Transcript: 3 Yr. Plan Public Hearing - Cincinnati
Posted by: Alan R. Cochrun
Date Mailed: Thursday, June 18th 1998 12:30 PM
Date Mailed: Thursday, June 18th 1998 12:30 PM
PART: 2 of 4
REFERENCE: e9adba8c
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
18
1 people make fun of my weight and my height. Why
2 would you drive right past me? And I'm bewildered
3 by the lack of transportation opportunities. The
4 media releases, seems like our groups are the
5 groups that try to help people. Most of us are
6 voters. Most of us are taxpayers. If you don't
7 have adequate transportation in a timely fashion,
8 you cannot get to doctor's appointments, medical
9 clinics. You cannot get to gatherings like this.
10 You cannot get to job interviews. You cannot get
11 the good jobs.
12 And another thing I think is
13 important is communication. I'm impressed with
14 Ms. Good. I dealt with her before. For those of
15 you who don't know, if someone doesn't get back to
16 me I get back to them, I like the feedback. The
17 new director here, I contacted him yesterday. I
18 was able to talk to him. The agency that's
19 attached to this room right now, I waited two,
20 three years before I got a response back from them
21 and there is feedback. When consumers are
22 interested in our needs, they need to hear our
23 input, not what the government tells them, not what
24 the state says. They should hear input from us.
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
19
1 They should take our suggestions. And I'd like to
2 make one other comment. I have a statement I'd
3 like to read from my wife, it'll be real brief.
4 Her comment again deals with transportation. And
5 this is paraphrased, quote, brief summary. "I am
6 concerned about snowy weather. When they plow the
7 roads that the big snow mounds are difficult to
8 climb over for handicap people, for anybody that
9 takes a bus. And two, bus drivers run red lights.
10 This past week two buses I was on, the bus driver
11 was wrong and ran a red light with passengers on
12 board and later on was in two accidents.
13 Currently, there is no regular timely feedback to
14 any patron about any input for safety, tardiness,
15 rude comments by bus drivers to passengers and the
16 like. When will you, meaning the bus company,
17 report back to me on this matter so that it might
18 be resolved to my satisfaction soon and for future
19 patrons in the future." That's it. Thank you for
20 your opportunity to allow me to speak today.
21 MS. GOOD: Mitchel?
22 MR. LEVTZ: My name is Mitchel, M I
23 T C H E L, last name is L E V T Z. There are a
24 couple of things I'd like to address. I'd like to
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
20
1 address some of the issues that the last gentleman
2 had spoken about. And I believe that
3 transportation is an immediate issue, I hope. We
4 shouldn't be making any complaints against Metro
5 because Metro has been doing a lot. Metro provides
6 a service that will help all people with
7 disabilities. Now, if you have some problems, then
8 speak with Metro. You should speak to somebody
9 from Metro about those issues.
10 But basically, it's important for
11 anybody to be able to have access to the Metro Bus
12 System because it's important for anybody who lives
13 on their own to be able to get around in. Now, I
14 live in an area that's very easy to get around. I
15 mean, I can walk or I can even take a bus to
16 certain places. The other thing is that I've been
17 living on my own for the past two and a half years.
18 I've been living here in Cincinnati because of my
19 job. And one of the things that I do is I'm an
20 editor and chief. I'm the editor and chief of a
21 national news editor called the News Advocacy
22 Press.
23 And one of the issues we covered last
24 year is particularly an issue of independent living
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
21
1 in terms of what type of housing or what type of
2 services that persons with disabilities wants to
3 have. And we have reported all over the country.
4 And the new development that you're doing here is
5 very helpful because it informs people about what
6 services are available to people. I still think
7 that it is important for anybody to be able to
8 speak up for themselves, and that is very important
9 instead of having others speak for them. Now, I've
10 heard that the City Council -- I heard that the
11 Cincinnati City Council had been working on a lot
12 of issues regarding housing and they have knowledge
13 of trying to make sure that the housing can be
14 affordable. From what I've been hearing, the
15 Cincinnati City Council has been working very hard
16 to make sure that there will be a form of
17 affordable housing for all people with and without
18 disabilities.
19 And I think it's interesting to see
20 your group, this group and the City of Cincinnati
21 is working together on the issues of independent
22 living. And that can be very interesting to see,
23 to see what the outcome may be. And basically, the
24 issue that I'm particularly trying to talk about is
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
22
1 the issue of transportation and independent living.
