National Council on Disability
Government Performance and Results Act Annual Report to the President
and Congress Fiscal Year 2003
National Council on Disability
1331 F Street, NW, Suite 850
Washington, DC 20004
202-272-2004 Voice
202-272-2074 TTY
202-272-2022 Fax
This report is also available in alternative
formats and on NCD’s
award-winning Web site (http://www.ncd.gov).
Publication date: February 10,
2005
The views contained in this report do not necessarily represent
those of the Administration, as this agency and NCD documents are
not subject to the A-19 Executive Branch review process.
In accordance with 31 USC Sec. 1116 (f), this program performance
report was prepared solely by federal employees.
Letter of Transmittal
February 10, 2005
The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
The National Council on Disability (NCD) is pleased
to submit its Annual Performance Report to the President and Congress
Fiscal Year 2003, as required by the Government Performance and
Results Act (31 USC Sec. 1116).
As a leader in the development and analysis
of disability policy, the National Council on Disability (NCD)
conducted a variety of activities in Fiscal Year (FY) 2003, with
an authorized budget of $2,839,423. This report compares actual
performance with the projected levels of performance set out
in NCD’s annual performance
plan. As a public policy agency with no programs or services, it
is often difficult, but not impossible, to measure the effectiveness
of the recommendations NCD makes to the President and Congress.
Therefore, NCD is pleased to inform you that the findings of this
report show a positive link between the allocated resources and
NCD’s performance. NCD has either met or exceeded the projected
levels in its performance plan. NCD’s planning, project execution,
and reporting show a high level of accountability for the performance
actually achieved.
NCD’s FY 2003 activities continued to promote policies,
programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity
for all people with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity
of the disability. These efforts were based on NCD’s strategic
goals: 1) Enhance the lives of people with disabilities of all
ages and backgrounds through the development of policy recommendations;
2) Educate the public and elected officials on disability issues;
3) Promote effective delivery of federal services and programs
to underrepresented populations such as culturally diverse communities,
rural residents, and youth with disabilities; and 4) Make NCD a
high performance organization.
Through its efforts, NCD was able to have a significant impact
on the lives of people with disabilities and their families all
over the world. Today, there are more than 54 million Americans
with disabilities, a full 20 percent of the U.S. population. About
half of these individuals have a severe disability, affecting their
ability to see, hear, walk, or perform other basic functions of
life.
Significant barriers still exist for people
with disabilities who try to participate fully in American society.
People with disabilities want to be employed, educated, and actively
involved in the community. Unfortunately, on average, Americans
with disabilities have a lower level of educational attainment,
and are poorer and more likely to be unemployed than those without
disabilities. In today’s
new global economy, America must be able to draw on the talents
and creativity of all its citizens.
With your support and your New Freedom Initiative, NCD will continue
to foster the production, distribution, and application of unique
information and knowledge leading to policies that enhance the
lives of people with disabilities.
Sincerely,
Ethel D. Briggs
Executive Director
(The same letter of transmittal was sent to the President Pro
Tempore of the U.S. Senate and the Speaker of the U.S. House of
Representatives)
National Council on Disability Members and Staff
Members
Lex Frieden, Chairperson
Patricia Pound, First Vice Chairperson
Glenn Anderson, Ph.D., Second Vice Chairperson
Milton Aponte
Robert R. Davila, Ph.D.
Barbara Gillcrist
Graham Hill
Joel I. Kahn
Young Woo Kang, Ph.D.
Kathleen Martinez
Carol Novak
Anne M. Rader
Marco Rodriguez
David Wenzel
Linda Wetters
Staff
Ethel D. Briggs, Executive Director
Jeffrey T. Rosen, General Counsel and Director of Policy
Mark S. Quigley, Director of Communications
Allan W. Holland, Chief Financial Officer
Julie Carroll, Senior Attorney Advisor
Joan M. Durocher, Attorney Advisor
Martin Gould, Ed.D., Senior Research Specialist
Gerrie Drake Hawkins, Ph.D., Program Specialist
Mark E. Seifarth, Congressional Liaison
Pamela O’Leary, Interpreter
Brenda Bratton, Executive Assistant
Stacey S. Brown, Staff Assistant
Carla Nelson, Office Automation Clerk
Contents
Overview
NCD Brief Description
Strategic Plan
Strategic Goals, Objectives, and
Results
I. Enhance the lives of people
with disabilities of all ages and backgrounds through the development
of policy recommendations
II. Educate the public and elected
officials on disability issues
III. Promote effective delivery
of federal services and programs to under represented populations
such as people from diverse cultures, rural residents, and youth
with disabilities
IV. Make NCD a high performance
organization
Federal Managers' Financial
Integrity Act Signed Assurance Statement
Conclusion
My Administration is committed to tearing down the barriers to
equality that face many of the 54 million Americans with disabilities...My
New Freedom Initiative will help Americans with disabilities by
increasing access to assistive technologies, expanding educational
opportunities, increasing the ability of Americans with disabilities
to integrate into the workforce, and promoting increased access
into daily community life.
President George W. Bush in the Forward to the New Freedom Initiative
Overview
Background
NCD is an independent federal agency making recommendations to
the President and Congress on issues affecting 54 million Americans
with disabilities. NCD is composed of 15 members appointed by
the President and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
In its 1986 report, Toward Independence, NCD first proposed that
Congress should enact a civil rights law for people with disabilities.
Today, there are more than 54 million Americans with disabilities,
a full 20 percent of the U.S. population. About half of these individuals
have a severe disability, affecting their ability to see, hear,
walk, or perform other basic functions of life.
In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) was signed into law. Since that time, ADA has worked to
guarantee equal opportunity for people with disabilities in employment,
public accommodations, transportation, state and local government
services, and telecommunications. In 1992, Congress modified
NCD’s authorizing legislation,
Title IV of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, giving NCD a monitoring
role in the enforcement, implementation, and effectiveness of ADA.
In 1996, NCD convened a policy summit that included a diverse group
of more than 300 leaders from the disability community. These leaders
encouraged NCD to monitor and evaluate federal enforcement efforts
of ADA and other civil rights laws.
