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 member of Community Board 8 and the development corporation, I have fought for affordable – and indeed accessible – housing and transportation.

As President of the Riverdale Jewish Community Council, I cosponsored and spoke at two "Cover the Un-Insured Week" events to promote awareness around healthcare issues, working with disabilities advocates.

Two points of my economic plan for New York City includes increasing capital funding to our public schools, and a Continuing Education Tax Credit, details of which can be found at www.ari2005.com
 

What oversight have you performed regarding implementation of programs/legislation you have passed (in first term or in previous offices)?

I organized the "Cover the Un-Insured Week" event.
 

What implementation/strategy do you have for your future programs and legislation to help constituents with disabilities?

As Councilmember, I will work full-time for my constituents, resolving such chronic issues such as Access-a-Ride problems.
 

Will you commit to only attend or sponsor events that are accessible to people with disabilities? NOTE: This includes providing written materials in alternate formats for people with low vision, providing assistive listening systems for people who are hard-of-hearing, and sign language interpreters for people who are deaf, as well as ensuring that locations are accessible to people who use mobility aids, like wheelchairs and walkers.

I believe that we have to ensure accessibility to all New Yorkers.
 

What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities?

My sister works with the seeing and hearing impaired, so I have some background in working with people with disabilities. Also, each of my offices – professionally at Bear Sterns, communally at the Riverdale Jewish Community Council, and my campaign office – are entirely accessible to people with disabilities. Personally, my most striking experience came on a Jewish holiday a few years ago. A disabled man was called on to open the ark, only he couldn’t; there were several steps that he could not walk up to reach the ark. My synagogue is (I believe) now the only Orthodox-Jewish synagogue that is has a ramp leading to the ark.
 

What special accommodations do you believe/think are in use in the workplace?

I believe accommodations should be made for all employees with disabilities.
 

How do you propose to implement your active involvement and/or availability to the disability community?

1. Will there be a specific person in your office responsible to this community?

   I will be personally responsible.
    
   

2. Will have regular office agenda items and meetings on disabled community issues?

   I will make accessibility a priority of my tenure in the City Council.
    
   

Do you/or will you, have an active Disability Advisory Committee? Explain its duties, responsibilities and powers.

I do not, though I would be gratified if you could suggest some members to serve on such an advisory committee.
 

How will you work closely with the disability community to assure passage of vitally needed legislation through the City Council? What is your strategy during your first term?

In order to assure passage of any legislation, an elected official needs strong working relationships with Mayor, Speaker, and Council Members. I have worked on various issues with many Councilmembers (and ran one Councilmember’s campaign) and recently had the opportunity to host Mayor Bloomberg at the RJCC.
 

What is your position on the development of supported apartments/homes and retirement homes for the mentally disabled in your borough? Please also explain same for physically disabled. What strategies will you utilize?

I support such development.
 

What is your position on extending the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) to low-income, eligible persons with disabilities under the age of 62 on the same basis and income level (currently the income cap for seniors is $24,000, but for persons with disabilities it has been set at $17,000)?

Persons with disabilities are at a far greater risk of homelessness, and so I support the extension of SCRIE benefits.
 

How will you develop realistic income levels for individuals and couples with disabilities to avail themselves of the SCRIE provisions?

I would work with disabilities advocates to develop such a proposal.
 

What alternative programs will you propose to allow persons with disabilities to stay in their own homes/apartments? (i.e. protection from rent increases or undue eviction (harassment) and make funds available to make appropriate accommodations in present living environment). Another example: perhaps a dedicated housing trust fund should be established for making those housing accommodations. If so, how would you fund same?

I would work with disabilities advocates to develop such a program.
 

New York City is in the process of adopting a new building code. How would you advocate for the strongest possible access provisions?

I would work with disabilities advocates to develop such provisions.
 

Will you support, and what strategy will you utilize, to implement an expansion of affordable wheelchair accessible transportation in NYC, including taxis, livery service, express buses, airport shuttle service, more accessible subway stations, etc.?

