[Nfbmd] [nabs-l] Fw: Senate Introduces Independent Living Administration

Chris Nusbaum dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com
Mon Jul 4 16:44:01 UTC 2011



 ---- Original Message ------
From: Anmol Bhatia <anmolpbhatia at yahoo.com
Subject: [nabs-l] Fw: Senate Introduces Independent Living 
Administration
Date sent: Sun, 3 Jul 2011 11:07:13 -0700 (PDT)




--- On Sun, 7/3/11, Lissner, Scott <Lissner.2 at OSU.EDU> wrote:

 From: Lissner, Scott <Lissner.2 at OSU.EDU
 Subject: Senate Introduces Independent Living Administration
 To: NDSU at LISTSERV.UIC.EDU
 Date: Sunday, July 3, 2011, 11:08 AM
 **Accessibility information at
 bottom**

     National Council on Independent Living -
 6/24/11
 Senate Introduces Independent Living Administration!
 The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) is very
 proud and
 excited to announce that a bill has been filed with the
 Senate HELP
 Committee which creates the establishment of a new
 Independent Living
 Administration (ILA), and strengthens America's Independent
 Living (IL)
 Program.  The ILA would elevate the IL Program at the
 federal level, and
 would create an organization independent of the
 Rehabilitation Services
 Administration (RSA) within the Department of Education.
 The creation of
 this new administration marks a truly historic moment in
 the Independent
 Living Movement, and IL advocates across the country have
 much to
 celebrate this week.
 The ILA is created through the reauthorization of the
 Rehabilitation Act
 of 1973, which is contained in the larger Workforce
 Investment Act
 (WIA).  NCIL has been pushing for the reauthorization of WIA
 and the
 Rehabilitation Act for nearly a decade, and the
 introduction of a bill
 to reauthorize both pieces of legislation presents a unique
 opportunity
 to improve the IL Program and substantially increase
 consumer-control at
 the federal level.
 NCIL is optimistic about WIA's chances for reauthorization,
 and very
 pleased with the rare bipartisan effort to put this bill
 together.  Staff
 from the offices of Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Michael
 Enzi (R-WY),
 Patty Murray (D-WA), and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) have been
 working over
 the past two years in an effort to renew and improve WIA.
 NCIL has been working closely with the Senate to create
 legislative
 language that will drastically overhaul America's IL
 Program, and fix
 problems that have frustrated Centers for Independent
 Living (CILs) and
 Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs) for years.
 Although the
 majority of IL fixes and enhancements in this legislation
 cannot be
 listed, here are some of the highlights:
 *    Creation of an ILA: a new organization
 within the Department of
 Education, completely separate and independent of RSA.  The
 ILA Director
 will report directly to the Secretary of Education.
 *    Carryover Authority: CILs will now be
 allowed to carryover Part
 C funds not spent during the first year into a second
 year.
 *    Addition of a 5th Core Service:
 transitioning people with
 disabilities from nursing homes and other institutions to
 home and
 community-based residences.
 *    Clarification of the Role of
 SILC:  Because of RSA's
 interpretations of the Rehabilitation Act, several
 clarifications
 regarding SILC activities are included in the bill -
 providing advice
 and assistance to the designated state unit (DSU),
 facilitating the
 improvement and coordination of services, resource
 development
 activities, and carrying out systems advocacy functions.
 *    Funding Formula Change: Part C dollars
 should be allowed to be
 shared among all states and territories, states with the
 largest
 populations would receive more funding proportionally.
 *    Accessibility at WIA One-Stop Centers:
 one-stop centers will be
 required to be physically and programmatically accessible,
 regardless of
 disability.
 After reading the legislative language in the bill
 reauthorizing WIA and
 the Rehabilitation Act, it is obvious that the Senate has
 listened to
 NCIL's concerns and worked hard to create a piece of
 legislation that
 will empower and increase the independence of Americans
 with
 disabilities.  It is also clear that we have the bipartisan
 support
 necessary to move this bill forward, but the fight to get
 the votes
 necessary in both chambers of Congress to pass this
 reauthorization into
 law has only just begun. 
 More than ever, IL advocates from across the country must
 now mobilize
 to push this historic legislation through Congress.
 Remember, this bill
