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VOLUME 25 NUMBER 7 JANUARY 2020
U.N. COMMEMORATESEvents Mark Day of Disabled Persons
The United Nations (U.N.) recently recognized In-ternational Day of Dis-
abled Persons (IDDP) with several events at U.N. head-quarters in New York City.
The annual observance of Dec. 3, was proclaimed in 1992 by a U.N. General Assembly resolu-tion to promote the rights and well-being of people with disabil-ities in all aspects of society. It is celebrated throughout the world.
This year, IDPD focused on the empowerment of people who are disabled for inclusive, equitable and sustainable development as anticipated in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 goals. The goals are relat-ed to education, growth, employ-ment, inequality, accessibility of human settlements, data collec-tion and monitoring of the goals.
“When we secure the rights of people with disabilities, we move
closer to achieving the central promise of the 2030 Agenda – to leave no one behind,” said Anto-nio Guterres, U.N. secretary gen-eral.
The one-day event was or-ganized by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The opening program consisted of statements by global leaders who discussed ongoing efforts and their vision for continued
Continued on page 16
The Sports Panel presentings at the International Day of Disabled Persons are, left to right, are Car-lo Riva of L’abilità for Inter Campus; Youngeun Lee, disability advocate; Adam Fraser of New York, global chief executive of Laureus Sport for Good; Lindsay Krasnoff, member of the US Steer-ing Committee at Football for Peace; an unnamed representative for the Division for Inclusive Social
Development at the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat; Victor Calise, commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities; Annika Bryson Emmert, self-advocate; Mrudula Peddinti of Florida, Limbitless Solutions; Francesco Magisano of New York, Achilles International of New York; Caroline Gibson of New York, Microsoft.
BONSU HonoredSUNY New Paltz HonorsICS V.P. for Philanthropy
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Rent FreezeProgram ExpansionEases Fears of Hikes
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Medicaid MattersAdvocates ConcernedAbout Budget Crisis
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Cuomo Vetos Three BillsMedicaid Renewal andTax Credits Quashed
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Jonathan’s LawDiNapoli Audit Shows OPWDD Inefficiencies
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Library & NYC Sued New ConstructionNot Accessible
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Deadline for theFebruary Issue of Able NewspaperWill Be Jan. 14
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Independence Care System (ICS) Senior Vice President of Administration and Mem-
ber Services Harry Bonsu re-cently received the Heritage Award from SUNY New Paltz in recognition of his philanthro-
ICS VP Honored by SUNY New Paltzpy and service at the college.
“I was surprised and hum-bled by it,” he said. “It is truly an honor.”
He was joined by family and friends to receive the honor at his alma mater, where he earned a Bachelor of arts de-gree in political science and fi-nance. He later earned a mas-ter’s degree in business admin-istration at the University of Phoenix.
“I love the mission of our or-ganization,” said Bonsu, who has served on the ICS leader-ship team, since 2008.
Bonsu has 25 years of expe-rience as an administrator in the fields of health care, human services and small business. He previously served as chief fi-nancial and administrative of-
ficer at Safe Space NYC and di-rector of administration at the American Red Cross in Greater New York City.
Currently, he is a board member and treasurer for the Dream Builders Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes edu-cation and youth development. As an alumnus of SUNY New Paltz, he often speaks at their campus events, mentors stu-dents, and joined the school’s fundraising campaign team to raise money for student schol-arships.
Bonsu, who was born in Gha-na, migrated to Brooklyn at age five and was raised in Crown Heights and East Flatbush. He now resides in Middletown, N.Y., with his wife and chil-dren.
More New York City tenants can now benefit from rent freeze programs for seniors and people with disabilities due to a recent change in the law that allows renters to keep preferential rents for as long as they remain in their apartment, according to Assemblymember Steven Cym-browitz (D-Dist. 45), chair of the Assembly Housing Committee and prime sponsor of the prefer-ential rent legislation.
This legislation was first in-troduced by Cymbrowitz when he became housing chair and was one component of the Hous-ing Stability and Tenant Protec-tion Act passed by the Legisla-ture in June. Preferential rents, which affect nearly a third of
Rent Freeze Programs Expandrent-stabilized leases, involve landlords charging a preferen-tial amount under the rent-sta-bilized maximum.
Previously, landlords were allowed to raise preferential amounts to the legal limit when a tenant’s lease was up for re-newal. Now, preferential rents are locked in for the length of tenancy. Under the former system, tenants paying pref-erential rents were forced to wait until their rent reached the legal level to benefit from the Senior Citizen Rent In-crease Exemption (SCRIE) and Disabled Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) programs. “So many senior and disabled tenants in my district and across
our city who paid preferential rents lived in fear of not being able to afford their apartments once their lease was up for re-newal, but at the same time they couldn’t qualify for the city’s rent freeze programs until their rent was increased to a level they couldn’t afford,” said Cym-browitz. “This Catch-22 made it essential to lock in preferential rents for the length of tenancy as part of the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act.”
SCRIE and DRIE, admin-istered by the New York City Department of Finance, helps eligible senior citizens who are 62 and older and tenants with qualifying disabilities who are 18 and older stay in affordable housing by freezing their rent.
Eligibility also requires a household income of less than $50,000. Under this program, a property tax credit covers the dif-ference between the actual rent amount and what a tenant is re-sponsible for paying at the frozen rate. There are 74,666 house-holds enrolled in these programs.
For information on the pro-grams and specific eligibility criteria visit www.nyc.gov/rent-freeze.
Harry Bonsu
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Community Board 7 and the Lighthouse Guild, as well as com-munity partners recently held a health fair at the Children’s Aide Society in New York City that was attended by, left to right, Roberta Semer, Community Board 7; Janet Weinstein, Light-house Guild; Manhattan Borough Pres. Gail Brewer; Madeline Innocent, chair of the Task Force for Public Housing for Com-munity Board 7; and Susan Matloff-Nieves, deputy executive director at the Goddard Riverside Community Center.
Participants were offered free vision, blood pressure and glu-cose screenings. They also had the opportunity to speak with experts about community resources, long-term care options, vision health, diabetes, tenant winter weather rights and other topics of interest to seniors.
Guest speakers included Brewer, New York City Coun-cilmember Mark Levine (D-Dist. 7), New York state Assembly-member Danny O’Donnell (D-Dist. 69) and New York state Sen. Brian Benjamin (D-Dist. 30).
Health Fair Provides Screenings
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Governor Andrew Cuomo re-cently vetoed two tax credit bills that would help people with dis-abilities.
The Visitability Tax Credit bill, A2493/S2424, was intro-duced to provide homeowners with a tax credit of up to $2,750 to help pay for renovations in their home that would make it more accessible. This measure was meant to help New Yorkers pay for the removal of barriers or the addition of accessibility features that would keep them from possibly having to move to a nursing home or similar facility because their home or practice is not safe to live in.
Some features could include one no-step entrance, an accessi-ble path to a door, making hall-
Medicaid Matters New York is the statewide coalition representing
the interests of the more than 6 and a half million people who are served by New York’s Med-icaid program, in addition to the community-based organi-zations and safety-net provid-ers that serve them.
The intent of the Medicaid program is to provide cover-age to people with low-income and/or disabilities. According to Medicaid Matters, the New York state has been a nation-al leader in providing pub-
Gov. Nixes Tax Credit Measures
Advocacy Group Concerned About Budget Crisislic health insurance coverage and promoting health-care ac-cess. They claim that few states cover more people or provide as wide an array of community and home-based services.
The coalition asserts that overall the state has made sig-nificant progress toward en-couraging person-centered care and reducing costs through Medicaid redesign.
Medicad Matters New York it is concerned about the state’s Medicaid budget crisis.
“The rest of the nation is looking to see how New York
will meet its financial con-straints while preserving what has distinguished its Medic-aid program from all others,” Medicaid Matters said in a statement. “Medicaid Matters urges state policymakers to maintain its unwavering com-mitment to the Medicaid pro-gram and thoughtfully address the budget crisis by preserving its strengths. New York must show the nation that in times of financial challenge, we stand by our families, children, se-niors and people with disabili-ties.”
The coalition has identified issues they feel are of partic-ular importance, such as pro-tecting enrollees from loss of coverage or services and ensur-ing access to meaningful care coordination. They are also calling for rightsizing Medicaid reimbursement for facilities so safety-net providers are com-pensated for the services they provide.
In addition, they want all Medicaid spending, including allocations made that are con-sidered exempt from the global cap, to be transparent.
ways and doorways wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair or an accessible bathroom on the first floor. Many people with dis-abilities live on a fixed income and cannot afford even the smallest modifications. This funding would have helped defray that cost.
The other legislation that Cuo-mo vetoed was bill A7475/S5545, which would provide a tax cred-it for small businesses who hire a full-time employee with a dis-ability. This type of incentive would help more people with disabilities to find jobs, address-ing their high unemployment and poverty rates in the state. With more people gainfully em-ployed off public assistance pro-grams, this could have also ben-efitted taxpayers.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo recent-ly vetoed a bill, A7578/S5485, which would allow for automatic recertifications for many Med-icaid recipients, including those with managed long-term care (MLTC), and would allow for automatic enrollment into an MLTC plan for those who are eli-gible to enroll but haven’t picked a plan.
Earlier, the Health Law Unit of the Legal Aid Society sent a letter to Cuomo urging him to sign the bills, which would have helped people with disabil-ities and the elderly from los-ing Medicaid, Medicare Savings Programs and/or home care cov-erage, despite being eligible. It was written by Rebecca Antar Novick, director of the Health Law Unit.
The legislation to automate the
Cuomo Vetoes Medicaid Renewal/Auto Enrollment Billannual Medicaid renewal process was created to protect consumers who were in jeopardy of having their benefits terminated because of unforeseen problems with the process. Automatic recertifica-tions for MLTC and the Medicare Savings Program would have helped enrollees who are elderly, blind or disabled to avoid a bur-densome and error-prone renewal process to prove they are still eli-gible.
