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 the Deputy Chief for Civil Rights under New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, I brought several cases that dealt with discrimination against disabled people by healthcare providers and hospitals. One particular case forced all hospitals in New York State to provide sign language interpreters. Another case created a requirement for the board of elections to have all polling places made accessible to disabled people.
 

Historically, the courthouses in which you work and offices of staff of District Attorneys are not all accessible to people with all kinds of disabilities. How have you addressed this issue to date? What is your strategy for implementation of complete accessibility? Please be specific as to time and dates.

When I am elected, I plan to make it a priority of my office to accommodate people with disabilities. First I would start by working with the MTA to work to plan and create train platforms and stations that are accessible for disabled people that service the courthouses and staff offices of the Brooklyn District Attorney.

Next, I would mandate that any conference rooms or other areas in the Brooklyn D.A.’s office that are presently accessible to disabled people be reserved for use of assistant district attorneys and investigators to conduct the business of the D.A.’s office when it pertains to any business disabled Brooklynites have.

As I am not yet D.A., I am unfortunately unable to address this question to the fullest. However, I hope to elaborate on my ideas during the interview process.
 

What special accommodations do you believe/think are needed in the workplace/courtroom? Have you hired/will you hire persons with disabilities at all levels of responsibility in your office? Please list. Titles or types of position people with disabilities? Will you make this a policy of your office?

My goal is to create an office environment that is not only comfortable and accessible for disabled Brooklynites but also provides equal treatment to litigants with disabilities. Presently, I believe this set of criteria is not being met. Few materials are available to people with disabilities, as provided by the D.A.’s office. I would work to create written materials in Braille, provide highly trained sign language interpreters and, regardless of cost, ensure that all restroom and other public facilities are wheelchair accessible. With careful budgeting and allocation of funds, these projects can be completed in a speedy manner.
 

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.

Yes.
 

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

1. ...in your personal life?

   My wife, Joan Peters, is the Executive Director of the National Aphasia Association, a nonprofit organization that promotes public education, research, rehabilitation and support services to assist people with aphasia and their families. Previously, she served as Associate Director of the Bronx Independent Living Services.
    
   

2. ...in the workplace?

   As the Deputy Chief for Civil Rights under New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, I brought several cases that dealt with discrimination against disabled people by healthcare providers and hospitals. One particular case forced all hospitals in New York State to provide sign language interpreters. Another case created a requirement for the board of elections to have all polling places made accessible to disabled people.
    
   

What special accommodations do you believe/think are needed in the workplace/courtroom? Have you hired/will you hire persons with disabilities at all levels of responsibility in your office? Please list. Titles or types of position people with disabilities? Will you make this a policy of your office?

I believe there is a need for the district attorney’s office to provide communication and written materials in formats that are appropriate for people with disabilities as well as provide (to the extent the office is capable of doing so – beyond the D.A.’s office, I believe the D.A. needs to advocate for changes being made by other agencies, such as the courts, train stations and public facilities) improvements to facilities that are not accessible to people with disabilities, including (but not limited to): jury boxes, restrooms, conference rooms, staff offices and elevators.

Having been made aware, through interaction with colleagues and my wife’s professional career, of the difficulties all types of people with disabilities face, discrimination against people with "hidden" disabilities and communication disabilities, I understand that there is a desperate need for accommodation on a variety of levels.

As to the second part of the question, since I am not yet the D.A. I am unable to answer this beyond saying that I would hire people with disabilities to fulfill any position they were qualified to hold within the Brooklyn D.A.’s office.
 

Are you willing to hire and use flex-time and job-sharing for people with disabilities? Will you make this a police of your office?

Yes.
 

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?

   Yes.
    
   

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

   Yes.
    
   

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

I plan to have an active disability advisory committee when I am elected Brooklyn District Attorney. At the top of this committee would be my director of community relations for people with disabilities. This position would fall under the umbrella of the community relations office of the Brooklyn D.A. The main responsibilities include providing recommendations directly to the D.A., working directly with the disabled community to gain understanding of the needs that should be addressed by the Brooklyn D.A. (including facility renovation and improvements) and providing outreach to people with disabilities that are having trouble navigating Brooklyn’s criminal justice system.
 

Has a person with a disability appeared in court as a defendant, juror or litigant? If so, please indicate what, if any, problems arose? And how were they handled?

As I am not yet the D.A., I am unable to answer this question.
 

Do you believe that a deaf or a blind person can serve as a juror?

Yes.
 

What is your position on making marijuana available for medical purposes?

I am in favor of the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
 

Do you believe that defendants with mental disabilities should be treated in a different manner than others? If so, how? If not, why not?

Yes. Defendants with mental disabilities should be provided with proper counsel (one that understands the complexities of mental disabilities) in order to ensure that they receive a fair and just trial. Additionally, the mentally disabled defendant needs to be able to understand the legal process of their case and potential outcomes.
 

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Prosecution of Abusers of Consumers of personal care services: Has your office prosecuted or will it prosecute any cases of attendants who abuse their charges (disabled/ seniors)? Please cite case, and provide any advice on how to successfully prosecute these cases?

As I am not yet the district attorney, I have not prosecuted these types of cases. However, as I understand it, elder abuse and abuse of people with disabilities by attendants and facilities such as nursing homes and long-term care centers, is a serious problem in Brooklyn. When I was Deputy Chief of Civil Rights for the Attorney General’s office, we worked to shut down several centers that were abusing people with disabilities and I personally worked on the case that ended the corruption of the Soundview Healthcare Facility in the Bronx. In that instance, money that was intended for women, children, people with AIDS and other debilitating diseases was being funneled into the political accounts of State Senator Pedro Espada. My investigation led to the indictments of several senior officials and ultimately changed the way money is handed out to this type of facility. My goal as Brooklyn D.A. would be to ensure that the abuse of people with disabilities, whether by a single attendant or a large facility, would get the same kind of attention as any other major crime would receive.
 

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