Candidate Name: Brent O'Leary

Council District: 26

Contact Person: Matthew Jones

If there is a Campaign office, is it wheelchair accessible? Yes

Campaign Address: 4-74 48th Avenue, Apt. 11E, Long Island City, NY 11109
Phone: 718-606-0572
Fax: 718-606-0572
Email: brent.oleary @ gmail.com
Website: www.brentoleary.com

1. Action Shows Commitment!

    

   1. While in public office/prior to this campaign, what have you accomplished in regard to advancing disability rights? This can include work towards accessible housing, transportation, employment, health care, education, and including people with disabilities in the political process?

       

      I have not been in public office. In a party position, as a Democratic National Committee member I supported resolutions to advance the cause of those with disabilities in many sectors.

       

   2. Will you commit to only attend / sponsor events that are accessible to people with disabilities (PWDs including providing written materials in alternate formats, providing assistive listening systems, and sign language interpreters as well as ensuring that locations are physically accessible)?

       

      Yes.

       

2. General Questions

    

   1. What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?

       

      Work with many people at my office with disabilities which office is fully handicap accessible. Work closely with Lewis Goldstein in the Democratic Party.

       

   2. What type of jobs would you be willing to hire and to provide reasonable accommodation (e.g. flex or part time) for staff members with disabilities?

       

      Any job the person is qualified for.

       

   3. How will you work closely with the disability community to assure passage of vitally needed legislation through the City Council? What will be your strategy?

       

      I will work closely with the 504 Democratic Club.

       

3. Housing

    

   1. What is your position on the development of supported apartments/homes and retirement homes for the persons with mental and/or physical disabilities in your district?

       

      I support the development of apartment/homes and retirement homes for persons with mental and/or physical disabilities in my district.

       

   2. What is your position on making DRIE (Disabled Rent Increase Exemption) and SCRIE (Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption) programs income eligibility comparable? (At present a individual senior or household income eligibility is $28,000. While the income for a younger disabled individual is capped at $19,284 and $27,780 for a household?)

       

      I would favor raising the DRIE to the SCRIE level.

       

   3. Visitability sets guidelines to ensure newly constructed multi-family dwellings have basic accessible/adaptable features to permit people with disabilities can visit, and for residents to "age in place," without having to move out when age and/or disability set in. Do you support incorporating the concept of "visitability" in the Building Code?

       

      Yes.

       

4. Transportation

    

   1. Will you support an expansion of affordable wheelchair accessible transportation in NYC, including taxis, livery service, express buses, and shuttles, more accessible subway stations, etc.?

       

       

      Yes.

       

   2. Efforts to secure a 100% accessible fleet of medallion taxis have been hampered by opposition from Mayor Bloomberg and the taxi industry. The current emphasis is on creating a 100% "green" fleet. What would you do to assure that taxis and community car service vehicles are both "green" and universally designed for wheelchair access?

       

      Require wheelchair access for new vehicles and assist in funding the conversion of the old fleet.

       

   3. Access-A-Ride (AAR) users experience unnecessarily long trips, causing workers to be late for work, have their pay docked and possibly losing their jobs. AAR leaves consumers stranded, lies that a vehicle is coming and penalized riders as a "no-show" when the vehicle never arrived. Riders who complain report they are subject to retaliation. What would you do to improve the quality of AAR? Would you support the issuance of a "smart card" so that Access-A-Ride users can use accessible cabs/livery service at a reduced cost and receive better service? Would you support the issuance of a "smart card" so that Access-A-Ride users can use accessible cabs/livery service at a reduced cost and receive better service?

       

      I support the issuance of smart cards and would have routine inspections of AAR to enforce quality.

       

5. Civil Rights

    

   Do you pledge to use your office to affirm or strengthen, rather than weaken, civil rights protections for persons with disabilities?

    

   Yes.

    

6. Community Board

    

   1. Do you support requiring all Community Board meeting and function be accessible, including requiring sign language interpreters and large print format material?

       

      Yes.

       

   2. How many people with disabilities have/will you appoint to your local Community Board(s)?

       

      I will appoint the most qualified applicants.

       

   3. Will you support the "requirement" and implement, a Disabled Committee on every Community Board?

       

      Yes.

       

7. Discretionary Funds

    

   Will you use your discretionary funds to support organizations serving people with disabilities or service organizations seeking to make their programs accessible to people with disabilities?

    

   Yes.

    

8. Accessibility

    

   1. Under Mayor Bloomberg, the City settled with the United Spinal Association and agreed to install pedestrian ramps, on all corners which presently don't have one. However, no provision was made to repair and/or replace existing ones which are unsafe. How would you ensure that pedestrian ramps are provided or repaired? What would you establish as a timetable?

       

      I would provide funding and require it within 2 years.

       

   2. What steps do you think NYC should take to encourage business owners to make their establishments more accessible?

       

      NYC should provide funding where needed and make costs to make establishments more accessible tax deductible.

       

   3. How would you ensure that emergency evacuation for PWDs provisions are put in place to improve survival rates of PWDs in the event of fire, attack, blackout, or other emergency situation?

       

      Improved training and regular testing.

       

9. Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD)

    

   1. Mayor Bloomberg elevated the Director of the (MOPD) to a Commissioner without any increase in budget or responsibilities. How would you ensure that city departments/agencies coordinate through MOPD?

       

      By requiring an MOPD comment on proposals before they are voted on.

       

   2. How do you believe the City Council should enforce and do oversight regarding the work of the office and be certain of the implementation and its efforts?

       

      Through a yearly published review showing costs, efforts and results.

       

Date: June 5, 2009