504 Democratic Club: Questionnaires (Candidate for City Council Tremaine Wright's 2009 response)

Candidate Name: Tremaine Wright

Council District: 36

Contact Person: Tremaine Wright

If there is a Campaign office, is it wheelchair accessible? No, it is not.

Campaign Address: 376 Tompkins Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216
Phone: 718-801-2455
Fax: 718-504-7657
Email: tremaine2009 @ gmail.com
Website: www.changewrightnow.com

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 assisted parents to obtain necessary services for their children with learning disabilities.
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)?
  
  I will use best efforts to sponsor events that are accessible to people with disabilities and encourage third party sponsors to do the same. I commit to supporting funding for and assistance with the provision of services to ensure that events are accessible to people with disabilities.
General Questions
1. What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities in your personal life and in the workplace?
  
  My grandfather is unable to walk and uses a wheelchair. I routinely take him out for short excursions in the neighborhood and we utilize Access-A-Ride when going longer distances. He resides in a nursing home. I sense the daily struggles and challenges faced by those who are physically disabled and their caregivers. Also, one of my older cousins suffered a head injury which resulted in epilepsy and developmental disabilities.
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 am willing to hire and provide reasonable accommodation for all positions which do not have a specific need for one, full-time person.
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?
  
  It is imperative that I learn and understand the issues affecting the disabled community. There are so many concerns and needs that require attention and as a Council member it is my duty to bring awareness and ensure that community development plans as well as City initiative address these concerns.
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?
  
  Experience with my grandfather has made me acutely aware of the lack of assisted living options within my district. We need quality assisted living options developed. Residents should be able to receive necessary care without moving away from their home community.
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?)
  
  The income disparity should be eliminated.
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?
  
  Visitability is a logical answer to our growing demand for quality housing. Visitability as well as sustainability, affordability and safety must be a part of our comprehensive building plans.
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?
  
  We must encourage green and accessible travel options by offering incentives to vehicle owners and supporting the development of green, accessible vehicles.
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?
  
  Yes. There should be more options for accessible travel. Having only one option leads to abuse while competition will promote improved service.
Civil Rights

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

Yes.
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)?
  
  There is no set number - the issue of rights and access are important. Therefore, I will appoint members to ensure that the rights of the disabled are considered and addressed.
3. Will you support the "requirement" and implement, a Disabled Committee on every Community Board?
  
  While there are some issues that affect persons with disabilities more directly than persons without disabilities, these issues must be addressed as part of a comprehensive approach to community planning. And each committee must be held accountable for addressing the needs of people with disabilities within the district as well as how committee proposals impact them. Additionally, Community Boards would benefit from dedicated resources and technical assistance for making their meetings and events accessible to persons with disabilities.
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?
  
  Safety is of the utmost importance and the City must repair known hazards as soon as possible. As such we must regularly bring such conditions to the attention of DOT.
2. What steps do you think NYC should take to encourage business owners to make their establishments more accessible?
  
  The City should offer technical assistance and grants to business owners to make improvements to encourage accessibility.
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?
  
  OEM, the Police Department and the Fire Department must have a comprehensive evacuation plan which makes provision for the disabled community. The plan should provide for necessary rescue equipment, notification/alarm systems, accessible shelter options and provision for service dogs and medical equipment.
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?
  
  MOPD must operate as more than just a partner on initiatives of other agencies. It should organize an investigative committee which will bring awareness to issues, as well as seek resolutions and laws to improve the current state.
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?
  
  MOPD should report on their progress and initiatives; and the investigative committee should include members of the disabled community.

Date: June 5, 2009

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