I hope you'll join us for these from RespectAbility for Monday, 17 February 2014

I hope you'll join us for these from RespectAbility for Monday, 17 February 2014
Friend,
I'm at my computer writing out one of the biggest speeches of my life. I have the honor of addressing 2,000 disability advocates at the Georgia Capitol later this week. If you can come, I hope you will join me. See details below. Also, please look at important opeds — including one in the Des Moines Register — home state of the first Presidential caucus. Remember, there is also a free conference call tomorrow, more information is below.  Step by step... we'll get there! 
All the best,
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi
President, RespectAbility
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Another View: Iowa should help disabled find work
Iowans are not immune from these harsh realities, which lead to poverty, isolation and despair for many of the 56 million Americans with disabilities. Roughly one-fifth of Iowans today have a disability, and the grim employment prospects for them have not improved even 1 percent since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990.
While the ADA achieved many important things for people with disabilities, post-ADA it’s been 23 years of hope with no change on the employment front, through leader after leader from both parties. Thankfully, Iowa’s Republican Gov. Terry Branstad and Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin joined together recently at a bipartisan statewide forum in Des Moines, “Empowering Individuals with Disabilities Through Employment,” to focus on the employment of people with disabilities.
But more must be done to spark long overdue change.
People with disabilities can bring value to the workplace as they are a largely unrecognized and untapped resource who can help make Iowa stronger. Iowa businesses will benefit from inclusive hiring as people with disabilities can bring strong talents and abilities.
Steven Hawking can barely move or speak. Yet he is literally unlocking the secrets of the universe. People with Down syndrome can contribute as bakers, gardeners, movie ticket takers and so much more. Individuals with Asperger’s/ASD can be among the most talented computer experts in an office.
It’s time to bring all this talent to the forefront because America is stronger and better when Americans of all diverse abilities are empowered to achieve the American dream.
Most Iowans are either personally affected or closely connected to someone with a disability. Among your family and friends, there is a parent struggling to care for their child with a disability or a veteran trying to re-enter the workforce. It concerns us all, and changes in policies and practice would be a win-win.
Overall, people with disabilities want to work. Likewise, taxpayers cannot afford to give handouts when we have an opportunity to give hands up instead.
Companies like Manpower and Walgreens are leaders in employing people with disabilities. They can and do speak firsthand to the benefits of proactively hiring people with disabilities. They have documented and reported increased productivity and retention rates, higher levels of employee loyalty, and increased profits due to their inclusive workforces.
Iowa is already in a process to improve disability employment. State programs such as Skilled Iowa operate under the philosophy that every citizen can contribute to the state’s economy.
The recent bipartisan forum on disability employment was an important start as it provided an opportunity to underscore expectations for a culture of “Employment First” thinking, from the schooling onward, so every individual leaves school with the skills and self-esteem needed for a successful career in our dynamic economy.
But there is a long way to go.
When a person (with or without a disability) gets a job, it affects sense of self-esteem and community. Each success outperforms the important economic benefits in a very personal way. Jobs can be conduits from dependency to independence and freedom. Work brings pride, dignity and self-respect. Hiring people with disabilities is not just a better business practice — it affects the health of the community.
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Over 2,000 Georgians Expected to Meet at the Capitol Steps on GCDD's annual Disability Day
CONTACT:
Valerie Meadows Suber, Public Information Director Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities
404-657-2122 (office); 404-226-0343 (mobile)
vmsuber@dhr.state.ga.us
GCDD's 16th Annual Disability Day at the Capitol: Over 2,000 Georgians Expected to Meet at the Capitol Steps and Affirm "We All Have A Story...What's Yours?"
Governor Deal to Address the Rally Marking 15th Anniversary of The Olmstead Decision
ATLANTA, GA (Feb. 10, 2014) –Governor Nathan Deal will speak and Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, founder, CEO and president of RespectAbility, will deliver the keynote address to Georgians with disabilities, their families and advocates at the 16th Annual Disability Day at the Capitol, sponsored by the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (www.GCDD.org), on Thursday, February 20 at 11am. The event also celebrates the 15th anniversary of The Olmstead Decision, the June 1999 landmark ruling that paved the way for people with disabilities to leave institutions and live in the community. An anticipated 2,000 people will gather to share with legislators how disability affects their lives and tell personal stories at the event themed "We All Have A Story...What's Yours?"
