Spring 2006

A Message from the Committee Chair: Carolyn Herbst

Dear Colleagues:

I think it’s appropriate, every now and then, to reflect on how wonderful it is to be part of the United Federation of Teachers community. Many people at the UFT help to make our committee successful. We know we have the full support of UFT President Randi Weingarten and her officers and staff, especially Michael Mendel, Director of UFT Staff, to carry out our mission of ensuring that UFT members receive reasonable accommodations in the workplace under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Our Committee for Members Who Are Capably Disabled staff includes Eugene Rubin, UFT Liaison; George Fesko, UFT Liaison Emeritus; and Bonita Gibson and Abbe Nosoff, who provide immediate assistance to UFT members via telephone and mail. Chapter leaders and staff in UFT borough offices also offer assistance. The UFT provides us with meeting space for our general and steering committee meetings, refreshments at meetings, staff to lay out and print our newsletter (which Abbe Nosoff writes and edits), and mailing to members meeting announcements, newsletters, and minutes of our general meetings (which Bonita Gibson writes). Beverly Warmbrand signs for the deaf and hard of hearing. Marie Santana provides secretarial services.

The UFT provides us with an extensive Web page within the UFT Web site www.uft.org, which Eugene Rubin maintains with the help of the UFT Internet Communications Department. It has information about our committee, how to get reasonable accommodations and links to organizations and government agencies that may be helpful.

Our general meetings provide an informational outreach program by offering speakers of interest to our members. I am happy to help organize these programs at our steering committee meetings. I am also happy to engage in other outreach programs at UFT and UFT-related meetings, by staffing exhibit tables for our committee at these meetings. These exhibit tables distribute materials about the committee and about the Americans with Disabilities Act. We have tables at the American Federation of Teachers Quest Conference and AFT Conventions, NYSUT conventions, New York City Department of Education Summer Conferences for New Teachers, and the UFT Spring Conferences. We are often seen as a role model for other union locals to learn from about helping their members receive reasonable accommodations.

I invite all committee members to come to all of our committee meetings. They are also welcome to bring colleagues, family, friends and support personnel.

Thank you to the people who make our committee possible: UFT officers, staff, and all our members who enable us to carry out our mission.