In FY 2003, NCD continued to review and evaluate new and emerging
policy issues that impact people with disabilities. NCD continued
to identify the overall needs and concerns of people with disabilities
by conducting hearings, forums, and conferences throughout the
country, and by responding to thousands of telephone, e-mail, and
written inquiries on ADA and other disability civil rights issues.
NCD also concluded its Disability Civil Rights
Monitoring Project and began work on a new series of reports
known as Investing in Independence, which interrelate with centerpiece
initiatives presented in President Bush’s New Freedom Initiative.
These reports focus on delinquency prevention and juvenile justice;
universal design in information and assistive technology; consumer
oriented/directed health care; long-term health care; and effective
return-to-work strategies.
Major activities for FY 2003 also included the release of an inaugural
paper that addresses specific topics raised by U.S. Supreme Court
rulings on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). NCD also
published several significant reports and papers including: Rehabilitating
Section 504; TANF and Disability: Importance of Supports for Families
with Disabilities in Welfare Reform; Addressing the Needs of Youth
with Disabilities in the Juvenile Justice System: The Status of
Evidence-Based Research; National Disability Policy: A Progress
Report; People with Disabilities on Tribal Lands: Education, Health
Care, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Independent Living; Olmstead:
Reclaiming Institutionalized Lives; and Foreign Policy and Disability:
Legislative Strategies and Civil Rights Protections to Ensure Inclusion
of People with Disabilities.
In addition, six of President Bush’s nominees to NCD were
confirmed by the U.S. Senate. They were: Glenn B. Anderson, Ph.D.,
Little Rock, AR; Milton Aponte, Cooper City, FL; Barbara Gillcrist,
Santa Fe, NM; Graham Hill, Arlington, VA; Joel I. Kahn, Ph.D.,
Wyoming, OH; Anne M. Rader, New York, NY; Marco Rodriguez, Elk
Grove, CA; David Wenzel, Scranton, PA; and Linda Wetters, Columbus,
OH.
Fiscal Year 2003
Influencing the policy making process is increasingly important
to NCD in the work that it supports. Informing and influencing
federal policy making and implementation is a core activity of
NCD.
Because of the varied nature of NCD’s work and the range
of arenas in which it operates, one needs to take into account
the various activities and projects to build a picture of NCD’s
work and impact in this regard.
One may consider public policy making and implementation as a
set of processes, including at least: (a) the setting of an agenda,
(b) the specification of alternatives from which a choice is to
be made, c) an authoritative choice among those specified alternatives,
and (d) the implementation of decisions. NCD recognizes that decision
making occurs at various levels and is carried out by a broad range
of decision makers: from heads of businesses to policy directors
in community agencies, to government policymakers.
As a leader in the development and analysis
of disability policy, NCD conducted numerous activities in Fiscal
Year (FY) 2003, with an authorized budget of $2,839,423. NCD
promoted policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guaranteed
equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless
of the nature or severity of the disability. They supported the
President’s
New Freedom Initiative and also helped individuals with disabilities
realize the promise of ADA by empowering them to achieve economic
self-sufficiency, independent living, inclusion, and integration
into all aspects of society.
In FY 2003, NCD reviewed and evaluated new and emerging policy
issues that affect people with disabilities. NCD continued to identify
the overall needs and concerns of people with disabilities by conducting
hearings, forums, and conferences throughout the country, and by
responding to literally thousands of telephone, e-mail, and written
inquiries on ADA and other disability civil rights issues.
Major activities for FY 2003 also included the release of several
other reports. They are:
• Students with Disabilities Face Financial
Aid Barriers
• People with Disabilities and Postsecondary Education
• Tennessee v. Lane: The Legal Issues and the Implications for
People with Disabilities
• Understanding Disabilities in American Indian and Alaska Native
Communities: Toolkit Guide
• Application of the ADA to the Internet and the Worldwide Web
• School Vouchers and Students with Disabilities
• Language Assistance Plan for Implementation of Executive Order
13166–Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited
English Proficiency
Communications
In addition, it should be noted that due to its reinvigorated communications
strategy, NCD continued to generate a high volume of publicity
in FY 2003. During the year, NCD received thousands of news clips
from its news clipping service, reflecting a high degree of interest
by the media in NCD’s initiatives and activities. This
symbiotic relationship between NCD and the media helps disseminate
important disability-related information that affects all Americans
with disabilities and their families.
Performance Results
Many NCD project and program objectives reflect the expectation
that the policy work supported at NCD will and should have an
impact on the policy process. Within projects and programs, for
example, NCD staff promote various means of linking research
to policy, and research supported is often reported to have enhanced
decision makers’ awareness of policy options or to have
been otherwise taken into account in policy processes.
During FY 2003, NCD has increasingly relied
on its ability to provide cost-effective and efficient dissemination
of its work through the use of information technology (i.e.,
its Web site). For example, during the fiscal year, NCD’s
Web site received in excess of 4,000,000 visits, including an
increasing number of first time visitors.
An increasing number of visitors to NCD’s Web site are interested
in downloading copies of NCD’s reports, policy briefs, etc.
During FY 2003, thousands of reports were downloaded, saving thousands
of dollars in printing alone. In terms of first-class postage,
NCD estimates a conservative savings of $50,000. Other NCD products
receive similar treatment. All NCD reports are accessible to all
people with disabilities. NCD provides all of its documents in
braille, large print, on cassette and diskette, and on the Internet.
NCD publishes some of its reports in languages other than English,
such as Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese. NCD also offers rough language
translation for all of its Web documents.
NCD members and staff promote various means
of linking their activities to Federal Government policy and
the work undertaken and supported is often reported to have enhanced
decision makers’ awareness
of policy options or to have been otherwise taken into account
in policy processes.
Overall, the findings of this annual performance report clearly
indicate that NCD has either met or exceeded the projected levels
in our performance plan.
NCD Brief Description
Overview and Purpose
NCD is an independent federal agency led by 15 members appointed
by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S.
