| NEWS AND
ANNOUNCEMENTS |
NY Senate leader Joseph Bruno won't
run again--ALBANY, N.Y. The top Republican in New York state
politics, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, confirmed Monday that he won't
seek re-election, an announcement that complicates GOP efforts to hang on to
their slim majority in his chamber.
Click
here for article. |
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IG blasts New York agencies
responsible for disabled care--- New York Inspector General Joseph Fisch
says two state agencies responsible for caring for the disabled have neglected
their duties and failed to reveal critical information to the family of a boy
who died in state care.
Click here for article. |
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State of New York Mortgage Agency Partners With
DHCR, HUD and Public Housing Authorities to Offer 2% Mortgages to Section 8
Recipients.
Click
here for pdf version |
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Blind New York governor embraces
his disability--As a young man, David Paterson never looked for dropped
change because he didnt want people to see a blind man crawling on the
floor for nickels and dimes. He didnt use a white cane, either: it would
make him a target in his New York City neighborhood.
Click here
for article. |
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Quality of care commissioner
calls it quits --O'Brien packed up and left the Commission on Quality of
Care - better known as the CQC. That agency was in the center of the storm over
Jonathon Carey, the 13-year-old boy with autism who was killed by his
caregivers. Click here for
article. |
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Integration and independence for
NYs disabled --Equal opportunity for people with disabilities is
top priority at The Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY).
Staffed by a diverse group of social workers, lawyers and other professionals,
the non-profit organization aims to foster independence among people with
disabilities by removing social, economic and cultural barriers in communities.
Click
here for article. |
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Implementation of Competitive
Bidding Round 1 Delayed--The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid
Services (CMS) has decided to extend the date for implementation of the first
round to July 2008 from its original date of April 1, 2008. There are several
efforts by various industry groups to gain congressional support for
legislation to mitigate the impact of competitive bidding.
Click
here for more. |
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A Blind Governor Adjusts, and So
Does Albany --At the end of each day they call in and record briefings,
laying out what he needs to know about the following day.
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here for article. |
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BELLEVUE EYED AS LUXE
HOTEL--Originally, officials considered turning the 1931 Italian
Renaissance-style building on First Avenue between 29th and 30th streets into
condos, but oddly, the layout of a mental institution is better suited to a
hotel, Melissa Konur, vice president of the city's Economic Development
Commission, told The Post. Click
here for more. |
New York
History
David Patersons ascension moment to celebrate
for me. Click here for
article.
Paterson's Swearing-In marks
Especially Proud Day For Black Leaders, New Yorkers.
click here
for more.Video
The New Governor Also Serves as
an Inspiration for the Blind--Harold James, a 44-year-old bear of a man
with a neatly trimmed beard, works at Lighthouse International, a nonprofit
organization that helps people with vision problems.
Click
here for article.
Gov. David Paterson's rise
inspires blind students --For his morning journal-writing assignment at
Intermediate School 237 in Flushing, Queens, Eric Ballard selects a daily topic
of his choosing.
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here for article. |
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We Win! NY board chooses new voting
machines for handicapped--The state Board of Elections on Thursday
approved more accurate, modern voting machines accessible to the disabled that
must be ready for the fall elections.
Click
here for article. |
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Spitzer's speech sparse on
government reform The 70-minute address, delivered Wednesday to a joint
meeting of the Senate and Assembly, was remarkable for the absence of
discussion about government reform, the signature issue of Spitzer's
gubernatorial campaign in 2006....They had clapped heartily for record school
aid, less Medicaid spending and funds for stem-cell research.
Click
here for article. |
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NY Sets Voting-Machine Upgrade
Schedule The New York Board of Elections on Friday gave a federal judge
a timetable under which it plans to replace all of the state's lever-action
voting machines by September 2009.
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here for article.
Judge warns New York to comply with
voting law (HAVA) A federal judge is giving New York until Jan. 4 to
develop a timeline for how it will comply with a federal election law to make
voting more accurate and more accessible to the disabled.
