Quarterly Meeting

July 24, 2020

Via teleconference

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ATTENDANCE

Members Staff

Neil Romano, Chairman Lisa Grubb, Executive Director

Billy Altom Keith Woods

Jim Baldwin Netterie Lewis

James Brett Nick Sabula

Rabia Belt Amy Nicholas

Benro Ogunyipe Ana Torres-Davis

Clyde Terry Joan Durocher

Andres Gallegos Anne Sommers

Wendy Harbour Amged Soliman

Stacey Brown

NCD Contractors

Anthony Simpson Guests

Kadedra Walters Gina Kline, Brown, Goldstein, Levy

A. Welcome and Call to Order

Chairman Romano called the meeting to order at 10:00 AM and welcomed Council 

members, staff and the public.

B. Roll Call

Chairman Romano conducted a roll call of Council members and staff 

C. Acceptance of the agenda

MOTION: Chairman Romano moved to accept the agenda of the July quarterly 

meeting. 

SECONDED: Rabia Belt

Roll Call Vote:

Neil Romano, Chairman: Aye

Billy Altom: Aye

James Brett: Aye 

Jim Baldwin: Aye

Rabia Belt: Aye

Benro Ogunyipe: Aye 

Clyde Terry: Aye

Andres Gallegos: Aye

Wendy Harbour: Aye
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D. Acceptance of May 2020 Council Meeting Minutes

MOTION: Mr. Clyde Terry moved to accept the agenda of the May quarterly meeting. 

SECONDED: Rabia Belt

Roll Call Vote:

Neil Romano, Chairman: Aye

Billy Altom: Aye

James Brett: Aye 

Jim Baldwin: Aye

Rabia Belt: Aye

Benro Ogunyipe: Aye 

Clyde Terry: Aye

Andres Gallegos: Aye

Wendy Harbour: Aye

E. Chairman’s Report

Mr. Romano gave a highlight of activities that are underway. They were as follows:

• NCD placed in public notice a funding opportunity that examines the CARES Act. 

He stated that a letter was sent to the Department of Defense in regard to 

centralized accommodation fund, as well as issuing a statement regarding direct 

state professional and COVID-19 hospital rules;

• June 2nd NCD issues a statement of solidarity for victims of police violence;

• June 11th NCD applauded health and human services, Office of Civil Rights and the 

governor of Connecticut for resolving discriminatory non-visitation policy for people 

with disabilities occurring due to COVID-19 issues;

• June 25th the Council sent a letter to the Department of Justice on voting concerns 

for people with disabilities;

• July 2nd, he stated that he issued a statement on the death of Michael Hickson;

• July 8th NCD published the pre-solicitation notice of funding opportunities and 

lessons learned from COVID-19 broad scale impact on people with disabilities;

• July 9th the Council launched a campaign celebrating the 30-anniversary of the ADA;

• July 13th, NCD published a fact sheet on voting accessibility for people with 

disabilities;

• Participated in numerous interviews on behalf of the Council

Chairman Romano stated as the Council moves forward, it becomes more important to 

realize that the Council’s responsibility is to how people with disabilities are treated as 

well how all are treated.

F. Executive Director’s Report

Ms. Grubb reported the following:
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• NCD has been monitoring and advising to ensure the rights of people with 

disabilities are included in all discussions in response to COVID-19;

• Meetings are continuing with the Chairman and other agencies to discuss return-towork plans;

• Budget meetings are continuing, discussing the operation and agency going forward;

• The federal government continues to aggressively respond to COVID-19 and NCD 

will continue to respond in a manner that ensures the safety of its employees while 

ensuring the mission of crucial work that the Council continues;

• NCD will remain in a voluntary telework status for the foreseeable future;

• NCD’s budget continues to change in response to COVID-19;

• The Progress and the Ability One Reports have been finalized and will be released 

soon;

• The Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment project is underway;

• Reviewers are working with for the Puerto Rico project; 

• The Medicaid reimbursement; and 

• The Progress Report 2021 focusing on COVID-19 is in progress.

G. Finance Report

Ms. Harbour reported that the Council’s budget is constantly being monitored and 

adjusted due to the pandemic. As reported at the last quarterly meeting, the agency 

had a savings of $90,000 which has been allocated to projects approved by the Council 

as well as being compliant to required cybersecurity issues.

Mr. Woods reported the Council has spent $2,401,000 to date. The Council has 

approved in the May meeting move with the website, Listserv and 2021 progress report.

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

SECONDED: Ms. Rabia Belt

Roll Call Vote:

Neil Romano, Chairman: Aye

Billy Altom: Aye

James Brett: Aye 

Andres Gallego: Aye 

Benro Ogunyipe: Aye

Clyde Terry: Aye

Jim Baldwin: Aye

Rabia Belt: Aye

Wendy Harbour: Aye

H. Governance Committee Report
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Mr. Billy Altom stated the Governance Committee had electronic votes on the 2020 

progress report and the transmittal letter were unanimously approved. In June there 

was a vote on the finance policy and procedures manual and on July 1st there was a 

vote on the AbilityOne Report. met with the Executive Committee to discuss the ADA 

event being canceled and the reallocation of the $310,000.

MOTION: Mr. Altom accept the Governance Report. 

