Quarterly Newsletter
February 2007
In this issue:
Message from the Acting Executive
Director
Fundraising Events Planned for Tucson
and Phoenix
The Center Welcomes New Board Members
Amicus Curiae Filed To Increase Access
to Mortality Records
Intake System Handles Over 100 Callers
Per Week
Message from the Acting Executive
Director
“I don’t get it!”
“No wonder it cost $8.00 or
more to go to the movies!”
“What percentage of the
local population would use these services?”
You have just read real
expressions of outrage, ignorance, and concern over the right of individuals
who are deaf or blind to access movies theaters in
Nearly 17 years after the
passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), places of public
accommodations have been slow to move forward with available technology to
serve all people with disabilities.
The Center has filed a
lawsuit against Harkins Theaters. We are
in settlement talks with another major chain and are contemplating additional
actions against other national chains in
You know, because of your
past involvement with the Center, that this is exactly the kind of systems
change you expect the Center to tackle.
And it is absolutely the right thing to do.
Fundraising Events Planned for
Our Board of Directors is
pleased to announce two special events this spring designed to recognize the
contributions of individuals in our community and to raise funds to support the
work of the Center.
On Thursday, March 29, from
5:00 – 7:00 pm, the law firm of Piccarreta & Davis will host our
Leslie Cohen was the
Executive Director of the Center for 10 years.
She is now the Director of the Sonoran University Center of Excellence
in Developmental Disabilities at the Department of Family and Community
Medicine,
Jim Click is the Chief Executive
of the Jim Click Automotive Group. Mr.
Click has championed integrated community employment for people with
disabilities in
Ron Barber has served people
with developmental disabilities in
Invitations to our
Save the date: Thursday, May 10. The law firm
of Snell & Wilmer will host our
The Center Welcomes New Board Members
4 key community leaders have
joined our Board of Directors.
Matthew Wangeman is the
current Chair of the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities. Matthew lives in
Tony DiRienzi is the current
Executive Director of the State Independent Living Council. He is also the Treasurer of the
Peg Kepner is an educator of
students with autism at the
Matthew, Tony, Peg and Craig
join current members: Lydia Aranda (
Amicus Curiae Filed To Increase Access to Mortality
Records
In an effort to bring
forward information that may be relevant to Pima County Superior Court Judge
Leslie Miller, the Center submitted a friend of the court brief in Pima
County Human Rights Committee v. Arizona Department of Health Services.
The Pima County Human Rights
Committee (HRC) had been seeking access to redacted copies of mortality reports
for all mental health client deaths in
The Center’s Amicus Curiae
brief supports the position of the Pima County HRC because the outcome of this
action will directly affect the quality of oversight afforded to the deaths of
individuals enrolled in the public mental health system.
In our brief,
the Center argues several main points:
Judge Miller held oral
argument on this case in January 2007.
She has taken the case under advisement.
In other words, all of the parties are awaiting a decision.
Intake System Now Handles Over 100 Callers Per Week
In October 2006, the Center
moved to simplify the process that you use to access our programs and
services. Previously, the Center segregated
requests for information and services by issue area. Intake occurred at different hours, on
different days of the week, and in some cases in different offices.
Now, the Center accepts all
requests for services and information in our
From the program’s
inception, we received over 100 calls per week.
The calls have not subsided. Of
those callers, most are seeking information and representation related to
special education, followed by access to health care and employment.
While we do not have the
resources to provide legal representation to every caller, we are truly
committed to providing accurate disability-related legal information and advice
to each and every caller who needs our services and assistance.
As always, I appreciate the
support you have provided to the Center.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns
about the Center or our program activities.
You can reach me at (520) 327-9547, ext. 23 or by email at pradecic@azdisabilitylaw.org.
Thank you and I look forward
to bringing you more news and information on the Center in the near future.
Peri Jude Radecic
Acting Executive Director