Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled

If you're in Albany on Wednesday, join the New York Caring Majority, NYAIL and other groups in the campaign to raise wages for home care workers. As the link states, "#FairPay4HomeCare is the solution that our state most needs, especially after more than 15,000 people died in nursing homes this last year. The truth is stark - the best way to not die in a nursing home is to not be in a nursing home, and more people would be with us today if our state paid more for home care." If you can't participate, we'll post ways of joining the campaign from afar soon. https://actionnetwork.org//15k-lives-lost-but-we-can-save-

"Her argument became our argument, her cause, Taxis for All, became our cause. The Daily News has ever since advocated for equal treatment for all people with disabilities."

About five weeks away...

The power of the press: The MTA relented yesterday and agreed to release information about the cost of outside counsel in response to this piece about my Freedom of Information Law request! My thanks to Stephen Nessen of the Gothamist, and DRA, our attorneys who filed the request on my behalf. BCID is a plaintiff in three accessibility lawsuits against the MTA. https://gothamist.com//mta-refuses-disclose-legal-cost-fig

"Edith Prentiss was tough, and boy was she a force to be reckoned with when she was battling for the rights of New Yorkers with disabilities." Watch Ruschell Boone's piece on NY1 about Edith Prentiss. https://www.ny1.com//legendary-advocate-of-nyc-disability-#

Statement of Joe Rappaport, Executive Director, BCID on Edith Prentiss Edith Prentiss was a force, a fighter and an extraordinary advocate with a fierce sense of justice. Edith, who headed the Taxis For All Campaign, other disability groups and was a close friend of BCID's, died earlier this week. We will miss her deeply.... When Edith became involved in the Taxis For All Campaign, there were three -- three! -- accessible taxis on New York City's streets. Now there are thousands, thanks to Edith's leadership of our campaign over the past decade. Anyone who worked with Edith knew that she was a tremendous ally on virtually every disability issue in New York City. She strategized, buttonholed politicians and, sometimes, sued -- all to make New York City a fairer, better place. And if you weren't on her side, then watch out! She argued with passion and the facts, and persuaded many New Yorkers that accessibility should be a priority, not an afterthought. Whether it was making sure all New Yorkers could use the subways, enjoy Four Freedoms Park (see photo, below), enter a police precinct to attend a community meeting, get a straw at a restaurant if that's what you needed to be independent, and on and on, Edith had her hand in everything that mattered to our community. We are a better city because of Edith, and a lesser city now that she's gone. ------ Photo shows Edith Prentiss at the base of a staircase at Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island, Feb. 20, 2017. Edith, BCID and others won major improvements from New York State Parks Department and Four Freedoms Park to increase access at the park, including an agreement to install a lift to make it possible for people to access the top of this inaccessible staircase.

"Passing DIA [Disability Integration Act] will dismantle the oppressive system that keep disabled people institutionalized and causing their deaths as this pandemic rages on. It is also integral to the work you have embraced to improve the lives of Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) through your commitment to racial justice," writes 30 members of the New York Association on Independent Living in a letter to incoming Senate Majority Leader Schumer. BCID signed the letter. http://www.disabilityintegrationact.org/new-york-associati/

And as part of its final act...

Access-A-Ride updates Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, AAR has made various policy changes for the safety of our employees and customers. Below are updates on some of those changes. Access-A-Ride resuming fare collection Beginning Tuesday, January 19, MTA New York City Transit will resume fare collection on all Access -A-Ride services. The AAR fare is $2.75 per trip and is collected in cash. Customers must have exact change ready at boarding. Customers who use AAR Tr...ansitChek can use the coupons for payment again. Each coupon is good for full payment on one trip. As always, where authorized based on customer eligibility, Personal Care Attendants may accompany AAR passengers free of charge. As we look forward to 2021, we anticipate that OMNY will integrate with AAR beginning in the fourth quarter of the year for contactless payment. See more

