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In addition to keeping you up to date on the National Organization on Disability's most recent developments, the N.O.D. web site provides you with the latest in disability-related news, information and resources.
Survey on Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities
Emergency Preparedness InitiativeSurvey Reveals Gaps In Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities

A recent Harris Interactive survey, commissioned by N.O.D., of emergency managers in states and large, mid-size and small cities throughout the nation, indicates that more can be done to incorporate the needs of people with disabilities in emergency planning.

The survey found that while 69% of emergency managers said they had incorporated the needs of people with disabilities into their emergency plans, only 54% of these managers had plans for dealing with schools for students with disabilities; 50% did not have a special needs registry that includes people with disabilities; 59% did not have plans for pediatric populations; and 76% did not have a paid expert to deal with emergency preparedness for people with disabilities.

The final report and detailed results from the N.O.D. Emergency Preparedness Survey are now available on our web site.

Disability and the 2004 Presidential Election
 People with Disabilities Give Unprecedented Support to President Bush

In a dramatic shift in support toward a Republican presidential candidate, a clear majority of voters with disabilities chose President George W. Bush over Senator John Kerry in last week�s national election.

According to a survey conducted by telephone between October 29 and November 1, 2004 by Harris Interactive�, likely voters with disabilities preferred Bush over Kerry by 52.5 percent to 46 percent. One percent of likely voters with disabilities preferred Ralph Nader.


Barriers Restrict Voting by People with Disabilities

Twenty-one percent of U.S. adults with disabilities�representing more than eight million potential voters�say they have been unable to vote in Presidential or Congressional elections due to barriers faced either at, or in getting to, the polls, according to a reccent Harris Interactive survey commissioned by N.O.D.

U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities
United Nations logoHuman Rights for the Disabled

In this op-ed piece, which appeared in the November 3, 2004 issue of the Washington Post, N.O.D. President Alan Reich and former U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh express their support for the proposed U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, which would provide international guidelines for protecting the human rights of over 600 million people with disabilities from around the world.

Christopher Reeve Passes Away at Age 52
N.O.D. Vice Chairman Christopher ReeveN.O.D. Pays Tribute to Vice Chairman Christopher Reeve

We at the National Organization on Disability join Christopher�s legion of admirers in mourning the loss of our Vice Chairman and extend our heartfelt condolences to his remarkable wife, Dana, and his entire family.

Without question, Christopher was the role model, the inspiration of our generation, not only for the 54 million Americans with disabilities and for the half billion people with disabilities worldwide but also for all. Christopher daily demonstrated that we all can rise above whatever challenge we are dealt to lead meaningful lives.

Conference on Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities
DHS Secretary Tom RidgeFull House, Inspiring Keynote from Ridge, and Pledges to Work Together Mark N.O.D.'s First Emergency Preparedness Conference

With registration full at 400 people and late registrants regrettably having to be turned away, the first Conference on Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities took place on September 22 to 24 in Arlington, VA.

The Keynote Speaker, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, launched the conference on Wednesday afternoon, saying, "We know that preparing before emergencies works. It saves lives." Secretary Ridge continued, "Today, we are gathering to discuss a specific type of emergency preparedness � the particular and specific needs of people with disabilities. While all Americans face difficulties during emergencies, people with disabilities and their families face a number of unique and difficult challenges."

The Conference report and other Conference materials will be available on the N.O.D. web site in the near future. Please check back with us periodically for updates. In the meantime:

 View webcasts from the Conference at tvworldwide.com

Read Secretary Ridge's remarks at the Conference
View the Conference schedule
View the list of Conference Exhibitors, with links to their web sites

Our Programs

Community Partnership Program (CPP) - Helping mayors and their communities to become disability-friendly
Accessible America Award - Recognizing America's most disability-friendly communities
National Partnership Program (NPP) - Partnering with major organizations to carry out disability programs
CEO Council - Recognizing CEOs and companies committed to the employment of people with disabilities
Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI) - Ensuring inclusion of disability issues in preparedness planning
N.O.D./Harris Surveys - Gathering benchmark data on state of disability in America
Religion and Disability Program - Encouraging faith communities to remove barriers to full religious participation
World Committee on Disability - Strengthening the U.N. World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons
FDR International Disability Award - Recognizing nations' progress toward expanding disability participation
Start on Success (SOS) - Providing paid internships to high school students with disabilities
FDR Wheelchair Statue Campaign - Celebrating FDR's source of strength: his disability

