September NCD Bulletin (fwd)

[F. Pennell]

Here is the most recent National Council on Disability Newsletter.
Francie Pennell

NCD BULLETIN
A Monthly Publication of the National Council on Disability
(NCD)
Marca Bristo, Chairperson  September 1996

The BULLETIN, which is free of charge, available in
alternative formats, and on the Internet (http://www.ncd.gov),
brings you the latest issues and news affecting people
with disabilities.  Please write, fax, or e-mail your
comments to the BULLETIN'S editor,
Mark S. Quigley (mquigley at ncd.gov).


HOUSING UPDATE
_Thea Spires was appointed special assistant to the
secretary on disability policy at the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  She can be
reached at 202-401-7991.

_In a report issued on September 11, 1996, a national
task force called on the Federal Government to find
housing for 1.8 million Americans with disabilities,
charging that available housing for people with disabilities
will drop 50 percent due to a new law that reserves
much public and assisted housing for the elderly.  In
the report, the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities
Housing Task Force and the Boston-based Technical Assistance
Collaborative indicate that the number of available
housing units is shrinking, while the number of people
with disabilities grows.  For more information, contact
Kym King at 713-520-8682 or Andy Burness at 301-652
1558.

_A debriefing for the U.S. delegation to the second
U.N. Conference on Human Settlements (Habitat II) was
held at HUD on September 12, 1996.  Participants discussed
key opportunities for federal agencies to follow up
on the Habitat agenda and how nongovernmental organizations,
the private sector, and local authorities can be involved.

PRESIDENT CREATES NEW HEALTH CARE ADVISORY COMMISSION
_President Clinton will sign an Executive Order creating
an Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality
in the Health Care Industry that will review changes
occurring in the health care system and, where appropriate,
make recommendations on how best to promote and ensure
consumer protection and health care quality.

ADA/CIVIL RIGHTS UPDATE
_The American Council of the Blind (ACB), the Blinded
Veterans Association, and nine other organizations and
individuals filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against
the


Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA),
the U.S. Department of
Transportation, and the Federal Transit Administration.
The suit was filed in response to WMATA's failure to
comply with regulations issued pursuant to the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) that mandate installation
of warning strips on rail platform edges that can be
detected both under foot and by a white cane.  For more
information, contact ACB's Julie Carroll at 202-467
5081.

_In the first agreement of its kind, Cineplex Odeon
Corporation, one of the nation's largest operators of
motion picture theaters, agreed to provide significant
numbers of listening devices for moviegoers who are
hard-of-hearing, under an agreement reached with the
Department of Justice (DOJ).  Copies of this agreement
may be obtained by calling DOJ at 1-800-514-0301 or
1-800-514-0383 (TT).

_The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission set
forth its position on the interaction between Title
I of ADA and state workers' compensation laws by issuing
Enforcement Guidance:  Workers' Compensation and the
ADA.  Among the issues the guidance addresses is whether
every person who has been injured on the job and is
entitled to workers' compensation has a 'disability"
as defined by ADA.  The guidance says no.  For more
information, contact Claire Gonzales or Reginald Welch
at 202-663-4900 or 202-663-4494 (TT).

_The National Empowerment Center (NEC) announced its
sponsorship of the first national 'Learning From Us"
conference, scheduled for March 19-22, 1997, in Albuquerque,
New Mexico.  The conference is targeted to mental health
administrators, policymakers, managed behavioral health
care organizations, and others, to teach the unique
models of empowerment, healing, and recovery developed
by NEC.  For more information, call 605-338-1088.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
_NCD is seeking input in various ways on reauthorization
of the Rehabilitation Act, which is expected next year.
NCD is particularly interested in feedback from people
with disabilities concerning changes enacted in the
1992 amendments.  Such topics would include the effects
of rehabilitation advisory councils, eligibility determination,
choice, order of selection, and outreach to people from
diverse cultural backgrounds.  Input may be sent in
writing to Jamal Mazrui at NCD.

_The Traumatic Brain Injury Act was signed into law
on July 29, 1996.  The bill will develop innovative
strategies for prevention, treatment, and service coordination
of traumatic brain injuries.  For more information,
contact Tamela Reid at 202-296-6443.


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