Candidate Name: Daryl Johnson
Council District: 16
Contact Person: Steven M. Ortiz
If there is a Campaign office, is it wheelchair accessible? Yes.
Campaign Address: 1426 Morris Avenue, Apt. 2D, Bronx, NY 10456-1059
Phone (Candidate): 718-930-5030
Phone (Campaign Director): 917-734-6098
Fax:
Address:
Email: citycouncil2009 @ gmail.com
Website: daryl2009.com
Endorsements: (Political, Community & Labor) Morris Avenue Tenants Association; Praise, Pride & Peace Youth & Community Development & Word of Life Food Relief
Action Shows Commitment!
While in public office/prior to this campaign, what have you accomplished in regard to advancing disability rights? This can include work towards accessible housing, transportation, employment, health care, education, and including people with disabilities in the political process?
As a child and sibling of the disabled, no candidate in this race has been as staunch an advocate for the rights and increased accessibility for than I. My entire life, I have witnessed discrimination and disadvantage first hand and am committed to continuing my efforts at furthering the rights and protections of the disabled in this City and State. My interest and dedication to the challenges of my fellow man will never wane.
Will you commit to only attend / sponsor events that are accessible to people with disabilities (PWDs including providing written materials in alternate formats, providing assistive listening systems, and sign language interpreters as well as ensuring that locations are physically accessible)?
I commit and will work diligently in this regard to raise awareness to special needs, by protesting events that are not accessible. I further support efforts to buttress and expedite U.S. Treasury mandates on U.S. Federal Reserve note redesign for the visually impaired.
General Questions
What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?
My sibling is a mentally disabled adult and my mother has Multiple Sclerosis. I have been the advocate and champion of our family since I can remember. I am the voice, the advocate and family member determined to make their lives and that of others, better.
What type of jobs would you be willing to hire and to provide reasonable accommodation (e.g. flex or part time) for staff members with disabilities?
My Administration will place no limits on persons with Disabilities. We will provide access and a means to develop h/h full potential in an environment that thrives on diversity.
How will you work closely with the disability community to assure passage of vitally needed legislation through the City Council? What will be your strategy?
By placing a concerted focus on the needs of the Disability community and by using my City Council platform to consistently champion their rights and services. By continually educating the public and by introducing and/or sponsoring legislation that protects, enhances and secures the rights of all, especially the disabled. Further, I will seek stronger enforcement of disability code violations and will aggressively seek out areas not in compliance.
Housing
What is your position on the development of supported apartments/homes and retirement homes for the persons with mental and/or physical disabilities in your district?
Our City and State, for that matter, lack sufficient supportive housing and resources for the disabled. We should first provide support to those families willing and able to care for a disabled family member at home. If this is not a viable option, then I support custom supportive residences for mentally disabled with adequately trained staff and an abundance of supportive service components.
What is your position on making DRIE (Disabled Rent Increase Exemption) and SCRIE (Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption) programs income eligibility comparable? (At present a individual senior or household income eligibility is $28,000. While the income for a younger disabled individual is capped at $19,284 and $27,780 for a household?)
I am a supporter of DRIE's expansion to $34,500 and will work to insure a more "real-world"
threshold.
Visitability sets guidelines to ensure newly constructed multi-family dwellings have basic accessible/adaptable features to permit people with disabilities can visit, and for residents to "age in place,"
without having to move out when age and/or disability set in. Do you support incorporating the concept of "visitability"
in the Building Code?
Full unabashed support! 100%.
Transportation
Will you support an expansion of affordable wheelchair accessible transportation in NYC, including taxis, livery service, express buses, and shuttles, more accessible subway stations, etc.?
Not only am I a supporter but will work to obtain federal grants for pilot accessible transportation conveyances. Expand on efforts underway and incorporating environmentally "green"
initiatives into any accessibility transportation plan will not only increase awareness but highlight this city's commitment to a modern, accessible world.
