher education paper on disability and sent it to Council members via email. The Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) assisted with announcing the report at the Higher Education Conference.

The head of the Association of Higher Education and Disability joined the team on a teleconference. Ms. Pound recommended that the Chairperson consider disbanding the Reauthorization Team as a formal team. It has made recommendations on all of the laws under reauthorization either by producing papers, writing letters, or providing testimony. The continued work is follow-up as the laws go through Congress.

ADA Update
Dr. Davila reported that the ADA work is ongoing. Robert Burgdorf is continuing his work in summarizing the briefs into one comprehensive paper.

There was an ADA Roundtable discussion in October that focused on recognition of problems and discussed proposals by getting individual feedback.

Dr. Davila indicated that there are two additional policy briefs on the Council's Web site and encouraged Council members to pay close attention to the part that discusses rights under ADA.

The ADA Committee had a teleconference on October 30. The Committee has scheduled future meeting dates and discussion topics. There was a review of two papers developed by NCD staff: one prepared by Ms. Durocher and a paper on the legislative recommendations for restoring ADA.

Dr. Davila concluded by stating that the committee is working with experts who can make significant contributions to understanding issues and how ADA can be changed in the future.

Personnel and Administration
Ms. Wetters reported that Council members had received a draft of the members' handbook, and emphasized that it was only a rough draft. She asked that members focus on the different sections in the handbook to see if they covered the areas of concern.

Ms. Briggs has asked that members submit feedback to her by December 5. The draft will then be presented back to the Council for review.

Advisory Committee Reports

International Watch
Ms. Martinez thanked the NCD International Watch Committee members for their support and stated that there have been two committee teleconferences.

She was invited as a member of NCD to participate in the activities at the Department of State celebrating the employment of people with disabilities during Disability Employment Awareness Month. She was able to talk about what the Council is doing with regard to the international foreign systems report.

On September 9, the committee had a very well attended launch (approximately 90 people in attendance) of its foreign policy report. She thanked Mr. Quigley and the other staff who were instrumental in preparing her for the press. Senator Harkin and Congressman Langevin spoke, followed by a panel that included a number of people from the disability and human rights community.

The committee is following up on a report about its participation with Senate and congressional staff to incorporate disability language into the Iraq and Afghanistan Construction Appropriations Bills.

Ms. Martinez stated that there were a number of meetings regarding the inclusion of people with disabilities in the millenia challenge accounts being set up by the White House. A new development agency ties development assistance to countries that demonstrate performance in very specific areas.

An amendment was proposed to the Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill requiring that the millenia challenge account include commitment to including people with disabilities as one criterion in determining a country's eligibility for funds.

Cultural Diversity
Ms. Martinez stated that the literature review is on the NCD Web site and a teleconference has been scheduled for November 24 for follow-up of the Native American Report.

Mr. Rosen stated that the Cultural Diversity Committee's chief problem is that the members are very busy and have many other roles, which limits their time for advising the Council. A related problem is that the Council has lost its contract support due to the lack of funds in its budget.

Council staff is trying to develop ways to operate the Cultural Diversity and Youth Advisory committees without contractual support. He had a teleconference with the YAC Chairperson to discuss ways to bridge the gap. A suggestion was to obtain an intern in the office who would support the activity of the Youth Advisory Committee.

Mr. Rosen stated that he has gotten some advice regarding interns from Mr. Imparato and the Gallaudet Career Center.

YAC
Mr. Rodriguez stated that the committee has participated in several teleconferences with Mr. Isaac Huff, the new Chairperson. Several issues were raised, one being the new election to replace some board members who could not fulfill their commitment.

Mr. Rodriguez said that the YAC wants to focus on the Council's agenda and try to build on that. In addition, they plan to gather the perspective of young people on various issues.

The YAC was very appreciative that the Reauthorization Team chaired by Ms. Pound allowed them to participate in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act and IDEA.

At one meeting of the YAC, they discussed getting high school students involved with issues by recruiting them throughout the country.

