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Disabilities Interview
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Withdrawal/Redaction Sheet
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
SUBJECT/TITLE
DATE
RESTRICTION
AND TYPE
001. memo
To Mrs. Clinton from Karen Finney re: Americans with Disabilities (1
07/25/2000
b(6)
page)
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
First Lady's Office
Lissa Muscatine
OA/Box Number: 21400
FOLDER TITLE:
Disabilities Interview
2015-0275-S
rc2078
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act - |44 U.S.C. 2204(a)]
Freedom of Information Act - [5 U.S.C. 552(b)]
P1 National Security Classified Information [(a)(1) of the PRA]
b(1) National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA]
P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office [(a)(2) of the PRA]
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
P3 Release would violate a Federal statute [(a)(3) of the PRA]
an agency [(b)(2) of the FOIA]
P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute [(b)(3) of the FOIA]
financial information |(a)(4) of the PRA]
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
information [(b)(4) of the FOIA]
and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRA]
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy [(b)(6) of the FOIA]
personal privacy [(a)(6) of the PRA]
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes [(b)(7) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
of gift.
financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA]
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
2201(3).
concerning wells [(b)(9) of the FOIA]
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
MEMORANDUM
TO:
HRC
FROM:
Press office
RE:
Interview with WeMedia on disability issues
DATE:
July 25, 2000
You are scheduled to do a 15-20 minute interview with WeMedia immediately following
the ADA event with the President on Wednesday. The interview will be on camera and
questions will be posed by broadcast journalist Bree Walker.
Purpose:
To address the disability community
Background:
The interview will focus on how well has the ADA has worked and what still needs to be
done to improve the quality of life for Americans with disabilities and to continue to
improve disabled Americans' access.
Two entrepreneurs, Jerome Belson and Cary Fields, who had worked extensively with
disability organizations for more than 40 years, launched WeMedia in 1997. The first
media property was WeMedia magazine, a glossy consumer lifestyle publication aimed at
addressing issues of importance to the disability community in America. The bi-monthly
magazine has won accolades for its editorial content and innovative approach to cross-
disability issues. In December 1999, WeMedia launched www.wemedia.com, a
comprehensive online resource for people with disabilities, their families and friends.
The new website provides the disability community with targeted and comprehensive
information and resources in the areas of finance, real estate, travel, news, sports,
employment, technology, advocacy, and education. WeMedia is also the official
webcaster of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. Between the website and the
magazine, WeMedia estimates that they reach some 350,000 disabled Americans per
month.
Your interview will be featured in the Oct./Nov. issue of WeMedia magazine and will run
as a streaming video piece on the WeMedia website beginning Wednesday afternoon as
part of the site's commemoration of the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act,
and will kick off WeMedia's newly launched Political Forum on the site's Politics and
Advocacy section. Upcoming Forum guests include Senator Jim Jeffords (R-VT), Vice
President Al Gore, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Senator Max Cleland (D-GA).
WeMedia's Politics and Advocacy section is committed to bringing to the disability
community information about relevant issues and access to key decision-makers.
In general, most of the readers of WeMedia believe that ADA has been an important first
step, but as we enter the digital age, there is more work to be done, and while technology
has created greater opportunities, we also must remember that new questions apply. For
example there is a pending issue as to whether or not the ADA should apply to the
Internet. Supporters of ADA say yes, however, many in the Internet community fear the
costs involved. An example of the application of the ADA to the Internet can be seen in
a lawsuit that has been filed against the popular website, "Yahoo". Devices called
"screen readers", used by the visually impaired actually read out loud, the text on a
website. However, there are some sites that are programmed in such a way that the
screen readers cannot read them, thus they are inaccessible to the user. ADA advocates
would say that websites like Yahoo should make the required technical modifications to
their sites so that the screen readers would work with their sites.
WeMedia may also ask you about a proposed memorial to the Willowbrook State School
in New York (more background information follows).
You should also know that on Tuesday, WeMedia participated in an Expo sponsored by
the Vice President highlighting the top 30 companies that promote access to technology
for the disability community.
Bree Walker
Ms. Walker was a news anchor at San Diego's KNSD-TV (NBC) from 1997 - 2000.
(She recently left following her separation from national sports caster Jim Lampley to
spend more time with their two children.) Prior to KNSD, Walker worked as an anchor
at KCBS and New York's WCBS. From 1984 to 1987, she anchored the top rated San
Diego newscast. In addition, Walker served as investigative consumer reporter, breaking
many national and local stories. She was awarded a Golden Mike for "Best Investigative
Series" from the Radio and Television News Association. She also received a Sigma
Delta Chi award for investigative reporting and a California News Press Association
honor for public service reporting. Before moving her career into television, Walker held
anchor positions in radio at KPRI and KGB in San Diego, KUDD and KYYS in Kansas
City, and WKTU and WYNY in New York. She studied journalism at the University of
Minnesota before starting her career in radio.
Walker is active in the disability rights movement, particularly with regard to visibility in
the media. She is herself handicapped with malformed hands, in fact, several years ago
she and her husband Jim Lampley were in the news regarding their decision to have
children with the knowledge that her genetic disorder would most likely be passed onto
her children, which it was. She has been recognized twice with the Media Access Award
for "creating more media awareness of disability issues," from the California Governor's
Committee in association with the President's Committee for Employment of People with
Disabilities. She was also given the "Woman of Courage" Award by the Women's
International Center. She remains active in San Diego community causes.
More information follows, including an article about WeMedia and background about the
Willowbrook School.
Jul-25-00 12:17pm From-
12126888598
T-043 P.03/03 F-733
THE NEW YORK TIMES, MONDAY, JUNE 5, 2000
SPORTS MEDIA/Richard Sandomir
Live From Paralympics, Online Coverage
At the Summer Olympics in Syd-
and velodrome cycling could all be
said TV is TV. but this is different,"
question we'll have enough to do two
ney, NBC Sports will carry 161 hours
starting at once, and you can go to
Gentile said. "What works on TV
events a month."
and MSNBC and CNBC will telecast
one for two or three hours, then
doesn't necessarily work on the Web.
Olympic viewers are accustome
2761/2 more hours on cable.
switch to another," said Rick Gen-
Pictures and graphics are smaller.
to network features about athletes
Soon after, also from Sydney,
tile, the executive producer of
But on a laptop, where you'll have
that often strain to find the obstacle
Wemedia.com will Webcast at least
Wemedia Sports, who served in the
one box with a moving pictures. we
family tragedies or melodramatic
100 hours of the Paralympics, which
same position at CBS Sports.
can synchronize graphics in a way
woes that formed them.
are contested by disabled athletes.
In addition to shifting among three
that makes this unique."
"Here every story smacks you in
This is not prime-time television,
video feeds; there will be a second
Wemedia's primary goal is to ex-
the face," Gentile said. "They're all
but Wemedia Corporation, which
screen offering a continuous flow of
pand the presence of the underex-
remarkable. At the dock where the
owns the Internet site and publishes
accompanying information.
posed Paralympics - and bring new
athletes get on the boats, many hav
We, a slick magazine for disabled
"We have a blank slate- an entire
members to its Web site, which will
to be picked up or hoisted into the
people, from its downtown Manhat-
network to program," said Gentile,
add a much larger sports news and
boats. Then you see 30 empty wheel
tan office, is capitalizing on ad-
who was a top programming or pro-
information component today. But it
chairs and prosthetic ar ms and legs
vances in streaming video to bring
duction executive during CBS's tele-
also intends to spread the gospel
on the dock."
the Paralympics to computers from
casts of the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Win-
about the extraordinary skills of the
Oct. 18 to 29. After the Paralympics,
ter Olympics. "And with three feeds,
thousands of athletes who are blind,
the company plans to Webcast two
we'd better be good. A lot will depend
paraplegic, amputees or mentally re-
To advocates of the disabled, We-
events a month.
on our Web site boys to synchronize
tarded or have cerebral palsy.
media's sports strategy fills a long-
"We're trying to create access and
it all together."
Charlie Huebner, executive direc-
overlooked void and will provide
mobility to watch the games for peo-
tor of the United States Association
broad recognition for their athleti-
ple nobody have cared about, and
of Blind Athletes, doubted that We-
cism
make it free to the world," Cary
Wemedia tested its technology in
media would face a shortage of
"It's crazy to think only disabled
Fields, Wemedia's president, said.
April at the Paralympic sailing trials
events.
people will watch disabled events,"
"The computer makes the disabili-
and plans more tests next month at
"We have 300 to 400 local, regional
said Deborah Bonsack, executive di
ties disappear. It's the ultimate en-
the track and field and swimming
and national events within our own
rector of America's Athletes With
abler."
trials. The quality of the Webcast de-
organization." he said. "Wemedia is
Disabilities, which promoted 190 dis
Wemedia's plans for the 18-sport
pends on the abilities of the comput-
helping parents and kids find out
abled sports events last year. "Peo-
Paralympics are ambitious: three
ers receiving it as well as on the
what events are out there."
ple need to think of disabled sports
separate daily feeds of 12 hours of
equipment Wemedia uses to trans-
Arthur Pincus, the vice president
sports played by people with differ-
live events, feature and studio cover-
mit the video, Nonetheless, the quali-
for content of Wemedia Sports, add-
ent physical compositions."
age, from 7:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. East-
ty of streaming video in general
ed: "There are basketball tourna-
If Wemedia finds viewer success
ern, which would be repeated for the
seems to improve on an almost daily
ments, rugby, tennis tournaments,
in Webcasting the Paralympics and
next 12 hours.
basis.
sailing regattas, skiing and expedi-
other events, she said: "Folks will
"Track and field and swimming
"A few weeks ago, I would have
tion-adventure events. There's no
have a shift in opinion. You'll hear
people stop and say, 'How does that
amputee swimmer do that?'
Andrew Imparato, president of th
American Association of People
With Disabilities, said: "Too often,
the public view of people with dis-
THINGS IN TERMS OF
abilities is a charity model, that we
we
BLACK WHITE
need to raise money for them. But
the Paralympics and Special Olym-
pics show disabled people achieving
new
well beyond what people with dis-
abilities are supposed to be able to
It's
the
Free
do."
He cautioned that many disabled
Find
people- as well as those who are
the
can
help our
1
able-bodied- cannot afford a com-
community's
-
nonprofits
puter and cannot view the Webcast
of the Paralympics.
Community
Think
But with the United States televi-
sion rights, on top of its world Web
rights deal, Wemedia has a TV strat
egy. It is seeking a cable partner for
daily reports, and a broadcaster for
-
a post-Paralympics special.
"We want the Webcas: to enhance
A page from Wemedia's Web site.
the broadcasts." said Jay Rosen-
stein, the vice president for pro-
gramming of Wemedia Sports, "ank
the broadcasts to make the public
aware of the Webcast."
JUL-25-2000 15:19
WYNDHAM BRISTUL HUTEL
202 yss 5765 Γ.02/04
17.24/88 23:20
DI
0.01
DRAFT
OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK
Honorable Governor Rataki.
A great wound exists among thousands of New York family members, and indirectly resonates
among families across the United States in relationship to the atrocities suffered by those who were
forced to rely on, and live in. Willowbrook State School and the scores of the State's institutional
clones housing children and adults with mental retardation and developmental disabilities over the
past 60 years.
After extraordinary U.S. Federal Court class action trial hearings, massive evidence was presented
that resulted in the finding of constitutional violations at Willowbrook focused on the existence of
cruel and unusual punishment and the wholesale disregard of basic human rights. Twenty five
years ago the Federal Court Consent Decree was joined by your predecessor. No punitive
damages were sought; no one was blamed for the inhumane system that cost the taxpayers one
billion dollars in the system's implementation and operations. No one in power accepted the clear
blame for what were crimes against humanity perpetrated with whatever intentions and rationales
were used then 10 justify the violent and ubiquitous warehousing practices.
Today, every family caught in that situation still deeply grieves. They grieve for being part of the
decision to surrender their sons or daughlers 10 institutional living despite the overwhelming
impossibility of providing the burden of care at home due to the lack of vital services available in
New York. They grieve because each had to mutely witness their institutionalized family member
relentlessly reduced to the lowest physical and intellectual human state from the impact of the
institutional experience. They grieve because so much of their life time has been lost to
humiliation. guilt. personal sacrifice, stigma and the ignominy imposed on them for struggling to
keep a physical and social bond with their State held relatives.
It is the ultimate irony that the burden still lives in the hearts of every involved family member and
the survivors of the incarceration and abuse themselves who were forced to live in the
unimaginable environmental and social horror architected by State professionals and
administrators. The victims still suffer their memories and experiences. The responsible New
York leaders have thus far averred a public, explicit apology for their policies and actions. This
has left the victims feeling they were somehow eternally to blame for what befell them. This is a
well documented sequellae of victims of modem torture.
Enough time has passed. Enough denial, enough loss. We believe that 1wo essential actions must
be taken to somehow bring this wound to close in a self conscious and moral way. We call on you
to help the healing of this terrible state. First we believe that a full public apology be issued from
your office 10 lift the blame from the families and accept the consequences of the destruction,
whether out of cruelty or ignorance. done to those who languished so awfully in the institution.
Second. we feel that a fitting memorial and living museum structure be conceived and developed
on the grounds of Willowbrook State School that will preserve the memory of what was done to
our fellow citizens, instill hope and pride in families with individuals with special needs and
celebrate the profound and enduring contribution that this diversity of human kind continually
brings to our society as a whole.
We seek your unique leadership, your compassion. your courage to set this historic precedent that
we believe will reverberate far beyond relieving the Willowbrook Class but stringently define the
unacceptableness, the origin of the dehumanizing experiences that holds so many individuals
hostage in segregation and hopelessness, both yesterday and today, in our land.
Collective signature block of NY and US leadership
LEXIS®-NEXIS®
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Copyright 2000 The New York Times Company
The New York Times
View Related Topics
May 3, 2000, Wednesday, Late Edition - Final
SECTION: Section B; Page 5; Column 2; Metropolitan Desk
LENGTH: 936 words
HEADLINE: Recalling a Victory for the Disabled
BYLINE: By SHAILA K. DEWAN
BODY:
It was an unwieldy and not altogether happy reunion of a very unusual class, the so-called
Willowbrook Class.
Twenty-five years after the patients of the infamous Willowbrook State School won a class-action
lawsuit that led to the widespread deinstitutionalization of the mentally retarded, lawyers, doctors,
administrators and some class members themselves gathered to celebrate the settlement, called the
Willowbrook Consent Judgment -- and to criticize its aftermath.
In the 1960's and early 70's, the conditions at Willowbrook, including feces-smeared walls, naked
inhabitants and frequent, violent deaths, were well documented, most notably by Geraldo Rivera, whose
1972 television expose was the impetus for a federal lawsuit.
In 1975, Gov. Hugh L. Carey signed the consent decree, thus committing the state to establish
noninstitutional homes for people with developmental disabilities. Governor Carey, former Gov. Mario
M. Cuomo, and Gov. George E. Pataki were all honored yesterday.
The conference, held on the campus of the College of Staten Island, where the crowded, prisonlike
wards of Willowbrook once stood, was called "Social Justice Has Prevailed."
But many of the 450 present said it had not: There are still mentally retarded people institutionalized;
care still needs improvement, even in group homes; the state is not meeting the promises it made in the
settlement, and no reparations, or even apologies, have been made.
The participants acknowledged that the decree had succeeded, to a degree. Only 8 of the state's 20
mental institutions remain, and the number of people in such institutions has decreased to fewer than
1,000 from 25,000, according to the Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities,
which was created after the consent decree.
The decree is considered to be one of the most successful social policy changes of its type, especially
when compared with the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, in which services for those affected
have lagged.
But lawyers who represent the 3,600 remaining members of the Willowbrook Class said the case was
technically still open, and that they often had to threaten to get an injunction to ensure that the state met
its agreements.
"It's sort of a continuous game of chicken," said Beth Haroulas of the New York Civil Liberties Union,
adding that she still saw reports of abuse, neglect and inadequate medical care in group homes.
And, she said, Willowbrook Class members are better off than other mentally retarded people. Their
case managers have lighter loads 20 as opposed to 30 and the quality of their care is more closely
1 of 3
7/25/2000 4:05 PM
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monitored.
Many of the conference panelists made a point of saying there was room for improvement.
One with a particularly dramatic story to tell was Bernard Carabello, who entered Willowbrook when he
was 3, and stayed for 18 years, even though he was not retarded. Mr. Carabello has cerebral palsy,
which does not impair mental functioning.
Now a governor-appointed advocate for the developmentally disabled, Mr. Carabello said the main
problems in the field today involved community relations: neighborhoods often do not welcome group
homes and those who live in them are often isolated from their communities.
During question-and-answer sessions, parents of school-age mentally retarded children said they, too,
felt isolated. Without the rallying point of Willowbrook, one mother said, they lacked unity, especially
since the group homes spread their children throughout the state.
"I feel like you hand the responsibility over to me as a parent, yet no one has ever backed me up along
the way," one mother said.
Present problems aside, the gathering was, for some, an emotional trip to the past.
Several of the participants, including William Bronston, one of the Willowbrook doctors who helped
organize the parents who filed the lawsuit, returned to the site for the first time since the 70's.
During one panel discussion, he called for an apology to be issued to those who suffered.
"The parents," Dr. Bronston said privately during a lunchtime presentation of awards and speeches,
"have never been acknowledged as Holocaust survivors, American-style."
As Jose Rivera took the podium to remember his brother, who died while staying at Willowbrook, the
faces of many parents and siblings grew quiet and drawn. Some of them had lost relatives. Others said
they were lucky.
Ann Nehbauer of Hastings, N.Y., whose son now lives in a group home in nearby Scarsdale, told how
she would make unannounced visits to Willowbrook, where he was one of 90 children in a ward with
barely 12 inches of space between beds.
Though she knew what the conditions were, she said, "Our only option was no option."
Diana McCourt, the wife of the writer Malachy McCourt, said her daughter, Nina Galin, now lived in a
group home in Harlem, where she participated in a new one-on-one program that allowed her to venture
accompanied into the city.
She remembered finding out what Willowbrook was like: "I felt totally enraged, totally terrified and
also totally determined to find like-minded people. I looked around to find the most radical social
worker by length of hair, and it worked."
Though conditions have improved, Mrs. McCourt allowed, she bristled at honoring the former
governors for their work.
"They were doing what they were paid to do," she said.
And she agreed with Dr. Bronston's call for an apology.
"I feel it's what establishes a human relationship between people who provide services and those who
receive them," Mrs. McCourt said.
2 of 3
7/25/2000 4:05 PM
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GRAPHIC: Photos: In 1972, when the photo at left was taken, straitjackets and helmets were still used
on retarded Willowbrook residents. Yesterday, Willie Mae Goodman, mother of a former patient, and
Dr. William Bronston attended a conference on the 1975 decision that led to reforms in care. (Don
Hogan Charles/The New York Times)
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: May 3, 2000
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Media Advisory
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Charles Lynn, Appia Group
July 25, 2000
(212) 688-8599 or
[email protected]
First Lady Kicks Off WeMedia's "Political
Forum" Series with Exclusive Webcast
Interview on ADA Anniversary
What:
New York senate candidate First Lady Hillary Clinton kicks off WeMedia's
"Political Forum" series with an exclusive Webcast interview conducted by
nationally known television news anchor Bree Walker.
When:
Wednesday, July 26th -- the 10th anniversary of the signing of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) -- at 4:00 PM EST.
Where:
The FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C., immediately following
Wednesday's official White House event at the memorial with President
Bill Clinton and the First Lady commemorating the passage of the
landmark civil rights legislation. The interview will be Webcast on
WeMedia's site, www.wemedia.com, at 4:00 PM EST
The interview will be available as archived video for visitors to the
WeMedia site after that time.
Note:
WeMedia's new Politics and Advocacy section is committed to bringing
information to the disability community about relevant issues and providing
access to key decision-makers. Upcoming guests on WeMedia's "Political
Forum" series include Vice President Al Gore, and U.S. Senators Jim
Jeffords (R-VT) and Tom Harkin (D-IA). In addition to the Forum, the
Politics and Advocacy section will provide the disability community with
unprecedented live Webcast coverage of the Republican and Democratic
national conventions. WeMedia Inc. is the official Webcaster of the 2000
Paralympic Games in Sydney and publishes WeMedia magazine.
Withdrawal/Redaction Marker
Clinton Library
DOCUMENT NO.
