Wireless RERC - National Council on Disability (NCD)

NCD Funding Opportunity: Evaluate the Impact of Section 503 Rehabilitation Act Amendments

mz22 — Wed, 04 May 2016 16:04:47 +0000

The National Council on Disability (NCD) released a notice of funding for a cooperative agreement. Applicants are given the opportunity to propose methods for determining the impact of increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The project seeks to examine the implementation and projected effectiveness of the amended Section 503 regulations that became effective in March 2014. Among other things, the resultant report is expected to develop recommendations for improving employee self-disclosure rates and discuss the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’s role in improving contractor compliance. The award amount is $100,000 and proposals are due May 31, 2016.

NCD Issues 2014 Disability Policy Progress Report

mz22 — Fri, 07 Nov 2014 14:49:18 +0000

National Council on Disability (NCD)

National Disability Policy: A Progress Report - October 2014

October 2014 – The National Council on Disability (NCD) issued their 2014 edition of the National Disability Policy: A Progress Report. The report highlights findings related to the “Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD), employment access and inclusion, subminimum wage, education outcomes, Medicaid managed care, mental health care, and data trends in disability policy.” The details of the NCD report are intended to provide policymakers, stakeholders, and advocates of disability rights with a social context regarding progress and opportunities for people with disabilities.

The 2014 Progress Report also recommends public policies and research agendas to contribute to a more inclusive and accessible society, including:

Encouraging the Department of Transportation to partner with the private sector on researching autonomous vehicle technology and its potential for people with disabilities.
Recommending that the Department of Labor develop a science technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiative for youth with disabilities in order to prepare them for an encourage careers in STEM fields.
Advising the FCC to provide guidance on best practices on including people with disabilities in the research and development (R&D) throughout all phases of the development process, from concept to market.

To read a full copy of the NCD’s 2014 Progress Report, please click the link below.

ODEP Advisor Appointed to Office of Public Engagement for White House

mz22 — Mon, 28 Jul 2014 13:10:37 +0000

National Council on Disability (NCD)

NCD Welcomes Appointment of Taryn Mackenzie Williams as White House Public Engagement Advisor

July 2014 – The National Council on Disability (NCD), a federal advisory committee recognized by the President and Congress, released a press release embracing the appointment of Taryn Mackenzie Williams as an advisor for the White House’s Office of Public Engagement. Experience as Senior Policy Advisor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Williams lends her expertise in disability policy areas of workforce development, education, Medicaid, social security, and youth transition services to the Executive Branch, effective as of July 14, 2014.

Phoebe Ball Joins National Council on Disability

mz22 — Mon, 23 Jun 2014 14:23:49 +0000

National Council on Disability (NCD)

NCD adds Phoebe Ball

June 2014 – The National Council on Disability (NCD) has announced the addition of Phoebe Ball as their Legislative Affairs Specialist. Previously a staff attorney with the non-profit group Disability Rights Florida (DRF), Phoebe’s experience includes “access to home- and community-based services, self-determination, and guardianship,” along with other Medicaid focused work. Her personal experience dealing with Spina Bifida while being a parent will allow her to bring firsthand expertise to the concerns of parents with disabilities. Before her time in Florida, Phoebe worked at the University of Iowa in their Law, Health Policy and Disability Center. Her resume shows her dedication as an advocate for people with disabilities. Anne Sommers, Director of Legislative Affairs & Outreach with NCD, had this to say about Phoebe: “Phoebe’s personal and professional experiences make her well positioned to bridge the gap between policy concepts and how policy plays out in real lives -- a skill set we look forward to utilizing as the agency continues its important work with elected officials and their staff on Capitol Hill.”

Wireless RERC Researcher Authors NCD Report on Emergency Communications

mz22 — Fri, 06 Jun 2014 16:59:00 +0000

National Council on Disability (NCD)

Emergency Communications

NCD Report

Original NCD Funding Announcement

Publication Type:

Reports

Dr. James White, Director of Communications Studies at Georgia Tech’s Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP) and Wireless RERC researcher, authored the recently published National Council on Disability (NCD) report: Effective Communication for People with Disabilities Before, During, and After Emergencies Evaluated. Officially released at their May 27^th briefing, the report focuses on the accessibility of emergency communication for people with intellectual, sensory, psychiatric and developmental disabilities. Of note, Dr. White’s study outlined various barriers and best practices that would assist in providing effective communication for people with disabilities. “Examples of the communications challenges facing people with disabilities in emergency situations abound,” stated Dr. White. “People with disabilities can face challenges in physical mobility and receipt of critical, lifesaving information.” The report itself pulled from research that the Wireless RERC has been conducting since 2004.

NCD Testifies on Behalf of Parents with Disabilities

mz22 — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 17:38:46 +0000

National Council on Disability (NCD)

NCD’s Robyn Powell’s Statement

April 2014 – Robyn Powell, Attorney Advisor for the National Council on Disability (NCD), testified before the Massachusetts legislature concerning the rights of parents with disabilities. The legislature met regarding Massachusetts House Bill 1379 which “seeks to prohibit discrimination against parents with disabilities in family and juvenile court proceedings.”- In her testimony, Powell addressed the history of discrimination towards parents with disabilities, biases and lack of accommodations toward these individuals when pursuing assistance through the Child Welfare System and the family court system. Specifically, Powell cites the 2012 NCD report entitled, Rocking the Cradle: Ensuring the Rights of Parents with Disabilities and Their Children, as a key policy study. This NCD report provides specific case studies of parents and future parents with disabilities in situations including “family law and dependency proceedings, adoption, and access to assistive reproductive technology.” With regard to the Massachusetts House Bill 1379, Powell stated, “NCD encourages the legislature to pass legislation ensuring the rights of prospective parents with disabilities to access adoption and assistive reproductive technologies, as well, in accordance with the model legislation in the Rocking Cradle report.”

FEDERAL DISABILITY POLICY: WHERE ARE WE NOW?

mz22 — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 16:45:41 +0000

National Council on Disability (NCD)

Disability

Policy

Press Release

2012 NCD Progress Report

September 19, 2012— The National Council on Disability (NCD) released its annual report on U.S. disability policy titled the 2012 NCD Progress Report. The report presents NCD’s assessment of federal disability policy, the impact that emerging trends and policies had on quality of life and provides recommendations to the legislative and executive branches, including: the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing to formulate a plan to distribute and/or subsidize affordable hand-held currency readers; and the Department of Justice and Federal Communications Commission to collaborate on enforcement actions to encourage more accessible and effective emergency communications. NCD chairman Jonathan Young noted “In the current era of fiscal restraint, our nation’s long-term fiscal stability depends, in part, on creating meaningful opportunities for Americans with disabilities to contribute to our nation’s collective well-being and eliminating policies that trap people with disabilities in cycles of poverty and dependence.”