Candidate Name: Margaret Chin

Council District: 1

Contact Person: Jake Itzkowitz

If there is a Campaign office, is it wheelchair accessible? Yes.

Campaign Address: 215 Park Row, Suite 2, New York, NY 10038
Phone: 917-359-1455
Email: MargaretChin2009 @ gmail.com
Website: www.MargaretChin.com

Endorsements: Coalition for a District Alternative, Toisan Friendship Association, Dow San Association, Gee How Oak Tin Family Association

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?

       

      When I was the Deputy Executive Director of Asian Americans for Equality, I worked to relocate tenants with disabilities from older buildings to apartments that are accessible. I also worked on developing new affordable housing that would be fully accessible. I have also worked in my community to push for accessible and safe solutions to transit and traffic problems, which has often included accessibility issues.

       

   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)?

       

      Yes.

       

2. General Questions

    

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

       

      When I was a director of the AAFE Fair Housing Center in Flushing I worked on outreach to people with disabilities in the Asian community to educate them on the fair housing laws and their rights to services and accommodations under the law. I have also worked with a group of Asian parents of children with special needs. We ran programs for them such as yoga, cooking and computer classes at our community center. We offered a place for these parents to network and to learn about services and programs that are available to assist them.

       

   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?

       

      I don't think that having a disability would necessarily disqualify someone from filling any job in my City Council office and would make necessary reasonable accommodations for a qualified candidate.

       

   3. 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?

       

      I believe strongly in community input and consultation. I will work closely with disability advocates and the 504 Democratic club in advance of upcoming disability legislation, to ensure that your needs are met and exceeded.

       

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?

       

      I have always been a housing advocate, and affordable, sustainable housing is very important to me. Especially in parts of district 1 such as Chinatown and the Lower East Side, housing options such as these are severely lacking. I would support their creation and preservation in the Council. I would also look at changing the income level to qualify for these housing. Often time the income levels set around the median income are too high for low income families and people with disabilities.

       

   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 think our City remains too unfriendly to those who cannot afford to live here. I disagree with caps on income which push people out of their homes, especially when it comes to disabled individuals.

       

   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?

       

      I do. I believe that we should do more to make building and accessibility codes both appropriate and respectful of those with disabilities, rather than merely passably accessible. Aging in place is very important concept and it is a great way to create affordable housing for our senior population.

       

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.

       

   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 think motivating and organizing people to understand the importance of the issue, and to demand both qualities from the TLC and DOT, is important. I will work with you on this issue in the Council.

       

   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?

       

      I think there are better ways to deliver this necessary service than the current system. I would support a "smart card" system, and would also encourage the City to investigate other, more efficient and service-oriented options.

       

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.

    

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.

       

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

       

      While I cannot commit to a specific number of candidates, I will commit to making a concerted effort to find people with disabilities interested in serving on the Board, and to ensuring that they receive better-than-adequate assistance in the appointment process.

       

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

       

      Yes.

       

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?

       

      Pedestrian ramps are part of a larger neglect for our City streets in recent years. I would expect that a City Councilmember should establish for themselves a timeline of 1 year to ensure that the City repairs all such sidewalk repairs in their districts, and will do so when elected.

       

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

       

      I believe that accessibility should be required for all businesses, with a reasonable timeline for compliance from existing stores. This is certainly true for new developments such as hotels and restaurants, which often request variances and other special privileges from our Community Boards. The city should also publicize businesses that are accessible as an incentive.

       

   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?

       

      I think this issue should be placed before the City Council until it is acted on appropriately, and would carry such a bill when elected.

       

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?

       

      I would ask that the Commissioner report regularly to the Council's Disability Services committee, and ensure that part of the reporting included a review of interactions with other City departments. I would also suggest that the Director report periodically to the Health, Public Safety, Transportation, and Housing & Buildings committees, as well as others when appropriate.

       

   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?

       

      Aside from the above reporting, I believe more online transparency should be required of the office. City Councilmembers should also take responsibility for ensuring responses to issues arising in their districts.

       

Date: June 4, 2009