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 through the medium of TV brought to the screen shows with people with disabilities, including on children with special needs, autism, Lexington School for the Deaf, Heart and Hand for the Handicapped and have tried to raise the bar of awareness on these issues with my audience. I have also founded a charitable not-for-profit organization, Eyes for Hope Foundation, for the underprivileged blind in Asia.
 

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

N/A
 

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

Hold seminars, public forums and do outreach through TV, radio and print ads on legislation that I hope to pass when elected. Also provide material in Braille and alternate formats and sign language interpreters.
 

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, with dedication.
 

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

1. ...in your personal life?

   I had a cornea transplant due to TV lights in my 20s. My mom’s cousin has autism and one relative has polio.
    
   

2. ...in the workplace?

   Member of the Heart and Hand for the Handicapped, support Share and Care that help the differently abled persons and am the founder/director of the Eyes for Hope Foundation, Lighthouse, and the Hellen Keller Foundation.
    
   

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

Must be accessible and should provide access to services for people with disabilities.
 

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

Support organizations and services that help people with disabilities and make programs more accessible to them.
 

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

   If the budget allows, I will have a specific person who will be liaison with the disabled community.
    
   

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

   Yes, I will propose meeting on a regular basis with specific agenda for the disabled community.
    
   

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

Yes. For oversight and conduct meetings on a regular basis.
 

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?

Have organizational meetings and hearings monthly and their reports to be incorporated in City Council briefings to ensure improved services.
 

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?

Affordable housing is a dilemma in NYC and accessible housing is of major concern in our city. Housing should accommodate their disabilities. I will fight to increase and preserve accessible and affordable housing stock vis-à-vis Section 8 vouchers and Mitchell Lama grants.
 

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)?

SCRIE should also include persons with disabilities and the income cap should be the same, i.e. $24,000, otherwise they would be forced to evict and stay in shelters.
 

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

For a person living in a shelter, it costs the city about $25,000 annually and the cost of living in a nursing home is $90,000. That is why it is critical that rental increase abatement is provided to this community and SCRIE extens the provision to include them.
 

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?

So far the Mayor has not signed this provision and I will fight to address this problem. I will see that funds are made available so that persons with disabilities have their accommodations accessible in their present living environment through an accessible housing trust fund which is overseen by the Council’s accessible Housing Task Force.

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

The new building code should be on par with the Federal regulations and those violating it should be rigorously fined and even prosecuted. The new provisions should be made available on the website and also through publications. There should be regular training for the DOB staff on accessibility requirements and Local Law 58/87 should be strictly implemented.

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?

   Pre-crisis planning and systematic emergency preparation is strongly needed to improve survival rates of persons with disabilities in an emergency situation. This, in consultation with this community, to get proper perspective.

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 will ensure the swift passage of visitability and do extensive advocacy on this issue.

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.?

The city has to be made more accessible friendly in the area of transportation so that everyone can use services including people with disabilities without feeling hampered. I will fight to make this provision mandatory and ensure its implementation.
 

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?

   There are about 13,900 taxis in the city. At least 1% of this number should be accessible. Subway elevators should be working efficiently on a regular basis and not sporadically. Liveries and community car services also have to be made more accessible. The Mayor should be made to realize that by opposing this bill he is leaving no choice for the disabled in their travel and actually putting a grave risk to their health and well being.
    
   

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?

Inadequate and inefficient coordination of scheduling has negatively impacted Access-A-Ride service and NYC Transit should resolve this issue at the earliest as well as the issue of etiquette and sensitivity which is equally serious.
 

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

Second Avenue subway should be a priority as it will enormously help our disabled community and cut down their travel time.
 

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 will fight for the swift passage of the Local Civil Rights Restoration Act. Ours is the most diverse city in the country and it is a shame that the bill has not been passed. Also, it is a crying shame that Councilman Gennaro has not been in favor of this important piece of legislation, which is the bedrock of human rights law. I will do extensive outreach on this issue so that the public is aware of it and can join in this fight to get this legislation passed.
 

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?

I will strengthen the civil rights protections of everyone, which includes people who have disabilities.
 

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

Yes, through discretionary funds.
 

Will you appoint disabled persons to local Community Boards?

Absolutely.
 

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

At least 1-2 on every board.
 

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

Yes, because it is the sounding board for their needs and concerns.
 

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?

Yes, when elected.
 

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?

Form a Task Force to oversee the expedient implementation of curb cuts and pedestrian ramps and repair the existing ones immediately as a priority to avoid fatalities and accidents.
 

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

It only adds to their revenue if the establishments are accessible. Also accessible buildings and businesses are more cost effective than accessibility retrofits. It gives the disabled community a sense of inclusion and independence.
 

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

Landmark buildings, if made accessible, can be visited by people with disabilities and give them the feeling of inclusion.
 

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?

There definitely should be a NYC Commissioner Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities that works with different city agencies, community boards and city council members.
 

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

The MOPD should have authority to oversee the activities of different agencies in all areas including housing, education, transportation, emergency planning, voting machines and protection for human rights. It should also help in referrals for those who need it and assist in funding where needed for individuals with disabilities.
 

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?

There should be a citywide system of accessibility and to ensure proper delivery of services there should be an oversight board which is made up from the disability community. The later provides not only monitoring of MOPD but also gives its valuable insight of this community which needs to exhibit its independence and empowerment.