Mr. Frieden commented that the support of the Youth Advisory Committee has been provided primarily by Council staff, who have limited amount of time for such activities. In the past, staff time was supplemented by contractors.

Mr. Frieden stated that the Council has had the good fortune over the past couple of funding cycles to have remaining funds at the end of the fiscal year. The most logical thing to do was to provide contractual assistance to staff. However, staff has been assigned to the activities that lack contractual support.

Health Care
Ms. Novak submitted a brief summary of the work that Boston University School of Public Health and the Disability Working Group are doing for the Council. She stated that the group, to date identified 29 reports and/or articles with outcome data. The availability of substantive research with outcomes data is rather limited.

Input from the Advisory Committee will be incorporated into the study. Consumer input will be provided at all stages. She stated that the group is also identifying key informants who will add to the understanding and appreciation of data available as well as identifying gaps in the data.

The committee is also working with the Center for Home Care Policy and Research Visiting Nursing Services in New York on a livable communities research project.

The Council has received 32 responses to the RFP for the long-term care project. The closing date is January 5, 2004. Once the long-term services care project has been awarded, the study will focus on the following:

• current levels and types of involvement by the Federal Government in long-term services and supports;
• projected needs for long-term services and supports for people of all ages with disabilities;
• gaps in long-term care services and supports;
• key features of future long-term care financing and system reforms;
• locales that have incorporated indicators of cohesive and comprehensive reform into their policy and service systems;
• major challenges and barriers that locales face in moving toward comprehensive long-term services and supports and finances; and
• promising policy levers and policy changes.
  

Mr. Claypool, Co-Director, presented the following:

• a background on the differences in the Medicare and Medicaid programs;
• a general overview of the benefits structure of the two programs;
• how a state actually operates a Medicaid program; and
• specific issues on how Medicaid works in a particular state and the current policy matters that are challenging the Medicare/Medicaid program.
  

Mr. Claypool stated that the Medicare program is stuck in the past, offering a benefit package that is quite similar to employer-based coverage. The Medicaid program is rather unique in that it really isn't an insurance program, but rather a program that offers medical assistance, having a component of long-term services and supports.

Mr. Claypool was pleased that the Council has made a clear and careful distinction between health care services and long-term services and supports in the study.

Medicare covers 40 million Americans, 6 million of whom are people with disabilities under the age of 65. The program, established in 1965, has struggled to keep pace with innovations in health care and health care insurance. The benefit is reasonable and good. It offers hospital insurance; it is mandatory for those who pay into the system and become eligible for the program. It has a supplemental medical insurance that is optional for eligible individuals. Medicare requires participants to pay a monthly premium based on a 75/25 percent breakdown. The Medicaid program is operated by states; the Federal Government simply approves the state plan waiver request and provides matching funds to states that choose to operate a Medicaid program. Medicaid provides for a nursing home entitlement, which is a long-term care or long-term service.

Mr. Claypool stated that in contrast to Medicaid, the challenge for Medicare has to do with the demographic trend and the fact that there is an entitlement to long-term services and supports there. With regard to the Medicare program, there is a philosophical/ideological debate about the role of the Federal Government, and issues of solvency are underpinning the debate.

Many people with disabilities request waiver services. These are requirements that are waived by the Federal Government so a state can offer certain services. These waivers can potentially work in two ways. One, they can be used very creatively and give states great flexibility and latitude in offering services. Two, under the state plan, the state must offer certain services in order to receive matching funds.

When a state plan offers personal care, if an individual meets the eligibility criteria for personal care, the state has to offer that service.

Ethics Training
Ms. Dalheim stated that she was asked by the Office of Government Ethics to provide legal ethics advice to the Council. She gave Council members her telephone number if they had any specific questions: (202) 401-6233.

She stated that the rules can be somewhat fickle, with nuances, exceptions, and issues that are usually bandied back and forth among attorneys before they arrive at a decision. She suggested that Council members present their issues to Mr. Rosen, who will pass on to her office issues that need clarifying.