SUBJECT/TITLE
DATE
RESTRICTION
AND TYPE
001. memo
To Mrs. Clinton from Karen Finney re: Americans with Disabilities (1
07/25/2000
b(6)
page)
COLLECTION:
Clinton Presidential Records
First Lady's Office
Lissa Muscatine
OA/Box Number: 21400
FOLDER TITLE:
Disabilities Interview
2015-0275-S
rc2078
RESTRICTION CODES
Presidential Records Act |44 U.S.C. 2204(a)]
Freedom of Information Act - 15 U.S.C. 552(b)]
P1 National Security Classified Information [(a)(1) of the PRA]
b(1) National security classified information [(b)(1) of the FOIA]
P2 Relating to the appointment to Federal office [(a)(2) of the PRA]
b(2) Release would disclose internal personnel rules and practices of
P3 Release would violate a Federal statute |(a)(3) of the PRA]
an agency [(b)(2) of the FOIA]
P4 Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential commercial or
b(3) Release would violate a Federal statute [(b)(3) of the FOIA]
financial information |(a)(4) of the PRA]
b(4) Release would disclose trade secrets or confidential or financial
P5 Release would disclose confidential advice between the President
information [(b)(4) of the FOIA]
and his advisors, or between such advisors [a)(5) of the PRA]
b(6) Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
P6 Release would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy [(b)(6) of the FOIA]
personal privacy [(a)(6) of the PRA]
b(7) Release would disclose information compiled for law enforcement
purposes [(b)(7) of the FOIA]
C. Closed in accordance with restrictions contained in donor's deed
b(8) Release would disclose information concerning the regulation of
of gift.
financial institutions [(b)(8) of the FOIA]
PRM. Personal record misfile defined in accordance with 44 U.S.C.
b(9) Release would disclose geological or geophysical information
2201(3).
concerning wells |(b)(9) of the FOIA]
RR. Document will be reviewed upon request.
Victoria L. Valentine
07/21/2000 10:05:08 PM
Record Type:
Record
To:
See the distribution list at the bottom of this message
CC:
Subject: CHECKLIST: 7/26 ADA 10th Anniversary event
Press Office
Contact
Victoria
Valentine, 67284
Event:
10th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) event
Date:
Wednesday, July 26, 2000
Time:
10:30 am - 11:30 am
Date for Announcing/Advisory: advisory, Monday, July 24
Press:
OPEN PRESS
Site:
FDR Memorial, Room 4 (overflow in Room 3)
Program:
Sequence of Speakers:
Order TBD
President Clinton
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
Others TBD
Audience: 1, 500
Cabinet:
TBD
Congressional:
TBD
Other:
Former President Bush invited to attend (he signed ADA bill, not expected to
accept)
disability organization, civil rights and other relevant groups
Message:
The enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 10 years ago this month signaled
a transformation in our Nation's public policies toward people with disabilities. America is
now a dramatically different and better -- country because of the ADA.
In the last 10 years, we have worked hard to eliminate harmful stereotypes and have grown to
understand disability as a natural part of the human experience. We are taking steps, such as
renovating and constructing public accommodations to make them fully accessible, to ensure
that people with disabilities are fully integrated into our communities and workplaces. And we
have come to appreciate that people with disabilities are a key element - and an untapped
resource in sustaining our Nation's historic economic growth.
The Clinton-Gore Administration has worked hard to achieve the ADA's core goals -- equality
of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. Our
Administration has vigorously defended the ADA in court cases across the Nation; we are
collaborating with State Medicaid directors to implement the Supreme Court's 1999 Olmstead
decision, which prohibits unjustified isolation of institutionalized persons with disabilities; we
helped ensure that 80 percent of America's public transit buses are now accessible; we are
implementing the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act, which the President
proudly signed into law last December; we have worked closely with schools and colleges to
improve the enrollment, retention, and graduation of students with disabilities; and my Task
Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities is developing far-reaching policies for a
comprehensive, coordinated employment agenda.
We still have much to accomplish.
adachart0720.do
DRAFT deliverables to be announced by POTUS/FLOTUS on Wed., deliverables to be
announced by VP on Tues and Cabinet on Thurs and Friday, also included.
PLEASE NOTE: the Vice President is doing his ADA event the day before, on Tuesday, July
25, see his deliverables in attachment above and general info on advisory at the end of checklist.
Speechwriter:
Sam Afridi
Press Plan
National Media:
OPEN PRESS
Regional Media:
pitch to major markets
TV:
pitch to show as package
Internet:
pitch to newsites, special broadcast planned
Radio:
pitch to major markets, put sound on actuality line
Specialty:
disability press
Press Paper
Policy Paper/Q&A
Originating Office:
DPC
Contact and phone number: Eric Gould/Karin Kullman
Event Participant List
Originating Office:
DPC/LEG/OPL
Contact and phone number:
Karin Kullman/Marty Hoffman/Jonathan Young
Event Guest List
Originating Office:
OPL
Contact and phone number:
Jonathan Young, Christine Stanek
July 25, 2000
Celebration Event for the 10th Anniversary of the Signing of the
Americans with Disabilities Act
Date:
Wednesday, July 26, 2000
Time:
10:30 AM
Location:
FDR Memorial
From:
Ann O'Leary
Victoria Choitz (Kennedy School Fellow)
I.
Purpose
To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the ADA; to demonstrate the Administration's 8-year
commitment to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities as full participants in all of
society; and to announce several actions that preserve the spirit and the intent of the ADA, as
well as build on its foundation by expanding employment opportunities and strengthening
protections to ensure equality.
II.
Background
Overview
You will highlight Administration accomplishments on behalf of Americans with disabilities
over the past eight years.
You will then announce three initiatives for youth with disabilities: 1) increased SSI earnings
exclusion caps for students with disabilities who want to work; 2) a Youth to Work Initiative
that amends the Executive Order which created the Presidential Taskforce on Adults with
Disabilities and Employment to include a focus on increased education, training, and
employment for youth with disabilities; and 3) an Able to Work public-private consortium made
up of 10 charter companies which will lead by example and mentor other companies hiring
young people with disabilities (see below for details on these initiatives).
The President will announce four items: 1) proposals to increase earnings exclusion caps for
Social Security beneficiaries who work; 2) an Executive Order directing Federal Agencies to
hire 100,000 people with disabilities over a five-year period, to provide reasonable
accommodations for workers with disabilities, and to identify disabled-friendly work
arrangements; 3) a directive to revisit and strengthen Federal agency plans to prevent disability-
based discrimination; and 4) the new Access America for People with Disabilities website to
provide quick access to services and resources.
*ABA
snccess
CHANGES
AMA
INTERNET
*
&
Detailed Description of Initiatives YOU will announce to Addresses Barriers to
Employment for Youth with Disabilities
SSI earned income exclusion caps for students. You will announce the Administration's
increase in the amount that students who receive SSI can earn while continuing to SSI benefits.
The increase in the maximum monthly earned income exclusion for students who receive
Supplemental Security Income is from $400 to $1,290 and the yearly exclusion from $1,620 to
$5,200. The Administration is proposing to automatically adjust these amounts thereafter based
on any annual increases in the cost-of-living index.
The Student Earned Income Exclusion (SEIE) has never been increased. The new level was set
to approximate student earnings working full-time during the summer and sporadically during
the rest of the year for 1.5 times the minimum wage. This increase reflects the fact that school
expenses have increased since the SEIE levels were defined in 1974. These increases would
assist SSI beneficiaries in financing their education (academic, vocational, or technical) and
encourage theme to work and become self-sufficient. Additionally, the cost-of-living
adjustments will ensure that the amounts account for the price of inflation.
The Youth to Work Initiative. This Initiative would be created by amending the Executive
Order that established the Presidential Taskforce on Employment of Adults with Disabilities to
focus the mission on helping young people transition from school to work. Youth with
disabilities who want to enter the workforce face many barriers to employment, including low
educational attainment, as well as low educational and employment expectations. Under the
structure of the Taskforce, the Youth to Work Initiative will strengthen interagency research,
demonstration projects, and education and training activities for youth to work activities. It will
create a public awareness campaign to focus on youth with disabilities and reduce the stigma of
their entering the workforce. This Initiative will ensure that youth with disabilities are included
in all youth programs in Federal agencies and will explore how to increase access to health care
and postsecondary education and training for youth going to work.
Able to Work Consortium. The Presidential Taskforce has worked with 10 major corporations
(Microsoft, IBM, Dell, Bristol-Meyers Squbb, Ford Motor Company, Booz Allen & Hamilton,
Lucent Technologies, Caterpillar, Royal Bank of Canada, and Merrill Lynch) to begin a public-
private partnership that will help ensure that youth with disabilities are afforded employment
opportunities. These corporations have volunteered to lead by example in demonstrating to
other major corporations the importance and viability of hiring young people with disabilities.
These pioneering companies will actively serve as mentors to other companies hiring youth with
disabilities.
III.
Participants
Speakers
HRC
Senator Harkin
Senator Hatch
Justin Dart
POTUS
On Stage
Approximately 11 young people with disabilities
Audience
1700 audience members
IV.
Sequence of Events
Beth Gray* - Very Special Arts Vocalist will perform the National Anthem acapella
(She is a blind student from Little Rock, Arkansas)
FLOTUS makes remarks and introduces Senator Harkin
Senator Harkin makes remarks and introduces Senator Hatch
Senator Hatch makes remarks and introduces Justin Dart
Justin Dart makes remarks and introduces POTUS
POTUS makes remarks and concludes
* BETH GRAY-VOCALIST
Beth Gray is a 19 year old vocalist from North Little Rock, Arkansas, who has Optic Nerve
Hypoplasia. In high school, she was listed in Who's Who Among American High School
Students, was named Most Talented Female, and was a member of the Tri-M Music Honor
Society. As a sophomore at Ouachita Baptist University, in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, Beth is on a
vocal scholarship and is majoring in Choral Music Education. An active member of the Ouachita
Singers, Ouachita Concert Choir, EEE Women's Social Club, and the Baptist Student Union, she
hopes to one day become a professional musician or an elementary music teacher. Beth is a 2000
Panasonic Young Soloist Award recipient, and has had opportunities to perform at The Kennedy
Center and the Russian Embassy hosted by VSA arts. Earlier this year Beth was crowned Miss
West Central Arkansas. Most recently she competed in the Miss Arkansas Pageant where, in
addition to a top 10 finish, she won best newcomer talent and newcomer total points categories.
V.
Press Plan
Open press
VI.
Remarks
- Provided by Laura Schiller
Attachments
- POTUS Briefing
- Administration Accomplishments
- Draft Press Paper
- Q&A's
THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION AND THE
FIRST LADY ON
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
JULY 13, 2000
CONTENTS
I.
SUMMARY OF THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S INITIATIVES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
Economic: Employment, earnings caps, health care, training, Presidential Taskforce
Education:
Individuals with Disabilities Act funding and enforcement
Health Care: Family and medical leave, earnings caps, blocked the block-granting of
Medicaid
Access:
Telecommunications, assistive technology, transportation, housing
Equality:
U.S. Supreme Court decisions; resources for ADA, Fair Housing Act, and
IDEA; most diverse Administration in history
II.
SUMMARY OF THE FIRST LADY'S COLUMNS AND REMARKS ON AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITIES
Children with emotional and behavioral conditions
Health care and jobs for Americans with disabilities
White House conference on Mental Health
Pediatric AIDS
Epilepsy
Association of Retarded Citizens
III.
PRESIDENT'S JULY 1, 2000 PROCLAMATION FOR THE "SPIRIT OF ADA MONTH, 2000"
IV.
FULL DOCUMENT OF THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S INITIATIVES AND
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
V.
FULL TEXT OF THE FIRST LADY'S COLUMNS AND SPEECHES
1
SUMMARY OF
THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
Note: items in bold indicate initiatives and accomplishments that DIRECTLY affect children.
ECONOMIC INITIATIVES (FY2001 BUDGET)
Support establishing an Office of Disability Policy, Evaluation and Technical
Assistance (ODPET) within DoL (p. 2)
Within DoL create the National Disability Business Development Board, a federally
charted corporation to facilitate employment and business ownership for Americans
with Disabilities (p. 3)
$1,000 tax credit for work-related expenses for persons with disabilities (p. 3)
Provide individuals with disabilities who return to work life-time access to Medicare
(p. 3-4)
$2.4 billion in Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants (a $60.8 million increase) (p. 4)
ECONOMIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 provides better health
care options for people with disabilities who work (p. 4)
July 1999 SSA increased the monthly earnings cap affecting benefits from $500 to
$700 for beneficiaries who work (p. 4-5)
October 1999 action plan to federal agencies for hiring persons with disabilities (p. 5)
October 27, 1999 sponsored the first-ever "Disability Mentoring Day: Career
Development for the 21ˢᵗ Century." This year, it will be on October 25. (p. 5)
June 1999 signed executive order ensuring individuals with psychiatric disabilities are
given the same hiring opportunities as persons with significant physical disabilities or
mental retardation. (p. 5-6)
June 1999 called for parity for mental health and substance abuse coverage in the
Federal Employees Health Benefits Programs by 2001. (p. 6)
Workforce Investment Act of 1998 included the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of
1998, which improve worker training and placement options for people with
disabilities. (p. 6)
March 1998 signed executive order establishing the Presidential Taskforce on
Employment of Adults with Disabilities. Reports to the President periodically with
policy recommendations to increase and aid employment for persons with disabilities.
(p. 7)
Inter-agency demonstration projects to expand job opportunities for persons with
disabilities. (p. 7-8)
Extra Welfare to Work funds for long-term recipients, which includes persons
with disabilities (p. 8)
2
EDUCATION INITIATIVES (FY2001 BUDGET)
$5.28 billion for Special Education Grants to States ($290 million increase) (p. 8)
$45.2 million for State Improvement Grants for children with disabilities ($10
million increase) (p. 8-9)
$26 million for the Parent Training and Informátion Centers program to meet
the needs of under-served parents and families of children with disabilities ($7.5
million increase). (p. 9)
$10 million for a Primary Education Intervention initiative to support projects
with effective interventions and early identification for children with disabilities
and significant reading challenges. (p. 9)
$8 million for State Technical Assistance Awards to help states comply with the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (p. 9)
EDUCATION ACCOMPLISHMENTS
100 percent increase in funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (p. 9-10)
Fought harmful amendments to IDEA (p. 10)
Enforced IDEA in numerous Federal Court cases (p. 10)
HEALTH CARE INITIATIVES (FY2001 BUDGET)
$28 billion 10-year investment for long-term health care, including people with
disabilities, children with special needs, and families who care for them.
Centerpiece = $3,000 tax credit for people with long-term care needs. (p. 10-11)
Advocating for strong Patients' Bill of Rights (p. 11)
HEALTH CARE ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Family and Medical Leave Act, which allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of
unpaid leave to care for a child or adult with a disability and other needs (p. 11-
12)
1997 created an optional program whereby states could allow people with disabilities
who earn up to 250 percent of poverty to purchase Medicaid coverage. Oregon has
done. (p. 12)
Vetoed Republican proposal in the 104th Congress to block grant Medicaid (often the
only form of health care available to persons with disabilities) (p. 12)
3
ACCESS INITIATIVES (FY2001 BUDGET)
$100 million for disability and technology research ($13.5 million increase).
Includes $5 million for an Educational Technology Initiative; $3.4 million for an
employment initiative; $5.1 million for a Community Independence initiative; and
$15 million for alternative loan financing programs. (p. 13)
$58 million for Centers for Independent Living (20.8 percent increase) (p. 13)
ACCESS ACCOMPLISHMENTS
"ADA for the Information Age" July 1999 FCC adopted rules requiring
telecommunications equipment and services be accessible to persons with disabilities
(p. 13-14)
Assistive Technology Act of 1998, which re-authorized State Assistive
Technology Centers (p. 14)
Changes to the Rehabilitation Act to strengthen obligations of federal agencies to
provide accessible information technology. to their employees and customers (p. 14)
1998 Transportation Equity Act for the 21ˢᵗ Century on surface transportation (p. 14)
Final regulations implementing the ADA provisions for public transportation
accessibility (p. 14-15)
$75 million for Access to Jobs initiative, which facilitates transportation to jobs (p.
15)
1998 HUD statements, publications, and directives to increase housing options for
persons with disabilities (p. 15)
$40 million in Section 8 housing funding for people with disabilities (p. 15)
EQUALITY INITIATIVES (FY2001 BUDGET)
$2.6 million increase in DoJ Civil Rights Division to enforce ADA (p. 15-16)
EQUALITY ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Supported and provided guidance to federal agencies on the June 1999 U.S. Supreme
Court decision in Olmstead V. L.C., which ruled that unjustifiable institutionalization
of a persons with a disability who, with proper support, can live in the community is
discrimination. (p. 16)
Increased resources for enforcing ADA, the Fair Housing Act, and IDEA (p. 16-17)
Supports U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Bragdon v. Abbott, which reinforces
protections under ADA to persons with HIV/AIDS (p. 17)
FY1999 $40 million to HUD Fair Housing programs ($10 million increase) (p. 17)
July 1998 announcement that the FDR Memorial will include a statue that depicts
FDR in his wheelchair (p. 17-18)
Appointed most diverse Administration in History (p. 18)
4
SUMMARY OF
THE FIRST LADY'S WORK ON BEHALF OF AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITIES
Note: in reverse chronological order
March 20, 2000
Remarks at the Launch of a New Public-Private Effort to Improve the
Diagnosis and Treatment of Children with Emotional and Behavioral
Conditions
Thanks to Tipper Gore
Psychotropic drugs
Prescription drugs for children
NIMH fact sheet for parents
ED information kit for parents and teachers on ADHD
American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on diagnosing and
treating children with emotional and behavioral problems
NIMH $5 million to study ADHD and Rilalin in preschoolers
FDA look at appropriate dosage levels for psychotropic drugs
Office of the Surgeon General Fall national conference on the
treatment of children with behavioral and mental disorders
July 28, 1999
"Talking It Over" Column on Americans with Disabilities, health care,
and employment
Unemployment and employment of persons with disabilities
National Taskforce on Employment of Adults with Disabilities
President's urging to Congress to pass Medicare and Medicaid
health care options for persons with disabilities who work
June 7, 1999
Remarks at the White House Conference on Mental Health
The science of mental health
Announced the NIMH announcement of the launch of two
clinical trials for effective treatments for those with mental
illness ($61 million)
January 28, 1999
Remarks at the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation Awards
Elizabeth Glaser, 10th Anniversary of Foundation
Children with AIDS, mother to child transmission
Clinton Administration initiatives: for minority communities,
for a vaccine, global efforts.
Announced $40 million grant to support medical schools in
training doctors who work specifically with children
Announced awards to 4 scientists
5
January 13, 1999
"Talking It Over" Column on epilepsy
Numbers, facts
President's budget includes 14 percent expansion for NIH. $76
million for research of epilepsy.
FLOTUS in Chicago for a dedication of a new epilepsy center
and a nationwide fundraiser for epilepsy research
Next year, NIH will convene first-ever administration
conference on epilepsy (did/will this happen?)
CDC launch campaign to educate medical practitioners of need
for early and accurate diagnosis
October 9, 1993
Remarks to the 44th Annual Convention of the ARC
Health care reform generally
Health care reform for persons with mental retardation,
including home-based and community-based care,
nondiscrimination, comprehensiveness, appropriateness,
equity, and efficiency
6
THE CLINTON
ADMINISTRATION'S
INITIATIVES AND
ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR
AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITIES
Supporting Americans With Disabilities
http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/Accomplishments/ac799.html
THE WHITE HOUSE
Increasing Opportunities for Americans
With Disabilities
Help Site Map Text Only
THE CLINTON-GORE ADMINISTRATION
A RECORD OF PROGRESS
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PRESIDENT CLINTON AND
A Nation
Transformed
VICE PRESIDENT GORE:
President &
Supporting
First Lady
America's Working
Families
Vice President &
Supporting Americans with Disabilities
Mrs. Gore
Supporting African
Americans
Record of
Progress
"If we want to keep our economy growing with
Supporting
Americans With
continued low inflation and low unemployment, we
Disabilities
The Briefing
Room
must draw on the untapped potential of our
people. Americans with disabilities who want to
Supporting Asian
Gateway to
work shouldn't have to wait one more day."
Pacific Americans
Government
Supporting
-- President Bill Clinton
America's Farmers
Contacting the
and Rural
White House
October 16, 1999
Communities
HISTORIC ECONOMIC GROWTH:
Supporting Gay and
White House
Lesbian Americans
for Kids
Moving From Record Deficits to Record
Supporting Hispanic
White House
Surplus. In 1992, the deficit was $290 billion, a
Americans
History
record dollar high. In 2000, we have a projected
budget surplus of $167 billion -- the largest dollar
Improving Mental
Health
White House
surplus on record (even after adjusting for inflation)
Tours
and the largest as a share of our economy since
Supporting Native
1951. This is the first time we have had three
Americans
surpluses in a row in more than a half century.
Supporting Senior
Citizens
Saving Social Security. President Clinton and Vice
President Gore have coupled fiscal discipline with a
Supporting Women
commitment to preserve and protect Social
and Families
Security. President Clinton fought for and signed
bipartisan legislation to eliminate the confusing and
Supporting
out-dated retirement earnings test in order to
America's Working
Families
encourage work and earnings for older Americans.
