Capitol Insider

Action Alerts

NEW - Protect Children with Disabilities From Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools. Call in this Thursday, January 21

Do You Want the Term "Mental Retardation" Removed from Federal Laws?

Major Events Last Week

Health Care Reform

President Obama increased his involvement in negotiations with the Democratic leadership of the House and Senate to resolve differences between their bills. On Wednesday, he reportedly spent over six hours in these negotiations. The leadership had hoped to resolve all differences and send a revised bill to the Congressional Budget Office for a cost estimate by the end of the week, but did not meet that deadline.

ADA/Technology

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reached agreements under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Pace University in New York City, Arizona State University and Reed College in Portland, OR, regarding the use of electronic book readers, which read text aloud. The schools were using the Kindle DX. A student using the Kindle DX could have the text read aloud but could not use the menu and navigational controls. Without access to the menus, students had no way to know which book they had selected or how to use the Kindle DX. Under the agreements the universities will not purchase, recommend or promote use of the Kindle DX, or any other electronic book reader, unless the devices are fully accessible to students who need assistance in order to read textbooks.

Major Events Ahead

Obama Administration

The White House has announced that the President will deliver his State of the Union Address on Wednesday, January 27. President Obama will then release his Fiscal Year 2011 budget request to Congress on Monday, February 1.

U.S. Congress

The Senate returns to work on Wednesday after a fairly brief holiday recess.

Health Care Reform

The fate of the health reform bill may rest on the outcome of today's special election in Massachusetts to fill the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy's seat. The Republican candidate has vowed to oppose any health reform bill. If he wins, Senate Democrats will lose their 60 vote filibuster-proof supermajority that allowed for passage of the Senate health reform bill. White House and Democratic Congressional staff are meeting to discuss fast track strategies for a final vote on health reform (such as the House voting on the Senate bill) if the Republican candidate wins.

Much is at stake for the disability community in the health care reform bills. To learn about specific provisions that affect people with disabilities, read the recent letter from the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD), which includes The Arc and UCP, at:
http://www.c-c-d.org/task_forces/health/CCD-House-SenateConferenceLetter810.pdf

Debt Limit/ Entitlement Commission

The Senate is set to begin debate tomorrow on legislation to increase the debt limit so that the federal government can meet its debt obligations. The debate on increasing the debt limit may be prolonged by numerous amendments and filibusters. Key issues to be debated include the pay as you go system (PAYGO) and the creation of an entitlement commission. An entitlement commission, likely to be appointed by the Congress and the President, would be of great concern to the disability community as its primary purpose is to recommend savings (i.e. cuts) in major entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Those recommendations would have to be voted up or down by the Congress, without amendments.

Announcements

ODEP Listening Session & Talking Points

The DPC has prepared talking points for advocates to participate in the Office of Disability Employment (ODEP) series of listening sessions on improving employment for people with disabilities. Beginning on January 21 in Dallas, Texas and continuing through March 3 in Boston, Massachusetts, ODEP and its federal partners will hold a series of six disability employment Listening Sessions. Sessions are also scheduled for Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco, and Atlanta. To learn more about the Listening Sessions and how to register and comment, see:

http://disabilitylisteningtour.com/

To read the DPC's talking points and supporting data, see:

http://www.thearc.org/NetCommunity/Document.Doc?id=2151

Disability Data

The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, recently released a compendium of disability statistics for 2009. The Annual Disability Compendium brings together in one place disability statistics published by various federal agencies. It may be useful when individuals or organizations needs disability statistics for press or public information activities, advocacy materials, grant writing or other matters relating to persons with disabilities. See: www.DisabilityCompendium.org

Employment Training Event

A federal government-wide hiring event for people with disabilities is scheduled for April 26, 2010. In preparation for this event, several federal agencies have developed a "Call to Action: Hiring People with Disabilities" event on February 9, 2010 to train human resource officials, hiring managers and other federal personnel to develop an improved pipeline and process for hiring and retaining people with disabilities. Interested federal personnel must register by February 3 by emailing their full name, title, agency and email address to Michael.Aguenza.Ctr@tma.osd.mil

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Please note that you can view previous issues of the Capitol Insider, at thearc.org anytime by choosing "Capitol Insider" under "Public Policy."

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at:
mailto:acosta@thedpc.org

Sincerely,

Annie Acosta
Director of Communications and Grassroots Advocacy
Disability Policy Collaboration