National Council on Disability
Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee
June 1, 2006 – Record of Public Meeting (Teleconference)

Participants: CDAC members Darrell Simmons (CDAC Chair); Bill Scott; Darryl Long; Lilly Rangel-Diaz; Christina Curry; Marina Tse; Nipa Pandya; Robert Coward (in-person at the NCD office) ; Glenn Fujuira, Ph.D.; John Armendariz; NCD Staff: Jeff Rosen, General Counsel/Director of Policy; Pam O’Leary, Staff Interpreter; Gerrie Hawkins, Ph.D., Designated Federal Official for CDAC; Summer interns, Sheldon Gilbert (George Washington University Law School Student - DC) and Robyn Powell (Suffolk University Law School – MA); Members of the public (guests) on the call – Ms. LaTonya Phipps, Mr. Adrian Lozano, and Ms. Clarissa Spasyk, Editor for LRP Publications.  Note:  Mr. Adrian Lozano who was present at the allotted time during the beginning of the meeting was provided opportunity to introduce himself and the organization represented. His organization is the American Association of Health and Disability. The organization provides technical assistance to a CDC project looking at birth defects and developmental disabilities as well as prevention of secondary disabilities and health and disability programs; also working on creating a clearing house.

1. Call to Order and Roll Call - After the Designated Federal Official’s call to order, participants were reminded to please place telephones on the mute feature when not speaking and to please state their names whenever they have an opportunity to speak. Roll Call was conducted by the Designated Federal Official.

Substituting for the Council Member Liaison, in his greetings on behalf of the Council, Mr. Rosen stated that he looked forward to getting to know the new CDAC members during their tenure and he expressed appreciation for their service to the Council and interest in NCD’s work for the disability community. The DFO then transferred leadership of the meeting to CDAC’s Chair.

2. Welcome to participants, especially members of the public was extended by Chair,  Mr. Darrell K. Simmons, J.D. In addition he thanked Sheldon Gilbert for his quick turn-around in the development of the NCD project synopsis for use by all advisory committees.  This document is anticipated to be quite useful in many ways.  He also indicated that NCD staff has worked hard to provide the committee a firm foundation where there were gaps impacting how the committee was to function. 

3. Committee Vision & Mission Business: CDAC Chair

• Review of Vision and Mission was made for the purpose of background to move forward in determining more specific/concrete methods and ways that CDAC can have meaningful involvement in the ongoing NCD work.  For future calls it is hoped that the committee will be able to focus less on the preliminary pieces and more on the actual involvement of members in work that supports NCD’s priorities.

Committee’s Purpose and Mission:  CDAC serves at the desire of the agency to enhance NCD's knowledge about how the lives of people with disabilities from diverse cultures (racial/ethnic backgrounds) are affected by implementation and enforcement of federal legislation; and to advise NCD on policy issues. 

CDAC’s Mission is to promote the ability of the National Council on Disability to develop exemplary recommendations on policies, programs, practices, and procedures to the President and to Congress that are culturally and linguistically competent.

CDAC’s Vision Statement - We shall create a culturally and linguistically competent barrier free society that promotes unlimited equal access, inclusion and opportunity for all people including those with disabilities. 

• Internal Communication (CDAC Chair) - NCD was looking at bringing in a vendor to assist with creation and implementation of a message board, chat room type of communication to supplement the quarterly conference calls.  The work that needs to be accomplished between public meetings will vary and the communication among member, staff, and Council will be crucial to the effectiveness of such work. Organizing the meetings and gathering information in the discussions will be a part of the vendor’s work who will also work with one other NCD advisory committee. It was anticipated that once the internal communication is up and running, there would be more  Chair had heard from only a few members who indicated some of the NCD priorities in which they would specifically like to become involved as opportunities arise.  Ways that we can become involved providing perspectives representing people with disabilities from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds cultures are on an individual and on a group basis.

