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 am a New York City Human Rights Commissioner charged with enforcing the New York City Human Rights law. I worked for Alan Hevesi when he was the Deputy Majority Leader of the NYS Assembly and the Chair of the Disability Rights Taskforce. I was the Pro Bono Director at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI), a law firm specializing in disability rights and access to health care.
 

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

As Director of Pro Bono at NYLPI I was responsible for providing legal assistance to groups like Disabilities Network of New York City. I worked to ensure that Disabilities Network of NYC incorporated and obtained tax-exempt status.
 

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

I will collaborte closely with organizations serving people with disabilities and use the bully pulpit of my office to agressively and effectively advocate on behalf of people with disabilities. I will work hard to ensure that public and private services, including health care, transportation and employment are accessible. I will work to ensure that the public is more aware and conscientious of disabilities and society's responsibility and obligation to ensure access, respect and dignity. I will work hard to push for more curb cuts and use leverage to require developers to market through disability networks and to provide adequate set-asides for people with disabilities.
 

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.

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 will sponsor events that are fully accessibly. I commit to agressively educate, where necessary, all groups that invite me to events.
 

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

1. ...in your personal life?

   My brother has had epilepsy since he was a child.
    
   

2. ...in the workplace?

   I have worked in offices for the majority of my adult life with people with disabilities.
    
   

3. ...what special accommodations do you believe/think are in use in the workplace?

   I work or have worked in jobs with listening devices, screen magnifiers, brail business cards, accessible bathrooms, etc.
    
   

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

I will be proactive in my outreach.
 

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

   Yes.
    
   

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

   Yes.
    
   

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?

I will advocate forcefully to assure passage of vitally needed legislation. I will sponsor legislation, and collaborate with organizations serving people with disabilities, organize communities, hold press conferences and rallies, write opinions to newspaper editors, and bring lawsuits if necessary. I will also hire a specific person in my office that is responsible to this community and hold regular office agenda meetings.
 

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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 greater 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)?

I support such an extension on the same basis and income level.
 

What have you done/accomplished in regard to extension of SCRIE or similar programs?

I have worked for New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, the Chair of the Assembly Disability Rights Task Force and serve as a NYC Human Rights Commissioner.
 

What alternative programs will you propose to allow persons with disabilities to stay in their own homes/apartments? Perhaps a dedicated housing trust fund should be established for persons with disabilities?

Enabling people to remain independent and dignified will be a top priority of mine as a City Council Member. I will support the greater development of smart homes, promote greater awareness and would support a dedicated housing trust fund or similar initiative for persons with disabilities.
 

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

I will work very closely with the organizations serving people with disabilities and advocate strongly for the necessary provisions.
 

1. Emergency evacuation for people with disabilities: what would you do to ensure that provisions are put in place to improve survival rates of people with disabilities in the event of fire, attack, blackout, or other emergency situation?

   I will work very closely with the organizations serving people with disabilities and advocate strongly for the necessary provisions.
    
   

2. What would you do to ensure that "Visitability" is enacted in New York City? Visitability is the movement towards establishing guidelines providing that newly constructed multi-family dwellings have basic accessible/adaptable features that permit friends and family with disabilities to visit, and for residents to "age in place," without having to move out when age and/or disability set in.

   I will work very closely with the organizations serving people with disabilities and advocate strongly for the necessary provisions.
    
   

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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.?

Yes.
 

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?

   I will work closely with organizations serving people with disabilities to strongly advocate for this and other critical issues. I will lobby my colleagues, especially on the transportation committee, to join me in my efforts on these and other transportation related concerns.
    
   

Access-A-Ride has denied rides to many eligible consumers,caused unnecessarily long trips, and has left many consumers stranded at the curb. 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?

I will work hard to remedy this problem through meetings, organizing, media, protests, and lawsuit(s) if necessary.
 

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

Yes, I do support construction of the Second Avenue Subway and believe it is a top priority. We must ensure that the Subway is fully accessible and there is a great need for subway service on the east side of Manhattan which will ease congestion at Grand Central Station and also ease the congestion problem of subway traffic going into Grand Central Station from Queens and other places.
 

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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.

Yes, I support Intro 22 and will work agressively to see it passed.
 

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?

Absolutely.
 

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

Yes. I would support a charter revision that require tax levied dollars to support such a requirement.
 

Will you appoint disabled persons to local Community Boards?

Yes.
 

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

I will work hard to make sure the local community boards in my district are appropriately representative.
 

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

Yes.
 

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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?

Funding organizations that serve people with disabilties will be a top priority and I will devote a significant amount of my discretionary funds for this purpose.
 

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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?

I would demand that this situation be remedied immediately. I would hold press conferences and details the problems and consequencecs of the problems in my district.
 

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

Small businesses should receive assistance and incentives from City, State and Federal government to be accessible.
 

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

Absolutely. The Jackson Heights Historic district is within my City Council district and I would support requiring that the landmark buildings be accessible but ensuring the necessary modifications be done in a way that best maintains the authenticity of the structure.
 

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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?

I would support a charter amendment to ensure that MOPD becomes a commissioner level agency.
 

What implementation/authority should MOPD have, and/or how would you ensure that MOPD?

I support MOPD being empowered to enforce relevant codes and be given the powers in the charter to coordinate other city agencies to ensure compliance with laws and policies that protect people with disabilities.
 

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?

I will work with the Public Advocate, the City Comptroller, Borough Presidents and other officials to ensure that the officials and staff of MOPD are accountable to the public.
 

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