disABILITY NEWS-letter

Volume Two, Number Three, October 1992


Presidential candidates present
viewpoints on disability policies
****

President George Bush, Republican

NOTE:  The following is from a packet of materials received in September from the Americans 
With Disabilities division of the national Bush-Quayle '92 campaign office.
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ABOUT ACCESSIBLE/AFFORDABLE HOUSING
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
	"In 1991, the President signed .. the FAIR HOUSING AMENDMENTS ACT which ...
provides Americans with disabilities the same freedom to choose their places of residence as
other citizens."

ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE
---------------------------------------------
	"The President's Comprehensive Health Reform Plan would further enhance access to
affordable health insurance for people with disabilities, and ... would address ... people with
disabilities who are denied health insurance due to pre-existing conditions."

ABOUT PERSONAL ATTENDANT CARE
-------------------------------------------------------------
	"The President strongly supports measures that will enable people with disabilities to
move out of institutions, to live in their homes and to work."

ABOUT GOVERNOR CLINTON'S RECORD ON DISABILITY ISSUES
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
	"Clinton has said very little about the disabled during the course of the Presidential
campaign ... Arkansas has very few laws for the disabled.  The two most recent were passed
in 1989."


****



Governor Bill Clinton, Democrat

NOTE:  The following is a letter, dated September 16, 1992, from presidential candidate
Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas in reply to receiving copies of the November 1991 and
August 1992 editions of disABILITY NEWS-letter.
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	Thank you for writing to me and sending the issues of your newsletter.  I am
committed to helping people with disabilities live the fulfilling and rewarding lives that
all Americans deserve.
	I strongly support the AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA), because
I believe that we must offer disabled Americans a full opportunity to participate in every
aspect of our society.  As President, I will work to insure that this important civil rights
legislation is fully implemented and enforced.
	I will insure that all Americans will be provided with basic health care coverage
-- no one will be denied coverage.  The disabled will have access to comprehensive
long-term care from Medicare, including inexpensive in-home services designed to foster
independence.
	Al Gore and I hope we can count on your support in November.


Sincerely,



Bill Clinton
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FOR MORE INFORMATION!

****
Bush/Quayle '92
1030 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
****

Clinton/Gore
P.O. Box 615
Little Rock, Arkansas 72203
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A *TRUE* DESKTOP PUBLICATION!
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PAGE TWO
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Mini-Interview
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Former HILL RAT says Congress
inattentive to issues about disabilities
****
NOTE:  John L. Jackley, a former aide to United States House of Representative Ron Coleman,
D-El Paso, related his Washington experiences in the 1992 best-selling book HILL RAT.  In a
letter, dated September 9, 1992, Mr. Jackley answered several questions about how Congress
legislates and views public policy matters which affect the handicapped.  The following are
excerpts from his informative letter.
.........................................................................................................................................................

	DID REP. COLEMAN SUPPORT LEGISLATION FOR THE DISABLED?

	"[He] was a strong supporter of legislation such as the AMERICANS WITH
DISABILITIES ACT."


	HOW AWARE WAS CONGRESS DURING YOUR TENURE AS AN AIDE ABOUT
ISSUES AFFECTING THE DISABLED?

	"My general impression is that Members of Congress were not as aware of related
issues such as the lack of health insurance for people with pre-existing conditions.  Successful
legislation such as the ADA is usually forced upon the institution as a whole, and it took a great
deal of education, time, work and effort to get the measure passed.  (In contrast to raising their
own pay from $89,500 to $124,500 in less than 48 hours in late 1989.)"


	HOW DOES CONGRESS REGARD DISABILITY ACTIVIST GROUPS?

	"The degree to which Congress pays attention to the viewpoints of disability
activist groups will depend on the continued efforts of those groups .... I cannot
remember any Member of the House who was disabled while I worked there, with the
possible exception of Rep. Morris Udall of Arizona [who died of Parkinson's Disease].
As a result, there is no one within the institution AND who has the clout of being an elected
member to make these issues a personal priority and to expend personal political capital
accordingly.  Look at the barons of the House -- Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dan
Rostenkowski, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, House Speaker
Tom Foley, Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, the Republican leaders -- they say the right
words and vote the right votes, but Dingell is not expending personal political capital on behalf
of the disabled and neither is ... any of the others."
..........................................................................................................................................................

