Skip to main content U.S. flag
          An official website of the United States government
            Here’s how you know
          Here's how you know **The .gov means it’s official.**
                
                Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure
                you’re on a federal government site.
 **The site is secure.**
                
                The **https://** ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
                information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.


NCD Logo
    
    NCD.gov
          National Council on Disability
        An independent federal agency committed to disability policy leadership since 1978
 Menu


close About the Council
              Misson
                
                Council Members
                
                Council Staff
                
                Email Directory
                
                Council Meetings
                
                Feedback
          
        
          
            
            
            Newsroom
            
        
          
            
            Policy Advice
              Letters
                
                Reports
                
                Testimony
                
                Toolkits
                
                Progress Reports
                
                Frameworks
                
                Fact Sheets
                
                Resources
                
                FAQ
          
        
          
            
            Policy Areas
              Civil Rights
                
                CRPD
                
                Cultural Diversity
                
                Education
                
                Emergency Management
                
                Employment
                
                Financial Assistance and Incentives
                
                Health Care
                
                Housing
                
                International
                
                Long Term Services and Support
                
                Technology
                
                Transportation
                
                Youth Perspectives Font Size:
 A
      Font Size Normal
 A
      Font Size Large
 twitter logoTwitter
 instagram logoInstagram
 linkedin logoLinkedIn
 facebook logoFacebook
 youtube logoYoutube
 Contact Us
          
          Accountability Search small
      Search


NCD Reacts to President’s Gun Control Proposals Wednesday, January  6, 2016
 
 **January 6, 2016** In response to the President’s address on proposed executive actions regarding gun control, the National Council on Disability (NCD) –an independent nonpartisan federal agency that provides counsel to the President, Congress and other federal agencies regarding disability policy – expresses continued concern regarding any future rulemaking effort to link one’s need for a representative payee to manage Social Security benefits with the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) and cautions the Social Security Administration and Department of Justice to narrowly construe any such effort so as to preclude expansion through regulation of those who are prevented from purchasing guns. Including anyone beyond those who are currently prohibited from gun purchase under existing law in such an effort would advance an inaccurate and discriminatory inference that equates the need for assistance in managing finances with a presumption of incapacity in other areas of life. Selection of a representative payee should not lead to the curtailment of constitutional rights. NCD is heartened by the proposal to increase by $500 million the nation’s investment in mental health services, and urge that its application be toward resources and services that advance community-based mental health care that safeguards human dignity and respects individual autonomy. And although the President was careful to correctly note that people with mental illness are more likely to be the victims of a crime rather than perpetrators of it and that gun deaths by suicide claims the lives of far too many people with mental illness who are in crisis, the conflation of mental health disabilities and gun violence continues as a dangerous myth, which in each instance of its use, exacerbates harmful stereotypes about mental health disabilities and increases the level of stigma associated with seeking and receiving mental health treatment. As an agency whose mission is focused on enhancing the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and their families, it is important to note that NCD takes no position with respect to many of the often debated issues around the availability of guns in our society. However, linking the need for a representative payee with a presumption of incapacity to exercise any right sets a dangerous precedent that undermines the goals of the ADA: equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. NCD will pursue meetings with both the Social Security Administration and the Department of Justice prior to their promulgation of proposed rules, and looks forward to carefully advising both agencies in line with our mission. # # #


Budget and Performance Congressional Budget Justification
            
            Financial Audits
            
            Buy American Act
            
            Government Performance and Results Act
 Resources Bylaws
            
            Strategic Plan
            
            Authorizing Statute
 Agency Governance News
            
            FOIA
            
            Contact NCD
            
            Subscribe for NCD News
 Policies / Statements No FEAR Act Data
            
            Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
            
            View accessibility statement
            
            View Equity Action Plan


twitter logoTwitter
 instagram logoInstagram
 linkedin logoLinkedIn
 facebook logoFacebook
 youtube logoYoutube
 
 Phone


NCD.gov
        An official website of the
          National Council on Disability