Headlines
John Williams' Column: New Freedom Initiative Award Recipients Exemplify Excellence in Valuing People with Disabilities
Date: November 23, 2004
During a recent emotional and moving ceremony nine individuals representing the business and non-profit sectors received the Third Annual New Freedom Initiative Award from U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao. Started in 2001, the award recognizes exemplary and innovative efforts to train, recruit and employ people with disabilities.

"Doonesbury" Brings Intensity of Soldiers' Sacrifice to the Nation
Date: October 15, 2004
N.O.D. Board Member Robert David Hall praises cartoonist Gary Trudeau for shedding light on disability in his comic strip, "Doonesbury". In recent issues of the strip, Trudeau tells the story of B.D., a former football player, coach, and Army Reserve Lieutenant who was dispatched to Iraq in the strip last year. Injured in combat, the fictional B.D. loses a leg, and is shipped back to Ward 57 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where he learns to cope with life after his injury.

Peter Blanck to Deliver Keynote at Inaugural Thornburgh Family Lecture Series in Disability Law and Policy at University of Pittsburgh
Date: September 30, 2004
On October 14, 2004 at the University of Pittsburgh, the inaugural Thornburgh Family Lecture Series in Disability Law and Policy will feature a keynote address by Peter Blanck, the Charles M. and Marion Kierscht Professor of Law and professor of psychology and public health at the University of Iowa, director of the Law, Health Policy, and Disability Center at the Iowa College of law, and a member of the N.O.D. Board of Directors.

N.O.D. Salutes Senator Arlen Specter in New York, Calls on National Leaders to Prioritize Disabilities
Date: September 1, 2004
On September 1, 2004, during an event honoring legislative leaders during the Republican National Convention in New York City, N.O.D. presented an award to Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, for his leadership and support of disability issues. Co-sponsored by 17 national disability organizations, the event is the second half of a program along with a ceremony during the Democratic National Convention in Boston on July 26. At that event, N.O.D. honored Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI).

Diary of a Courageous Life
Date: August 9, 2004
N.O.D. Board Member Brooke Ellison is the subject of an upcoming film on A&E; Television, entitled The Brooke Ellison Story. The film, which chronicles Brooke's life after her accident at age 11, was directed by none other than N.O.D. Vice Chairman Christopher Reeve. In this article, Brooke shares her thoughts while visiting the set of the film in New Orleans this summer.

N.O.D. Honored by DHS for its Efforts in Security Screening of Persons with Disabilities
Date: July 29, 2004
On Thursday, July 29, 2004, the National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) was honored by the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration (TSA) "in appreciation for steadfast commitment in the establishment and sustainment of TSA's Screening of Persons with Disabilities Program". TSA's Screening of Persons with Disabilities Program serves the dual purposes of increasing the effectiveness of security screening of people with disabilities and their equipment in all modes of transport, and ensuring that such screening is conducted in a manner sensitive to the unique needs and circumstances of all persons with disabilities.

N.O.D. Salutes Congressman Jim Langevin at ADA Anniversary Event
Date: July 26, 2004
The National Organization on Disability presented a Jefferson Cup Award to Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) in Boston on Monday, July 26, 2004, at an event marking the 14th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. N.O.D., the American Association of People with Disabilities and fifteen other national sponsors celebrated the ADA's anniversary with a special "Salute to Leaders" ceremony at WGBH Studios.

2004 N.O.D./Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities
Date: June 25, 2004
Americans with disabilities are at a critical disadvantage compared to other Americans in ten key areas of life, according to the 2004 National Organization on Disability/Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities, released in Washington on June 24. Continuing a trend, the survey found slow and modest progress in the indicators, which Harris has tracked since 1986. See our press release, view key findings from the survey, and read testimony from the June 24 Congressional hearing, where the results of the survey were presented.


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