National Council on Independent Living 2014 Annual Council Meeting Wednesday, July 30, 2014; 2:30 PM Eastern Independence Ballroom; Grand Hyatt Washington Agenda & Resolutions Please note the times for nominations and elections are estimated and may occur earlier or later than stated in the agenda. The Member At-Large nominations and elections will occur immediately after the results of the Officer elections are announced. 2:30 pm Call to Order & Welcome - Lou Ann Kibbee 2:35 pm Announcement of the Elected Regional Representatives for Even-Numbered Regions - Lou Ann Kibbee 2:40 pm Review of Nomination & Election Procedures - Pat Puckett 2:45 pm Nominations for Vice-President, Secretary, and Diversity Chair - Pat Puckett A. Nominations Posted B. Nominations from the Floor 2:55 pm Candidates' Speeches 3:10 pm Balloting for Officers 3:30 pm Proposed Resolution on SSA Definition of Disability 3:45 pm Proposed Resolution on Minimum Funding Level for CILs 4:00 pm Reports A. President - Lou Ann Kibbee B. Executive Director - Kelly Buckland C. Vice President - Mark Derry D. Treasurer - Roger Howard E. Secretary - Pat Puckett F. Regional Reps - Maureen Ryan G. Diversity - Stan Holbrook 4:15 pm Results of Officer Elections - Lou Ann Kibbee 4:20 pm Nominations for Member At-Large - Pat Puckett A. Nominations Posted B. Nominations from the Floor 4:25 pm Candidates' Speeches 4:40 pm Balloting for Member At-Large 5:00 pm Acknowledgement of NCIL's Committees and Subcommittees - Mark Derry 5:10 pm Old Business, New Business, & Announcements - Lou Ann Kibbee 5:20 pm Results of Member At-Large Elections - Lou Ann Kibbee 5:30 pm Adjournment Resolution Regarding Reform of the Definition of Disability in the Social Security Act Used to Award Disability Benefits Whereas, studies show that working age people with disabilities want to work and they do work; and Whereas, the efforts to acquire and retain gainful employment are fundamental to a realization of full independence, equality and civic participation for people with disabilities; and Whereas, NCIL is already engaged in seeking a redefinition of disability for young SSI beneficiaries through the CareerACCESS Initiative (www.ourcareerACCESS.org); and Whereas, "disability" under the Social Security Act is defined as the inability to execute significant paid physical or mental labor, and whereas individuals must go through an extensive process to prove their inability to work as a stipulation for Social Security disability benefits eligibility; and Whereas, the process for proving inability to work is more extensive in the case of SSDI than in SSI, because of the extra scrutiny of an applicant's work history; and Whereas, for the last 20 years, only one half of a percent of Social Security disability beneficiaries have annually left the disability rolls for paid employment; and Whereas, the 1999 Ticket to work and Work Incentives Improvement Act, which created the Ticket to Work Program, has produced poor results over the last 15 years in enabling Social Security beneficiaries to seek and obtain gainful employment; and Whereas, SSDI already involves many financial disincentives to work such as the SGA Benefit Threshold, also known as the Cash Cliff, which involves a complete termination of SSDI benefits after 12 months in which the recipient has been earning $1070 a month as someone with a disability, or $1800 a month as someone who is blind; and Whereas, SSDI recipients can spend years focusing on their inability to work, while their motivation, self-esteem and work experience dwindle; and, Whereas, an individual's likelihood of returning to work decreases with the passage of time: Be it therefore resolved, that NCIL collaborate with the Social Security Administration, stakeholders and policymakers in finding a definition of disability which does not disincentivize any disability beneficiaries from seeking employment, while ensuring that the system supports and serves those it was intended to serve; and Resolved, that NCIL advocate for an integrated redefinition of disability in the Social Security Act for SSDI as well as SSI beneficiaries, to eliminate the need for individuals to prove their inability to work in order to receive benefits; and Resolved, that NCIL push for improvements to the CareerACCESS Initiative to address youth who receive SSDI benefits as well as SSI benefits; and Resolved, that NCIL continue to change intrinsic ideas and values around safety net and social service programs like In Home Supportive Services (IHSS), personal assistance services (PAS), Social Security and paratransit to emphasize peoples abilities and contributions rather than our inabilities; and Resolved, that while individuals with disabilities may receive messages about their perceived inabilities to work from teachers, parents, family, friends, local communities, pastors, peers, social workers, doctors and members of the general public, NCIL staff and board will