* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM [00:00:01] IS SPONSORED BY ILRU SOUTHWEST, A DA CENTER, PROMOTING COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. WELCOME TO FOCUS ON ABILITIES, A PROGRAM ABOUT ISSUES AFFECTING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. I'M LEX FRIEDEN. I'M YOUR HOST FOR TODAY'S PROGRAM. I'M A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON, AND I DIRECT THE ILRU PROGRAM AT TIER MEMORIAL HERMANN. TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT A VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECT WITH SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THIS SUBJECT, AND WE WILL COME BACK WITH THAT DISCUSSION RIGHT AFTER WE TAKE A BREAK. SO PLEASE STAY TUNED. WATCH, FOCUS ON ABILITIES YOU ARE WATCHING. FOCUS ON ABILITIES, UH, BROADCAST HERE FROM HOUSTON CITY HALL, UH, THE STUDIOS OF HTV, AND WE HAVE A FANTASTIC GUEST HERE TODAY FROM WASHINGTON, DC, A FORMER HOUSTONIAN WHO WORKED IN CITY ADMINISTRATION AND BEFORE THAT, UH, IN THE WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA. SHE NOW IS THE CEO OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY, AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND THAT IS MARIA TOWN. MARIA, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO HOUSTON. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. L IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK IN HOUSTON. I LOVE IT HERE. SO WHY WERE YOU HERE? I WAS HERE BECAUSE THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAS A PROGRAM CALLED REV UP. REV UP STANDS FOR REGISTER EDUCATE, VOTE, USE YOUR POWER. AND THROUGH OUR REV UP PROGRAM, WE RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE US ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION TO TRAIN COLLEGE STUDENTS TO BE ELECTION WORKERS, AND WE DECIDED TO TRAIN THE STUDENTS AT THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE VAST ACADEMY. SO FOR FOLKS WHO MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT VAST ACADEMY, IT IS A PROGRAM WITHIN HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. AND WE SPECIFICALLY WANTED TO FOCUS ON THIS POPULATION BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ASSUME THAT PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES CAN'T VOTE. AND SURE ENOUGH, THESE STUDENTS HAD BEEN TOLD THEIR THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES, YOU DON'T NEED TO VOTE, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT. IT'S TOO COMPLICATED FOR YOU, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. AND THEY ALL GOT TRAINED ON BEING AN ELECTION WORKER. THEY GOT TO TEST ACCESSIBLE VOTING SYSTEMS AND SIGN UP WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY OFFICE OF ELECTIONS TO POTENTIALLY BECOME A POLL WORKER AND GET PAID $17 AN HOUR. SO SEPARATELY, ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BECOME A POLL WORKER, CHECK OUT YOUR COUNTY ELECTIONS OFFICE AND YOU GET PAID GOOD MONEY. I'LL REMIND FOLKS, THE MINIMUM WAGE IN TEXAS IS 7 25. SO THIS IS A GOOD, GOOD LITTLE BIT OF MONEY YOU'LL GET. SO MARIA, UH, THE, THE WORK PEOPLE DO MM-HMM . CONSTITUTES, WHAT, WHAT KIND OF JOB IS THAT? WELL, THIS WOULD JUST BE LIKE A KIND OF HOURLY JOB, RIGHT? FOR, FOR ELECTION WORKERS, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WORK, THE POLLS THAT BRING OUT THE CURBSIDE VOTING MACHINE IF YOU NEED IT, THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT MIGHT ASSIST YOU IF YOU NEED HELP AT THE POLLS, THESE ARE THE FOLKS WHO EXPLAIN TO VOTERS WHAT THEIR RIGHTS ARE. UM, IN TEXAS, THEY MIGHT ASK TO SEE YOUR ID TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE ELIGIBLE TO VOTE, THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, ELECTION