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?

As a non-elected official, I cannot claim a record in the traditional sense. However, I've tried to attend and support functions and issues over the years, wherever and whenever my union responsibilities did not require my attendance elsewhere.
 

What oversight have you performed regarding implementation of programs/legislation you have passed (in first term or in previous offices)?

At NYC's ACS and HRA, I work to help families in crisis receive the services they need. I spoke out against injustices and policies that adversely affected children and families. I am active in DC37 and its Local 371 where I was a delegate, executive board member, and staff organizer.
 

What implementation/strategy do you have for your future programs and legislation to help constituents with disabilities?

I will take that approach cited above (#2) as a member of the City Council, using my powers, not just to pass legislation, land use matters and the city budget, but wield the vastly underused oversight powers.
 

Will you commit to only attend or sponsor events that are accessible to people with disabilities? NOTE: This includes providing written materials in alternate formats for people with low vision, providing assistive listening systems for people who are hard-of-hearing, and sign language interpreters for people who are deaf, as well as ensuring that locations are accessible to people who use mobility aids, like wheelchairs and walkers.

Yes.
 

What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities?

1. ...in your personal life?

   In my personal life, I have managed, coached, and served on the executive board of the Harlem Little League. In the league, I helped create the challenger division for special needs youth and additionally trained coaches on techniques to teach children with special needs on playing to their maximum ability, while still learning to love the game. These techniques would usually expand to the everyday life of the children and their families, which is the idea for all of our youth. As a community and union activist, I have called upon regularly to mediate and assist on issues such as housing, child abuse, adult protective services, and grievances for our disabled members.
    
   

2. ...in the workplace?

   As a City of NY employee, Social worker, Supervisor, Union delegate, Exec Board member, and later a staff organizer and rep, I have been advocating for workers and clients against the inordinate amount of insensitivities against persons with disabilities. Having received a Certificate form the Cornell University-ILR, I have negotiated and challenged the City on many occasions to the benefit of disabled.
    
   

What special accommodations do you believe/think are in use in the workplace?

Access remains an issue in many offices; workers often do not think about access when boxes or files impede access; this can be remedied by education for the most part and it frankly makes access better for all workers, for example in cases of emergency. Transportation issues may make some workers’ commutes problematic as they may not have the choices afforded most members of the workers force. More subway access is vital and accountability for access a ride.
 

How do you propose to implement your active involvement and/or availability to the disability community?

1. Will there be a specific person in your office responsible to this community?

   While a staffer will have primary responsibility on issues of concern to the Disabled, EVERY member of my staff would be expected to be of assistance and responsive.
    
   

2. Will have regular office agenda items and meetings on disabled community issues?

   I will try to approach issues in coalition with the area’s other local elected officials in terms of regular community meetings. In terms of my office, I would expect to hold regular meetings with members of the Disability community to go over issues before the City Council and issues where my advocacy at any level may help advance the cause.
    
   

Do you/or will you, have an active Disability Advisory Committee? Explain its duties, responsibilities and powers.

I will create a number of advisory committees committed to the Challenges that encompass the district. Many of the members will be asked to serve on different committees based upon their abilities and experience. The powers will include access and their responsibility will be to bring to the office issues and a well thought out plan of attack. Together we will proactively seek resolution, and share in the victories. Every action will be a plan to agitate, organize and empower our district.
 

How will you work closely with the disability community to assure passage of vitally needed legislation through the City Council? What is your strategy during your first term?

As stated above, our advisory groups will work with me and my staff to resolve issues early in the process and when required, together we will construct new legislation where needed and identify pending necessary legislations, and develop strategies to work toward passing these bills and enact these measures without anything missing. This way we won’t have to spend years and years later trying to add what was either deleted or forgotten in its original state.
 

What is your position on the development of supported apartments/homes and retirement homes for the mentally disabled in your borough? Please also explain same for physically disabled. What strategies will you utilize?

I support both. I would work with CBOs that serve the Mentally Disabled and Disabled community, non-profit housing developers, fellow electeds and community groups to site and secure funds for appropriate housing where such development makes sense in the district and would be attractive to the Mentally Disabled Disability community, including seniors.
 

