504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Candidate for City Council Fernando Cabrera's 2009 response)

Candidate Name: Dr. Fernando Cabrera

Council District: 14

Contact Person: Benny Catala (Campaign Manager)

If there is a Campaign office, is it wheelchair accessible? We presently do not have a campaign office, but will opening an office soon. We are looking for a facility which will be wheelchair accessible.

Campaign Address:
Phone: 347-449-2665
Fax:
Address:
Email: friendsofcabrera @ gmail.com
Website: fernandocabrera.us

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?
  
  As a former school counselor, I worked to ensure that students with disabilities received all of the services they needed. In my campaign, I have campaign team member who has also availed himself as a sign language interpreter during the campaign.
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)?
  
  No answer.
General Questions
1. What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?
  
  As stated above, I worked with students with learning disabilities in Bronx high schools. I provided counseling services to a broad spectrum of students with disabilities, including those with a 504 designation, self contained, inclusion and others.
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?
  
  I will be willing to hire and provide reasonable accommodation for anyone who is competent to do a job, regardless of their disabilities.
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 welcome leaders serving the disability community to be part of the advisory board. I will be meeting with this advisory board on a monthly basis to identify the needs, strategize for solutions and implementation of strategies to better serve the disability community.
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 am in full support developing more supported apartment/homes and retirement homes for the mentally disabled and the physically disabled in the Bronx and District 14. Having worked as a college faculty internship site supervisor, I had the opportunity to visit many supported homes and gained a valuable appreciation for the need of more supported homes.
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 fully support and will be an active voice in the city council in favor of it. I will do everything within my power to protect renters who have disabilities from being price out of their apartments as rent increases.
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, I fully support it. Many New York City multi-family dwellings are woefully deficient in meetings the needs of people with mobility impairment. Having a grandmother who is 101 years old has created within me a greater awareness of the need for accessibility to apartments for people with mobility difficulties.
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?
  
  I will full support legislation to mandate that all taxis in New York City be accessible by 2014. As soon as a non-accessible vehicle comes off line, it would simply be replaced by a new, accessible and green taxi. The bill should include other accessibility and safety components for the hard of hearing and the visually impaired.
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?
  
  The two major issues facing AAR is accountability and reliability. As a Council member, I will be diligent to follow up with complaints of lateness and rude behavior. With talks of MTA also raising the fare from $2.00 to $5.00 for AAR users, it is imperative that every Council member blocks this attempt by the MTA. I will support the issuance of a smart card.
Civil Rights

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

I will strengthen and build legislation to protect the right of persons with disabilities.
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?
  
  As a former Community Board 7 member, I fully appreciate and support requiring all meetings to be accessible. I believe that every community resident has a stake in the community, and therefore, everyone should be able to fully participate without restrictions, regardless of their disabilities.
2. How many people with disabilities have/will you appoint to your local Community Board(s)? Will you support the "requirement" and implement, a Disabled Committee on every Community Board?
  
  I believe every Board should include Disabled Committee.
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.
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 fully support provision through legislation for repair and/or replacement to be available within a year timetable.
2. What steps do you think NYC should take to encourage business owners to make their establishments more accessible?
  
  Legislation should be passed to require new business owners to make their establishments more accessible.
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?
  
  Legislation should be in place to assure the improvement of survival rates of PWDs in the event of a dangerous situation.
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?
  
  As part of the legislative body, I will strongly advocate the allocation of funds and increase of responsibilities for the Director of the MOPD.
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?
  
  The City Council should be diligent in holding city agencies accountable in providing optimal level of services to people of disabilities.

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