National Council on Disability Issues Invitation for Public Comment - by mail, fax, e-mail, toll-free call line, personal testimony at DC meeting Mar 30-31

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National Council on Disability Issues Invitation for Public Comment - by mail,

fax, e-mail, toll-free call line, personal testimony at DC meeting Mar 30-31

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?LIBID=14378

by NCD Chair R. Vaughn

March 7, 2009

“Specific times are designated to receive public comment, supported by a

toll-free call-in line, and input is encouraged and greatly appreciated.

Individuals or organizations can also provide written comments by e-mail, fax,

or mail.”

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

On behalf of the National Council on Disability (NCD), it is my pleasure to

invite you to attend NCD’s next quarterly meeting, which will take place at the

Academy for Educational Development (AED), 1825 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. – 8th

Floor Conference Center, Washington, DC 20009 beginning on Monday, March 30

through Wednesday, April 1, 2009. This meeting is open to the public, and free.

In carrying out our mission, we believe it is vital to hear from communities

around the country on what works and what does not for people with

disabilities.

This quarterly meeting will provide us another opportunity for that exchange.

Our agenda will include the release of our annual Progress Report to the

President and Congress that details the challenges, issues and solutions

impacting people with disabilities nationwide, and much of the information in

that report came directly from those disability stakeholders. The progress

report will be released at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, March 31, and an expert

panel will be available to react to the contents of the report.

Besides the Progress Report release, our agenda will include sessions on

emergency preparedness, healthcare, employment, civil rights and several other

subjects of interest to the disability community. In addition to these

committee reports, NCD will be releasing the latest NCD policy paper on the

federal employment of people with disabilities, and that will occur on Tuesday

morning, March 31, at 10:15 a.m.

Later on that Tuesday afternoon we will hear from a panel of congressional

staff members about the latest news from Capitol Hill, converse with a

representative from the Obama Administration on the implementation of policies

and programs important to the disability community, and will host a reception

at the meeting location.

This is an opportunity to meet NCD members and staff and offer your comments

during the public comment sessions, and we hope you will attend and

participate.

Specific times are designated to receive public comment, supported by a

toll-free call-in line, and input is encouraged and greatly appreciated.

Individuals or organizations can also provide written comments by e-mail, fax,

or mail.

Public comment sessions will be held Monday, March 30 from 11:30 a.m. until

noon (EDT), and on Tuesday, March 31 from 1 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. The toll-free

call-in number is 888-790-6568, and the pass code is “NCD Meeting.”

You are invited to join us during the reception for meeting participants,

audience members, and stakeholders from the disability community at the AED

Conference Center on Tuesday, March 31 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., immediately

following our session for the day. Additional details about the meeting will be

posted on the NCD website at www.ncd.gov as soon as they become available.

You will also find the meeting agenda posted at www.ncd.gov approximately 10

days before the meeting.

NCD is an independent federal agency, composed of 15 members appointed by the

President, by and with the consent of the U.S. Senate. The purpose of the NCD

is to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that: guarantee

equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, and that empower

individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent

living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.

To carry out this mandate we:

• Gather public and stakeholder input, including that received at our public

meetings held around the country;

• Review and evaluate federal programs and legislation;

• And provide the President, Congress and federal agencies with advice and

recommendations.

For more information, please contact NCD’s Director of External Affairs, Mark

S. Quigley, at:

• E-mail - mquigley@... or

• Telephone - 202-272-2004 (Voice), 202-272-2074 (TTY for the deaf),

• Fax – 202-272-2022

• Our Web site at www.ncd.gov

• Mail address – National Council on Disability

1331 F Street NW, Suite 850

Washington DC 20004

Sincerely,

R. Vaughn

Chairperson, NCD