Click
here for article. |
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Tentative pact halts ParaTransit
strike A tentative agreement has been reached between striking van
drivers and companies that provide public transportation for thousands of
disabled New Yorkers, officials said yesterday.
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here for article. |
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Audit finds agency for disabled
hired relatives in no-bid dealsState Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says
his auditors found the Central New York Developmental Disabilities Services
Office hired dozens of relatives of employees at a cost of $253,000 without
seeking the lowest bid for the work.
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here for article. |
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Man's stolen wheelchair returned in
Hagerstown Hagerstown Police say the wheelchair stolen from a man at a
Wal-Mart store has been returned.
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here for article. |
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Woman in wheelchair injured by
subway train.A woman was struck by a train and seriously injured after
the back wheels of her electric wheelchair got stuck on the yellow studded area
of a Penn Station subway platform, police said yesterday.
Click
here for article. |
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Critics slam plan for disabled
voting equipment. ALBANY - State officials are considering an expensive
stopgap to comply next year with a federal law mandating that all polling
places have a voting machine equipped for the disabled, though county leaders
and reformers have said the plan is unworkable and could further delay the
modernization of voting systems.
Click
here for article.
NYS DISABLED ADVOCATES DEFEAT ELECTIONS BOARD ON
HAVA MEASURE.
We Won!!! Click here for more.
NY TIMES: Holt's Election Reform Bill (HR 811)
Going Back for a Re-Write. Click here
for background |
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Bill to protect disabled now up to
Spitzer. Michael and Lisa Carey are watching Albany these days as few
do. They are waiting to see if the bill they pushed in memory of their autistic
son, Jonathan, becomes law so that parents can better protect their disabled
children.
Click
here for article. |
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Justices say home healthcare aides not entitled to
minimum wage, overtime. Click
here for more. |
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Disabled Child's Parents Defend
Growth-Retarding TherapyClick here for
article.
Ashley - the disability
perspective The medical model tends to favour using surgery, drugs and
other interventions to "normalise" a disabled person.
Click here for
article.
Parents Stop Disabled Child's
Growth. Three months ago, the U.S. medical community learned of a
treatment where a disabled girl's growth was intentionally stunted through
surgery. Click
here for article. |
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Eliot Spitzer sworn in as New Yorks 54th
Governor. Click here
for article.
Spitzer calls for renewing New York's glory days.
Click here for
article.
Attorney General Takes Office Under Spitzer's Long
Shadow. Click here for
article. |
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Timothy's Law gives hope to
mentally ill. After 10 days at an upstate hospital, Victoria Scott's
youngest of four children suddenly found herself Thursday at the Rockland
Children's Psychiatric Center in Orangeburg.
Click
here for article. |
ILCHV Staff Check Out New Voting Machines
Machine's help the blind cast their
votes Visually impaired voters go to polls for first time
Click here for video
and article.
Despite the glitches, election
officials like voting machines.
Click here for
article. |
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Disabled voters in New York face
substantial barriers to in-person voting Justice Department settlement
mandates only one accessible machine per county
Click here for
more. |
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New York State DOHhas
prevented thousands of disabled people from receiving equipment like walkers
and wheelchairs, by delaying or denying their requests in violation of state
and federal rules, according to an investigation by the State Assembly.
Click here for
more. |
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NYS HAVA UPDATE.
Voting Machines Catering To
Disabled New Yorkers To Be Rolled Out This Fall The new machines feature
large print, touch screens, and even have an option of voting by breathing into
a straw.
Click here for article.
Printouts to verify e-voting this
fall Hawai'i voters using electronic voting machines this year will be
able to double-check their choices before they cast their ballots, a big change
from the last election.
Click
here for article. |
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Disabled Wilton Woman
Recognized.WILTON---Teena Willard of Wilton was honored with an
"Achievers' Award" at the 26th Annual Disabilities Awareness Day Awards
Ceremony this week in Albany.
