DECEMBER 17, 1999 ...........................................................................NO. 167

TOPICS IN THIS ISSUE INCLUDE:

SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED

Ticket To Work And Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999

John Chafee-Foster Care Independence Act of 1999

Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NPND NATIONAL COMPETITION FOR THE ISLE HEUMANN AWARD

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Developmental Disabilities Act of 1999

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

New President and CEO of AAPD

When Is Your Primary? Register to Vote Online!

Days Inn Hotels To Become More Accessible

SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED

Ticket To Work And Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999

The event we have all worked so hard for has become a reality. This morning, Friday the 17th at 9:30 AM, President Clinton will sign into law the work incentives legislation. The signing of the Bill takes place at the FDR Memorial. The Marriott Hotel joins community cosponsors to host a reception following the signing ceremony for signing ceremony guests and their associates.

For a detailed description of the work incentives legislation, what it includes, what happens after it is signed into law, etc., access the NPND website; www.ssa.gov; and www.ssa.gov/work. Your input is very important as the unfolding of the implementation process takes effect. An e-mail address has been designated to allow you to provide input and to address your questions: ttwwiia@ssa.gov.

John Chafee-Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 On Tuesday the 14th, President Clinton signed legislation into law to assist teens leaving the foster care system. The Bill, which was co-sponsored by Senator Rockefeller (D-WV) and the late Senator John Chafee (R-RI), will help teens make a more successful transition to adulthood. It is designed to ensure that the basic needs of housing, food and health care of teens leaving foster care are met.

Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Appreciation of work well done can not be repeated enough. A lot of hard work and long hours went into the passage of these two pieces of legislation. Through perseverance, we conquered. Our families and our children deserve nothing less!

NPND National Competition For The
Ilse Heumann Award

NPND will be conducting the first national competition to select a parent for the Ilse Heumann Award to honor the memory of Ilse Heumann, mother of Judith Heumann and her brother. Ilse Heumann embodies the belief that so many of us share...the VISION of helping our child to be all that he or she can be! The award will be presented to an outstanding parent who mirrors the philosophies and beliefs of Ms. Heumann.

Ilse Heumann, who passed away on December 28, 1998, is known by many as a pioneer parent in the fight to have children with disabilities receive an education. Her daughter, Judy, is a product of her mother's efforts. Judy, who has Post Polio syndrome, grew up in a time when children with disabilities were not afforded an education. Ilse Heumann saw things in a different light, and was determined that her daughter receive a full education. Ilse set out to pave the way.

Even after Judy grew up, her mother continued her involvement in disability issues. Ilse continued her advocacy efforts until shortly before her last illness.

Criteria:
The outstanding parent will be a parent of an adult person with disabilities. Distinguished by vision for their son or daughter. Distinguished by advocacy efforts, educational efforts and leadership qualities. Distinguished by a continuing lifetime involvement and commitment of independent living, self determination, and civil rights for their son or daughter.

Nominations:
Nominations will be accepted until the close of business January 15, 2000. The award will be presented by NPND at a Reception in Washington, D.C. during the week of January 24, 1999. Forward a one page nomination by mail to: Heumann Award, c/o NPND, 1130 17th Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036; by fax (202) 463-9403, or by e-mail: pmcglsmith@aolcom.

Legislative Update

Developmental Disabilities Act of 1999 (S. 1809) To date, the DD Act is still referred to the wrong Committee in the House of Representatives--House Education and the Workforce. It needs to go to the House Commerce Committee. It has been reported that the process of correcting the problem has begun, but will not be resolved until Congress returns on January 24th. The disability community supports S. 1809. Please communicate to your Representatives, while they are home on recess the need to keep the Senate version, S. 1809, intact. Make this Bill an early priority when the lawmakers return.

For Your Information

• New President and CEO of American Association of People with Disabilities
  Andrew J. Imparato, the new CEO and President of AAPD, extends an invitation to new members. "The disability rights movement has accomplished a great deal in the last three decades, and we deserve a national cross-disability membership organization that can build on those accomplishments so that real economic opportunity is a reality for all people with disabilities." To learn more about AAPD, and how to become a member access its website: www.aapd-dc.org.
• When is Your Primary? Register to Vote Online! Access the Federal Election Commission website: http://www.fec.gov/votregis/vr.htm to learn how you can vote from anywhere in the country. There are some restrictions, and a few states that do not participate.
• Days Inn Hotels to become more Accessible under agreement reached with the Department of Justice The world's largest hotel chain has agreed to implement a nationwide initiative designed to make hundreds of its new hotels across the country more accessible to persons with disabilities. The agreement, filed in U.S. District Court in Pikeville, Kentucky, resolves five lawsuits filed in February 1996. The suits allege that Days Inns of America, Inc, and its parent company, Cendant Corporation, violated the ADA by constructing new Days Inn hotels that denied equal access to persons with disabilities.