September 2022 Advocacy Update

 
 

From the GBC

Transportation

Do you take the MBTA Orange Line? During the Orange Line shutdown August 19 to September 19, special accommodations are being made for riders with disabilities. See page 11 of the Rider's Guide to Planning Ahead.

At the August 25 meeting of the Riders’ Transportation Access Group, the MBTA got an earful of how awkward coach buses – used as shuttles for the Orange Line and other rail service interruptions -- are for wheelchair users. But we also heard that the MBTA Systemwide Accessibility department is pouncing on funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s All Stations Accessibility Program, with the aim of expediting work on the Symphony station on the Green Line, and Newton commuter rail stations.

In July, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation issued an Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights, a useful overview with links to more detailed info. When flying via Logan airport, consult the Massport ADA Compliance and Accessibility page to find out how you will be accommodated: If you’re in the mood for a horror story or just want to know more about what’s at stake, check out the recent Boston Globe article “Airlines mishandle thousands of wheelchairs each year. These New Englanders want you to know how that puts them at risk.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking public comment through Sept 14 on whether wheelchairs with seat elevation features should be covered, and says a comment period on standing devices will open at a later date. United Spinal is a member of the ITEM Coalition steering committee; for more information on seat elevation and standing devices, visit the ITEM Coalition’s Rise4Access website.

From United Spinal National

Working Groups Call for Participation

The Advocacy and Policy team is creating three different working groups, and we need your participation in order to help drive change! Please read about each working group below, and if you or your members would like to take part in any of these working groups, please contact United Spinal’s Director of Advocacy and Policy, Steve Lieberman, slieberman@unitedspinal.org or Grassroots Advocacy Manager, Annie Streit, astreit@unitedspinal.org.  

  • Accessible Parking Working Group - This working group will come together to advocate for improvement in accessible parking and increase awareness and education regarding common barriers to parking encountered by the disability community and accessible parking laws and regulations throughout the United States.

  • Outdoor Access Working Group - This working group, aimed at advocates with outdoor access and recreation experience, will come together to advocate against current constraints that hinder the disability community from participating in outdoor activities, while also raising awareness on the importance of inclusivity and equality for access to outdoor recreation.

  • Emergency Preparedness Working Group (Ready to Roll Emergency Preparedness) - This working group will focus on emergency preparedness for the SCI/D and wheelchair user community after a natural or manmade disaster, in an effort to help better prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters.

In Case You Missed It: Airport Improvements

Through the Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act signed into law by President Biden at the end of last year, $5 billion has been granted to provide competitive grants for airport terminal development projects that address the aging infrastructure of the nation’s airports. The first $1 billion funds more than 90 projects at airports across the country. These projects improve airport terminals in communities of all sizes. The improvements deliver the following benefits:

  • Expand capacity at our nation’s airport terminals

  • Increase energy efficiency

  • Promote competition

  • Provide greater accessibility for individuals with disabilities

  • Build two new air traffic control towers

Visit here for more information: https://www.faa.gov/bil/airport-terminals

Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19

As called for in the Presidential Memorandum on Addressing the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19, the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), on behalf of the Secretary, is in the process of developing two reports. For more information on all things COVID-19 including the BA.4 and BA.5 variant, visit here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

ABLE Age Adjustment Act

On June 23, 2022, the United States Senate Finance Committee passed the ABLE Age Adjustment Act as part of the Enhancing American Retirement Now Act. Under current law, only individuals with a disability occurring before age 26 are eligible for qualified ABLE programs. This provision would increase the age limit for eligibility to 46. United Spinal has long been advocates of the ABLE Age Adjustment Act as well as the ABLE Act before it. Differences between the Senate and House versions (the House version passed in March this year) still need to be worked out before legislation can clear Congress and be signed into law by the president. We are one step closer. Thanks to all of you who helped make this a reality. Let’s keep rolling!

Share Your Story: Got Wheelchair and Mobility Device Issues?

Our community knows how important the right wheelchair is and we know about the challenges you face in getting the features that you need to be able to fully participate in your community. United Spinal is amplifying our community’s voices so that everyone hears about the challenges you face. United Spinal advocates shared their stories at Roll on Capitol Hill. Please share your wheelchair denial story and help us to make change.

From the BCIL

The Massachusetts Primary Election is Tuesday, September 6. Below is a link to candidate responses for statewide office to questionnaires posed by the Dignity Alliance of Massachusetts, of which BCIL is an active member organization, as well as videos of interviews with a number of candidates.

Dignity Alliance Massachusetts works to secure fundamental changes in the provision of long-term services, support, and care. It is a grassroots coalition of aging and disability service and advocacy organizations and supporters.

The responses to the questionnaires and the recordings of the conversations can be viewed at https://dignityalliancema.org/state-candidates/.