2 And I think it requires anybody to have access to
3 all public buildings for anybody out there on their
4 own, and also have access to transportation.
5 And one of the other considerations
6 that I have is that the issue of funding for our
7 transportation system. And the reason I bring this
8 up is Metro has been providing a very good service
9 for all people, and it would be a shame not to fund
10 a bus system like that. Now, however, the City of
11 Cincinnati is now looking at having a railroad
12 system here in downtown Cincinnati, and that is
13 very important for people. And this will provide
14 another service of transportation and probably
15 another need of transportation for people who are
16 meeting in Columbus -- I mean people are here from
17 Cincinnati and going to the meeting in Columbus,
18 they can take the train and that is very useful for
19 the City to be doing.
20 So there's different areas that I see
21 that the City has been doing and other things that
22 we all have been doing to improve things. I mean,
23 there are things that we've all been doing to make
24 sure that all people with disabilities will be able
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
23
1 to live on their own. And I, myself have been
2 living on my own for a long time. I mean, it is
3 great to see people coming out here and telling
4 each other how important it is to be able to live
5 on our own. And I think all people with
6 disabilities should be allowed to live out in the
7 community.
8 Now, I'm looking at what happened
9 back in the early 1960's. Look what happened in
10 the early 1970's. I mean, there have been big
11 changes. Now we're in the 1990's, and look what
12 happened with the Civil Rights Movement for people
13 with disabilities. And that is a very key point.
14 It is very important for anybody. And there is a
15 national group who is becoming empowered that
16 National Group works for people, with such ethnic
17 groups and their submission to close institutions,
18 their submission to close the institutions so
19 people will be able to live out in the communities
20 and to live on their own.
21 Now, in order -- now, I know that
22 each person may be different, and each person has
23 different needs, but from just listening about it,
24 I mean, just think about that. Anybody can be -- I
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
24
1 mean anybody has the capability and has the
2 abilities to live on their own. I mean, with the
3 right support and right supervision we can do it.
4 And that is very key for anybody who wants to do
5 that.
6 Now, a friend of mine who has been
7 living here over a year now she's down here, she's
8 got her own apartment. And now she is learning all
9 the different responsibilities of living on her
10 own. And right now, she's inside, she's enjoying
11 that. And that is very important for anybody to
12 remember that it is important for anybody to work
13 together. I mean, that's why it's important for
14 everyone to work together and stick together and
15 we'll achieve more. And it's important to see that
16 we all have a chance to live on our own. Thank
17 you.
18 MS. GOOD: Thank you.
19 MS. HATCH: Thank you.
20 MS. GOOD: We have Caroline
21 Michaels.
22 MS. HATCH: Back to the first
23 one --
24 MS. GOOD: It's back to Judi
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
25
1 Mendriski.
2 MS. MENDRISKI: Thank you again for
3 letting me speak. I have difficulty dealing with
4 some of the ramps, some of the curbs. I don't have
5 wheelchair ramps. And sometimes I use my
6 wheelchair and sometimes I don't. And with the
7 reconstruction of the road service and the paving
8 of the streets, they're not very even. It's
9 difficult for people without mobility difficulties
10 to get through it. It is very difficult for myself
11 to get through it, whether I'm in a wheelchair or
12 not in a wheelchair. And of course
13 transportation -- and Mitchell, you spoke
14 beautifully, thank you, very much. I have decided
15 to take the Metro instead of Access because I find
16 Access very difficult to deal with. I've called
17 them and I have to wait half an hour for them to
18 come. They can only wait five minutes for me.
19 Also on cold days, I wait out there
20 and wait out there and wait out there. I call them
21 and they've said, we never had you, or weren't you
22 picked up. And I say no, I'm still calling, you
23 know, things like this. This is ridiculous. And
24 I've decided to take Metro more often. The only
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
26
1 time I take Access now is when I cannot get
2 anyplace on the Metro and that's if they go other
3 places. I totally stopped using Access.
4 But those are my inputs. I just got
5 this in the mail the other day, it's called From
6 The City of Cincinnati, The Office Of The Mayor.
7 Last October I introduced a motion at City Council
8 that would establish a committee to advise the
9 Public Works Departments and all future public
10 working projects. The Advisory committee could
11 ensure that future public work projects would be
12 accessible and usable by people with disabilities.
