Today, CDR had a meeting with Nick Weatherby, a staffer for Congressman-elect, Dan Maffei. Diane, Terrie, Dean, Gene, and I attended, and though the focus of the meeting was the Community Choice Act, we spoke on a number of issues that affect people with disabilities.
Diane and I spoke about the Community Choice Act. I gave a brief history of the 17-year odyssey, and noted that CCA now has 125 co-sponsors in the House – more than ever before, and 21 co-sponsors in the Senate. The co-sponsors include 19 of the 22 NY congress members. Diane spoke of the impact that it would have, including the cost savings to states. One of the questions that Mr. Weatherby asked was about opposition to CCA. Diane spoke of the institutional bias inherent in the long term care system, the nursing home lobby, and the myths about the Community Choice Act, including what is known as the “woodwork effect”, which studies have shown would not happen. I spoke of a group of parent advocates called VOR (Voice of the Retarded), who oppose CCA because they support institutions for people with intellectual disabilities. They are tight with AFSCME, the union that many employees of institutions and nursing facilities belong to, and who also is opposed to CCA.
Diane also presented CDR’s Long Term Care position paper and other materials for study and reference.
Nick Weatherby stated that the congressman most likely would support CCA in its present form, and further stated that they are always available to us. He spoke of another staffer who has a young child with developmental delays, and how that has made them aware of some issues affecting people with disabilities.
Dean spoke of issues of concern to people who are Deaf, such as the Twenty-first Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2008 (H.R. 6320),which would make changes to the Communications Act of 1934, to define “disability”, require seamless text communication among interconnected VoIP services, IP-enabled communication services, and telecommunications services, and establishes an accessible products and services clearinghouse. He also spoke about closed captioning, and how the federal funding for closed captioning that local TV stations received was no longer available. Another issue that Dean spoke of was bilingualism-teaching Deaf students ASL, along with English, instead of English only.
Gene spoke about the need for affordable, accessible, integrated housing, and recounted the story of a woman with Multiple Sclerosis who lives at Monroe Community Hospital. She went there for disability-related health problems, and got better, but due to credit issues related to her enormous medical bills, was unable to find an apartment. She is languishing in the hospital at a cost of over $6,000/month, when all it would take is $600/month for her to be in the community! We also spoke of a piece of legislation that was introduced in the House called the Inclusive Home Design Act of 2007 (H.R.4202). This would require all newly constructed, federally assisted, single-family houses and town houses to meet minimum standards of visitability for persons with disabilities. Visitability, simply put, is the construction of a home with at least one no-step entrance, doors that are at least 32 inches wide, lowered light fixtures and other environmental controls, and a wheelchair-accessible bathroom on the first floor.
Nick Weatherby stated that he would look into those pieces of legislation (H.R. 4202, and 6320) to better educate himself, and the congressman, but felt that very likely, Rep. Maffei would be a supporter of those bills, as well.
I felt that the meeting went well, and that Mr. Weatherby seemed genuine in his optimism, and look forward to working with him and Representative Maffei in the future.