Senate.
The overall purpose of NCD is to promote policies, programs, practices,
and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals
with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the
disability; and to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve
economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and
integration into all aspects of society.
Specific Duties
The current statutory mandate of NCD includes the following:
• Reviewing and evaluating, on a continuing
basis, policies, programs, practices, and procedures concerning individuals
with disabilities conducted or assisted by federal departments and
agencies, including programs established or assisted under the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, as amended, or under the Developmental Disabilities
Assistance and Bill of Rights Act; as well as all statutes and regulations
pertaining to federal programs that assist such individuals with
disabilities, in order to assess the effectiveness of such policies,
programs, practices, procedures, statutes, and regulations in meeting
the needs of individuals with disabilities.
• Reviewing and evaluating, on a continuing basis, new and emerging
disability policy issues affecting individuals with disabilities
at the federal, state, and local levels, and in the private sector,
including the need for and coordination of adult services, access
to personal assistance services, school reform efforts and the impact
of such efforts on individuals with disabilities, access to health
care, and policies that operate as disincentives for individuals
to seek and retain employment.
• Making recommendations to the President, the Congress, the
Secretary of Education, the Director of the National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research, and other officials of federal
agencies, respecting ways to better promote equal opportunity, economic
self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration
into all aspects of society for Americans with disabilities.
• Providing the Congress, on a continuing basis, advice, recommendations,
legislative proposals, and any additional information that NCD or
Congress deems appropriate.
• Gathering information about the implementation, effectiveness,
and impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C.
12101 et seq.).
• Advising the President, the Congress, the Commissioner of
the Rehabilitation Services Administration, the Assistant Secretary
for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services within the Department
of Education, and the Director of the National Institute on Disability
and Rehabilitation Research on the development of the programs to
be carried out under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
• Providing advice to the Commissioner with respect to the policies
and conduct of the Rehabilitation Services Administration.
• Making recommendations to the Director of the National Institute
on Disability and Rehabilitation Research on ways to improve research,
service, administration, and the collection, dissemination, and implementation
of research findings affecting persons with disabilities.
• Providing advice regarding priorities for the activities of
the Interagency Disability Coordinating Council and reviewing the
recommendations of this Council for legislative and administrative
changes to ensure that such recommendations are consistent with the
purposes of the Council to promote the full integration, independence,
and productivity of individuals with disabilities;
• Preparing and submitting to the President and Congress an
annual report titled National Disability Policy: A Progress Report.
• Preparing and submitting to Congress and the President an
annual report containing a summary of the activities and accomplishments
of NCD.
International
In 1995, NCD was designated by the Department of State to be the
official contact point of the U.S. government for disability issues.
Specifically, NCD interacts with the special rapporteur of the
United Nations Commission for Social Development on disability
matters.
Consumers Served and Current Activities
While many government agencies deal with issues and programs affecting
people with disabilities, NCD is the only federal agency charged
with addressing, analyzing, and making recommendations on issues
of public policy that affect people with disabilities regardless
of age, disability type, perceived employment potential, economic
need, specific functional ability, status as a veteran, or other
individual circumstance. NCD recognizes its unique opportunity
to facilitate independent living, community integration, and employment
opportunities for people with disabilities by ensuring an informed
and coordinated approach to addressing the concerns of persons
with disabilities and eliminating barriers to their active participation
in community and family life.
NCD plays a major role in developing disability
policy in America. In fact, it was NCD that originally proposed
what eventually became ADA. NCD’s present list of key issues
includes improving personal assistance services, promoting health
care reform, including students with disabilities in high-quality
programs in typical neighborhood schools, promoting equal employment
and community housing opportunities, monitoring the implementation
and enforcement of ADA, improving assistive technology, and ensuring
that people with disabilities from culturally diverse backgrounds
fully participate in society.
Statutory History
NCD was initially established in 1978 as an advisory
board within the Department of Education (Public Law 95-602). The
Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1984 (Public Law 98-221) transformed
NCD into an independent agency.
Strategic Plan
Vision
The United States of America will be a stronger country when its
54 million citizens with disabilities are fully integrated into
all aspects of American life. The United States has made significant
progress in recent years in furthering opportunities for education,
employment and independent living for people with disabilities
through a broad range of programs that protect the rights of
individuals with disabilities from discrimination in education,
employment, housing and transportation. Yet significant barriers
to achieving the goals of independence, inclusion and empowerment
for all persons with disabilities still remain. Conflicting,
poorly designed or outdated government programs and policies
combine with service gaps and continued negative attitudes toward
people with disabilities serve to marginalize the 54 million
Americans with disabilities.
The effects of these barriers on both people with disabilities
and society are enormous. Physical and spiritual isolation rob
individuals of energy, creativity and productivity. Society loses
by not enjoying the benefits of their talents and by incurring
large costs in supporting them.
Through collaboration with its stakeholders, NCD will pursue a
focused agenda that will promote government programs and policies
in support of full inclusion of all people with disabilities into
the educational, economic and social fabric of the American community.
NCD will use the expertise of its diverse membership and well-trained
and -managed staff to identify barriers to inclusion and independence
and to develop solutions. NCD will listen to people with disabilities
across the country to identify emerging issues that need a response.
As the only agency in the Federal Government that addresses the
issues of all people with disabilities, regardless of type or severity,
NCD will be aggressive and resolute until the day arrives when
people with disabilities in every corner of the land no longer
are distinguished by a disability label, but are known as students,
workers, parents, neighbors and friends.
Mission Statement
The mission of the National Council on Disability is to promote
the full inclusion, independent living and economic self-sufficiency
of people with disabilities of all ages and backgrounds by providing
advice, analysis, and recommendations on disability policy to
the President, Congress, and other federal entities.
Strategic Goals, Objectives, and Results
I. Enhance the lives of people with disabilities of all ages and
backgrounds through the development of policy recommendations.
Objectives:
1.1 Develop and refine policy recommendations at least annually.
1.2 Gather and record information on policy matters affecting
people with disabilities through the use of forums, hearings, teleconferences,
the Internet, independent studies, and interagency information
sharing.