13 On March 23rd, the City
14 Administration sent a report to the Council
15 advising against establishing such a committee.
16 The administration maintains that the City is
17 currently doing a good job of addressing problems
18 of people with disabilities in its new construction
19 projects. An advisory board is not needed. I have
20 enclosed both my motion and the administration's
21 response if you need it. The advisory committee
22 consisting of people who know firsthand about
23 people with disabilities. I urge you to contact
24 the city members of city council and express your
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
27
1 support or your motion, if you can. That's all
2 that I'd like to says. Thank you.
3 MS. GOOD: Janet Corbett.
4 MS. CORBETT: My name is Janet
5 Corbett, C O R B E T T. I wrote out what I'd like
6 to say. "My name is Janet Corbett. I live in
7 Fairfield, Ohio. I have had rheumatoid arthritis
8 since age 21. Despite the physical affects of the
9 disease I was able to live independently, operate a
10 successful business, and have an active social and
11 recreational life. In February of 1991, I was
12 injured in an elevator accident and my life ground
13 to a halt. As I struggled to recover from the
14 injuries my health began to fail, my business
15 faltered, and my financial resources were stretched
16 to the breaking point. The day the hospital social
17 worker informed me that I would not be able to
18 return to my home but would have to go to a nursing
19 home instead was one of the low points in my life.
20 Fortunately, she put me in touch with the Center
21 for Independent Living Options.
22 CILO and Susanne Hopkins in
23 particular, made it possible for me to return to my
24 home. She did this by meeting with me in the
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
28
1 nursing home to assess my needs and determine how
2 she could be best of service. Then she became an
3 advocate for me with BVR to get a chair lift so
4 that I could get to my office, to my bedroom and
5 bathroom, all of which are on the second floor of
6 my home. She was also responsible for enrolling me
7 in the Personal Care Assistance Program. Thanks to
8 the PCA Program and my assistants Tina and John, I
9 am putting together the pieces of my life one day
10 at time. I have also received assistance from
11 Terri Garner of CILO in dealing with the mountains
12 of paperwork that Social Security requires. I am
13 grateful for Susanne's and Terri's help. Their
14 attention to detail, willingness to follow through
15 and encourage me when I couldn't manage for myself
16 have been invaluable to me. I am also grateful for
17 the opportunities CILO provides for me to be able
18 to give something back to my community, such as,
19 speaking to you today on the issues that I feel
20 SILC should set as priorities for the next three
21 years.
22 When CILO presented a Home Ownership
23 Opportunities Workshop last fall, I was stunned to
24 find that nearly all of us were paying over half of
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
29
1 our very limited incomes for rent. Finally, I
2 could see that I wasn't alone in feeling trapped.
3 Section 8 funding is available but limited. And
4 once approved it's not a viable option if the
5 landlord won't accept a Section 8 voucher. I'd
6 like to see SILC and the CIL's lobby for a
7 modification to Section 8 or create a new housing
8 assistance program specifically for individuals who
9 are living with disabilities. In order to avoid
10 the subtle discrimination which landlords practice
11 by refusing to accept Section 8 vouchers I think
12 that this financial assistance should be made as a
13 direct payment to the individual recipient. The
14 CILs would be in a good position to administer this
15 type of program because they know their clients and
16 the financial and physical issues we face on a
17 daily basis. As a consumer I would trust CILO
18 because they have always treated me with dignity
19 and respect.
20 As I stated in my introductory
21 remarks, the PCA program has made it possible for
22 me to start my life again. The reimbursement
23 increase to $7.00 an hour has made all the
24 difference in being able to find a PCA who is both
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
30
1 qualified, reliable, and willing to stay with the
2 position for more than six months. If the minimum
3 wage is raised again, I hope the PCA program will
4 increase the reimbursement accordingly. The work
5 PCAs do is often difficult and emotionally draining
6 for them. Being able to offer a full benefit
7 package, with health benefits and vacation pay
8 would make it easier to find and keep qualified
9 PCAs. For this reason it would also be helpful if
10 the program would allow us to be reimbursed for
11 paid vacation which we provide as a benefit for our
12 PCA's. I would also like for SILC and the CILs to
13 find a way in which PCA's could have a group health
14 plan through the PCA program. Workmen's Comp is
15 not enough.
