504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Candidate for City Council Lynn Nunes's 2009 response)

Candidate Name: Lynn Nunes

Council District: 28

Contact Person: Lynn Nunes

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

Campaign Address: 115-13 Jamaica Avenue, Richmond Hill, NY 11418
Phone: 718-850-6915
Fax: 718-850-1515
Address:
Email: LynnNunes01 @ aol.com
Website: www.LynnNunesforCityCouncil.com

Endorsements: (Political, Community & Labor) Rev. Norris, Bishop Moore, Breinna Pyne President of Tenant Association & Local One United Food & Commercial Union

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 worked with organizations such as your self to advocate for people with disabilities. I have worked closely with elected officials to make sure legislation and/or policies that are presented take into consideration people with disabilities. Example: Developments having acceptable Handicap Accessibility.
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.
General Questions
1. What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?
  
  Personal: I have a disabled grandmother who requires constant care. She is under the care of family members which includes myself.
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?
  
  Yes.
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?
  
  When legislation is proposed, I will ensure a fair and balanced decision making process. This will include seeking the opinion and/or advice from organizations such as the 504 Democratic Club; which are well informed on issues in regards to people with disabilities.
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 am in support of apartments/homes and retirement homes for persons with mental and/or physical disabilities in my district.
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 think it's important we make both these programs comparable at the very least. Hopefully we are able to secure funding to increase the amount of monies allocated to these programs because, I feel the current monies provided are not sufficient enough to have a decent quality of life. The reason I feel both these programs should be comparable is because regardless of age both seniors and the people with disabilities experience the same difficulties. And because of this the program should have not different amounts.
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.?
  
  Yes.
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?
  
  I would make sure by being a constant vocal advocate on behalf of persons with disabilities, I would make sure that wheelchair accessibility is just as paramount an issue if not more so than make the fleet of "GREEN" taxis
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 make sure Access-A-Ride is accountable, transparent, and efficient, by monitoring and making sure the correct protocol is being followed. I do support the "smart card."
Civil Rights

Do you pledge to use your office to affirm or strengthen, rather than weaken, civil rights protections for persons with disabilities?

I pledge to use my office when elected to strengthen civil rights protections for persons with disabilities.
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?
  
  Yes.
2. How many people with disabilities have/will you appoint to your local Community Board(s)?
  
  I feel that a fair a balanced community board is essential to be an effective panel and if there is no person with a disability on the Community Board one should be Appointed ASAP. The minimum will be 1.
3. Will you support the "requirement" and implement, a Disabled Committee on every Community Board?
  
  Yes.
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?
  
  I would make sure the promised is fulfilled and done in a timely manner by drawing attention to this issue. The timetable would be ASAP.
2. What steps do you think NYC should take to encourage business owners to make their establishments more accessible?
  
  Going forward, I think NYC should pass and reform legislation to make sure that new establishment have strict updated handicap accessible establishments.
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 review the proposal and have it scrutinized until it is deemed acceptable.
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 make the process more stream line in order to have a fluid transfer of information between agencies and make sure we cut as much bureaucracy out of the process as possible to ensure an effective and efficient MOPD.
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?
  
  The City Council must ensure accountability and transparency in regards to this agency, along with performance standards and time tables.

Date: May 21, 2009

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