NCIL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH BARRIERS TASK FORCE
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND GOALS

May 16, 2011

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The NCIL Environmental Health Barriers Task Force examines how NCIL can advocate on a national level for action to address access barriers for people with chemical, electrical and other environmental sensitivities. The main focus of the task force is the impact on people with disabilities that involve chemical or electrical sensitivities and how developing technologies are impacting all people with disabilities and the public, in general. The task force will focus on preventing and/or removing access barriers that impact people with disabilities, such as multiple chemical sensitivity and electrical sensitivity. The task force will also identify ways to share information, resources and educational materials about these disabilities.

GOALS OF THE TASK FORCE

The initial goals of this task force are to:

1) Provide education and training about disabilities that involve chemical, electrical, and other  environmental sensitivities

• Educate the NCIL membership about the complex issues of chemical, electrical and other environmental sensitivities and the steps necessary to address the issues of access and accommodations, health, and isolation that are specific to this disability community. This would include education about the need for NCIL and the NCIL philosophy to support the unique circumstances and needs of people with these disabilities.
  
  
• Help update the ILNet training titled, “Understanding & Accommodating People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity in Independent Living” and distribute this widely among CILs, SILCs and other Independent Living Movement organizations.
  
  
• Develop educational materials and trainings that address chemical and electrical sensitivities and other unaddressed or under-addressed environmental sensitivities with an emphasis on preventing or removing these barriers. The task force will work to ensure that Universal Design incorporates the access needs of people with these disabilities.

2)  Advocate for the civil rights of people with chemical, electrical, and other environmental sensitivities:

• Work with and build coalitions to advocate for legislation, regulations, guidelines, and building codes that prevent and remove barriers, and that protect the rights of people with disabilities that involve chemical, electrical, and other environmental sensitivities.
  
  
• Empower consumer-driven advocacy regarding the rights and needs of people with these disabilities.
  
  
• Help integrate this information throughout NCIL, NCIL subcommittees and where possible through related disability advocacy organizations.

HISTORY

The Environmental Health Barriers Task Force was formed in response to the concern expressed by NCIL members that there was not enough awareness about these disabilities and the barriers to full participation of these individuals within NCIL. The task force was formed  in October 2010, under the NCIL ADA/Civil Rights Subcommittee, as a result of action by the NCIL Governing Board in July 2010, during the 2010 Annual Conference.

DEFINITION OF CHEMICAL, ELECTRICAL, AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITIES

These disabilities can stem from acute injury or chronic exposures to chemicals, mold, radiation, electromagnetic fields, radio frequency, and other exposures. After initial injury from an acute or prolonged low level exposure, the individual disabilities range in severity and can be debilitating. Many such conditions involve substantial adverse health effects. 

Once affected, individuals react to very low levels of substances and products which often impair their ability to function, thereby substantially limiting major life activities.

CONTEXT

Advances by the chemical and electronic technology industries have integrated toxins, radio frequency radiation and electromagnetic fields into almost every aspect of daily life, including housing, healthcare, work, school, recreation, transportation and worship. Some instances of these come from cell phones, broadcast transmission towers and smart meters.

These advances in technologies across this wide spectrum have outpaced statutory regulation of these industries. Little, if any testing for chronic health effects occurs before products enter the market.  Efforts to bring updated regulation into place will not only remove access barriers for those with disabilities sensitive to such chemical and electronic technologies but protect the general population in the long run. Failure to properly test and regulate the advancement of technology places society in general at risk of falling victim to unknown factors.

Technology has advanced faster than statutes and regulations. Because of this, federal authorities and industry experts have not had the necessary latitude or direction to keep up with the effects of developing technologies. A major area of concern is the lack of awareness in large segments of government, industry and the medical community concerning short and long term medical effects of developing technologies. This lack of awareness greatly restricts the abilities of people with these types of disabilities from:

• receiving insurable, accessible, affordable, and appropriate medical care;
  
  
• achieving reasonable accommodations in housing, employment, education, transportation, and other areas of public access and accommodation; and
  
  
• accessing disability benefits and community supports in the public and private sectors.

CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES

Many people with these disabilities are very isolated from society which further limits their ability to advocate for their rights.

The voices of people with such disabilities in their most severe form are silenced because they do not have access to safe places, communications, utilities, resources, community support or effective treatment. Homelessness, isolation, and the severity to which their bodies have been poisoned and otherwise harmed, commits their energy to basic survival needs.

Environmental barriers are being created through the development of technology and even modern architecture. Many disabilities that do not involve chemical or electrical sensitivities are also affected by modern environments. People with sensory disabilities are often affected negatively by modern architecture and technology through unintended consequences. For example, large fountains at city halls and other public buildings can set up white sound barriers making the independent navigation of a person who is blind difficult and perhaps dangerous.  

Individuals with disabilities face complex cultural, political, and economic issues that affect every aspect of their daily lives. Independence, for people with chemical, electrical and environmental sensitivities, must be defined as including the right to protect oneself from exposure, as well as the right to access buildings, appropriate healthcare, safe housing, equal benefits, and equal participation in community.  A cross-disability voice is needed to address the civil rights issues that uniquely face people with these disabilities.