[nfbwatlk] Fwd: Reminder of meeting this Friday, Jan. 9, 4:30 -6 p.m. at Chaco Canyon Cafe(4757 12th Ave. NE) in Seattle's University District to discuss a proposed Seattle Commission on Disability Issues

[Kristina Lawrence]

I just found out about this today. If there is anyone in the area that
would like to take the philosophy of the NFB to the meeting, please do
so. I am unable to attend this meeting.

Kris Lawrence


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Chris Leman <cleman at oo.net>
Date: Thu, Jan 8, 2009 at 1:48 AM
Subject: Reminder of meeting this Friday, Jan. 9, 4:30 -6 p.m. at
Chaco Canyon Cafe(4757 12th Ave. NE)  in Seattle's University District
to discuss a proposed Seattle Commission on Disability Issues
To: "Zurfluh, David L." <davidlzurfluh at msn.com>, "Wysocki, Paul"
<pwysocki3 at cox.net>, "Wheeler, Julian F." <julianfwheeler at aol.com>,
United Blind of Seattle <jbrannon0612 at comcast.net>, "Trent, Sandy"
<sandytrent_vet at yahoo.com>, skashdan at cablespeed.com, Seattle
Lighthouse for the Blind <mwimmenauer at seattlelh.org>, "Ranger,
Charity" <chariqy at hotmail.com>, "Pennoyer, John"
<megadutch at comcast.net>, Paralyzed Veterans of America
<pvachnw at mindspring.com>, National Federation of the Blind
<cardonations at nfbw.org>, National Federation of the Blind Grtr Seattle
Chapter <tishgifts at gmail.com>, "Miller, David"
<dmiller at seattlelh.org>, "McLauchlan, A. B." <abmclauchlan at msn.com>,
"Mattson, Rob" <Rob.Mattson at seattle.gov>, "Lum, Mary Beth"
<mblum08 at gmail.com>, "Kashdan, Sylvie" <kaizen at literacyworks.org>,
"Johnson, Karen" <kljsea at comcast.net>, "Hildie, Doug"
<hjelde at comcast.net>, "Healy, Jean" <jhirish at earthlink.net>, Gladys
<gladys at disabilitypride.org>, "Egan, David"
<david.egan at earthlink.net>, dhmrm at yahoo.com, Deaf-Blind Service Center
<info at seattledbsc.org>, "Cornwell, Dorene" <dorenefc at aol.com>,
Community Services for the Blind and Partially Sighted
<mthompson at csbps.com>, "Canamar, Robert" <robert_canamar at yahoo.com>,
"Butler, Ernie" <email4ebutler at aol.com>, "Bush, Jim"
<jbwa2 at yahoo.com>, barbgal at drizzle.com, Alliance of People with
Disabilities <robert at disabilitypride.org>,
marybeth at disabilitypride.org



All are welcome and needed at a meeting this Friday, Jan. 9, 4:30-6
pm. at Chaco Canyon Organic Cafe, to discuss a proposal for a Seattle
Commission on Disability Issues.  Chaco Canyon Cafe, 4757 12th Ave. NE
in Seattle's University District, has accessible restrooms.  The Jan.
9 meeting follows up a Nov. 21 meeting which discussed a proposal for
a commission on disabilities issues that emerged from the July 28
neighborhood summit that was organized by the City Neighborhood
Council.  Below are notes from the Nov. 21 meeting that are based on
an initial draft by Julian Wheeler (Interim Convener of Citizens for
Establishment of a Seattle Disability Commission), with additions from
my own notes of the meeting.  My deepest apologies for not sending you
these updated notes sooner.  I am hoping that someone new will step
forward to do the minutes of the next meeting, and that others will
take on some of the assignments that are listed for me below, as I
find that cannot fulfill them to the level that you all deserve.  My
responsibilities with the City Neighborhood Council continue, even
past my final, current year as Chair.    --  Chris Leman (206)
322-5463

Notes from Meeting on November 21, 2008, on Proposal to Establish a
City of Seattle Commission on Disability Issues:

Present:  Jim M. Bush, Dorene Cornwell, Doug Hildie, Karen Johnson,
Chris Leman, John Pennoyer, and Julian Wheeler.

Discussion.  After self-introductions, the meeting focused on the idea
of a Seattle Commission on Disability Issues that emerged from
discussions at the Oct. 28 Seattle Neighborhood Summit that was
convened at City Hall by the City Neighborhood Council, an official
advisory body.  At present, the responsibility for addressing
disability issues is scattered across many different advisory bodies,
none of which is able to offer focused attention.  On each advisory
body there is rarely more than one individual from the disabilities
community.  The best coverage so far has been through the Human Rights
Commission's creation of a disabilities rights committee (chaired  by
Julian Wheeler), but its mission is but a fraction of the topics
covered by the Human Rights Commission .

There was enthusiasm for further exploring the creation of Seattle
Commission on Disability Issues.   The proposal will be circulated and
discussed at the next meeting on January 9,, with the goal of
producing a written report by the end of January, as the City Council
is now undertaking a "Plan for Open and Participatory Government" that
might become a vehicle for our proposal.  Also, in order to ensure
that we are not "Seattle Centric," a version of the report will be
prepared which is generic and lays out how a Commission on Disability
Issues can be developed for any city or count, so we can help
advocates for the disabled everywhere
.
Work items and assignments.  The names listed below are tentative.  It
is hoped that you, the reader, will want to volunteer for one or more
of these assignments, and/or that you will offer assistance to the
persons listed.  Also, please suggest possible other work items, or
revisions of these.

1. Assemble names of persons interested in supporting the proposal:
Assigned to Chris Leman and Julian Wheeler (please send them suggested
names).

2. Identify cities and counties that have "disability commissions",
describe their structure and operations, and draw lessons for our
proposal.  Assigned to  Dorene Cornwell.

3. Identify and explore dimensions of proposed commission, inclusive
of optimum number of seats to be established for commission, name and
nature of commission subject matter:  Assigned to Chris Leman.

4. Identify optimum number of slots for commission, including
identifying subsets within and among the disability community that may
be targeted as sources for occupants for such specific commission
seats:   Assigned to Karen Johnson.

5. Identify and contact groups which may wish to endorse our proposal:
  Assigned to Jim Bush; Marybeth Lum; and Chris Leman.

6. Identify problems and issues that are inadequately addressed by
current city commissions or offices, i.e., SHA, remodeling of units,
HUD requirements: Please contact Julian if you are interested in
"bird-dogging" this action item.

7. Find out about status of the City Council's process for developing
a Plan for Open and Participatory Government and how we can plug into
it.   Assigned to Chris Leman.

8. Identify a team of supporters who will compose letters in support
of this proposal: Assigned to Julian and Chris.