1.3 Monitor the effectiveness of the implementation of the Americans
with Disabilities Act and other civil rights laws.
Results:
1.1 NCD reviewed and evaluated new and emerging policy issues affecting
people with disabilities at the federal, state, and local levels,
and in the private sector, and developed policy recommendations
where needed. During FY 2003, NCD produced 15 reports and papers
containing specific policy recommendations and one amicus brief
to the U.S. Supreme Court. They include Rehabilitating
Section 504; TANF and Disability: Importance of Supports for
Families with Disabilities in Welfare Reform; Addressing the
Needs of Youth with Disabilities in the Juvenile Justice System:
The Status of Evidence-Based Research; National Disability Policy:
A Progress Report; People with Disabilities on Tribal Lands:
Education, Health Care, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Independent
Living; Olmstead: Reclaiming Institutionalized Lives; Foreign
Policy and Disability: Legislative Strategies and Civil Rights
Protections to Ensure Inclusion of People with Disabilities;
Students with Disabilities Face Financial Aid Barriers; People
with Disabilities and Postsecondary Education; Tennessee v. Lane:
The Legal Issues and the Implications for People with Disabilities;
Understanding Disabilities in American Indian and Alaska Native
Communities: Toolkit Guide; Application of the ADA to the Internet
and the Worldwide Web; School Vouchers and Students with Disabilities;
Language Assistance Plan for Implementation of Executive Order
13166–Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited
English Proficiency.
Approximately 48,000 hard copies were distributed
by NCD’s
mailing house, while the number of copies downloaded from the NCD
Web site was significantly higher.
1.2 NCD gathered information and identified the overall needs
and concerns of people with disabilities in a variety of ways
that included hearings and conferences, and by responding to
literally thousands of telephone calls, e-mail messages, and
written inquiries.
NCD released the Righting the ADA inaugural paper along with
a series of policy documents addressing specific topics raised
by detrimental rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court on the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Righting the ADA (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2003/policybrief.htm),
explains NCD’s rationale for undertaking this comprehensive
examination, the high expectations it had for the ADA, NCD’s
role regarding the ADA, the impact of the ADA, and an overview
of this series of policy briefs.
NCD published a request for proposals (RFP) in Federal Business
Opportunities (http://www.fedbizopps.gov/) seeking an independent
contractor to evaluate the extent and type(s) of evidence-based
federal and state health care reforms and changes for people with
disabilities, in both the private and public sectors, that make
health care more consumer-driven and include some of the following
features: (a) adequate information to empower consumers to make
informed decisions when choosing a health plan or provider; (b)
quality standards (e.g., health care report cards) that are developed
in collaboration with people with disabilities and are responsive
to the clinical and information needs of consumers with disabilities;
c) adequate appeals and grievance processes to enable consumers
to challenge health plans and health provider decisions, including
arbitration mechanisms, ombudsmen independent of health plans,
and private rights of action; and (d) consumer governance in which
consumers and purchasers, not providers and payers, dominate the
governing of the health care system through purchasing cooperatives
and various oversight mechanisms.
To that end, NCD was interested in funding a study and conducting
research to address the following main items related to the issue
of consumer-oriented health care in the context of Medicare/Medicaid
reform as it relates to Americans with disabilities. NCD was interested
in looking at a range of practices and programs that may represent
the extent of best-evidence to emerging-evidence of effectiveness
in terms of results or outcomes for consumers. The estimated contract
period of performance is 10 months.
NCD published a request for proposals seeking an independent
contractor to evaluate the design, production, marketing, and sale
of a number of technology products to determine whether the most
commonly stated obstacles to technology accessibility (such as
cost, difficulty, and timing of built-in accessibility features)
are supported by research. This study will look at a range of technology
products and examine cost-effectiveness, consumer input at the
design stage, the development process, customer use and perceptions,
idiosyncratic and standardized industry protocols, and current
business and industry practices related to universal design, as
well as barriers to implementation. The study will also examine
the philosophical, economic, industry, and technological rationales
that currently drive the development of universal design and will
document examples of successful and unsuccessful practices. The
evaluation will rely primarily on qualitative research strategies,
although some quantitative research approaches may be used for
economic analysis involving cost data. The estimated contract period
is 10 months.
The NCD project People with Disabilities on
Tribal Lands: Education, Health, Rehabilitation, and Independent
Living, which inquires about current conditions and practices
that seem promising, includes focus groups as well as. Focus
groups met at the annual conferences for the National Congress
of American Indians and the Consortia of Administrators of Native
American Rehabilitation (CANAR). The focus groups were facilitated
by the NCD contractor (Kauffman and Associates, Inc.) and members
of the project’s advisory group,
who are also tribal community people with disabilities. NCD was
also invited by the CANAR executive board to participate in the
keynote panel for its conference.
The NCD Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) released its recommendations
to NCD on the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA).
YAC developed and disseminated an inquiry that asked youth with
disabilities to tell the committee about their special education
experiences under IDEA. In response, YAC received direct communication
from across the country. Respondents included students and former
students with disabilities, parents/guardians, and others. YAC
members used the data to develop recommendations for those interested
in the implementation of IDEA. The findings and recommendations
address issues of student empowerment, public education about IDEA,
professional development, and cultural diversity.
NCD members were sworn in by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) chair Cari M. Dominguez. During her remarks,
Dominguez described the Mediation Technical Assistance Project
that NCD and EEOC have agreed to undertake. The project will enhance
the use of mediation by people with disabilities to resolve employment
disputes and will highlight the importance of reasonable accommodation
in the alternative dispute resolution process. EEOC has dealt with
these issues in its highly regarded mediation program for resolving
employment discrimination claims. NCD examined mediation issues
in its ADA report Promises to Keep (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2000/promises_1.htm)
and has worked with mediators on accessibility issues. EEOC and
NCD will combine their experience and expertise to provide technical
assistance on disability issues in the mediation of employment
discrimination disputes.