The renewal packages are mailed to recipients who are often unable to understand and respond on a timely basis. Many consumers have related stories of not receiving these mailings or those who did fol-low the process but were still disenrolled for allegedly failing to respond.
“Recipients are cut off Medic-
aid because they fall victim to the bureaucratic barriers of an archa-ic mail renewal system,” stated Novick in her letter. “Consumers often do not receive a discontinu-ance notice or may not have the wherewithal to request a fair hear-ing in the short 10 days from the date of the discontinuance notice.”
The legislation was also
meant to institute auto-en-rollment for eligible Medicaid recipients into MLTC plans. It would address the issue of individuals who have success-fully applied for Medicaid, but were not receiving benefits due to arduous hurdles and delays before they can actu-ally enroll in a MLTC plan.
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New York state’s Office for People With Devel-opmental Disabilities
(OPWDD) is not ensuring parents and guardians are properly notified of incidents of abuse and neglect in pro-grams it oversees, as required under Jonathan’s Law, ac-cording to a recent audit by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
In July, DiNapoli released an audit of the state Office of Mental Health that included similar findings at that agen-cy’s facilities. In 2007, Jon-athan Carey, a 13-year-old non-verbal boy with autism died while in the care of a state facility.
Soon after, Jonathan’s Law was enacted to expand access to records for parents, spouses, guardians and other qualified individuals relating to incidents involving family members resid-ing in facilities that are operat-ed, licensed or certified by OP-WDD and other state agencies.
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) recently an-nounced a settlement with Har-vard University that institutes a series of new guidelines to make the university’s website and online resources accessible for those who are deaf or hear-ing impaired.
According to NAD, the settle-ment represents the most com-prehensive set of online acces-sibility requirements in high-er education. The settlement expands upon the university’s new digital accessibility policy, which was announced in May.
Harvard must provide cap-tions for all online resources, including school-wide events that are live-streamed, content from department sponsored student organizations, and any new audio or video hosted by third-party platforms such as YouTube or Vimeo. The terms of the settlement are included within a consent decree, which can be enforced by the court. The court must approve the consent decree before it may become effective.
This settlement was reached four years after litigation be-gan in 2015, when it was filed
Although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Ser-vices (CMS) previously is-sued a proposed rule to roll back the long-term care emergency preparedness re-quirements, they have re-cently reconsidered that po-sition.
Most notably, the proposal would have allowed nursing homes to review their emer-gency preparedness pro-grams and to train staff to carry out emergency plans every two years instead of annually. The Long Term
OPWDD Fails to Ensure Reporting of Abuse & Neglect“The state must do every-
thing it can to protect individ-uals with disabilities in their care,” DiNapoli said. “Jon-athan’s Law was created to make sure incidents of abuse and neglect are properly ad-dressed and families are told of what occurred. This law can’t work if state agencies aren’t fully complying with the law’s requirements. This is the second state agency my auditors have found that is failing to meet their obliga-tions.”
Reportable incidents under the law involve physical, sex-ual or psychological abuse, as well as neglect. Reportable incidents include those that may result in or have the po-tential to result in harm to the health, safety or welfare of a patient.
OPWDD operates 13 de-velopmental disabilities state operations (DDSO) offices in six regions across the state to oversee more than 1,100 cer-
tified programs. The agency also regulates, certifies, spon-sors, and oversees approxi-mately 650 community-based service providers subject to Jonathan’s Law requirements.
While state and communi-ty-based programs have es-tablished practices for noti-fying qualified people within the required 24 hours, 11 per-cent of the 295 substantiated incidents reviewed by DiNap-oli’s auditors lacked support that the required notification was made. In addition, 7 per-cent lacked support that a re-port had been issued within the required 10 days.
Auditors also found that programs supervised by OP-WDD do not always provide records to parents or guard-ians when requested or are not providing them within 21 days of the request or the conclusion of the investiga-tion, whichever is later, as required. In a sample of 63 record requests, 32 percent
were either not provided on time or not provided at all.
Several delays occurred be-cause facilities waited until verification of the complete-ness of Justice Center inves-tigations before fulfilling the request, contrary to OPWDD’s regulations. In addition, facil-ities provided inconsistent in-formation, with some offering more detail than others.
DiNapoli recommend-ed OPWDD provide updat-ed guidance to programs on their responsibilities related to Jonathan’s Law require-ments, including clear and consistent implementation procedures. He also is calling for OPWDD to address sever-al issues the audit identified with the agency’s incident re-porting system.
According to DiNapoli, OP-WDD generally agreed with the audit’s recommendations, but characterized its findings and observations as overstat-ed.
NAD and Harvard Settle Lawsuit for Those Who Are Deafin the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Massa-chusetts as a class action law-suit. Through the litigation, Harvard filed two motions to dismiss the case.
In response to each, the court ruled that federal laws prohib-iting disability discrimination covered Harvard’s online con-tent. After these rulings were issued, Harvard announced its new digital accessibility policy, and several months later the parties reached a settlement.
There were individual plain-tiffs in this class action lawsuit, who were represented by Co-hen Milstein Sellers and Toll, the Disability Law Center, the Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center and the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF).
“As Harvard learned through this lawsuit, universities and colleges are on notice that all aspects of their campus, includ-ing their websites, must be ac-cessible to everyone,” said How-ard Rosenblum, chief executive officer of NAD. “Captioning video content is a basic form of access that opens up academic learning to not only deaf and
hard of hearing people, but the world.”
“Open and equal access to evolving technology is essential if the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act is to be re-alized,” said Arlene Mayerson, an attorney at DREDF.
Harvard previously an-nounced it will begin caption-ing new content on its website created on or after Dec. 1. How-ever, the settlement requires them to take several new and
additional steps, including cap-tioning existing content posted on or after Jan. 2019, within two years.
For any content not already captioned, upon receiving a re-quest, Harvard must caption the content within five business days. The university must also implement a public process to manage these requests, as well as submit reports twice a year to NAD and the Disability Law Center.
CMS Reverses Decision to Weaken Emergency Planning Protections
Care Community Coalition (LTCCC) and the Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA) submitted comments to CMS expressing their opposition to the proposed rule.
LTCCC and CMA wrote a letter to the administrator of CMS stating that nursing home residents will be at a greater risk of harm or death if the requirements were to be rolled back.
In the letter they gave very specific examples of patients who were injured or died
Continued on page 15
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By Patricia Granados
People who are isolated or live alone in the communi-ty can suffer from depres-
sion, chronic health problems, loneliness, a reduced sense of purpose, fear over health issues and loss of sense of self.
However, most people with ongoing medical issues or dis-abilities prefer to remain inde-pendent, live in their own homes or communities, maintain fami-ly/friendship ties and keep stress at the most manageable level de-spite many ongoing issues.
For people who need ongo-ing long-term care services and want daily interaction with oth-er people, an Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) program is a good solution. ADHC fosters indepen-dence and optimum functioning and assists the family or caregiv-er by providing health services in a congregate setting that ac-complishes these goals. Services include nursing care, medica-tion management, social work services, physical, occupational and speech therapies, dietary counseling, pharmacy review and case management. These services are provided amid a day of activities that includes
Day Health Care Benefits Adultsa minimum of one meal. As an alternative to a nursing home, ADHC provides people the care they need while enabling them to continue to remain at home.
The benefits of ADHC include increased mental stimulation and interaction with others, less worry about health issues, increased mobility afforded by attending a community-based program, decreased potential for low-mobility related compli-cations of chronic illnesses. Ser-vices and activities are tailored for people with all levels of dis-ability – physical, cognitive and visual, to facilitate participa-tion; interaction with others that have similar issues; and creates a supportive environment, plus, a calendar of therapeutic activ-ities creates a sense of anticipa-tion often missing in those who are isolated at home.
Some ADHCs also include spe-cific services, that others do not, to help people with vision loss or conditions such as Diabetes. For example, Lighthouse Guild’s ADHC, GuildCare’s program-ming and service delivery are specially designed and adapted for those with vision loss and physical/cognitive disabilities.
Positive OutcomesAccording to a study published by The Gerontological Society of America, ADHC is another op-tion in the continuum of commu-nity-based long-term care that is associated with improved quality of life. The services ADHC pro-vides maintains the individual in community life, increases con-fidence and feeling of self-worth through socialization and peer interaction, improves or main-tains the individual’s maximum level of independence, prevents or delays costly long-term care alternatives (nursing home), re-duces unnecessary hospitaliza-
tion by providing ongoing health monitoring and ultimately, re-stores and rehabilitates the in-dividual to their highest level of functioning.
Adult Day Health Care ser-vices are paid for by Medicaid, Medicaid Managed Care, and Veterans Health Administra-tion (in some areas). To find out more about programs where you live, contact the Adult Day Health Care Council at 518 867-8383.
Patricia Granados is Vice President, GuildCare Network Director. GuildCare is a pro-gram of Lighthouse Guild.
REGINA E. BRANDOW, P.C.Attorney At Law
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE• Individuals With Disabilities and their Families
• Guardianships • Elderlaw Planning• Wills • Trusts • Probate
1352 Stony Brook Road, Stony Brook, New YorkTelephone 631-675-2540 • Facsimile [email protected] • www.brandowlaw.com
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lighthouseguild.org
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For more information call 212-769-6313
Located at 250 West 64th Street (between Amsterdam & West End Ave.)
We are a Medicare and Medicaid provider and accept manyinsurance plans.
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UNITED SPINAL NOW
BY JAMES WEISMANCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Disability Issues and the Presidential Campaign
In recent remarks delivered from the Vatican, Pope Francis dis-cussed discrimination against
people with disabilities (PWDs) by cultures all over the world. He said humanity needs to “develop anti-bodies against a culture that considers some lives as Class A and others as Class B; this is a social sin!”