Efforts to secure a 100% accessible fleet of medallion taxis have been hampered by opposition from Mayor Bloomberg and the taxi industry. The current emphasis is on creating a 100% "green"
fleet. What would you do to assure that taxis and community car service vehicles are both "green"
and universally designed for wheelchair access?
Access-A-Ride (AAR) users experience unnecessarily long trips, causing workers to be late for work, have their pay docked and possibly losing their jobs. AAR leaves consumers stranded, lies that a vehicle is coming and penalized riders as a "no-show"
when the vehicle never arrived. Riders who complain report they are subject to retaliation. What would you do to improve the quality of AAR? Would you support the issuance of a "smart card"
so that Access-A-Ride users can use accessible cabs/livery service at a reduced cost and receive better service?
I would first improve to the quality of services delivered by AAR and this begins with a personnel review. Perhaps a performance pay structure would work best to mitigate these unfortunate experiences which I hear of often. The AAR appeals process is antiquated, complicated and at times trivial. AAR as it exists today needs to be revamped. The agency has too much of a blanket and clinical approach to serving the disabled. Workers need to be better trained and management's focus need be on service and reliability and castigation.
Civil Rights
Do you pledge to use your office to affirm or strengthen, rather than weaken, civil rights protections for persons with disabilities?
I solemnly affirm to ALWAYS strengthen rights and protections above personal and/or political interests.
Community Board
Do you support requiring all Community Board meeting and function be accessible, including requiring sign language interpreters and large print format material?
I support full access for the disabled to all community events. I support the use of best possible communications conveyances possible including large print material and interpreters wherever possible.
How many people with disabilities have/will you appoint to your local Community Board(s)?
Minimum of (2) two persons and will seek that the Borough President commit to appointing at least (4) four additional persons.
Will you support the "requirement"
and implement, a Disabled Committee on every Community Board?
Yes.
Discretionary Funds
Will you use your discretionary funds to support organizations serving people with disabilities or service organizations seeking to make their programs accessible to people with disabilities?
Yes.
Accessibility
Under Mayor Bloomberg, the City settled with the United Spinal Association and agreed to install pedestrian ramps, on all corners which presently don't have one. However, no provision was made to repair and/or replace existing ones which are unsafe. How would you ensure that pedestrian ramps are provided or repaired? What would you establish as a timetable?
By undertaking the repair and replacement of those within the confines of my District first and lobby fellow Councilmembers for passage of supplemental DOT budget item to provide for maintenance and repair of crumbling pedestrian ramps.
What steps do you think NYC should take to encourage business owners to make their establishments more accessible?
How would you ensure that emergency evacuation for PWDs provisions are put in place to improve survival rates of PWDs in the event of fire, attack, blackout, or other emergency situation?
We could first demonstrate the value-added "profit"
aspect to access. The Disabled represent and for good reason, an attractive and loyal customer base worthy of the negligible renovation cost(s).
Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD)
Mayor Bloomberg elevated the Director of the (MOPD) to a Commissioner without any increase in budget or responsibilities. How would you ensure that city departments/agencies coordinate through MOPD?
By lobbying the Mayor to issue and Executive Order to all city agencies and heads to create a liaison position with MOPD. Remove the "ceremonial"
connotations of this Mayoral cabinet position and give the Director of MOPD oversight and reasonable authority, with direct report to the Mayor and City Council.
How do you believe the City Council should enforce and do oversight regarding the work of the office and be certain of the implementation and its efforts?
Foremost, Committee Chairs need to be fully engaged and committees to the issues and constituency they represent. Schedule regular and off-hand hearings not just for Commissioners and Agency Heads, but for rank and file MOPD colleagues who are and should be in the trenches ensuring that the City is compliant and does ALL that it can to protect the disabled. At some point in life, we all become "disabled"
to some degree and will look and may need the assistance of others. I pray it will be there for us and as Councilmember, I will make certain it exists today and is a model of best municipal practices for the Disabled.
Date: May 20, 2009