Candidate Name: Liz Krueger
Candidate for Senate District: 26 (Manhattan)
Contact Person: Patrick Madigan
Campaign Address: c/o Hudson TG, 220 Lafayette Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10012
Phone: 212-922-2976
Fax: 212-922-2978
Email: lizforsenate2010@gmail.com
Website: www.lizkrueger.com
Endorsements:
If there is a Campaign office(s), is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes.
How have you incorporated people with disabilities into your campaign?
While our campaign is just starting up, past campaigns have benefitted from the assistance of many people with disabilities, and this campaign will do the same.
If you are an incumbent,
Is your present office/work place accessible to people with disabilities? If not, what have you done to rectify the inaccessibility?
Yes, my district office is accessible.
What oversight have you performed regarding implementation of programs/legislation passed previously?
I was a strong advocate for the creation of the Disability Rent Increase Exemption program, and have been working with the Department of Finance to help individual constituent expedite cases, and to highlight the broader issues of lack of adequate staffing to handle applications in a timely manner. I also introduced and passed legislation equalizing eligibility limits for DRIE to SCRIE and expanding the definition of disabled veteran for purposes of DRIE eligibility.
What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?
Before I became a State Senator, I created and ran programs providing assistance to New Yorkers with disabilities and worked with many disability rights organizations to assist individuals in accessing needed government benefits and services. I have continued to work with these same organizations on legislation as a Senator.
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 currently have a person with a disability on my committee staff, and worked with the Senate to ensure reasonable accommodations were made to allow him to do his job, which he does exceedingly well. He chooses to work full time, but I also have three staff members who work part time for reasons unrelated to disability, and would make similar accommodations for persons with disabilities.
While in public office and/or 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?
In addition to the DRIE legislation mentioned above, I worked closely with a broad coalition of advocates to pass Timothy's Law, which requires insurance companies to provide equal coverage for mental and physical illness. I have also successfully worked with the MTA to encourage adoption of more accessible transportation options, including low-floor buses.
Will you commit to only attend and/or sponsor events that are accessible to people with disabilities including providing written materials in alternate formats, providing assistive listening systems, and sign language interpreters, as well as ensuring that locations are accessible to people who use mobility aids, like wheelchairs and walkers?
My office works to make sure all events are accessible and that content from events is available in formats that ensure the greatest possible access to people with disabilities.
Do you pledge to use your office to affirm or strengthen, rather than weaken, civil rights protections to persons with disabilities?
Yes. An example of legislation I sponsor to achieve this goal is S2833, which waives state's sovereign immunity to liability under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
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?
Yes. Zach Gamza in my office is my liaison to the disability community.
Will have regular office agenda meetings on these issues?
Yes.
What would you do to have direct contact with our community?
Work with local and statewide disability organizations, and make sure disability issues are addressed in community forums.
How will you work closely with the disability community to assure passage of vitally needed legislation? What will be your strategy?
I draw on my many connections with advocates for people with disabilities in my daily work in the legislature. I believe that the most effective strategies for moving legislation involve statewide mobilization that serves to educate individual lawmakers of the impact of state policy on people in their districts. As someone who began my career in Albany as an advocate rather than a legislator, I now see my role on many issues as complementary to the organizational efforts of advocacy groups. I am in a position to reiterate argument and answer my colleagues' questions about specific legislation, but these efforts are most effective when they are complementary to advocacy from the larger community.
How would you change the laws of New York State to protect the rights of its citizens with disabilities?
In addition to sponsoring legislation waiving sovereign immunity from ADA requirements, I co-sponsor legislation incorporating Titles II and III of the ADA into New York State Human Rights Law.
While the State is focused on reducing the costs of Medicaid and other programs, persons with disabilities need to continue to have access to the services and supports they need and choose.
Would you oppose proposals which would negatively affect eligibility, benefits, coverage, and/or access to services for Medicaid beneficiaries and eliminate the systemic bias that leads to unwanted placement in nursing homes and other institutions?
Yes, I would oppose such proposals.
Would you seek to promote comprehensive long term care reform that will not reduce coverage or access to services?
Yes.
Would you increase rental/housing subsidies to participants in the new Nursing Facility Transition and Diversion Medicaid waiver program?
Yes.
Would you expand Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage program (EPIC) to provide the same level of eligibility and coverage to persons with disabilities under age 65?
Yes, this has long been a priority issue for me.
Will you support moving funds from nursing homes to moving patients out of nursing homes and back into the community?
Yes.
We are in the midst of a housing crisis. Accessible, affordable housing is in short supply. People with disabilities are being priced out of the market. Do you support the creation of a housing trust fund for persons with disabilities?
Yes, I support a Statutory Trust Fund with accommodations for housing for people with special needs.
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires housing developers to set aside a certain percentage of accessible units for persons with disabilities when federal funds are used for construction. Do you favor incorporating these provisions into State law so that the Department of Housing and Community Renewal can be empowered to enforce these provisions?
Yes.
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 New York State Building Code?
Yes.
At present: SCRIE (Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption) Household income cap is $29,000. DRIE (Disabled Rent Increase Exemption) is $19,284/single and $27,780/2 or more. What is your position on increasing DRIE income eligibility to match SCRIE?
I support it and legislation I introduced to accomplish this goal recently passed the Senate (S3539A).
While localities have acquired voting machines that attempt to meet the accessibility standards of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), many poling places in New York State remain inaccessible to persons with disabilities. Do you favor the elimination of provisions in Section 4-104 (1-a) of the New York State Election Law allowing waiver of polling place accessibility standards?
Yes, and I have worked with local disability advocates on improving pollsite accessibility in my district.
Despite Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, students with disabilities face problems when pursuing higher education. These statutes do not specify how students should request accommodations or assistance in asserting their rights under the law. Will you support a fully funded office of disability services on each SUNY and CUNY campus to assist students with disabilities in securing accommodations?
Yes.
How do you propose dealing with school districts that deny civil rights to disabled students even after the Sate Division of Civil Rights affirms the student's rights such as to use a service animal?
I am open to exploring how the state can address requiring school districts follow this ruling, and how the state could ensure any costs to the school districts could be absorbed by the state.
Do you support legislation requiring car services, and shuttle services to purchase wheelchair accessible vehicles or otherwise ensure that they have the capacity to serve persons with disabilities?
Yes.
Will you or do you support Assembly Member Kellner's proposed bill requiring New York City to transition to a 100% accessible taxi fleet?
Yes.
Persons with disabilities have historically been under-represented within the Democratic Party leadership. According to the 2000 census, persons with disabilities comprised 20.6% of New York State residents and 23.1% of those 18 years and older. Previously, we were told that only those groups included in the Voting Rights Act were included in the goals and timetables for delegate selection. Yet the lesbian and gay communities were included for the first time at the 2000 convention and again at the 2004 and 2010 conventions. Would you support a campaign to set a goal that 10% of the total New York State Delegation to the 2012 Democratic National Convention be comprised of persons with disabilities.
Yes.