Pope Francis’ remarks, made during International Day of Persons with Disabilities ceremonies, encouraged those who live in countries that, even today, do not recognize people with disabilities as persons of equal dignity—and as brothers and sisters in humanity—to give a voice to those who are dis-criminated against. The Pope said that, while great progress has been made in medicine and in legislation, many people with disabilities feel they don’t belong and cannot participate in organized society.
The Pope, while acknowledging that making laws and breaking down physical barriers is important, felt attitudes continue to limit access to education, employment and full participation. He said service and commitment to those in need “determines the degree of a nation’s civility.” He said that to exist, one must belong to a community. The Pope’s strong support for the rights of PWDs is a model for others in the spiritual community.
As states consider assisted suicide legislation, it is import-ant to heed the Pope’s advice. Eligibility for assisted suicide should not be determined by societies that consider lives as Class A and Class B. If, as the Pope points out, many con-sider the lives of PWDs to be Class B, it is more likely that when a Class B member (i.e. a PWD) is seeking help to kill themselves that an “ableist” predisposition of a third party might result in an assisted suicide recommendation, rather than counseling.
Suicide prevention for some, and suicide assistance for oth-ers is a scary choice, but states are forcing the issue by passing assisted suicide statutes for those considered terminally ill. Under some state laws, “terminally ill” means terminal with or without treatment, so that people with diabetes, quadri-plegia and HIV/AIDS may in fact be eligible candidates for help with suicide.
The depressed person with a disability sinks deeper into depression when their lives are viewed as less valuable than those without disabilities by members of the communities in which they reside. Sometimes, reflections of the relative worth of the lives of people with disabilities, when compared with those without, are readily observable by PWDs, but overlooked by those without disabilities, such as architectural barriers, unnecessary physical requirements for job applicants and ste-reotypical portrayals of PWDs in media as heroic or pathetic.
Other times, the inability to obtain appropriate medical care and/or equipment, living with chronic pain, health insurance and benefits denials, and social isolation are crushing prob-lems leading to depression unappreciated by third parties.
Continued on page 15
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Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) recently filed a class action lawsuit against
Queens Borough Public Library, its board of trustees and the City of New York, claiming that the newly built Hunters Point Li-brary is inaccessible to people with disabilities.
Plaintiffs Tanya Jackson and Center for Independence of the Disabled New York (CIDNY) are suing to require the library to amend this situation. Disabil-ity rights laws state that newly constructed buildings must be made fully-accessible however, the library in question has many
barriers to people with mobility challenges.
These barriers include at least three-levels and a rooftop terrace that are completely inaccessible, as well as a children’s section which is partially inaccessible. Additionally, plaintiffs contend that there are long waits for the heavily-utilized single elevator, which does not even stop at every level.
“It is shocking to me that a brand-new public library would not be fully accessible to people with mobility disabilities like myself. Libraries should welcome everyone, not exclude whole pop-
ulations of people,” said Jackson. “Twenty-nine years after the
ADA promised open doors and equal opportunities for people with disabilities, we find the doors of a brand new library shut to children and adults with dis-abilities,” said Susan Dooha, ex-ecutive director of CIDNY. “This should not be allowed to happen. The Queens Borough Public Li-brary and the City of New York must obey the law and make this right.”
The suit alleges violations of federal and local civil rights laws designed to eliminate disabili-ty discrimination. DRA’s goal is
Queens Library and NYC Sued for Inaccessibilitythat the defendants be required to develop and implement a re-medial plan to provide equal ac-cess to the library.
“The ADA is not a new require-ment, and it is not hard to under-stand. It is baffling that this $41.5 million building is missing these fundamental elements,” said An-drea Kozak-Oxnard, staff attor-ney at DRA. “It’s as though the library didn’t care about these re-quirements, or worse, didn’t even consider the needs of these mem-bers of the community. People with disabilities should be able to browse, relax and enjoy the li-brary just like everyone else.”
Advocates for Children of New York (AFC) and the Citi-zens’ Committee for Children of New York recently released a re-port, “Early Inequities: How Un-derfunding Early Intervention Leaves Low-Income Children of Color Behind,” showing that there are significant racial and socioeconomic disparities in ac-cess to the early intervention (EI) program.
EI provides vital services to babies and toddlers with develop-mental delays or disabilities, as well as their families. According to AFC, when New York’s EI pro-gram first launched, it was seen as a model for the rest of the country.
Report Uncovers Shortfall in Early Intervention ProgramHowever, over the past two
decades, inadequate state invest-ment has put children’s access to the program at risk. The report indicates that children living in low-income communities of color have been impacted the most.
The report shows that New York City children younger than three who are disabled are less likely to receive evalu-ations and services if they live in low-income neighborhoods of color, such as High Bridge-Mor-risania, Hunts Point-Mott Ha-ven, Central Harlem-Morning-side Heights and East Harlem. Even in neighborhoods where higher rates of eligible children
receive services, there are sig-nificant racial disparities, with black children less likely to get the help than white children.
AFC asserts that delays or the absence of services can have lifelong consequences for these children, but a growing shortage of providers in the field makes it difficult to remedy this situation. Because of low state payment rates, agencies in New York City and the state have been forced to close due to lack of funding, while
many professionals are choosing to work in other settings where they can earn higher salaries.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state legislators are being asked by AFC to increase funding for the EI program in the 2020-2021 budget to help address provider shortages.
They are also calling for new policies to ensure that commer-cial health insurance companies pay their share to help cover the cost of EI services.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently began implementing a new pay-ment system called the Patient Driven Payment Model (PDPM) for Medicare-covered nursing home care, which the Long Term Care Community Coalition (LTC-CC) said has already caused a negative impact on skilled thera-py services.
PDPM creates a new set of financial incentives for nurs-ing homes when deciding whom to admit, what type of care to provide and when to discharge residents. In the final rule’s im-pact analysis, CMS indicates that nursing homes will have a greater financial incentive under PDPM to provide as little thera-py as possible to residents.
Furthermore, the final rule states that nursing homes will be able to provide 25 percent of a resident’s total therapy regimen,
PDPM May Effect Quality Of Servicesby discipline, in group and/or con-current therapy settings. CMS notes that there will be no pen-alty for exceeding this 25 percent cap on non-individualized care.
According to LTCCC, within days of PDPM’s implementa-tion, reports surfaced that thera-pists were being laid off and oth-er therapists were being encour-aged to utilize group and concur-rent therapy rather than one-on-one care. Despite a change in the financial incentives, CMS claims that PDPM does not change Medicare coverage and eligibili-ty.
CMS went on to say that a res-ident’s care needs must still drive care decisions, including the type, duration and intensity of skilled therapy services. However, LTC-CC is encouraging nursing home residents and their families to make sure the appropriate ther-apy services are being provided.
• Remain independent
• Understand care options—Understand paths to care
• Find transportation—Discover transportation options
• Learn about supports in caregivingLearn about caregiver supports
• Get answers about Medicaid, Medicare, and health insurance
• Apply for benefits
• Find housing—Learn housing options
NY Connects can help people with disabilities…
NY ConnectsYour Link to Long TermServices and Supports
1-800-342-9871
NY Connects can help!
Call 1-844-862-7930
CID••NY Locations and Partners
Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled (BCID)27 Smith St, #250Brooklyn, NY 11201
Bronx Independent Living Services (BILS)4419 Third Ave, #2CBronx, NY 10457
Community Health Action of Staten Island (CHASI)56 Bay St, 4th FloorStaten Island, NY 10301
Center for Independence of the Disabled, NYManhattan841 Broadway, Suite 301New York, NY 10003
Queens80-02 Kew Gardens Rd, Suite 400 Kew Gardens, NY 11415
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The Viscardi Center announced ten recipients of the 2019 Henry Viscar-di Achievement Awards recently at a ceremony in New York City. Shown above front row left to right, are Dinesh Palipana, Kamran Khan, Yves Veulliet, Virginia Jacko, and past recipient and awards selection committee member Saima Aslam. In the back row are Candy Cucha-ro, chair of the Abilities, Inc. at The Viscardi Center Board; Etka Ahuja, accepting the award on behalf of recipient Abha Khetarpal; Rose Mari-no and David Hann, accepting the award on behalf of recipient Dr. Ho-ang-Yen Thi Vo; Sherwood Goldberg, co-chair of the awards selection committee; John Kemp, The Viscardi Center’s President & CEO; Henry Viscardi Achievement Award recipients Major Jas Boothe and SFC Jo-seph Bowser.
The annual awards honor leaders in the global disability community who, through the example of their professional accomplishments and
Viscardi Center Honors Global Advocates
advocacy efforts, are shifting societal perceptions and significantly im-proving the quality of life of people with disabilities.
According to Viscardi Center’s President & CEO John Kemp they have awarded nearly 70 “trailblazing” men and women with disabilities from 20 different countries.
The 2019 Selection Committee was co-chaired for the sixth consec-utive year by Robert Dole, former U.S. Senator, along with Sherwood “Woody” Goldberg, Esq., retired U.S. Army Colonel, Vietnam veteran and Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army in Washington D.C.
The recipients include military personel, CEOs and founders of orga-nizations, social workers, government employees, student counselors, doctors, teachers and an actress – most of whom have disabilities and all who advocate for people with disabilities from the United States, Pa-kistan, India, Australia, South Korea, Belgium and Vietnam.
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Job Title: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator (Part-Time)
Description: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator will build upon and administer the ADA accommodation program from start to fi nish. The position will also be involved in the Light Duty/Return-to-Work program. Other duties include but are not limited to the following: Identifi es and performs outreach to employees possibly requiring accommodations; educates management and employees on the rights and duties under the ADA; coordinates with management and employees to develop and provide employees eff ective and reasonable accommodations; develops written materials and other informational pieces regarding the ADA program; develops and maintains internal measures to track ADA status and compliance and maintains and documents records of all disability and accommodation issues ensures compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies; assures that workers with disabilities are provided eff ective and reasonable accommodations allowing them to work productively and safely; assure Township-Sponsored activities, Township Facilities and events address accessibility and accommodation concerns.
Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, human resource management, business administration or related fi eld and two years of personnel administration experience are required (or a combination of education and/or training and/or experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work of the class); a minimum of eighteen (18) months of experience in a position that involved evaluating and administering reasonable accommodation issues subject to the ADA or §504 and completion of a course on barrier-free design or ADA accessibility guidelines which was sponsored or approved by the New Jersey Department of Community Aff airs or a department which oversees the Uniform Construction Code in any other State, the American Institute of Architects, the Paralyzed Veterans Association, or the United Spinal Association, within twelve (12) months of hire.
Salary: DOQ
Hours: Part-Time, three days weekly (not to exceed twenty one hours per week).
Apply: Send resume or application to: Ms. Braedon Gregory, HRIS Coordinator, Human Resources Department, Township of Montclair, 205 Claremont Avenue, Montclair, New Jersey 07042
or email: [email protected]
Closing Date: Job posting will remain open until position is fi lled.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
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The New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Dis-abilities (MOPD), the city’s
Department of Small Business Services (SBS), the city’s Business Improvement District (BID) Asso-ciation and the Public Policy Lab have announced the launch of Em-powering Accessibility, an online resource that will enable small business owners to understand their legal obligations in order to ensure compliance with accessibil-ity standards and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The digital platform includes information on the benefits of
The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment recently pre-sented independent filmmaker and disability advocate Jason DaSilva with its 2019 Made in NY Award.
Established in 2006, the award recognizes the achievements of people and organizations that have made significant contri-butions to the city’s entertain-ment and digital media indus-tries during the course of their
Resource Helps Small Businesses Comply with ADAmaking businesses accessible, physical and digital accessibility standards, the risks of accessi-bility lawsuits and additional re-sources. In conjunction with the release of this resource, MOPD and SBS conducted a physical and digital accessibility train-ing for representatives from BIDs across the city to highlight Empowering Accessibility and ensure that BIDs are aware of accessibility obligations when working with businesses.
“New Yorkers and visitors with disabilities must have equal access to everything that the city
has to offer, including the myr-iad of businesses and restau-rants that play a critical role in our economy and cultural life,” said MOPD Commissioner Vic-tor Calise. “The launch of this new resource will educate small business owners on accessibility requirements so that establish-ments can be accessed by every-one. As we remove barriers, we are one step closer to becoming the most accessible city in the world, and Empowering Acces-sibility gives the business com-munity the tools they need to more effectively serve the nearly
one million New Yorkers with a self-disclosed disability and the approximately seven to nine mil-lion visitors with disabilities who come to the city each year.”
“The NYC BID Association is excited about the launch of this new online tool. It will give our small business owners the addi-tional information and resources they need in order to make their businesses more accessible and avoid unnecessary lawsuits,” said Mark Caserta, co-chair of the BID Association’s ADA Com-pliance Working Group.
careers. DaSilva, who has mul-tiple sclerosis recently received his award at the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) Gotham Awards event at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
“Jason DaSilva continues to show us the power of media in ad-vancing a more inclusive society,” said the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment Commission-er Anne del Castillo.
“Thank you Mayor de Bla-
City Honors Documentary Filmmaker/Disability Advocate
Jason DaSilva
sio, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and Commis-sioner del Castillo for this great honor,” said DaSilva. “Receiving a Made in NY Award confirms that I am headed in the right direc-tion, and I am grateful to be sup-ported by the industry and New York City, the only place where I can get the 24/7 care I need while pursuing my filmmaking career.”
DaSilva has made 10 films during the past 15 years, includ-
Continued on page 12
Continued on page 12
The Southampton Fresh Air Home provides a unique vacation ex-
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Camp activities include the traditional camp favor-ites and adaptive equipment allows campers to participate in every activity from bas-
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They interact with their peers, gain new confidence and return home with memories and new friends.
The camp is a not-for-prof-it organization and scholar-ships are available.
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VOLUME 29 NUMBER 5
NOVEMBER 2019
CHAMPIONS
19 Riders Compete at Hampton Classic
Isaiah Forte, riding My Fairy Tale Hero, was recent-
ly named champion in the leader/sidewalker divi-
sion at the 2019 Long Island Horse Show Series
for Riders with Disabilities Championship Finals at
the Hampton Classic, along with, from left, Isabele
Szarfarc of Horseability and two event sponsors.
Forte started riding at about age eight or nine.
Now at 15, LIHSSRD’s founder said he is progress-
ing so well, he might move up to a higher level and/
or division next year.
Nineteen riders across three divisions competed
for year-end titles, all of whom were each presented
with ribbons before the competition for qualifying
to compete in the finals. Riders work to improve
their skills year-round to prepare for these finals,
not just the competition season.
PHOTO BY SHAWN M
CMILLEN
Trump Blocked
Federal Courts Deny
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Bi-Partisan Effort to End
SSDI Waiting Periods Page 3
Governor Urged
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BY BRYAN O’MALLEY, EXEC. DIR.CDPAANYS
CDPAAEDITORIAL
As 2019 nears its end, Consum-er Directed Personal Assis-tance Association of New York
State (CDPAANYS) and our allies are preparing for another difficult budget fight to #SaveCDPA. The Department of Health (DOH) has appealed the decision that declared the new reimbursement scheme null & void, and legislative lead-ers are expecting major cuts to Medicaid that will dispropor-tionately hit long term care and the people who rely on it.
The Global CapYou have likely heard a lot recently about how New York
has a “Medicaid deficit.” The Governor has been telling any-one who will listen about this “deficit.” Numerous editorial boards have written that New York has as much as a $6 bil-lion Medicaid “shortfall.” Thing is, this shortfall is not real.
The “Medicaid Global Cap” was put in place by Gov. Cuo-mo and it basically lays out what he is willing to spend on Medicaid. Importantly, and we’ll get back to this in a minute, it does not say how much there is to spend.
So, when you hear that we have a “Medicaid deficit” or “shortfall,” what they are saying is we have spent $6 billion more on Medicaid than the Governor wanted to spend. It is like my giving my child an allowance of $20 and them want-ing me to raise it to $30. If I say no, it’s not because I don’t have the extra $10 - it’s because I do not wish to give more to my child’s allowance in my household budget.
In reality, there is plenty of money. If you look at the state’s financial plan, the money is there without cuts to Medic-aid. Further, there is always the possibility of taking action to get more money - namely, raising new money through in-creased taxes on millionaires, billionaires, stock traders from out of state, and more.
While CDPAANYS does not have a position on new taxes or revenues, we note that it is just as reasonable an idea, if not more so, than cutting services that let seniors and dis-abled folks live in the community.
Regardless of how we proceed, we must combat the mis-information the state is giving about CDPA. It is not the under regulated “wild west” program critics claim it is. Fiscal intermediaries, the agencies who run the program and contract with Medicaid to provide services, provide a critical service with the same oversight as most others in health.
This year in particular, fiscal intermediaries have been subject to numerous audits and surprise visits from state and federal agencies. The Department of Health has also mandated extensive cost reporting and is rolling out a new system this year to increase accountability and detect waste.
CDPAANYS supports efficient delivery of services and eliminating fraud and waste in Medicaid. But CDPA cannot be squeezed any more tightly. Under program cuts, consum-ers are losing hours and workers.
Let’s call the global cap what it is - an arbitrary spending target that only has as much weight as those in power give it. As Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins notes,
Continued on page 15
Nadina LaSpina, a disability rights activist tells the story of her liberation from oppressive stan-dards of normalcy, showing that freedom comes not through cure, but through organizing to end exclusion from public and social life.
“Such a Pretty Girl”
A Story of Struggle, Empowerment and
Disability Pride
Available at NYU Press, Amazon.com& Local Book Stores
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Mixed Income Housing for Rent THE CROSSING AT JAMAICA STATION 667 NEWLY CONSTRUCTED UNITS AT 148-10 ARCHER AVENUE & 147-40 ARCHER AVENUE, JAMAICA, QUEENS Amenities: controlled entry access system, 24/7 on-site maintenance, fitness rooms, bicycle storage, outdoor terraces, children’s rooms, resident lounges, laundry rooms, on-site management office (located at 148-10 Archer Ave) Transit: E/F/J/Z, LIRR, AirTrain, Q6, Q8, Q9, Q20A, Q20B, Q24, Q25, Q34, Q40, Q41, Q42, Q43, Q44-SBS, Q54, Q56, Q60, Q65, Q83, Q84 No application fee • No broker’s fee • Smoke-free building More information: www.liveatJSQueens.com & NYHousingSearch.gov These buildings are being constructed through the ELLA program and the Mix-Middle program of the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC),the Inclusionary Housing Program of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), and Tax Code Units through NYS Division of Homes and Community Renewal (HCR).
Who Should Apply? Individuals or households who meet the income and household size requirements listed in the table below may apply. Qualified applicants will be required to meet additional selection criteria. Applicants who live in New York City receive a general preference for apartments.
• A percentage of units is set aside for applicants with disabilities: o Mobility (5%) o Vision/Hearing (2%).