16 I am fortunate because my current
17 PCA, Tina, does my driving for me. This was not
18 always the case, and arranging for transportation
19 was a constant and time consuming problem. I know
20 this is an issue for other people as well. Finding
21 transit service is only the beginning. Next, you
22 figure out which organizations will pay for what
23 type of services. For example, BVR will pay for
24 work related transportation but only until you get
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
31
1 your first paycheck and only as long as they have
2 funding. Look elsewhere if you need something in
3 July or August. Medicare will pay for medically
4 related trips but who pays for trips to the
5 grocery? Does any program pay for a trip to the
6 CILO office, to church or to the museum, the
7 library or a movie? Private pay for UTS or other
8 specialized transit services is very expensive.
9 Now, let's look at the issue of artificial
10 boundaries between service areas for more
11 reasonably priced services such as Access and ARK.
12 ARK transports only within Butler County and Access
13 only within Hamilton County. What happens if you
14 need to get from Fairfield where I live to downtown
15 Cincinnati and you don't have a PCA like I do?
16 You're stuck. Finally, you have to deal with
17 scheduling. The whole process is a nightmare. I
18 once spent over four hours on the phone trying to
19 arrange for one 40-minute round trip. Talk about
20 frustration. Would it be possible to develop a
21 PCA-like program that reimbursed for transportation
22 for those individuals who are not on the waiting
23 list for a PCA or do not qualify for a PCA? No one
24 should be isolated in their home simply because
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
32
1 they cannot drive and cannot afford to pay for
2 specialized transit service.
3 Another point of concern I have is
4 that of medical or disability-related expenditures.
5 As I am sure you are aware there are numerous
6 expenses from medications and related supplies to
7 assistance equipment such as telephone headsets,
8 computers, and specialized wheelchairs that most
9 insurance including Medicare and Medicaid will not
10 cover in part or in full. I would like for SILC
11 and the CILs to continue to lobby the insurers to
12 cover more of the cost of these items. But more
13 importantly, I would like to see a statewide and
14 nationwide buying network established for
15 consumers. Negotiating prices and purchasing as a
16 group has proven successful for food coupons for
17 years. The model established by AIDS coalitions on
18 the East and West Coasts is another example of an
19 effective buying network and could be looked to as
20 a resource.
21 The next point on my list is a big
22 one but would make a huge difference in my life and
23 I'm certain in the lives of other people with
24 disabilities. We need to address the issue of
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
33
1 Social Security benefits and work incentives. The
2 very fact that so many people with disabilities are
3 eligible for Medicaid, housing assistance, and food
4 stamps is an indication that Social Security
5 benefits are set too low. The recent cost of
6 living increase was a joke. My rent went up more
7 than the increase itself. It is enough of a
8 challenge to live with a disability, must we also
9 fight poverty too? Let's make it simple and cut
10 some overhead at the same time. If an individual
11 is eligible for housing assistance and/or food
12 stamps, combine those benefits and mail them
13 monthly to the individual to manage as an adult
14 consumer. If an individual is not able to manage
15 this money or abuses the system deal with them on
16 an individual basis. But please don't endorse
17 programs that assume that people with disabilities
18 are incapable of behaving responsibly and
19 ethically.
20 Most of us worked before our lives
21 took the turn that brought us to this point. We're
22 not lazy, we just can't work in the way we did
23 before. The so-called work incentives are
24 confusing no matter what your educational level.
Spangler Reporting Services
PHONE (513) 381-3330 FAX (513) 381-3342
34
1 Trial work periods, the $500 and 40-hour/month work
2 limits don't give any of us the opportunity to lift
3 ourselves out of a life of disability induced
4 benefits. PASS Plans were once helpful to some
5 people but now seem only to be approved to purchase
6 a vehicle. This system isn't working and we all
7 know it. There has to be a better, more reasoned
8 way to move people with disabilities back into the
9 work force. If any group can have a positive
10 impact on this issue it is SILC, the CILs and their
11 clients. We must work together to resolve this
12 issue, or winning the lottery will be our only
13 ticket out of this hole.
14 On a lighter, but no less important
15 note, I'd like to see SILC and the CILs take an
16 active role in bringing animals into the lives of
17 people with disabilities both as companions and as
18 helpers. Staying connected to life is the most
19 important thing any of us can do to be as healthy
20 as we can be. I know, this has been proven true in
21 my life, I believe it can be so for others. Thank
22 you for your time and your kind attention."
23 MS. GOOD: Lin is the director of
24 the center. Is there anything you want to say? I
