504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Candidate for Comptroller David Yassky's 2009 response)

Candidate Name: David Yassky

Contact Person: Cathy Mitchell Toren

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

Campaign Address: 41 Schermerhorn Street, New York, NY 11201
Phone: 212-683-9200
Fax: 212-683-9208
Email: david @ davidyassky.com
Website: www.davidyassky.com

Endorsements: Congressman Mike McMahon (Staten Island-Brooklyn), Kings County Democratic Committee, New York County Democratic Committee, Assemblymember Jonathan Bing (Manhattan), Assemblymember Herman "Denny" Farrell (Manhattan Democratic Chair), Assemblymember Vito Lopez (Brooklyn Democratic Chair), Assemblymember Joan Millman (Brooklyn), Council Member Lewis Fidler (Brooklyn), Council Member Dan Garodnick (Manhattan), Council Member Dominic Recchia (Brooklyn), American Federation of Musicians, Local 802; International Longshoremen's Association, Local 1814; Ansonia Independent Democrats (Manhattan); Broadway Democrats (Manhattan), Brooklyn Democrats for Change, Chelsea Reform Democratic Club (Manhattan), Concerned Democratic Coalition of Northern Manhattan, Downtown Independent Democrats (Manhattan), Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club (Manhattan), Independent Neighborhood Democrats (Brooklyn), Lenox Hill Democratic Club (Manhattan), Shorefront Democratic Club (Broolyn), Thomas Jefferson Democratic Club (Brooklyn), State Committee Member Trudy L. Mason, State Committee Member Conrad Foa, District Leader Meryl Brodsky, District Leader Charles Buchwald, District Leader Linda Foa, District Leader Molly Hollister, District Leader Lawrence Rosenstock, District Leader Arthur L. Schiff, District Leader Frank Wilkinson, District Leader and former Lexington Democratic Club President John Mills & Former District Leader and former Lexington Club President Alexander Tisch

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 continuously fought for affordable housing in New York City and often find that senior citizens and people with disabilities are marginalized when it comes to affordable housing. Corners are cut and critical input from the disability community is neglected when developing, maintaining, and rehabilitating these housing programs in New York. I have dedicated a public career to fighting for high quality affordable housing because it is abominable not to have housing that meets even the most basic needs of all our citizens.
  
  In another instance, Council Member Dan Garodnick and I held listening sessions to elicit feedback from the community about ways in which our transportation system should be improved, particularly for elderly and disabled citizens. Among the topics covered, improving Access-a-Ride became the issue we felt needed the most focus. We are currently conducting a comprehensive and detailed research study on Access-a-Ride to identify specific weaknesses and make robust recommendations for service changes and improvements in the system. Through our efforts, we hope to create a transportation service that is truly accessible to the elderly and disability community, allowing them the freedom to commute within our city that all citizens should enjoy.
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)?
  
  It is absolutely critical that I am able to truly connect with every one of my supporters. As such, I will mandate that my campaign office ensure every event sponsored by my campaign is accessible and inviting for people with disabilities. This includes written materials, accessible locations, and certainly interpreters whenever possible. Additionally, beyond being receptive to people with disabilities, I will actively seek input from the disability community about ways we can reach out more inclusively and welcome feedback about how to improve our events. Unfortunately, not all event planners are as comprehensive in scope, and I may have unavoidable commitments to events that lack certain accommodations. If this is ever the case, I will be sure that the issue is raised with the event planners and coordinators of that event and as such, hope to use my influence as a citywide candidate and elected official to bring this important issue to light among those who need to recognize it.
General Questions
1. What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?
  
  When I was setting up my district office upon entering the City Council I needed something downtown, but also had an extremely limited Council budget. The office available was not accessible for severely physically disabled people, so I decided to seek help from Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. I explained that I needed space that was accessible for the disabled constituents in my district, especially for those that would need to volunteer or work in my office. He granted me access to handicap accessible conference rooms right in Borough Hall whenever I needed to use them. I was extremely grateful to have such facilities at my discretion downtown and next to my office. I hope to continue my role as public official and advocate and in such a way, fight for issues like accessibility in every situation I encounter.
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?
  
  The more we learn about the different disabilities that affect all walks of life, the more we understand how those with disabilities can establish themselves as highly productive members of any workplace. I will seek the disability community's recommendations - based on their dedication and leading discourse on the issue - for the specific types of jobs that would best fit people in their community. Part of my management process (on the campaign as well as the Comptroller's Office) is to clearly distinguish vital tasks, outcomes, and metrics for evaluation that promote teamwork and a collaborative effort. Aside from better efficiency, I would build an environment where employees and staff are engaged and feel invested in the overall mission. This would most certainly extend to people with disabilities as they found roles that were vital to our progress. For example, the campaign is an intense, exciting, and fast-paced effort where there is a great variety of needed short-term projects. I would look forward to a more in-depth discussion about how I can invite members of the disability community to join our team in any number of capacities.
3. How do you propose your active involvement/availability to the disability community? Will there be a specific person in your office responsible to this community? Will have regular office agenda meetings on these issues? What would you do to have direct contact with our community?
  
  To continue a point made above concerning event planning, I will actively seek input from the disability community and I feel that only by truly cooperating with those who have the experience, insight, and dedication to advancing this issue, will I be able to become truly involved and available to the disability community. To that end, although resources are always tight on a campaign, I will consistently meet with my senior staff to make sure that we have adequately covered the needs of the disability community in our campaign planning.
  
  Additionally, because our campaign is built on reaching out directly to people, I will direct at least one - perhaps more - person to act as disability community representative, tasking the field director and organizers to follow set guidelines when organizing each volunteer event and activity.
  
  Finally, although I am seeking the endorsement of the 504 Democratic Club, I would ask that no matter the final decision, I am able to continue this dialogue and consider you a resource for accommodating the disability community throughout my campaign.
4. Would you assure that City contractors maintain program access to persons with disabilities?
  
  Of course. Such a mandate is a minimum reform for ensuring the New York City's agencies and services are actually catering to every citizen, including those with disabilities. As Comptroller, it is my duty to apply oversight to the contractors, ensuring that - as an extension of New York City programs and the services they provide - they are giving access to the disability community in every way possible.
5. Would you support the inclusion of preferences for businesses owned by persons with disabilities to those who are owned by women and/or other minorities?
  
  I have long-supported programs that offer incentives for women and minorities as I believe these demographics have been unfairly misrepresented. Clearly, a similar disadvantage has emerged with the disability community and I would likewise fight to increase incentives for businesses owned by persons with disabilities. However, when asked to set under-represented business community directly against another, I must say I would instead seek fair and balanced preferences. It would be disingenuous to imply that there will always be more resources than need, but that being said, I do not personally feel it is beyond our capability as a City government to provide much needed incentives for women and minority owned businesses as well as those owned by people with disabilities. I have always fought for under-represented people in our community and will continue this charge as Comptroller.

Date: June 3, 2009

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