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 Community Board 10 District Manager, I have worked extensively on issues that advance disability rights. I lead the fight to build the Playground for All Children in Pelham Bay Park, the only fully handicapped accessible playground in the Bronx. I insisted that the MTA install an escalator and elevator in the Pelham Bay train station to make the station fully handicapped accessible. In addition, my Community Board approved the only senior housing specifically for the deaf in the Bronx. I have operated a fully handicapped accessible office for 15 years at Community Board 10.
 

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

Does not apply.
 

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

I believe that we need to continue to make substantial progress in ensuring accessibility for all. If I am elected to the City Council, I will move the current Council office to a completely accessible location so that all residents of the district can be served equally. I believe that handicapped accessible transportation must be dramatically improved, as Access-a-Ride has a horrible track record. NYC yellow cabs must begin to include more handicapped accessible vehicles in their fleets so that the disabled community can be better served.
 

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.

While I will fight for people with disabilities, many organizations in my district do not yet have access to all of these aids and cannot commit not to attend important events in my district. However, I will make it a priority to help community organizations become more accessible to the disabled.
 

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

1. ...in your personal life?

   I have seen firsthand in my life the struggles that the disabled community faces day in and day out. My father lost his eyesight more than 30 years ago during a workplace accident, and I have been actively involved in his care since that time.
    
   

2. ...in the workplace?

   The most important role of the community board is insuring that city services are delivered properly to every member of the community. As District Manager of Community Board 10, I have worked with many disabled members of the community, including the Handicapped Adults Association in Co-op City and many senior citizen groups throughout the district. My community board includes Co-op City, which has one of the largest and most active disabled communities in the city.
    
   

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

I believe that every effort must be made to allow disabled members of the community to be productive in the workplace.
 

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?

   Yes.
    
   

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

   Yes.
    
   

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

I will continue to actively solicit input from members of the disabled community in any way possible.
 

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?

I will make it a priority to continue to work hard on issues of concern to the disabled community. As I said above, it will be a priority of my office to seek input from the disabled community on legislative issues. In addition, I will continue to make providing services to the disabled community my district a top priority.
 

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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?

My community board district has the highest number of homes for the developmentally disabled in the Bronx. I have worked with the community to ease tensions concerning some of these sites, and make these homes a success for both those living in them and the community around them. As my work on obtaining housing for the deaf in my Community Board shows, I believe it is important to provide housing for the physically disabled.
 

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)?

I believe that SCRIE is a vitally important program to low-income seniors and the disabled community in maintaining affordable housing, and believe we should provide the same service for the disabled as we provide for seniors.
 

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

I will work with the disabled community to determine realistic income levels for individuals and couples with disabilities.
 

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?

I am open to suggestions from the disabled community on how to deal with this issue.
 

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?

   Having Co-op City in my Community Board District has shown me what a serious issue this can be. I believe that the NYC Council needs to work on ways to help property owners and co-op boards put in place responsible emergency evacuation plans for buildings in the city.
    
   

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.

   Yes.
    
   

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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 support efforts of the handicapped community to expand affordable wheelchair access in NYC.
    
   

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?

I believe that the City Council should work with the MTA in overseeing Access-A-Ride. Should poor performance continue, the Council should hold public hearings and demand that the MTA be accountable.
 

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

Yes, this will provide Co-op City residents with direct access to Manhattan and has long been a priority for my Community Board.
 

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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.
 

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Will you appoint disabled persons to local Community Boards?

Yes, and in addition, there are several members of my Community Board that are disabled.
 

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

I will appoint qualified disabled people to the Community Boards.
 

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

Yes.
 

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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 be open to providing discretionary funds to organizations serving people with disabilities, but would need to review their funding requests on a case-by-case basis.
 

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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?

As District Manager, I have insisted on timely repairs to pedestrian ramps in my Community Board District. I strongly feel that the city needs to put in a repair program that deals with these ramps.
 

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

I would be willing to hear input from the disabled community how to encourage more accessible businesses in NYC
 

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

Yes.
 

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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?

In regard to this question, I support making MOPD a Commissioner level agency, and would assign a specific NYC Council committee to perform an oversight function. After a one year period, I would assess the agency’s performance by way of a City Council evaluation.
 

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

In regard to this question, I support making MOPD a Commissioner level agency, and would assign a specific NYC Council committee to perform an oversight function. After a one year period, I would assess the agency’s performance by way of a City Council evaluation.
 

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?

In regard to this question, I support making MOPD a Commissioner level agency, and would assign a specific NYC Council committee to perform an oversight function. After a one year period, I would assess the agency’s performance by way of a City Council evaluation.
 

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