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City of Bryan Accepting Applications for Bryan Leadership Academy

December 21, 2015

City of Bryan Accepting Applications for Bryan Leadership Academy

Have you ever wondered how potholes are repaired or how the fire department is able to respond so quickly to emergencies? Are you curious how the City of Bryan prepares its budget or decides where a park should be located?

Now’s your chance to learn more about your local government!

The City of Bryan is now accepting applications for the 2016 Bryan Leadership Academy. BLA is a 10-week class that meets each Monday night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. from February 8-April 18 (off March 14 for Spring Break) and includes a graduation ceremony. BLA gives its participants an inside look at the operations of the City of Bryan to help improve citizens’ understanding of city government and the role they can play in the government system.

At each class a light meal will be provided and participants will hear presentations from representatives of more than 20 city departments. BLA is free, but space is limited to the first 25 eligible applicants on a first-come, first-served basis due to limited seating.

In order to be eligible for BLA you cannot be running for or currently serving in a political office. Participants must also be able to attend each class, and participants who miss more than one session will be dropped from the program. Eligible applicants must be a senior in high school or older.

The deadline to apply for the academy is January 22, 2016, or until the class is filled. Applicants can apply online at: www.bryantx.gov, or they can mail, fax, or walk-in completed applications to Sally Jurica at the Bryan Municipal Office Building. Applicants will receive a notification of acceptance by January 29.
For more information:

Sally Jurica

Bryan Leadership Academy Coordinator

979-209-5100

www.bryantx.gov/bla

For Media Inquiries:

Gina Florence

Communications and Marketing Supervisor

979-209-5140

Congress Must Pass H.R. 3229 and S. 2196 to Protect Access for People with Disabilities

December 3, 2015

Congressional Technical Correction Necessary to Clarify Exemption of Complex Rehab Wheelchair Accessories from Medicare Competitive Bidding

Congress Must Pass H.R. 3229 and S. 2196 to Protect Access for People with Disabilities

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that it will apply competitive bid pricing to Complex Rehab wheelchair accessories effective January 1, 2016. This violates the intent of past Congressional legislation (MIPPA 2008) and will inappropriately reduce payment rates for 171 wheelchair accessory codes from 20% to over 40%.

If not rescinded, this will hurt Medicare beneficiaries with significant disabilities as it will cause major decreases in availability (or outright elimination) of individually configured Complex Rehab wheelchair systems that these individuals rely on. These access problems will also extend to children and adults with disabilities covered under Medicaid and other health insurance programs.

Thankfully, legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives (H.R. 3229) and the Senate (S. 2196) that will prevent these cuts from happening and thereby protect access for people with disabilities. These bills will provide a legislative technical correction to clarify that CMS cannot apply Medicare competitive bidding pricing to accessories used with Complex Rehab wheelchairs.

Given the consequences and urgency, this legislation must be passed and enacted by December 31, 2015.

Choose from the options below to contact your legislators and ask them to pass H.R. 3229 and S. 2196 before the end of the year.

#GivingTuesday

November 30, 2015

Tomorrow is ‪#‎GivingTuesday‬! Support BVCIL’s efforts and go donate on our website, bcvil.org. Click on the “Donate Now” button on the left side of the page.

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Texas ABLE Survey Available

November 12, 2015

The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) program was created to encourage and assist individuals and families in saving funds for the purpose of supporting individuals with disabilities to maintain health, independence and quality of life; and to provide secure funding for qualified disability expenses on behalf of designated beneficiaries with disabilities that will supplement, but not supplant, benefits provided through private insurance, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, the Medicaid program, the beneficiary’s employment and other sources.

The federal ABLE Act was signed into law in December 2014. The Texas ABLE Program was signed into law in June 2015. The Texas Comptroller’s office will administer the Texas ABLE Program through the Texas Prepaid Higher Education Tuition Board.

Complete the Survey at the link below:

http://texasable.org/survey/

The deadline for completing the survey is Dec. 15, 2015.

Disability History Month Facts: Friday, October 30, 2015: ED BOSSON: Father of Video Relay Service (VRS) (1945 – Present)

November 2, 2015

Office of the Governor – Greg Abbott
Committee on People with Disabilities

Disability History Month Facts: Friday, October 30, 2015:
ED BOSSON: Father of Video Relay Service (VRS) (1945 – Present)

Roy “Ed” Edward Bosson is commonly known as the Father of Video Relay Service (VRS), a form of telecommunication that enables people with hearing disabilities who use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment, rather than through typed text.

Ed Bosson, who became deaf as a young child, earned a degree in psychology from Gallaudet University. After a diverse career in various positions, he eventually became the first chairman of the Texas Public Utility Commission’s (PUC) Relay Texas Advisory Committee, where he used the opportunity to introduce many new features to the Texas Relay Service, including VRS. Texas became a national leader in this innovative feature. PUC Commissioners authorized him to manage the first video relay service trials, conducted by Sprint, which eventually led to statewide, and then nationwide, use of VRS.

Bosson has received numerous national and state awards for his advocacy, including an honorary doctorate from Gallaudet University and recognition from Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc (TDI) as a person who has produced the greatest impact on telecommunications accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing citizens.

Attributions:
Gallaudet Clerc Award: http://www.gallaudet.edu/institutional-advancement/alumni-relations/alumni-association-(guaa)/awards/clerc-award.html
DeafPeople: http://www.deafpeople.com/dp_of_month/ed_bosson.html
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Bosson
Convo: http://www.convorelay.com/company.html
FCC: http://www.fcc.gov/guides/video-relay-services

The Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities (Committee) provides GovDelivery updates for informational purposes on a variety of disability related issues for a diverse audience. Updates may include information provided by external sources. The inclusion of this external information does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the Committee or the Office of the Governor of any information, policy, product, or service offered by an external source.
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DOT Supplements Rules on Airport Accessibility under the Rehabilitation Act

October 5, 2015

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On August 5, the Department of Transportation (DOT) supplemented regulations for airport terminals receiving federal funding to improve access for passengers with disabilities, including those who use service animals. Under the new rules, at least one relief area for service animals must be provided in each terminal within one year. Airports must consult service animal training organizations on the relief area’s design, size, and maintenance.

Provisions also improve access for people with hearing or mobility disabilities. High-contrast captioning is required at all times on airport TV and audio-visual display screens with captioning functionality. In addition, existing requirements for boarding access by lift or ramp where level-entry loading bridges is not available are reorganized and their application broadened to cover foreign carriers in addition to U.S. carriers. The rule revises regulations issued under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires access to programs and services that are funded or conducted by federal agencies, and is consistent with requirements DOT issued previously under the Air Carrier Access Act.

The new rule is available on regulations.gov. For further information, contact DOT at (202) 366-9342.