make every effort to send positive messages that people with disabilities are fully capable of successful careers. Resolved, that NCIL continue to collaborate with the Social Security Administration, stakeholders, and federal and state policymakers to reform SSDI and SSI for persons with disabilities who seek employment. This resolution is endorsed by: California Foundation for Independent Living Centers PolicyWorks Inc. World Institute on Disability NCIL Resolution Analysis Name of Resolution: Resolution Regarding Reform of the Definition of Disability in the Social Security Act Used to Award Disability Benefits Submitted by: California Foundation for Independent Living Centers PolicyWorks Inc. World Institute on Disability Brief Summary: The purpose of this resolution is to ultimately change the social security definitions of disability for SSI and SSDI so as to remove the requirement that one "prove inability to work" and to remove disincentives to employment. Consistency with and Impact on NCIL's Mission: Consistent with NCIL's Mission with no impact. Impact on NCIL Resources (Financial and Staff): No impact on NCIL resources at this time. Assuming the Employment Committee does a good deal of the work, there should be no impact on NCIL resources. Consistency with and Impact on NCIL's Guiding Principles and Values: The resolution is consistent with NCIL's Guiding Principles and Values with no impact. Legal Implications, Consistency with and Impact on NCIL By-Laws and SOPs: No impact on NCIL Bylaws or SOP's. Resolution in Support of APRIL's Efforts to Increase Base Funding for Centers for Independent Living Whereas, more than a decade and a half ago, a national effort was undertaken to establish a funding benchmark necessary to operate a Center for Independent Living that was adequately carrying out the duties and responsibilities spelled out in Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act; and Whereas, that work in the mid 1990's resulted in about 80% (see Note 1) of the states having set a "base funding" benchmark of $250,000 for their Centers before any funds are directed toward the development of a new Center (Note 1: Operationalizing Effective SILC’s: A Publication of SILC-NET, a Program of the IL-NET National Training and Technical Assistance Project); and Whereas, a minimum of $250,000 to deliver the four core services in proportion and with quality, across a multi-county or multi-region service area is no longer adequate; and Whereas, an examination of methods used to determine inflationary impacts over time, show that the purchasing power of $250,000 in 1995 requires significantly more money in 2012 (the latest year in which the calculations are available) with the current value of $250,000 using the Measuring Worth calculator (measuringworth.com) ranging from $377,000 using the Consumer Price Index to $530,000 using the relative share of Gross Domestic Product; and Whereas, APRIL engaged in a nationwide survey of Centers for Independent Living in late 2013 and early 2014 using a process and instrument consistent with those used in the mid-1990s; and Whereas, the results of that process and analysis of the data set of both rural and urban Centers from varying parts of the country show a minimum base funding standard in 2014 is $570,000; BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED: the National Council on Independent Living supports APRIL's efforts and activities related to the importance and increase of base funding for Centers for Independent Living; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: The National Council on Independent Living will communicate this position to the membership and to all appropriate policy-making bodies. Submitted by: Arctic Access The Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living NCIL Resolution Analysis Name of Resolution: Resolution in Support of APRIL's Efforts to Increase Base Funding for Centers for Independent Living Submitted by: Arctic Access The Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living Brief Summary: This resolution asks that NCIL support APRIL's efforts and activities related to the importance and increase of base funding for Centers for Independent Living; and communicate this position to the membership and to all appropriate policy-making bodies. Consistency with and Impact on NCIL's Mission: This resolution is consistent with NCIL's mission. Impact on NCIL Resources (Financial and Staff): Minimal to no impact on NCIL resources at this time. Assuming the relevant Subcommittees does a good deal of the work, there should be very little if any impact on NCIL financial or staff resources. Consistency with and Impact on NCIL's Guiding Principles and Values: This resolution is consistent with NCIL's Guiding Principles and Values Legal Implications, Consistency with and Impact on NCIL By-Laws and SOPs: There are no known legal implications or adverse impact on by-laws or SOPs.