• Preference for a percentage of units goes to: o Residents of Queens Community Board 12 (50%) o Municipal employees (5%)
AVAILABLE UNITS AND INCOME REQUIREMENTS
Unit Size
40% AR
EA ME
DIAN IN
COME
(AMI)
Monthly Rent1
Units Avail -able
House -hold Size2
Annual Household Income3
Minimum – Maximum
60% AR
EA ME
DIAN IN
COME
(AMI)
Monthly Rent1
Units Avail -able
House -hold Size2
Annual Household Income3
Minimum – Maximum
80% AR
EA ME
DIAN IN
COME
(AMI)
Monthly Rent1
Units Avail -able
House -hold Size2
Annual Household Income3
Minimum – Maximum
Studio $633 5 1 Person $23,658 - $29,880
$1,007 17 1 Person $36,480 - $44,820
$1,380 2 1 Person $49,269 - $59,760
2 People $23,658 - $34,160 2 People $36,480 - $51,240 2 People $49,269 - $68,320
1 Bed $681 11 1 Person $25,372 - $29,880
$1,081 50 1 Person $39,086 - $44,820
$1,481 13 1 Person $52,800 - $59,760
2 People $25,372 - $34,160 2 People $39,086 - $51,240 2 People $52,800 - $68,320 3 People $25,372 - $38,440 3 People $39,086 - $57,660 3 People $52,800 - $76,880
2 Bed $828 16
2 People $30,446 - $34,160
$1,309 51
2 People $46,938 - $51,240
$1,789 16
2 People $63,395 - $68,320 3 People $30,446 - $38,440 3 People $46,938 - $57,660 3 People $63,395 - $76,880 4 People $30,446 - $42,680 4 People $46,938 - $64,020 4 People $63,395 - $85,360 5 People $30,446 - $46,120 5 People $46,938 - $69,180 5 People $63,395 - $92,240
3 Bed $949 3
3 People $35,178 - $38,440
$1,504 7
3 People $54,206 - $57,660
$2,059 3
3 People $73,235 - $76,880 4 People $35,178 - $42,680 4 People $54,206 - $64,020 4 People $73,235 - $85,360 5 People $35,178 - $46,120 5 People $54,206 - $69,180 5 People $73,235 - $92,240 6 People $35,178 - $49,520 6 People $54,206 - $74,280 6 People $73,235 - $99,040 7 People $35,178 - $52,960 7 People $54,206 - $79,440 7 People $73,235 - $105,920
Unit Size
125% A
REA ME
DIAN IN
COME
(AMI)
Monthly Rent1
Units Available
Household Size2
Annual Household Income3
Minimum – Maximum
130% A
REA ME
DIAN IN
COME
(AMI)
Monthly Rent1 Units Available
Household Size2
Annual Household Income3
Minimum – Maximum
Studio $1,705 2 1 Person $60,412 - $93,375
$1,946 15 1 Person $68,675 - $97,110
2 People $60,412- $106,750 2 People $68,675 - $111,020
1 Bedroom $2,142 9 1 Person $75,463 - $93,375
$2,442 41 1 Person $85,749 - $97,110
2 People $75,463 - $106,750 2 People $85,749 - $111,020 3 People $75,463 - $120,125 3 People $85,749 - $124,930
2 Bedroom $2,582 11
2 People $90,583 - $106,750
$2,943 39
2 People $102,960 - $111,020 3 People $90,583 - $120,125 3 People $102,960 - $124,930 4 People $90,583 - $133,375 4 People $102,960 - $138,710 5 People $90,583 - $144,125 5 People $102,960 - $149,890
3 Bedroom $2,975 3
3 People $104,640 - $120,125
$3,391 5
3 People $118,903 - $124,930 4 People $104,640 - $133,375 4 People $118,903 - $138,710 5 People $104,640 - $144,125 5 People $118,903 - $149,890
6 People $104,640 - $154,750 6 People $118,903 - $160,940
7 People $104,640 – $165,500 7 People $118,903 - $172,120
Unit Size
145% A
REA ME
DIAN IN
COME
(AMI)
Monthly Rent1
Units Available
Household Size2
Annual Household Income3
Minimum – Maximum
165% A
REA ME
DIAN IN
COME
(AMI)
Monthly Rent1 Units Available
Household Size2
Annual Household Income3
Minimum – Maximum
Studio $2,026 8 1 Person $71,418 - $108,315
$2,587 61 1 Person $90,652 - $123,255
2 People $71,418 - $123,830 2 People $90,652 - $140,910
1 Bedroom $2,542 20 1 Person $89,178 - $108,315
$3,243 104 1 Person $113,212 - $123,255
2 People $89,178 - $123,830 2 People $113,212 - $140,910 3 People $89,178 - $139,345 3 People $113,212 - $158,565
2 Bedroom $3,063 19
2 People $107,075 - $123,830
$3,904 123
2 People $135,909 - $140,910 3 People $107,075 - $139,345 3 People $135,909 - $158,565 4 People $107,075 - $154,715 4 People $135,909 - $176,055 5 People $107,075 - $167,185 5 People $135,909 - $190,245
3 Bedroom $3,530 2
3 People $123,669 - $139,345
$4,501 11
3 People $156,960 - $158,565 4 People $123,669 - $154,715 4 People $156,960 - $176,055 5 People $123,669 - $167,185 5 People $156,960 - $190,245
6 People $123,669 - $179,510 6 People $156,960 - $204,270
7 People $123,669 - $191,980 7 People $156,960 - $218,460 1 Tenant pays electricity; rent includes gas for cooking, heat, and hot water.
2 Household size includes everyone who will live with you, including parents and children. Subject to occupancy criteria. 3 Household earnings includes salary, hourly wages, tips, Social Security, child support, and other income. Income guidelines subject to change. 4 Minimum income listed may not apply to applicants with Section 8 or other qualifying rental subsidies. Asset limits also apply. How Do You Apply? Apply online or through mail. To apply online, please go to nyc.gov/housingconnect. To request an application by mail, send a self-addressed envelope to: The Crossing at Jamaica Station, Attn: Application Request, 909 Third Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10022. Only send one application per development. Do not submit duplicate applications. Do not apply online and also send in a paper application. Applicants who submit more than one application may be disqualified.When is the Deadline? Applications must be postmarked or submitted online no later than February 6th, 2020. Late applications will not be considered. What Happens After You Submit an Application? After the deadline, applications are selected for review through a lottery process. If yours is selected and you appear to qualify, you will be invited to an interview to continue the process of determining your eligibility. Interviews are usually scheduled from 2 to 10 months after the applicat ion deadline. You will be asked to bring documents that verify your household size, identity of members of your household, and your household income. Español Presente una solicitud en línea en nyc.gov/housingconnect. Para recibir una traducción de español de este anuncio y la solicitud impresa, envíe un sobre con la
dirección a: The Crossing at Jamaica Station, Attn: Application Request, 909 Third Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10022. En el reverso del sobre, escriba en inglés la palabra “SPANISH.” Las solicitudes se deben enviar en línea o con sello postal antes de 6 de febrero de 2020.
简体中文 访问 nyc.gov/housingconnect 在线申请。如要获取本广告及书面申请表的简体中文版，请将您的回邮信封寄送至：The Crossing at Jamaica Station, Attn: Application Request, 909 Third Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10022. 信封背面请用英语注明“CHINESE”。必须在以下日期之前在线提交申请或邮寄书面申
请 2020 年 2月 6 日。
Русский Чтобы подать заявление через интернет, зайдите на сайт: nyc.gov/housingconnect. Для получения данного объявления и заявления на русском языке отправьте конверт с обратным адресом по адресу The Crossing at Jamaica Station, Attn: Application Request, 909 Third Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10022. На задней стороне конверта напишите слово “RUSSIAN” на английском языке. Заявки должны быть поданы онлайн или отправлены по почте (согласно дате на почтовом штемпеле) не позднее 6 февраля 2020 г.
한국어 nyc.gov/housingconnect 에서 온라인으로 신청하십시오. 이 광고문과 신청서에 대한 한국어 번역본을 받아보시려면 반송용 봉투를 The Crossing at Jamaica Station, Attn: Application Request, 909 Third Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10022.으로 보내주십시오. 봉투 뒷면에 “KOREAN” 이라고 영어로 적어주십시오
2020 년 2 월 6 일까지 온라인 신청서를 제출하거나 소인이 찍힌 신청서를 보내야 합니다.
Kreyòl Ayisyien
العربية
Aplike sou entènèt sou sitwèb nyc.gov/housingconnect. Pou resevwa yon tradiksyon anons sa a nan lang Kreyòl Ayisyen ak aplikasyon an sou papye, voye anvlòp ki gen adrès pou retounen li nan: The Crossing at Jamaica Station, Attn: Application Request, 909 Third Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, NY 10022. Nan dèyè anvlòp la, ekri mo “HATIAN CREOLE” an Anglè. Ou dwe remèt aplikasyon yo sou entènèt oswa ou dwe tenbre yo anvan dat 6 fevriye, 2020.
تقدم بطلب عن طريق اإلنترنت على الموقع اإللكترونيتقدم بطلب عن طريق اإلنترنت على الموقع nyc.gov/housingconnect. للحصول على ترجمة باللغة العربية لهذا اإلعالن ولنموذج الطلب الورقي، أرسل مظروفعلى الجهة الخلفية للمظروف، اكتب .The Crossing at Jamaica Station, Attn: Application Request, 909 Third Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, 10022 :يحمل اسمك وعنوانك إلىقبل يجب إرسال نماذج الطلبات عن طريق اإلنترنت أو ختمها بختم البريد ."ARABIC" باللغة اإلنجليزية كلمة 2020فبراير 6 .
Governor Andrew Cuomo • Mayor Bill de Blasio • HDC President Eric Enderlin • HPD Commissioner Louise Carroll
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MOPD and SBS are continu-ally working with the small busi-ness community to make them aware of accessibility obligations. The agencies will soon co-host a training for BIDs to learn about business accessibility and how they can use the tools produced in this project to educate merchants in their districts.