Western New York Independent Living, Inc. (WNYIL), in partnership with the Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH), the Erie County Office for People With Disabilities (ECOPWD) and the Independent Consumer Advocacy Network (ICAN) Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program will be providing details on the timeline for people with disabilities in Western New York to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, there will be information on the different types of vaccines and where to r...eceive your vaccine, for those who wish to receive it. There will be two opportunities to view via Zoom to the live presentations at 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM on Wednesday January 6, 2021. The link for the 10:00am meeting is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83467850578 Meeting ID: 834 6785 0578 Passcode: 897325 The link for the 3:00pm meeting is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85725444027 Meeting ID: 857 2544 4027 Passcode: 605819 Following successful trials, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now granted emergency use authorization to Pfizer and, more recently, to Moderna, to distribute tens of thousands of doses of their vaccines in phases to Western New York residents. New York State will first be issuing doses to front-line health care workers, coordinated by a hospital system in each region of the State, an effort that has already begun, followed by nursing home and other congregate care facilities’ residents and staff. For further information you can contact Jillian Moss at [email protected] or 716-836-0822 ext. 146.

Gregg Beratan is the Director of Advocacy at the Center for Disability Rights. He is one of the Co-founders and organizers of #CripTheVote and has been involved in Disability Rights and Disability Justice efforts in the United States, the UK, Poland & India. Register to join the conversation. Thursday, January 7, 2021... 2 PM to 3 PM Please register to receive the link to join the conversation at: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6dM_t6SRQeGm1Z02O5YtaQ Let's join together to have a conversation about the issues and challenges facing the disability community in 2021 and how to be a better advocate for disability rights - for yourself and our community.

"The MTA’s standard should be that New Yorkers with disabilities have the same freedom to travel that everyone else has." That's the message in a Streetsblog op-ed by Jean Ryan, head of Disabled In Action of Metropolitan New York, and BCID's executive director. Unfortunately, Access-A-Ride users are looking at higher fares and substandard service in the new year. Take a read. (The second photo in the article is of Jean in an AAR van. The first is of an AAR vehicle in traffic.) https://nyc.streetsblog.org//opinion-the-mta-breaks-fait/

Standing and walking after SCI/D is a dream most of us have at one time or another but using exoskeleton technology outside of rehab has just not been possible until recently. To learn more about the Indego exoskeleton and how you can get one for home use, tune in to our upcoming webinar when we talk with William Vitzakovitch, MSPT about exactly what's involved. Register in advance for this Zoom meeting:... https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mw5WxtvMQgi93CD8paDmQg After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

New York City early voting hours have been expanded for Friday, October 30th, Saturday, October 31st and Sunday, November 1st. Now the early voting hours in New York City are: Wednesday, October 28th, 12 p.m. (noon) to 8 p.m. Thursday, October 29th, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, October 30th, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.... Saturday, October 31st 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, November 1st 7 a.m. to 4 p.m See more

The MTA has a new online subway map, and the Daily News, ever alert to accessibility questions, has some thoughts. Take a look at the paper's editorial, then at the new map -- link in first comment -- and tell us what you think.

Lyft is offering rides to the polls for voters with disabilities (free up to $30, roundtrip). Voters with disabilities can use the code NDRNVOTE to claim their ride to their polling place to vote or drop off their absentee ballot. This includes early voting, Election Day voting, or dropping off absentee ballots at any polling location. (We're still looking into how you can order an accessible ride as part of the program.)

A major victory for accessibility in court yesterday, as a federal judge ruled that the lack of pedestrian signals on New York City streets is a civil rights violation. Disability Rights Advocates https://www.ny1.com//federal-judge--city-in-violation-of-a