The Department of Education has created a primer for the Council.

Ehics involves criminal statutes and standards of conduct. The criminal statutes, if violated, are referred to the Department of Justice. She stated that the Council's primary concern should be with the 208 standard that deals with conflicts of interest.

Ms. Dalheim and Mr. Rosen are working on language for waivers for Council members based upon information from their financial statements and their involvement with outside organizations.

The standards of conduct were put together by the Office of Government Ethics, which deals with fund-raising and gifts. You may not give your supervisor a gift costing more than $10.00, nor may you accept a gift from an outside source that has a contract with your agency(s). There is no such thing as a working lunch. However, a contractor may buy you lunch if it costs less than $20.00.

Council members may not participate in political/campaign fund-raising events in their capacity as NCD members. However, they may lobby in a private capacity as long as they do not invoke their status as NCD members. The anti-lobbying statue prohibits federal employees from using appropriated funds unless in an official capacity.

Note: Mr. Frieden stated that the Council has agreed to sunset the Reauthorization Work Team and it will be replaced with the Return-to-Work Team. He asked if Council members wanted to volunteer to become part of the new team. The Return-to-Work Team will address the important issues of employment among people with disabilities.

Return-to-Work Team
Ms. Durocher stated that the team will be focusing on the following areas:

• Social Security Administration (SSA) and its efforts;
• how the Social Security Administration is administering SSI and SSDI programs, in particular its efforts to heighten the focus and effectiveness on returning beneficiaries to work;
• looking at the criteria that SSA uses to determine whether an individual is disabled;
• including what SSA is doing to incorporate into its eligibility assessment process an evaluation of what is needed for an individual to return to work;
• impact of definition of disability and capacity for work on access to and coverage of SSA benefit programs;
• what SSA is doing to identify and enhance the work capacities of applicants during the disability determination process;
• the quality of eligibility;
  other agencies' return-to-work efforts, such as the Department of Labor;
• recommendations regarding fixing fragmentation and structural problems in the agencies' disability determination process;
• recommendations regarding redesigning and improving the disability claims process;
• some of SSA's complex program design issues, such as beneficiaries' access to medical care and assistive technology;
• the benefits offered and their associated cost mechanisms to return people with disabilities to work; and
• integration of SSA's program with other programs and policies regarding people with disabilities.
  

Captioning Issue
Mr. Frieden read a letter sent by the National Association of the Deaf to Council members expressing concerns regarding recent actions by the U.S. Department of Education. He stated that effective October 1, 2003, almost 200 television shows were declared not appropriate for captioning.

Dr. Davila submitted background information on captioning issues that dated back to 1958. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 included the requirement that in the future 90 percent of all television programs be captioned. The regulations that stemmed from that act determined that it should begin in 2006 and would be the responsibility of the networks and programs.

The Department of Education is cutting off funding for the captioning of programs prior to the date the networks will be responsible for the captioning. Thus, a large number of people, including children, will not have access to television programs.

It was the consensus of the members that the Council would send a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Education expressing its concern regarding the termination of funds for the captioning of programs.

Motion 3
Mr. Wenzel moved that the Council meeting recess until Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. Passed.

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

Sunday, November 23, 2003

Mr. Frieden reconvened the Council meeting at 9:00 a.m. Mr. Rodriguez introduced Ms. Jennifer Eckel, Project Director, ADA Program Assistance Coordinator, from Cherry Engineering Support Services, Inc. (CESSI).

Ms. Eckel serves as a project director for the project assistance contract for the ADA technical assistance program. The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDDR) funds the contract with CESSI for the purpose of coordinating information between Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs).

Mr. Rodriguez shared information regarding Ms. Eckel's professional experience.

The DBTACs are known as the ADA technical assistance centers or ADA-accessible IT centers. They consist of a network of 10 centers, one in each federal region, with 2,200 affiliates at the local, state, and regional levels. When funded, each DBTAC was allowed flexibility to determine its structure. Their mandate was to serve the entire region as if it were local.