“Lighthouse Guild commends the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities and partner-ing agencies for providing a re-source to help small business owners understand and comply with disability accessibility stan-dards. By helping businesses to be accessible, it reduces some of
the barriers New Yorkers who are disabled have to overcome to live fully and independently,” said Alan Morse, president of Lighthouse Guild
“Ensuring that small busi-nesses have the resources needed to being accessible will help all New Yorkers and visitors with disabilities have equal access to so much more,” said Brett Eisen-berg, executive director of Bronx Independent Living Services (BILS). “BILS firmly believes that any business that is fully in-clusive of people with disabilities at the consumer level and/or em-ployment level have an increased return on investment.”
RESOURCE HELPS BUSINESS OWNERS COMPLYContinued from page 9
ing “When I Walk,” which chron-icles his struggle with multiple sclerosis in order to raise aware-ness about the progression and challenges of the disease.
It won a 2015 Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Programming, was an official se-lection of the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and won Best Canadian Feature at Hot Docs 2013.
In 2014, DaSilva won three
awards, which were the Mobility Magazine’s Person of the Year, the Paul E. Hearn Leadership Award and the Christopher Award for Excellence in Film. He is current-ly working on a new feature film called “When They Walk,” as well las AXS Map, a website and acces-sibility database that will help the public discover disability-friendly places and wheelchair-accessible venues around the world.
FILMMAKER HONORED BY CITYContinued from page 9
The Medicare Rights Cen-ter (MRC) recently provid-ed comments to the Food
and Nutrition Service (FNS) in response to their proposed rule that would sharply affect access to benefits by cutting billions of dollars of funding from the Sup-plemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also referred to as food stamps.
Many older adults and people with disabilities who are Medi-care enrollees are also SNAP re-cipients. They have come to rely on SNAP for access to afford-able, nutritious food.
According to MRC, cuts to SNAP would exacerbate existing health and financial challenges for people with Medicare and put more people at risk of harm. The proposed cuts would disallow states from making state-spe-cific adjustments to SNAP bud-gets in response to state-specific utility costs. This would predom-inately impact northern states with higher heating costs.
Cuts to Food Stamps Proposed“We urge FNS to withdraw
this proposed rule in its entire-ty,” said MRC in a statement. “Rather than seeking to cut benefits, the administration must do more to ensure that all Americans have access to the services and supports they need to live with health, dignity and choice.
This proposal coincides with the Trump administration’s re-cent finalized rule that would weaken the program by impos-ing work requirements on recip-ients, a move that is expected to cause hundreds of thousands of people to lose access to the pro-gram.
In addition, another proposed rule would change how the fed-eral poverty level is determined and potentially cut eligibility for SNAP even further, as well as other programs on which older adults and people with disabil-ities rely, including Medicare’s low-income assistance programs and Medicaid.
According to New York City Transit (NYCT) and the Metro-politan Transportation Authori-ty (MTA), they are continuing to launch initiatives and establish projects that make public trans-portation more accessible to peo-ple with disabilities.
NYC Transit (NYCT) Pres. Andy Byford has also worked to improve customer communica-tions they said. This includes a newsletter to keep the public in-formed about all current news as well as a resource page on their website at new.mta.info/accessibility/paratransit/newslet-ter-and-announcements.
Byford has established a sys-temwide accessibility team, overseen by senior advisor Alex Elegudin. Other members of the team are Rachel Cohen, di-rector of systemwide accessibility; Sara Bahri, accessibility outreach coordinator; Jennifer Bartlett, training specialist; Mira Philip-son, systemwide accessibility an-alyst.
Access-A-Ride The Access-A-Ride (AAR)
Metro Card gives Paratransit customers the opportunity to take a total of four free trips per day using the subways, local buses, select bus service (SBS) and the Staten Island Railway (SIR). In addition, personal care attendants can travel free when they are accompanying their cli-ent.
Bus Etiquette VideoNYCT and the MTA Bus com-
pany has created a bus training disability etiquette video to help educate their more than 10,000 bus drivers. Many disability ad-vocates participated in the video, where they discuss various topics such as service animals, priority seating and using ramps or lifts. The video is available at www.you-tube.com/watch?v=UAGk4Gt4fbk
Making Transit Accessible
Capitol PlanSeventy NYCT stations will
receive $5.5 billion for accessi-bility improvements through the 2020-2024 capital plan. The first 48 stations have been announced and will work to put customers no more than two stations from an accessible station anywhere in the subway system.
Elevators In early November, NYCT
opened a new elevator at the Eighth Ave. station on the Sea Beach line. The elevator provides service to the northbound plat-form, and another new elevator is under construction for access to the southbound platform.
During the summer, NYCT opened four new elevators at the 62nd St./New Utrecht Ave. sta-tion in Brooklyn, providing stair-free access to both lines at this critical transfer complex.
NYCT also opened a new ele-vator in Grand Central station, providing access from the street level to the mezzanine level, con-necting to various trains.
In addition, NYCT recently opened a new elevator at the 86th St. station on the Upper East Side. The elevator provides access from the street to the northbound line and is located at the northeast corner of 86th St. and Lexington Ave.
Accessible Station Lab Pilot NYCT provided an accessible
station lab in the fall at the Jay St.-Metro Tech station in Down-town Brooklyn to test more than a dozen new accessibility fea-tures. It included tactile guide-ways, accessible boarding area floor markers, colorful floor way-finding strips, tactile and visual maps and wayfinding apps and features. Consumers were en-couraged to provide feedback.
Questions and comments may be sent at [email protected].
NYC Transit Pres. Andy Byford, third from left, and Senior Advisor Alex Elegudin, center front, are shown with staff.
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INFORMATION FORUM
COMEDY CLUB TO HOLD AUTISM FUNDRAISER
The Brooklyn Autism Center (BAC) will host its 12th annual “Stand-Ups Give BAC” event at Carolines on Broadway in New York City on Feb. 25.
All proceeds will go to BAC to fund ser-vices for children with autism. To purchase tickets visit www.brooklynautismcenter.
SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR TEENS IMPACTED BY ALZHEIMER’S High school seniors who have been im-pacted by Alzheimer’s disease are invited to share their experiences to raise aware-ness and have the chance to earn a college scholarship through the Alzheimer’s Foun-dation of America’s (AFA) annual Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Schol-arship Essay Contest. The deadline to en-ter is Jan. 17.
AFA’s contest is open to college-bound high school seniors. Applicants must sub-mit a 1,200 to 1,500-word essay describ-ing how Alzheimer’s disease has impact-ed their lives and what they have learned about themselves, their family and/or their community through their experience with Alzheimer’s.
Essays can be submitted by visiting AFA’s website, www.alzfdn.org, and click-ing on the “Teen Scholarship Essay Con-test” tab in the top menu. Current college students are not eligible. Awards range from $500 to $5000.org.
AAPD CAREER CENTER OFFERS RESOURCES FOR JOB SEEKERSThe American Association of People
with Disabilities (AAPD) Career Center helps job seekers with disabilities to find employment with leading companies and universities.
The online resource includes job listings and the ability to upload resumes.
For information visit www.jobs.aapd.com.
PROGRAM RELIEVES PWD FROM REPAYING COLLEGE LOANS
Individuals who are deemed totally and permanently disabled may qualify to be re-lieved from repaying their federal student loans and/or their teacher education assis-tance grant.
To qualify, applicants must complete an application with documentation that indi-cates eligibility.
The documentation may come from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration or a physician.
For information visit www.disability discharge.com
BURKE CREATING AN APP FOR OUTPATIENT CARE
Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in White Plains is conducting a pilot program aimed at helping spinal cord injury patients tran-sition from inpatient care to outpatient re-habilitation with the help of a patient-en-gagement app.
The app enables physicians, therapists and other clinicians to manage patient care between visits by sending customized treatment plans, education, therapies, home exercise activities and surveys di-rectly to a patient’s or caregiver’s mobile or tablet device. For information visit www.burke.org.
TOOL RED FLAGS NURSING HOMES WITH RECENT ABUSE
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently made changes to their Nursing Home Compare website that will make it easier for residents to identify facilities with a history of resident abuse or neglect.
Consumers will now see a new icon, a red circle with a hand, on a facility’s profile if that facility has been cited for specific deficiencies within the past year. Howev-er, the Long Term Care Community Coali-tion has expressed that the absence of the abuse icon doesn’t absolutely indicate the absence of abuse.
For information visit www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html.
THERAPIST PENS AUTISM EMPLOYMENT BOOK
“101 Positive Steps Toward Employ-ment with Autism: Social Skills for the Workplace,” a book written by a speech pa-thologist, is for parents and professionals who are guiding young adults with high functioning autism or Asperger’s toward employment and independence.
The author has worked with individuals on the autism spectrum for 30 years and is also a transition coordinator who helps youth with disabilities transition to higher education and employment.
For information visit www.fhautism.com.
CIDNY ISSUES GUIDE FOR SAFE INTERACTIONS WITH POLICE
Centers for Independence New York (CIDNY) has created a guideline that will help people with disabilities if they ever have interactions with police personnel.
The guide is meant to let people know their rights and also how to stay safe if they are stopped by police. The guide is available at www.cidny.org/right-to-know.
REGISTRATION OPEN FOR KINDERGARTEN
Families of all New York City children born in 2015 are encouraged to apply to kindergarten this winter through the De-partment of Education’s (DOE) kindergar-ten admissions process, including those with disabilities.
The DOE will work with parents to con-sider whether their child needs special education, and if so, develop an individu-alized education program (IEP). The dead-line to apply is Jan. 21.
For a copy of the kindergarten orienta-tion guide for students with disabilities email [email protected].
ADA CENTER PROVIDES GUIDANCE TO DISABILITY STAKEHOLDERSThe Northeast ADA Center works to in-
crease the public’s knowledge of the Amer-icans with Disabilities Act throughout New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The center is located at the Yang-Tan In-stitute at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. It provides information, guidance and train-ing on implementing all aspects of the ADA.
In addition to their website at www.northeastada.org, people can follow them on facebook and twitter to learn about current disability-related news, research and proj-ects.