There is information available about where the specific accessible entrances are located at each of the 87 early voting sites to share with your AAR driver, etc... Type in your address on https://findmypollsite.vote.nyc/ Then accessible entrances for your specific site will come up!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION ---- What do I do if I live in New York City, and if I had requested a paper absentee ballot using the link nycabsentee.com, but now want to request an accessible electronic absentee ballot? Please send an email to Ariel Merkel, the ADA Coordinator for New York City's Board of Elections, at [email protected]. ... Here below is an email for you that sets forth all the information you need to provide in the email requesting an accessible electronic absentee ballot where you previously had requested a paper absentee ballot using the link nycabsentee.com. Please remember to send your email request to Ms. Merkel at [email protected] Dear Ms. Merkel, I, _______________, [You, the Voter's First and Last Name] request that an accessible electronic accessible ballot be emailed to me at ________ [the email address you want the accessible electronic accessible ballot to be emailed to you] and the Security Envelope and the Return Envelope mailed to me at ___________________ [the mail address you want the Security Envelope and the Return Envelope for the accessible electronic accessible ballot mailed to you]. My birth date is 01/01/1999 [Voter’s Birth Date] and I live in _________ [Voter’s Borough] and my zip code is _____ [Voter’s Zip Code]. Thank you. __________________ [Voter’s First and Last Name] __________________ [Voter’s Email Address] __________________ [Voter’s Telephone Number - Optional]

https://docs.google.com//1IzLAlKLgA0cLx5pijPBcf3TaLW/edit Click the link above to get all of the info you will ever need about voting in the November 2020 election coming up quickly!!!

New Medicaid Cuts: Learn how they will impact your home care services. You are invited to a Zoom webinar. When: Oct 22, 2020 02:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)... Topic: The New Medicaid Cuts and How They Impact Your Home Care Services This week we are talking with Nina Bakoyiannis and Kendra Scalia, Downstate NY ADAPT about the significant changes to Medicaid eligibility and services created by the current NYS Budget. These cuts, which impact access to home care programs including the consumer-directed personal assistance program (CDPAP), are being implemented by the Department of Health (DOH) in an irresponsible manner. Learn about the changes and what you must do to make sure your services are not interrupted. * Review the NYS budget changes and cuts * Learn about the Regulation adoption process * Dive deep into how these cuts may impact your access to services * Build upon advocacy strategies to fight back Register in advance for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qV4hrE5CRr2btYQ3_JUawQ After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.. Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Zoom Special guests: Nina Bakoyiannis, M.A., Clinical Psychology doctoral student, Long Island University Kendra Scalia, M.P.P., Director of Policy at Stop EVV, President, CDPA Association of NYS Sponsored by: United Spinal Association NYC Chapter, Brooklyn Center for Independence ASL interpreter will be available and Closed Captioning provided. United Spinal Association New York City Chapter Webpage https://www.nycspinalcord.org/ Twitter https://twitter.com/nycspinal Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NYCSpinal YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/NYCSCIA Brooklyn Center for Independence of the Disabled Webpage https://www.bcid.org/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BrooklynBCID/ Twitter https://twitter.com/brooklynbcid

Early Voting starts Saturday, October 24th. The deadline to apply for an Absentee Ballot is Tuesday, October 27th. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3rd. Make a plan and get out the Disability Vote! ... https://on.nyc.gov/2moMTgT See more

Some voters with disabilities such as visual impairments or mobility limitations may not be able mark an absentee ballot. These voters will be able to use their home technology, such as screen reader on their computer or tablet, to mark an electronic version of their ballot call an accessible absentee ballot. In other words, their home computer or tablet will function like the Ballot Marking Device that they would use in the poll site. There is a Ballot Marking Device (BMD) ...Continue reading

Have you had trouble getting equipment, wheelchair repairs or other services from Visiting Nurse Service Choice (VNS), especially since moving from another provider in 2019? If so, contact us at [email protected].

By January 1, 2021, all Medicaid-funded personal care services, including CDPAP, must begin using an electronic method for home care workers to clock-in and clock-out called electronic visit verification (EVV). Be prepared for this change by arming yourself with the knowledge about EVV and your rights in the process. Register in advance for this Zoom meeting: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fC50uNgKS--ydCl8GUcpww... After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Please join us for a presentation by Job Accommodation Network (JAN), the country’s foremost authority on reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. Understand your rights and learn to empower yourself in the workforce!