Advocacy Monitor

Dear Friend,

My name is Kings Floyd, and I am the Youth Transitions Fellow at The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL). NCIL’s Annual Conference on Independent Living is our nation’s largest gathering of disability rights advocates, and is a crucial opportunity for people with disabilities to connect, meet with our legislators, and propel the movement forward. Last year, nearly 1,000 participants attended our conference, including over 100 youth from across the country.

The theme for the 2017 NCIL conference is Revolution: A Global Independent Living Movement, taking place July 24 – 27, 2017. We’re excited to turn our focus outwards and connect with young advocates from all over the world. Due to a variety of barriers, most especially cost, youth with disabilities have been unable to fully participate in the international disability community. We are asking for contributions towards the Youth Scholarship Fund that will bring young people from across the country, and hopefully, around the world, to the NCIL conference. Your donation will support plane tickets, hotel accommodations, personal assistance services, and registration costs for attendees. Here are some of the reactions from youth scholars last year:

“…Honestly I just loved the energy of it all. So many people fired up and organizing great things…I’m so excited to work for NCIL and just throw myself into the conference this year!”

“NCIL conferences are always so empowering, and I come away with a renewed sense of readiness to advocate for disability rights, knowing I have a strong community of support.”

“I was excited I was happy to be amongst fellow advocates and we all had a vision to increase inclusion & diversity amongst youth…and a renew sense of empowerment to engage. I loved it!”

“…When you go to NCIL you realize the rights and opportunities that you think have just always been there only exist because of the hard work of the disability rights movement. The surge of pure elation you get when you realize all the times society told you people with disabilities were powerless is absolutely untrue.”

“I attended the 2016 conference about 2 weeks into my job as youth transition coordinator. Being asked to develop the program from scratch, I was a little nervous to say the least. But thanks to all the awesome people and information I gained at the NCIL Conference; I was able to get our program off to a booming start. I look forward to returning this year to share what I’ve learned and to gain more knowledge to strengthen our program even more.”

With your help, we can bring youth with disabilities to the 2017 NCIL Conference and ensure that youth leadership will grow and flourish in the Disability Rights Movement, as well as expand globally to promote the rights of people with disabilities. Together we can ensure that young people with disabilities are empowered, engaged, and ready to lead. You can make a donation online. Thank you so much for your support!

Kings Floyd, Youth Transitions Fellow

Recently, President Trump nominated Elizabeth “Betsy” DeVos to be Secretary of Education. The Department of Education is responsible for ensuring that all children, including children with disabilities, receive a quality education, free from discrimination. Countless educators have expressed strongly that she is not qualified to ensure an equal education for students with disabilities, and Ms. DeVos’ record and testimony at her Senate confirmation hearing disqualify her from leading the Department fairly and rationally. We ask you to call Senators today to tell them to vote “no” on her nomination for Secretary of Education. The hearing of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will now be held at 10:00 a.m. January 31, according to an advisory from the committee, so please call before then!

What You Need to Know

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA): The IDEA law requires schools to provide students with disabilities a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment. Since 1975, IDEA has made it possible for millions of students with disabilities to attend public schools and receive the supports they need for success. During her confirmation hearing, Ms. DeVos disagreed that all schools that receive special education funding should be subject to the requirements of IDEA. In addition, she suggested that federal IDEA funding should be turned into a voucher program. Students and families who receive vouchers for private schools are often forced to waive their IDEA rights, including the right to FAPE. And vouchers rarely cover the full cost of private school tuition and transportation, making them a false choice for low income families with children with disabilities. For many students with disabilities, access to a public education appropriate for their learning levels will be in jeopardy.

• Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): In a bipartisan effort in 2015, Congress enacted ESSA, which requires each state to develop a system that holds schools accountable for the academic progress of historically underserved students, including students with disabilities, and to implement schoolwide interventions when students with disabilities underperform year after year. In her hearing testimony, Ms. DeVos would not commit to continuing the Department’s implementation of the ESSA accountability regulations. Nor would she commit to holding all schools that receive federal funding equally accountable for the academic progress of all students, including students with disabilities. This means that students who should be receiving those services would not be tracked and could easily be left behind, jeopardizing their future independence. She also would not commit to requiring all schools that receive federal funding to report incidents of discipline, bullying, and harassment. Students with disabilities, especially students of color with disabilities, are often subject to bullying, inappropriate use of seclusion and restraint, and discriminatory school discipline like suspensions, expulsions, and law enforcement referrals. This is a danger not only to those students who are being bullied, but it does little to teach others how to respect people with disabilities later in life. We must hold all schools accountable for the education of children with disabilities.