WORKERS ALSO HELP SET UP POLLING PLACES TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE ACCESSIBLE. AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, WHEN I LIVED IN TEXAS, I HAD A HARD TIME VOTING EVERY TIME I TRIED TO VOTE. AND MOST OF THE POLL WORKERS I, I INTERACTED WITH WEREN'T PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. SO WHEN I HAD PROBLEMS ONE TIME, UM, THE ACCESSIBLE VOTING MACHINE WASN'T WORKING. THIS HAPPENS A LOT. AND A POLL WORKER TOLD ME, DON'T WORRY, IT'S A SHORT BALLOT. YOU CAN JUST STAND, YOU'LL BE FINE. AND I HAVE A MOBILITY DISABILITY THAT MAKES IT REALLY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO STAND. SO MARIA, I, I HAVE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY GETTING TO THE POLLS MM-HMM . BUT SINCE THEN, THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE MM-HMM . HAS REACTED TO A COMPLAINT BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN HOUSTON. YES. ABOUT DIFFICULTY GETTING TO THE POLLS. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT? I CAN. SO THAT WAS ACTUALLY REV UP TEXAS THAT, UH, PUT IN THAT COMPLAINT. AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE RECENTLY ISSUED, UH, GUIDANCE ON ACCESSIBLE VOTING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN EIGHT YEARS, AN A A PD AND REV UP ACROSS THE COUNTRY DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTED TO THAT GUIDANCE. UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS [00:05:01] GUIDANCE DISCUSSES IS THE OBLIGATIONS OF POLLING PLACES TO COMPLY WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THAT PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES HAVE A RIGHT TO VOTE, EVEN UNDER CERTAIN, UM, INSTANCES OF GUARDIANSHIP, WHICH IS A VERY BIG DEAL. AND IT CLARIFIES WHEN AND WHERE PEOPLE CAN VOTE. SO THAT THINGS LIKE HAVING A VERY RESTRICTIVE, YOU CAN ONLY VOTE IN THIS ONE POLLING PLACE DON'T HAPPEN AS OFTEN, WHICH IS A HUGE ISSUE IN A PLACE LIKE TEXAS AND HOUSTON. THESE, THESE CITIES AND SPACES THAT ARE SO BIG. IF YOU'VE GOT A POLLING PLACE THAT'S MILES AND MILES AWAY AND YOU DON'T DRIVE, HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO GET THERE? RIGHT. SO, POLICIES LIKE FLEXIBLE POLLING PLACES DURING EARLY VOTING CAN MAKE IT A LOT EASIER FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO VOTE. DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES VOTE? YES. SO THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 40 MILLION ELIGIBLE VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE UNITED STATES. SO THIS IS ONE OUT OF EVERY FOUR, UM, ELIGIBLE VOTERS IN THE UNITED STATES AS A VOTER WITH A DISABILITY. UM, THERE CONTINUES TO BE A PRETTY PERSISTENT SEVEN PERCENTAGE POINT PARTICIPATION GAP BETWEEN VOTERS WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES. UM, EVEN IN THE 2020 ELECTION WHERE WE SAW RECORD NUMBERS OF VOTER PARTICIPATION, THAT PARTICIPATION GAP REMAINED BECAUSE MANY OF THE BARRIERS TO VOTING THAT WE HAVE SEEN HISTORICALLY PERSISTED. UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ACROSS COMMUNITIES WHO EXPERIENCE THINGS LIKE, UM, SIGNATURE VERIFICATION. DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH SIGNATURE VERIFICATION? LEX? I, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? NO, I HAVE NO IDEA. SO A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE TOLD TO VOTE ABSENTEE. IF YOU GO ON A STATE, A SECRETARY OF STATE WEBSITE AND YOU LOOK UP VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES, OFTENTIMES THE FIRST THING THAT COMES UP IS ABSENTEE VOTING, BECAUSE THERE'S AN ASSUMPTION THAT WE DON'T LEAVE OUR HOUSE. RIGHT. THAT WE DON'T EXIST IN THE COMMUNITY. WELL, BUT NO, I, I DISAGREE WITH THAT. I THINK THAT'S WHERE THAT