What is your position on extending the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) to low-income, eligible persons with disabilities under the age of 62 on the same basis and income level (currently the income cap for seniors is $24,000, but for persons with disabilities it has been set at $17,000)?

No reason other than some obscure budget calculation existed to not provide disable tenants on low incomes that same benefits afforded seniors under SCRIE. I advocate the extension of the full SCRIE benefit to disabled persons similarly on fixed incomes. Disabled tenants face never ending rent increases without commensurate increases in their own income. I support this proposal and look forward to a bill-signing ceremony at City Hall to extend full SCRIE-like benefits to disabled tenants. And the benefits once increased should be automatically increased with inflation on an annual basis.
 

How will you develop realistic income levels for individuals and couples with disabilities to avail themselves of the SCRIE provisions?

The level afforded seniors – indexed for inflation – makes the most sense. It is not a lot of money in the budget. It is about priorities.
 

What alternative programs will you propose to allow persons with disabilities to stay in their own homes/apartments? (i.e. protection from rent increases or undue eviction (harassment) and make funds available to make appropriate accommodations in present living environment). Another example: perhaps a dedicated housing trust fund should be established for making those housing accommodations. If so, how would you fund same?

NYC needs an ambitious affordable housing program; to the extent the current mayor or his successor does not propose an adequate enough plan, I would not be shy –even as a newly elected Council Member from proposed a program that provides sufficient affordable units and also special needs housing that would also target the Disabled. I would start with the Housing First initiative as a base.
 

New York City is in the process of adopting a new building code. How would you advocate for the strongest possible access provisions?

1. Emergency evacuation for people with disabilities: what would you do to ensure that provisions are put in place to improve survival rates of people with disabilities in the event of fire, attack, blackout, or other emergency situation?

   To the extent this does not get adequately resolved this Council session – there may be a vote as early as August on the two "competing" codes, I would work with the Disability community to highlight any inadequacies, press for hearings, and the drafting of any necessary remedial legislation.
    
   

2. What would you do to ensure that "Visitability" is enacted in New York City? Visitability is the movement towards establishing guidelines providing that newly constructed multi-family dwellings have basic accessible/adaptable features that permit friends and family with disabilities to visit, and for residents to "age in place," without having to move out when age and/or disability set in.

   [Same as "a" above; this just makes sense.]
    
   

Will you support, and what strategy will you utilize, to implement an expansion of affordable wheelchair accessible transportation in NYC, including taxis, livery service, express buses, airport shuttle service, more accessible subway stations, etc.?

1. Efforts to secure a 100% accessible fleet of medallion taxis have been hampered by opposition from Mayor Bloomberg and the taxi industry. Wheelchair accessible taxis are present in many cities as a result of strong support from local Mayors and City Councils. What would you do to assure that all New York City residents, commuters and tourists have access to an important form of public transportation, our medallion taxis and community car services?

   As simply as the Council mandated clean fuel taxis, if the Taxi and Limousine Commission fails to adopt this reform on its own, I would push for the legislation. I know prototype Clean Fuel/ wheelchair accessible taxis have been built and the requirement could even help create a manufacturing plant here since the useful life of taxis results in frequent fleet and personal vehicle turnover.
    
   

Access-A-Ride has denied rides to many eligible consumers; cause unnecessarily long trips, causing workers to be late for work and consequently be docked pay and even lose their jobs; routinely leave many consumers stranded at the curb, lying to their clients that a bus is coming and calling consumer a "no-show" when the bus has not shown. Consumers who complain are often subject to retaliation. What would you do to improve the quality of service for those who must use Access-A-Ride?

New technology including GIS allows better monitoring of these vehicles and must be installed and used. Better oversight, including by the MTA is needed. I would use city council oversight as frequently as necessary and would look at requirements to report on timeliness and strandings.
 

Do you favor the construction of the Second Avenue Subway? If so, is this a priority?

I strongly support the Second Avenue Subway, the full-length four borough line, as proposed by the Regional Plan Association. It is certainly a priority.
 