NCD announced its support of President Bush’s
proposal of a $1.75 billion, five-year program to help Americans
with disabilities transition from nursing homes or other institutions
to community living settings.
NCD applauds the President’s new proposal, which is to
be included in the FY 2004 budget for his New Freedom Initiative.
When enacted, this new proposal will help eliminate many barriers
to full participation in community life for people with disabilities.
NCD supports the President’s commitment to changing policies
that unnecessarily confine people with disabilities to living in
institutions. This is a significant step in the right direction.
NCD cosponsored an international dialogue at the World Bank Building that focused
on the development of a United Nations convention on the rights of people with
disabilities and efforts to promote a disability-inclusive foreign assistance
policy in the United States.
NCD released its findings that five federal
agencies (Departments of Education, Health and Human Services,
Justice, Labor, and State) responsible for enforcement of disability
rights provided by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act have
given the task low priority and minimal leadership, although
some progress has been made. Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation
Act is acknowledged as the first national civil rights law to
view the exclusion and segregation of people with disabilities
as discrimination. NCD’s findings
are contained in its report, Rehabilitating
Section 504 (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2003/section504.htm).
Section 504 is a powerful enfranchisement tool for people with
disabilities if used with due diligence, but that has not been
the case. Although a number of these issues are now being addressed
by some of the agencies, more needs to be done.
NCD chairperson Lex Frieden spoke at the National Press Club
Morning Newsmaker Program and addressed community-based services
for people with disabilities, the implications of health care reform
for people with disabilities, and the development of an International
Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, coming before
the United Nations in June.
NCD released a new position paper calling for Congress to strengthen
the ability of states to assist families with disabilities on welfare
to transition from welfare to work.
This position paper summarizes research about people with disabilities
and TANF and some of the proposals being offered for consideration
to improve how TANF-funded programs address the needs of families
with a member with a disability.
The paper, TANF and Disability:
Importance of Supports for Families with Disabilities in Welfare
Reform, is available at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2003/familysupports.htm.
NCD announced its opposition to the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) Notification Act (H.R. 728), which was introduced in
the U.S. House of Representatives on February 12, 2003.
NCD is deeply concerned about the proposed
ADA Notification Act. The Act proposes to amend the ADA to require
that an individual alleging a business is inaccessible provide
written notice to the business about the specific ADA violation
ninety days before bringing suit, and will not allow for attorneys’ fees
and costs. In fact, President George W. Bush declared his opposition
to the ADA Notification Act in an interview with Business
Week Online.
NCD challenged policy makers and education leaders to ensure
that any development of school vouchers is based on the direct
input of parents, positive results for students with disabilities,
sound empirical research of its effectiveness as a policy option,
and in accordance with applicable federal (and state) law and civil
rights regulations.
NCD released a research study entitled Addressing
the Needs of Youth with Disabilities in the Juvenile Justice
System: The Status of Evidence-Based Research (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2003/juvenile.htm).
The report evaluates the emerging status of key policies and programs
that affect children and youth with disabilities who have often
been overlooked by service and research programs.
NCD conducted a news conference to discuss the importance of
a United Nations convention on the human rights of people with
disabilities.
NCD released a policy paper, When
the Americans with Disabilities Act Goes Online: Application
of the ADA to the Internet and the Worldwide Web (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2003/adainternet.htm)
that analyzes and answers the critical question: Does ADA apply
to commercial and other private sector Web sites, and if so, what
does it require?
NCD analyzed all the legal background to the ADA and Internet
access issue, pointing out authorities and scholarship on both
sides of the question, and identifying as carefully and precisely
as possible what these authorities actually do and do not say.
Through this process, the narrow legal issues,
bearing mostly upon the definition of the word “place” in Title III
of the ADA, are brought into clear focus. The paper also analyzes
the meaning and application of this term, in light of the ADA’s
legislative history, its plain meaning, and court decisions applying
this term in nontechnology-based settings.
Finally, the paper explains the practical and economic arguments
that should guide those who may be called upon to apply the law,
suggesting strategies by which the accessibility principle can
be broadly implemented without disruption and with benefit to consumers
and businesses alike.
NCD commended the President’s New Freedom Commission on
Mental Health report on the status of America’s mental health
system. The Commission’s report concluded that the nation’s
mental health system was broken and in need of immediate attention.
Among a number of recommendations, the report emphasized early
intervention, ongoing supports and services for people with mental
illness, and a recovery-oriented frame of reference.
NCD’s 2002 report The
Well Being of our Nation: An Inter-Generational Vision of Effective
Mental Health Services and Supports (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2002/mentalhealth.htm),
calling for fundamental reform in a mental health system in crisis,
reached these same conclusions.
The report issued from NCD concludes that people with disabilities
made some progress, but more needs to be done.
NCD’s annual report, National
Disability Policy: A Progress Report (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2003/progressreport_final.htm),
reviews federal policy activities by issue areas and covers the
period from December 2001 through December 2002.
As noted in the progress report, NCD has observed
many examples of progress in disability policy. Among these are
enactment of the Help America Vote Act for increasing access
to elections for Americans with disabilities; establishment of
the President’s
New Freedom Commission on Mental Health to examine and recommend
changes in our nation’s mental health system; and the Supreme
Court’s ban on execution of persons with mental retardation.
Despite reforms in disability policy intended to improve the
lives of people with disabilities, many challenges remain for our
citizens with disabilities who wish to be more independent, more
productive and more engaged in their families and communities.
Far too many Americans with disabilities are undereducated and
unemployed. Many of them are desperately trying to improve the
quality of their lives, but they are frustrated by a lack of affordable
and accessible housing, transportation, personal assistance services,
medical rehabilitation and job opportunities.
The Administration’s New Freedom Initiative
provides a road map to increase investment in and access to assistive
technologies and a high-quality education, and to help integrate
Americans with disabilities into the workforce and into community
life. NCD will continue to work with the Administration and Congress
to ensure that every individual with a disability has access
to the American dream.
