504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Candidate for Borough President Helen Marshall's 2009 response)

Candidate Name: Helen M. Marshall

Borough: Queens

Contact Person: Joe Reubens

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

Campaign Address: 25-74 98th Street, Elmhurst, NY 11369
Phone: 212-577-7717

Email: MarshallforQueens2009 @ gmail.com

Endorsements: Queens County Democratic Organization and the Working Families Party

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?
  
  As a lifelong Democrat and as a member of the New York State Assembly, the New York City Council and as Queens Borough President, my focus has been on serving all New Yorkers and advancing civil rights. I believe advancing disability rights is part of that effort. I have worked tirelessly to improve health care in Queens, provide services to PWDs, including transit services. I have created an Advisory Council on Persons with Disabilities to help spearhead that effort with me. We have held voter registration drives and seminars to increase the number of PWDs among voters. We have honored District 75 students for their creativity and persistence and we have held job fairs where employment assistance and direct job opportunities were presented. We held a successful a Cultural Services and Legal Support Day where we provided information about our Boroughs cultural resources and Legal Services for those who have faced discrimination. We also hold annual Recognition Events to honor employers who are exemplary in their efforts to hire PWDs as well as exemplary employees who have disabilities. I am also proud that one of my major capital projects- a new pool at Flushing Meadows Corona Park was specifically designed with features to assist PWDs to enjoy this great facility. My Task Force on Persons with Disabilities is a strong partner in that effort. It meets the Third Tuesday every month in my office. I am proud that two of 504's Committee members, Doris Seligman and Maureen Green are active members of my Advisory Committee.
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)?
  
  I will attend events that benefit the residents of Queens and work to increase accessibility while doing so.
General Questions
1. What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?
  
  As someone who has had both hips replaced, I know first-hand the importance of accessibility. My office employs a wonderful young man who has a disability and does his work with efficiency and a smile. I have also hosted several groups from the Shield Institute in my office for work experience and am currently working to assist them with their 2009 fundraising campaign. While in the City Council and the State Assembly, we had a group of workers with disabilities who worked with us every day as well. I strongly believe in workplace accommodations to enable everyone who wants to work the ability to do so.
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?
  
  As a City official, I support and adhere to equal opportunity hiring standards and am willing to make every reasonable accommodation necessary for staff members with disabilities.
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 will work with the 504 Democratic Club and other advocates to obtain additional services and accessibility for PWDs.
Housing
1. 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?
  
  As Borough President, and prior to that as a Councilmember and Assemblywoman, I have embraced supported housing that serves our elderly, and persons with mental and physical disabilities. I have also worked with the community and members of my Task Force on Persons with Disabilities to heighted awareness of the need for additional services for those populations.
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 for the cap for a individual senior or household income eligibility is $28,000. While for younger disabled individuals income is only $19,284 and $27,780 for a household?)
  
  I would support legislation that would help ensure greater accessibility for all New Yorkers.
3. 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?
  
  As Borough President, I have provided direct funding for anti-eviction legal counseling programs as well as Information and Assistance Programs for tenants-regardless of disability-who are at risk of harassment and illegal eviction. I have also provided funds for minor repairs that would allow PWDs to remain in their own homes.
4. What would you do to ensure that "Visitability" is enacted in New York City? Visitability = 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 would support legislation that would help ensure greater accessibility for all New Yorkers.
5. Visitability in private homes should at least have one entrance and accessible bathroom on the first floor. The issue is not that it be enforced, but that apartments be adaptable including added ramps, showers and bathtub grips, so that the disabled can function where they live. I would advocate, as Borough President, that these are included in new developments during the ULURP process.
  
  I believe that these features are good components for all visitors and add value to homes as well. I agree to advocate for them during the ULURP process for new developments.
Transportation
1. 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.?
  
  I support increased public transit accessibility and have gone on record supporting measures to do so. I have a strong Task Force of Persons with Disabilities that lends a strong advocacy voice for Queens Residents.
2. 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 believe increased accessibility of the fleet can be achieved and will advocate for its implementation.
3. 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?
  
  I have gone on record several times objecting to the inefficient operations of Access-a-Ride. Improved quality control with performance based measures-made public by route - should be a beginning.
4. Do you favor the construction of the Second Avenue Subway? If so, is this a priority?
  
  Improving public transportation is vital in order for the City to remain accessible, affordable and competitive. In addition, as we have seen the effects of greenhouse gases have had on our environment and our health, it is imperative that we embrace additional subway lines and other means of clean transportation.
Civil Rights

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.
Community Board
1. Do you support making sign language interpreters available for Community Board meetings? If so, how would you fund this?
  
  Yes - I would ask the Mayor and City Council to provide funding for a pool of interpreters that could be available to Community Boards.
2. Will you appoint disabled persons to local Community Boards?
  
  I have and will continue to appoint members who want to serve their communities- including those with disabilities.
3. How many have you/or will you appoint to Community Board?
  
  While specific numbers are not available, several members have some form of disability.
4. Will you support the "requirement" and implement, a Disabled Committee on every Community Board?
  
  Community Boards are governed by their own by-laws which include the establishment of committees. However, I would encourage Queens Community Boards to do so.
Discretionary Funds

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?

I have provided funding and will continue to provide funding for programs that serve PWDs. Just last week, I provided $500,000 to the Association for the Neurologically Impaired Brain Injured Children.

Date: June 5, 2009

Printer-friendly version of this questionnaire
(Link opens in a new browser window)

For other candidates running for Borough President, go to the Questionnaires section