The Local Civil Rights Restoration Act (Intro 22) seeks to protect the vigor and independence of the City’s Human Rights Law against the attacks of an increasingly conservative State and Federal Judiciary. Although there are 38 Council sponsors, 32 civil rights and allied organizations, in favor of this legislation, and three hearings have been held, Mayor Bloomberg continues to oppose the most central aspect of the bill, the need for City Human Rights Law not to be restricted as federal and state civil rights law gets cut back. Would you work to assure its passage? Please describe your strategy.

I support this legislation and fully expect that with a veto-proof list of sponsors if should pass unless the council’s leadership refrains from allowing a vote. I believe this legislation is needed and am not shy about exposing any efforts to keep the legislation from a vote.
 

Under the Bloomberg Administration, the Corporation Council intervened on the side of the city of Sacramento when it sought to challenge the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding the requirement to maintain accessible sidewalks. Do you pledge to use your office to affirm or strengthen, rather than weaken, civil rights protections for persons with disabilities?

It made no sense to challenge the ADA with respect to maintaining accessible sidewalks. I would work with federal legislators for funds to accelerate the installation (and repair) of ADA compliant sidewalk curb cuts. I would also use the Council’s budget and oversight responsibilities to push the Commissioners of four agencies – Department of Transportation, Department of Design and Construction, Department of Parks and Recreation, and Department of Environmental Protection – to review their capital programs where sidewalk work may be involved and determine what work could be accelerated to install and repair ADA compliant curb cuts.
 

Do you support making sign language interpreters available for Community Board meetings? If so, how would you fund this?

Interpreters services should be made available on request and the ability to request this service adequately publicized. The funding should be directed to community boards out of the existing budget of the Office of the Mayor and the Community Assistance Unit.
 

Will you appoint disabled persons to local Community Boards?

I believe in appoint representatives of community stakeholders to community boards and would work with each community board, my council colleagues and the borough president with whom I would share appointment powers to ensure adequate representation.
 

How many have you/ or will you appoint to Community Board?

As a non-incumbent, I have not made any recommendations yet. I cannot establish a number, I can only make a commitment to look for Disabled community members to propose for appointment and to work with the Disabled community to identify possible appointees.
 

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

This makes sense. Yes.
 

Please Specify: Have you used (or will you use) your discretionary funds to support organizations serving persons with disabilities or service organizations seeking to make their programs accessible to persons with disabilities? If so, what percentage of your discretionary funds went to such organizations?

As a non-incumbent, I can only look forward to making allocation after I take office. I would not set a straight quota because I would also expect other programs to ensure access. I would try to use my ability to allocate funds to leverage funding from my colleagues and the borough president so disable programs get the funding they need.
 

Under Mayor Bloomberg, the City settled with the United Spinal Association and agreed to install curb cuts -- Pedestrian ramps, on all corners which presently don’t have one. However, no provision has been made to repair or replace those current ones which are unsafe. How would you ensure that curb cuts—pedestrian ramps—are provided on or repaired on streets that need them? What would you establish as a timetable?

See answer to #19 above.
 

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

I would start with education because no presumption should exist that Disabled community members all lack resources. I would press the City’s Department of Small Business Services and the Economic Development Corporation to work with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities to wage this effort.
 

Do you believe that landmark buildings can be made accessible without losing their historical integrity?

Modern state of the art technology should enable alternatives to provide handicapped access to landmark buildings while allowing these important sites to maintain building integrity must. We must ensure access to and by all and not keep people out of buildings that we seek to preserve, or why other keeping them?
 

What is your position on efforts to elevate the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) to a commissioner level agency or Commission on Disabilities to enable coordination of efforts of agencies? (A one stop shop for information and assistance.) How would you ensure that city departments/agencies coordinate through MOPD?

I would sponsor the legislation. The coordination is best follow-up through adequate reporting so the Council can exercise appropriate oversight.
 

What implementation/authority should MOPD have, and/or how would you ensure that MOPD?

It should have the power to report to the Mayor, Borough Presidents, City Council, Community Boards and the public on its recommendations.
 

Since presumably "this" office is a Mayoral Office, how would you enforce and do oversight regarding the work of the office and be certain of the implementation and its efforts?

Ensure the time release of reports noted in #29 above and ensuring adequate number of hearings as frequently as necessary to ensure the agency follows its mandate.