COMES FROM. I, YOU KNOW, I DISAGREE WITH THAT. I MEAN, I THINK THAT MAY BE A WELL-MEANING, WELL-INTENDED PROVISION SO THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO GET OUT ON A TIMELY BASIS DURING AN ELECTION HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE. I'M GONNA BE, I'M GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT PERSNICKETY ON THIS BECAUSE I THINK WHAT IT, WHAT WHAT IT DOES FOR STATES IS SAY WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY AS MUCH ABOUT MAKING POLLING PLACES AND OTHER SYSTEMS MORE ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE. WE CAN JUST MAKE SURE THOSE DISABLED PEOPLE CAN VOTE BY MAIL. WELL, THAT'S ONE WAY TO LOOK AT IT. MAYBE I'M MORE JADED THAN YOU ARE RIGHT NOW. YEAH. AT, AT THIS POINT. I MEAN, I CAN SAY THAT IN HOUSTON, UH, OVER THE YEARS, I'VE BEEN ABLE TO VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION. MM-HMM . UH, SOME OF THE POLLING PLACES ARE NOT AS ACCESSIBLE AS OTHERS. THAT'S RIGHT. UH, BUT THE ELECTION JUDGES HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE ME. UM, THEY ALSO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY WANNA PROVIDE TOO MUCH HELP. YEAH. UH, BUT YOU, YOU CAN COMMUNICATE WITH THEM. AND HERE IN HOUSTON, AGAIN, AS A RESULT OF THE WORK BY DISABILITY ADVOCATES MM-HMM . UH, THE ELECTION JUDGES RECEIVE TRAINING ON HOW TO ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. RIGHT. NOW, FRANKLY, I THINK THAT WE MAY BE AN EXCEPTION IN THAT REGARD. AND I THINK HOUSTON IS EXCEPTIONAL. UH, I THINK THE TRANSIT AGENCY IS PROBABLY MORE ACCESSIBLE, MORE, UM, ACCOMMODATING THAN MOST OTHER TRANSIT AGENCIES. I THINK THE, UH, PEOPLE WHO RUN THE VOTING ARE AS WELL. WELL, EVERY TIME I TRIED TO VOTE IN HOUSTON, THEY TRIED TO DENY ME, UM, A VOTE BECAUSE WHEN I LIVED HERE, I HAD A VERY HARD TIME GETTING A TEXAS ID. UM, BECAUSE THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES WOULD NOT LET ME SURRENDER MY VALID DC ID IN ORDER TO GET A TEXAS ID. AND SO, EVEN THOUGH I LIVED IN HOUSTON, I LIVED ON WESTHEIMER. YEAH. I HAD DOCUMENTATION OF THAT. EVERY TIME I PRESENTED MY ID, THE POLL WORKERS TRIED TO DENY ME MY RIGHT TO VOTE. SO I THINK THAT YOU ARE VERY LUCKY. LUX FREEDOM, UH, IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN . SO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES REGARDLESS, SHOULD VOTE. THEY SHOULD VOTE AND THEY WILL BE ACCOMMODATED. MM-HMM . AND UNDER THE A DA, WE HAVE A RIGHT, UH, TO BE ACCOMMODATED. AND IF YOU ARE NOT, YOU CAN CALL THE US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OR SEND A COMPLAINT. UH, AND YOU KNOW, YOU'LL BE RESPECTED. THE COMPLAINT WILL BE RESPECTED. AND IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES NEEDED, THEY WILL ENFORCE THOSE CHANGES. THEY WILL. AND I WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR, IT'S NOT JUST THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT THAT GIVES US THESE RIGHTS. IT'S ALSO THE HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT, AS WELL AS THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT ITSELF. UM, THERE ARE SO MANY PROTECTIONS IN PLACE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OR, OR MANY DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR RIGHT TO VOTE [00:10:02] ACTUALLY HAPPENS. UM, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NECESSARILY EASY. BUT WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY ON SIGNATURE VERIFICATION, WHEN YOU VOTE ABSENTEE, UM, YOU HAVE TO SIGN YOUR BALLOT A LOT OF THE TIME. AND THAT IS TOUGH FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR FOR ANYONE WHO HAS TROUBLE CREATING A SIGNATURE. WHEN YOUR BALLOT GETS SENT OFF, UM, THE ELECTION OFFICIAL