POLICY SUMMIT

Experts Address Disability Community

Photo Caption: Gathered after the Summit are participants, standing left to right, Andrew Imparata, president and chief executive officer of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD); Helena Williams, president of MTA Long Island Rail Road; Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi; Jim Weisman, general counsel for United Spinal Assoc.; Herman Berliner, Provost, Hofstra; and George Guiliani, associate professor at Hofstra University’s School of Education and Allied Human Services.

In the front row left to right, are Eleanor Smith director of Concrete Change; Commissioner Christine Griffin of the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission; Don Dreyer, director of the Nassau Office of the Physically Challenged and Paul Tobin, president of the United Spinal Association.

Disability advocates from around the country were the speakers who addressed issues that affect people with disabilities, at the 2008 Disability Leadership & Policy Summit: An Agenda for Change in the 21st Century.

The forum, hosted by United Spinal Association, Nassau County Office for the Physically Challenged (NCOPC) and Hofstra University and led by Jim Weisman general counsel for United Spinal Assoc., included an open exchange between panelists and attendees on the topics of education, transportation, employment and healthcare.

Education

George Guiliani, associate professor at Hofstra University’s School of Education and Allied Human Services spoke about the status of special education, the shortage of special education teachers and the added problem of burnout in this specialized field. He explained how the Bush Administration’s No Child Left Behind policy is not working for students with disabilities because testing requirements pose a problem for students with disabilities. He also suggested that people with disabilities should mentor children with disabilities to give them a sense of what is possible.

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NATIONAL FORUM ON DISABILITY ISSUES FEATURING THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES (INVITED) This Event is FREE but REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED Visit www.aapd.com for more information SATURDAY, JULY 26 2008 -12:30-3:30 pm Ohio Disability Vote Coalition, American Association of People with Disabilities, and over 50 national, state, and local disability related organizations.

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Employment

Commissioner Christine Griffin of the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission spoke about low employment rates for people with disabilities, especially in the federal government and the urgency of restoring the Americans with Disabilities Act’s employment provisions to end discrimination against people with disabilities in the job market. After the forum Griffin said, “I’ve already talked with four or five people here who said ‘I have a degree. I’ve been out pounding the pavement. I can’t get in the door.’”

Housing

Eleanor Smith, founder and director of Concrete Change, which promotes visitability, a proposed international standard for making all new home construction uniform, explained how this can be achieved with little cost and gave examples of visitable homes.

Advancing PWD

Andrew Imparato, president and chief executive officer of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) pointed out the four priorities he sees for the advancement of people with disabilities are restoring the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and transforming the federal judiciary; changing the four largest federal programs – Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security Disability and Supplemental Security Income; making disability rights the social issue most important globally; and growing the capacity of disability organizations in the U.S. and globally.

Transportation

Helena Williams, president of the MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), discussed transportation in general and LIRR’s accomplishments in meeting the accessibility needs of commuters with disabilities.

The summit is the first of a planned annual gathering to promote an exchange of ideas.

“I think it went very, very well,” said Don Dreyer, director of NCOPC. “It was excellent that we had the policy experts from around the country actually communicating with each other.”

The summit was followed by a reception at Hofstra’s University where several individuals and institutions were honored for their efforts in improving the lives of people with disabilities. United Spinal Association honored Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi with the 2008 Visionary Award for his leadership, extraordinary service and outstanding commitment to advancing the lives of people with disabilities.

Hofstra University presented the Frank Bowe Award to Samuel Simon, chairman of Amplify Public Affairs for his efforts in making technology accessible to all people, including those with sensory impairments.

United Spinal recognized Hofstra University and American International Group, Inc. (AIG) with, respectively, with the 2008 Pioneer Award and the 2008 Spirit of Leadership Award, and the Nassau County Office of the County Executive gave United Spinal General Counsel James Weisman and Able Publisher Angela Melledy citations honoring their work on behalf of county residents.