NIDRR funds the ADA technical assistance project, which includes the 10 DBTACs and CESSI. NIDRR also funds a National Center for Accessible Information Technology at the University of Washington.

In the past, DBTACs have funded material and development projects.

DBTACs' customers include individuals with disabilities, families, friends, business, government, and educational entities. Other customers are federal agencies with enforcement responsibilities that work closely with the Department of Justice, the Equal Opportunity Commission, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Education. For two years, DBTACs have worked with the Department of Labor to help educate one-stop centers on accessibility.

Services include disseminating accurate information and materials via email and postal mail. The ADA technical assistance project's Web site (www.adata.org) is maintained by CESSI and includes each of the DBTAC's local sites and publications. Various types of technical assistance are provided through a toll-free hot line.

The following groups receive technical assistance: disability organizations and people with disabilities (28%), business entities (26%), general public (19%), schools (17%), architects (3%), and others (7)%.

New Business (Continued)
Mr. Frieden stated that he had appointed the following members to the Return-to-Work Team: Kathy Martinez, Marco Rodriguez, David Wenzel, Glenn Anderson, Joel Kahn, and Linda Wetters, who will be the Chair. Some of the members questioned the name of the team based on the earlier description of its work. Mr. Frieden indicated that he would leave it up to the team members and staff to determine the appropriate name.

July 2004 ADA Anniversary Celebration
Ms. Gillcrist stated that there was a teleconference in which there was an exchange of ideas. The Chairperson informed the committee that unless funds were raised or available by the end of January 2004, the Council would not be able to sponsor the event.

Mr. Quigley was very instrumental and determined that the Council sponsor this celebration. He has worked hard to lay out a plan for the event, such as the number of participants, the invitation list, and the location. The Planning Committee voted to have the celebration at the Kennedy Center. Ms. Gillcrist thought the list of guests should be based on their service in the disability community.

Ms. Pound concurred with Mr. Frieden that the purpose of this event was to acknowledge the twentieth anniversary of the Council as an independent agency and the fourteenth anniversary of ADA. Therefore, the guests should include people who have had significant roles in the Council and ADA.

Mr. Frieden stated that he has invited former President Bush to be a keynote speaker and to present the Bush ADA Medal.

Mr. Frieden stated that the Council has by law the right to receive contributions to fulfill the mission of the Council. He hopes that the Council could use funds from its gift account to sponsor this event. It has occurred to him that it might be possible to follow the pattern used recently in campaigns and other activities to simply have another organization outside of the Council be the quiet sponsor of the program to receive the funds and pay the bills. He added that he and the staff will look into the legalities of doing this.

Mr. Frieden stated that the next committee meeting has been scheduled for December 15 at 1:00 p.m. EST.

Mr. Frieden stated that he wanted to suggest to Mr. Aponte and his planners at the Florida Council meeting to conduct an educational session.

Ms. Wetters suggested conducting a public forum or hearing on three or four specific questions or issues prior to the conference in Florida that might have a national impact or be shared nationally.

Mr. Frieden stated that based on input received from his questionnaire and prior comments, the Council did not have team meetings as a part of its business meeting. It proceeds right into Council business and provides substantial time, more than before, on agenda items and reports to allow for discussion.

Panelist Presentations
Before introducing the panelists, Mr. Frieden introduced the current White House Liaison, Office of Domestic Council, Mr. Chris Kuczynski.

Mr. Frieden introduced the following panelists who previously worked at the White House. During their tenure, they were responsible for working with the disability community.

Jonathan Young, Ph.D., Law Student, Yale University
Jennifer Sheehy, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education
Troy Justesen, Deputy Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Administration
The panelists spoke about their experiences and responsibilities at the White House and what it meant to work in that capacity. They shared information on how they used various NCD reports.

The Council presented each panelist with a leadership award of appreciation for their outstanding contributions to the improvement of disability policy in the United States.

Adjourment
Motion 4
Ms. Wetters moved to adjourn the Council meeting. Passed.

The meeting adjourned at 11:30 a.m.