HAS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR SIGNATURE IS ACTUALLY YOURS. WOW. SO SOMEBODY ACTUALLY LOOKS AT THAT BALLOT YES. AND DETERMINES WHETHER IT'S VALID OR NOT. THAT'S RIGHT. AND SO SOMETIMES DO YOU KNOW, IF IT'S NOT, THEY, THEY TELL YOU, THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU, AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU BEFORE THE ELECTION IS OVER, BUT SOMETIMES THAT NOTICE DOESN'T GET TO YOU UNTIL AFTER THE ELECTION IS DONE. WOW. MM-HMM . WELL, THIS IS ENLIGHTENING. UH, MARIA, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A BREAK. OKAY. I WANT YOU ALL TO BREAK WITH US, AND WE'LL BE BACK WITH MORE FOCUS ON ABILITIES FEATURING TODAY, THE LOVELY AND MOST, UH, ARTICULATE MARIA TOWN. GOOD DAY. YOU'RE WATCHING FOCUS ON ABILITIES ON HTV. MARIA TOWN IS OUR GUEST. SHE'S THE, UM, CEO OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, AND FORMER AIDE TO THE MAYOR OF HOUSTON, AND FORMER AIDE TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. UH, MARIA, THE A A PD IS DOING SOME THINGS THAT I THINK ARE JUST AMAZING, AND ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS, UH, MENTORING MM-HMM . TUTORING, TRAINING AND PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND OLDER PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO LEARN TO BE ADVOCATES, TO LEARN TO WORK FOR CITY GOVERNMENT, TO LEARN HOW TO WORK FOR STATE GOVERNMENT, AND HOW TO WORK FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, HOW TO BE OF SERVICING AGENCIES IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THE WHOLE PANOPLY OF ISSUES THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO ADDRESS FROM BEHIND THE AGENCY DESK. THAT'S RIGHT. SO TELL US ABOUT THOSE PROGRAMS. SO WE HAVE A FEW DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, BUT PROBABLY OUR SIGNATURE PROGRAM IS OUR SUMMER AND FALL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. SO THE SUMMER, UM, INTERNSHIP PROGRAM HAS EXISTED SINCE 2002, AND WE BRING STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES WITH DISABILITIES FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO WASHINGTON DC TO INTERN IN FEDERAL AGENCIES ON CAPITOL HILL FOR NATIONAL DISABILITY RIGHTS, NONPROFITS, OR FOR FOR-PROFIT ENTITIES AS WELL. UM, INTERNS WORK 32 HOURS A WEEK, AND THEN ON FRIDAYS THEY PARTICIPATE IN A DISABILITY ADVOCACY COURSE WITH A A PD WHERE THEY, SO, SO, SO SOMEBODY CAN BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS PROGRAM. MM-HMM . CAN BE SELECTED, I SUPPOSE. THERE'S A COMPETITIVE SELECTION PROCESS. THERE IS. AND THEN THEY, I MEAN, ARE THEIR EXPENSES PAID TO YES. TRAVEL AND LIVE IN WASHINGTON DC SO ALL OF THEIR TRAVEL EXPENSES ARE PAID, AND IF YOU ARE SOMEONE WHO HAS TO COME WITH A PERSONAL ATTENDANT, WE PAY FOR THEM AS WELL. WE PAY FOR ACCESSIBLE HOUSING IN WASHINGTON, DC WHICH, IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HOUSING IN WASHINGTON DC IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE. UM, WE ALSO PAY THE INTERNS THEMSELVES. SO INTERNS EARN $18 AN HOUR FOR THEIR WORK. WE PROVIDE A TECHNOLOGY STIPEND TO MAKE SURE THAT INTERNS HAVE THE APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY TO DO THEIR JOBS. AND WE ALSO PROVIDE A FOOD STIPEND. HOW MANY WEEKS? 10 WEEKS FOR THE SUMMER PROGRAM. 