Under the Clinton-Gore Administration, the life of
the Social Security trust fund has been extended to
2034. President Clinton has proposed extending the
program's solvency to at least 2054 by paying down
the national debt and dedicating the interest savings
to Social Security. The President has also pushed
for measures to strengthen Social Security's
benefits to reduce poverty among elderly women.
Nearly 22 Million New Jobs. 21.6 million new
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jobs have been created since 1993, the most jobs
ever created under a single Administration -- and
more new jobs than Presidents Reagan and Bush
created during their three terms. 91 percent (19.7
million) of the new jobs have been created in the
private sector, the highest percentage in 50 years.
The Unemployment Rate Was 3.9 Percent in
April -the Lowest in More Than Three Decades.
The unemployment rate fell to 3.9 percent in April.
The last time the unemployment rate was this low
was in January 1970 -- more than thirty years ago.
The unemployment rate has remained below 5
percent for 34 months in a row.
Lowest Inflation Since 1965. Inflation remains
virtually non-existent, with the underlying core rate
of inflation at 1.9 percent in 1999 -- the lowest rate
since 1965. In the last four years the GDP price
index has risen under two percent each year -- the
lowest rate of increase since the early 1960s.
Fastest and Longest Real Wage Growth in Over
Three Decades. In the last 12 months, average
hourly earnings have increased 3.8 percent -- faster
than the rate of inflation. The United States has had
five consecutive years of real wage growth -- the
longest consecutive increase since the 1960s. Since
1993, real wages are up 6.8 percent, after declining
4.3 percent during the Reagan and Bush years.
Highest Homeownership Rate in History. In
1999, the homeownership rate was 66.8 percent - --
the highest ever recorded.
Lowest Poverty Rate in Two Decades. The
poverty rate has fallen from 15.1 percent in 1993 to
12.7 percent in 1998. That's the lowest poverty rate
since 1979 and the largest five-year drop in poverty
in nearly 30 years (1965-1970).
Economic
EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY:
Initiatives
I. 2000 Legislative Priorities and FY2001 Budget
Initiatives
Disability Office in the Department of Labor.
President Clinton and Vice President Gore support
establishing an Office of Disability Policy,
Evaluation and Technical Assistance (ODPET)
within the Department of Labor (DOL), and
improving access for adults with disabilities to
employment services offered through the one-stop
system. The President's FY 2001 budget includes
$20.56 million for ODPET, which was
recommended by the Presidential Task Force on
Employment of Adults with Disabilities. Under the
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leadership of an Assistant Secretary, ODPET's
mission would be to dramatically increase the
employment rate of people with disabilities by
implementing a sustained, coordinated, and
aggressive strategy to eliminate barriers and create
meaningful employment opportunities for people
with disabilities. This office would initially
subsume the President's Committee on
Employment of People with Disabilities (PCEPD)
in an effort to reduce duplication and enhance
coordination of Federal employment programs for
people with disabilities. The office would work
within DOL to ensure that all programs address the
need to increase participation of people with
disabilities in DOL training programs, with a
targeted emphasis on those serving youth during FY
2001.
National Disability Business Development
Board. Creation of ODPET would also establish
the National Disability Business Development
Board, a federally chartered corporation. The Board
will be made up of America's business leaders,
organized labor, rehabilitation and service
providers, and disability-related organizations
currently advising the President's Committee on
Employment of People with Disabilities. The board
would: work to improve the access of individuals
with disabilities to financial institutions and
commercial and business enterprises; provide
incentives to, and collaborate with, the public and
private sectors to ensure the necessary levels of
resources/investments in employment initiatives for
individuals with disabilities; and leverage funds for
public awareness about disability and employment.
Tax Credit for Work-Related Expenses. In his
FY 2001 budget, President Clinton renews his
proposal for a $1,000 tax credit for work-related
expenses for people with disabilities. This tax credit
was proposed last year but not supported by
Congress. The credit would help workers with
significant disabilities cover the formal and
informal costs that are associated with employment,
such as specialized transportation and technology.
Like the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives
Improvement Act, it would help ensure that people
with disabilities have the tools they need to return
to work by recognizing the extra costs associated
with working.
Extending Medicare Access for People with
Disabilities Who Work. The President and Vice
President's FY 2001 budget builds on achievements
enacted in the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives
Improvement Act to ensure that individuals with
disabilities have full opportunity to participate in
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and contribute to our growing economy. The
Administration has proposed removing an arbitrary
four-and-a-half-year limit on Medicare coverage for
people with disabilities who return to work, giving
individuals with disabilities lifetime access to
Medicare.
Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants. The
Administration's FY 2001 budget includes $2.4
billion, an increase of $60.8 million, or 2.6 percent,
to assist State VR agencies to improve the
employment outcomes of individuals with
disabilities. A wide range of services is provided
each year to about 1.2 million individuals with
Economic
disabilities, and these funds will assist States to
address the needs of this population.
Accomplishmats
II. Record of Accomplishments
Enacted the Ticket to Work and Work
Incentives Improvement Act. The Ticket to Work
and Work Incentives Improvement,A of 1999
(TWWIIA) is an historic bill produced through the
bipartisan efforts of President Clinton and Vice
President Gore; Senators Jeffords, Kennedy, Roth,
and Moynihan; leaders in the House of
Representatives; and the disability community. On
December 17, 1999, the President signed this
historic bill into law at a ceremony held at the FDR
Memorial. This legislation, which the President
advocated since 1998, will help provide better
health care options for people with disabilities who
work.
TWWIIA will improve employment opportunities
by: creating new options and incentives for states to
offer a Medicaid buy-in for workers with
disabilities; extending Medicare coverage for an
additional 4 ½ years for people on disability
insurance who return to work; creating a $250
million Medicaid buy-in demonstration to help
people whose disabilities have not yet progressed so
far that they cannot work; and enhancing
employment-related services for people with
disabilities through the new "Ticket to Work"
Program. TWWIIA also creates a Work Incentive
Grant program to provide benefits planning and
assistance, facilitate access to information about
work incentives, and better integrate services to
people with disabilities working or returning to
work.
Increasing the Substantial Gainful Activity
Amount. In July 1999, the Social Security
Administration increased the monthly earnings
guidelines from $500 to $700 per month, enabling
beneficiaries with disabilities to earn more without
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affecting their benefits. These guidelines are used to
determine whether the work activities of a person
with impairments, other than blindness,
demonstrate that he or she is able to perform
substantial gainful activity (SGA).
Directing Federal Agencies to Implement Plan
for Hiring People with Disabilities. Since the
beginning of the Clinton-Gore Administration, the
American economy has added nearly 21 million
new jobs, and unemployment is at the lowest level
in three decades. Yet nearly 75 percent of
individuals with significant disabilities are
unemployed. Last year, Vice President Gore asked
the Office of Personnel Management to develop a
model plan to bring more adults with disabilities
into the Federal workforce. On October 16, 1999,
President Clinton released that action plan and
directed the Federal government to implement it
immediately. The plan, Accessing Opportunity: The
Plan for Employment of People with Disabilities in
the Federal Government, along with a companion
Employment Guide, provides detailed resources for
federal employees as they recruit, hire, train and
promote people with disabilities. Under this plan,
the Federal government the nation's largest
employer with almost 1.8 million workers -- will do
more to: recruit people with disabilities for
positions at all levels of government; provide
opportunities for students with disabilities; ensure
career opportunities for people with disabilities;
collect and maintain data to monitor success of
people with disabilities in the federal workforce;
and provide reasonable accommodations for
applicants and employees with disabilities.
Sponsoring "Disability Mentoring Day: Career
Development for the 21st Century." On October
27, 1999, the White House sponsored the first-ever
mentoring day for people with disabilities. The
Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and
Departments of Labor, Justice, Education,
Transportation, and Defense also participated in the
mentoring program, which was modeled after other
"shadow" days. It also coincided with a reception
hosted by OPM to celebrate the release of the Plan
and Employment Guide. This year, the mentoring
day will take place on Wednesday, October 25th.
The White House encourages people from all across
the country to participate in their local
communities.
Expanding Hiring Opportunities for People with
Psychiatric Disabilities. In January 1999, Tipper
Gore announced that the Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) would explore measures to
eliminate the stricter standards that are currently
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applied to job applicants with psychiatric
disabilities. On June 4, 1999, President Clinton
signed an executive order ensuring that individuals
with psychiatric disabilities are given the same
hiring opportunities as persons with significant
physical disabilities or mental retardation. On
March 17, 2000, OPM issued proposed regulations
to create a new Government-wide excepted
appointing authority for persons with psychiatric
disabilities. This authority will broaden the category
of people who may non-competitively acquire
competitive civil service status after two years of
successful service, providing individuals with
psychiatric disabilities the same hiring opportunities
already offered to individuals with mental
retardation and significant physical disabilities.
Mental Health Parity for Federal Employees.
Leading by example, in June 1999 President
Clinton called for parity for mental health and
substance abuse coverage in the Federal Employees
Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) by 2001. The
FEHBP is the largest employer-sponsored health
insurance program in the country -- covering about
9 million people, including Federal employees,
retirees, and their families -- and often serves as a
model for other employers and the insurance
industry. The Office of Personnel Management
(OPM) will work with participating health plans to
introduce managed behavioral health care
components that incorporate proven techniques
such as case management, authorized treatment
plans, provider networks using effective screening
and referral procedures, pre-certification, and
disease management. OPM has eliminated lifetime
and annual maximums in the Program, and
negotiated with plans to move away from
contractual day and visit limitations, high
deductibles, co-payments, and coinsurance for
mental health coverage.
Signed the Workforce Investment Act of 1998.
On August 7, 1998, President Clinton signed the
Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which included
the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998,
helping to improve worker training and placement
options for people with disabilities. WIA
establishes better links between the vocational
rehabilitation (VR) system and the general
workforce development system. Job seekers with
disabilities now have improved options for service
through the mainstream worker training and
placement system, and through the
disability-specific VR system. WIA also
strengthens the Rehabilitation Act by giving
increased options to individuals with disabilities in
developing VR plans.
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Increasing Employment of Adults with
Disabilities. President Clinton signed an Executive
Order in March 1998 establishing the Presidential
Task Force on Employment of Adults with
Disabilities. The Task Force is charged with
creating a coordinated and aggressive national
policy to move individuals with disabilities into
gainful employment at a rate approaching that of
the general adult population. The Task Force,
chaired by the Secretary of Labor, continues its
efforts to promote employment opportunities, and
many of its recommendations have already been
accepted and implemented by the President. The
Task Force is analyzing the barriers to employment
faced by people with disabilities and will report its
findings with policy recommendations to the
President on a periodic basis until its final report is
presented on July 26, 2002.
Working on Innovative Strategies to Improve
Employment of Adults with Disabilities. The
Clinton-Gore Administration continues to develop
innovative strategies to employ Americans with
disabilities. The Social Security Administration
(SSA), the Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), the Department of Labor (DOL),
and the Department of Education (DoED) are all
participating in inter-agency demonstration projects
to expand job opportunities for persons with
disabilities. For instance, DoED has awarded six
systems-change grants to establish models of
improved cooperation and coordination between
State Vocational Rehabilitation programs, public
employment/employment training programs, and
other related programs. The grants will help reduce
barriers to employment and increase the capacity of
States' overall employment system to serve
individuals with disabilities. The focus of these
systems change projects is increasing the
employment rate of individuals with disabilities
who are currently receiving support through public
programs.
In addition, SSA is working under cooperative
agreements with 12 states to develop innovative
projects to assist adults with disabilities to reenter
the workforce. This activity, the State Partnership
Initiative, is designed to help states develop
innovative and integrated statewide programs of
services and supports for their residents with
disabilities that will increase job opportunities and
decrease dependence on benefits, including Social
Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental
Security Income. Moreover, the President's
Committee on Employment of People with
Disabilities (PCEPD) has worked to coordinate a
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commitment by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
the Society of Human Resource Managers, and
dozens of other private sector companies to support
several initiatives advancing the employment of
people with disabilities among employers.
Initiatives include the formation of local and state
employer-led groups advocating for the
employment of people with disabilities, the
launching of a nationwide campaign to advánce the
employment of persons with cognitive disabilities,
and supporting PCEPD's career exploration and
employment programs for youth with disabilities.
Creating New Tools to Help Families Move from
Welfare to Work. Since enactment of the 1996
welfare reform law, millions of families have
moved from welfare to work. Recognizing the
special needs of some people with disabilities and
other populations in moving from welfare to work,
the 1997 Balanced Budget Act included $3 billion
to move long-term welfare recipients and
low-income non-custodial fathers into jobs. To fully
implement this initiative, the President's FY 2001
budget allows grantees an additional two years to
spend Welfare-to-Work funds. It also proposes
$255 million for Fathers Work/Families Win grants
to promote responsible fatherhood and support
working families. The Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit
provides tax incentives to encourage businesses to
hire long-term welfare recipients. President Clinton
has secured 110,000 new housing vouchers in the
last two years to help welfare recipients and
hard-pressed working families move closer to job
Educator
opportunities, and this year he is proposing $690
million for 120,000 new housing vouchers.
Initiatives
EDUCATION AND TRAINING:
I. 2000 Legislative Priorities and FY2001 Budget
Initiatives
State Grant Program. The Administration's FY
2001 budget includes $5.28 billion, a $290 million
or 5.8 percent increase, for Special Education
Grants to States. With passage of this increase,
funding for the State Grant Program will have risen
127 percent since 1994. In FY 2001, the Grants to
States program would provide an average of $827
per child, an increase of 4 percent over the FY 2000
level. If approved, States will receive 13 percent of
their average per pupil expenditures, or 11 percent
of the excess costs, from the federal government for
educating children with disabilities.
State Improvement Grants. The Administration's
FY 2001 budget includes $45.2 million for the State
Improvement Grants, a $10 million increase (or
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28.4 percent) over FY 2000. This will provide
funding for 28 existing awards to States as well as
new awards to an estimated 15 States and
territories. The State Improvement program would
expand efforts to reform and improve State systems
for providing educational, early intervention, and
transitional services to improve results for children
with disabilities.
Parent Training. The Administration's FY 2001
budget for the Parent Training and Information
Centers program is $26 million, a $7.5 million
increase, or 40.3 percent, above last year's level.
The increase would be used to expand the size of
the awards to existing State Parent Training and
Information Centers, establish four new centers for
a total of 103 across the country, and provide
additional technical assistance to centers. Three of
the new centers would be community centers
operated by local parent organizations and focus on
meeting the needs of underserved parents and
families of children with disabilities.
Reading and Behavior. The President's FY 2001
budget includes a request for a $10 million Primary
Education Intervention initiative. This initiative will
support projects that demonstrate effective
interventions coupled with early identification to
improve results for children with disabilities. The
initiative would target children with significant
problems in learning to read, and those exhibiting
behaviors that have been found to lead to significant
discipline problems or emotional disturbance as
they get older. Research shows that early
intervention is particularly effective for improving
educational results for children, and these funds will
allow more students to benefit from timely
identification and service delivery.
State Technical Assistance Awards. Helping
States comply with the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) is critically important, and
the President's FY 2001 budget includes an $8
million request for State Technical Assistance
Awards that will help address this need. These
technical assistance awards will be instrumental in
improving State monitoring and complaint
resolution systems, and to correct deficiencies
found through State and Federal monitoring of the
Educata
implementation of IDEA.
Accomplshments
II. Record of Accomplishments
Supporting Quality Education for Children with
Disabilities. In 1997, the President enacted a
stronger Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA), reaffirming our national commitment to
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provide a world class education for all our children
by ensuring that our nation's schools are safe and
conducive to learning, while scrupulously
protecting the rights of students with disabilities.
Funding for the basic IDEA grant program has
increased by 100 percent under the Clinton-Gore
Administration.
Fighting Unwise Amendments to IDEA. In the
105th Congress, the Majority in the House of
Representatives attempted to amend the Individual
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to make it
easier to expel children with disabilities who were
judged by school officials to be potentially violent
in school. These broad, subjective judgements could
have resulted in inappropriate expulsion of large
numbers of students with disabilities. The
Clinton-Gore Administration, working with parents,
successfully opposed these amendments.
Enforcing IDEA. The Clinton Administration has
defended the rights of children with disabilities
under the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act (IDEA) in numerous Federal Court cases:
Cedar Rapids Community School District V. Garrett
F.; Marie O. V. Edgar; Sacramento City Unified
School District V. Holland; Hartmann V. Loudon
County Board of Education.
ealth Care
IMPROVING ACCESS AND QUALITY OF
HEALTH CARE:
Initiatives
I. 2000 Legislative Priorities and FY2001 Budget
Initiatives
Addressing the Nation's Multi-Faceted Needs for
Long Term Services and Supports. The
President's FY 2001 budget includes a $28 billion,
10-year investment to tackle the complex problem
of long-term care, which affects millions of elderly
persons, people with disabilities, children with
special needs, and/or the families who care for
them. Its centerpiece is a $3,000 tax credit for
people with long-term care needs or their caregivers
-- triple the amount proposed last year. It also seeks
to address the way in which Medicaid policy and
practice has inadvertently discriminated against
people with long-term care needs who want to live
in the community by making it much easier to
provide coverage in nursing homes than in the
community. This proposal would enable states to
provide services to nursing-home qualified
beneficiaries at 300 percent of the Supplemental
Security Income limit (about $15,000), without
requiring a complicated and frequently
time-consuming Federal waiver. This proposal
contributes toward the goal of giving people who
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need long-term services and supports the choice of
remaining in their homes and communities. It costs
$140 million over 5 years, $370 million over 10
years.
Expanding Coverage to Uninsured Americans.
In his FY 2001 budget, President Clinton has
proposed a 10-year, $110 billion initiative that
would dramatically improve the affordability of and
access to health insurance. The proposal would
expand coverage to at least 5 million uninsured
Americans and expand access to millions more. If
enacted, these policies would be the largest
expansion of coverage since Medicare was created
in 1965.
Advocating a Strong Patients' Bill of Rights. The
President and Vice President have called for
passage of the bipartisan Patients' Bill of Rights
Act, to ensure that all Americans have essential
protections, including: guaranteed access to needed
health care specialists; access to emergency room
services when and where needs arise; continuity of
care protections to assure coverage if a patient's
health care provider is dropped; access to a timely
internal and independent external appeals process
with a medical necessity standard; assurance that
doctors and patients can openly discuss treatment
options; and an enforcement mechanism that
Health Care
ensures recourse for patients who have been harmed
as a result of health plan actions.
Accomplishmits
II. Record of Accomplishments
Extending Enforceable Patient Protections for
Millions of Americans. Leading by example, the
President directed all federal agencies to ensure that
their employees and beneficiaries have the benefits
and rights guaranteed under the proposed Patients'
Bill of Rights. Eighty-five million Americans
covered by federal health plans have the security of
knowing they will have fair access to health care
thanks to the President's work.
Providing Access to Health Care Services for
Uninsured Workers. In 1999, the President
proposed and won $25 million in funding for a
program to coordinate systems of care, increase the
number of services delivered, and establish an
accountability system to assure adequate patient
care for uninsured and low-income individuals.
This year, the President has proposed funding this
initiative at $125 million, representing a substantial
down payment on the President's plan to invest $1
billion over 5 years.
Supporting Families. President Clinton fought for
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and enacted the Family and Medical Leave Act
(FMLA), which allows workers to take up to 12
weeks of unpaid leave to care for a child or adult
with a disability, seriously ill family members,
newborn or adoptive children, or their own serious
health problems -- without fear of losing their jobs.
Since its enactment, FMLA has benefited millions
of Americans, and the President has expanded leave
options for Federal employees. President Clínton
has called for extending this benefit to 12 million
more working families and has proposed expanding
FMLA to allow workers to take up to 24 unpaid
hours off each year for school and early childhood
education activities, routine family medical care,
and caring for an elderly relative.
Increasing Access to Health Care and
Supporting Employment for Americans with
Disabilities. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997
created an optional program whereby States could
allow people with disabilities who earn up to 250
percent of poverty to purchase Medicaid coverage.
Oregon is the first state to take advantage of this
policy, and they have created a program that will let
individuals go to work and get or keep Medicaid.
Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna
Shalala has asked every governor to seriously
consider this program.
Passing Meaningful Health Insurance Reform.
President Clinton signed the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which
limits exclusions for pre-existing conditions, makes
coverage portable, and helps individuals who lose
jobs maintain coverage.
Protecting the Medicaid Guarantee for People
with Disabilities. The Clinton-Gore Administration
refuses to go backward on health care coverage for
Americans with disabilities, rejecting proposals to
end the Medicaid guarantee to meaningful health
benefits for people with disabilities. The President
vetoed the Republicans' proposal in the 104th
Congress to block grant the Medicaid program,
preserving Medicaid coverage for six million
persons with disabilities. Medicaid is often the only
form of health care available to people with
disabilities and allows many children and adults to
receive services at home rather than in institutions.
Thanks to President Clinton, the 1997 Balanced
Budget Act preserved the Federal guarantee of
Medicaid coverage for populations who depend on
it.