• NCD staff, beginning with CDAC’s DFO and the NCD’s Director or Policy will be instrumental in serving as the catalyst for this to happen. We also need to continue to build upon ways we can become better acquainted with one another and to group work opportunities can assist that process. The ADA project was mentioned as a possibility for involvement as a group.
1. Mr. Rosen gave a brief overview of what the most recent ADA report on NCD’s website encompasses. The report can be accessed at: Takes a look at a number of Supreme Court Decisions on the ADA and the impact on enforcement of the law. NCD has proposed a restoration act that is now being discussed in the disability community. A bill is also being introduced in the Senate. However NCD wanted to a step further and learn from stakeholders: What are their perspectives on ADA implementation? How has the ADA affected peoples’ lives in terms of employment, passenger transportation, public accommodations and so forth? Through the work of that report NCD also realized that we cannot have success with the ADA through enforcement. There has to be other ways than depending on the federal government to police the implementation for us [people with disabilities]. A number of stakeholder dialogues have been held across the country including people with disabilities, employers, people from rural areas, service providers, people who represent different entities. However, we also wanted to make sure that include cultural diversity matters into this project as well.

Mr. Rosen added that when people gather for the dialogues there have been people from diverse cultures participating, yet, the dialogues have focused primarily on the general issues. At this point by seeking input  for CDAC members, NCD is trying to ensure opportunity is not overlooked for including issues that may impact under represented and underserved people differently. Creating space for type of infusion also for youth perspectives is the purpose at this point. We want to be sure that we do not overlook issues that come with ADA implementation.

2. Dr. Hawkins was asked to brief the committee on some possible opportunities for CDAC members becoming involved in this project as well. She indicated that based on preliminary conversations with NCD’s staff lead for this study, regarding input from people with disabilities from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. In turn our lead is working with the contractor for the project on the logistics of how to get time, place, and so forth to receive input from CDAC members. NCD’s job is to assist with the logistics and serve as a catalyst to bring the people together. The entity already contacted to conduct this implementation study is the one responsible for what guiding questions might be used and so forth. We are planning to ask you to be “on the look out” for upcoming input opportunities.  If you can possibly squeeze sometime into your busy schedules, that would be appreciated, especially since we know that you bring a broad array of experiences, expertise areas—employment, education, research, self-and grassroots advocacy, backgrounds and authentic life experiences to the table.  Another possibility for CDAC group participation was brought to NCD’s attention this morning in a conversation with the Executive Director of the American Association of Health and Disability. As soon as opportunity for planning a follow-up communication aimed to identify common issues, CDAC members will be contacted electronically. It will be important that committee members are at the planning table from the beginning.

• Mr. Simmons, CDAC’s Chair recapped the following ways that the committee had identified during earlier discussion as ways to be directly involved in supporting NCD’s work:  participating in group dialogues; identifying study topics for NCD’s consideration; providing feedback; accepting NCD study team invitations to participate in team meetings; and contractor meeting s with NCD staff.

• Other members’ comments, questions, and Commitments to NCD’s Priority Areas (based on project synopses provided) – John Armendariz and Nipa Pandya had e-mailed their interested to the chair prior to the meeting. Fresh from a city council testimony, Bobby Coward identified as an area not often touched upon but that is needed when reaching out to people from diverse racial and ethnic background is awareness raising and income aspects. For example, he has found that one of the biggest barriers to people not living in the community is the  lack of information about the options. Dr. Hawkins recalled the topics of NCD’s current priorities as: (1) Follow-Up . . . associated with the Social Security Study; Long-term Services and Supports for Adults with Disabilities; Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Study; People with Disabilities on Tribal Lands Study; (2) Ongoing and New(funded this fiscal year) . . . Disability Statistics Study; Mental Health Study on Self-Determination, Full Integration and Inclusion ; Educational Outcomes Study; Employment Study; Financial Incentives Study; Emerging Technologies Study; and the ongoing ADA Implementation and Impact Study.

• Dr. Fujuira asked how NCD sees the Council using CDAC feedback or review during the follow-up and on-going projects (especially those in the wrapping up phases).

• One response (Dr. Hawkins) was that the use of CDAC’s input could vary across the reports, since there will be different activities and strategies.  For example, follow-up might be through NCD’s Congressional Liaison’s work on Capitol Hill to get information into appropriate House and Senate committee staffers’ and members’ hands related to upcoming legislative actions.

• Another response from Mr. Rosen was that NCD is still struggling with the challenges of infusing the concerns, issues, and perspectives of people with disabilities from diverse cultures into all of the agency’s work in meaningful ways. One reason is that size of agency staff that brings limitations across the wide range of work priorities, which is another indication of how much CDAC’s help is needed to ensure that key information is infused appropriately. We will continue to work with CDAC on improving ways to address unmet needs among the constituents represented.  