14 WEEKS FOR THE FALL PROGRAM. AND DURING THAT TIME, STUDENTS, UH, THOSE TRAINEES ACTUALLY ARE WELCOME IN THE CONGRESS ABSOLUTELY. MEETING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. YES. UM, BEING TUTORED BY MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THEIR STAFF. WHAT OTHER KINDS OF THINGS? UM, WELL, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD INTERNS PLACED IN, [00:15:01] UH, SENATOR SCHUMER'S OFFICE, WOW. WITH, WITH THE HELP COMMITTEE, UM, WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ALIKE. WE ALSO, UM, I THINK REALLY IMPORTANTLY, IN ADDITION TO THEIR PLACEMENT, INTERNS ALSO GET A MENTOR. SO, UH, PEOPLE LIKE JOHN KEMP HAVE BEEN INTERNSHIP MENTORS, AND WE BASE THE MENTORSHIP PAIR ON THE INTERN'S PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS, AS WELL AS THEIR PERSONAL INTEREST. UM, WE MAY HAVE AN INTERN WHO'S REALLY INTERESTED IN BECOMING, GOING TO LAW SCHOOL, BUT THEY WANNA HAVE A MENTOR WHO HAS THE SAME DISABILITY AS THEY DO. SO WE'RE FINDING LAWYERS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURIES, OR LAWYERS WITH CEREBRAL PALSY TO, TO MENTOR THESE STUDENTS. MARIA, THE, UM, PROGRAM SOUNDS WONDERFUL. IT'S AWESOME. UM, HOW DO PEOPLE APPLY THE APPLICATION FOR THIS YEAR'S SUMMER PROGRAM JUST JUST CLOSED THE OTHER DAY. WE RECEIVED A RECORD NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS, UM, BUT YOU CAN APPLY FOR OUR FALL PROGRAM ONLINE@AAPD.COM. UM, AND IT'S IN ON OUR WEBSITE. IT'S UNDER OUR WORK. AND YOU CAN GO TO INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AND APPLY. NOW, YOU MENTIONED WORK. MM-HMM . A A PD ALSO HAS AN INITIATIVE TO HELP EDUCATE AND PROMOTE EMPLOYMENT THAT'S RIGHT. OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. WELL, AND I WANNA CONNECT IT TO THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM. SO ONE OF THE REASONS THAT A A PD STARTED THIS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO, AND HAS CONTINUED TO EXPAND THIS PROGRAM, IS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE DATA SHOW THE BEST PREDICTOR OF A YOUNG PERSON WITH A DISABILITY, UH, BECOMING A ECONOMICALLY SUCCESSFUL ADULT WITH A DISABILITY IS PAID EMPLOYMENT WHEN THEY'RE YOUNG. AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT INTERNSHIPS ARE A KEY WAY THAT EVERYONE FIGURES OUT WHAT THEY WANNA DO WITH THEIR LIFE, WHAT CAREER THEY WANNA PURSUE, UH, BUT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES EXPERIENCE A NUMBER OF BARRIERS TO INTERNSHIPS. AND SO WE TRIED TO DESIGN THIS PROGRAM TO REMOVE AS MANY BARRIERS AS POSSIBLE. WELL, 20 YEARS LATER, WE HAVE DONE, UM, AN IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF OUR PROGRAM. 75% OF OUR INTERNSHIP ALUMNI ARE EMPLOYED FULL-TIME. WOW. YEAH. LEX, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE CURRENT DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS ARE? YEAH. WELL, I THINK ABOUT 30% OF THE COMMUNITY ACTUALLY HAS JOBS, HAS JOB, NOT EVEN FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT, JUST JOBS. RIGHT. SO THESE NUMBERS ARE MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT. AND ON AVERAGE, OUR INTERNSHIP ALUMNI EARN $35 AN HOUR OR MORE, WHICH IS A HUGE DEAL. THAT IS A BIG DEAL. WHAT KIND OF JOBS? THERE ARE JOBS IN A VARIETY OF INDUSTRIES. MANY INTERNS CONTINUE TO PURSUE, UH, JOBS IN KIND OF DISABILITY AND DISABILITY POLICY AND ADVOCACY. UM, WE HAVE AN INTERNSHIP KIND OF SLOTS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY SUPPORTED BY MICROSOFT FOR INTERNS WHO WANNA PURSUE CAREERS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS. UM, MANY GO ON TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION AND THEN HAVE CAREERS BASED IN THEIR SORT OF PROFESSIONAL, UH, INDUSTRY OF THEIR CHOICE. MARIA, ONE ISSUE, AND IT MAY TAKE A MINUTE TO FIGURE THIS OUT, UM, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AREN'T ALWAYS AWARE OF THEIR RIGHTS UNDER THE A DA MM-HMM . AND FURTHERMORE, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT EVEN COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE, ACCORDING TO THE DEFINITION OF THE LAW, A DISABILITY AND MAY BE PROTECTED. YEP. YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT? YEAH. I