NCD participated in a celebration of the 13th
anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at the
Renaissance Washington DC Hotel. The event was hosted by Easter
Seals Project ACTION, the Federal Transit Administration, the
U.S. Department of Transportation, the National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research, and NCD. During the event,
NCD chairperson Lex Frieden presented the Chairperson’s
Award to Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta and former
Congressman Steve Bartlett for outstanding leadership in promoting
the rights and independence of people with disabilities. As members
of Congress, both Mineta and Bartlett helped guide the ADA to
its final passage.
NCD conducted a groundbreaking one-day forum, “Outreach
for All: Paths to Support Empowerment of People with Disabilities
from Diverse Cultures.” The forum identified concrete actions
that can enhance existing efforts to reach and engage people with
disabilities from diverse cultures in federal programs and services.
NCD released its report, People
with Disabilities on Tribal Lands: Education, Health Care, Vocational
Rehabilitation, and Independent Living (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2003/tribal_lands.htm),
which documents that American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN)
with disabilities living in tribal lands are not receiving the
services they are entitled to.
The report reflects the results of a project that was developed
and guided to completion in collaboration with AI/AN representatives
of people with disabilities, their families, and tribal community
leaders.
NCD commends the Administration for its newly
proposed “New
Freedom Initiative Medicaid Demonstrations Act of 2003,” which
would help Americans with disabilities transition from nursing
homes or other institutions into community-based living settings.
NCD applauds the President’s new legislative proposal,
which will help eliminate many barriers to full participation in
community life for people with disabilities. NCD supports the President’s
commitment to changing policies that unnecessarily confine people
with disabilities to living in institutions. Helping people with
disabilities who want to live in their own homes by providing community-based
programs that foster independence and community participation is
good public policy. Congress should act quickly to enact this proposal.
NCD released a comprehensive, online analysis
of federal and state implementation of the Supreme Court’s
Olmstead decision, saying community-based services work, but
more needs to be done.
The report, Olmstead: Reclaiming
Institutionalized Lives (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2003/reclaimabridged.htm),
measures progress to date in the implementation of the landmark
U.S. Supreme Court decision in Olmstead v.
L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1999),
and related federal and state government initiatives.
Overall, progress to varying degrees has occurred in the implementation
of the Olmstead decision. However, given the many areas where progress
has not yet been achieved and in recognition of the relatively
brief time since the decision was rendered and governmental initiatives
were undertaken, it is clear that further efforts are necessary
to increase public awareness of Olmstead. It is also necessary
to provide education and clarification regarding the applications
and implications of the decision to relevant entities, and provide
resources necessary to both encourage and to ensure effective adherence
to the spirit and intent of Olmstead.
Members of ADAPT addressed the NCD board and staff at their quarterly
meeting in Houston, Texas, on MiCASSA (S. 971 and H.R. 2032). ADAPT
also addressed other important related issues, including the implementation
of Olmstead and the Money Follows the Individual Act of 2003 (S.
1394).
NCD released its report, Foreign
Policy and Disability: Legislative Strategies and Civil Rights
Protections to Ensure Inclusion of People with Disabilities (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2003/foreign03.htm),
concluding that the inclusion of people with disabilities in U.S.
foreign policy will be achieved only when specific legislation
is enacted.
The report examines legislative changes that
will ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities in all
foreign assistance programs under the direction of the U.S. Department
of State and the United States Agency for International Development.
It is a follow-up to NCD’s 1996 Foreign
Policy and Disability (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/1996/foreign.htm) report
that found continued barriers to access for people with disabilities
in U.S. foreign assistance programs.
NCD acknowledged the significance of the Medicaid Community-based
Attendant Services and Supports Act (MiCASSA) activities of September
17, 2003, by and on behalf of all people committed to freedom and
independence for all. NCD applauds the unwavering dedication of
people with disabilities to the spirit of freedom that all Americans
hold near and dear.
As our nation’s population ages, the
costs and alternatives for community living, long-term care,
and support services have become a subject of growing attention
and concern. For many people with disabilities, including people
living in institutions because of the lack of community-based
or in-home alternatives and those at risk of entering institutional
care settings against their will, the issues take on pressing
personal significance.
Fortunately, there are some initiatives that have garnered attention
and momentum in our nation that can correct this nationwide problem.
The first is MiCASSA; the second is Olmstead. Together, these two
initiatives represent a community imperative and a vision for promoting
the independence of people with disabilities in all walks and circumstances
of American life.
Under the Federal Advisory Committee Act,
NCD conducted several teleconferences and meetings with its advisory
committees—International
Watch, Youth, and Cultural Diversity.
NCD continued its interagency policy liaison activities with
the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research,
the Rehabilitation Services Administration, the Office for Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services, the Office of Disability
Employment Policy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research, the Office
of Disability Employment Policy, and the U.S. General Services
Administration.
1.3 During FY 2003, NCD concluded its Disability
Civil Rights Monitoring Project. Title IV of the Rehabilitation
Act requires NCD to gather information about the implementation,
effectiveness, and impact of ADA, among other duties. Three hundred
leaders from NCD’s 1996 policy summit encouraged NCD to
monitor and evaluate federal enforcement efforts of ADA and other
civil rights laws. In March 1999, NCD produced its first report,
Enforcing the Civil Rights of Air Travelers
with Disabilities.
The second report, Back to School on Civil
Rights, on the enforcement
of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, was issued
in January 2000. In June 2000, NCD produced its third report,
titled Promises To Keep: A Decade of Federal
Enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The fourth report, The
Accessible Future, on the status of enforcement of various federal laws
dealing with electronic and information technology accessibility,
was issued in June 2001. In November 2001, NCD produced its fifth
report, Reconstructing Fair Housing, which looks at the Fair
Housing Amendments Act of 1988 (FHAA) and Section 504 as they
relate to one key federal agency, namely, the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In February 2003, NCD
released its sixth report, Rehabilitating
Section 504, which
looks at Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 enforcement
activities of five key federal agencies: the Department of Education,
the Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services,
the Department of State, and the Department of Justice.
