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 drafted legislation that would put an effective end to the non-ADA compliance of many voting sites across the State. This bill, which will be introduced next year, puts a three-year limit on waivers that many poll sites use to skirt compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Also, I passed a bill this year that increases income eligibility levels for the SCRIE program. This bill also allows the disabled to enter the program at increased eligibility levels.
 

What oversight have you performed regarding implementation of programs/legislation you have passed (in first term or in previous offices)?

I regularly monitor performance of legislation that I have passed.
 

What implementation/strategy do you have for your future programs and legislation to help constituents with disabilities?

I will make sure that the relevant agencies enforce the law as written.
 

Will you commit to only attend or sponsor events that are accessible to people with disabilities? NOTE: This includes: providing written materials in alternate formats for people with low vision; providing assistive listening systems for people who are hard-of-hearing; sign language interpreters for people who are deaf; as well as ensuring that locations are accessible (including bathroom facilities) to people who use mobility aids, like wheelchairs and walkers.

I will commit to attend only events or sponsor events that are accessible to people with disabilities. I would have no way of knowing if an event I plan to attend is as disabled-friendly as you would like it to be. For events that I sponsor, I will do my best to ensure that there are disabled-friendly.
 

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What personal and professional experience have you had with people with disabilities?

1. ...in your personal life?

2. ...in the workplace?

I have dealt with constituents and advocates who are disabled. No one in my family is disabled and no one in my employ is disabled.
 

What special accommodations do you believe/think are needed in the workplace?

There should be adequate access, egress and bathroom facilities. Workplace stations should certainly be disabled-friendly.
 

How do you propose to implement your active involvement and/or availability to the disability community?

1. Will there be a specific person in your office responsible to this community?

2. Will have regular office agenda items and meetings on disabled community issues?

I would endeavor to assign someone in my office to be responsible to the disablity community. I will have regular office agenda items and meetings on disabled community issues.
 

Do you/or will you, have an active Disability Advisory Committee? Explain its duties, responsibilities and powers.

With your input, I will consider having an active Disability Advisory Committee. I would look to your organization and others for advice on establishing appropriate duties, responsibilities and powers.
 

How will you work closely with the disability community to assure passage of vitally needed legislation through the City Council? What is your strategy during your first term?

I will work with the disability community to ensure passage of legislation through the City Council. It would be premature to suggest a strategy for accomplishing this without a specific piece of legislation to consider.
 

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What is your position on the development of supported apartments/homes and retirement homes for the mentally disabled in your borough? Please also explain same for physically disabled. What strategies will you utilize?

We need more apartments, homes and retirement homes for the mentally and physically disabled. I would encourage the creation of tax incentives and exemptions for the private sector and not-for-profit developers.
 

What is your position on extending the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) to low-income, eligible persons with disabilities under the age of 62 on the same basis and income level (currently the income cap for seniors is $24,000, but for persons with disabilities it has been set at $17,000)?

[From Section II] I have drafted legislation that would put an effective end to the non-ADA compliance of many voting sites across the State. This bill, which will be introduced next year, puts a three-year limit on waivers that many poll sites use to skirt compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Also, I passed a bill this year that increases income eligibility levels for the SCRIE program. This bill also allows the disabled to enter the program at increased eligibility levels.
 

How will you develop realistic income levels for individuals and couples with disabilities to avail themselves of the SCRIE provisions?

[From Section II] I have drafted legislation that would put an effective end to the non-ADA compliance of many voting sites across the State. This bill, which will be introduced next year, puts a three-year limit on waivers that many poll sites use to skirt compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Also, I passed a bill this year that increases income eligibility levels for the SCRIE program. This bill also allows the disabled to enter the program at increased eligibility levels.
 

What alternative programs will you propose to allow persons with disabilities to stay in their own homes/apartments? (i.e. protection from rent increases or undue eviction (harassment) and make funds available to make appropriate accommodations in present living environment). Another example: perhaps a dedicated housing trust fund should be established for making those housing accommodations. If so, how would you fund same?

People with disabilities who have limited income or minimal assets should be provided with protection from exorbitant rent increases or undue eviction. Landlords should be provided with some sort of compensation or tax credits to accommodate people with disabilities. Although a dedicated housing trust fund might seem desirable, I do not see how this can be accomplished given the reality of billion-dollar deficits at the city ands state level for the foreseeable future.
 

New York City is in the process of adopting a new building code. How would you advocate for the strongest possible access provisions?

