WASHINGTON, June 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The following is the National Council on Disability’s monthly bulletin for May, 2008:

The Bulletin, which is free of charge and available at NCD’s Web site (www.ncd.gov), brings you the latest issues and news affecting people with disabilities. To subscribe to the NCD listserv, go to http://listserv.access.gpo.gov, click on Online mailing list archives, select NCD-NEWS-L, click on Join or leave the list, then complete the short subscription form. Editorial comments can be sent to Bulletin editor Mark S. Quigley (mquigley@ncd.gov).

Quarterly Meetings

NCD will conduct its next quarterly meeting at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel, 515 Madison Street, Seattle, Washington, beginning Monday, July 14 and ending Wednesday, July 16.

NCD believes it is vital to hear from communities around the country on what works and what does not for people with disabilities. The purpose of this meeting is to have open discussions about issues such as healthcare, employment, and several other subjects of interest to the disability community. We are delighted to have the opportunity to visit Seattle and learn firsthand about the experiences of people with disabilities from the northwest region. This is also an opportunity to meet NCD members and staff and offer your comments during the public comment sessions, which will take place daily.

A toll-free call-in number will be available for those who cannot attend the meeting. Written comments can also be sent to ncd@ncd.gov with the subject heading of “Public Comment.” All public comments will be included in the official minutes of the meeting and used to determine commonality and emerging trends.

Preparations are also under way for NCD’s fall meeting, which will be held October 6-8, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center, 2345 McGee Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

These meetings are open to the public and free of charge. People with disabilities are always encouraged to attend and participate in the daily public comment segments of the meetings. The agendas will be posted at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/quarterly/quarterly.htm two weeks prior to each meeting.

The Dept of Homeland security is hosting a conference to assess and improve the Department of Homeland’s security ability to deal with people with disabilities in the face of disaster.

WASHINGTON, April 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The National Council on Disability (NCD) will hear presentations and discuss homeland security and emergency preparedness issues for people with disabilities at the Westin Arlington Gateway, 801 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA.

Some of those scheduled to speak are:

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Curt Decker, Executive Director, National Disability Rights Network
11:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Mike Starling, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, National Public Radio (NPR), and Executive Director, NPR Labs

1:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.

Chad Colley, Vice Chairperson, NCD

Nicole Francis, Counsel, House Committee on Homeland Security

Andy Weis, General Counsel to Senator Susan M. Collins, Senate Committee on Homeland Security

Scott Spicer, Senior Analyst, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)

David Wise, Acting Director, Physical Infrastructure Team, GAO

3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Ted Costin, Director, Preparedness Division, Virginia Department of Emergency Management

Steve Kral, Senior Policy Advisor, Washington, DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency

JoAnne E. Knapp, Director, Emergency Preparedness Policy, Maryland Department of Disabilities

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

R. David Paulison, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

In 2003, NCD committed to evaluating government’s developing role in the areas of homeland security, emergency preparedness and disaster relief for people with disabilities. This commitment occurred, in large measure, as a result of the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, and the
subsequent creation of DHS. NCD’s first evaluation findings were issued in April 2005 in the report, Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities
in Emergency Planning.

Under the Homeland Security Appropriations bill (H.R. 5441), signed by President Bush on October 4, 2006, NCD was assigned key responsibilities
for disability-related issues in homeland security.

The homeland security and emergency preparedness discussions are part of NCD’s quarterly meeting that begins on Monday, April 21 at 8:30 a.m. and concludes on Wednesday, April 23 at 12:30 p.m. at the Westin Arlington Gateway in Arlington, VA.

NCD is an independent federal agency and is composed of 15 members appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate. We provide advice to the President, Congress, and executive branch agencies to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability; and empower
individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of
society.

For more information, please contact NCD’s Director of External Affairs Mark S. Quigley at mquigley@ncd.gov or 202-272-2004 or visit http://www.ncd.gov.

Source: PRN Newswire

“Challenges and Promise of Cell-Based Therapies” is a one-day symposium to explore promising research in regenerative medicine using stem cells. The opening plenary session will feature an overview of hematopoietic stem cell therapy. This will be followed by four plenary sessions that will highlight cell-based therapies for the treatment of neurological, cardiac, musculoskeletal, and metabolic diseases and disorders. It will close with a presentation on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and the issues that need to be addressed to enable their potential use in cell-based therapies.

When: Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 8 a.m. to 5: 30 p.m.

Where: Natcher Conference Center, NIH Campus

For attendance details, click here.

RUSTON — Louisiana Tech’s Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science has announced the keynote speaker and schedule for its annual “Spring into AT” conference April 10-11.

Dr. Joanne Wilson, executive director of Affiliate Action at the National Federation for the Blind in Baltimore, will give the keynote address from 8:30-10 a.m. April 10 in the Institute for Micromanufacturing Auditorium. Wilson is the founder and former director of the Louisiana Center for the Blind in Ruston and served as director for the Rehabilitation Services Administration under President George Bush.

For registration information, call (318) 257-4562.

Misericordia University will host the 4th annual Assistive Technology Research Institute Conference, “Giving the Non-Verbal a Voice,” on Thursday, May 22 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Banks Student Life Center on campus.

RESNA announced their annual conference today, to take place on June 26-30, 2008 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, VA. Sponsor and exhibitor space is still available. Of note, is a Student Design Competition:

The Student Design Competition (SDC) is open to students from any discipline who have a creative and innovative design that will assist an individual with a disability to function more independently or accomplish a desired task. All graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to participate. Entries are judged on originality, quality of design, and usefulness to persons with disabilities.

Deadline for entry is May 8, 2008.