504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Candidate for City Council Diana Reyna's 2009 response)

Candidate Name: Diana Reyna

Council District: 40

Contact Person: Antonio Reynoso

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

Campaign Address: 300 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
Phone: 347-335-0709
Fax: 347-335-0713
Email: reelectreyna09 @ gmail.com
Website: www.dianareyna.com

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?
  
  I have advocated for the inclusion at as high a percentage as possible for people with disabilities in regards to affordable housing in New York. I have stood by legislation important to people with disabilities and will continue to do so. I am creative in pushing forward agendas in my community to serve my community including my constituents who are disabled.
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)?
  
  Yes, my community is largely Latino immigrants and tend to need assistance to properly understand and engage in events important to them. So I am keenly aware of the need to ensure participation by all including the large segment of my constituency who are from the disability community. However, if an event, sponsored by someone else, is of vital interest to my district, it is my duty to attend.
General Questions
1. What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?
  
  I was a student at Pace University studying to be a nurse prior to my career as a civil servant. In my studies constant interaction with people with disabilities was the norm. Properly equipping people with the tools to be successful both physically and mentally was my duty as a nurse and it is a duty I still carry with me on a day to day basis.
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?
  
  I would not allow a disability to be a determining factor in any position.
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 have stood strong against issues of disparity and discrimination and I will continue to do so. Should legislation be considered to help those in need I will never ignore it. I will make sound judgments and advocate for issues important to the residents of my district and New York.
Housing
1. What is your position on the development of supported apartments/homes and retirement homes for the persons with mental and/or physical disabilities in your district?
  
  I have been a champion for priority and preferences in all new housing developments in the city. I fight for the most affordable housing and that there always be priority, for the elderly, the displaced and the disabled. Everyone deserves a fair opportunity for reasonable housing.
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 a individual senior or household income eligibility is $28,000. While the income for a younger disabled individual is capped at $19,284 and $27,780 for a household?)
  
  I will advocate for the necessary increase for the disability community.
3. 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 Building Code?
  
  Yes.
Transportation
1. Will you support an expansion of affordable wheelchair accessible transportation in NYC, including taxis, livery service, express buses, and shuttles, more accessible subway stations, etc.?
  
  I would support the expansion of affordable wheelchair accessible transportation. I would request it be considered in the MTA Capital Plan as a priority.
2. Efforts to secure a 100% accessible fleet of medallion taxis have been hampered by opposition from Mayor Bloomberg and the taxi industry. The current emphasis is on creating a 100% "green" fleet. What would you do to assure that taxis and community car service vehicles are both "green" and universally designed for wheelchair access?
  
  Given the many complaints regarding green cabs like lack of leg room, etc I wonder why the industry accepted that change yet seems reluctant to make their fleets accessible. Accessibility would mean an increase in ridership and is the right thing to do. I look forward to a universally acceptable design, which I understand is forthcoming shortly so that both medallion and livery services could have a common alternative.
3. Access-A-Ride (AAR) users experience unnecessarily long trips, causing workers to be late for work, have their pay docked and possibly losing their jobs. AAR leaves consumers stranded, lies that a vehicle is coming and penalized riders as a "no-show" when the vehicle never arrived. Riders who complain report they are subject to retaliation. What would you do to improve the quality of AAR? Would you support the issuance of a "smart card" so that Access-A-Ride users can use accessible cabs/livery service at a reduced cost and receive better service?
  
  I would like to see the number of contractors be streamlined to eliminate confusion and increase accountability. I believe the issuance of 'smart cards' will help hasten improvements while ensuring better service.
Civil Rights
Do you pledge to use your office to affirm or strengthen, rather than weaken, civil rights protections for persons with disabilities?

I do.
Community Board
1. Do you support requiring all Community Board meeting and function be accessible, including requiring sign language interpreters and large print format material?
  
  Accommodations should be made when requested by people of disabilities. I would encourage such requests to be made in regards to those accommodations.
2. How many people with disabilities have/will you appoint to your local Community Board(s)?
  
  I currently have no appointments but would consider an active community leader to the board regardless of disability. I would seek to have a member of the community or an acknowledged advocate on each community board.
3. Will you support the "requirement" and implement, a Disabled Committee on every Community Board?
  
  As I am aware the disability community comprises over 20% of the population of Brooklyn, I would strongly support the creation of such a committee.
Discretionary Funds

Will you use your discretionary funds to support organizations serving people with disabilities or service organizations seeking to make their programs accessible to people with disabilities?

Yes.
Accessibility
1. Under Mayor Bloomberg, the City settled with the United Spinal Association and agreed to install pedestrian ramps, on all corners which presently don't have one. However, no provision was made to repair and/or replace existing ones which are unsafe. How would you ensure that pedestrian ramps are provided or repaired? What would you establish as a timetable?
  
  My outstanding relationship with the commissioners of the DOT will assist me in ensuring these issues are addressed in my community. These pedestrian ramps are extremely important. I have fought for years for a survey to be conducted regarding the conditions of our streets and sidewalks. The Department of Transportation has assisted with repair and a reasonable amount of street resurfacing in a short amount of time. I will continue to fight for our quality of life down to the very last ramp.
2. What steps do you think NYC should take to encourage business owners to make their establishments more accessible?
  
  I would provide statistics supporting the advantages of having accessible establishments to encourage businesses.
3. How would you ensure that emergency evacuation for PWDs provisions are put in place to improve survival rates of PWDs in the event of fire, attack, blackout, or other emergency situation?
  
  I would like to see the implementation of a voluntary database that lists the location of PWDs in every building in the City and ensure that proper training be required by first responders.
Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD)
1. Mayor Bloomberg elevated the Director of the (MOPD) to a Commissioner without any increase in budget or responsibilities. How would you ensure that city departments/agencies coordinate through MOPD?
  
  I would ask the administration to have any changes to policies and procedures of agencies, laws or funding streams be reviewed by MOPD and an impact statement be issued so the Council could review that information when considering the matter.
2. How do you believe the City Council should enforce and do oversight regarding the work of the office and be certain of the implementation and its efforts?
  
  A list of priorities and a reasonable time line should be set. We should monitor the progress of every priority and demand deadlines be met.

Date: June 6, 2009

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