Candidate Name: Maria del Carmen Arroyo

Council District: 17

Contact Person: Kim Ramos

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

Campaign Address: 384 East 149th Street, Room 528, Bronx, NY 10455
Phone: 212-505-6633
Fax: 212-505-0845
Email: kramos @ mirramgroup.com

Endorsements: Council of School Administrators (CSA) & International Union of Operating Engineers, Local Union No. 94, 94A, 94B

1. 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?

       

      Prior to my election to the City Council in February 2005, my work as a health care administrator and manager focused efforts on ensuring a work place free of discrimination, and ensuring that accommodations were made for those who experience physical, sensory and mental disabilities. While in public office I have been a strong and proactive supporter of initiatives and advocacy that advance disability rights. My efforts includes work towards ensuring accessible housing, transportation, employment, health care, education, and including people with disabilities in the political process.

       

   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)?

       

      To the extent possible, I will commit to only attend / sponsor events that are accessible to people with disabilities, and will encourage that events provide written materials in alternate formats; provide assistive listening systems; and provide sign language interpreters; and that event are held at locations that are physically accessible.

       

2. General Questions

    

   1. What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?

       

      Prior to my election to the City Council in February 2005, my work as a health care administrator and manager focused efforts on ensuring a work place free of discrimination, and ensuring that accommodations were made for those who experience physical, sensory and mental disabilities. While in public office I have been a strong and proactive supporter of initiatives and advocacy that advance disability rights. My efforts includes work towards ensuring accessible housing, transportation, employment, health care, education, and including people with disabilities in the political process.

       

   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 am willing to hire and to provide reasonable accommodation 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 closely with the disability community to assure passage of vitally needed legislation through the City Council. I would seek input and recommendations from the disabled community and work with my colleagues, the Speaker's office and Executive branch to advance legislation.

       

3. 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 would support the development of supported apartments/homes and retirement homes for the persons with mental and/or physical disabilities in my district. The District I represent has a disproportionate number of homeless shelters and transitional housing programs. Therefore, I am openly and strongly opposed to the building or siting of more homeless programs in the 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 strongly support making Disabled Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) and Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) programs income eligibility comparable.

       

   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.

       

4. 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 will work closely with the disability community, my colleagues, the Speaker's office and Executive branch to advance the discussion necessary to assure that taxis and community car service vehicles are both "green" and universally designed for wheelchair access.

       

   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? 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?

       

      Yes.

       

5. Civil Rights

    

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

    

   Yes.

    

6. 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)?

       

      Unsure.

       

   3. Will you support the "requirement" and implement, a Disabled Committee on every Community Board?

       

      Yes.

       

7. 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.

    

8. 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?

       

      Need to work to ensure that the City's capital budget includes annual appropriations for pedestrian ramps maintenance and repairs.

       

   2. What steps do you think NYC should take to encourage business owners to make their establishments more accessible?

       

      Provide tax credits for repairs or upgrades needed to enable businesses to be more accessible.

       

   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 believe all public buildings and those larger than specific occupancy are required to have Fire Safety and Emergency Preparedness programs in place. I am committed to working closely with the disability community, my colleagues, the Speaker's office and Executive branch to assess areas of the building/fire code which may require amendment to 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.

       

9. 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?

       

      Recommend the Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services Committee hold hearings to gauge the level of coordination currently in place, and identify opportunities for improvements.

       

   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?

       

      Work with the Speaker's Office and the Chair of the Mental Health, Mental Retardation, Alcoholism, Drug Abuse and Disability Services Committee to organize efforts to ensure that the committee's work includes a minimum number of hearings relevant to MOPD on an annual basis.