IMPROVING ACCESSIBILITY:
I. 2000 Legislative Priorities and FY2001 Budget
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Access
Initiatives
Initiatives
Assistive Technology Initiatives. The
Administration's FY 2001 budget includes $100
million (a $13.5 million increase) for disability and
technology research at the National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).
NIDRR will launch a comprehensive technology
initiative which includes: $5 million for an
Educational Technology Initiative to provide
technical assistance and training to elementary and
secondary schools; $3.4 million for a multi-pronged
Employment initiative to carry out research,
training, and technical assistance to enhance the
ability of individuals with disabilities to access and
use information and communication technology;
and $5.1 million for a Community Independence
initiative on how information and assistive
technology can be used to enhance community
integration and participation by individuals with
disabilities. The Administration's request also
includes $15 million to support grants that establish
or maintain alternative loan financing programs.
Most people with disabilities do not have the
private financial resources to purchase the assistive
technology they need. If approved, this increase
would significantly enhance opportunities for
individuals with disabilities to take advantage of
assistive technology.
Centers for Independent Living. The
Administration's FY 2001 includes $58 million for
Centers for Independent Living (CILs) -- a 20.8
percent increase over last year's funding level. This
increase would make it possible to accomplish an
increase in the stability of existing CILs and open
new CILs in unserved and underserved areas. The
request could provide sufficient funding to establish
a $200,000 federal funding floor. In addition, a $10
million increase for CILs could expand the network
of centers by funding up to 56 new centers in 23
Access
States.
Accomplishmats
II. Record of Accomplishments
Ensuring that the Telecommunications
Revolution Benefits All. In July 1999, the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) adopted rules
on Section 225 of the Telecommunications Act of
1996, which requires that telecommunications
equipment and services be accessible to individuals
with disabilities, if readily achievable. This
provision is known as the ADA for the Information
Age. These regulations, which have been supported
by the telecommunications industry, will ensure
people with disabilities have access to a broad range
of products and services - such as telephones, cell
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phones, pagers, call waiting, and operator services -
where they previously experienced barriers.
Telecommunications carriers may not install
network features, functions, or capabilities that do
not comply with the regulations. The regulations
also ensure that information, documentation, and
customer service is conducted in accessible ways.
Signed the Assistive Technology Act. Technology
is a crucial component in enabling people with
disabilities to obtain and keep meaningful
employment. With the support of the Clinton-Gore
Administration, Congress passed the Assistive
Technology Act of 1998, which reauthorizes the
"Tech Act" that created State Assistive Technology
Centers to provide assistive devices to low-income
individuals with disabilities.
Ensuring the Federal Government Provides
Accessible Technology and Information. The
Clinton-Gore Administration recommended, and
Congress enacted, changes to the Rehabilitation Act
strengthening the obligations of federal agencies to
provide accessible information technology to their
employees and customers. This enabled the federal
government to use its considerable purchasing
power to influence private industry toward
developing universally designed technology that is
accessible to almost everyone. On April 18, 2000,
Attorney General Janet Reno announced the release
of the Department of Justice's (DOJ) first report
under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act,
Information Technology and People with
Disabilities: The Current State of Federal
Accessibility. Under DOJ's direction, federal
agencies examined the procurement policies and
procedures, along with common types of
information technology. DOJ found that while some
information technology used by federal agencies is
accessible, simple steps can increase the extent to
which federal information technology is usable by
people with disabilities.
Increased Resources for Accessible
Transportation. In 1998, President Clinton signed
the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century
(TEA-21), which provides significantly increased
resources to make our Nation's surface
transportation systems accessible. TEA-21 included
increased funding for the Elderly Individuals and
Individuals with Disabilities grant program.
Increasing Public Transportation Accessibility.
The Department of Transportation and the Access
Board have issued final regulations implementing
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
provisions for over-the-road bus (OTRB)
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accessibility that provides a definition of what
constitutes discriminatory action. The regulation
requires large, fixed-route operators to achieve 50
percent of full fleet accessibility by October 2006
and 100 percent by October 2012. The Department
has strengthened the regulations by including
provisions making OTRB operators individually
and collectively accountable for providing
accessible service.
Access to Jobs Initiative. The President's Access
to Jobs initiative helps communities design
innovative transportation solutions, such as van
services, to help former welfare recipients and other
low-income workers get to work. Funding for this
initiative has increased to $75 million in FY 2000
and will be $100 million in FY 2001 as a result of
guaranteed funding in TEA-21. This innovative
program emphasizes providing people with
disabilities the transportation access required to
achieve education, work, and family goals.
Increasing Housing Options. The Clinton-Gore
Administration took a number of significant actions
in 1998 that advanced housing policy for people
with disabilities. First, HUD issued a statement
supporting the view that institutional living does not
constitute real housing for people with disabilities.
On April 28, 1998, Fannie Mae announced the
publication of "A Home of Your Own Guide," the
first manual specifically created to provide
step-by-step home buying guidance for people with
disabilities. In February, HUD Secretary Cuomo
issued a directive encouraging communities to use
community development block grant funds for
home modifications for people with disabilities.
Also, in HUD's recent Notices of Funding
Availability, the agency included bonus points for
developers when they seek to build structures that
include "visitability" by people with disabilities.
Increasing Section 8 Funding in HUD
Appropriations. President Clinton supported the
inclusion of $40 million in Section 8 funding for
people with disabilities, in part to offset the
displacement likely to occur as a result of
"elderly-only" designation of public housing
formerly occupied by people with disabilities.
Initiatives Equality
PROMOTING EQUALITY FOR ALL OF OUR
CITIZENS:
I. 2000 Legislative Priorities and FY 2001 Budget
Initiatives
Increased Funding for Civil Rights
Enforcement. The Clinton-Gore Administration's
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FY 2001 budget includes a request for an additional
$16 million for the Department of Justice's (DOJ)
Civil Rights Division -- a 19 percent increase over
last year's budget of $82.2 million. With a proposed
increase of $2.4 million for the Civil Rights
Division, DOJ hopes to further implement the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by funding
new initiatives, including an initiative to remove
barriers that prevent people with disabilities from
obtaining basic community services, such as riding
public transportation or attending a town meeting.
Additional funding will also help begin a new
initiative to train law enforcement officers on how
to appropriately interact with persons with mental
disabilities.
Protecting All of Our Citizens. The President and
Vice President have repeatedly called for passage of
the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which would
strengthen and expand the existing federal hate
crimes law to cover cases of hate crimes based on
qualityments
disability, gender, or sexual orientation.
II. Record of Accomplishments
Assuring Access to Community Living for the
People with Disabilities. On June 22, 1999, the
U.S. Supreme Court affirmed in Olmstead V. L.C.
that, under the Americans With Disabilities Act,
unjustifiable institutionalization of a person with a
disability who, with proper support, can live in the
community is discrimination. In accordance with
that Court ruling, on January 14, 2000, the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services issued
guidance to state Medicaid directors on how to
make state programs responsive to the desires of
people with disabilities to live in appropriate
community-based settings. The Administration's
goal is to integrate people with disabilities into the
social mainstream with equal opportunities and the
opportunity to make choices in their lives. The
Clinton-Gore Administration's flexibility in
granting state waivers has spurred an increase in
home and community-based services. Since he took
office, the President has approved over 300 such
waivers. As a result, the number of people with
developmental disabilities served in home and
community waiver programs has increased
significantly.
Vigorously Enforcing Disability Rights. President
Clinton has led the fight for vigorous enforcement
of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the
Fair Housing Act, the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA), and other critical civil rights
laws that prohibit discrimination against people
with disabilities in housing, schools, workplaces,
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and public areas across the nation. Under the
Clinton-Gore Administration, the number of
positions allocated for ADA enforcement at the
Department of Justice (DOJ) has increased by 105
percent. The Administration's FY 2001 budget
proposal includes funding for another 29 new
positions for ADA enforcement -- a 35 percent
increase over FY 2000 funding. DOJ has entered
into hundreds of settlement agreements involving
access to civic life (city halls and municipal
services), 911 emergency services, hotels, stores,
restaurants, theaters, and other public
accommodations. The Department's litigation
activity has established important legal precedents
including ADA coverage (such as zoning and
prisons), architect liability, line of sight over
standing spectators, effective communication, and
unnecessary inquiries by professional licensing
entities. Implementation of the ADA's "most
integrated setting" requirement has been an
important element of DOJ's Civil Rights of
Institutionalized Persons Act investigations and
agreements (involving MRDD institutions,
psychiatric hospitals, and public nursing homes).
Working to Stop Discrimination Against People
With AIDS. President Clinton supports the
Supreme Court's decision in Bragdon V. Abbott,
which reinforces the protections offered by the
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) for
Americans living with HIV and AIDS. The
President directed the Department of Justice (DOJ)
and the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) to vigorously prosecute those
who discriminate against people with AIDS,
leading to actions against health care providers and
facilities that violate the ADA.
Working for Fair Housing. In response to the
increase in reported cases of serious fair housing
violations, the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) committed to doubling the
number of its civil rights enforcement actions by the
year 2000. In addition, the President proposed and
won a major expansion of HUD's Fair Housing
programs. The FY 1999 budget expanded HUD's
Fair Housing programs to $40 million -- a $10
million increase over FY 1998 funding. That 33
percent increase included $7.5 million for a new
audit-based enforcement initiative proposed by the
Administration.
Adding a New Statue to the FDR Memorial. On
May 2, 1997, President Clinton dedicated the
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial to honor the
thirty-second President of the United States. On
July 2, 1998, Vice President Gore announced that
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the FDR Memorial will soon include an additional
outdoor room at the main entrance, which will
depict FDR in the small wheelchair he invented. In
collaboration with the disability community, the
Clinton-Gore Administration has selected a specific
design that will show how FDR became one of our
greatest presidents while he had a disability and
used a wheelchair. And last year, the Clinton-Gore
Administration helped secure $3 million to fund the
memorial addition, which may be complete as early
as this year.
Appointed the Most Diverse Administration in
History. President Clinton has appointed a highly
talented and the most diverse Administration in
history, including the appointment of record
numbers of people with disabilities in the White
House and throughout the Clinton-Gore
Administration. The Federal government now
employs more than 100,000 employees with some
type of disability. President Clinton's
Administration appointees include: Judith
Heumann, Assistant Secretary for Special
Education and Rehabilitation Services; Paul Miller,
Commissioner of the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission; and Fredric Schroeder,
Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services
Commission. People with disabilities serve in the
Departments of Education, Health and Human
Services, Housing and Urban Development, Justice,
Labor, State, and Transportation. President Clinton
has also appointed people with disabilities to
positions in such independent agencies as the
National Council on Disability and the Social
Security Administration, as U.S. District Court
Judges, and to various Presidential Committees,
Commissions, and Task Forces. In the White
House, Jonathan Young is the first person with a
disability ever appointed to serve as Associate
Director for Disability Outreach in the Office of
Public Liaison.
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want to thank Secretary Shalala for her leadership,
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and I'm also pleased she refuses to sit still. Because
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whenever our children's health is at stake, she's out
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Also, I'm pleased to be joined not only by Secretary
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Shalala, but by Surgeon General David Satcher, and
Awards
White House
FDA Director Jane Henney, and NMIH
History
Commissioner Dr. Steve Hyman, and Dr. Judith
College
Affordability and
Heumann, and representatives from many of the
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White House
groups who are on the frontlines working on behalf
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of all of our children, particularly children with
behavioral and emotional challenges.
We just came from a meeting where we talked
about what more we can do to ensure that children
with emotional and behavioral problems get the
diagnosis and treatment they need, and when they
need it. Today's meeting and the announcements
around it are important steps, but they are certainly
not the last step we need to take in ensuring that all
of our children get the health and support and
treatment that they deserve.
You know, when a child comes to us who is hurt or
sick, there is nothing more terrifying for any of us,
especially parents, when we don't know how to
make it better. If they have a broken arm, we want
to fix it; if they have a deadly disease, we want to
do everything we possibly can to cure it. And it's
no different if the problem they bring to us lies in
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their head or their heart.
Thanks in large part to the leadership of Tipper
Gore, the President's mental health adviser, we've
come a long way in our battle to bring mental
illness out of the shadows and make sure it is
treated just as seriously as physical illness. More
and more often, those treatments include drugs,
even for young children. That is the issue we're
here today to discuss.
As many of you know, the Journal of the American
Medical Association recently reported that the
number of preschoolers who are taking
psychotropic drugs increased dramatically from
1991 to 1995. We know that the increase for Ritalin
alone was 150 percent, and the use of
anti-depressants increased over 200 percent. Now I
am no doctor, as is obvious, but I am a parent and I
have been a longtime children's advocate. And
these findings concern me. I know they concern Dr.
Hyman, Secretary Shalala and countless other
experts.
But let me be very clear: We are not here to bash
the use of these medications. They have literally
been a Godsend for countless adults and young
people with behavioral and emotional problems.
We know that when children with such problems
are left untreated, they may fail to reach their
God-given potential later in their lives. That's why
we are here. We want the best information for every
parent, every doctor, every teacher-every single
person who cares for our children.
But we do have to ask some serious questions about
the use of prescription drugs in all children. We
have to ask, for example, how are we diagnosing,
treating and caring for children with behavioral and
emotional conditions? Do we have the best tools to
make the most accurate diagnoses? When it comes
to drug treatments for children, why are we seeing
such great variations by community and race? And
what effects do overuse and underuse of these
medications have on our children?
We need to ask also, why aren't we doing a better
job of combining drugs, when necessary, with
family therapy and other behavior modifications?
And what about the effects on our very youngest
children who haven't been tested for these
prescription drugs and whose brains are in their
most critical stage of development?
These are tough questions, and none of us have all
of the answers. But as we made clear in the meeting
this morning, we are building on a record, not
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starting from scratch. We have already taken critical
steps over the past few years to ensure that drugs
are being tested and labeled specifically for
children. Some of you may remember that was a
long, drawn out struggle, that we were finally able
to make progress and we were able to make an
announcement at the White House last year. In so
doing, we have learned that finding the right
prescription for a child is not always just a matter of
decreasing the dosage.
You know, I think it's important that all of us adults
recognize that children are not just miniature adults;
that their systems, their developmental needs, are
different from that of an adult. We also learned
quite a bit from the first ever Surgeon General's
report on mental illness, which came out in
December. It grew out of the White House
Conference on Mental Illness, led by Tipper Gore.
It taught us that the stigma of mental illness is
worse for children; that too many health care
professionals lack training in the area of children's
mental, emotional and behavioral needs; and that
we have a long way to go to increase awareness
about children's mental health.
So clearly, we must do more. We know that the
questions being raised are very difficult and they
cannot be answered overnight. And they certainly
won't be answered by the government, or health
care professionals or educators or parents acting
alone. Every single person with a stake in our
children's health has an important role to play.
So I'm very pleased today to announce some of the
immediate steps we are taking to make sure that
children with mental illness, with behavioral and
emotional problems, get the right care at the right
time.
As our meeting made clear, we already know a lot
about the proper diagnosis and treatment of
emotional and behavioral problems in children. But
that critical information has not reached many of
the people who need it most-many of the parents,
many of the teachers, many of the school nurses,
many of the school social workers, many of the
family physicians, many of the pediatricians-so
there are a few things we are going to try to do to
change that.
Today, the NMIH is releasing a new, easy to
understand fact sheet that parents can use to make
the right decisions about their children's treatment
for these conditions. The Education Department
will soon release an information kit to help parents
and teachers better care for children with ADHD.
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And I want to thank both the American Academy of
Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family
Physicians for all they are doing on this issue. This
spring and fall, the American Academy of
Pediatrics will give all of their 55,000 members
up-to-date guidelines for diagnosing and treating
children with emotional and behavioral problems.
And as part of their yearlong focus on mental
health, the American Academy of Family
Physicians is sponsoring continuing education
courses about these conditions for their 90,000
members.
But now we also have to admit, honestly, that there
are some areas where we still just don't know
enough, and that's especially true when it comes to
giving prescription drugs to our very youngest
children. I am pleased that NIMH will dedicate over
$5 million to conduct a landmark study examining
ADHD and Ritalin use in preschoolers. This study
will look at the gap between what we are finding
out in the science labs and what is happening in
clinical practice, so we can ensure that our children
get the care they need. In addition, the FDA will
look at some common psychotropic drugs and begin
a process to find out what dosage levels are
appropriate for very young children. This
information will then be included on the labels of
these medications, and the studies on them will
address the obvious ethical issues that arise when
you examine the use of prescription drugs in such a
vulnerable group.
Finally, I'm delighted that this fall, the office of the
Surgeon General will coordinate a national
conference on the treatment of children with
behavioral and mental disorders. It will bring
together experts from the administration, parents,
advocates, educators, researchers, healthcare
professionals and consumers. It will look at the
challenges we are all still facing in caring for
children with mental illnesses. It will help us
develop long term strategies that each of us can use
to help young people get the childhood and chance
in life that we all deserve.
I remember, as we were talking today, that I was
fortunate, more than 30 years ago, to work at the
Yale Child Study Center, one of the premier
research institutions in our country when it comes
to treating our young children. And I was exposed
to some of the greatest minds and experts in the
country about how to treat very young children.
And there was nothing more challenging and, in
many ways, heartbreaking, than a preschooler with
obvious mental, emotional and behavioral
problems. That child cannot speak for him or
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herself. So it's often difficult to find out what kind
of conditions in the child's life led to-if there is a
cause and effect-the kind of behavior that is being
observed. So I know firsthand-from 30 years of
work on my own behalf, and watching experts who
are really on the frontlines of this-that this is a
very big challenge we are taking on today.
But I am also concerned that we are seeing
increasing numbers of children who are both being
diagnosed with certain disorders and whose
behaviors are crying out for helpful intervention.
We spoke earlier today in our meeting about the
increasing number of very young children in foster
care. The fastest growing group of children being
put into foster care are children under 5. They come
into foster care because of abuse or neglect and they
therefore have more than the kinds of problems that
one would expect in the population at large. We
talked about the increasing numbers of children
who are in the juvenile justice and criminal justice
systems. We are not doing what we need to do to
help intervene and treat those children, just as we
are not providing adequate medical and mental
health services in our adult prisons. These are
problems that affect all of society, not just the
individual with the specific problem or that
individual's family or those teachers and others that
come into contact with that young person. This has
ramifications for all of us.
All we need to do is look back a few weeks and
think about the 6-year-old that brought the gun to
school to kill the other 6-year-old. That is a problem
that did not just occur the morning the child picked
that gun up off of the bed in that terrible condition
in which he was living. So all of us have a stake in
the research, the diagnosis and the treatment. And I
would also add that we need some other people at
the table, and we're going to try to do that through
Dr. Satcher's efforts and the efforts of the
associations represented here. We need to be sure
that the insurance industry, the HMO industry, the
pharmaceutical industry-as well as
decision-makers at all levels of government-are
also at the table. We do have a lot of information
about what works, but we need more. And that's
what this meeting and these announcements are
about. But we should at least be trying to
implement what we do know works while we look
for more answers, and follow up on the efforts that
will be underway.
You know, when a child is sad or misbehaving, it is
never easy for even the most well-intentioned,
best-meaning parent to figure out what is
happening. Anyone who has ever had a child who is
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pre-verbal with any kind of illness, or a toddler, or a
preschooler, knows how difficult it is. Some of
these young people have problems that are
symptoms of nothing more than childhood or
adolescence. Some of them need a parent to love
them, or a person simply to listen to them talk about
their pain. And yet some do have severe emotional
and mental problems that can be greatly helped by
prescription drugs. These children are waiting for
our help-every one of them-and today we are
taking important steps to provide it.
It is my great hope that this meeting will move us
closer to the day that we will be able, number one,
to remove the stigma from these problems so that
no parent or no community has to wonder whether
this is something that should be talked about, or
help should be sought for. And number two, that we
will treat the problems of the body and the mind the
very same.
I hope that all of us will see this as a beginning and
that we will be even more committed to doing
whatever it takes to make sure that our children get
the help, support and love that they need to have.
Thank you all very much.
President and First Lady
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Column on Am's w/ Diaabilities; health care; jobs
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TALKING IT OVER
Talking It Over:
1999
President &
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
December 15, 1999
First Lady
December 8, 1999
Vice President &
Mrs. Gore
July 28, 1999
December 1, 1999
Record of
November 24, 1999
Progress
No one should be forced to choose between health
care and a job, but that is exactly what happens to
November 17, 1999
The Briefing
millions of people with disabilities in this country
November 10, 1999
Room
every day.
November 3, 1999
Gateway to
Joann Elliot worked as a food-service worker at St.
Government
Elizabeth's Hospital here in Washington for 20
October 27, 1999
years. She loved her job, but in 1991, a massive
Contacting the
October 20, 1999
White House
stroke left her paralyzed on her left side. Now, she
needs a wheelchair to get around and help with
October 13, 1999
White House
bathing, dressing and completing other day-to-day
activities.
