NEWS about disability issues and assistive technology
- Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans to Storm Capitol Hill
- Ohio Youth Leadership Forum Seeks Applicants
- 2010 Census Offers Employment Opportunities
- NCD calls for affordable housing
- Download a free fair housing booklet
- Free cell phone and cellular service
War Veterans Storm the Hill
This week, from February 6-February 15, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is bringing two dozen Iraq and Afghanistan veterans from across the country to meet with more than 100 Congressional offices to present their legislative priority for 2010: reforming what IAVA calls the Veteran Administration's “archaic” disability claims system.
The organization recently released a report in which it criticized the VA for the mass of red tape wounded veterans must tear through to receive VA services. The report highlights the countless bureaucratic roadblocks, lengthy waits for care, and complicated disability systems facing wounded veterans.
Highlights of IAVA's newly released Red Tape report include:
- • Military Efforts Falling Short: Although the military has made efforts to address bureaucratic obstacles, the current process is still extremely problematic. Red tape within the disability evaluation system often leads to redundant tests, misdiagnoses and delayed treatment. The process also puts too much emphasis on cost cutting, causing veterans to be consistently underrated for their injuries.
- • Lack of a Seamless Transition from the DOD to VA: The report found that troops face significant challenges as they transition from the Department of Defense (DOD) to the VA. Challenges include: lost paperwork, a drop-off in the quality of care and a total lack of coordination between the two separate complicated and confusing systems.
- • An Outdated VA Disability System: Informed by research and first-hand accounts, the report details the VA's outdated paper-based disability system that emphasizes the quantity of claims processed over the quality of the processed claim.
- • A Drawn-Out Appeals Process: 17 percent of ratings decisions are inaccurate, forcing many veterans to go through the appeals process. The process requires long mandatory wait times and is slowed further by cumbersome extra steps. In order to present new evidence to aid their appeal, veterans are sometimes forced to restart the entire process.
Recommendations: Among the many recommendations in the report, IAVA calls for bold, urgent action that includes a modern VA claims processing system that digitizes records, holds processors accountable for the accuracy of their work and removes unnecessary steps in the evaluation process.
IAVA is the nation's first and largest non-profit, nonpartisan group for the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the civilian supporters of those troops and veterans.To learn more about IAVA, visit the web site at http://www.iava.org or on Facebook.
Ohio Youth Leadership Forum
The Ohio Governor's Council on People with Disabilities (GCPD) 12th Annual Ohio Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) will be held July 19-22, 2010 at the Embassy Suites Airport Hotel in Columbus, Ohio.
All high school juniors and seniors who have a disability are invited to apply. The application deadline is February 12, 2010. Applications are available at
2010 Census Jobs
The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting workers for the 2010 Census. Available positions include:
- • CENSUS TAKERS (also known as ENUMERATORS)
These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses, such as mileage incurred while conducting census work. Best of all, census takers work right in their own communities. - • CREW LEADERS and CREW LEADER ASSISTANTS
Crew Leaders train, supervise, and review the work of census takers on their team, or crew. Meet daily with census takers to review their assignments and approve their daily payroll records. Perform some of the same field work as census takers. - • RECRUITING ASSISTANTS
Serve as local representatives who get the word out about census jobs in the communities to which they are assigned. Recruiting assistants are responsible for attracting people to apply for census jobs. - • CLERKS
Perform a variety of office duties that support field activities. Work inside the Local Census Office using a computer to conduct tasks such as processing employee payroll and personnel actions.
More information, including a practice test, is available at www.2010censusjobs.gov or call the Census Bureau toll-free jobs line at 1-866-861-2010.
National Council on Disability Calls for Affordable, Accessible, and Appropriate Housing for People with Disabilities
WASHINGTON — The National Council on Disability (NCD) recently released a report titled "The State of Housing in America in the 21st Century: A Disability Perspective" that provides recommendations intended to improve housing opportunities for people with disabilities. This report looks at the state of housing for people with disabilities with the intent to provide recommendations that can improve housing opportunities. The research contained in this report provides a comprehensive overview of the state of housing in the twenty-first century and answers important questions about the current housing needs and options for people with disabilities living in the United States.
NCD undertook this study with three objectives in mind:
1) to evaluate public laws, policies, and program initiatives affecting the housing opportunities available to Americans with disabilities and others who have accessible housing needs for whatever reason, whether due to aging or a temporary disability;
2) to analyze what housing, supports, and other benefits are available through the public, nonprofit, and/or private sectors; and
3) to provide recommendations that can improve housing opportunities for people with disabilities in the United States.
The findings and recommendations contained in this document are grounded in data and research gathered from federal agencies, either directly or via published reports, and from research completed by academics and disability advocates. This report also provides evidence of what can be effective in meeting the range of housing needs among a diverse group of consumers with disabilities. This includes best and promising practices drawn from real examples, and lessons learned from experts working on housing issues and policy. In reviewing best and promising practices, data was triangulated from different sources — interviews, published reports, and Internet research — to assure a comprehensive assessment. To this end, the research has been reviewed and commented on by a diverse panel of experts and consumer groups that have all provided valuable insights and guidance. Some recommendations include:
• Increase affordable, accessible, and integrated housing for people with disabilities to meet needs and demand.
• Increase access to existing units.
• Prevent further loss of affordable, accessible housing.
• Expand and focus usage of vouchers.
• Improve fair housing enforcement of disability rights.
The purpose of NCD, an independent federal agency, is to promote programs, practices, policies and procedures that ensure full inclusion of people with disabilities into all aspects of society. NCD accomplishes this mission by providing advice and making recommendations to the President, Congress, governmental agencies, and other stakeholders.
For more information, please contact NCD’s Director of External Affairs, Mark S. Quigley, at mquigley@ncd.gov or by telephone at 202-272-2004.
Get a FREE Fair Housing booklet
You can download a Fair Housing booklet off the Disability.Gov website. The booklet includes information on the Fair Housing Act and housing rights of people with disabilities and others. Document is in .pdf format. You must have Adobe reader to download, open and read the booklet. Download Adobe reader here.
Free Cell Phone and Cell Service
There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but there could be such thing as a free cell phone and cell phone service. SafeLink Wireless is a government supported program that provides discounted or free cell phone and airtime each month for income-eligible customers. The service is in conjunction with the Lifeline Across America program. “Lifeline Across America” is a federal/state working group that includes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), and the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA). Their mission is to provide information and resources regarding the Lifeline and Link-Up programs, which provide discounts to low-income consumers for telephone installation and monthly telephone bills.
Cell phones are provided by Tracfone.
Ohioans particpating in the Safelink program will receive a free cell phone from TracFone and a free cell plan that includes 68 minutes of air time. Additional TracFone minutes can be purchased at any retail outlet selling TracFone phone cards.
The cell phones provided through Safelink Wireless should be compatible with hearing aids.
To qualify for the Safelink program, you must be a Lifeline participant. If you are not already signed up with Lifeline, go to the Ohio Lifeline Telephone Assistance web site to see if you qualify, and to enroll in the program.
If you are already enrolled in the Lifeline program, go to the Safelink enrollment Safelink website. For further Safelink Wireless information or enrollment assistance, call 1-800-977-3768.
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Assistive Technology of Ohio is a sponsored program at The Ohio State University. Updated February 8, 2010. If you have trouble accessing this site and wish to request an alternate format, please contact us.