Overall, the results of NCD’s civil
rights assessment studies indicate: (a) a lack of federal leadership
by executive agencies in the enforcement of key disability civil
rights laws; (b) an absence of a detailed and comprehensive commitment
by Congress and the federal government in improving the infrastructure
of federal agencies responsible for federal disability civil
rights enforcement; and c) the general neglect of key federal
executive agencies in coordinating the development and implementation
of federal disability policies and programs, including the need
to address cross-cultural disparities.
In fulfilling its statutory and public charge
of addressing, analyzing and making recommendations to the President
and Congress on issues of disability policy, NCD should continue
to monitor the federal implementation and enforcement of key
civil rights laws and President George Bush’s New Freedom Initiative.
NCD has heard an expectation from Congress and the public that
NCD’s evaluative research reports should continue to be a
cardinal NCD function. NCD also needs to work to identify and inform
the President and Congress about systems and programs that positively
impact the lives of Americans with disabilities. At the same time,
NCD recognizes that there are emerging policy issues (e.g., genetic
discrimination) that are rapidly gaining momentum in the legislative
and judicial branches of our government. NCD believes that NCD
must be prepared to engage such emerging topics at their nascent
stages.
II. Educate the public and elected officials on disability issues.
Objectives:
2.1 Strengthen NCD’s communication plan by drawing upon new technologies
and reaching targeted underrepresented populations.
2.2 Disseminate newsletters and reports on disability policy
issues.
2.3 Hold federal partners meetings with Cabinet
secretaries, appointees, and other key individuals to review
and promote NCD’s
recommendations.
2.4 Participate in interagency working groups with federal partners
on priority issues.
2.5 Serve as the focal point for international activities around
the dissemination of information on disability policy in the United
States of America and throughout the world.
Results:
2.1 NCD’s Web site (http://www.ncd.gov) is fully accessible to all people
with disabilities. All NCD reports, papers, newsletters, etc. are available
to the public on the NCD Web site. Some are published in languages other than
English. The NCD Web site also offers rough translation of all posted NCD material
into other languages.
NCD continued to refine its communications strategy, which promotes NCD’s
recommendations and provides greater opportunities for advancing public awareness
of disability issues, especially for people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
With the assistance of a public relations firm, NCD was able to accomplish
its goal of reaching targeted populations that often go unnoticed or unserved.
Through the standard use of a newspaper clipping service, NCD was able to realize
a huge increase in the number of minority-owned newspapers that ran stories
relating to NCD and disability policy.
NCD continued to work with civil rights organizations, such as
the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, the National Urban League,
and the National Council of La Raza to provide information to targeted
culturally diverse populations and organizations focused on underrepresented
disabilities. Members of civil rights organizations appeared often
at NCD events and news conferences delivering messages of support
for people with disabilities. NCD continued to work with the White
House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
2.2 NCD gathered information from its board,
staff, and other sources for inclusion in its monthly newsletter,
NCD Bulletin (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/bulletins/2003/03bulletins.htm).
NCD disseminated the Bulletin to more than 9,000 people each month
by U.S. Mail and another 3,000 copies to the NCD listserv. NCD
distributed its reports to more than 48,000 people. NCD’s
news releases and monthly newsletter also appear on U.S. Newswire,
which disseminates this information electronically to thousands
of news outlets across the country and to each Congressional office.
During FY 2003, NCD released two of its reports by news conference or press
availability. Both reports, Foreign Policy and Disability:
Legislative Strategies and Civil Rights Protections to Ensure Inclusion of
People with Disabilities,
and Rehabilitating Section 504 received extensive news coverage.
2.3 During FY 2003, NCD met with key administration officials
to encourage their adoption of and action on key recommendations
within the general policies and procedures of their departments.
NCD met with congressional staff and members of Congress on numerous
occasions to discuss new and emerging disability policy issues.
NCD testified at a joint oversight hearing on transportation services
and people with disabilities before the U.S. House of Representatives,
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructures and the Committee
on Education and the Workforce.
2.4 NCD continued its interagency policy liaison activities with
the National Youth Leadership Network, the National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the Rehabilitation Services
Administration, the Office for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services, the Office of Disability Employment Policy, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Transportation,
and the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research.
2.5 As the original author of the Americans
with Disabilities Act, NCD continued to be the focal point for
international activities around the dissemination of information
on disability policy in the United States and throughout the
world. To that end, NCD continued to serve as the official point
of contact with the U.S. government for disability issues. NCD’s International Team and International
Watch (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/advisory/international/international.htm)
advisory committee, which is an on-going activity, met on several
occasions to discuss international disability policy. NCD also
published its report Foreign Policy and Disability:
Legislative Strategies and Civil Rights Protections to Ensure Inclusion
of People with Disabilities. The report examines legislative changes
that will ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities in all
foreign assistance programs under the direction of the U.S. Department
of State and the United States Agency for International Development.
It is a follow-up to NCD’s 1996 Foreign
Policy and Disability report that found continued barriers to access for people with
disabilities in U.S. foreign assistance programs. The 2003 report
reviews a number of models that Congress has adopted for linking
human rights and foreign policy that can be adapted to ensure the
inclusion of people with disabilities. This report looks primarily
at the U.S. Department of State and USAID.
III. Promote effective delivery of federal services and programs to underrepresented
populations such as people from culturally diverse backgrounds, rural residents,
and youth with disabilities.
Objectives:
3.1 Monitor federal agencies having civil rights responsibilities to evaluate
their efforts to serve underserved populations such as people from culturally
diverse backgrounds, rural residents, and youth with disabilities, and develop
recommendations to enhance services to these populations.
3.2 Promote best practices programs of education and empowerment
regarding disability rights for people from culturally diverse
backgrounds, rural residents, and youth with disabilities.
3.3 Provide an opportunity for leadership development for youth
with disabilities.
3.4 Establish relationships with national organizations serving
these underrepresented populations.