KIDS’ BOOKS FOCUS ON ISSUES INVOLVING WHEELCHAIR USERS
“I Really Need to Pee,” “Everywhere I Go I See Stairs” and “Don’t Touch” are a series of children’s books about children who use wheelchairs.
Each book has a section at the end called “Let’s Learn Together,” which contains a series of questions and answers designed to open dialogue between young readers and the adults in their lives. The books are available for purchase by Amazon. For information, visit www.facebook.com/rolling-withmeand friends.
PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR POLIO RESEARCH STUDY
Johns Hopkins University is recruiting polio survivors to participate in a study concerning acute flaccid myelitis.
They are trying to ascertain why some people recover quickly after an infec-tion, while others continue to experience breathing problems, neurologic symp-toms or paralysis. Individuals will be asked to fill out a questionnaire and sub-mit a saliva sample by mail.
For information contact Priya Dug-gal, [email protected].
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To have your event or meeting listed, send information [email protected] The deadline for calendar items is the 10th day of the month preceeding the date of publication. Calendar items will be accepted only if they have a specific date.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
JANUARY 1 Navigating Your Child’s Disability: One-to One Ex-pert Assistance 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Information Com-mons, Room 2, Central Li-brary, 10 Grand Army Plaza. For information call 212 677-4650 ext. 19.
Memory Arts Café free art events for people living with Alzheimer’s, caregivers and public 6 p.m. at NY Memory Center, 199 14 St., Brooklyn. For information call 718 499-7701.
JANUARY 2Peer Support Group 1 to 3 p.m. at BCID, 27 Smith St., Brooklyn. For information call 718 998-3000. Also Jan. 9, 16, 23 & 30
Writers Workshop 4 to 6 p.m. at CIDNY 841 Broadway #301 13-14 Sts. For informa-tion call Eva Eason, 646 442-4156. Also Jan. 9, 16, 23 & 30
JANUARY 3Friday Night Hangout for seniors and adults with phys-ical disabilities, 5 to 8:30 p.m. at ICS, 25 Elm Pl., 5th floor, Brooklyn. For information call Latricia James, 718 907-1622.Also Jan. 10, 17, 24 & 31
JANUARY 4Family Legos: Imagine It! Build It! For children and teens with and without dis-abilities 1 to 3 p.m. at Flat-lands Library, 2065 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn. For informa-tion call 718 253-4948.
Movie Club, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at NAMI, 505 Eighth Ave., 35 St., #1103. For information call 212 684-3365.
JANUARY 6Learn to Draw & Paint with Rich 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at ICS, 25 Elm Pl., 5th Floor, Brooklyn. For informa-tion call Latricia James 718 907-1622. Also Jan. 13, 20 & 27
Knitting & Crochet Group for seniors and adults with physical disabilities 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at ICS, 25 Elm Pl., 5th
floor, Brooklyn. For informa-tion call Latricia James 718 907-1622. Also Jan. 13, 20 & 27 VISIONS Senior Speak Out 3 p.m. at Selis Manor, 135 W. 23 St. For information call Elizabeth Lee 646 486-4444. Also Jan. 13, 20 & 27
Double Trouble Support Group 6 p.m. For information call 212 684-3365. Also Jan. 13, 20 & 27
Stroke Brain Injury Sur-vivor Support Group 12:15 p.m. at SUNY College of Op-tometry, 33 W. 42 St. For in-formation call 212 938-4040.
SORT Support Group for Clutterers/Hoarders 6 to 8 p.m. at EIS, 80 Maiden Lane, 11th floor. For information call 212 308-2210.
Commission on the Pub-lic’s Health System 6:30 p.m. at Urban Justice Center, 123 Williams St., 16th floor. For information call Anthony Feliciano 212 246-0803.
Housing and Benefits Clin-ics, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at CIDNY 841 Broadway #301 13-14 Sts. For information call Eva Eason 646 442-4156. Also Jan. 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 & 28
JANUARY 7Art for Everyone 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at ICS, 400 Fordham Rd., 10th floor, Bronx. For in-formation call Latricia James, 718 907-1622. Also Jan. 14, 21 & 28
TBI Support Group 12:30 to 2 p.m. at BCID, 27 Smith St., #200, Brooklyn. For informa-tion call 718 998-3000. Also Jan. 21
Q & A on the Turning 5 Process on Facebook Live presented by Advocates for Children of New York. For in-formation call 866 427-6033.
JANUARY 8Navigating Your Child’s
Disability: One-to-One Ex-pert Assistance is Here! 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Central Li-brary, Info Commons Room 5, 10 Grand Army Plaza, Brook-lyn. For information call 718 253-4948.
JANUARY 10Brooklyn Family Support Services Advisory Council Outreach 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Mapleton Library, 1702 60th St., Brooklyn. For infor-mation call 718 253-4948.
JANUARY 15The Rainbow Connection meeting 1 to 3 p.m. at Inde-pendence Care Systems, 25 Elm Pl., Brooklyn. For infor-mation call Evelyn, 646 836-4078. Also Jan. 29
ASL Tour 6 to 8 p.m. at the Tenement Museum, 103 Or-chard St., Manhattan. For in-formation call 646 518-3038.
JANUARY 18Family Legos: Imagine It! Build It! For children and teens with and without dis-abilities 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Saratoga Library, 8 Thom-as S. Boyland St., Brooklyn. For information call 718 253-4948.
JANUARY 21Kindergarten Admissions Application Deadline Ad-missions Guide available at www.advocatesforchil-dren.org. For information call 866 427-6033.
JANUARY 24Yeti, Set, Snow! Present-ed by the City Parks Foun-dation and the Swedish Cot-tage Theatre 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. at Swedish Cottage Mar-ionette Theatre, West 79th St and West Dr., Central Park. For information call 718 760-6831.
FEBRUARY 1Family Legos: Imagine It! Build It! For children and teens with and without disabil-ities 1 to 3 p.m. First Satur-days at Flatlands Library, 2065 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn. For information call 718 253-4948.
Movie Club, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. first Saturdays at NAMI, 505
Eighth Ave., 35 St., #1103. For information call 212 684-3365.
FEBRUARY 3Learn to Draw & Paint with Rich 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays at ICS, 25 Elm Pl., 5th Floor, Brooklyn. For in-formation call Latricia James 718 907-1622. Also Feb. 10, 17 & 24
Knitting & Crochet Group for seniors and adults with physical disabilities 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays at ICS, 25 Elm Pl., 5th floor, Brooklyn. For information call Latricia James 718 907-1622. Also Feb. 10, 17 & 24 VISIONS Senior Speak Out 3 p.m. Mondays at Selis Man-or, 135 W. 23 St. For informa-tion call Elizabeth Lee 646 486-4444. Also Feb. 10, 17 & 24
Double Trouble Support Group 6 p.m. Mondays For information call 212 684-3365. Also Feb. 10, 17 & 24
Stroke Brain Injury Sur-vivor Support Group 12:15 p.m. First Mondays at SUNY College of Optometry, 33 W. 42 St. For information call 212 938-4040.
ONGOING EVENTSFree Workshops and Ser-vices at United Cerebral Pal-sy of New York City Family Connect Centers throughout the five boroughs. For infor-mation call 718 436-7979 ext.704.
Lupus Alliance of Long Island/Queens Support Group meets once a month on Tuesdays 7:30 to 9 p.m. in Flushing. For information call 516 802-3142.
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during hurricanes and other disasters.
CMS recently published its final rulemaking. It makes clear that CMS will not roll back the requirements deal-ing with emergency pre-paredness review and train-ing for nursing homes.
Addressing the decision not to roll back the require-ments, CMS stated “Due to the vulnerability of residents in LTC facilities, we are not finalizing the proposal for
those facilities only and will require them to update their emergency plan annually, as is currently required. We es-pecially appreciate the com-ments that provided a very detailed analysis of the lack of emergency response in nursing homes following re-cent emergency events.
We believe that these com-ments have provided compel-ling evidence to revise our proposal specific to LTC fa-cilities.”
EMERGENCY PLANNINGContinued from page 4
Research on reasons for re-quests for lethal drugs pursu-ant to the nation’s oldest as-sisted suicide statute in Or-egon demonstrates the prob-lem. Loss of autonomy; loss of dignity; losing control of bodi-ly functions; being a burden on family, friends or caregiv-ers; and a decreased ability to engage in enjoyable activities are the top five reasons.
Notice that chronic pain is not among them, so their re-quests for suicide assistance
are not about the fact that they have terminal illness or pain, but about depression.
The problem is society is prepared to discount the val-ue of life when considering the quality of the life of a per-son with a disability. There-fore, disability + depression + a request for suicide assis-tance is more likely to = re-quest granted, but depression + request for assisted suicide, will undoubtedly yield coun-seling and suicide prevention
UNITED SPINAL NOWContinued from page 6
the formula that determines the cap can be amended. And, since in 2011 managed long term care did not exist, the minimum wage was al-most half of what it is today and numerous other policy changes have occurred. We agree.
The major reason for in-creased spending in Medicaid can be traced back to high-
er enrollment, especially in long-term-care services such as CDPA and home care. There is a simple reason for this - people are getting old-er. Baby boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) are aging.
Over the past ten years, half of this generation en-tered the “65 or older” de-mographic. We know that as
people age, if they are likely to need Medicaid and health services that go with it, they stay in New York.
If they are “healthy and wealthy,” they leave. Pro-grams like CDPA grow based on need, a need that is deter-mined by two different inde-pendent groups. Historically, New York’s values have man-dated that we ensure that
need is met. CDPAANYS is committed to upholding those values.
We hope you will join us in the fight to #SaveCDPA. CD-PAANYS and the New York Association on Independent Living will hold our Lobby Day in the Well of the Legis-lative Office Building in Al-bany on February 10, 2020. Hope to see you there!