• In further response, Dr. Hawkins indicated and underscored how critical to the process is receipt of each members’ specific area of interest linked to the identified NCD priorities.  This will assist the advisory committee contractor to have  meaningful conversations with policy staff and Council members about continuous improvement on the inclusion and infusion of ideas and perspectives across all of NCD’s priorities. NCD seeks to address matters influencing the lives of underserved and unserved people with disabilities, including people from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.  Awareness of other relevant research, policy and practices that seem to be working, grassroots work/efforts and all of the other aspects that CDAC members bring to the agency are valued and we need advisory committee member assure that NCD is updated about areas of interest and experience as soon as possible.

• Mr. Scott expressed that ADA compliance across the board has been a part of his work experiences and that he has conducted workshops in the past on the ADA. Since some of the information he brings to the table is based on limited research and his own experiences as a consultant and advocate in this area, he feels that he could be of assistance, but is not sure of how much.  He would be interested in corresponding with others on CDAC about ADA implementation, calling upon combined experiences might be of some help to the work.

• Mr. Coward encouraged members to respond to the opportunities because each small bit of information contributes to a bigger picture.

• Mr. Rosen added that the human faces and stories added to the evaluation of data tends to provide the reader of NCD’s reports with a clearer idea of what does it mean in terms of people.  The approach that NCD is trying to see happen is to integrate and infuse the information about people from diverse cultures into the body of information in meaningful ways that round out the picture of real life in America.  Given the limited budget that NCD has, our reports tend to identify/address common denominator issues so that we do no produce a report that is simply overwhelming in volume to read.  With cultural diversity the challenge is how do we in fuse concerns and perspectives in a harmonic way that does not just marginalize the issue, but allows people to know that the Council values issues and that people have to take note of them. This was a way of sharing with CDAC how we try to touch upon the widest range of folks within our [disability] community.

• Mr. Scott recommended that with respect to the items presented in the synopsis, in terms of CDAC’s involvement, members already involved with any of the projects could identify themselves to the rest of the committee by e-mail. In addition, other members with experiences linked to any of the projects could let the rest of us know that as well. This might also help to promote further dialogue.

• In response, to Mr. Coward’s inquiry about limits, members were urged to simply identify where their experiences and interests are at this point.

• Mr. Simmons reiterated that CDAC needs to establish a pool of people associated with various areas of experience and interest. The when, where, and how of actual involvement would be a next step handled through the DFO in communication with various NCD project leaders and so forth. The pool can be tapped as new opportunities arise.

• Marina Tse asked for clarification about the e-mail Mr. Simmons was requesting. Summarily CDAC members were asked to send to the Chair over the next weeks their commitments to any of the NCD priority areas specified in the synopsis made available to members prior to this public meeting.

• For later consideration, Mr. Scott suggested perhaps a contact person (committee member) to receive information from CDAC members interested in various priority areas.

• In response, to Mr. Coward’s inquiry about limits, members were urged to simply identify where their experiences and interests are at this point.  Mr. Simmons also indicated that what CDAC needs to do is establish a pool of people. The when, where, and how will be another process for the future.

• Ms. Curry shared that her interest and experience in mental health and abuse (domestic violence among people who are deaf) motivated her to seek opportunity for input that might be available for NCD’s mental health report. She is thinking about how to match her experiences with the priorities listed in the synopsis. Later a member encouraged her to consider the mental health project.

• Darryl Long indicated that he was absorbing what was discussed during the hour. He expressed agreement with the earlier suggestion of a point person to collect CDAC member experiences for the various areas of interest.

• The items identified as expanding the networks and committee operations were omitted in lieu of time to hear from other members.   A review of Guidelines for Committee Operations and Clarification about Membership Tenure would be addressed during a procedural call or in the next teleconference.

• Information on joining the NCD listserv was provided in response to a guest’s inquiry.

Other CDAC business items:
4. Announcements and/or comments –
The next public meeting date is scheduled for September 7, 2006 (3:00 PM Eastern Time)

• Ms. Curry may be excused because of school conflict.
• Meeting dates for FY 2007 need to be set prior to the next public meeting.
• NCD’s July 26, 2006 Town Hall Meeting was announced.
• Adrian Lozano was interested in joining NCD’s listserv to receive updates on agency efforts.

5. Adjournment -
The meeting was adjournment in accordance with the Designated Federal Official’s responsibilities.