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 District Manager of Community Board 10, I sponsored informational forums to educate community residents and local businesses on the Equal Access for All Program. The City Commission on Human Rights' Equal Access Program provides disability access, assistance and education to people with disabilities and senior citizens.
 

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

In my capacity of District Manager, I have written letters on behalf of constiuents to private businesses that have not been accessible to the disabled and senoir citizens. During budget consultations, a study on mental health in the Harlem community was listed as one of our top priorities.
 

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

I plan to work with members of the disabled community to draft and introduce meaningful legislation to improve the quality of life for disabled New Yorker, following the tradition of Council Member Margarita Lopez.
 

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.

Absolutely.
 

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

1. ...in your personal life?

   As a teenager, my grandmother came to live with my mother and I when she had a stroke. She was paralyzed on the left side of her body. Lack of health services gave us limited home attendant time causing us to spend a great deal of time being caretakers. Yes, it was a sacrifice but I know my love, patience and encouragement made a difference because she was able to walk with a cane.
    
   

2. ...in the workplace?

   n/a
    
   

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

Wheelchair ramps are commonly used in the workplace. In bathrooms, there are often wheelchair accessible stalls. Automatic doors are used for wheelchair accessibility. Braille is used for sight-impaired individuals on elevators and at ATMs.
 

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

As City Councilwoman, I plan to host monthly meetings with those constituents who have disabilities in order to receive updates and feedback as to how the District is attending to their needs. Also, my city council office will designate a telephone hotline and e-mail address to receiving input from my constituents who have disabilities.
 

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

   YES, I will have a liasion to your community who’s job it will be to keep me abreast and involved with your agenda.
    
   

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

   YES, as stated above, I plan to host monthly meetings with the disabled community.
    
   

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

YES

Duties: The Disability Advisory Committee will:

1. maintain open lines of communication with the various disability watchdog organizations in the district, City and State, and the national lobbying organizations;

2. conduct monthly meetings to address neighborhood concerns;

3. participate in annual celebrations and events designed to raise awareness about those citizens with disabilities.

Responsibilities & Powers: The Disability Advisory Committee will:

1. follow-up with organizations;

2. monitor projects and initiatives designed to raise awareness about disabilities and protect the rights of citizens with disabilities;

3. advocate for citizens with disabilities.

4. Advise me on pending legislation and on possible legislative initiative which I could sponsor.

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?

Again, maintain monthly meetings and when issues present themselves, my Disability Advisory Committee will coordinate and conduct forums to address the needs of constituents with disbilities. My strategy as city council representative is to raise awareness about the lack of accomodations for citizens with disabilities throughout New York City and to advocate for equitable treatment of citizens with disabilities.
 

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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?

As City Councilwoman, I would encourage supported apartments/homes and retirement homes for the mentally disabled. Especially in New York City, there are homeless people who are living on the streets and in have a mental disability, but for many reasons are afraid they will be placed in an institution where they will be abused. As a result, we need clinicians that can address the mental health and disabilities of people in a protected environment such as supported apartments/homes and retirement homes for the mentally disabled.

Physically disabled people have different needs from mentally disabled and other populations. They need and deserve a living environment that recognizes and addresses those needs. As a council person I would encourage and support the development of housing programs similar to assisted living programs for seniors, to provide a supportive living environments of disable persons in district 9 and throughout the city.
 

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)?

Seniors and disabled persons are two different populations and two different needs. I would support a SCRIE program that recognizes and addresses the specific needs of both populations and not lump them together.
 

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

I think it would be appropriate to do an annonymous income survey to determine what the average annual income for the city’s disabled population. I would have the SCRIE income guidelines for the disabled linked to the actual average income of disabled New Yorkers. In addition, I would work with disabled advocates to make sure that the SCRIE rules addressed the needs of the local disabled population.

I would work with those same advocates and disabled community leaders to education New Yorkers on the new eligibility requirements as well as host educational forums on the issue.
 

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?

One solution would be to have city agencies like HPD and Housing development fund as well as NYCHA promulgate regulations that call for set asides in both funding streams and development projects for accessible housing. For example, small rehab housing projects could be required to have one in every ten rehabilitated apartments accessible to disabled residents. The requirements could be scaled up for larger developments. I would also require developers to advertise their housing developments in publications and with organization who have access to the disabled community so that they can take advantage of the accessible apartments created.
 

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?

   There are several things that are possible, one would be to have a disabled person voluntarily notify the local fire department of the building and apartment number of where they reside. The fire department would then be responsible for ensuring that that apartment was vacated in the case of an emergency. Some people may be concerned with potential privacy issues.

   Another system would be to use the buddy system, whereby a neighbor would volunteer to look after a disabled person to ensure that they were properly evacuated in the case of an emergency.

   I would work with disabled community advocates to ensure that a reasonable program acceptable to all stake holders could be developed and executed.
    
