Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) Summary Minutes – January 17, 2008

The purpose of this meeting included:  Providing a public update on Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) procedures and public policy activities related to NCD’s priorities, and plans regarding background information to support future recommendation(s) to the National Council on Disability (NCD). [Note: an information sharing and discussion period on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), planned for this meeting with NCD staff, was postponed because of illness.  Rescheduling will be announced.]

After the roll call and welcome, Dr. Gerrie Hawkins, the NCD Designated Federal Official (DFO) for YAC, reviewed the public meeting agenda. No items were changed or added. The DFO transferred meeting leadership to YAC Chair Amy Doherty.

Ms. Doherty reported that the newly appointed members of YAC had participated in procedural calls. The YAC Executive Team, Policy, and Outreach/networking Workgroups provided updates on topics reported in the November meeting (e.g., disability awareness, aversive treatment and restraints) topics, reported in the November 2007 public meeting. The YAC Chair also stated on behalf of Executive Team member Matt Cavedon and herself, “We were honored to have had the opportunity to speak to NCD at their Boston quarterly meeting in November 2007. Since then the Executive Team has been in communication with NCD Council members. NCD’s commitment to youth is further shown by the inclusion of the YAC and a recommendation for agencies to include youth input in their recently released National Disability Policy Progress Report. We thank the NCD Employment committee for the invitation to participate and provide input in the [NCD] Vocational Rehabilitation and Transition study. YAC members have given individual perspectives [to the contractor] and we look forward to commenting on the preliminary findings. YAC execs have discussed procedures with the DFO for soliciting opinions from members of the public.” One of the points from brief discussion was that YAC members review the most recent Progress Report to see what NCD is doing: many different topics appeal to different interests.              

Ari Ne’eman and Daman Wandke gave updates for the Policy and Outreach/Networking Workgroups. Mr. Ne’eman stated, “Currently, we are undertaking revisions to the proposed guiding questions relating to health care and organizing a timeline for the aversives project and the health care project. Matt Cavedon and Paul Fogle are the lead [YAC] contacts on the health care and aversives projects, respectively. We are discussing means of information collection, including possibilities through the Parent Training Information centers, youth orgs and other avenues.”  Mr. Wandke noted that, “This last quarter the Outreach/Networking Workgroup has been very busy on our paper, Disability History Awareness: An Emerging Trend Among Youth, Youth Advisory Committee Recommendation to the National Council on Disability.  The paper has been approved by the YAC and was sent to NCD staff for final edits earlier this week before presentation to NCD Council members.  I want to thank all of our members for all of the hard work and dedication they have [shown] over the past few months.  We are now planning ways to reach out and network with more youth with disabilities and related organizations.”  A response to inquiry revealed that timelines were being discussed by the workgroups still deliberating the topics identified. YAC mentor Miranda indicated her availability as needed.

Youth Related Activities Around the Country: 

• Daman Wandke’s campus disability advocacy group has been working on a report about accessible facilities at Western Washington University. The results will be delivered to ADA coordinator on that campus for further action.

• Former YAC Chair, Stephanie Orlando, received a governor’s appointment to serve on a New York state group looking at restraint law records; the group is preparing a paper with youth perspectives on aversives and restraints.

• Eddie Rea was excused from today’s call to participate in information gathering about CA high school exit exams; a CA state level commission on special education hearing was conducted to obtain data from students regarding what needs to be improved.

• Ari Ne’eman received media, NCD, and disability community attention based on his activity with a group advocacy effort that recently got controversial NYU Ransom Ads about people in the autism spectrum removed from circulation.

Other Announcements

• NCD Council Member and YAC Liaison, Victoria Carlson emphasized that YAC members are welcome to make public comments at NCD Quarterly meetings. Dr. Hawkins will e-mail the January 28, 2008 (5:-5:30 pm) and January 29, 2008 (4:30-5:00 pm) public comment call-in number to all YAC members and anyone else who wants to provide comments. Members also were urged to send their Chair an e-mail if planning to participate.

• The YAC quarterly report was scheduled for Mrs. Carlson’s presentation on January 30, 2008 at the NCD Quarterly meeting. Tentatively, YAC member assignments to NCD committees were anticipated to be a part of the NCD quarterly meeting in New Orleans, LA (January 28-30, 2008).

• The next NCD quarterly meeting was scheduled for the Washington, DC metropolitan area April 21-23, 2008.  Please watch for details in the NCD Bulletin online.

• YAC’s next public meeting was scheduled for call April 17, 2008 in the form of a teleconference at 4:00 PM Eastern Time.  Thank you is given to Mr. Cavedon, YAC Secretary whose meeting notes support the development of these online meeting records.

• There are no YAC position vacancies and no terms ending this fiscal year.

• Please e-mail questions about the YAC to the DFO, Dr. Gerrie Hawkins: ghawkins@ncd.gov

The DFO adjourned the meeting at 4:45 PM.