Quarterly Meeting

January 27, 2020

Teleconference

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ATTENDANCE

Members Staff

Neil Romano, Chairman Lisa Grubb, Executive Director

Billy Altom Joan Durocher

James Brett Keith Woods

Rabia Belt Netterie Lewis

Benro Ogunyipe Nick Sabula 

Clyde Terry Amy Nicholas 

Andres Gallegos Ana Torres-Davis

Wendy Harbour Amged Soliman

Stacey Brown

NCD Contractor

Anthony Simpson

Guests

Mary Lamielle, Executive Director, National Center for Environmental Health Strategies, 

Inc., Roger Severino, Director of the Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health & 

Human Services

Welcome and Introductions

Chairman Neil Romano called the meeting to order at 10:00 AM (ET) and welcomed 

Council members, staff and the public. 

Acceptance of the Agenda

MOTION: Mr. Clyde Terry moved to accept the agenda. 

SECONDED: Ms. Rabia Belt 

Roll Call Vote:

Neil Romano, Chairman 

Billy Altom: Aye

James Brett: Aye 

Andres Gallegos: Aye 

Benro Ogunyipe: Aye

Clyde Terry: Aye

Rabia Belt: Aye

Wendy Harbour: Aye

Call for Vote of August Council Meeting

MOTION: Mr. Billy Altom moved to accept the August Council meeting minutes. 

SECONDED: Ms. Rabia Belt 
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Roll Call Vote:

Neil Romano, Chairman 

Billy Altom: Aye

James Brett: Aye 

Andres Gallegos: Aye 

Benro Ogunyipe: Aye

Clyde Terry: Aye

Rabia Belt: Aye

Wendy Harbour: Aye

Chairman’s Report

Mr. Romano thanked fellow council member Benro Ogunyipe for serving as vice chair, 

Rabia Belt for chairing the governance committee and Billy Altom for serving as finance 

chair and now will be serving as the chair for the governance committee.

Mr. Romano stated that he has asked council members to rotate chairing various 

positions to have a better understanding of the overall functions of the Council. They are 

as follows:

Jim Brett – Vice Chair

Billy Altom –Governance Representative

Wendy Harbour – Financial Representative

Mr. Romano added that he’s decided to create an ad hoc committee which will be cochaired by Rabia Belt and Andres Gallegos will ensure that the Council continue to have 

successes we have had with a better representation of people with minorities of our 

community.

Mr. Romano reported the following:

• Bioethics report is a success with positive feedback from HHS, Capitol Hill and 

people outside of government;

• ADA 30th Anniversary celebration scheduled for July 26th at the Kennedy Center;

• Visit to Spain to organization called Once the premier disability organization in 

Europe;

• The Council has engaged the Henry Shrine Foundation about educating American 

doctors and dentists about their responsibilities under the ADA;

• The medical community has agreed to work with NCD though an MOU;

• NCD will review materials from the medical community and goal is for NCD to 

communicate to the medical professionals in the US and Canada;

• Progress within the dental community regarding care for people with intellectual 

disabilities;

• Finalized tour on 14c
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Executive Director’s Report

Ms. Grubb reported the following:

• Recognized staff for their hard work;

• Ms. Durocher and the policy team for the work on the bioethics report;

• Progress report with focus on employment;

• Finalization of the Dearborn Medical Equipment Project;

• Audit completion with no deficiencies;

• Chair to appoint subgroups for ADA event (programming and outreach)

Finance Report

Mr. Keith Woods reported that the Council’s current budget stands at $3,350,000 which 

includes $100,000 increase currently though December 31. Mr. Woods stated the 

following:

• Update of funds raised for ADA event;

• $218,000 budgeted for research projects;

• $100,000 for cybersecurity

MOTION: Wendy Harbour moved to accept the Finance Committee Report. 

SECONDED: Rabia Belt

Roll Call Vote:

Neil Romano, Chairman 

Billy Altom: Aye

James Brett: Aye 

Andres Gallego: Aye 

Benro Ogunyipe: Aye

Clyde Terry: Aye

Rabia Belt: Aye

Wendy Harbour: Aye

MOTION: Jim Brett called for a second vote to accept the status of funds ending 

December 31, 2019.