Click
here for article. |
ONLINE DISABILITY TALK SHOW HOSTED
BY MOTHER FROM BUFFALO.Nic Carcieri, father of son Ben with autism,
decided he wanted to do something to help promote awareness of autism. Nic has
been a fan/collector of comic books for many years. He created a fabulous comic
book called BOTS to help raise money for the Autism Society of America.
Click
here for more. Or for www.disabilitynewsradio.com ,click here for
radioshow. |
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HAVA Implementation in
Jeopardy NY Actions Threaten HAVA Nationwide.
Click here for
more.
State to buy devices to help
disabled vote-ALBANY - State election officials, while still battling
the federal government in court, are preparing to buy machinery that will allow
people with disabilities to vote this fall, a Board of Elections spokesman said
Friday.
Click
here for article.
Justice Department Sues New York
State over Voting Rights Lawsuit Seeks to Vindicate Rights of Disabled
Voters and Federal Election Reform Efforts. WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Justice
Department announced today that it has filed suit against the State of New York
alleging violations of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA).
Click
here for more.
For More Click
here |
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Right call Legislature
preserves drug assistance program.In the switchover to the Medicare D
prescription plan, it soon became evident to low-income seniors and the
disabled who were getting both Medicaid and Medicare that the new coverage was
problematic. Medicare did not cover as much as Medicaid did.
Click
here for article. |
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ALBANY, N.Y. -- State health officials are working
to combat the costly problem of inappropriately placed nursing home residents _
a move that experts say could help New York save millions of dollars in
Medicaid spending annually. Click here for
article. |
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Albany County is-or was?-quietly trying to throw
some of its disabled citizens into poverty. From the
Metroland click here Or
here . |
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People with Disabilities Earn a
Seat at the Table.-On Thursday December 15, 2005 one day before a court
mandated hearing before State Supreme Court Justice Thomas McNamara, the New
York State Board of Elections formally appointed Dennis Boyd as the New York
State Independent Living Council (NYSILC) representative to the new Citizen
Election Modernization Advisory Committee.
Click here for the
release. |
Manhattanville College student Michael Harris, founder of the
Disabled Riders Coalition, documents accessibility throughout the MTA.
(WNYC/Beth Fertig)
Disability Advocate Checks Up on
NYC Transit-NEW YORK, NY, December 02, 2005 In 1984, New York
City Transit agreed to make its buses and subways more accessible for people
with wheelchairs. Click here
for article. |
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Money coming for voting machines State isn't sure
what it will buy with $153.4 million from federal government.
Click here for details. |
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State budget might be the latest one ever, experts
say State's highest court says Legislature can't change policies included in
governor's budget plan. Click
here for article. |
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Medicaid Equipment Pleas Go Unanswered. Health
Dept. Closes Manhattan Medicaid OfficeClick here for
article. |
Brain wave technology could
change lives: Imagine controlling a computer using only your thoughts. Click here for article. |
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New NCIL Director: On behalf of the Board of
Directors and Staff of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) we are
pleased to announce that John Lancaster has accepted the position of Executive
Director of NCIL, headquartered in Washington, DC.
Click here for more. |
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GOVERNOR SIGNS LAW CREATING GREATER OPPORTUNITIES
FOR NEW YORKERS WITH DISABILITIES TO LIVE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
Click here for more. |
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VESID Investigated
Agency workers under
scrutiny Albany -- Investigation of Education Department unit finds
money may have been misspent .
A state agency that is supposed to train and help
find jobs for disabled people has been plagued by missing computers and
camcorders, backdated bills and phantom training sessions, the state Education
Department revealed Tuesday.
Click
here for article. |
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Veto means welfare recipients seeking disability
benefits must work
ALBANY, N.Y. Governor George Pataki has vetoed a
bill allowing welfare recipients to be exempt from work requirements while they
seek federal disability benefits.
Click here for
article. |
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Olmstead Rally
Video. |
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The Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley
subcontracts with Cornell University to be a hubsite to provide technical
assistance on ADA and Accessible IT. For more information on this NIDRR funded
project, click here:
www.northeastada.org |
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