Subject: You are invited --Saturday, Feb. 24 - WCCD's Annual Meeting
From: John M. Denooyer (megadutch@home.com)
Date: Fri Feb 16 2001 - 17:20:57 PST
I hope you will be able to attend our Annnual Meeting and also our
Public
Program on Saturday, Feb. 24. Refreshments will be served 12:00 -
12:25,
between the two events. Note: You are welcome to attend either -- or
both -- events.
Both events will be held at the Seattle Housing Authority, Community
Room,
907 NW Ballard Way, Suite 200, Seattle (Ballard area).
Schedule:
Annual Meeting: WA Coalition of Citizens with disAbilities
Time: 11:00- 11:55 a.m.
Primary topic: What are our top priority
issues?
And how can we make sure that the decision-makers pay
attention to us and our needs?
Refreshments/break and Presentation of Public Policy Leadership Award
Time: 12:00 - 12:25 p.m.
Public Program: "Beyond Rhetoric: Getting Affordable, Accessible
Public Transportation AND Housing
Time: 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Admission to all events is free of charge to the public.
Below is a bare bones summary about the public program -- when and
where, and who the panelists will be.
"Beyond Rhetoric and Promises: Getting Affordable, Accessible Public
Transportation and Housing."
Time: 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Event location:
Seattle Housing Authority Community Room, 907 NW Ballard Way, Suite
200,
Seattle (Ballard area).
Panelists:
Peter Steinbrueck, Seattle City Council
Sandy Stutey, King County METRO
Toby Olson, Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment
Bob Arbios, H.U.D.;
Jeanne Ward, (state's Dept. of Transportation) Agency Council for
Coordinated Transportation.
Panelists' brief but thought-provoking presentations will be
followed by audience discussion with panelists about how citizen
involvement and action can help make coordination of public
transportation and affordable, accessible housing a reality.
Below are brief stories about two people whose personal struggles to
obtain affordable, accessible housing and also public transportation
help illuminate why these issues are, for human beings, inseparable.
And that's why all of us need to do our part to make sure that planning
by our elected and appointed officials will be coordinated across the
issues -- and also across city, county and state lines.
One woman's story: "I have a seizure disorder. By law, I cannot drive
in the state of Washington unless I am seizure-free for six months.
Last year I had to ride the bus because I had a few seizures. Because
the buses in my location ran only a few times a day, I had to reduce my
working hours. That meant that I also suffered a serious cut in
income. But I was denied a reduced fare bus pass. Why? Because I was
told that, in order to qualify under Metro's rules regarding seizure
disorders, I would have to have seizures more than once a week!"
One man's story: "A sight-impaired man was forced to relocate near
North Bend where his family resides because he could not find low-income
housing near a bus line in Seatle. Although there actually were Housing
Authority apartments that were available, the vacancies were in
'elderly only' residences, which refused our sight-impaired man because
he was under 55 years old.
"All low-income housing vacancies for which he could
qualify were too far from a regular bus route and also beyond the reach
of paratransit. (Metro is required to provides special paratransit
service only within a quarter of a mile from each side of a standard bus
route.) He was offered employment within the city of Seattle, but since
he could not find housing affordable with that entry level income, he
could not accept the position and remained unemployed."
If a person wishing to attend the Annual Meeting and/or the Public
Program needs materials in an alternate format (for example, Braille or
large type) or needs an ASL interpreter, please notify WCCD's office
(206-633-6629) by Thursday morning, Feb. 22.
For additional information, please contact: JoAnn Fritsche, Executive
Director
Washington Coalition of Citizens with disAbilities. (Tel:
206/633-6629),
or call Jan or Jeanette at 206-545-7055 (TTY: 206-632-3456).
For more information about the Washington Coalition of Citizens with
disAbilities. please visit our Web site at: http://www.wccd.org
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