We need YOU to help create an Inclusive Healthy Community

Mar 3, 2021 | News

Inclusive Healthy Community

English and Spanish Flyers

We need YOU to help create an Inclusive Healthy Community

WHAT IS IT?

Focus Groups are being formed so that the voices of persons with disabilities and those who support them can be heard on the topic of participation in local government activities. Are there barriers to participation in your hometown? How can those barriers be eliminated? What is most important to YOU in your community?

WHO IS INVITED?

Persons with disabilities and those who support them.

Be a part of the change.

All 1 hour focus groups will meet on ZOOM. Please choose a date and pre-register, the ZOOM link will be sent to you.
Number of participants is limited

Monday, March 22 – 11:00am

Registration closes March 17

Thursday, March 25 – 11:00am

(Spanish language) Registration closes March 20

Saturday, March 27 – 11:00am

Registration closes March 22

Wednesday, April 7 – 7:00pm

Registration closes April 2

Request for accommodations must be made at time of registration. If you wish to provide written comments, please forward to comments@NJID.org Information will be gathered until April 30, 2021.

This project is a collaboration of The College of New Jersey Sustainable Institute; Sustainable Jersey; New Jersey Institute for Disabilities; Progressive Center for Independent Living; DAWN Center for Independent Living and Resources for Independent Living

This initiative was funded by an Inclusive Healthy Communities Grant from the Division of Disability Services, New Jersey Department of Human Services.

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Access Link New Telephone Number Alert

Feb 26, 2021 | Announcement, News, Top

Access Link New Telephone Number Alert

The Access Link toll-free number will be retired on April 5th, 2021.
In preparation, please start using

973-491-4224

All of our phone menu options will remain the same.

Announcements

“On Monday, April 5th, Access Link is retiring the toll-free number. The new telephone number will be “973-491-4224”.
In preparation, please start using 973-491-4224. All of our phone menu options will remain the same.
TRAVELING DURING THE PANDEMIC: For your protection, we have enhanced cleaning and sanitization efforts. You can do your part by:
- Confirming that locations are open before making travel plans.
- Making reservations via https://accesslink.njtransit.com.
- Emailing adascheduling@njtransit.com to re-establish your subscription ride and negotiate availability, if you have not traveled in the past 60 days.
- Wearing a face covering while traveling (required).
- Setting-up an EZ-Wallet account for contactless payment.
- Canceling rides if you have been exposed to COVID-19 or any other communicable disease, within the past 14 days.
COMMUNICATION OPTIONS
- Sign up for MY TRANSIT ALERTS at https://www.njtransit.com/mytransit.
- Subscribe to NJT ALICE ALERTS by texting your Access Link Customer ID and Pin number to 41411.
- Use WHERE’S MY RIDE: after successfully subscribing to NJT ALICE ALERTS text NJT ETA to 41411.
- Follow Access Link on TWITTER: Access Link (@NJTRANSIT_AL).
- Email us at adaservices@njtransit.com.
  Call us at 800-955-(ADA1)2321.
REDUCED FARE CARDS: In August, legislation was passed that allows all Access Link customers to be automatically issued a Reduced Fare card that can be used to discount fares on NJ TRANSIT Rail, Bus, and Light Rail. The Reduced Fare card cannot be used on Access Link. Cards will be mailed. For questions or concerns and language assistance, please call NJ TRANSIT Customer Service at 973-275-5555 between the hours of 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM daily.
VIRTUAL TRAVEL INSTRUCTION: If you require some assistance with learning how to travel on NJ TRANSIT’s Rail, Bus, or Light Rail call 800-955-2321 and select option #1 for the Certification Group to request a referral. Virtual Travel Instruction is free and is now being offered statewide in areas where local fixed-route service available.

New Jersey Legislative Disability Caucus Backgrounder

Nov 29, 2020 | News

New Jersey Legislative Disability Caucus Backgrounder

The establishment of this Bi-partisan Legislative effort represents the hard work of many disability advocates. We at hip support this initiative and look forward to enhancing our communication with our elected officials and program leadership.