MEAN, AND LEX, YOU'LL KNOW THIS BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE, BUT THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT DEFINES DISABILITY AS ANY PHYSICAL OR MENTAL CONDITION THAT IMPACTS AN ACTIVITY OF DAILY LIVING. THAT IS BROAD, RIGHT? IT'S INCLUDES LIKE A CONDITION THAT AFFECTS YOUR ABILITY TO READ, TO GET DRESSED, TO EAT, TO UNDERSTAND INFORMATION, COMMUNICATE. AND, UM, IN, IN MY YEARS OF WORK AT A A PD, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I GET MOST OFTEN IS, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY DISABILITY? AND I HAVE THIS CONDITION, BUT IT'S NOT LISTED AS A DISABILITY. SO HOW CAN I GET ACCOMMODATIONS? MM-HMM . AND I HAVE TO EXPLAIN, THERE'S NO MAGICAL LIST OR REGISTRY. UH, IT'S REALLY WHETHER OR NOT YOUR DAILY LIFE IS IMPACTED BY A CONDITION YOU'RE EXPERIENCING, WHETHER THAT'S PHYSICAL OR MENTAL. SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE A BREAK, BUT BEFORE WE DO MM-HMM . I WANT YOU WHO ARE WATCHING THE PROGRAM TO FIND OUT, YOU CAN GOOGLE IT, YOU CAN, WHATEVER YOU WANT. ASK THE PERSON SITTING NEXT TO YOU, WHAT NUMBER DO YOU CALL IF YOU'RE REALLY NOT SURE WHETHER YOU QUALIFY FOR PROTECTION UNDER THE A DA OR WHAT THAT MIGHT BE, OR IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS AS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY, THERE'S ONE NUMBER YOU CAN CALL IT FROM ANY STATE OR TERRITORY IN THE UNITED STATES. AND TALK TO PEOPLE WHO WILL ADVISE YOU AUTHORITATIVELY. SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE A BREAK, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK. THIS [00:20:01] IS FOCUS ON ABILITIES ON HTV. DUSK IS THE BEST TIME TO WATCH THE BATHS TAKE FLIGHT FROM THEIR WA BRIDGE HOME. LOTS OF PEOPLE WITH COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS COMING TOGETHER FOR A GREATER GOAL. KIND OF REPRESENTS HOUSTON AS A WHOLE, AND EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT STYLE. BUT SOMEHOW THAT'S KIND OF OUR THING. IT'S DIFFERENT PATCHES OF PEOPLE AND CULTURES. THEY BRING SOMETHING NEW TO THE TABLE THAT INFLUENCE US A LOT OF WHAT WE DO. WE EMBRACE THE FUTURE, WE LEARN, WE GROW, WE EVOLVE. AND WORK IS ONE TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE. HERE IN HOUSTON, IT IS THE FOCUS ON ABILITIES SHOW, AND WE'RE HERE AT HTV WITH MARIA TOWN, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ISSUES THAT AFFECT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, IN HOUSTON AND TEXAS, AND ANYWHERE ELSE, QUITE FRANKLY. AND WE ASK A QUESTION AT THE, UH, END OF THE LAST SEGMENT ABOUT WHERE CAN YOU GET INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR RIGHTS AS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY, AND WHERE YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT WHETHER YOU'RE CONSIDERED DISABLED OR NOT. UH, WE'RE GONNA ANSWER THE QUESTION BEFORE THE END OF THE SHOW. NOW, IT'S YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO GOOGLE. AND BEFORE YOU DO THAT, WE'RE GONNA TALK TO MARIA ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES IN VOTING RIGHTS MM-HMM . UH, THAT PEOPLE HAVE. AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT THAT EXIST NOW THAT DID NOT EXIST FIVE YEARS AGO. SO, UH, MARIA IN THAT REGARD MM-HMM . I THINK ANYONE WHO STUDIES THE ISSUE WILL SAY THAT COVID HAD SOME VERY, VERY BAD EFFECTS. YEP. AND MANY PEOPLE DIED FROM IT. PEOPLE WERE DISABLED BY IT, AND SOME PEOPLE STILL HAVE IT. UM, BUT GIVEN ALL THAT, COVID ALSO PRODUCED OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THAT DIDN'T EXIST BEFORE 2020. AND AMONG THOSE ARE SERIOUS COMMITMENT TO TELEMEDICINE. YES. TELEHEALTH, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORK AT HOME THAT NEVER EXISTED BEFORE. FLEX