 was created for us! We must immediately employ the full
 resources of the
 IL community to reach out to members of Congress and urge
 them to
 support the reauthorization of WIA and the Rehabilitation
 Act,
 specifically the inclusion of Title V language that creates
 an ILA and
 strengthens independent living.
 Our unique opportunity to advance is now, and the time for
 action is
 today.  Our first order of business is to get this through
 the Senate
 HELP Committee.  This bill is moving very rapidly, and is
 scheduled for
 markup on June 29th.  We need advocates to call Senators on
 this
 committee (see list below) and ask for their committed
 support for
 reauthorizing WIA and the Rehabilitation Act.  If we are
 successful in
 our efforts, we will achieve one of the greatest
 advancements in the
 history of the Independent Living Movement.
 Remember:
 *    The creation of the ILA does not
 require any new or additional
 funding.
 *    The creation of the ILA does not create
 unnecessary new
 bureaucracy.  It simply streamlines the IL Program and
 enhances
 consumer-control.
 NCIL's Rehab Act & IL Funding Subcommittee has worked
 incredibly hard
 over the last few weeks, months, and years to bring us to
 this point.  We
 thank them for their efforts and congratulate them on the
 successful
 inclusion of NCIL's priorities in WIA that will now begin
 passage
 through Congress.  Although most of our suggestions were
 adopted by the
 HELP Committee at the time of this legislation's
 publication, the NCIL
 Rehab Act & IL Funding Subcommittee submitted comments
 suggesting
 further revisions to the bill.
 Resources:
 *    NCIL Rehab Act & IL Funding
 Subcommittee Comments
 <http://www.ncil.org/news/rehabactcomments.doc> 
 (Word document)
 *    Redline (Marked Up) Legislative
 Language
 <http://www.ncil.org/news/ILARedline.doc>  (Word
 document)
 Follow this discussion and new developments on NCIL's
 Facebook page
 <http://www.facebook.com/NationalCouncilonIndependentLiving
 .
 If you have any questions, please contact NCIL Policy
 Analyst Austin
 Walker at (202) 207-0334 (toll-free: 1 (877) 525-3400),
 ext.  1008.
 Austin can also be reached by e-mail at austin at ncil.org.
 Democrats by Rank
 *    Tom Harkin (IA) <http://harkin.senate.gov/> : (202) 
224-3254
 *    Barbara A.  Mikulski (MD) <http://mikulski.senate.gov/> : 
(202)
 224-4654
 *    Jeff Bingaman (NM) <http://bingaman.senate.gov/> : (202)
 224-5521
 *    Patty Murray (WA) <http://murray.senate.gov/> : (202) 
224-2621
 *    Bernard Sanders (I) (VT) <http://sanders.senate.gov/> : 
(202)
 224-5141
 *    Robert P.  Casey, Jr.  (PA) <http://www.casey.senate.gov/> 
: (202)
 224-6324
 *    Kay R.  Hagan (NC) <http://www.hagan.senate.gov/> : (202)
 224-6342
 *    Jeff Merkley (OR) <http://www.merkley.senate.gov/> : (202)
 224-3753
 *    Al Franken (MN) <http://www.franken.senate.gov/> : (202)
 224-5641
 *    Michael F.  Bennet (CO) <http://bennet.senate.gov/> : (202)
 224-5852
 *    Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) <http://whitehouse.senate.gov/> : 
(202)
 224-2921
 *    Richard Blumenthal (CT) <http://blumenthal.senate.gov/> : 
(202)
 224-2823
 Republicans by Rank
 *    Michael B.  Enzi (WY) <http://www.enzi.senate.gov/> : (202)
 224-3424
 *    Lamar Alexander (TN) <http://www.alexander.senate.gov/> : 
(202)
 224-4944
 *    Richard Burr (NC) <http://www.burr.senate.gov/> : (202) 
224-3154
 *    Johnny Isakson (GA) <http://www.isakson.senate.gov/> : 
(202)
 224-3643
 *    Rand Paul (KY) <http://www.paul.senate.gov/> : (202) 
224-4343
 *    Orrin G.  Hatch (UT) <http://www.hatch.senate.gov/> : (202)
 224-5251
 *    John McCain (AZ) <http://www.mccain.senate.gov/> : (202)
 224-2235
 *    Pat Roberts (KS) <http://www.roberts.senate.gov/> : (202)
 224-4774
 *    Lisa Murkowski (AK) <http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/> : 
(202)
 224-6665
 *    Mark Kirk (IL) <http://www.kirk.senate.gov/> : (202) 
224-2854
    

    

 L.  Scott Lissner, Ohio State University ADA Coordinator,
 Office Of Diversity And Inclusion
   Associate, John Glenn School of Public Affairs
   Lecturer, Knowlton School of Architecture, Moritz
 College of Law &
 Disability Studies
   President Elect & Chair, Public Policy
 Committee, Association on
 Higher Education And Disability
   Chair, ADA-OHIO
   Member,  Ohio Governor's Council For People
 With Disabilities
   Member, Columbus Advisory Council on Disability
 Issues

  (614) 292-6207(v); (614) 688-8605(tty) (614)
 688-3665(fax);
 Http://ada.osu.edu <http://ada.osu.edu/

    

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