-----------------------------------
--COPYRIGHT NOTICE--
-----------------------------------
disABILITY NEWS-letter is copyrighted (c) by Gary L. Warren, 3306A Moss Court, Midland,
Texas 79707, (915) 520-2923.  This is Volume Two, Number Three, of October 1992.  This
newsletter, sporadically published since February 1989, comes out as long and as often as
possible.  Text/ASCII editions of this publication such as this one are uploaded to and available
from the disability areas of the Delphi, GEnie and America OnLine computer information
services, as well as many disability-oriented bulletin board services (bbses) around the country.
Subscriptions to and back issues of the paper edition are available for one business-sized,
self-addressed stamped envelope per requested copy.  Artistic and literary contributions about
disability topics are welcome as long as they are enclosed with a manuscript-sized, self-
addressed stamped envelope.  Computer versions of this newsletter may be uploaded to any
other information service or bbs as long as full credit is given to Ye Olde Publisher.


----------------------------------------------------------
--Classified Ad Rates!--
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Five lines, 40 columns-----$10.00
1/4th Page----------------------$25.00
1/2th Page----------------------$50.00
Full Page----------------------$100.00

Send ad copy with payment to Gary L. Warren, 3306A Moss Court, Midland, Texas 79707.  Only
checks or money orders will be accepted.  Checks MUST clear the bank before the ads are
approved.  The next ad deadline is November 21, 1992.  Display ad rates are twice the above
costs of classifieds.
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PAGE THREE
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BOOK REVIEW
------------------------

Couple's book ENABLING ROMANCE


ENABLING ROMANCE:  A GUIDE TO LOVE, SEX, AND RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE
	DISABLED (AND THE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THEM)
By Ken Kroll and Erica Levy Klein
1992, Harmony Books, Crown Publishing Group, 201 East 50th Street, New York, NY 10022
209 Pages, Hardback
$22.50

	For a subject such as the disabled and sex, which is rarely discussed except on the
Montel Williams or Phil Donahue talk shows or in some college health courses, Ken Kroll and
Erica Levy Klein's ENABLING ROMANCE is a pleasant, readable surprise.
	Starting the book with their own story about how they met and fell in love (Kroll has
dystonia, a neuromuscular disorder, while Klein is nondisabled and has three other books to
her credit), the writers relate testimonies of other disabled people who have had successful and
tragic experiences with dating, marriage and sex.  Some of these stories are rather descriptive,
but all of them show how the disabled population deals with conflicting sexual matters.
	Other chapters in the book detail how people with different levels and types of
disabilities cope in bedroom situations.  One chapter, "The Joy of Disabled Sex -- Alone," briefly
describes, not advocates, masturbation and prositutes for those disabled unable to find sexual
partners any other way.  Four appendices listing organizations, magazines and additional
resources round out the book.
	Written in a balanced, easily read style, ENABLING ROMANCE assures the disabled
reader not to give up in acquiring his or her Significant Other.  But Kroll and Klein also remind
the nondisabled readership that sexual ability AND enjoyment do not depend upon a person's
hearing, sight or walking.  As in all things in life, what is inside is what counts.



--------------------------------------------
--BITS AN' BYTES O'NEWS!--
-------------------------------------------


VIRTUAL REALITY CONFERENCES
****
	Two meetings about virtual reality and other technological issues as they relate to
people with disabilities are slated for next year.
	California State University of Northridge (CSUN) will conduct "Technology and Persons
with Disabilities," March 17-20, 1993, at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel.  A second
conference about virtual reality and its applications for the disabled will begin June 17-18, 1993,
at the Westin Hotel in San Francisco.
	As described in a pamphlet from the 1992 meetings, virtual reality "is the concept of
computer-generated, three-dimensional simulated models combined with devices that track the
movement of a user's eyes, head, hands or body."
	For more information, contact Dr. Harry Murphy, California State University, Northridge
(CSUN), 18111 Nordhoff Street - DVSS, Northridge, California 91330.


