Candidate Name: Melissa Mark-Viverito

Council District: 8

Campaign Name: Viverito 2009

Campaign Manager: Ede Fox

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

Campaign Address: 349 East 116th Street, New York, NY 10029
Phone: 917-535-5531
Email: viverito2009 @ gmail.com
Website: melissaforcitycouncil.com

Endorsements: Barack Obama Democratic Club; John Ruiz Democratic Club of El Barrio; East Harlem Coalition for Democratic Alternative; Three Parks Independent Democrats; Broadway Democrats; Community Free Democrats; Stonewall Veterans; New York League of Humane Voters; Councilmember Melinda Katz & Bill deBlasio; District Attorney Candidate Richard Aborn; United Federation of Teachers, 1199 SEIU; 32BJ; Working Families Party; SSEU Local 371 & UFCW Local 1500

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?

       

      I support any legislation of benefit to the disabled members of my community and have been dedicated to providing assistance to those constituents in need. I have shown commitment to advancing disability rights; in particular I supported intro 0090-2006, a bill to increase access to transportation for disabled New Yorkers. The proposed legislation aimed to mandate that larger for-hire vehicle base stations license an accessible vehicle.

       

   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)?

       

      Every event I sponsor I seek to make accessible to all my constituents which includes hosting events in venues that are accessible.

       

2. General Questions

    

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

       

      In my professional career, particularly as Council Member, I have had ongoing experience with people that have disabilities. I have several constituents who are disabled consistently share with me concerns they have regarding city policies and legislation and work with them to begin to address them. My office is wheelchair accessible and allows us to more thoroughly represent my district thereby allowing me and my staff to be more in tune with needs of my disabled constituents.

       

   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 would hire any qualified person for any position in my office regardless of disability.

       

   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 work closely with disability advocates in my district to identify necessary legislation and advocate for it at the City Council.

       

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?

       

      In my current capacity as a City Council Member, I have been a strong advocate for the creation and preservation of income-targeted housing and also a staunch advocate for our city's public housing. I have worked aggressively with advocacy groups and local tenants to safeguard Mitchell Lama housing and have advocated for public policy and legislation that will facilitate the creation of new affordable units. I wish to support any housing development that provides safe and affordable housing to all my constituents including the disabled. I insist that all new construction in my district and any rehabs are ADA compliant.

       

   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?)

       

      The rights of disabled people are of great importance within my community and I aim to endorse any legislation protecting their interests. I have supported Intro 0444-2006, which relates to increasing the maximum qualifying income for the Disabled Homeowner's Exemption. I understand the significance of this legislation for the disabled members in my community and am keen to support any laws that will improve their quality of life.

       

   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 have worked hard to promote the rights of the disabled/aged members of my community and ensure these constituents have affordable housing. My dedication to making my community ADA compliant is evidenced in the capital money I have set aside to make local parks and libraries ADA compliant. I welcome the opportunity to become more informed about this matter so that we can jointly, along with our state elected officials, advocate for changes to the New York State Building Code.

       

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 believe our taxi and community car services vehicles can be both 'green' and designed for wheelchair access. I do not agree with the mayor's position that they are mutually exclusive. I will join disability advocates in calling for the mayor to rethink this position.

       

   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?

       

      This is an issue that I am becoming more aware of and feel strongly that what it calls for is an overhaul of AAR if we are to adequately serve those constituents who rely on it to get around the city. We must continue to be strong advocates to have the MTA make subway stations and our buses as accessible to the disabled community as possible but, in the meantime, we must work to make the AAR effective and efficient, which it is clearly not. I don't have the answer to this challenge but I am more than open to working with 504 Dems and other advocates to come up with a strategy and recommendations to ensure that serious changes are made.

       

5. Civil Rights

    

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

    

   Yes.

    

7. 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)?

       

      I am committed to enabling all my constituents to access local Government from the young to the elderly to the disabled.

       

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

       

      Yes.

       

8. 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.

    

9. Accessibility

    

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

       

      I believe there should be an educational campaign to encourage businesses to take steps towards making their establishments more accessible to disabled persons.

       

   2. 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 would encourage an education campaign in conjunction with FDNY to ensure the correct provisions are implemented in order to improve survival rates in emergency situations.

       

10. 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?

        

       This is a more challenging situation because the responsibility is on the Mayor to be willing to make the necessary changes to have agencies coordinate more with the MOPD. I believe that if we are to make this a truly livable city for all New Yorkers, then urban and city planning must be done consistently with the MOPD. The perspective of how best to plan and grow this city must be done with those who experience its challenges on a daily basis. The willingness must come from the Mayor and his administration. I am willing to work with other Council colleagues to make this message felt and to demand that they be responsive to the request that city agencies must collaborate more closely with the MOPD.

        

    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?

        

       I believe we should have more oversight hearings with the office so we can bring these issues to light and put pressure on the mayor to take these issues more seriously.