ACB as a part of the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities Social Security Task Force has been pretty busy this year and the following is a snip of the annual report. The areas of focus have included the following:
1. Advocating that SSA's administrative budget be removed from the spending caps for discretionary domestic spending and that it has adequate resources for personnel and service needs.
2. Monitoring the final rules changing the disability claims process, known as "Disability Service Improvement" (DSI), which were published in March 2006.
3. Advocating to help policy makers understand what is at stake in proposals that might contemplate changing the definition of disability in the Social Security and SSI disability programs.
4. Advocating to improve Social Security and SSI disability work incentives.
5. Advocating that SSA to withdraw proposed regulations that would increase the disability age categories.
6. Monitoring the implementation of provisions in Pub. L. No. 108-203, the Social Security Protection Act of 2004.
7. Monitoring possible proposals to update the SSI program and monitoring implementation of the SSI children's program.
8. Monitoring SSA efforts to prevent fraud and advocating that the due process and privacy rights of individuals are protected.
9. Proactively meeting with SSA officials and Congressional on a broad range of topics affecting people with disabilities who must rely on the Social Security disability programs and the SSI program.
The Task Force expects to continue to work on all of the issues described above. Specifically:
* Participating as fully as possible, if the debate on the solvency of the Social Security Trust Funds is revived, to ensure that the impact on people with disabilities is considered and their interests are protected.
* Monitoring the implementation of the changes to the disability claims process.
* Continuing to work with other CCD Task Forces to monitor proposals to change the definition of disability. Working with other CCD Task Forces, we will send an in-depth response to the SSAB's September 2006 report
* Monitoring of the implementation of provisions in Pub. L. No. 108-203.
* Monitoring the implementation of the disability programs in the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program and the SSI program; presenting testimony as requested to Congress; responding to notices of proposed rulemaking; raising issues of concern to people with disabilities to SSA officials and Congressional staff; and promoting the passage of legislation to improve the programs for people with disabilities, including work incentives in the Social Security and SSI programs.
* Monitoring and advocating for the development of proposals to simplify, improve, or update the SSI program.
* As an additional issue that ACB hopes to investigate further is the predisposition that some Social Security offices have for entering individuals with visual impairments under the category of "other disability" rather than under the statutorily defined "blind" category.
Day Al-Mohamed
Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs
American Council of the Blind
1155 15th St. NW
Washington DC 20005
Tel. 202-467-5081
dalmohamed@acb.org