OTS OUTREACH PROGRAM TO CONTRACT
WITH DISABLED, WOMEN, MINORITY FIRMS
****
	According to the Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS), it will contract with firms owned and
operated by disabled, minorities and women.
	All the companies to be solicited for goods and services must "be at least 51 percent
owned and controlled by one or more of the designated groups and must either be citizens or
permanent residents of the United States," says a story from the PR Newswire.
	Those wishing additional information and applications may contact Columbus D. Jude,
Sr., Outreach Program advocate, at 1-202-906-6346.
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"But the !#*$@ ballot box isn't low enough!"


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*  VOTE!  *
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PAGE FOUR
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*We get -- letters to the editor!
****


SEPTEMBER 11, 1992

	I appreciate your keeping me apprised of your activities and for sharing the informative
disABILITY NEWS-letters with me.  As a member [of the House of Representatives] who
supported the passage of the AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA), I share your
concerns with the plight of those with physical handicaps.  I will continue to work to ensure
handicapped persons are assured the same opportunities as others ....

LARRY COMBEST
19TH DISTRICT, TEXAS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
WASHINGTON, DC
****

SEPTEMBER 15, 1992

	Thank you for your recent letter to Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander, in which
you enclosed two issues of disABILITY NEWS-letter ....
	We find your newsletters quite interesting and informative, since they offer varying
perspectives on a myriad of disability concerns, and highlight many of the current and complex
issues facing the disability community.  I have shared your newsletters with staff in this Office,
and they will be kept on file in the Clearinghouse on Disability Information as a valuable
resource.

SUSAN K. MURRAY, DIRECTOR
PROGRAM INFORMATION AND COORDINATION STAFF
OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND REHABILITATIVE SERVICES
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
WASHINGTON, DC
****

SEPTEMBER 30, 1992

	.... I thought your tribute [August 1992, "In Memorium"] to William Gaines [founder and
publisher of MAD MAGAZINE] was most thoughtful.  I remember some of his satirical remarks
regarding disabled people, [but] he always wrote as a supporter of the disabled.
	Although he has not quite the same type of satirical wit as Wm. Gaines, I find the
comic Gallagher to be funny when expressing some of the absurdities of today's life ... "Why do
we drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?"
	Best of luck with your newsletter and life!

CARL L. WILSON, II
CLAY, WEST VIRGINIA 
****

SEPTEMBER 2, 1992

	Your newsletter is the sort of thing more people should be exposed to ... When
everything's running along smoothly, it's easy for the average person to ignore the very real
possibility that he may be but one misstaken step, or chance occurrence, away from becoming
a virtual outcast.  People must realize it on some level, but denial comes easily.  Many may
quietly presume that government agencies will in some way "provide for" them should they fall
prey to disabling injury or illness, and it's important that they learn how far off base this is.
	Your piece on Page 4 [August 1992, "The handicapped and the election -- is ANYONE
paying attention??"] ... is well taken.  The current legal battle General Motors is engaged in,
to cut back on health benefits for all retired and current workers (or, more correctly, demanding
that each person have to pay some unspecified portion of the premium) may do more for
instituting a national health care program than anything else to date.  I know that GM currently
carries the full payments on health insurance for at least 1.8 million ... people.  If, or more
accurately WHEN, these people are partially cut off, the real crisis in health care will become a
MAJOR political issue for the white middle class.  This, taken along with the graying of
America, should join to make health care and related aid programs of increasing political
import in the '96 and 2000 elections.
	... It seems to me that the efforts have been so divided to date because of the common
sense picture of available funds as a pie, and that advocates for special care and training for the
mentally handicapped are vying for the same funds that those seeking increases in cancer
research, which the AIDS activists are also targeting, etc., etc.  People may have a knee-jerk
answer of saying "peace dividend," but what has to be considered is that much of that "dividend"
is and will be at the expense of people's jobs.  Certainly, if we could just cut out the millions and
ultimately billions of dollars that flow from defense contracts into the pockets of CEO's, it would
be one thing, but unfortunately it doesn't work that way.
	There is certainly no quick and easy answer, at least not without overtones of naziism.
The traditionally Democratic angle of raising taxes on the working people to support such
programs across the board will cause rancor and an increasing hostility towards many of those
benefiting from such programs.  The traditional Republican idea of having private organizations
and volunteer groups handle the problems .. creates small bureaucracies [ultimately growing]
to be self-serving, with huge sums of money flowing into the pockets of administrators ....
****
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