Brian Fitzgibbons

November 2020

New Jersey Legislative Disability Caucus Backgrounder

PURPOSE:

To serve as a bipartisan forum within the New Jersey Legislature for lawmakers and their staff to consider the impact on the disability community when shaping ALL public policies in the Garden State through increased awareness and a greater understanding of the complexities of the disabilities service system and issues affecting individuals with disabilities and their families.

25.6% of adults in the U.S. have some type of disability.

24.6% of adults in New Jersey have some type of disability.

Did you know?
Disability cost in healthcare expenditures are $1.4 billion per year** in New Jersey.

THE FACTS:

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 61 million Americans – 25% of the population – have a disability that “impacts major life activities”.
Approximately 25% of adults in New Jersey identify as having some type of disability. This equates to 2,227,250. *
Despite progress, adults with disabilities in New Jersey and across the country continue to experience significant differences in health characteristics and behaviors compared to adults without disabilities. **
The jobless rate for persons with a disability continues to be about twice as high as the rate for those without a disability. ***
People with disabilities live in poverty at more than twice the rate of people without disabilities. ****

12.5% of all US males and 12.8% of US females have a disability

HOW THE CAUCUS WORKS:

Individuals with disabilities, their families and organizations that serve, support and advocate for individuals with disabilities in New Jersey will be a resource to the NJ Legislative Disability Caucus, providing education and programming as needed. Legislators who join the caucus agree to be champions for individuals with disabilities in New Jersey by meeting with them in their district offices; participating in quarterly education forums; and above all, promote policies to improve the lives of people with disabilities and consider the impact on the disability community in shaping all public policies in New Jersey.

* Disability & Health U.S. State Profile Data for New Jersey (Adults 18+ years of age), Centers for Disease Control.

** Disability-associated healthcare expenditures are presented in 2006 dollars as reported in Anderson et al, 2010. This value represents approximately 26% of total healthcare expenditures for the state of New Jersey.

*** Current Population Survey (CPS), US Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, February 2020.

****Disability Poverty Connection Report, National Council on Disability, October 2017

Founding Caucus Members

Senator Stephen M. Sweeney – Chair

Senator Anthony M. Bucco

Senator Kristin M. Corrado

Senator Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr.

Senator Vin Gopal

Senator Thomas H. Kean, Jr.

Senator Fred H. Madden, Jr.

Senator M. Teresa Ruiz

Senator Troy Singleton

Senator Joseph F. Vitale

Assemblyman Daniel R. Benson

Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro

Assemblyman Nicholas Chiaravalloti

Assemblyman Ronald S. Dancer

Assemblywoman Joann Downey

Assemblywoman Aura K. Dunn

Assemblyman Louis D. Greenwald

Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling

Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle

Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt

Assemblywoman Yvonne Lopez

Assemblywoman Nancy F. Munoz

Assemblywoman Carol A. Murphy

Assemblywoman Holly T. Schepisi

Assemblyman Adam J. Taliaferro

Assemblywoman Britnee N. Timberlake

Assemblyman Anthony S. Verrelli

Assemblyman Andrew Zwicker

2021 Issue Briefing Schedule

Virtual or in Trenton – One hour for Caucus members and their staffers

January 26 @ noon – Covid and the Disability Community

April 27 @ noon

July 27 @ noon

October 26 @ noon

The New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities (NJCDD) is proud to announce the Supporting Agencies for the NJ Legislative Disability Caucus:

New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities

Autism New Jersey

Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey

New Jersey Association of Mental Health & Addiction Agencies, Inc. (NJAMHAA)

New Jersey State Independent Living Council

Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Their Families

SPAN Parent Advocacy Network

Supportive Housing Association of New Jersey

The Alliance for the Betterment of Citizens with Disabilities (ABCD)

The Arc of New Jersey

The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

The New Jersey Association of Community Providers (NJACP)

New Jersey Legislative Disability Caucus Backgrounder

See PDF Document

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Celebrate, strengthen a disability rights law

Oct 10, 2018 | News

It’s been over a month since Uber and Lyft began operations in upstate New York, but not everyone has access to ridesharing yet. Wheelchair users are still waiting on these companies to provide accessible vehicles. Aleanna Siacon

This week marks an important milestone in the civil rights movement for people with disabilities: the one-year anniversary of the passage of the Stephen Komninos Law in New Jersey.