"Each year thousands of Georgians look forward to GCDD's Disability Day at the Capitol because they know legislators will hear us when we speak with one voice," Eric E. Jacobson, GCDD Executive Director, said. "This year, we'll share stories of the common threads of disability that touch and unify us. GCDD advocates for opportunities for jobs and post-secondary education which are critical components in this movement toward social justice."
Laszlo-Mizrahi will talk about of "empowering people with disabilities to live the American dream" through jobs and voting rights. She is a proven social entrepreneur and change agent who founded RespectAbility, an organization dedicated to unlocking the potential of all Americans, including people with disabilities, who want to contribute to growing our nation's prosperity.
People at the rally will share their stories and practice deep listening to foster conversation, understanding and appreciation for the varied gifts, skills, dreams and contributions of all people. Students from Partnerships for Success, a GCDD-sponsored statewide high school student leadership program promoting community service and peer relationship-building between youth with and without disabilities, will serve as volunteers throughout the day. At the Freight Depot, individuals will be able to sign up for future opportunities to share their stories on StoryCorps, a program heard weekly on National Public Radio's (NPR's) Morning Edition and archived in the American Folklife Center.
As part of the 15th anniversary celebration of the landmark Olmstead Decision, the Atlanta Legal Aid Society will host a dedicated StoryCorps recording booth inside the Gold Dome where people who have moved out of institutions will tell their personal "I Am Olmstead – Stories of Freedom." The landmark Olmstead Decision by the US Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional for two Georgia women with developmental disabilities, Lois Curtis and Elaine Wilson, to be institutionalized against their wishes.
Freedom for people in institutions is part of GCDD's 2014 legislative agenda along with the Unlock the Waiting Lists! Campaign and the Children's Freedom Initiative (CFI). Other GCDD legislative priorities include support and expansion of inclusive post-secondary education opportunities such as Kennesaw State University's Academy for Inclusive Learning and Social Growth and ASPIRE (Active Student Participation Inspires Real Engagement), a Department of Education program that encourages self-determination. Four other priorities round out GCDD's 2014 agenda: supported employment in the community, housing voucher programs, changes in the standard to prove intellectual disabilities in capital punishment cases, and the Family Care Act (HB 290).
"Our legislative agenda priorities seek Real Learning, Real Careers, Real Homes and more...rights all Georgians should expect and enjoy, whether they happen to have a disability or not," Jacobson said.
GCDD Chairwoman Mitzi Proffitt introduce Governor Nathan Deal and legislators from both sides of the aisle are expected to address the crowd during the Rally. Talley Wells, director of the Disability Integration Project at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, will provide an overview of the "I Am Olmstead – Stories of Freedom" project. He will introduce a self-advocate who will tell the story of living in an institution and leaving it for a better life in the community.
GCDD's Disability Day at the Capitol begins at 9 am on February 20 with t-shirt pick up, activities, information and exhibits including an accessible voting machine demonstration and listening stations for "I Am Olmstead – Stories of Freedom" with pre-recorded narratives. After the 11 am Rally, legislators from both sides of the aisle will join attendees for lunch around 12:15 pm (first come, first served) at the Georgia Freight Depot.