October 6, 1999
for Kids
September 29, 1999
White House
Because she had to give up her job, Joann receives
History
Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicare and
September 22, 1999
Medicaid to cover her personal-care assistant,
White House
prescriptions, special equipment, therapy and some
September 15, 1999
Tours
transportation. But she wants to go back to work. "I
September 8, 1999
don't like staying at home," she explains. "I want to
get out and be productive."
September 1, 1999
Here's the problem: If Joann finds a job even a
August 25, 1999
low-paying one -- she'll lose her Medicaid benefits
August 18, 1999
-- the very health care coverage that she needs to be
able to go to work. Karen Moore, who is a
August 11, 1999
wheelchair user, was thrilled when she found a job
as a dispatcher for the River Cities, S.D., Transit
August 4, 1999
System. When she began working full-time, Karen
July 28, 1999
found that she needed less medical care, made new
friends and was able to reduce her SSDI benefits.
July 21, 1999
But like Joann, she also found herself in a Catch-22.
July 14, 1999
She depends on an attendant to get ready for work
July 7, 1999
every day, but lost coverage for that care once she
went to work. "I believe in contributing for these
June 30, 1999
services," she says, "but the current arrangement
June 23, 1999
makes it impossible for me to continue working."
June 16, 1999
After David Robar sustained a spinal-cord injury in
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July 28, 1999
http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/First_Lady/html/columns/hrc072899.htfl
After David Robar sustained a spinal-cord injury in
1990, he learned the same unfortunate lesson.
June 9, 1999
Determined to return to work, he managed to finish
June 2, 1999
his degree in business administration, but when he
began looking for a job, he found that he would
May 26, 1999
have to give up his health care benefits. "IfI were to
pay for my personal attendant services out of
May 19, 1999
pocket," he says, "it would cost me more than I
May 12, 1999
would make working full-time."
May 5, 1999
Today, millions of Americans live with disabilities
and can bring enormous energy and creativity to our
April 28, 1999
workforce. Studies show that the vast majority
April 21, 1999
wants to work, yet 75 percent of them are
unemployed. Too often, they find themselves in the
April 14, 1999
same boat as David, Karen and Joann: If they find a
job, they stand to lose the very benefits that allow
April 7, 1999
them to go to work in the first place.
March 31, 1999
Nine years ago this week, the Americans with
March 24, 1999
Disabilities Act became law, opening doors in the
same way that the Civil Rights Act did three
March 17, 1999
decades ago. Whereas, at one time, we presumed
March 10, 1999
that a disability meant a lifetime of dependence,
now, we know that those with disabilities want to
March 3, 1999
and can -- lead independent lives and contribute to
our nation's prosperity.
February 24, 1999
February 17, 1999
I am proud of the steps this Administration has
taken to integrate people with disabilities into the
February 10, 1999
workplace. Last year, my husband created a
National Task Force on Employment of Adults with
February 3, 1999
Disabilities. He has implemented new regulations
January 27, 1999
that increase the amount of income that those with
disabilities can earn while still receiving critical
January 20, 1999
benefits; taken steps to remove federal hiring
barriers for people with mental illness; and ordered
January 13, 1999
the development of a plan for the federal
January 6, 1999
government to hire more people with disabilities.
But while these actions have been a source of hope
to Americans with disabilities, a major obstacle to
employment remains: Most Medicare and Medicaid
benefits are limited to those too disabled to work.
That is why, this week, as we celebrate the
anniversary of the ADA, my husband has urged
Congress to pass legislation that would provide new
health care options and employment assistance so
that people with disabilities can work.
Last year, when we celebrated the anniversary of
the ADA, the President promised to work with
Senators Jeffords and Kennedy to achieve this goal.
In his State of the Union Address in January, he
urged Congress to make this legislation a top
priority, and he included full funding for it in the
budget he sent to Congress. In June, by an
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July 28, 1999
http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/First_Lady/html/columns/hrc072899.html
overwhelming bipartisan vote of 99-0, the Senate
passed a bill. But the full House has yet to act.
In many ways, work helps build our self-respect as
well as our nation's economy. But although our
nation is enjoying its lowest unemployment in a
generation, too many Americans with disabilities
cannot participate because of the barriers that still
stand.
Ignoring the potential of these citizens is not only a
missed opportunity for them, it is a missed
opportunity for the entire country. Let's celebrate
the anniversary of the ADA by opening the doors of
opportunity for millions of Americans even wider,
SO that no American has to choose between going to
work and paying medical bills ever again.
To find out more about Hillary Rodham Clinton
and read her past columns, visit the Creators
Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE,
INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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White House Conference on Mental Health
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REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY
AT WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON
Civitas Palermo
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MENTAL HEALTH
World Conference,
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White House
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MRS. CLINTON: Thank you. Thank you very much.
White House
Thank you. If I had any voice I would break into "You
Tours
are the Sunshine of My Life," and dedicate it to
Tipper. (Laughter.) But I'm delighted to be here, and
so pleased not only to see this packed room with
standing room only, but to know that nearly 6,000
sites around the country are sharing in this firsthand.
This is an historic conference, but it is more than that;
it's a real signal to our nation that we must do
whatever it takes not only to remove the stigma from
mental illness, but to begin treating mental illness as
the illness it is on a parity with other illnesses. And
we have to understand more about the progress that
has been made scientifically that has really led us to
this point.
I don't believe that we could have had such a
conference even 10 years ago, and I know we couldn't
have had such a conference 25 or 30 years ago, when I
was a young law student working at the Child Study
Center at the Yale University and taking classes at the
Med School and working at the Yale New Haven
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Hospital, and very interested in the intersection of
mental illness and the law and in the development of
children and other issues that we were only then just
beginning to address. And we didn't have a lot of
evidence to back up what we needed to know or how
we should proceed with the treatment of a lot of the
problems that we saw.
Well, today we know a lot more. And it is really our
obligation and responsibility, therefore, to begin to act
on that scientific knowledge. And I'm very pleased to
be talking with a distinguished group of panelists
about the science of mental health and mental illness.
We're happy to have with us Dr. Steven Hyman. He is
a distinguished scientist who directs the National
Institute of Mental Health, one of the institutes of the
National Institutes of Health. And I want to start with
Doctor Hyman.
Dr. Hyman, you have been dealing with some very
difficult diseases that affect millions of people. We've
already heard several mentioned-clinical depression,
bipolar disorder, schizophrenia. What progress have
we made in learning about these diseases in the last
few years so that we understand them more
scientifically, and, therefore, have a better idea of
what to do about them?
DR. HYMAN: Well, Mrs. Clinton, the first thing that
we've recognized is that the numbers are indeed
enormous. More than 19 million Americans suffer
from depression. More than 2 million children. More
than 2 million Americans have schizophrenia. And the
World Bank and the World Health Organization have
recognized that depression is the leading cause of
disability worldwide, including the United States.
We have also learned some very important facts about
these illnesses, and if I can just encapsulate them
briefly, it's that these are real illnesses of a real
organ-the brain. Just like coronary artery disease is a
disease of a real organ-the heart. We can make
diagnoses, and these diseases are treatable.
In addition, we've learned that these diseases should
be treated just like general medical disorders. If you
have heart disease you would get not only medication,
but also rehabilitation, dietary counseling, stress
reduction. So it is with a mental illness. We've heard a
lot already today about medication, but people need to
get their medication in the context of appropriate
psychotherapies and other psycho-social treatments.
(Applause.)
MRS. CLINTON: So how then has these scientific
discoveries changed the way that we as a society deal
with mental illness? And following up on what you
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said, if we now know-if you as experts and
practitioners know that we should treat mental illness
as real and as treatable, as a disease of a bodily part,
namely the brain, what does that mean for the kind of
response that we should be looking to in society?
DR. HYMAN: You know, sometimes people think of
science as something cold, but actually it has been an
enormously liberating force for families and for
people with mental illness. Not two decades ago,
people were taught that dread diseases like autism or
schizophrenia were due to some subtle character flaw
in mothers. This idea, unfortunately, has been
perpetuated by ignorance far too often. And, indeed,
these ideas didn't help with treatments. And what they
did do is they demoralized families who ultimately
had to take care of these poor sick children.
So science has shown us some alternative ideas. For
example, it's turned out that autism, schizophrenia,
manic-depressive illness are incredibly genetic
disorders. What this means is that genes have an awful
lot to say about whether somebody has one of these
illnesses. And I have to tell you that as the human
genome project approaches completion, in the next
few years, we're going to be discovering the genes
that create vulnerability to these disorders.
Now, that's important because genes are the
blueprints of cells and by understanding those
blueprints, I think we're going to come up with
treatments that we could not possible have dreamt of.
The other thing, as you mentioned, is we're learning
an enormous amount about how the brain is built and
how the brain operates. I brought a few pictures-I
don't know if we can project them, but I think pictures
are worth an awful lot. You can see on the left the
brain of a healthy person, and on the right the brain of
someone with schizophrenia, given a cognitive task
that requires planning and holding something in mind.
The kind of task that a person with schizophrenia has
difficulty with. And what you can see just looking at
the red spots, that people with schizophrenia don't
activate their brain in the same way as a person
without this illness.
We also know-and I think this is really interesting if
we could have the next slide-that our treatments
work because they work on the brain. No one is
surprised that medication works on the brain, but what
we're learning is that psychotherapy also works on the
brain. (Applause.) So what you can see in the lower
two brain diagrams is that this is someone with an
animal phobia-something that we can study
relatively easily-before treatment. Now, after a
cognitive behavioral treatment that exposes and
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desensitizes the person, you can see new spots of
activity-they're shown in green-and they represent
activation of our prefrontal cortex, a modern part of
the brain-which is actually able to suppress some of
the fear circuitry.
Now, I don't want to over-sell this, but ultimately
we're going to understand how these treatments work
in the brain.
And then, finally, I just want to show you a picture
that is somewhat alarming, but what we see here on
the left, someone with-a healthy person with a
normal brain, and then on the right someone who has
had severe depression for a long time. What you see
outlined in red at the bottom is that a key structure
acquired from memory-actually gets smaller, it
deteriorates if depression is not treated.
Now, this is not so hopeless as it seems because we
believe that with treatment these changes can be
reversed. But I'm showing you these pictures again to
remind us that these are real diseases of a real
organ-the brain-that we can make diagnoses and
that these should be treated just like general medical
illnesses. (Applause.)
MRS. CLINTON: You know, this is very exciting to
all of us, because I think we can, in our own
memories, think of diseases that have gone through a
process of first being just mysterious; and then myths
and stigmas associated with them; and then finally,
science being brought to bear, and then the better
they're understood, the more diagnosable and
treatable they become.
That's why I'm also very pleased that in July, under
your leadership, the NIMH will launch a $7.3 million
landmark study to determine the nature of mental
illness and treatments. This will be a study that will
help us guide strategies and policies for the next
century by collecting information on mental illness,
including the prevalence and duration of it, as well as
the types of treatments that are most commonly used.
NIMH will announce the launch of two new clinical
trials, investing a total of $61 million, to build
effective treatments for those affected by mental
illness. So we're taking this information and we're not
just leaving it in a laboratory. We are attempting to
use it to implement better policies and better treatment
modalities.
And I would just underscore something that was said,
and that is that as we learn more, through the human
genome project, we have to be even more careful to
guard against discrimination against both physical and
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mental illness. (Applause.)
I want to turn now to Dr. Koplewicz, who is an expert
on mental health issues. He has shown me through the
NYU Child Studies Center, and I know from firsthand
experience and reports how he has brought to bear his
extraordinary talent and experience on behalf of
children as a child psychiatrist.
And I would like to ask you, you've worked with
children and families on so many of these issues, what
steps can we take to demystify mental illness?
DR. KOPLEWICZ: It's hard to believe that until 20
years ago we still believed that inadequate parenting
and bad childhood traumas were the cause of
psychiatric illness in children. And in fact, even
though we know better today, that antiquated way of
thinking is still out there, so that people who wouldn't
dream of blaming parents for other types of disease,
like their child's diabetes or asthma, still embrace the
notion that somehow absent fathers, working mothers,
over-permissive parents are the cause of psychiatric
illness in children.
And the only way we can change that is through more
public awareness. I mean, essentially, these are
no-fault brain disorders. And as Dr. Hyman pointed
out, these diseases are physiological, they respond to
medicine. They're familial, they run in families. And
they have a predictable onset and course. And as we
learn more about this, it really becomes necessary for
us to do three things.
We have to learn the costs of untreated mental illness,
which really is lost school days, lost work days,
dropout, marital distress, and also lost opportunity
cost-executives and leaders who are quietly
depressed and who aren't functioning at full capacity.
The second thing we have to do is we have to educate
kids as early as middle school about mental illness.
They learn about AIDS, they learn about seatbelts, but
they have to learn about depression anxiety. And we
have to educate their parents also.
And the third part is that you need a national public
awareness campaign, so that Americans have to
understand depression the way they understand heart
disease. And the only way that happens is that when
you have recognizable national leaders, moral leaders,
role models like Tipper Gore, like Mike Wallace, who
come out and acknowledge that they have a
psychiatric illness, it makes it so much easier for the
average citizen then to accept that maybe their child or
maybe themselves or maybe another relative might be
suffering also.
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MRS. CLINTON: I think that's so right. I remember
when Betty Ford went public with her breast cancer.
And to the best of my memory, that was the first time
anyone in a position like that had, and what a
difference that made.
Let me ask you, do children have particular needs,
though, when it comes to mental illness, so that we
can't just talk about mental illness generally, we do
need to talk specifically about children's needs.
DR. KOPLEWICZ: Right. Well, as we all know, kids
are not little adults, their brains are different. But child
psychiatry has really lagged behind in many ways. I
mean, there are three major problems-one is access.
It is really a problem because there are 6,000 child and
adolescent psychiatrists in the whole country.
Pediatricians get very little training about mental
health. And in many states across the United States
Medicaid does not pay, forcing parents or forcing
school officials or school teachers, so that treating a
child is much more complex.
The next issue is research-not only basic
epidemiology, treatment, prevention-in many ways
we lag behind. And while the funding has increased
dramatically in the last six years, it's still out of
whack when you consider the impact and how
common these child psychiatric illnesses are in
society. So compared to childhood cancer, we really
are not dedicating nearly enough funds for the
research of child mental health.
And the last part again, of course, is that it's the
stigma. The stigma is worse for kids. Let me remind
you, teenagers are never volunteering to be customers
for mental health services. So parents not only feel
bad about themselves, many people are telling them
they've done something wrong and then the kid
doesn't want to go on top of that. So those things are
much more difficult for children, adolescents, than for
adults.
MRS. CLINTON: Well, I think that part of what we
we've got to do, though, is reflect how we can both
identify and get help to children who need it, whether
or not they want it or are willing to accept it. I think
all of us have the tragedy at Littleton in mind, and we
also know of the other school shootings; and in the
ones that don't get as much publicity, there may have
been signs, there may have been some way that we
could have intervened and prevented.
So what can we do to intervene early, before mental
illness causes a child to be violent to others or, as we
see increasingly, to be a victim of suicide, which is a
leading cause of death of young people?
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DR. KOPLEWICZ: I mean, the real tragedy of
Littleton is that-and in these other recent incidents of
school violence-is that they're most probably
preventable. Normal children just don't snap and go
out on a shooting spree. Children who commit violent
crimes almost always have histories of violence,
depression or other mental health problems. And,
unfortunately, schools and parents ignore psychiatric
illness.
The problem is that we have never really looked at the
underlying cause of all this violence, which is
childhood psychiatric illness, which is a tremendous
problem -- 12 percent of the population under the age
of 18 -- that's about 8 million children, teenagers, in
the United States today-have a diagnosable
psychiatric illness. And that means that about 2
million children have depression, teenagers have
depression.
And not all of them are going out to shoot someone,
but they're certainly more at risk and they're certainly
suffering and at risk for hurting themselves or others.
And the problem is that while teachers ignore it and
parents ignore it very often, unless we have a national
public awareness campaign, unless we dedicate
ourselves to child mental health the way we have to
other mental health issues, it becomes really quite
impossible for us to address this problem. So that
someday, if teachers, pediatricians, if family
practitioners were more aware of mental health
warning signs for children, adolescence, that's the first
step.
And, frankly, with public awareness, I think we have
reached the point with a focus that mending of broken
bones should be the same as getting help for
emotional distress. It should be just as acceptable. It
should be just as expected. Because, you see, if we
don't do that, I think what happens, these kids lose out
on schooling, making friends, and at the end of the
day they lose out on happiness that we expect for all
of our children. (Applause.)
*****
MRS. CLINTON: I really want to thank you not only
for coming forward, as you have in the past and again
today, but for putting your energies behind this issue
in the Congress and using your own personal
experience to really make a difference, and I know
that it will continue to do that.
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I want to thank our three panelists and really not only
thank them, but all of you who work on the issue of
mental health and mental illness, and particularly the
scientific research that we're learning so much more
about. And, hopefully, this conference and the work
that is being done because of it will get that word out
to many, many Americans, and maybe they'll say,
well, you know, I heard Dr. Hyman or I saw the
pictures or I listened to the Congresswoman or
whatever it might be. And for that, we're very
grateful, and especially to you, Tipper.
So, back to you. (Applause.)
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Remarks on Pediatric AIDS
THE WHITE HOUSE
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS
Foundation Awards
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Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS
January 1999
Foundation Awards
President &
Remarks by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
Long-Term Care
First Lady
Dolly Madison
Vice President &
Washington Press Club
Commemorative
Mrs. Gore
January 28, 1999
Silver Dollar
Unveiling
Record of
RUSH Presbyterian
Progress
Thank you all. Thank you. Well, it is my honor to
Eid Al-Fitr
The Briefing
be here, once again, for one of the most important
Celebration
Room
events that I think goes on in Washington every
Mars Millennium
year, as we take the energy and the generosity of
Project
Gateway to
individuals, corporations, and foundations in a great
Government
show of philanthropic spirit and put that to work on
Qualified Teachers
behalf of the extraordinary, groundbreaking work
in Every Classroom
Contacting the
that these scientists and their colleagues are doing. I
Event
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am grateful to be here with all of you and to have a
Families Agenda
chance, once again, to thank those of you who
Rountable
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support the foundation and the work that Elizabeth
for Kids
started so many years ago.
NARAL
Anniversary
White House
Luncheon
History
I want to thank my friend Paul, whom I appreciate
for not embarrassing me. But more than that I want
Social Security
White House
to thank him for his courage, commitment, and his
Teleconference
Tours
support and friendship. I'm honored to be with him
once again as we recognize the outstanding work
Foster Care
that the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS
Tranitioning
Foundation, and these scientists, are doing to push
Jo Oberstar Breast
the frontiers of science even further.
Cancer Memorial
Lecture
I want to thank the remarkable leaders of this
U.S. Conference of
foundation, who have helped to build it into what it
Mayors
is today. I know that Suzie Zeegan is often very
modest about her contributions, but she has been a
Elizabeth Glaser
stalwart, steadfast voice and heart of this
Pediatric AIDS
Foundation
organization for so many years. I'm glad that she is
Awards
joined by Kate Carr and Janis Spire, and all of you
who are on the board and involved in the work of
Fifth Millennium
the foundation.
Evening: Meaning
of the Millennium
And I want to say a personal word of appreciation
and gratitude to Mary Fisher. Her tireless work, her
eloquent powerful voice has meant a lot to many of
us, and I know that she will not rest until we do all
that we can on behalf of the work that she so well
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represents.
None of us would be here today-not Suzie, not
Paul, not me, not Mary-none of us, were it not for
the inspirational life and work of our friend
Elizabeth Glaser. Her spirit animates this gathering,
as it does any time we come together. No one
fought harder-or more-to bring attention and
resources to the issue of pediatric AIDS. No one
who ever heard her speak or met her will ever forget
that fabulous laugh and that very persistent effort
that she put into making it clear to all she met that
this was an issue that was not just confined to those
who were suffering from the tragedy of HIV and
AIDS-and particularly as it affected children-but
for every human being. And that work that she
started and that spirit that is still with us has
brought hope to millions and millions of children
and adults who suffer from this disease. She
transformed literally the way this country responds
to HIV and AIDS.
It was something that started very simply, sitting
around a kitchen table with Suzie and Susan, and
deciding to undertake what must, at that time, have
seemed like an impossible task. But once again, one
person and a small group of people have made a
tremendous difference. And as Margaret Mead
famously once said, "It is only a small group of
people who ever make a difference in changing the
direction of the world."
So here we are to celebrate the 10th anniversary, a
"decade of progress, a decade of promise," and to
go forward into this upcoming decade with the
same level of commitment, motivation, and
dedication. And there is no group that has done
more than this foundation to make it possible for us
to say that we are looking at a decade of promise.
Ten years ago, almost no one knew about AIDS, let
alone that it could be transmitted from mother to
child. There was ignorance; there was fear. And we
have come a very long way indeed. We've come to
the point where we can say that there is a pediatric
AIDS research agenda and that we can point to the
progress that all of us have seen made because of
the dedication of scientists.