TIME OPPORTUNITIES AND WAYS TO START EMPLOYER BUSINESSES, SELF-OWNED, SELF-DIRECTED BUSINESSES THAT SOMEBODY CAN DO FROM THEIR OWN HOME. UM, DO YOU, DOES A A PD PROVIDE HELP WITH PEOPLE STARTING BUSINESSES? ARE YOU AWARE OF RESOURCES THAT PEOPLE CAN, UH, APPLY TO FOR ASSISTANCE? I KNOW THERE'S THE, YOU KNOW, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS A NUMBER OF AGENCIES THAT SUPPORT WORKER TRAINING. MM-HMM . UM, WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT? SO, WE, UH, A A PD DOES PROVIDE RESOURCES THAT, UM, CAN HELP PEOPLE KIND OF START BUSINESSES. WE HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED START ACCESS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY FOCUSED ON AI BUSINESSES BECAUSE WE ARE, AGAIN, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT AI IS ACCESSIBLE FROM THE START AS IT BEGINS TO BECOME DEPLOYED IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES. WHETHER THAT'S, WHAT DOES AN AI BUSINESS DO? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WELL, UM, THERE'S A, UM, A COMPANY CALLED INCLUSIVELY, AND THEY ARE, THEY'VE CREATED THIS AI TOOL THAT ACTUALLY HELPS PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES GET JOBS. AND THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE KIND OF LOOKS AT THE RESUMES AND STRENGTHS OF THE PERSON WITH A DISABILITY WHO IS SEEKING A JOB AND DOES ALL THIS LIKE WEB SCRAPING AND LANGUAGE MODELING OF THE JOBS THAT ARE OUT THERE AND TRIES TO REALLY MATCH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO JOBS THAT ARE A GOOD FIT. AND DOES IT WORK? THIS IS THE QUESTION, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S BRAND NEW, SO WE STILL HAVE TO KIND OF SEE IF THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING, BUT IT'S AN EXCITING, THERE'S AN EXCITING POTENTIAL. UM, THERE ARE OTHER AI UM, COMPANIES LIKE, UH, ALL THESE AUTOMATED CAPTIONING COMPANIES, RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO EVEN TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT IF YOU USE AUTOMATED CAPTIONS AND YOU CURSE, YOU SAY A SWEAR WORD, IT WILL EDIT 'EM OUT. UM, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, WE GET MAD TOO. IF WE'RE CURSING, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW WE'RE CURSING AT YOU. UM, SO IT'S THINGS LIKE THAT, MAKING SURE THAT THESE TOOLS ARE ACTUALLY ACCURATELY REPRESENTING WHATEVER'S BEING COMMUNICATED TO THEM AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO. WELL, THAT'S INTERESTING. YEAH. UM, WE ALSO, UH, [00:25:01] JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO HOSTED THE VERY FIRST, UH, US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, NATIONAL DISABILITY LEADERSHIP SUMMIT. AND LEX, THIS WAS A VERY BIG DEAL. UM, HISTORICALLY, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAVE BEEN SORT OF STIGMATIZED AS INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE A DRAIN ON THE ECONOMY. AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE REACHED OUT BECAUSE THEY HAVE RECENTLY BEGUN TO UNDERSTOOD, UNDERSTAND THAT IN ORDER TO REALLY KEEP THE US' COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN INDUSTRIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THEY HAVE TO CENTER PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND SPECIFICALLY ENTREPRENEURS AND INNOVATORS WITH DISABILITIES. MM-HMM . SO WE WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER RESOURCES FROM THE PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE FOCUSED ON SUPPORTING INNOVATORS WITH DISABILITIES. LIKE FOLKS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, DR. COOPER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH, WE HEARD FROM, UM, THE MINORITY DEVELOP