About GCDD:
GCDD, a federally funded independent state agency, works to bring about social and policy changes that promote opportunities for persons with developmental disabilities and their families to live, learn, work, play and worship in Georgia communities. A developmental disability is a chronic mental and/or physical disability that occurs before age 22 and is expected to last a lifetime. Visit www.GCDD.org for more information
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Free Conference Call: Why Inclusion of People with Disabilities (PwDs) is Important for Jewish Survival, and How to Do It Right
Events
You are invited to a free conference call on
Why Inclusion of People with Disabilities (PwDs) is Important for Jewish Survival, and How to Do It Right
with 
Headshot Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi
Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi President, RespectAbility
February 18th @ 2 PM Eastern time (11 AM CA time) Dial in Number: 1-800-311-9403 USA 1-334-323-7224 USA Passcode: RESPECT Slides available here
Please be sure to let us know if you need any accommodations as captions are available. To use captions live during the conference call, go to: http://www.captionedtext.com/client/event.aspx?CustomerID=1588&EventID=2314778
Exclusive VIP Presentation & Conversation~
On Wednesday, February 12—from 12-2pm—join us in 1628 Longworth
“A Better Bottom Line: Employing People with Disabilities” 
Gov. Jack Markell
Gov. Jack Markell
Gov. Jack Markell (12pm)
Rep. Pete Sessions
Rep. Pete Sessions
Rep. Pete Sessions (1pm)
TJ Lavin
TJ Lavin
TJ Lavin (1:30pm)
TJ Lavin, host of MTV’s “The Challenge,” recovered from a near fatal accident and is a supporter of people with disabilities.
Governor Markell (DE) is the immediate past chair of the National Governors Association and is the leading state advocate for employing people with disabilities. See the NGA’s Report here: NGA.org
Pete Sessions, US Congressman (R-TX) and chairman of the House Rules Committee, is one of the strongest advocates in Congress for people with disabilities. His son has Down syndrome and is an Eagle Scout.
With special guest 23 time Paralympian medalist Matt Cowdrey
70% of working aged Americans with disabilities are outside of the workforce (compared to 28% of people w/out disabilities). Taxpayers spend hundreds of BILLIONS a year in benefits to people with disabilities (PWDs), most of whom would rather work. Find out how we can save tax money and help millions of people at the same time! RespectAbilityUSA is a non-partisan non-profit organization devoted to enabling people with disabilities to achieve the American dream. If you need any further information, email us at JenniferM@respectabilityUSA.org
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Super Bowl Was a Victory for People With Disabilities by Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi
When the Seattle Seahawks crushed the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, thanks to remarkable personal statements done in TV ads by football legends Derrick Coleman and Steve Gleason, some important barriers facing America's 56 million people with disabilities were crushed as well. Coleman, who is deaf, dashed the low expectations of people with disabilities by playing a vital role in the Seahawk's Super Bowl victory. Steve Gleason played for The New Orleans Saints from 2000-2008. In 2011, Steve was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), considered a terminal neuro-muscular disease. Coleman and Gleason each starred in different TV ads showing that disability, or difference, is not a disqualifier for equal and successful participation in life.
Derrick Coleman's ad for Duracel, which tells his story of growing up as a deaf person, is in first person. "They told me it couldn't be done...that I was a lost cause...I was picked on and picked last...they gave up on me... and told me that I should just quit...so I didn't listen" is a story of millions of other Americans with disabilities share.
Today, 70 percent of working age Americans with disabilities doesn't have a job (9 million Americans). Government benefits to these individuals cost taxpayers hundreds of billions each year, yet a new polling fielded online Nov. 6 through Dec. 2, 2013 of more than 3800 Americans in the disability community shows that nearly three out of four people with disabilities in the sample say it is more important to them to "have a job and be independent" than it is "that there is a government safety net of benefits so that I will be taken care of." This holds true across political party lines.
People with disabilities (PwDs) want a hand up, not a hand out. Additionally, when asked what they see as the primary barrier to finding a job with competitive wages, the first choice of people with disabilities (PwDs) polled is that "employers think I will be less successful than someone without a disability." An overwhelming 54 percent of family/friends/providers gave the same response.
The disability community polled also sites the top ways to impact the work environment for PwDs as changes in employer attitudes, increased employer training on successfully recruiting, hiring, and accommodating employees with disabilities and a change in disability benefits so that recipients could work without risking losing them altogether. Hopefully, Derrick Coleman's success, coupled with the technology highlighted in the Microsoft ad with Steve Gleason, will show that wherever there is a disability, there is also ability.
Less than one third of people surveyed in the disability community think that "Society expects people with a disability to work" and yet 85 percent of people with disabilities say that, "having a job is important to their happiness."
More than two thirds of people with disabilities (PwDs) surveyed agree with the Derrick Coleman type attitude in that they agree with the statement "My disability gave me a challenge and I am more capable because of it" over "My disability is a barrier that limits me." PwDs who were raised after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and IDEA, ages 18-29, feel even more strongly about their capabilities, at 82 percent.