   

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.

   I would work with the advocate community as well as my colleagues in the city council to ensure that such a visibility program would be established and implemented.
    
   

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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?

   I would make such accessibility a priority and use my public platform to advocate for its expansion. The City Council holds hearings on all issues relating to the MTA and the Taxi and Limousine Commission. As City Councilwoman, I will fight to have hearings on transportation accessibility produce real results.

   I would also be willing to take a leading role in a public education campaign on this issue, thereby placing pressure on the city’s political leadership to get something real accomplished regarding accessible transportation in the city.
    
   

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?

Users of Access-A-Ride (AAR) should not be treated as second class citizens. As a part of the MTA, AAR can only be improved by pressing the MTA to be more transparent in their dealings and more beholden to the people of New York. As City Councilwoman, I will ensure that the MTA in general, and AAR specifically, is put under pressure to serve the public first.

I would also work to establish an independent monitoring and reporting mechanizm so that both the public and elected officials can get an accurate picture of what’s happening within that agency and what impact it’s having on the city’s disabled residents.
 

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

While I worked for the Borough President’s office, our entire staff worked hard to make the much needed Second Avenue Subway a priority of MTA capital projects. Unfortunately, much more work needs to be done before it becomes a reality. I totally support the construction of the Second Avenue Subway. The more public transportation available, the better quality of life all New Yorkers will enjoy. However, I will only support this project if it is done "the right way": with accessible stations, efficient technology, intelligent safetey measures, etc.
 

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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.

Yes, I have fought for civil rights my entire life. Both of my parent were leaders in the NAACP. Having been both a national board member and president of the local Mid-Manhattan branch of the NAACP, I know how to fight for civil rights. And I know that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." (MLK Jr.)

As City Councilwoman, I plan to make this bill a priority. I would meet with the 504 Democratic Club and access feedback as to what we can do together to get this bill passed. If elected, I would be willing to ask each potential council speaker seeking my support where they stand on this issue, thereby raising its visibility and hopefully it’s position on the council’s calendar for next session.
 

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?

Yes, I pledge to use my office to affirm or strengthen, rather than weaken, civil rights protections for persons with disabilities.
 

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

Sign language interpreters at Community Board meetings are a great idea, if the need is there. If the need is not, it results in inefficiency. As you know, the use of sign language interpreters where none are needed is prohibited by the ADA. I would seek to establish a small pool of public funds to pay for interpreters and or other accessible technology needed for community board meetings.
 

Will you appoint disabled persons to local Community Boards?

I will appoint any qualified and interested disabled person who applies to my office for any available Community Board seat. It is important that all members of the community have input in local planning decisions.
 

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

It depends on the number of qualified applicants and the number of open seats available. I would not develop a predetermined number of "disabled" community board slots, but I would make sure as many segments of the community as realistically possible are represented at the community board, including the local disabled population.
 

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

I wholeheartedly support the presence of a Disabled Committee in each Community Board. I would work with the local community board chair to make establish such a committee where possible.
 

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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?

I would review how much of my discretionary funds I am awarded as well as the applications from those organizations which choose to apply, before committing to a concrete percentage. Furthermore, as an advocate for diversity and including all District 9’s residents in my own decision making process, I guarantee that persons with disabilities will be included in my assessment, especially when in comes to funding organizations that are comprised of and advocate on behalf of the disabled community.
 

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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?

Curb cuts are very important for the safety of countless New Yorkers disabled and nondisabled alike. I would work with the capital budget unit of the city council to find adequate funding for curb cut repair and I would work within my borough delegation to make sure that it is a budgetary priority.
 

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

Two things business owners respond to are money and publicity. Perhaps a one time tax break for business owners that make their establishments accessible would get more owners on board. Also, creating some kind of publicity campaign that rewards those owners that chose have fully accessible businesses might have positive effects in achieving this goal.
 

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

Landmark buildings can definitely be made accessible without losing their historical integrity. New York City is home to the world’s greatest architects; all that is required to have a landmark building accessible yet still historicially significant is some creativity.
 

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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 support it, if it has meaningul authority and jurisdiction. As City Councilwoman, I would support an introduction that requires MOPD to publicize job descriptions through departments/agencies’ human resources divisions and advocate for PWDs to interview for jobs they are capable of performing.
 

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

They should have the authority to conduct oversight of accessibility compliance of city agency’s and to report on private sector compliance. The should also monitor services to the disabled and maybe even put together a "one stop shopping" location for city services directed towards the disabled in each borough.
 

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?

I would work with my collegues in city government and in with disability advocates to develop reporting requirements for the agency as well as to conduct hearings on the agencies activities. I would also seek to have additional, meaningful disabiltiy related indicator in the city’s Mayor’s Management Report so that there will be greater transparency in the process of providing services to the disabled community.
 

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