Named after a young man who died almost 10 years earlier to the day — due to inexcusable neglect by his group home staff — the landmark law established policies and procedures for protecting those with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Specifically, it put in place several measures for helping to prevent further abuse and neglect in residential and day programs.

Among the most notable requirements:

Two unannounced site visits every year by a Department of Human Services (DHS) representative to community residential settings.

A two-hour timeframe for agencies to report injuries to families/guardians.

Injury verification within 48 hours by a DHS representative.

Drug testing of direct care staff.

Without question, the new law is a much-needed step forward that provides a level of oversight and accountability that has never before existed. It is also essentially the first official acknowledgment that abuse and neglect are a reality for many in the disability community.

But now, we need to take the Stephen Komninos effort to the next level and explore additional ways to provide protections to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Here are two such possibilities:

Expand the law to cover children. Currently, the law only applies to adults over the age of 21. We don’t know the reason for this age restriction, but clearly, our children deserve the same protections in their group homes and in their after-school programs. This goes without saying.

Increased use of cameras in group homes, community programs and public transportation. Many people with intellectual or developmental disabilities do not have the capacity to report bad behavior or other concerns. In fact, many are non-verbal – meaning that they have limited ability to communicate. The use of video cameras could provide a much-needed set of eyes, particularly in potentially precarious situations. This could be a win-win approach – one that could be good for those with disabilities as well as those responsible for caring for them. Such cameras are already permitted by our state government.

Moreover, the use of cameras is not a new or even controversial idea. The Paramus-based Children’s Aid and Family Services has cameras in its adult group homes and just received permission to use them in its homes for children. And the Bergen County Community Transportation program, which serves people with disabilities, uses cameras in all of its buses.

Again, these are just two suggestions. Both practical. Both seemingly needed. But there are certainly other ways to strengthen the law, and we would welcome additional ideas for making sure that those with disabilities have the protections they need and deserve. Indeed, this should be an ongoing process that continues to evolve over time and as needed.

To that end, we should learn from the experience that got us to this important anniversary. We should follow the example set by parent-advocates, such as Martha Cray, Aileen Rivera and the Komninos family, who led the grassroots effort that brought the need for serious reform to the attention of government officials. We should recognize that it was state legislators – on both sides of the political aisle – who responded in kind and made the Stephen Komninos legislation a reality. And we should acknowledge that it was governors and their staffs – on both sides of the political aisle – that signed this landmark law and put into effect.

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Ultimately, everyone involved realized that there was not only a legal imperative driving this effort; there was a moral one, too.

Now, going forward, we should build on this solid foundation by working together and taking additional steps to safeguard those with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Expanding the law to include children. Strengthening the law to include technology. And developing new and better ways to protect those who need protecting.

We not only owe it to Stephen, who would have been 33 years old this year. We owe it to all of our sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters.

Thomas Komninos is a parent-advocate, who helped lead the effort to enact the Stephen Komninos legislation named after his son. Paul Aronsohn is New Jersey’s Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Their Families.

See Original Source: Originally by Thomas Komninos and Paul Aronsohn, Special to The North Jersey Record. Published 12:26 p.m. ET Oct. 5, 2018

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Lighthouses on The Mag Mile Celebrates Access and Inclusion

Aug 2, 2018 | News

Morning – focusing on the tens of millions of people with disabilities that could be in the workforce but are “somehow” not making their way in.

The Chicago Lighthouse’s popular public art display, Lighthouses on The Mag Mile, was showcased to a national audience July 22 via a segment on CBS Sunday Morning. Many of the artists have disabilities. The piece not only illustrated what they can do if given the chance but demonstrated the importance of civility and kindness in our country. We invite you to visit the lighthouses and share our messages of access, inclusion, kindness and civility!

Check out the video here: https://youtu.be/LBDDM2zqJQs

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We need YOU to help create an Inclusive Healthy Community

Inclusive Healthy Community

WHAT IS IT?