Candidate Name: Jeffrey Dinowitz
Candidate for Assembly District: 81
Campaign Name: Friends of Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz
Campaign Address: 304 West 231st Street, Bronx NY 10463
If you have a campaign office, is it wheelchair accessible? Yes
If you are an incumbent, is your district office wheelchair accessible? Yes
Phone: 718 - 796 - 6177
Email: JeffreyDinowitz @ hotmail.com
Previous elected offices held: Incumbent NYS Assembly
Key endorsements to date: Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club
ACTION SHOWS COMMITMENT!
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 have supported every important piece of legislation in the assembly dealing with disability rights and have co-sponsored many of these bills.
Will you commit to only attend and/or sponsor events that are accessible to people with disabilities including providing written materials in alternate formats, providing assistive listening systems, and sign language interpreters as well as ensuring that locations are physically accessible?
I won't commit to that because I can't. I attend countless events sponsored by numerous community organizations. I'm certain most groups attempt to hold events at locations that are accessible. Not every group can do this. Most groups don't necessarily have the resources to provide assistive listening systems or sign language interpreters. Any event that I sponsor is physically accessible. I can't say that I have ever had a request for assistive listening systems or sign language interpreters. If I did I would have to find out how to make that happen and who would pay for any expense involved. Any hearing that I sponsor as an Assembly committee chair complies with all ADA requirements. For example, the recent hearing I held in Rochester on elder abuse included sign language interpreters.
GENERAL QUESTIONS:
What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?
As an assemblyman, I deal with many, many people. Like anyone in a profession where one deals with the public we deal with people with disabilities all the time. My office, for example, has helped a number of people apply for DRIE.
Are you willing to hire and to provide reasonable accommodation (e.g. flex or part time) for staff members with disabilities?
I am willing to provide flex time and part time as well as make other accommodations for all staff members, whether or not they have a disability.
How will you work closely with the disability community to assure passage of vitally needed legislation through the State Legislature? What will be your strategy?
I already do that and will continue. Throughout my tenure in the Assembly, I have represented the needs and interests of all of my constituents, including those with disabilities.
CIVIL RIGHTS
What will you do at the State level 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?
I have and will continue to support and sponsor legislation that strengthens the rights and needs of the disabled.
How would you change the laws of New York State to protect the rights of its citizens with disabilities?
I have and will continue to support and sponsor legislation.
MEDICAID
While the State is focused on reducing the costs of Medicaid and other programs, persons with disabilities need to continue to have access to the services and supports they need and choose.
Would you oppose proposals which would negatively affect eligibility, benefits, coverage, and/or access to services for Medicaid beneficiaries and eliminate the systemic bias that leads to unwanted placement in nursing homes and other institutions?
Yes.
Would you seek to promote comprehensive long term care reform that will not reduce coverage or access to services?
I already do.
Would you increase rental/housing subsidies to participants in the new Nursing Facility Transition and Diversion Medicaid waiver program?
Yes.
HEALTH INSURANCE
Timothy's Law was designed to end health insurance discrimination by enacting parity in coverage for people with biologically-based psychiatric disabilities. However, returning veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are not covered. Do you favor amending Timothy's Law to provide coverage for PTSD?
Yes.
Under Kendra's Law, a state-funded Medicaid grants program was established to provide medications for eligible individuals with psychiatric disabilities upon release or discharge from institutions to 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 coverage gap that blocks access to treatment?
Yes.
Would you expand Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage program (EPIC) to provide the same level of eligibility and coverage to persons with disabilities under age 65?
I already co-sponsor such legislation.
HOUSING
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. Do you support the creation of a housing trust fund for persons with disabilities?
Yes.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires housing developers to set aside a certain percentage of accessible units for persons with disabilities when federal funds are used for construction. Do you favor incorporating these provisions into State law so that the Dept. of Housing and Community Renewal can be empowered to enforce these provisions?
I'm uncertain as to whether I would support that.
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 New York State Building Code?
Yes.
What is your position on expanding DRIE (Disabled Rent Increase Exemption) to have the same income eligibility limits as SCRIE (Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption)? Currently SCRIE's income cap is $27,000, while DRIE's is $18,600.
I co-sponsor legislation to raise the DRIE eligibility limit to the SCRIE limits.
VOTING ACCESS & HAVA
With the recent decision to acquire voting machines that attempt to meet the accessibility standards of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), many poling places in New York State remain inaccessible to persons with disabilities. Do you favor the elimination of provisions in Section 4-104 (1-a) of the NYS Election Law allowing waiver of polling place accessibility standards?
Yes - but I know first hand that there aren't always alternative polling sites available. As we speak, I have a group of election districts in my assembly district which have no polling site because there is no handicapped accessible location willing to allow the voting to take place. As a result the Board of Elections has said that they may be forced to have the all the people in those election districts vote by absentee ballot because there is no polling site for them.
EDUCATION
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?
That sounds like an excellent idea and I would very much like to see this, but I would like to know the cost of implementing this.
How do you propose dealing with a school district that deny civil rights to disabled students even after the State Division of Civil Rights affirms the student's rights such as to use an assist animal?
I would want the state to bring legal action to force the school district to comply with the law.
TRANSPORTATION
Do you favor an expansion of accessible transportation options for people with disabilities in NYS?
Yes.
Will you support Assembly Member Kellner's proposed bill requiring NYC to transition to a 100% accessible taxi fleet?
Yes.
Do you support legislation requiring car services, and all shuttle services to purchase wheelchair accessible vehicles or otherwise ensure that they have the capacity to serve persons with disabilities?
Yes.
Date: June 3, 2008