Adams Appoints New Commish

New York City Mayor Eric Adams recently announced the appointment of Christina Curry as commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), which makes her the first black, deaf, visually impaired individual to hold this position. As commissioner, she will work to ensure that the quality of life for nearly 1 million New Yorkers who are disabled have access to city services and programs. She will replace Victor Calise, who was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in May 2012.

House Minority Leader and Congressman Kevin McCarthy has appointed Bakersfield-ARC’s Pres. and CEO Shawn Kennemer, to a three-year term on the National Council on Disability (NCD), a position held by only a handful of leaders across the country. As a councilmember, Kennemer and others on the NCD advise people with disabilities in collaboration with the president of the United States, Congress and other federal entities.

A new report published by the Center for American Progress (CAP) examines how existing disability civil rights protections can ensure that disabled asylum seekers have access to the protection and services they need throughout the immigration process. The authors detail how the government can apply protections, using the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, for dis- abled asylum-seekers and eliminate the barriers that children and adults with disabilities face when they apply for asylum. They often face innumerable difficulties in accessing asylum.

In recognition of the vital role people with disabilities play in making the nation’s workforce diverse and inclusive, the U.S. Department of Labor has chosen “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation” as the theme for October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Led by its Office of Disability Employment Policy, the department’s annual observance acknowledges the contributions to the nation’s economy made by workers with disabilities, current and past. The commemoration also showcases supportive and inclusive policies and practices benefiting workers and employers.

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