We can look back at the decade of breakthroughs
that have dramatically reduced mother-to-child
transmission and greatly improved the quality of
life and life expectancy of infected children. There
are also more drugs-once only available to
adults-that are now benefiting children.
I want to underscore something Paul said and thank
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all of you who joined us in our fight to make
pediatric labeling a reality. It was a long struggle,
but it was one that we could not have achieved
without the support of this foundation and many of
you here today. Now we have a regulation in place
assuring that prescription drugs are tested for safety
and efficacy in children. This regulation will ensure
that doctors know which drugs to prescribe and how
much to give to their youngest patients. We believe
this initiative has the potential for saving countless
lives, and we could not have done it without you.
In the past several months, the Clinton
Administration has also launched new initiatives to
address AIDS in minority communities, to
strengthen our efforts to find a vaccine, and to boost
our international efforts to care for children
orphaned by AIDS. Those are three very important
initiatives, and let me just briefly address them.
As I look around this room, I see that there are not
many representatives of minority communities,
which are the hardest hit part of the American
population. And certainly if we look abroad and we
see what HIV/AIDS is doing in Africa and Asia, it
makes that emphasis even more urgent.
The effort to find a vaccine, which these scientists
to some extent are focusing their work on, is
something that the United States is even more
committed to. And working with partners around
the world, we hope we will see progress.
And finally, international efforts to care for children
orphaned by AIDS are extremely important. I've
seen varying statistics, but I keep seeing the
number: 40 million orphans from AIDS in the next
ten years.
So we've come together to celebrate what we've
achieved, but also to look towards the future. And
we have a lot to be thankful for when we look at the
health care of our children. In the last six years,
because of the leadership of this President and the
Administration and the supporters in Congress and
elsewhere, we've seen improvements in the health
of America's children. Immunization rates are at an
all time high, infant mortality at an all time low.
And thanks to the President's program for
children's health insurance called "CHIP," millions
more children are eligible for coverage, and we
have to make sure that we reach the 5 million
children who are eligible but not currently enrolled.
I'm also pleased to announce today that the
President's fiscal year 2000 budget includes a new
$40 million grant program to support graduate
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medical education. This is something that has
worried me for quite sometime. Some of you may
know that graduate medical education-how we
fund the training of our physicians, our research
scientists, our hospitals, and our medical
centers-is funded by Medicare. And what we have
found over the last several years is that the funding
for those who work with children and are being
trained to work with children is grossly
disproportionate to the need. I can't remember the
exact figures, but something like over $9,000 a year
is spent out of Medicare to fund the training and
work of physicians who work with adults, and
about $400 a year for those physicians working
with children. We have worked for quite sometime
to change that, and I am very proud that the
President's budget will make a start on that.
There is no way we could talk about treating
children with HIV or AIDS or any chronic or acute
condition if we don't have the doctors and the
trained staff ready and able to treat them throughout
our country. So we need to do more to train doctors
who care for our children and provide vital health
services for the poorest, the sickest, and the most
vulnerable among our children.
Too long children's hospitals have been trying to
carry this responsibility without adequate resources.
I ran into Senator Kennedy as I got off the elevator.
Senator Kennedy and others have introduced a
bipartisan piece of legislation to make permanent
the funding of those who work for children's health
and I hope, in addition to the grant, we will see a
permanent solution to this problem.
But we have a lot of work ahead of us. Here, and
around the world especially, new HIV infections are
increasing, and women of color and young people
are among the most vulnerable. Every hour of every
day, two more American adolescents are infected
with HIV. And around the world, 1,600 children are
infected every single day.
As we all know, the ravages of pediatric AIDS are
the most severe in the developing countries, where
over 90 percent of new infections now occur. By
the end of this year, 40 million people will be living
with HIV or AIDS. And by the end of the next
decade, AIDS will have orphaned over 40 million
children.
Now when you're confronted with statistics like
these, it is sometimes difficult not to feel
overwhelmed. But the founders of this foundation
and this effort, and Elizabeth herself, would not
accept that as an excuse at all. The legacy that
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Elizabeth leaves us is one that is driven by and
shaped by hope, not despair; one that chooses
action over inaction; one that is determined,
regardless of the odds, to find effective treatments,
a vaccine, and eventually a cure.
Now we know that that can only happen if we have
the kind of support and dedication of the scientists
that we honor today, and I am very proud to ask
them to stand and receive their individual awards.
These gifted individuals represent some of the
brightest investigators from the international
research community. While they work at separate
research institutions, they all share a deep
commitment to not only furthering their own work,
but collaborating with those who are their partners
here and around the world.
The first recipient is Dr. Robert Doms from the
University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Doms, will you
please come forward? Dr. Doms is investigating
how a cell gets infected with HIV. 'And I told Dr.
Doms and the other scientists that I read the
summary of their work, and as a lay person, I have
to confess I wasn't quite sure what CCR5 was, what
it did or what it didn't do, but I know how
important the work is that each of them is engaged
in. Dr. Doms is attempting to discover how we can
block the infection by learning how the cell gets
infected in the first place-which would then lead
to the development of an effective vaccine. And so
on behalf of all us, and literally on behalf of
millions of people who will maybe never know
your name, Dr. Doms, but will benefit from your
work, congratulations! [The First Lady presents the
award.]
Dr. Philip Goulder from Massachusetts General
Hospital is investigating the immune response of
AIDS-infected children in the United States and
Africa to bring us closer to the discovery of an
AIDS vaccine. I want, particularly, to thank Dr.
Goulder and those who work with him for
partnering with scientists and physicians in Africa
where the need is so acute, and where we have an
opportunity to make a tremendous difference.
Because, as SO many of you know, the progress that
we've made in extending life expectancy and
quality of life for many people living with
HIV/AIDS is dependent upon a very expensive drug
regiment which is out of the reach of people in most
of the rest of the world. So the work that is being
done by Dr. Goulder and others is critical to
bringing hope to people in parts of the world that
now don't have an opportunity to benefit from what
has already been achieved. Dr.
Goulder-congratulations. [The First Lady presents
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the award.]
Next is Dr. Jule Overbaugh from Seattle's Fred
Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. She is
collaborating with other researchers to further
reduce mother-child HIV
transmission-particularly during breastfeeding.
You know, we spent years persuading women in
developing countries to breast feed. This was one of
the great causes of the 1970's and early 80's, to
persuade them that their breast milk was more
effective for their children to build up their child's
immune system, and not to be persuaded by
advertisements promoting the use of formula when
they didn't even have clean water that they could
mix with the formula. But, of course, now we are
trying to figure out what we do with that success,
because the breast feeding, which is very important
for many reasons, is one of the ways that HIV is
transmitted. As part of the work that Dr. Overbaugh
is doing, she is studying HIV-infected infants and
mothers in Nairobi, Kenya. And I want to thank her
also for helping to focus on the issue in Africa.
Congratulations. [The First Lady presents the
award.]
Dr. Paul Johnson from Harvard Medical School is
researching new ways to help boost the immune
system's response to HIV infection in children. And
that is something else that we are so hopeful about,
to learn more about what can be done to fend off
HIV once it enters into a child's system, to prolong
life and really do everything we can to diminish the
impact of HIV and postpone or eliminate the
development of AIDS. Thank you, Dr. Johnson for
your important work. [The First Lady presents the
award.]
You know, I feel, as I hand out these awards to
these scientists, the way I felt when I first went to a
doctor younger than myself. These four incredible
scientists are so young, and for all of us we think of
that as a very hopeful sign that the research that is
going on is engaging the attention and the
intelligence and expertise of our young scientists
and researchers. And certainly by evidence of them
today and the work that they are doing, we have
every reason to be hopeful. So let me on behalf of
the foundation thank all of you who have been part
of this work, who have been involved in carving out
this very unique contribution that the foundation is
making to furthering scientific endeavor and to
highlighting the work that these four scientists are
doing.
It is a pleasure and an honor for me to be part of this
presentation once again, and to do all that I can
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along with all of you to make it possible for us to
move forward against this disease, and do
everything we can to protect our children from it,
and to help those who already suffer from it to lead
lives of quality as they try to fulfill their entire
God-given promise.
Thank you very much.
President and First Lady
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January 13, 1999
http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/EOP/First_Lady/html/columns/hrc011399.html
Column on Epilepsy
THE WHITE HOUSE
January 13, 1999
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TALKING IT OVER
Talking It Over:
1999
President &
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON
December 15, 1999
First Lady
December 8, 1999
Vice President &
Mrs. Gore
January 13, 1999
December 1, 1999
Record of
November 24, 1999
Progress
Not long ago, I had the opportunity to catch up with
an old friend from Chicago. In the course of the
November 17, 1999
The Briefing
conversation, he told me about his daughter,
November 10, 1999
Room
Lauren. Although Lauren was a happy, healthy
baby at birth, she began to have seizures at the age
November 3, 1999
Gateway to
of 7 months. Seventeen years later, the seizures
Government
continue, the cause has never been identified, and
October 27, 1999
Lauren's development has been irrevocably delayed.
Contacting the
October 20, 1999
White House
She will never live independently and will require
lifelong supervision and support. As her father
October 13, 1999
White House
spoke, I could see and hear the devastating impact
October 6, 1999
for Kids
Lauren's epilepsy has had, not only on her own life
but also on her entire family.
September 29, 1999
White House
History
When I heard Lauren's story, I was determined to
September 22, 1999
learn more about this condition and bolster this
White House
administration's efforts to improve treatment and
September 15, 1999
Tours
find a cure.
September 8, 1999
Nearly 200,000 Americans are diagnosed with
September 1, 1999
epilepsy each year. Current treatments control
symptoms in most of their cases. Yet the word
August 25, 1999
epilepsy still provokes profound fear and
August 18, 1999
misunderstanding.
August 11, 1999
Epilepsy is a chronic brain disorder characterized
by spontaneous, recurrent seizures that range from
August 4, 1999
brief lapses in attention to prolonged losses of
July 28, 1999
consciousness with convulsions. It affects more
than 2 million Americans -- one out of every 100.
July 21, 1999
Of these, 300,000 are children. Head injuries, brain
tumors, stroke, lead poisoning, genetic conditions
July 14, 1999
and infectious illnesses can cause epilepsy. But in
July 7, 1999
more than half of all cases -- like Lauren's -- no
explanation is ever found.
June 30, 1999
June 23, 1999
According to a new report, "Epilepsy: A Report to
the Nation," sponsored by the Epilepsy Foundation
June 16, 1999
of America, anti-seizure drugs and other forms of
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anuary 13, 1999
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of America, anti-seizure drugs and other forms of
treatment can control or eliminate seizures in 75
June 9, 1999
percent of those affected.
June 2, 1999
These people live nearly normal lives lives that
May 26, 1999
can be both personally and professionally fulfilling.
But even they never escape the uncertainty or the
May 19, 1999
potential social stigma that comes out of ignorance
May 12, 1999
-- a stigma that can crush the spirit as surely as the
disorder debilitates the body and the brain.
May 5, 1999
Tragically, though, for the nearly 600,000 like
April 28, 1999
Lauren, the disorder is intractable. Drugs, diet,
April 21, 1999
surgery and other treatments just don't bring their
seizures under control.
April 14, 1999
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of epilepsy is
April 7, 1999
the toll it takes on children. Seizures in early
March 31, 1999
childhood often produce developmental delays and
brain damage that can lead to a lifetime of
March 24, 1999
dependence and extraordinary costs. Children with
epilepsy are at special risk for learning problems.
March 17, 1999
March 10, 1999
They fall behind in reading, language development
and general knowledge. Children who have frequent
March 3, 1999
seizures can't even go to school. Perhaps worst of
all, they live in constant fear of their next seizure.
February 24, 1999
February 17, 1999
If these children are ever to live the normal, healthy
and happy lives they deserve, we must dedicate
February 10, 1999
ourselves to finding a cure now.
February 3, 1999
I'm pleased that the President's budget for this year
January 27, 1999
includes a 14 percent expansion for the National
Institutes of Health, the largest funding increase
January 20, 1999
ever. Of this, an unprecedented $76 million is for
epilepsy research alone. But we must still do more.
January 13, 1999
January 6, 1999
This week, I'll be in Chicago for the dedication of a
new epilepsy center at Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke's
Hospital and a major nationwide fund-raiser for
epilepsy research. There, I'll release the Epilepsy
Foundation's report and talk about the
administration's next steps in the effort to eliminate
the disorder.
Next year, NIH researchers will convene the
first-ever administration conference on epilepsy,
bringing together more than 150 experts and
members of the public focused on finding a cure. In
addition, the Centers for Disease Control and the
Agency for Health Care Policy Research together
will launch a campaign to educate medical
practitioners about the critical need for early and
accurate diagnosis.
I have heard from many families around the country
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who have been touched by epilepsy. Some share the
pain of lives destroyed and promising futures
extinguished. Others marvel at the seemingly
miraculous -- when drugs, surgery or diet actually
bring an end to the nightmare.
But the message is the same: More research dollars
are critical if we are to devise innovative, safe and
effective treatments or find a cure. No one has said
it better than the parents of 12-year-old Philip
Gattone, whose seizures ceased following a
combination of successful surgery and drug therapy.
They wrote:
"Today, Philip plays sports,
participates in school activities and
clubs, and loves learning. He has
friends that care about him. He is our
hero.
"There are so many children that need
help. The fight for a cure is a daily
battle, and it is real. It is a fight that
must be won. Only research and new
treatments will help these special
families achieve their dreams of
recovery from epilepsy."
For more information on epilepsy, visit the
Epilepsy Foundation of America at www.efa.org.
COPYRIGHT 1999 CREATORS SYNDICATE,
INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Remarks to ARC
Speech: Hillary Rodham Clinton
44th Annual Convention of The Arc
Providence, Rhode Island - Friday, October 9, 1993
Thank you. Thank you very, very much. Thank you very much for that very
warm welcome. It is such a pleasure to be here with David Dunn, and the other
officers and board of the Arc, and all of those in this audience and around this
country who support the work of The Arc. And, I am also pleased to be here
with the Governor of Rhode Island, Governor Sundlun, and both Senator and
Mrs. Pell who came to be with us today. And, I am particularly pleased to have
been introduced by someone you have known a long time and I have only been
able to claim an acquaintanceship of less than a year but whom I admire so
greatly, Senator Chafee. From the very first time that the President asked me to
work on this very important task he has been such a constructive and helpful
counselor and advisor. And I think it is only fair to say that we now do have a
President who is committed to health care reform, and we have leaders like
Senator Chafee who have worked on health care reform for many years who will
help create a climate of cooperation that will lead to a bipartisan, nationally
accepted health care reform in 1994 and I am very grateful to him for that.
This is an issue that we know will be very discussed all over the country in all
kinds of forums like this, but even more importantly in living rooms, in coffee
shops, around the water coolers, people are going to be talking about health
care reform and I think it is a conversation that is long overdue and very
welcome.
And those of you in The Arc have experience in knowing what is needed to
make systems respond to human needs and we are so grateful that the Arc is
taking such a strong stand of support in favor of health care reform. I want
personally to thank The Arc for the very positive response that you issued in
response to the President's health care speech. And I want to thank David and
others for being with us at the White House when we kicked off this campaign
for health care reform. Because you have been working with us through your
officers and representatives now for a number of months and your help and
constructive advice has enabled the Administration to come forward with the
plan that it has and will continue to make a contribution as we work through the
Congress to the final resolution.
You know, often better than most Americans, how easy it is to be victimized by
a health care system that discriminates against pre existing conditions, that does
not offer adequate long term care choices such as personal assistance and other
supports that people with mental retardation and their families need to rely on to
fulfill their lives and to be productive citizens.
We are trying in our health care reform approach to deal with several of the
problems that are most important to The Arc. We want to expand home and
community based services to persons with mental retardation.
You know so well that we have to have the capacity to support people while
they live in their homes or in alternative living arrangements, and that you know
so well that it is the right thing to do both in terms of the human dimensions and
in terms of the economics. For too long we have looked to institutionalized care
and, as the wonderful introduction of Senator Chafee pointed out, we are
beginning to understand the human and economic costs that that has made on
our society. But we still have not recognized how much better it would be if we
could provide more support for home and community based arrangements. The
health care reform plan will move beyond even the legislation that was
mentioned and will finally make it clear that regardless of income or age,
individuals with severe disabilities should have the options to choose home
based care or community based care.
Also, as part of the overall plan we are leaving in place programs that have
provided health and assistance. In fact, really the theme of health care reform,
as far as the President is concerned, is let's preserve what is right about the
American system and fix what is wrong. So one of the features that we will be
preserving is Intermediate Care Facilities/ Mental Retardation and the Medicaid
home and community based waiver program. In fact, we would like to be able -
assuming we can afford to do so - to increase the living allowances for residents
of ICFMR from the $30 to higher - maybe as high as $100 a month, if we are
able to do that.
You know, when the President in his speech held up that health security card -
and I hope you saw that on television - he didn't hold it up and he didn't say you
will only be able to get this if you are a certain age, or if you have never been
sick, or if you do not have any mental retardation. He held it up and said: every
2
American will be entitled to this card and the services that it will it represent and
we want to make that a right of every American to have.
There are so many features of health care reform that will enshrine this basic
principle about every American being entitled to receive health security, and at
an affordable cost, that preserves and enhances quality; but particularly for
people with mental retardation and their families we see it as a way to end the
discrimination that has for too long existed in our health care system.
I was talking with some friends of mine about their small business. They employ
four people, so there are four families, plus their own on their policy.. Several
years ago one of their employees had a child who was born with Down
Syndrome and all of a sudden they were faced with what so many people are
faced with every day in our country. You want to continue to insure this family
with this child. You want to have to pay more because if you continue to insure
this family the costs for all your families will go up. And my friend, whom I' have
known ever since high school, a small business man said to me: What a choice
for me to be asked to make. To turn my back on an employee and his family
that were a part of my family and my small business, or to reach down even
deeper out of the wages of my employees, out of our profits, and provide health
care insurance. He continued to do so. He called me the other day to say: You
know I made what I know is the right choice. It was the right choice for my
business. It was the right choice for my employee and his family, but no
American should have to make that choice. All Americans should be entitled to
health care coverage, no matter who they are or what happens to them during
the course of their life and that is the bed rock principle we have to work on.
In the coming months, as the Senator referred in his comments, you will be
asked to judge health care reforms by a number of questions and I hope that you
will keep them in mind as we go forward during this very important
conversation.
In the news release that The Arc issued supporting health care reform and the
President, it said that The Arc wants to measure any reform against a set of five
principles from a disability perspective and these are: nondiscrimination,
comprehensiveness, appropriateness, equity and efficiency. Every one of those
fits into the principles that the President outlined and that are also embodied in
the alternative that Senator Chafee has worked so hard on. It has to be
3
comprehensive, and that means it has to provide a comprehensive set of
benefits.
It cannot discriminate against any American. It must be appropriate in the sense
that it should build on what works. It should provide access to adequate quality
affordable health care in appropriate settings, based upon choices that
individuals make that are best for them and their families. It must, it must have
equity, and if it is comprehensive and does not discriminate it should have
equity; but, it needs to have safeguards built in so that all of us feel that we are
not being taken advantage of or discriminated against. And it must have
efficiency. Efficiency in the better delivery of health care services at a more cost
effective level. This will be one of the great debates that we will be having as to
how much efficiency we are able to achieve. But The Arc, for many of the
programs that you are involved with, you have seen models that work. You
know of more efficient ways of delivering health care services to people with
mental retardation. That is true across our country. And, what we need is to
build in incentives so that efficiency is rewarded and that those who are
inefficient, who don't deliver high quality care at a cost efficient affordable rate,
will learn how to do better because there will be incentives in the system for
them to become more efficient. And we will need your voices and your
experiences, speaking loudly to people all over America about how we can do
the job better. I share the confidence and optimism that Senator Chafee just
said in his introduction. I know, I know we are going to have health care reform
in 1994. We are going to have it because it is the right thing to do. Because
we know that to stay with the status quo is no longer an option and because so
many people, including those in The Arc, have worked too long and too hard to
try to make things better for us to give up now on what is an historic
opportunity.
So, I came here today mostly to say thank you. Thank you, not only for the
support you have given in the last months to this health care reform effort, but
thank you for the support and the advocacy and the caring, and the example
you have given this country for decades. Our time has finally arrived. If we
work together we will see the fruits of your labor, and we will all be prouder to
be Americans and to live in the country that gives us the best opportunities in
the world if we are only willing to take the responsibility to make it so.
4
THE PRESIDENT'S
JULY 1, 2000
PROCLAMATION FOR THE
"SPIRIT OF ADA MONTH,
2000"
Proslamation: Spirit of the ADA Month, 2000
http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/New/html/20000703.html
POTUS Proclamation for ADA month 2000
THE WHITE HOUSE
Proclamation: Spirit of the ADA Month,
2000
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SPIRIT OF THE ADA MONTH, 2000
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BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Contacting the
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A PROCLAMATION
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The enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 10 years
for Kids
ago this month signaled a transformation in our Nation's public policies
toward people with disabilities. America is now a dramatically different --
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and better -- country because of the ADA.