CDPAANYS EDITORIALContinued from page 10
PERSONAL PLACEPERSONAL PLACE
GUIDELINES: Able assumes no liability for the contents of or replies to any per-sonal advertisements, or the actions of any individuals. Any such liability rests ex-clusively with the advertiser, or a respondent to such advertisements. Able may, in its sole discretion, reject of delete any personal advertisements which it deems
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SWM 70, seeks nice lady for companionship to spend quality time with. I live in Babylon Township. In your response include you telephone number, NS. A384
MEET A COMPANION, PHONE FRIEND, PEN PAL, OR EVEN A SPOUSE
Gentleman looking for a girlfriend/pen pal. I live in Kansas. A392
SWM, 45, Looking for a nice woman 50 to 60 for friendship, possi-ble LTR, send picture and phone number. A389
SWF, looking for that special guy to spend the rest of my life with. I’m easy going, out going person and I love doing most everything. Lets enjoy life together. A377
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DBW-60, Seeking friendship, companion. Love to read, music and movies. Please enclose phone number. A386
SWM, wheelchair user 53, looking for SWF for friendship and more, into shing, baseball, the outdoors and comedy clubs. I do not drive. I live in Sayville, N.Y. A388
SWF, Nassau County, widow wishes to meet senior male retiree, 74 plus for companionship. A393
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progress. Speakers included Luis Gallegos, permanent representa-tive of Ecuador and president of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Per-manent representatives of New Zealand, Poland, Qatar and Aus-tralia spoke, as well as a selfad-vocate with autism.
The first panel discussion fo-cused on new initiatives for dis-ability inclusion that have been launched this year across the three pillars of the U.N. system, which are peace and security, human rights, and develop-ment. These initiatives include the U.N. Disability Inclusion Strategy, which was launched
by the U.N. secretary general in June to transform the way the U.N. works on disability, operationalizing disability in-clusion across its system. The panel’s moderator was Daniela Bas, director of the Division for Inclusive Social Development at the United Nations Depart-ment of Economic and Social Affairs.
The observance also featured a spotlight event called “Sport for all for Peace and Develop-ment. The panel consisted of professionals who have worked on inclusive sport and recre-ational for people with disabili-ties. Speakers included Lindsay Krasnoff, member of Football for
Peace, Francesco Magisano of Achilles International New York and several self-advocates.
The Mayor’s Office on People with Disabilities Commissioner Victor Calise gave a presenta-tion about the work being done with New York City Parks and Recreation on inclusive play-grounds and programming. He also mentioned some of the re-lationships between profession-al sports teams and adaptive sports teams.
“In addition to the 30,000 acres of parkland, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation has rec centers and programming that members can take advantage of for their health and wellness
needs,” said Calise. “To increase access to this programming, we were able to lower the annual fee for people with disabilities to $25. As kids we learned so many life lessons on the playground. If a playground isn’t accessible, then this bars children with dis-abilities from these formative ex-periences. This is why we work with NYC Parks Department to ensure we make these spaces ac-cessible.”
Some other events taking place during the day was an art exhib-it, musical performance group Milal, a Heidi Latsky Dance per-formance and a disability em-ployment workshop and a tech-nology panel discussion.
U.N. CELEBRATES DISABILITY DAYContinued from page 1
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISINGCNA/ HOME HEALTH AIDETrained live-in aide/compan-ion for elderly or a disabled person or as a nanny. Car-ing and compassionate with many years of experience. Great references are avail-able. Call for more informa-tion 347 754-2486.
WE FIX THEM ALLWheelchairs, Scooters, Pow-er Chairs, Recliner Lift Chairs and Hospital Beds. Call for more information 631 704 6212.
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HAIRCUTS IN YOUR HOMECall 917 363-6834.
2007 CHRYSLERBussani Mobility Handi-capped van, blue, 74K, ex-cellent condition, rear entry w/c, fold out ramp, multi-po-sitional, lock downs, accom-modates 1 or 2 w/c, $15,000. more information call John 516 782-6438.
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6 months old, never used, Brand: Driver, movable lift 85lbs, must pick up in Manhat-tan. (Up to 450 lbs capacity). Call 212 679-2611.
FREE HOYER LIFT2010 ChryslerTown and Country, 82k, in fl oor ramp, hand controls, excellent condition, six way driver seat, 18,000. Call 516 797-8122.
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The first clinical pilot study is underway for evaluating combined
transcranial direct current stimulation (TDCS) and behav-ior therapy that could point to a new treatment for depression.
The study is being conducted by Flow, a medical device com-pany based in Sweden. They have stated that their new tech-nique will motivate individuals to self-manage their depression
Study Being Conducted On New Depression Treatmentwith non-pharmacological, digi-tal alternatives.
The study will evaluate how pa-tients with depression respond to Flow’s treatment, which utilizes a TDCS headset device and a be-havior therapy app. Controlled tri-als published in the “New England Journal of Medicine” and the “Brit-ish Journal of Psychiatry” showed that the treatment has a similar impact to antidepressants, with fewer, less-severe side effects.
According to Flow, people with depression often have a lower neu-ral activity in their dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the brain region that controls cognitive skills and emotional expression.
The headset uses TDCS to acti-vate neurons in this area and re-balance activity.
“Flow has created a powerful medical device treatment for de-pression without the adverse ef-fects associated with pharmaco-
logical therapies,” said Dr. Andre Brunoni, who co-authors the study.
“We’re empowering people to self-manage their depression with safe, effective and medication-free digital alternatives,” said Daniel Mansson, CEO of Flow. “This is the first clinical study to examine the full effect of a combined TDCS and behavior therapy treatment, and the results will help the pro-cess of getting Flow reimbursed by healthcare providers.”
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SPORTS SCENE
CALENDAR OF SPORTS
JANUARY 1Wheelchair Basketball will be held in the Bronx, Man-hattan and Queens. For times and locations call Christopher Noel, 212 360-3319.
JANUARY 2Wheelchair Basketball 6 to 7 p.m. at the East 54 Recre-ation Center, 348 East 54 St., Manhattan. For information call Christopher Noel, 212 360-3319. Also Jan. 9, 16, 23 & 30
Wheelchair Basketball 6 to 8 p.m. at St. Mary’s Rec-reation Center, 450 St. Ann’s Ave., Bronx. For information call Rodolpho Guevara, 212 360-3341. Also Jan. 9, 16, 23 & 30
JANUARY 4Table Tennis 2 to 6 p.m. at Sports Center Gym, Burke Re-habilitation, 785 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains. For infor-mation call 914 597-2248.
JANUARY 5NY Rolling Fury Youth Wheelchair Basketball 1 to 2 p.m. at Gertrude Ederle Rec-reation Center, 232 W. 60 St., Manhattan. Also Jan. 12, 19 & 26
Advanced Goalball for Adults 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Chelsea Recreation Cen-ter, 430 West 25 St., Manhat-tan Also Jan. 12, 19 & 26
CP Soccer Camp 1 to 3 p.m. at Cadman Plaza Park, Brooklyn. For information visit https://go.teamsnap.com/login/sig-nin.Also Jan. 12, 19 & 26
JANUARY 10Bowling 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Homefield Bowl, 938 Saw Mill River Rd., Yonkers. For infor-mation call 914 597-2248
ONGOING EVENTSSwimming Lessons for all ages at NYC indoor pools. Spring: 03/02-03/09 Register online at https://www.nycgov-parks.org/reg/learn-to-swim. Lifespire Foundation Bowling League for adults with I/DD at JIB Lanes, 67-19 Parsons Blvd., Flushing. For informa-tion call 646 515-1695.
Greenwich Village Little League challenger base-ball division for boys and girls with physical & develop-mental disabilities. For infor-mation visit http//gvllnyc.com/site.
NY Rockers Blind Base-ball Team Central Park. For information message http://www.facebook.com/San-dra.Dickson.DeRosa.
The New York City De-partment of Parks and Recreation provides many adaptive sports, as well as accessible parks, hubs, pro-grams and events through-out the city. Some of these activities include swimming classes, wheelchair basket-ball, goalball, soccer, rock climbing, chair aerobics and Special Olympics training. For a complete list of acces-sible hubs and programs, vis-it www. nycgovparks.org /accessibility.
Marathon runner and military veteran Steve Baskis stood be-tween his two guide runners, Kristin Shill, left, and Natalie Ku-cirek (right), all wearing their finisher medals following the 11th annual United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) Mar-athon National Championships in Sacramento, Calif.
Fifty runners and more than 70 guides from across the Unit-ed States and from other nations participated. In addition to the race, they enjoyed multiple gatherings and meals together. Bak-sis, of Colorado, gave a speech at one of those events. He lost his eyesight from an explosive device while serving in Iraq.
Runners Compete in USABA Marathon
Becca Meyers of Maryland is seen here performing at the 2019 U.S. Paralympics Swimming Para National Championships held in Texas, a multi-day event where she broke a 29-year-old world record in the 400-meter individual medley SM12 with a time of 5:17.81.
She unseated the previous record holder, Trischa Zorn, by al-most 12 seconds. Meyers also competed in the women’s 200 but-terfly S12 with a finish of 2:29.86, setting another world record. She also won in the 50 free S12.
Multiple swimmers garnered three or more national titles at the meet, including McClain Hermes of Georgia, who won the wom-en’s 100 back S11, 100 breast SB11 and 400 free S11. Ethan Mor-robel of New Jersey set an American record in the men’s 100 fly S12 with a time of 1:07.17.
The annual United States Dis-abled Open Golf Championship will take place in Arizona, from May 18 to 21.
The event will feature an awards ceremony and is open to golfers who have physical,
Golf Event Planned 2020intellectual or sensory impair-ments. The entry fee of $275 in-cludes four rounds of golf and two buffet meals.
The entry deadline is April 15. For information, visit www.usdga.net.
Meyers Sets Two Swim Records
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