504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Candidate for State Senator Eric T. Schneiderman's response)

Candidate Name: Eric T. Schneiderman

Campaign Manager: Aidan Connolly

Phone: 917-912-2215

Campaign Name: Friends of Schneiderman

Campaign Address: 270 West 91st Street, Suite 2A, New York, N.Y. 10024

Phone: 646-207-2104

Fax: 646-349-2611

Email: schneiderman@schneiderman.org

Website: www.schneiderman.org

State Senate District: 31

Please describe any experience with disability you have had in your life or career.

During college, I lived with a roommate who was blind and learned the difficulties and challenges he faced on a daily basis. I have also worked with many people throughout my career as a lawyer and a legislator who have disabilities.
Is your campaign headquarters accessible to persons with disabilities? If you are an incumbent, is your district office accessible to persons with disabilities?

Currently, I do not have a campaign office. However, I do have a District Office in Washington Heights which is accessible for those with disabilities. We had a ramp built and the floor was raised in order to make my District Office accessible to all of my constitutents. It took much effort to do so, considering the Senate Majority places severe constraints on office space for Minority Senators.
How will you incorporate people with disabilities into your campaign?

I would welcome people with disabilities to get involved in my campaign or the campaigns of any of my Democratic Colleagues who support New Yorkers with disabilities. Making sure that everyone from the community is represented is extremely important to me and I welcome anyone who wishes to be involved.
Are you willing to hire and use flex-time and job-sharing if necessary?

Yes. I would be willing to hire individuals and use flex-time or job-sharing.
Seventy (70%) percent of people with disabilities of working age are unemployed at any given time, no matter how well or poorly the economy is doing. How will you use your office to advance employment opportunities for people with disabilities?

As a Senator, I will advocate for increased funding for Vocatinal Rehabilitation Case Services to help individuals with disabilities obtain employment. These types of programs have been proven to be successful and are cost-effective. People with disabilities should also be encouraged to seek employment and participate in the Medicaid Buy-in program which would allow them to advance in the workforce without fear of losing necessary Medicaid coverage.
What will you do to reverse the negative impact of recent decisions in Federal Courts which are undercutting the powers of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities in New York State? How would you change the laws of New York State to protect the rights of its citizens with disabilities?

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) provides comprehensive protections for the civil rights of individuals with disabilities. The recent decisions to weaken the ADA are absurd in light of its positive impact on the lives of many disabled New Yorkers. One way in which we can ensure protection is by incorporating all of the provisions under the Americans with Disabilities Act into the New York State Human Rights Law to eliminate any confusion that may take place at the state or local level.
Currently, over 130,000 people reside in nursing homes and other care facilities in New York State. In 1999, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) found in L.C. v Olmstead that individuals with disabilities have a right to live in the most integrated setting. What will you do to encourage Olmstead implementation in New York?

I have supported and continue to support legislation that provides funding and mechanisms for the implementation of this decision in New York State. Placing disabled persons in restrictive settings such as institutions, nursing homes or segregated school programs should not be tolerated. We need to have a functioning plan in place to ensure that people with disabilities can, if necessary, receive essential medical and support services in the most integrated living, working and learning environments possible.
We are in the midst of a housing crisis. Accessible, affordable housing is in short supply. People with disabilities are being priced out of the market. What would you do to develop a housing policy that would lead to the development and maintenance of accessible, affordable and integrated housing stock?

The solution to address our affordable housing crisis will require multiple straegies and policies to expand our affordable housing stock. To begin with, we must preserve and protect housing for persons with disabilities by expanding the DRIE program to include individuals earning up to $25,000. We must also continue to set aside affordable housing units for persons with disabilities in current and future developments, and state funding should be used to encourage and create such projects. Furthermore, we must increase our investment in supportive housing for persons with psychiatric disabilities, so that eligible individuals have access to both support services and quality permanent housing.
Timothy's Law was designed to end health insurance discrimination by enacting parity in coverage for people with biologically-based psychiatric disabilities. To address cost concerns raised by small businesses, the agreement directs the state Superintendent of Insurance to develop a methodology that would hold businesses with 50 or fewer employees harmless from any increase in insurance premiums that result from this measure. It also requires the state Insurance Department and the Office of Mental Health to conduct a two year study to determine the effectiveness and impact of mental health parity legislation in New York and other states. What would you do to help small business?

I believe that the agreement reached at the end of this year's session addresses many concerns on both sides concerning Mental Health Parity. Holding businesses with 50 or fewer employees harmless from increases in insurance premiums will help to ensure that small businesses do not suffer at the hands of highly profitable insurance companies. At the same time, this legislation will end the current discrimination that exists in providing mental health care services. It is expected that this legislation will be voted on during an upcoming special session.
Under Kendra's Law, a state-funded Medicaid grants program has been established to provide medications for eligible individuals with a psychiatric disability upon release or discharge from institutions. This will help eliminate some of the problems associated with the Medicaid coverage gap. Do you support Medicaid Presumptive Eligibility legislation which would eliminate the standard 45 days without coverage, and thus without access to treatment?

I absolutely support Presumptive Eligibility for Medicaid. It is essential to provide a continuum of care and ensure that individuals have access to medicatins and treatments they need to contribute to society. Allowing a lapse to occur is short-sighted and will be counter-productive to any treatments already received.
By passing the Help America Vote Act of 2002 the U.S. Congress has tried to ensure that people with disabilities will, by 2006, be able to cast an independent, private ballot for the first time. What will you do to ensure successful implementation HAVA?

I have fought with my Democratic Colleagues to see that all new voting equipment be handicapped accessible. In this day in age, the technology is available and should be utilized to ensure every New Yorker can vote regardless of a disability.
Disabled children in grades K-12 are entitled to receive a "free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment," but there have been major problems. Most often, schools are not physically accessible and not accommodating their students' needs. What do you propose to correct this problem?

I am no stranger to the crisis that exists in our schools, especially in New York City. The State has not provided adequate funding for our schools and the Legislature has continued to ignore the Court's rulings. In order to be able to provide students the education they are entitled to, we need to first provide the physical space to do so. Capital funds were allocated in the budget for the new construction and for the rehabilitation of existing buildings. Those buildings need to be accessible and accommodate all students' needs.
Despite Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, students with disabilities face problems when pursuing higher education. These statutes do not specify how students should request accommodations or assistance in asserting their rights under the law. Will you support a fully funded office of disability services on each SUNY and CUNY campus to assist students with disabilities in securing accommodations?

I would certainly support an office of disability services on each SUNY and CUNY campus to provide assistance to students with disabilities. I also support the use of Capital funding in this year's budget to update and improve accessibility on our SUNY and CUNY campuses.
What is your position on expanding DRIE (Disabled Rent Increase Exemption) to be the same as SCRIE (Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption) to low-income, eligible persons with disabilities under the age of 62 on the same basis and income level (currently the SCRIE's income cap is $25,000, while DRIE's is $17,000)?

I am in favor of expanding SCRIE by using the same income guidelines used in the SCRIE program. The SCRIE program plays an important role in preserving our affordable housing stock for residents with disabilities, and it is a wise investment for our government to include more individuals in this program.
Do you support the extension of Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) to low-income persons with disabilities regardless of age? What would you do to ensure this?

Yes. I would support the extension of EPIC to low-income persons with disabilities regardless of age and I support legislation S. 1957/A.3074A. This legislation has not yet come to the Senate floor for a vote, but I will urge my colleagues to support its passage.
What would you do to expand accessible transportation options for people with disabilities in NYS?

I will continue to hold the MTA accountable as I have in the past, to assure that all elevators are operable and accessible to persons with disabilities.

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