1. Efforts to secure a 100% accessible fleet of medallion taxis have been hampered by opposition from Mayor Bloomberg and the taxi industry. Wheelchair accessible taxis are present in many cities as a result of strong support from local Mayors and City Councils. What would you do to assure that all New York City residents, commuters and tourists have access to an important form of public transportation, our medallion taxis and community car services?

   Initially, I would propose that taxis willing to adopt full-accessibility guidelines be granted favored status at the medallion auction, while I would launch a pilot program for livery cabs willing to participate.
    
   

Access-A-Ride has denied rides to many eligible consumers; cause unnecessarily long trips, causing workers to be late for work and consequently be docked pay and even lose their jobs; routinely leave many consumers stranded at the curb, lying to their clients that a bus is coming and calling consumer a "no-show" when the bus has not shown. Consumers who complain are often subject to retaliation. What would you do to improve the quality of service for those who must use Access-A-Ride?

Access-a-Ride is a broken system. Much like the city takeover of several bus lines, I would propose that the DOT stop contracting away its responsibilities and take full control of the system. I would further empower community groups to create programs like the RJCC’s "Operation Derech" that provides free-of-charge taxi service once a week to the homebound.
 

Do you favor the construction of the Second Avenue Subway? If so, is this a priority?

I support construction of the 2nd Avenue Subway.
 

The Local Civil Rights Restoration Act (Intro 22) seeks to protect the vigor and independence of the City’s Human Rights Law against the attacks of an increasingly conservative State and Federal Judiciary. Although there are 38 Council sponsors, 32 civil rights and allied organizations, in favor of this legislation, and three hearings have been held, Mayor Bloomberg continues to oppose the most central aspect of the bill, the need for City Human Rights Law not to be restricted as federal and state civil rights law gets cut back. Would you work to assure its passage? Please describe your strategy.

I strongly support a New York City human rights law.
 

Under the Bloomberg Administration, the Corporation Council intervened on the side of the city of Sacramento when it sought to challenge the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding the requirement to maintain accessible sidewalks. Do you pledge to use your office to affirm or strengthen, rather than weaken, civil rights protections for persons with disabilities?

Yes.
 

Do you support making sign language interpreters available for Community Board meetings? If so, how would you fund this?

Yes. I will fund this with discretionary funding, if necessary, though I support the increase of funding for community boards.
 

Will you appoint disabled persons to local Community Boards?

Yes.
 

How many have you/ or will you appoint to Community Board?

As many as apply and are qualified.
 

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

I believe that disability issues exist within every committee on a Community Board, and should thus be considered at every committee.
 

Please Specify: Have you used (or will you use) your discretionary funds to support organizations serving persons with disabilities or service organizations seeking to make their programs accessible to persons with disabilities? If so, what percentage of your discretionary funds went to such organizations?

Yes.
 

Under Mayor Bloomberg, the City settled with the United Spinal Association and agreed to install curb cuts -- Pedestrian ramps, on all corners which presently don’t have one. However, no provision has been made to repair or replace those current ones which are unsafe. How would you ensure that curb cuts—pedestrian ramps—are provided on or repaired on streets that need them? What would you establish as a timetable?

The DOT actively discourages use of such ramps by refusing to paint lines indicating there is a crossing, thus making them unsafe to cross with. I will work to compel them to repair broken ramps, but to paint lines at all ramps.
 

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

I would work with disabilities advocates to develop such a steps.
 

Do you believe that landmark buildings can be made accessible without losing their historical integrity?

Yes.
 

What is your position on efforts to elevate the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) to a commissioner level agency or Commission on Disabilities to enable coordination of efforts of agencies? (A one stop shop for information and assistance.) How would you ensure that city departments/agencies coordinate through MOPD?

While the Council cannot micromanage the executive, I would strongly encourage the Mayor to do so.
 

Since presumably "this" office is a Mayoral Office, how would you enforce and do oversight regarding the work of the office and be certain of the implementation and its efforts?

Hearings are certainly within the power of the Council.