Results:
3.1 NCD’s Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/advisory/cultural/cultural.html)
continued to provide advice and recommendations to NCD on issues affecting
people with disabilities from culturally diverse backgrounds. Specifically,
the committee assisted in identifying issues, expanding outreach, infusing
participation, and elevating the voices of underserved and unserved segments
of this nation’s population to help NCD develop federal policy that will
address the needs and advance the civil and human rights of people from diverse
cultures.
This advisory committee is an on-going activity.
NCD is also represented on the Interagency Working Group and
the Coordinating Committee for the White House Initiative on Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders.
NCD coordinated and promoted efforts to focus attention on integration
and inclusion of cultural diversity issues across all federal programs
monitored by NCD.
3.2 NCD promoted best practices programs of education and empowerment
regarding disability rights for people from culturally diverse
backgrounds, rural residents, and youth with disabilities by meeting
with stakeholders and representatives of disability and traditional
civil rights groups to discuss the unique issues faced by culturally
diverse people with disabilities.
3.3 NCD released Students with
Disabilities Face Financial Barriers, a report from NCD’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) that catalogs
the successes and obstacles in financing higher education based
on narratives from students with disabilities and college financial
aid officers. NCD’s YAC sought to understand whether the
Higher Education Act provides for the needs of students with disabilities.
NCD’s Youth Advisory Committee (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/advisory/youth/youth.html)
met several times, providing advice to NCD on various issues, such
as NCD’s planning and priorities. NCD is seeking this type
of input in order to make sure NCD’s activities and policy
recommendations respond to the needs of youth with disabilities.
This advisory committee is an on-going activity.
3.4 During FY 2003, NCD continued its relationships with national organizations
serving underrepresented populations, such as the Leadership Conference on
Civil Rights, National Council of La Raza, National Urban League, and the NAACP,
to name a few.
NCD collaborated with Native American leaders to plan steps that promote dialogue
with appropriate tribal entities and key federal officials. NCD also collaborated
with the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
IV. Make NCD a high performance organization.
Objectives:
4.1 Provide the necessary tools and training to achieve a highly skilled and
high-performing work force.
4.2 Provide a physical environment that promotes the health and
well-being of employees.
4.3 Prepare budget testimony.
4.4 Provide support to NCD teams.
4.5 Maintain accurate accounting of all NCD obligations and expenditures.
4.6 Arrange for NCD quarterly meetings.
4.7 Conduct personnel evaluations.
4.8 Produce weekly news clips.
Results:
4.1 In order for NCD staff to stay current with critical issues facing people
with disabilities and improve their technical skills, participation in training
programs is necessary. Specific training needs were identified for individual
staff development plans. Staff attended training programs in one or more
of the following areas, such as contract management, computer technology,
financial management, supervision, management, media relations, and other
areas.
NCD held monthly staff and team building sessions, which led to the development
and promotion of new processes for administration.
4.2 NCD developed budget priorities and submitted its request
to the Office of Management and Budget.
NCD is a leader in providing a physical environment that promotes
the health and well-being of its employees. All accommodations
that are necessary for employees with disabilities to perform at
the highest levels are made. These accommodations may include braille
printers, telecommunications devices for the deaf, sign language
interpreters, special lighting, large screen computer monitors,
ergonomic furniture, etc. NCD is also located in a very accessible
building in Washington, DC. Every effort is made to create a physical
atmosphere that equates to productive employees.
4.3 NCD contacted Congressional subcommittee
staff regarding NCD’s budget submission. NCD submitted
its budget request in a timely fashion to Congress. Meetings
were held to brief Congressional staff.
4.4 NCD staff provided administrative and policy support to its
teams, keeping team members abreast of new developments in their
issue areas. NCD arranged meetings and teleconferences to facilitate
team work.
4.5 NCD conducted its biannual financial audit and developed
management discussions and analysis for inclusion in the audit
report. Financial procedures have been updated to conform with
current accounting practices. Worked with the GSA Heartland Finance
Center staff to make sure all financial information was provided.
4.6 NCD coordinated and conducted four quarterly meetings in
FY 2003:
December 4-5, 2002, Washington, D.C.
March 5-6, 2003, Alexandria, VA
June 23, 2003, New York, NY
August 21-22, 2003, Houston, TX
4.7 NCD conducted staff evaluations for all employees and in
some cases provided individualized development plans.
4.8 NCD produced weekly clips of news accounts of
NCD activities for members, staff, and contractors.
Federal Managers’ Financial
Integrity Act
Signed Assurance Statement
February 10, 2005
The Honorable Josh B. Bolten, Director
Office of Management and Budget
Executive Office Building
17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20503
Dear Mr. Bolten:
On the basis of the National Council on Disability’s (NCD)
management control process, I am pleased to certify, with reasonable
assurance, that NCD’s systems of accounting and internal
controls are in compliance with the internal control objectives
in OMB’s Bulletin Number 01-02. I also believe these same
systems of accounting and internal controls provide reasonable
assurance that the Agency is in compliance with the provisions
of the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act.
The Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity
Act requires agencies to provide an annual statement of assurance
regarding management controls and financial systems. NCD is pleased
to report continued progress in strengthening management controls.
The continuous improvement of program and operational management
process is ongoing. Agency financial management controls and
systems, taken as a whole, provide reasonable assurance that
accounting systems comply with appropriate federal requirements.
This conclusion is based on the review and consideration of internal
analyses, reconciliations, reports, and other information.
Prior to the enactment of the Accountability of Tax Dollars Act,
NCD had established a policy to conduct an audit biannually. NCD
conducted an audit of its FY 2003 financial statement in accordance
with the Accountability of Tax Dollars Act. NCD received a clean
opinion from independent auditors on its financial statements.
If there are any questions or additional information needed,
please contact the NCD office, 202-272-2004.
Sincerely,
Ethel D. Briggs
Executive Director
Conclusion
In conclusion, the National Council on Disability continues to
be a leader in the development and analysis of disability policy.
The use of the Annual Performance Report to the President and Congress
Fiscal Year 2003, as required by the Government Performance and
Results Act, has greatly assisted NCD is carrying out its mission.
The findings of this report clearly indicate that NCD has either
met or exceeded the projected levels in its performance plan. |