SECONDED: Ms. Rabia Belt

Roll Call Vote:

Neil Romano, Chairman: Aye

Billy Altom: Aye

James Brett: Aye 

Andres Gallego: Aye 

Benro Ogunyipe: Aye

Clyde Terry: Aye

Jim Baldwin: Aye

Rabia Belt: Aye

Wendy Harbour: Aye

I. Legislative Affairs Report

Ms. Anne Sommers reported on the following:

• Social media campaign for 30th Anniversary of ADA and encourage people to 

express their love for the ADA in a 30 words video or audio; the LAO team will unveil 

historic video; 

• Commended Nick for his many runs to the office to gather videos and boxes of 

photos containing the history of ADA and digitalizing it all;

• NCD released a statement regarding the passing of Michael Hickson which was 

picked up by many media outlets including medical ethics bloggers and 

congressional offices who reached out to NCD and what we knew and how they 

could be more involved and be supportive of NCD’s call on OCR to investigate that 

situation;

• NCD put out statements of solidarity for victims of police violence and direct 

professional role and their role during the pandemic;

• COVID stimulus bill being pursued and negotiated in the Senate; House version 

passed in May and is referred to as the HEROES Act;

• The HEREOS Act will strengthen the Medicaid program by enhancing federal share 

of spending and state budget;

• Increases would apply to waiver services for adult day and assisted living and home 

health personal care and pay;
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• HCBS provision in the HEROES Act will include a HEROES fund which will be 

created to provide a premium level of support for essential workers and will also 

include health and other in person workers.

Ms. Sommers reported in regarding the education fund, a group of democratic senators 

have been pursuing a $12 billion earmark for students with disabilities. Such funds will 

be set aside to pay for tutors, aids, special education assessments, technology and 

other measures that would help students who are in special education.

Ms. Sommers stated at $11 million grant has been earmarked for IDEA which will be for 

infants and toddlers with disabilities in schools as well as an additional unspecified 

amount for training of teachers that need to improve their online skills on educating 

students with disabilities.

Ms. Sommers said the LAO team received a report that an amendment in early May 

was going to be pursued in the House to increase the contract set aside in the 

Department of Defense through the National Defense Authorization Act at an increase 

from &.2% and the contract set aside for AbilityOne. 

Ms. Sommers stated on May 26th the LAO team with assistance from colleague Amy 

Nicholas provided a briefing to the House Arm Services Committee staff and we 

provided the team with health on service staffers and answered questions based on 

NCD’s research done on the AbilityOne program.

Ms. Sommers stated that NCD was given committee report language two fiscal years 

ago that required for the agency to plan an interagency coordinating role regarding 

achieving the Better Life Experience Act or ABLE Act.

Ms. Sommers stated that NCD staff will be promoting its bioethics report at the National 

Council on Independent Living annual conference which will be virtual this year. NCD 

will be presenting on three of its bioethics reports which will include organ transplant 

discrimination, the danger of assisted suicide laws and futility policy regarding 

healthcare.

J. Policy Report

Ms. Joan Durocher reported the following:

• Bioethics team and Chairman weighed in on COVID related issues for people with 

disabilities;

• Awards of the Medicaid project and Medicaid Reimbursement project and starting 

the award process as well as scheduling the pre-award meeting;

• Release of 2020 Progress Report in July which focuses on employment;

• Kickoff of 2021 Progress Report solicitation which will focus on COVID-19 and its 

effects on people with disabilities;
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• Wrap of AbilityOne Project with a possible release in October 2020;

• Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment Project with a wrap up by Fall 2020.

K. Remarks from the Chairman

Chairman Romano reported the White House announced President Trump’s intent to 

nominate Mary G. Vought and Daniel C. Shrek as council members. He added that the 

Council says goodbye to Wendy Harbour and Clyde Terry and commended them on 

their work on behalf of the Council and people with disabilities.

L. Release of 2020 Progress Report

Ms. Ana Torres-Davis introduced Ms. Gina Kline, Brown, Goldstein and Levy and lead 

researcher of NCD’s 2020 Progress Report.

Ms. Torres-Davis stated that Ms. Klein is nationally acclaimed for her litigation and 

policy work and a treasure of knowledge on disability employment.

Ms. Kline highlighted what the report would entail. They were as follows:

• There are a vast amount of people who have been counted out of work on the basis 

of disability who should not have been; there are many that are qualified to work and 

given the rapid advancement in accommodations, technology, new found workplace 

flexibilities, but now requires support and access to those innovations that are 

necessary to enter the competitive marketplace;

• Strong incentive to work;

• Efforts to engage employers in recruiting and hiring people with disabilities; inflection 

point of macroeconomic transition in this country. People with disabilities remain 

vastly underrepresented in the occupation projected to grow the fastest in the 

coming decades;

Ms. Kline stated that report can be best described in four areas that are critical to 

increasing the ability of Americans with disabilities to work. They are as follows:

• Transition age from youth nationwide and the need for increased skills training. 

Coordination between systems and employment related services and support;

• Public benefits. The need to dismantle disincentive to work that are inherent in the 

Social Security Act and the Medicaid Act.

• Federal employment and the need for support of entrepreneurship; including the 

continued challenges for recruiting and hiring people with targeted disabilities;
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• Employer engagement and its role in opening government and private sector 

employment opportunities that includes public-private partnership initiative to engage 

and hire people with disabilities.

M. Adjournment

MOTION: Mr. Romano moved to adjourn the Council meeting. 

SECONDED: Mr. Billy Altom

Roll Call Vote:

Neil Romano, Chairman: Aye

Billy Altom: Aye

James Brett: Aye 

Andres Gallego: Aye 

Benro Ogunyipe: Aye

Clyde Terry: Aye

Jim Baldwin: Aye

Rabia Belt: Aye

Wendy Harbour: Aye

The meeting adjourned at 12:00 p.m.

Date Approved by the Council: November 19, 2020

Signature 

Neil Romano

Printed Name