History
In the last 10 years, we have worked hard to eliminate harmful stereotypes
White House
and have grown to understand disability as a natural part of the human
Tours
experience. We are taking steps, such as renovating and constructing
public accommodations to make them fully accessible, to ensure that
people with disabilities are fully integrated into our communities and
workplaces. And we have come to appreciate that people with disabilities
are a key element -- and an untapped resource -- in sustaining our
Nation's historic economic growth.
Throughout our Administration, Vice President Gore and I have worked
hard to achieve the ADA's core goals equality of opportunity, full
participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. Our
Administration has vigorously defended the ADA in court cases across
the Nation; we are collaborating with State Medicaid directors to
implement the Supreme Court's 1999 Olmstead decision, which prohibits
unjustified isolation of institutionalized persons with disabilities; we
helped ensure that 80 percent of America's public transit buses are now
accessible; we are implementing the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives
Improvement Act, which I proudly signed into law last December; we
have worked closely with schools and colleges to improve the enrollment,
retention, and graduation of students with disabilities; and my Task Force
on Employment of Adults with Disabilities is developing far-reaching
1 of 2
7/12/2000 6:03 PM
Proclamation: Spirit of the ADA Month, 2000
http://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/New/html/20000703.htaml
policies for a comprehensive, coordinated employment agenda.
We still have much to accomplish. Because the many barriers confronting
people with disabilities took generations to develop, breaking them down
requires consistent, coordinated, and farsighted effort. We must work
aggressively to increase the employment rates of people with disabilities
by attacking a range of work disincentives, including barriers to
education, health care, technology, housing, and transportation. We must
provide real choices for people with disabilities to live and work in their
communities with the necessary services and supports. And we must be
vigilant in protecting the rights we have secured through decades of legal
activism. I am encouraged that the first 10 years of the ADA's life have
provided us with a solid foundation for meeting these challenges.
To mark the ADA's 10th anniversary and the 25th anniversary of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the American
Association of People with Disabilities has organized a nationwide "Spirit
of ADA" Torch Relay. Twenty-four cities from coast to coast are hosting
official relay events, and hundreds of communities are organizing
additional local events as part of this national celebration. The Spirit of
ADA's organizing theme is "Renew the Pledge" to encourage individuals,
organizations, and government entities to reaffirm their commit-ment to
the principles of the ADA and IDEA. Vice President Gore and I are proud
to join in the celebration and to renew our own pledge to help advance the
cause of disability rights.
Promoting disability rights not only improves the lives of the 54 million
Americans with disabilities, it improves all of our lives. As President
Franklin Roosevelt recognized more than 60 years ago, in words that are
now inscribed on the FDR Memorial in our Nation's capital: "No Country,
however rich, can afford the waste of its human resources."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the
Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim July 2000
as Spirit of the ADA Month, 2000. I urge government officials, business
people, community leaders, educators, and all the people of the United
States, to celebrate the contributions people with disabilities have made,
and continue to make, to the progress and prosperity of our Nation, and to
renew our commitment to upholding the nondiscrimination principles of
the ADA and IDEA.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of
July, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and twenty-fourth.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
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First Lady Kicks Off WeMedia's "Political
Forum" Series with Exclusive Webcast
Interview on ADA Anniversary
What:
New York senate candidate First Lady Hillary Clinton kicks off WeMedia's
"Political Forum" series with an exclusive Webcast interview conducted by
nationally known television news anchor Bree Walker.
When:
Wednesday, July 26th -- the 10th anniversary of the signing of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ⑉⑉ at 4:00 PM EST.
Where:
The FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C., immediately following
Wednesday's official White House event at the memorial with President
Bill Clinton and the First Lady commemorating the passage of the
landmark civil rights legislation. The interview will be Webcast on
WeMedia's site, www.wemedia.com at 4:00 PM EST
The interview will be available as archived video for visitors to the
WeMedia site after that time.
Note:
WeMedia's new Politics and Advocacy section is committed to bringing
information to the disability community about relevant issues and
providing access to key decision-makers. Upcoming guests on WeMedia's
"Political Forum" series include Vice President Al Gore, and U.S. Senators
Jim Jeffords (R-VT) and Tom Harkin (D-IA). In addition to the Forum, the
Politics and Advocacy section will provide the disability community with
unprecedented live Webcast coverage of the Republican and Democratic
national conventions. WeMedia Inc. is the official Webcaster of the 2000
Paralympic Games in Sydney and publishes WeMedia magazine.
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WeMedia Inc. was launched in 1997 by two entrepreneurs, Jerome Belson and Cary Fields, who
have worked extensively with disability organizations for more than 40 years. Both founders
share a common goal of developing strategies to improve the lives of people with disabilities,
through a variety of media offerings.
The company's first media property was WE magazine, a glossy consumer lifestyle publication.
The bimonthly magazine has won accolades for its impressive editorial content and innovative
approach to cross-disability issues. The magazine's website, www.wemagazine.com, debuted in
1998.
In December 1999, WeMedia launched www.wemedia.com, a full service online resource for
people with disabilities, their families and friends. The new website provides the disability
community with targeted and comprehensive information and resources in the areas of finance,
real estate, travel, news, sports, employment, technology, advocacy, and education, among
others. As the official Webcaster of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, WeMedia Sports will
provide the first live webcast of an Olympic or Paralympic event, in what will be the most
ambitious webcast ever. In addition to print and interactive outlets, WeMedia will distribute
content through broadcast and wireless mediums.
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International Organizations
Counterpart International
Rehabilitation International
US National Organizations
Achilles Track Club
America's Athletes with Disabilities
Blinded Veterans Association
Conill Institute for Chronic Illness
Disabled and Alone
Disabled Sports USA
Dwarf Athletics Association of America
Fiorentino Foundation
Hire This Ability
International Center for the Disabled
In Touch Networks (Jewish Guild for the Blind)
Jewish National Fund
Matthew's Challenge
Medical Research Agencies of America
National Down Syndrome Society
National Parent Network on Disabilities
National Theatre Workshop for the Handicapped
National Wheelchair Sports Awareness Program
Paralysis Society of America
Parkinson's Disease Foundation
People to People Committee on Disability
Religion and Disability Program, National Organization on Disability
Self Help for Hard of Hearing People
Share America
Special Olympics New York
The Digital Clubhouse Network
The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities
The Silverlining Group
United Cerebral Palsy
United States Cerebral Palsy Athletic Association
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U.S. Electric Wheelchair Hockey Association
Veteran's Assistance Foundation, Wisconsin
Wheelchair Sports USA
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Contact: Charles Lynn, Appia Group
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(212) 688-8599 or
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First Lady Kicks Off WeMedia's "Political
Forum" Series with Exclusive Webcast
Interview on ADA Anniversary
What:
New York senate candidate First Lady Hillary Clinton kicks off WeMedia's
"Political Forum" series with an exclusive Webcast interview conducted by
nationally known television news anchor Bree Walker.
When:
Wednesday, July 26th -- the 10th anniversary of the signing of the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) -- at 4:00 PM EST.
Where:
The FDR Memorial in Washington, D.C., immediately following
Wednesday's official White House event at the memorial with President
Bill Clinton and the First Lady commemorating the passage of the
landmark civil rights legislation. The interview will be Webcast on
WeMedia's site, www.wemedia.com, at 4:00 PM EST
The interview will be available as archived video for visitors to the
WeMedia site after that time.
Note:
WeMedia's new Politics and Advocacy section is committed to bringing
information to the disability community about relevant issues and
providing access to key decision-makers. Upcoming guests on WeMedia's
"Political Forum" series include Vice President Al Gore, and U.S. Senators
Jim Jeffords (R-VT) and Tom Harkin (D-IA). In addition to the Forum, the
Politics and Advocacy section will provide the disability community with
unprecedented live Webcast coverage of the Republican and Democratic
national conventions. WeMedia Inc. is the official Webcaster of the 2000
Paralympic Games in Sydney and publishes WeMedia magazine.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sydney Paralympic Organizing Committee and We Media Inc. To Provide
Exclusive, Live Webcast of Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games
We Sports, Online Sports Network for People with Disabilities, to Produce Breakthrough
Webcast Of World-Class Athletic Event and Broadcast Coverage of the Games
SYDNEY, Australia and NEW YORK, April 11, 2000-The Sydney Paralympic Organizing
Committee (SPOC) and We Media Inc. today announced a breakthrough plan for the
worldwide live coverage of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games over the Internet via We
Media's Internet destination www.wemedia.com. This will be the first time that any event at
either the Olympic or Paralympic Games has been webcast live. Coverage of the Games
will include live streaming video, real-time audio and extensive coverage of the event from
Opening Ceremonies on October 18 through the Closing on October 29.
SPOC also announced today that it had granted the US broadcast rights to the Sydney
2000 Paralympic Games to We Media for over-the-air coverage in addition to the Internet
package.
We Sports, Wemedia.com's full-service sports network for the community of people with
disabilities, focuses on the coverage of live events, participation and instruction and it will
Webcast and broadcast the Games. With approximately 125 countries and 4,000 athletes
scheduled to compete in this year's Games, We Sports' coverage will be international in
scope and focus on a wide range of athletes and teams. In addition to video coverage of
the Games, We Sports will provide extensive coverage, including breaking news, athlete
profiles, full results and summaries.
"Our partnership with We Media is an extremely exciting development for the Games," said
Sydney Paralympic Organizing Committee (SPOC) Chief Executive, Lois Appleby. "We
know that We Media has the experience and expertise to deliver high-quality coverage of
the Games in a format we haven't seen on such a scale before. Of equal importance to us
is We Media's incredible track record of commitment to the community of people with
disabilities."
--more-
Cary Fields, president and CEO of We Media Inc. added: "The Paralympic Games are the
single most anticipated sporting event for the hundreds of millions of people with disabilities
worldwide. We Media believes that the Paralympics and the community deserves the live
coverage that we will be bringing to the world for the first time in history. We hope that our
coverage generates a greater awareness of the Games amongst the community at large."
Rick Gentile, 10-time Emmy Award winner as Executive Producer of CBS Sports, will
produce We Media's coverage of the Games as Senior VP, We Sports. In addition, Gentile
will oversee the production of the We Sports Web site. We Sports has also added Jay
Rosenstein, former VP Programming at CBS Sports, and Arthur Pincus, former Sports
Editor of the Washington Post, to create programming and content for the site.
"We hear a lot of talk in the sports industry about webcasting, but not a lot of events have
achieved anything tangible yet.", said Simon Thomas, SPOC's Senior Manager for
Television, "With this deal We Media can show everyone what really can be accomplished
on a worldwide basis, complementing our international television coverage and extending
the reach of the Paralympic Games to a much larger audience than ever before."
Before and after the Paralympics, We Sports will offer comprehensive, global coverage of
all types of sporting events, athletes and sports news. Services that visitors to the site will
receive include a "Sports Access Center" to research participation opportunities and to
learn where to get specialized sports equipment.
We Media has assembled a world-class production unit, bringing together broadcasters
with national and international sports expertise. Gentile produced CBS's coverage of the
1996 Paralympic Games, and he served as the Executive Producer for CBS coverage of
the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games, the 1994 Olympic Games at Lillehammer and
the 1992 Winter Games at Albertville.
"Our Webcast will set the standard for all future sports Webcasts," said Gentile. "In fact,
with the enhancements made possible via the Internet, sports enthusiasts will soon be
watching Webcasts as often as traditional television broadcasts."
Rosenstein, VP Programming, has more than 25 years of experience in the sports industry.
He has been a journalist, senior network television programmer, sports marketing and
public relations executive with CBS, Young and Rubicam, Ohlmeyer Communications and
Time Magazine, and an athlete representative.
--more--
Pincus, VP Content, served as Vice-President Public Relations for the National Hockey
League from 1993 to 1999. He also brings 24 years of experience in the newspaper and
magazine business, working as an editor and reporter with The New York Times, The
Washington Post as well as Times-Mirror Magazines.
About SPOC
In 1993, shortly after Sydney won the rights to host the 2000 Olympics Games, the rights to
host the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games were awarded to Sydney. In 1995, the Sydney
2000 Paralympics Organizing Committee (SPOC) was established to organize and stage
the Games. It is SPOC's assignment to: stage the Paralympic Games in accordance with
the Host Contract between the Sydney Olympic Organizing Committee and the
International Paralympic Committee; raise money to fund the operation of SPOC; organize
the sports program, including preparing and operating all venues and facilities for the
Paralympic Games; organize an arts festival program for the Paralympic Games; organize
accommodation and transport for competitors, team officials and official personnel in
relation to the Paralympic Games; and promote the interests of the Paralympic movement
and athletes with a disability.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Immersion and WeMedia Partner to Increase Internet Accessibility
Visually-Impaired Will be Able to Experience Web Pages Using Their Sense of Touch
San Jose, Calif., April 24, 2000-Immersion Corporation, (NASDAQ: IMMR), the
pioneering developer of tactile interaction technology, today announced that it has signed a
strategic marketing agreement with We Media Inc., a multimedia company dedicated to
providing people with disabilities, their families, and friends the same access, mobility, and
choices that are available to the rest of society. Initially, Immersion and We Media will
target the visually impaired and later expand to include people with motor and neurological
impairments to create touch-enabled web pages on the wemedia.com site. These visually
impaired users will be able to rely on wemedia.com as a one-stop online community service
and e-commerce resource. With Immersion's innovative TouchSense™ technology, visually
impaired users will be able to have access to online content, entertainment, and other
resources that have, up until this point, been limited.
Immersion and We Media have planned several joint projects, which will be announced in
the coming months. One of the first initiatives involves touch activating Web pages with
Immersion's TouchSense™ technology, which will allow the visually impaired to utilize the
Internet as a rich resource of information and entertainment and take full advantage of the
interactive experience. A visually impaired person will be able to experience these touch
sensations through Immersion TouchSense™ enabled hardware products, such as the
Logitech WingMan Force Feedback Mouse.
"Immersion's technology is our added ingredient for enriching the Internet and will be used
to help We Media in its mission to provide a full outreach service to visually impaired
people," said Matt Toner, vice president of strategic alliances at We Media. "With the
increasing growth of the Internet as both a content and entertainment medium, We Media
and Immersion feel it is important to create an accessible Internet so people with disabilities
will be full participants in the development and progression of our society."
"Immersion recognizes that with the extensive growth of the Internet, the visually impaired
have been an overlooked population," said Jennifer Saffo, vice president of marketing for
Immersion. "Immersion and We Media are working together to establish new Internet
standards for people with disabilities and make the Internet an accessible resource for
everyone."
*The visually impaired refer to people with low vision or blindness.
130 William Street
New York City, NY
wemedia
10038
tel: (212) 931-6700
fax:(212) 931-6716
life.style.access.
tty: (212) 375-6235
www.wemedia.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
CORPORATE CONTACT:
Kimberly Hofman
Howard Luks
Middleberg + Associates
We Media Inc.
212-699-2544
PH: (212) 931-6700
[email protected]
[email protected]
We Media Inc. Launches Full-Service Internet Destination For People With
Disabilities
Site Goes Live on United Nations International Day of Disabled Persons, Offering
Mobility, Access, to 54 Million Disabled Americans
NEW YORK CITY, December 2, 1999 - We Media Inc., parent company of the glossy,
consumer lifestyle magazine, WE, today announced the launch of Wemedia.com,
http://www.wemedia.com, a destination Web site designed to offer people with disabilities
unparalleled mobility, access, and choices. The site will go live tomorrow, December 3, in
conjunction with the United Nations International Day of Disabled Persons.
"Wemedia.com offers a single comprehensive source for information, education, products
and services for people with disabilities, their families and friends," said Itzhak Perlman,
world-renowned violinist and Wemedia.com member. "Wemedia.com is revolutionizing the
world of disabilities, changing it to a world of unlimited possibilities. It's wonderful to see this
under-serviced community of 54 million people be provided with the same opportunities as
the rest of society."
Wemedia.com represents the first "ramped" 21st century community, allowing people with
disabilities to interact, explore and communicate on an equal basis with each other and the
rest of the world, all free of charge. The Web and other multimedia formats are ideally
suited for people with disabilities, who rely heavily on media and computer technology to
find information, goods and services. Some features of the site include:
WeSchool- offers accredited courses and programs in partnership with top distance
learning companies for credits and diplomas
WeJobs- is an employment service designed for both people with disabilities and
employers
WeSports- provides complete coverage on outdoor sporting activities including
sailing, skating, skiing, cycling, and the Sydney 2000 Paralympics
WeBroadcast- delivers a wide variety of sporting and related events through WeDo
Internet Radio, WeChat and WeBroadcast Television
WeHomePlace-v allows members to identify, interact, meet and participate with
people of similar interests and backgrounds through the personal portals of this
volunteer-based community
WeRealEstate- provides a searchable database of disabled accessible homes on
the market, relocation services, and access to mortgage services
"At We Media, we have always recognized that people with disabilities have the same
desires for products and services as the general population, with a few specific additional
needs," said Cary Fields, president and CEO of We Media Inc. "We Media's goal is to
empower people with disabilities, their families and friends by providing both mobility and
access to the services this population has long been denied."
Fields added, "Through Wemedia.com, we have developed innovative features to empower
people with disabilities with greater choice and freedom. Although the community of people
with disabilities has over $1 trillion in purchasing power, until now there has been no single
resource that could fulfill all of their needs. Now a home-bound individual can visit the
grocery store, stop at the bank, pick up a new shirt, and order a new battery for his / her
wheelchair all in one location with the click of a mouse or even the blink of an eye."
In support of its extensive outreach to people with disabilities, Wemedia.com has
established a not-for-profit (NFP) membership program to provide these organizations with
free Web sites, e-mail, online event calendars, chat rooms and other premium online
services, such as WePhone, a free long distance Internet phone service. Wemedia.com
members can also research NFP organizations and discover new opportunities for
becoming active in their cause.
Wemedia.com is We Media's second foray into the Internet space. In 1998, We Media
launched Wemagazine.com, www.wemagazine.com, the online component to its award
winning bimonthly, glossy, consumer, lifestyle publication, WE. In addition to the WE
magazine's top-flight editorial content, the online component provides education,
entertainment, shopping, and chat rooms in an organized, accessible fashion.
In order to be accessible to people with various types of disabilities, Wemedia.com
interfaces with a wide variety of assistive technologies. As more technologies are
developed to further help people with disabilities navigate through cyberspace,
Wemedia.com will ensure that they are incorporated into the site. Wemedia.com is also
quickly working toward becoming the first major destination site that is fully "Bobby"
compliant. "Bobby" is a web-based tool that analyzes web pages for their accessibility to
people with disabilities and was created by the Center for Applied Special Technology
(CAST). To become "Bobby" compliant, a Web site must provide text equivalents for all
non-text elements (i.e., images, animations, audio, video); provide summaries of graphs
and charts; ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color;
clearly identify changes in the natural language of a document's text and any text
equivalents (e.g., captions) of non-text content; organize content logically and clearly; and
provide alternative content for features (e.g., applets or plug-ins) that may not be
supported. The live press conference announcing the launch of Wemedia.com is archived
online and accessible at http://webevents.broadcast.com/wemedia/press. beginning at
12:00 PM EST, Thursday December 2, 1999.
130 William Street
New York City, NY
wemedia
10038
tel: (212) 931-6700
fax:(212) 931-6716
life.style.access.
tty: (212) 375-6235
www.wemedia.com
We Media Inc.
Sirius Satellite Radio
Howard Luks
Mindy Kramer
646-435-2315
212-584-5138
[email protected]
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sirius Satellite Radio Partners With We Media To Develop
Original Audio Programming For Millions of Americans With Disabilities
NEW YORK, May 5, 2000 - Sirius Satellite Radio [Nasdaq: SIRI], the satellite radio
broadcaster, and We Media today announced an alliance to develop distinctive audio
programming targeted at the community of people with disabilities, their family and friends.
The programming will be heard on Sirius' 100-channel subscription radio service, which will
deliver commercial-free music, news, entertainment and information to consumers coast-to-
coast. We Media is the country's first multi-media company designed to serve the
community of people with disabilities by providing them access to the information and
resources they have historically been denied.
As part of the alliance, Sirius and We Media will jointly create unique short- and long-form
programming-from news shows to feature-length stories, talk shows and entertainment-
that will be aired on Sirius Radio. In addition, Sirius will adapt material from We Media's
WeDo Internet Radio and WeBroadcast Television, both of which can be accessed via
www.wemedia.com, as well as articles from We magazine, the company's award winning
consumer lifestyle magazine.
