[nfbmi-talk] Fw: questions about ada program

[David Robinson]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: joe harcz Comcast 
To: Laura Hall 
Cc: Theresa Squires MDRC ; Bill Earl MI ADAPT ; Sidhu,Mehgan ; Scott Heinzman ; David Robinson NFB MI ; terry Eagle ; Mark Eagle ; Kelly Buckland ; Larry Posont NFBMI Pres. ; Michael Powell ; Fred wurtzel 
Sent: Friday, November 13, 2015 5:49 AM
Subject: Fw: questions about ada program


    This is just the tip of the iceberg of what happened on September 11 at the last SILC meeting and before it. The clear notice is that Gravetti knows that the state violates the ADA, including Olmstead and basic barrier removal. She also is in bed with the likes of Peckham and that is clear. Now she is a state actor who acted in official capacity along with other state actors including those with the Michigan     Department of Civil Rights to deprive us from even distributing petitions, pamphlets, etc. at the ADA event. And there was clear cut retaliation against us for getting Mr. Buckland, Billie Altmon of APRIL and the Road to Freedom Bus to, out of principle cancel  from the publicly funded, public venue (State Capitol Lawn) event to celebrate our seminal civil rights law!

It's all about money folks and power.

By the way Peckham still is a segregated, exploitative monster and I don't give a rip if they, with all their millions won the court case lodged by another exploiter, NTI.

And Mitch Tomlinson is also a state official, in conflict of interest, with his role on our Statewide Rehab Council. If people want or bemoan the failure of services in our VR programs like BSBP it is because of the conflicts  of interest with the likes of Peckham and MARO which runs the SRC, and oh my Tomlinson is on the board of MARO too.
And, oh my, Gravetti is the SILC llaisson to the SRC, another state position!

And all of them know of the utter fraud in falsification of records that I, Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr., has documented in both VR and IL programs here, just like in the VA.

Thus again the Section 1983, 14th and first amendment, and ADA and 504 discrimination on Septtember 17 was based upon retaliation and prior restraint and content regulation of the most protected speech. That is political speech, at a public venue which is the most again protected speech especially when engaging state officials and employees.




----- Original Message ----- 
From: Sara Grivetti 
To: joe harcz Comcast 
Cc: Rodney Craig 
Sent: Friday, September 11, 2015 6:04 AM
Subject: RE: questions about ada program


Joe,

 

My answers are embedded in the e-mail below.

 

Sara

 

From: joe harcz Comcast [mailto:joeharcz at comcast.net] 
Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2015 8:22 AM
To: Sarah Gravetti MISILC DNM
Cc: Rodney Craig
Subject: questions about ada program

 

    Sept. 10 2015 to Gravettie on ADA Program

 

Paul Joseph Harcz, Jr.

1365 E. Mt. Morris Rd.

Mt. Morris, MI 48458

joeharcz at comcast.net

810-516-5262

 

To: Sara Gravettie, Chair, Mich. SILC

CEO, Disability Network Mich.

(Via E-mail)

 

Dear Ms. Gravetti,

 

I'm writing you today to ask some basic questions about the "program" for the upcoming ADA Celebration (see attachment after my signature line from DNNM's web site).

First, I noticed that Mr. Kelly Buckland, of NCIL is not on this rostrum of speakers as he was just a few days ago. I would like to note that Mr. Buckland is a person with a disability who actually has engaged in implementing the ADA including, among other notable battles for our collective civil rights, launching an effort to make the Idaho State Capitol fully compliant with the ADA while our State Capitol is woefully out of compliance. That is a fact that you, the SILC and other parties have ignored (re: public comments and other correspondences). So what gives on this change?

 

Mr. Buckland chose to cancel his attendance. The committee issued the following statement:

 

Michigan's 25th Anniversary ADA Celebration Planning committee has been notified that Kelly Buckland, Executive Director of the National Council on Independent Living has reconsidered his role in the event. 

