Fwd: FCC: National Council on Disability Provides Roadmap of Critical Policy ...

[Guest guest]

Looking for a car that's sporty, fun and fits in your budget? Read reviews on AOL Autos.

Family Care Council Communication:

For your information and sharing.

Bob Wessels

Employment Coordinator, Community Outreach, FCC Liaison

Agency for Persons with Disabilities

201 West Broward Blvd., Suite 305

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Tel: - Fax:

Email: _Wessels@...

http://apd.myflorida.com

You have received this message because at one time you requested

information from the Family Care Council, Area 10. If you received this

message in error or wish to be removed from our distribution list simply

list click here or reply to this email with the word “REMOVE†in the

subject line

The primary mission of the Agency is to support persons with developmental

disabilities in living, learning and working in all aspects of community

life.

----- Forwarded by Wessels/APD/DCF on 08/11/2008 11:03 AM -----

Mark Quigley

<MQuigley@...

> To

Sent by: National NCD-NEWS-L@...

Council on cc

Disability News

List Subject

<NCD-NEWS-L@LISTS National Council on Disability

ERV.ACCESS.GPO.GO Provides Roadmap of Critical Policy

V> Changes to Allow People with

Disabilities to Participate Fully

in American Dream

08/11/2008 10:48

AM

Please respond to

NCD-NEWS-L

<ncd-news-l-reque

st@...

S.GPO.GOV>

NEWS RELEASE

NCD #08–562

August 11, 2008

Contact: Mark S. Quigley

National Council on Disability Provides Roadmap of Critical Policy Changes

to Allow People with Disabilities to Participate Fully in American Dream

WASHINGTON—The National Council on Disability (NCD) today released a report

titled The State of 21st Century Financial Incentives for Americans with

Disabilities (

http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2008/pdf/FinancialIncentives.pdf),

with recommendations that provide a new frontier for the next generation of

Americans with disabilities—allowing them to participate fully in the

economy.

According to NCD Chairperson R. Vaughn, “We believe that this

groundbreaking document provides a road map for equality of economic rights

for people of all abilities, regardless of race or socioeconomic

background. This report describes financial incentives affecting people

with disabilities and presents research findings on key areas of people’s

lives, such as education and health care. It also describes selected

state-level innovations affecting asset development and wealth

accumulation.â€

The report suggests several strategies for securing meaningful employment,

career advancement, and benefits needed for daily living and

accommodations. One of the key strategies involves the conversion of

federal financial disincentives to incentives, which the report describes

as possible. The operation of needs-based program limits across a broad

range of federal programs regarding what beneficiaries can receive creates

a major disincentive to work, entrepreneurship, or other asset-accumulation

activities. This report proposes that, through the development of the

Policies Optimizing Workers’ Economic Reach (POWER) framework, needs-based

programs could be converted from disincentives to incentives that help

people gain employment and self-sufficiency.

“The State of 21st Century Financial Incentives for Americans with

Disabilities recognizes that the potential for Americans with disabilities

to become full citizens cannot and will not be realized without a redesign

of public policy. To that end, this report offers recommendations that can

increase opportunities for people with disabilities to become fully

involved in the economic mainstream of American society,†Vaughn concluded.

The report recommendations include:

Recommendation 1: NCD recommends that the Administration create a federal

interagency workgroup on financial incentives for people with disabilities

and their families; develop an Executive order calling for all agencies to

identify policy barriers; and create a time-limited body to facilitate a

consistent, coordinated, comprehensive, and consumer-friendly approach to

advance opportunities for full community participation and economic

self-sufficiency.

Recommendation 2: NCD recommends that Congress review, introduce, and

consider adoption of the POWER framework through changes in federal

legislation pertaining to Social Security, Medicaid, savings, asset

building, and the relevant aspects of the federal tax code.

Recommendation 3: NCD recommends that the Department of Education take

appropriate actions to expand the knowledge available about the

cost-benefit outcomes of direct and indirect financial incentives and to

advance self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. These actions would

include the establishment of a new Rehabilitation Research and Training

Center on Financial Incentives to Advance Self-Sufficiency charged to

increase the sparse knowledge base.

Recommendation 4: NCD recommends that key federal agencies fund

demonstration projects that improve capacity for employer and community use

of financial incentives to advance real economic impact. This work should

be included in the written plans and annual reports to Congress of each

agency.

Recommendation 5: NCD recommends the establishment of a federally funded

joint education effort to expand and improve financial education and

outreach to children and adults with disabilities across economic levels

and types of abilities.

NCD is an independent federal agency and is composed of 15 members

appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the

Senate. We provide advice to the President, Congress, and executive branch

agencies to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that

guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities,

regardless of the nature or severity of the disability; and empower

individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency,

independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of

society.

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

Mark S. Quigley at mquigley@... or or visit www.ncd.gov.

# # #

Mark S. Quigley

Director of External Affairs

National Council on Disability

1331 F Street, NW Suite 850

Washington, DC 20004

fax

www.ncd.gov

NOTICE: Florida has a broad public records law. Most written

communications to or from state officials are public records that will be

disclosed to the public and the media upon request. E-mail communications

may be subject to public disclosure.