 

SECONDED: Rabia Belt

Roll Call Vote:

Neil Romano, Chairman 

Billy Altom: Aye

James Brett: Aye 

Andres Gallegos: Aye 

Benro Ogunyipe: Aye

Clyde Terry: Aye

Rabia Belt: Aye
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Wendy Harbour: Aye

Policy Report

Ms. Durocher and Ms. Grubb presented proposed projects to the Council for a vote. 

• Medical discrimination against children with disabilities;

• Employment;

• Technology;

• state accessible medical equipment project;

• Acquiring complex rehabilitation technology equipment;

• Designation of persons with disabilities as medically under-served health disparity 

population;

• section 504 compliance; 

• selective placement program coordinators in the federal government

• access to opioids for people with disabilities;

• strategies to support employment of college graduates with disabilities;

• update to housing report;

• bioethics report

• treatment of severe mental illness in children

• treatment of immigrant children with disabilities with chronic health needs

• that there has been one approved vote electronically since the last Council meeting 

on the bioethics report with four approval votes and no votes from five Council 

members and one abstained.

Governance Report

Mr. Altom asked that the Council approve the minutes that was included in the packets.

MOTION: Billy Altom asked for a motion to accept the minutes from the executive 

committee meetings.

 

SECONDED: Rabia Belt

Roll Call Vote:

Neil Romano, Chairman 

Billy Altom: Aye

James Brett: Aye 

Andres Gallego: Aye 

Benro Ogunyipe: Aye

Clyde Terry: Aye

Rabia Belt: Aye

Wendy Harbour: Aye

Legislative Report

Ms. Anne Sommers reported the following:

• Expected new hire mid-February;
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• Jim Brett’s placement of 2 op-eds since NCD’s last meeting;

• International disability rights and accessible voting recommendations;

• Three briefings on bioethics;

• Series of outreach activities since August Council meeting;

• Congressional briefing on assistive suicide;

• Convened an interagency meeting on ABLE;

• Stakeholders meeting at the request of two hill offices regarding single use plastic 

bans

Mary Lamielle, Executive Director, National Center for Environmental Health 

Strategies, Inc.

Ms. Lamielle spoke on various issues that affect those with environmental sensitivities 

they were as follows:

• Spoke on the natural of one’s disability;

• Importance of healthy indoor environmental quality;

• Review of federal recognition of chemical intolerances and recommendations for 

actions;

• Electrical hypersensitivity reacting to electromagnetic fields from devices and 

frequencies (i.e. electrical appliances, cordless phones, cell phones, Smart Phones, 

meters);

• Chemical and fragrances intolerances;

Ms. Lamielle supports someone with expertise on environmental illness and intolerance 

to the Council and for it to be addressed in its progress report in consultation with 

members of the community and propose, support legislative initiative in consultation 

with members of our community.

Roger Severino, Director of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services

Mr. Severino stated this the department is alignment with the initiatives of the Council. 

He stated that his office has gotten involved with Oregon who has agreed to change 

their policies instruments such as IQ test which were found discriminatory against 

people with disabilities telling them they are not worthy to be parents because they are 

disabled.

Mr. Severino stated that the Council’s reports is the data and arguments which has 

empowered the OCR to do its work to help people with disabilities. He stated that OCR 

will be conducting outreach and will work with the Council to get the word out about the 

Council’s reports and what OCR can do. 

MOTION: Billy Altom asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting.

 
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SECONDED: Benro Ogunyipe

Roll Call Vote:

Neil Romano, Chairman 

Billy Altom: Aye

James Brett: Aye 

Andres Gallegos: Aye 

Benro Ogunyipe: Aye

Clyde Terry: Aye

Rabia Belt: Aye

Wendy Harbour: Aye

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting adjourned at 12:00 p.m.

Date Approved by the Council: May 18, 2020

Signature 

Neil Romano, Chairman

Printed Name