• Civil Rights Enforcement: The Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for enforcing disability rights laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. These laws protect students from disability discrimination and require schools to provide the accommodations and services students with disabilities need to be successful. In her hearing, Ms. DeVos refused to disavow efforts to downsize or rein in OCR. We need more support for disability rights enforcement by the Department of Education, not less. If she will not commit to enforcing our disability rights laws, Ms. DeVos should not be confirmed as Secretary of Education.

What You Can Do

Call Your Senators! The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will vote on Ms. DeVos’ nomination on Tuesday, January 31. Please call Senators on the Committee to tell them to vote “no” on the DeVos nomination. Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Senator’s office. The Switchboard line may be busy – you can call back as many times as needed. It’s especially important to call if he or she is one of the Senate HELP Committee members listed below. [Read more…]

The summer 2017 Youth in International Development and Foreign Affairs internship program is now open for applications until January 10, 2017.

The United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD) launched its internship program in 2013. USICD’s internship program focuses on U.S. citizen youth with disabilities from across the country who intend to pursue careers in international development or foreign affairs.

The summer 2017 internship program will bring a group of talented U.S. citizen graduate students, recent graduates, and rising juniors and seniors with disabilities to Washington, DC, for nine weeks. This will include a one-week training and orientation program followed by an eight-week internship at an international organization in the Washington, DC, area. USICD will cover the cost of accessible housing during the program, reimburse travel expenses to and from DC, and provide a limited stipend. It is anticipated that the program will run from May 28 to July 29, 2017. These dates may be subject to change.

• Learn more about the Youth in International Development and Foreign Affairs internship program, eligibility criteria, and the application process.
• You also may wish to explore the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section at the link above before applying.

[Read more…]

The National Council on Independent Living’s Queer Caucus and Youth Caucus are hosting Healing Space call to honor the lives of those lost by the #PULSE tragedy in #ORLANDO, and to create a space to process the trauma associated with violence against LGBTQIA+ individuals. This call is aimed to center the narratives of those in the disability community who are also a part of the LGBTQIA community. We will mourn, discuss, process, and heal together. All who can respect this space are welcome.

To honor the lives of those lost by the #PULSE tragedy and to create a space to process the trauma associated with violence against LGBTQIA+ individuals

• Thursday, June 23rd at 3:00 p.m. Eastern
• Call-in Number: 1 (605) 475-5900
• Passcode: 697-3837

The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) is excited to announce a new opportunity for our Youth Transition Coordinators at CILs. Through the generous support of the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF) we have received a grant called the Greater Washington Internship Coalition M>PWR Project. This grant will allow us to sponsor 3 Youth Transition Coordinators to attend the 2016 NCIL Conference in Washington, DC this summer!

As previously mentioned, NCIL is very dedicated to youth advocacy AND building a network for those of you who work in the youth transition field. Visit NCIL’s 2016 Conference web page for more information about this year’s NCIL Conference. There will be ample opportunities for the Youth Transition Coordinators to learn about WIOA, receive resources, and programming ideas through the 24 available workshops. On average, there are 1,000 conference participants that coordinators will be able to network with. Additionally, there will be a small time set aside for Youth Transition Coordinators to have an in depth dialogue about youth programming.

If you would like to attend the 2016 NCIL conference please fill out the Youth Transition Coordinator Scholarship Application by June 21, 2016.

ADAPT is accepting applications for its Youth Summit – a training in community organizing and direct action for youth with disabilities done by ADAPT Youth Summit graduates. Youth between the ages of 18 to 30 are eligible to apply. Space is limited, so young people should not hesitate apply!

August 5th – 9^th; Rochester, New York. [Read more…]

Dear NCIL Member:

As you know, the NCIL Annual Meeting and Conference is rapidly approaching. The 2016 Annual Conference on Independent Living will be held July 25-28 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Washington, DC. This year, NCIL will again be honoring individuals from the Independent Living field with various awards for their dedication to the Independent Living and Disability Rights Movements.

One of these awards is the Diana Viets Memorial Award. Diana was an energetic young woman with a disability who dedicated her life to empowering young people with disabilities to take an active role in the Independent Living Movement. Through her work at a Center for Independent Living and the NCIL Board, Diana touched the lives of many youth with disabilities. NCIL wants to acknowledge, honor, and encourage our young leaders who are promoting disability pride, spreading the Independent Living philosophy, and fostering the active participation of youth with disabilities in the Disability Rights Movement.

As a member of NCIL, we ask you to nominate young people from your Center and / or community. Individuals eligible for this award should be young adults whose work through Independent Living has had a positive impact on youth with disabilities.

The Diana Viets Memorial Award will be presented to the winner during the Awards Luncheon, Wednesday, July 27, 2016, at NCIL’s Annual Conference.

Please complete the nomination form by Friday, June 17, 2016. I look forward to seeing you at the NCIL Conference.

Sincerely,

Kelly Buckland
Executive Director
National Council on Independent Living