Americans with disabilities and their families purchase and lease a significant number of
vehicles each year, including specially equipped cars and vans. According to the University
of California - San Francisco's Disability Statistics Center, there are close to 20 million
disabled Americans who have a vehicle that they drive. In addition, artists with disabilities,
such as violinist Itzhak Perlman, percussionist Evelyn Glennie and jazz pianist Marcus
Roberts have all made important contributions to many of the musical genres that will
appear on Sirius Radio.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for Sirius to provide the highest-quality specialized
entertainment and information across the country to an audience that is largely under-
served by conventional radio programming," said Joe Capobianco, Sirius' senior vice
president of content. "And it is also a great example of how our national coverage allows us
to reach out with valuable services that are simply not available on a local basis."
--more--
"Sirius Radio will be an excellent new avenue for We Media's unique perspective, serving
this national community of more than 50 million disabled Americans who are a powerful
economic force," said Cary Fields, President and CEO of WeMedia. "This is a great
opportunity to break down some barriers and reach millions of people with news,
entertainment and information, and extend the range of services WeMedia offers."
About Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio (www.siriusradio.com) is building a digital satellite radio system that
will broadcast an unprecedented breadth of unique music and entertainment programming
to motorists throughout the continental United States. Sirius plans to offer 50 channels of
commercial-free music all created at the company's National Broadcast Studio in New York
City, and up to 50 channels of news, sports and entertainment programming for a monthly
subscription fee of $9.95. Sirius expects to begin broadcasting nationally at the end of this
year.
As part of its commitment to creating commercial-free music and an unprecedented range
of audio programming, Sirius has created alliances with critically acclaimed artists and on-
air personalities, including Sting, Grandmaster Flash, and MC Lyte, who will have regularly
scheduled programs on Sirius. Sirius also has a strategic alliance with the John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts and the National Symphony Orchestra. Some of the world's
foremost creators of audio information and entertainment programming will also have
channels on Sirius Radio, including CNBC, National Public Radio, SCI FI Channel,
Bloomberg and the BBC. Sirius also has the exclusive right to carry the nationally
acclaimed "Car Talk" on satellite radio. Sirius Radio has partnerships with both Playbill®
magazine and Live Broadway® to create specials and live programming for Sirius Radio's
"Broadway's Best" channel, the country's first-ever around-the-clock nationwide showcase
for Broadway music and entertainment.
Sirius has exclusive alliances to factory-install Sirius receivers in DaimlerChrysler cars and
light trucks, including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, and is the preferred
service provider for Freightliner and Sterling heavy trucks. Sirius also has exclusive
alliances to factory-install Sirius receivers in BMW, Ford, Jaguar, Mazda and Volvo
automobiles. Sirius also has alliances with leading automotive electronics manufacturers to
design and develop receivers for the automotive aftermarket and for installation in new
cars. These companies include Alpine, Audiovox, Clarion, Delphi Delco Electronics,
Kenwood, Panasonic, Recoton, Sanyo and Visteon.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1999 B1
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
MARKETPLACE
People With Disabilities Are Next Consumer Niche
Companies See a Market Ripe
For All-Terrain Wheelchairs,
Cultivating a New Community
Number of people with disabilities, by type
Percent of people living in households with annual
Computers With 'Sticky Keys'
of disability, in millions:
incomes of at least $50,000, by disability:
Mobility
16.3
Hearing
15%
By JOSHUA HARRIS PRAGER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Limited
13.6
Speech and
12%
hand-use
language
Handicapitalism.
It's a brand-new term that describes what's be-
Cognitive
9.0
Visual
9%
hind a dawning realization in business: People
Limited
9%
with disabilities shouldn't be viewed as charity
Hearing
7.4
hand-use
cases or regulatory burdens, but rather as prof-
Visual
6.5
Cognitive
8%
itable marketing targets. Now, mainstream com-
panies, from financial services to cell phone mak-
Speech and
2.0
Mobility
7%
ers, are going beyond what's mandated by law
language
and rapidly tailoring products to attract them.
A new training video from Norwest Mortgage
Source: Inclusive Technologies
Inc., a unit of Wells Fargo & Co. in Des Moines,
Iowa, details a number of products it offers, in-
Cary Fields, president and chief executive officer
eral regulations. In November 1998, Olli
cluding vehicle-conversion loans and home-modi-
of wemedia, whose corporate partners include
Kallasvuo, chief financial officer of Finnish cell-
fication loans especially for the disabled. The
HotJobs.com Ltd., a job-search site. "These peo-
phone company Nokia Corp., sent a letter to em-
video, a call to arms for its sales force, offers a
ple are here," he adds. "If you want their money,
ployees about the Telecommunications Act of
stark rationale: "Fact: People with disabilities
go deal with them.'
1996, which mandated that companies in the U.S.
have money!"
More companies are raising their profiles
ramp up access to technology for people with dis-
In 1995, according to the latest available census
among people with disabilities. Johnson & John-
abilities. "Passage of this law presents a tremen-
figures, there were about 48.5 million people 15
son sponsored a few sessions at last year's annual
dous opportunity for Nokia," he wrote. "Enhanc-
and older with disabilities in the U.S., with annual
convention of the Society for Disability Studies.
ing our accessible product line
offers
Nokia
the
discretionary income totaling $175 billion. With
Earlier this year, the company launched Indepen-
opportunity to reach a developing global market of
last month's passing of the Work Incentives Im-
dence Technology, a unit that will produce and
almost 750 million people with disabilities."
provement Act, a bill expected to funnel tens of
market products for people with disabilities. John-
For people with hearing problems, Nokia sells
thousands of disabled people into the work force,
son & Johnson has invested more than $100 million
phones that flash or vibrate. It also offers a
their purchasing power will only grow.
in the company, whose first product is the IBOT
"loopset," a wire with a microphone in it that
Already, businesses are becoming more direct
Transporter, an all-terrain wheelchair.
hangs around a person's neck and plugs into a
in their appeals. "We've been called gimp, cripple,
DaimlerChrysler AG's Dodge brand and
hearing aid.
and our new favorite, retard," begins an ad
Barnes & Noble Inc. have agreed to sponsor
More companies are forming in-house disabil-
heralding the recent launch of wemedia.com, an
AdaptZ.com, another one-stop shop for the dis-
ity teams. Last year, for example, Microsoft Corp.
Internet portal that posts wheelchair-accessible
ability community, launched last month. And, in
created its Accessibility and Disabilities Group,
real-estate listings and links to employment ser-
the past year. more than 100 companies including
with more than 40 researchers, marketers and
vices that specialize in placing job seekers with
Nike Inc., Pfizer Inc. and portal site Snap.com
product developers. The group has engineered
disabilities. "You can start calling us Mr. and
have aired commercials featuring people with dis-
such products as a mouse that is less sensitive to
Mrs. $1 trillion in consolidated buying power."
abilities, according to Advertising Age magazine.
tremors. For people who can't press several keys
"If this were charity, I wouldn't bother, says
Some of the activity has been spurred by fed-
Please Turn to Page B6, Column 3
Disabled People Say,
Indeed, handicapitalism (a term that
Johnnie Tuitel, a lecturer with a disability,
is seeking to trademark) has nothing to do
'We Have Money
with regulatory change or the landmark
Americans With Disabilities Act, passed in
And Want to Spend'
1990. That law, which mandated that com-
panies treat people with disabilities in an
evenhanded way and make "reasonable
Continued From Page B1
accommodations," prompted companies to
at once, Microsoft makes "sticky keys"
install wheelchair ramps for workers and
configured to hit control, alt and delete
hire interpreters for deaf employees,
keys, say, with a single stroke.
among other things.
Accessibility enhancements can be as
Still, pinpointing what is considered
simple as varying colors. People with vi-
legally "reasonable" remains tricky. Last
sion problems, for instance, are aided by
month, the National Federation of the
contrasts. "The cost of white plastic is the
Blind sued America Online Inc., alleging
same as gray plastic," says Jim Tobias,
that it violated the federal disabilities law
president of Inclusive Technologies, con-
by being inaccessible to blind users. The
sultants on technology and disability, in
Baltimore group's complaint charged that
Matawan, N.J. "And a few more million
AOL's software doesn't work with com-
people will be able to use it."
puter programs that dictate text and other-
Several years ago, Bell Atlantic Corp.
wise help blind people operate applications
launched an in-house market research pro-
and Web sites.
ject on people with disabilities. The com-
"It would be more productive to everyone
pany determined that the market was ripe
if we could deal with this as a technology is-
for such assistive devices as light-flashing
sue and not a legal issue," says Tricia Prim-
caller-IDs and voice mail that alerts people
rose, an AOL spokeswoman. She says that
to take their medicine.
the next version of AOL's software will be
Last year, Bob Baublitz, Bell Atlantic's
screen-reader-compatible and SO accessible
first manager of marketing to the disabil-
ity community, led the launch of an acces-
to people with visual impairments.
Other advocates for the disability com-
sibility Web site touting Bell Atlantic's dis-
munity say they prefer products and ser-
ability-friendly products. Earlier this year,
vices to be spurred by profit potential. not by
Bell Atlantic advertised its services in
compliance. And targeting people with dis-
three disability-oriented magazines.
abilities for purely altruistic reasons "isn't
Bell Atlantic won't disclose its sales fig-
going to get the return on investment," says
ures but says the products are selling well.
Cheryl Duke, president of W.C. Duke Asso-
"They're just scooping them up," says
Marilyn Benoit, manager of Bell Atlantic's
ciates Inc., a disability-consulting firm in
Woodford. Va. "If you do it because it's a
center for customers with disabilities.
"This was a very good business decision."
moneymaking project, it will continue."
ewswe
CYBERSCOPE
ONLINE
Disabled? Sure. Limited? No More.
T
HE 54 MILLION AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR
families can now enter the Internet through a portal all their
OWN. The week-old wemedia. com allows members to attend
school, search for jobs, try sports and buy homes through programs
and merchants designed exclusively for them. A sitewide directory
links members with common interests. And cutting-
edge technology, including software that
reads text and a mouse that lets blind
users "feel" textures and dialog boxes on
each page, makes the site interactive and
entertaining-for anyone.
MICHAEL E. RYAN.
N'GAI CROAL and VICTORIA
SCANLAN STEFANAKOS
One famous member: Itzhak Periman
THE NEW YORK TIMES, MONDAY, JUNB 5, 2000
SPORTS MEDIA/Richard Sandomir
Live From Paralympics, Online Coverage
At the Summer Olympics in Syd-
and velodrome cycling could all be
said TV is TV, but this is different,"
question we'll have enough to do two
ney, NBC Sports will carry 161 hours
starting at once, and you can go to
Gentile said. "What works on TV
events a month."
and MSNBC and CNBC will telecast
one for two or three hours, then
doesn't necessarily work on the Web.
Olympic viewers are accustomed
2761/2 more hours on cable.
switch to another," said Rick Gen-
Pictures and graphics are smaller.
to network features about athletes
Soon after, also from Sydney,
tile, the executive producer of
But on a laptop, where you'll have
that often strain to find the obstacles
Wemedia.com will Webcast at least
Wemedia Sports, who served in the
one box with a moving pictures, we
family tragedies or melodramatic
100 hours of the Paralympics, which
same position at CBS Sports.
can synchronize graphics in a way
woes that formed them.
are contested by disabled athletes.
In addition to shifting among three
that makes this unique."
"Here every story smacks you in
This is not prime-time television,
video feeds, there will be a second
Wemedia's primary goal is to ex-
the face," Gentile said. "They're all
but Wemedia Corporation, which
screen offering a continuous flow of
pand the presence of the underex-
remarkable. At the dock where the
owns the Internet site and publishes
accompanying information.
posed Paralympics - and bring new
athletes get on the boats, many have
We, a slick magazine for disabled
"We have a blank slate - an entire
members to its Web site, which will
to be picked up or hoisted into the
people, from its downtown Manhat-
network to program," said Gentile,
add a much larger sports news and
boats. Then you see 30 empty wheel-
tan office, is capitalizing on ad-
who was a top programming or pro-
information component today. But it
chairs and prosthetic arms and legs
vances in streaming video to bring
duction executive during CBS's tele-
also intends to spread the gospel
on the dock."
the Paralympics to computers from
casts of the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Win-
about the extraordinary skills of the
Oct. 18 to 29. After the Paralympics,
ter Olympics. "And with three feeds,
thousands of athletes who are blind,
the company plans to Webcast two
we'd better be good. A lot will depend
paraplegic, amputees or mentally re-
To advocates of the disabled, We-
events a month.
on our Web site boys to synchronize
tarded or have cerebral palsy.
media's sports strategy fills a long-
"We're trying to create access and
it all together."
Charlie Huebner, executive direc-
overlooked void and will provide
mobility to watch the games for peo-
tor of the United States Association
broad recognition for their athleti-
ple nobody have cared about, and
of Blind Athletes, doubted that We-
cism
make it free to the world," Cary
Wemedia tested its technology in
media would face a shortage of
"It's crazy to think only disabled
Fields, Wemedia's president, said.
April at the Paralympic sailing trials
events.
people will watch disabled events,"
"The computer makes the disabili-
and plans more tests next month at
"We have 300 to 400 local, regional
said Deborah Bonsack, executive di-
ties disappear. It's the ultimate en-
the track and field and swimming
and national events within our own
rector of America's Athletes With
abler."
trials. The quality of the Webcast de-
organization," he said. "Wemedia is
Disabilities, which promoted 190 dis-
Wemedia's plans for the 18-sport
pends on the abilities of the comput-
helping parents and kids find out
abled sports events last year. "Peo-
Paralympics are ambitious: three
ers receiving it as well as on the
what events are out there."
ple need to think of disabled sports as
separate daily feeds of 12 hours of
equipment Wemedia uses to trans-
Arthur Pincus, the vice president
sports played by people with differ-
live events, feature and studio cover-
mit the video. Nonetheless, the quali-
for content of Wemedia Sports, add-
ent physical compositions."
age, from 7:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. East-
ty of streaming video in general
ed: "There are basketball tourna-
If Wemedia finds viewer success
ern, which would be repeated for the
seems to improve on an almost daily
ments, rugby, tennis tournaments,
in Webcasting the Paralympics and
next 12 hours.
basis.
sailing regattas, skiing and expedi-
other events, she said: "Folks will
"Track and field and swimming
"A few weeks ago, I would have
tion-adventure events. There's no
have a shift in opinion. You'll hear
people stop and say, 'How does that
to
amputee swimmer do that?'
2
Andrew Imparato, president of the
American Association of People
With Disabilities, said: "Too often,
the public view of people with dis-
MOST PEOPLE SEE THINGS IN TERMS OF
abilities is a charity model, that we
Wemedia
BLACK & WHITE
Well
your
Bon
need to raise money for them. But
****
the Paralympics and Special Olym-
pics show disabled people achieving
Coming
soon
new
features,
well beyond what people with dis-
information:
It's
abilities are supposed to be able to
in
Free
We
do."
He cautioned that many disabled
Find out how
Profile of the
people - as well as those who are
members can
Week
help our
to
able-bodied - cannot afford a com-
community's
nonprofits
puter and cannot view the Webcast
of the Paralympics.
Community
What We Think
What's Up This Month
for
But with the United States televi-
Speak
sion rights, on top of its world Web
-
Weth
5
rights deal, Wemedia has a TV strat-
-
68
ut
egy. It is seeking a cable partner for
of
daily reports, and a broadcaster for
DATE
a post-Paralympics special.
Wemedia.com
"We want the Webcast to enhance
A page from Wemedia's Web site.
the broadcasts," said Jay Rosen-
stein, the vice president for pro-
gramming of Wemedia Sports, "and
the broadcasts to make the public
aware of the Webcast."
THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Austin, TX
December 6, 1999
We Media weaves Web for blind
New site and
tools bring the
Internet to people
E
with disabilities
By ANICK JESDANUN
Associated Press
NEW YORK Walter Cronkíte
calls it "the ultimate prosthetic."
We Media Inc., which makes
tools and publishes We magazine
for the disabled. has activated a
service aimed at making the
Internet more accessible to people
with disabilities.
In some cases. users would need
to buy such special equipment as a
vibrating mouse that lets blind
people "feel" boxes and images on
the computer screen.
"This is not at all an ordinary
Web site," said Cronkite, the
former CBS anchorman who acts
as an adviser to the site. "It's an
enabling device."
The tools will enable people with
Bebeto Matthews/AP
disabilities to do such things as
John Doyle, a blind student scientist at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, demonstrates a touch-
take online college courses and
feedback computer technology called TouchWeb.
participate in discussion groups,
he said.
already. We Media. however.
student from Montreal. said the
The new service comes a month
site to use coding compatible with
brings both elements together: it
new mouse expands what he could
after the National Federation of
the vibrating mouse. But the
designs accessible sites and works
do on the Internet. He has an easier
the Blind sued America Online.
maker of the mouse, Haptic Tech.
with hardware companies to
time with shopping sites that ask
calling its software incompatible
nologies. hopes other sites will
develop tools for people with
for credit card and other
with programs that convert text to
ultimately adopt the coding.
disabilities.
information.
audio or Braille.
Richard Ring. a blind Web user
For example. someone with
"Before it was difficult to fill out
who runs the International Braille
According to the Census
paralysis or other motor impair-
this registration info. I'd have to
Bureau. one in 10 Americans has a
and Technology Center for the
ment could surf the site using
ask someone with sight to do it."
severe disability such as
Blind, said a vibrating mouse
technology that detects eye
blindness.
he said, demonstrating the tech-
would be more useful if it worked
movement.
nology. "This allows me to do
elsewhere. "I wouldn't want to be
The for-profit site at
A blind person could use the
anything a sighted person would
www.wemedia.com will offer
limited to using a special Web site
vibrating mouse to feel and listen
do on the Web."
shopping and access 10 online
any more than you would." he
to the site's visual content. The
So far. We Media is the only Web
said.
college courses. chat rooms. lists
mouse works with software to
of jobs at accessible workplaces
convert text into computerized
and real estate brokers who spe-
voices.
cialize in accessible homes. Some
The mouse will sell for several
of the features and tools. however.
hundred dollars. though We
won't be available for weeks or
Media is seeking arrangements
months.
with nonprofit partners to buy the
The software will be written SO
tools in bulk and offer them for
that the Web page IS compatible
free or at a subsidized price
with such tools as the vibrating
Laurence Bergman. We Media's
mouse.
product manager. likened the
Several other sites cater to peo-
one-time purchase to that of i
pie with disabilities. Some of the
wheelchair.
access toois are also available
John Doyle. a blind college
130 William Street
New York City, NY
wemedia
10038
tel: (212) 931-6700
fax:(212) 931-6716
life.style.access.
tty: (212) 375-6235
www.wemedia.com
From Associated Press Newswires
New Web site and tools unveiled for the disabled
By Anick Jedanun
December 3, 1999
New York (AP)-Walter Cronkite calls it "the ultimate prosthetic." Developers for a new Web site and tools
people with disabilities want to make the Internet more accessible.
We Media Inc., which publishes WE Magazine for the disabled, is activating the service today. In some cases,
users would need to buy such special equipment as a vibrating mouse that lets the blind "feel" boxes and
images on the computer screen.
"This is not at all an ordinary Web site," says Cronkite, the former CBS anchorman who acts as an advisor to
the site. "It's an enabling device."
The tools will enable the disabled to do such things as take online college courses and participate in
discussion groups, he said.
The announcement Thursday comes a month after the National Federation of the Blind sued America Online,
calling its software incompatible with programs that convert text to audio or Braille.
According to the Census Bureau, one in 10 has a severe disability such as blindness.
The for-profit site www.wemedia.com will offer shopping and access to online college courses, chat rooms,
list of jobs at accessible workplaces and real estate brokers who specialize in accessible homes. Some of the
features and tools won't be available for weeks or months.
The software will be written so that the Web page is compatible with such tools as the vibrating mouse.
Several other sites cater to the disabled and some access tools are available already. We Media, however,
brings both elements together; it designs accessible sites and works with hardware companies to develop
tools for the disabled.
For example, someone with paralysis or other motor impairment could surf the site using technology that
detects eye movement.
A blind person can use the vibrating mouse to feel and listen to the site's visual content. The mouse works
with software to convert text into computerized voices.
The mouse will sell for several hundred dollars, though We Media is seeking arrangements with non-profit
partners to buy the tools in bulk and offer them for free or at a subsidized price.
Laurence Bergman, We Media's product manager, likened the one time purchase of that of a wheelchair.
John Doyle, a blind college student from Montreal, said the new mouse expands what he could do on the
Internet. He has an easier with shopping sites that ask for credit card and other information.
"Before it was difficult to fill out this registration info. I'd have to ask someone with sight to do it," he said,
demonstrating the technology. "This allows me to do anything a sighted person would on the Web."
So Far, We Media is the only Web site to use coding compatible with the vibrating mouse. But the maker of
the mouse, Haptic Technologies, hopes that other sites will ultimately adopt the coding as well.
Richard Ring, a blind Web user who runs the International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind, said a
vibrating mouse would be more useful if it worked elsewhere.
"I wouldn't want to be limited to using a special Web site any more than you would," he said.
Copyright 1999. The Associated Press. All Right Reserved.