Candidate Name: Gale A. Brewer

Council District: 6

Contact Person: Cal Snyder

If there is a Campaign office, is it wheelchair accessible? (No campaign office but the District Office is accessible)

Campaign Address: 29 West 95th Street, New York, NY 10025
Phone: 212-749-0330
Fax: 212-749-0340
Email: gab @ pipeline.com
Website: www.galebrewer.com

Endorsements: Working Families Party; Community Free Democrats; Park River Independent Democrats; Ansonia Independent Democrats; Stonewall Democrats of New York; McManus Democratic Association; Council of Administrators and Supervisors (CSA); New York League of Humane Voters; New York Counties Registered Nurses Association (NYCRNA); Food and Commercial Workers, Local 1500; Doctors Council

1. Action Shows Commitment!

    

   1. 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?

       

      • Co-sponsor of a transportation study of the West Side from 54th-86th Street including a needs survey for the creation and improvement of curb cuts, pedestrian safety, accessible stores

      • Sponsor of capital funds ($10 million) to renovate the 59th Street Recreation Center so that it is accessible

      • Advocate of construction of the 96th Street subway station which will be accessible

      • Sponsor of capital funding for St. Agnes branch library which when completed will be accessible

      • Sponsor of pending legislation for audible/accessible walk signals at intersections

      • Member of the Mental Health Committee and advocate for funding of mental health support in schools

      • As Chair of the Technology in Government Committee, we successfully advocated for accessible ferry information kiosks at the terminals; and we have held hearings on the need for more technology that benefits PWDs

      • Newsletters are available in large print format

       

   2. 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)?

       

      My fundraisers are in accessible locations.

       

2. General Questions

    

   1. What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?

       

      Susan Scheer has been a long-time colleague. One of my sons is developmentally disabled. My district office is accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities, especially in wheelchairs. At our open house in the district office, many people who use a wheelchair join us annually. The bathroom is also accessible.

       

   2. 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?

       

      Any job.

       

3. Housing

    

   1. 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?

       

      As I mentioned during the interview, I am backing a non-profit supportive housing project, despite the fact that many people on the block where the building is located are opposed, and are angry with me because of my support. I am working with staff and residents of the Bridge to educate the block residents on the value of such a residence. I am working with other elected officials to support affordable assisted living facilities, as well as NORCs.

       

   2. 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 have written letters and am co-sponsoring city resolutions to make the income eligibility comparable. Also, the income ceilings need to be higher for both programs.

       

   3. 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?

       

      Yes, I do. The disabled community fought hard to pass legislation (Local Law 58) to mandate that new construction and major renovations are made accessible, and I am supportive. In addition, new buildings should be built with accessible entrances and paths of travel, and older buildings should make the entrances and public spaces as accessible as possible. In addition, as a Council Member I support residents of apartment buildings who need a ramp to access their home. Often management does not want to build one, and I advocate at the Commission on Human Rights for them to mandate that management install such ramps.

       

4. Transportation

    

   1. 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.?

       

       

      Yes. As a member of the Mental Health Committee and of the Transportation Committee, I have participated in hearings on accessible transportation, written letters to the TLC on the topic, and am a co-sponsor of legislation to expand both accessible as well as green taxis. As a member of the Higher Education Committee, I have advocated for more accessible campuses at CUNY, including transportation needs.

       

   2. 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?

       

      I recently wrote to the TLC to complain that many of the hybrid taxis are not accessible to those with canes, walkers or any physical impairment. I continue to join colleagues in advocating for taxis that are both accessible and green.

       

   3. 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? 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?

       

      Smart cards are a good idea, and Access-A-Ride needs to move more swiftly to install GPS in all vans, not just in those in the pilot phase.

       

5. Civil Rights

    

   Do you pledge to use your office to affirm or strengthen, rather than weaken, civil rights protections for persons with disabilities?

    

   Yes. I was the primary sponsor of the Local Civil Rights Restoration Act which was signed into law in 2005.

    

6. Community Board

    

   1. Do you support requiring all Community Board meeting and function be accessible, including requiring sign language interpreters and large print format material?

       

      Yes, all community board meetings should be accessible. Meeting rooms for Community Board 4,7 are always accessible. As community boards utilize more and more on-line communication, the format must be accessible.

       

   2. How many people with disabilities have/will you appoint to your local Community Board(s)?

       

      I am always open to appointing anyone with disabilities.

       

   3. Will you support the "requirement" and implement, a Disabled Committee on every Community Board?

       

      As the Transportation Committees of Community Board 4 and 7 implement recommendations from the Transportation Surveys, a Disabled Committee should be part of the deliberations. A Disabled Committee could also collaborate with parents and the CEC regarding disability issues in the schools.

       

7. 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.

    

8. Accessibility

    

   1. 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?

       

      My staff has undertaken a survey of the condition of all of the curb cuts and pedestrian ramps in my district, and we will follow up with DOT to ensure that they are maintained in a state of good repair, and that repairs are made as promptly as possible.

       

   2. What steps do you think NYC should take to encourage business owners to make their establishments more accessible?

       

      Working with the Business Improvement Districts, we are going to pilot a senior and disabled friendly initiative, including large font signage, accessible entrances, and accessible street furniture. We will work on eliminating the step at the entrances to businesses by demonstrating the economics of greater accessibility.

       

   3. 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?

       

      The experience of PWDs during 9/11 is not one that any of us would want to experience. Working with the Mayor's office, I have piloted technology that sends messages to land line phones, cell phones and PDAs with information about what people should do in case of a disaster. The pilot was initiated in lower Manhattan and is now citywide. In addition, I support the CERT teams that are affiliated with the Office of Emergency Management. These are neighbors trained to identify PWDs in residential and commercial buildings, and communicate this information to OEM in case of a disaster.

       

9. Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD)

    

   1. 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?

       

      The Council should initiate increased oversight hearings to highlight the challenges faced by PWDs when coordination does not take place in city government. In addition, MOPD should have the power to convene meetings of relevant agency Commissioners and to set an agenda of joint initiatives. It is critical that dedicated funding be available from OMB to implement these activities and that Deputy Mayors direct their agencies to fully cooperate in efforts to streamline the development and implementation of disability-related programs and policies.

       

   2. 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?

       

      See above.

       

Date: June 5, 2009