Companies such as Walgreens, EY, AMC and others have shown that people with disabilities can make outstanding employees. However, less than half of PwD respondents looking for work "have access to quality training programs, career counseling and professional resources (e.g., job coach) needed to help with a job search."
Seven out of ten people surveyed in the disability community are more likely to purchase or recommend products or services and to want to work places that are known to hire people with disabilities. This is good news for companies like Duracell, Microsoft, Guinness and Swiffer who are highlighting disability in their ads.
So in this Super Bowl, the winners weren't just the players on the field.
Follow Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Respect_Ability
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Achieving Goals: Why it is Time for Passage of the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) by Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers
In the words of the civil rights leader we honor this month, “We must never allow ourselves to become satisfied with unattained goals.”  Decades later, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words still ring true for all of us, including those who have disabilities.
What are these goals for people with disabilities?  They include education, employment, active participation in a community, and living as independently as possible.  They are the same goals we all share.
As the mom of a 7-year old son, Cole, who was born with Down syndrome, I know firsthand the challenges those with disabilities face.  But while their challenges are great, our resolve – to empower them with a future of independence – is far greater.
Despite the tremendous, bipartisan strides that our country has made for those with disabilities, there is evidence that people with disabilities have unattained goals. For example, if you are a working-age adult with a disability, you are more than twice as likely to be living in poverty when compared to your peers who have no apparent disabilities.  The median income for an individual with a disability is 85 percent of that of an individual without a disability. When looking at issues of independent living, 37 percent of people who are homeless have a disability.
We must build upon the ideals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The next step is to explore ways to provide for economic security - including finding jobs and balancing the support provided by the public sector with the opportunity provided by the private sector. 
This is what I want for Cole and the millions of individuals like him who have a disability. And the bipartisan disability community – on that has welcomed our family with open arms – agrees with me. When asked, 80 percent of people with disabilities want a job.
The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) will provide a tool to do just that – provide for economic success while preserving access to government programs. It is must-pass legislation for this Congress.
The ABLE legislation is simple.  It is predicated upon the belief that people with disabilities should be treated fairly. Current law requires people with disabilities to meet an asset requirement in order to qualify for Medicaid and some social security benefits.  If an individual has more than $2000 in assets, he or she is no longer eligible for benefits.  The result is that people with disabilities do not have access to savings plans such as 529 plans to help them with educational and other expenses.  They are forced to live in poverty because current federal policies mandate that they do so in order to be eligible for support.
ABLE would change that.  In creating ABLE accounts, the legislative intent is to provide a vehicle whereby a person with a disability would be able to save for disability-related expenses.  The ABLE funds would supplement, but not supplant, benefits provided through private insurances, the Medicaid program, the supplemental security income program, the beneficiary’s employment, and other sources.
Those funds would be available for certain qualified expenses, but would not “count against” the person’s eligibility for services that they need.  These accounts, like 529 accounts, will be simple to open and available in every state.
For our son Cole, an ABLE account would allow him to save for a postsecondary education program.  Another person with a disability might be able to use ABLE funds to provide transportation to a job.  It enhances choice and flexibility for those with disabilities and their families.  ABLE is one step toward economic self sufficiency.
ABLE has garnered the support of 323 Members of the House of Representatives and 61 Senators.  In the House, the support is as bipartisan as any bill has been in recent years with 165 Democrats supporting the legislation as well as 158 Republicans. This legislation has the support of well over 100 diverse disability advocacy groups including Autism Speaks, The Arc, the National Down Syndrome Society, and US Against Alzheimer’s.
So now is the time to get ABLE passed through Congress and to the President’s desk for his signature.   It is a matter of fairness, it is a part of the solution to poverty, and it is about reaching those unattained goals that Dr. Martin Luther King mentioned so many years ago.
Washington, D.C. OfficeSpokane Office
203 Cannon House Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20515
phone: 202-225-2006
fax: 202-225-3392
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RespectAbility
4340 East-West Hwy, Suite 350
Bethesda, MD 20814
(240)744-0546
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