1. Emergency evacuation for people with disabilities: what would you do to ensure that provisions are put in place to improve survival rates of people with disabilities in the event of fire, attack, blackout, or other emergency situation?

2. What would you do to ensure that "Visitability" is enacted in New York City? Visitability is the movement towards establishing guidelines providing that newly constructed multi-family dwellings have basic accessible/adaptable features that permit friends and family with disabilities to visit, and for residents to "age in place," without having to move out when age and/or disability set in.

Perhaps a list of residents who are disabled should be kept in an accessible location on the premises. I would really defer to the judgment of Fire Department personnel. I don’t see how you can mandate that newly-constructed multi-family dwellings have these features that you desire aside from access, egress and being able to use bathroom facilities. As far as something for residents to "age in place," without having to move out, I think that incentives can be provided to encourage landlords to make appropriate modification to a living space is it is feasible to do so.
 

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Will you support, and what strategy will you utilize, to implement an expansion of affordable wheelchair accessible transportation in NYC, including taxis, livery service, express buses, airport shuttle service, more accessible subway stations, etc.?

1. Efforts to secure a 100% accessible fleet of medallion taxis have been hampered by opposition from Mayor Bloomberg and the taxi industry. Wheelchair accessible taxis are present in many cities as a result of strong support from local Mayors and City Councils. What would you do to assure that all New York City residents, commuters and tourists have access to an important form of public transportation, our medallion taxis and community car services?

   There should be more affordable wheelchair accessible transportation in NYC, especially with taxis and express buses. We should install more elevators at subway stations where it is feasible and there is a great need. You can certainly advocate for more accessible medallion taxis, but a 100% accessible fleet is not realistic. A percentage is more reasonable and probably doable.
    
   

Access-A-Ride has denied rides to many eligible consumers; cause unnecessarily long trips, causing workers to be late for work and consequently be docked pay and even lose their jobs; routinely leave many consumers stranded at the curb, lying to their clients that a bus is coming and calling consumer a "no-show" when the bus has not shown. Consumers who complain are often subject to retaliation. What would you do to improve the quality of service for those who must use Access-A-Ride?

Make more Access-A-Ride vehicles available. Shorten the advance time required for arranging a pick up. Set up a bureau within the regulating agency to specifically monitor performance and have the ability to impose stiff fines on operators when appropriate.
 

Do you favor the construction of the Second Avenue Subway? If so, is this a priority?

I favor construction of the Second Avenue Subway, and hope that my grandchildren (who are not yet born) live to see it.
 

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The Local Civil Rights Restoration Act (Intro 22) seeks to protect the vigor and independence of the City’s Human Rights Law against the attacks of an increasingly conservative State and Federal Judiciary. Although there are 38 Council sponsors, 32 civil rights and allied organizations, in favor of this legislation, and three hearings have been held, Mayor Bloomberg continues to oppose the most central aspect of the bill, the need for City Human Rights Law not to be restricted as federal and state civil rights law gets cut back. Would you work to assure its passage? Please describe your strategy.

I am not familiar with this legislation, but given my unblemished record on human rights it is probably legislation that I can support. As Borough President, I look forward to working with you on implementation of this legislation.
 

Under the Bloomberg Administration, the Corporation Council intervened on the side of the city of Sacramento when it sought to challenge the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding the requirement to maintain accessible sidewalks. Do you pledge to use your office to affirm or strengthen, rather than weaken, civil rights protections for persons with disabilities?

I will use my office to affirm or strengthen civil rights protection for persons with disabilities.
 

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Do you support making sign language interpreters available for Community Board meetings? If so, how would you fund this?

I support making sign-language interpreters available for community board meetings. The money should come from the budgets of the boards.
 

Will you appoint disabled persons to local Community Boards?

I will consider appointing disabled persons to community boards as long as they have some record of service to their community. The latter is my criterion for considering all board appointments.
 

How many have you/or will you appoint to Community Board?

I am not in a position to tell you how many I will appoint.
 

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

If a community board feels that there should be a disabled committee, then they should establish one. I will certainly encourage them to do so.
 

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Please Specify: Have you used (or will you use) your discretionary funds to support organizations serving persons with disabilities or service organizations seeking to make their programs accessible to persons with disabilities? If so, what percentage of your discretionary funds went to such organizations?

I will consider using discretionary funds to support organizations serving persons with disabilities or service organizations seeking to make their programs accessible to persons with disabilities.
 

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