BUSINESS, SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION. I THINK I GOT THAT WRONG ABOUT THE NEW PROGRAMS THAT THEY HAVE TO SUPPORT ENTREPRENEURS WITH DISABILITIES. AND I'M REALLY HOPEFUL THAT THIS SUMMIT IS THE FIRST OF MANY BECAUSE THERE'S A, THERE WAS A LOT OF GROUNDWORK THAT WAS LAID, AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF MORE WORK TO DO. SO WHEN I WAS A YOUNG ADVOCATE MM-HMM . ONE OF THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL AND MOTIVATING ACTIVITIES THAT OCCURRED WAS THE WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON HANDICAPPED INDIVIDUALS. YEP. AND THAT WAS IN 1977. YES. AND IT BROUGHT PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TOGETHER IN WASHINGTON TO MEET WITH THE LEADERS OF FEDERAL AGENCIES AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHERS. MM-HMM . HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION OF DOING SUCH A CONFERENCE? I WOULD LOVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UM, WHEN I WORKED FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA, UM, WE DID THE WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON AGING, WHICH YOU MIGHT KNOW THIS BETTER THAN ME. DOES THAT HAPPEN EVERY DECADE? YES, SUPPOSEDLY. YEAH. IT WAS A HUGE UNDERTAKING. AND I THINK SUCH A CON, SO A WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON DISABILITY, WHICH IS WHAT WE'D CALL IT TODAY, UM, WOULD BE INCREDIBLE. MAYBE WE CAN PITCH IT FOR 2027. 'CAUSE THAT'LL BE 50 YEARS. I'LL BE THERE WITH YOU. OKAY. UH, MARIA, WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME TODAY. UH, WE DID PROMISE THE AUDIENCE TO TELL THEM WHERE PEOPLE COULD GET INFORMATION ABOUT A DA AND I'M PLEASED TO SAY ONE OF THE 10 A DA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS IS HERE IN HOUSTON AT THE TEXAS MEDICAL CENTER AT TIER MEMORIAL HERMANN. THE NUMBER TO CALL IS 1-800-949-FOUR 2 3 2. AND YOU WILL SPEAK TO SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES. UH, SOME OF THEM ARE ATTORNEYS, SOME OF THEM ARE PARALEGALS, SOME OF THEM ARE TRAINED ADVOCATES. AND THEY WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTION YOU HAVE ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS, WHETHER YOU'RE ELIGIBLE, AND IF THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO ANSWER, THEY KNOW WHO TO CALL. SO PLEASE DON'T HESITATE ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES. IF YOU'RE WATCHING THIS PROGRAM STREAMING IN NORTH DAKOTA OR IN ALASKA, YOU CAN CALL 1-800-949-FOUR 2 3 2 AND YOUR NEAREST CENTER WILL PICK UP THE PHONE AT NO CHARGE TO YOU AND PROVIDE, UH, ASSISTANCE. UH, MARIA, UH, ANY NUMBERS OR WEBSITES, I GUESS WE'RE LIVING IN THE 21ST CENTURY. HOW DO PEOPLE REACH A A PD? THEY SHOULD DEFINITELY CHECK OUT AAPD.COM OR FIND A PD ON ANY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM. AND IF THEY WANT TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOU OR YOUR COLLEAGUES, THEY CAN EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS@AAPD.COM. OKAY. MANY OPPORTUNITIES, OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERNSHIPS, OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN ABOUT ADVOCACY, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE IN ADVOCACY. THANK YOU ALL FOR WATCHING. UH, THIS IS FOCUSED ON ABILITIES. MARIA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. IT'S MY PLEASURE. IT WAS A GREAT DAY TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE YOU ON FOCUS, SO I HOPE YOU ALL WILL TUNE IN NEXT TIME. WE APPRECIATE YOU WATCHING. UH, THIS IS LEX FRIEDEN. THIS IS THE MUNICIPAL CHANNEL, HTV. PLEASE TUNE IN NEXT TIME. THE FOLLOWING PROGRAM IS SPONSORED BY ILRU SOUTHWEST, A DA CENTER PROMOTING COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.