Mr. Buckland stated the following in an e-mail to the committee facilitator, Sara Grivetti, "Due to Peckham Inc. being a major sponsor of the event, and their recent inclusion in the CNN story about Ability One and Source America, and NCIL's long standing positions and advocacy around this issue, I have decided that my participation would be inappropriate."

The recent CNN report alleged that Peckham Industries, failed to comply with federal requirements of the Ability One program. The Ability One program is a federal employment program which requires a minimum of 75% of the employees have a significant disability. The committee feels that since these are allegations, and that due process has yet to occur, the support of Peckham Industries is still welcome. 

On behalf of the planning committee, Sara Grivetti states, "We completely respect Mr. Buckland's decision to cancel his attendance, and value his years of advocacy in the disability rights movement. Our only disappointment is that the hundreds of attendees at our event won't get to experience Mr. Buckland's passion for equality and justice for people with disabilities."

While an alternate key note speaker has not been identified at the time of this statement the committee is expecting they will find an equally passionate advocate to fill this role prior to the September 17th event.

 

Secondly, I note that on this list of speakers there aren't many if any with an obvious physical or sensory disability. Doesn't that strike you as rather odd, to say the least? After all this is supposed to be about this seminal civil rights law for people with disabilities, and not about providers, agencies, and legislators who often exploit and discriminate against us, in documented fashion, here in Michigan.!

 

Nearly every speaker and entertainer has a disability. I wasn't aware that you had to have an obvious disability to be considered a person with a disability.

 

Finally, I would like to know if any of the speakers have a history of actually even reading the ADA, let alone in fighting for its full implementation. It sure doesn't appear so. 

 

Maybe there are some missing elements to this program. So again I'm requesting a complete program, in my accessible format and in a timely manner. The program is not final given the change in speakers. Once it is final it will be posted to the website, www.dnmichigan.org. I encourage you to check next week. The program,will also be available the day of the event in accessible formats.

 

Nothing about Us without Us!

 

Paul "Joe" Harcz

 

Cc: several

 

Attachment:

 

ADA 25th Anniversary Celebration

 

Event Program/Schedule

 

presentation at CapitolOrganizers are still busy planning a fun-filed day of speakers, entertainment and activities. Below is a list of what we have lined

up so far. Check back as we will continue to update this information.*

 

Speakers/Presentations:

List of 5 items

. Flag Ceremony (National Guard)

. Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley

. Billy Altom, Executive Director of APRIL (invited)

. Sara Grivetti, Disability Network Michigan

. Awards Presentations

list end

 

Performers:

List of 5 items

. Blessing Offor

. DJ: Rynita "Short-e" Shepherd

. Arts in Motion Studio

. MRC Drummers

. and more!

list end

 

Activities:

List of 5 items

. ADA Legacy Bus

. ADA Resource Tent

. Collaborative Artistry

. Voter Registration Drive

. Photo Booth

list end

 

Vendors:

List of 24 items

. ADA Michigan

. Amramp

. The ARC of Michigan

. Autism Alliance of MI

. Bureau of Services for Blind Persons

. Capital Area Transit Authority

. Department of Civil Rights

. Department of Education/Low Incidence Outreach

. Disability Network/Michigan

. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

. Global Language Solutions

. Hoekstra Transportation

. MARO

. Michigan Council for Rehabilitative Services

. Michigan Department of Natural Resources

. Michigan Department of Rehabilitation Services

. Michigan Developmental Disability Council

. Michigan Rehabilitation Association

. Michigan Rehabilitation Services

. Michigan State University Federal Credit Union

. Peckham

. Statewide Independent Living Council

. United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan

. Veterans Administration

list end

 

*Programming subject to change

 

This event is funded in part by the ADA Michigan, an affiliate of the Great Lakes ADA Center, through grant H133A110029 from the National Institute on Disability

Rehabilitation and Research (NIDRR).

 

Source:

 

http://www.dnmichigan.org/ada-25-program/