The National Council on Disability (NCD), Washington, will hear presentations and discuss employment, health care, and restraint and seclusion issues affecting people with disabilities during its quarterly meeting in Nashville, Tenn, which begins on October 26 and concludes on October 28.

The meeting, which will be held at the Holiday Inn Express, 920 Broadway, is open to the public.

The employment session will be held on October 27 from 9:15 am to 10:30 am. Speakers include:

Andrea Cooper, assistant commissioner, Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Tennessee Department of Human Services, Nashville

Lillian Burch, executive director, DisABILITY Resource Center, Knoxville, Tenn

Carol Westlake, executive director, Tennessee Disability Coalition, Nashville

A discussion on seclusion and restraint will be held on October 27 from 10:45 am to noon. Speakers include:

Holly Lu Conant Rees, education advocate, ARC of Davidson County, Nashville

Steven Glowicki, family educator, STEP (Support and Training for Exceptional Parents) Inc, Nashville

A presentation on health care for people with disabilities will be held on October 27 from 2 pm to 3:15 pm. The presenter will be Tony Garr, Tennessee Health Care Campaign, Nashville.

NCD will also host a reception at the hotel for meeting participants, audience members, and stakeholders from the disability community on October 27 from noon to 2 pm. Additional details about the meeting are available at [removed]http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/quarterly/quarterly.htm[/removed]. Written comments for Council consideration can be submitted at any time by writing to [email protected].

Specific times are also designated to receive public comment, supported by a toll-free call-in line, and input is encouraged. Individuals and organizations can also provide written comments by e-mail, fax, or mail. A public comment session will be held on October 26 from 4:30 pm to 5 pm CST. The toll-free call-in number is (888) 790-6568, and the pass code is "NCD Meeting."

The purpose of NCD, an independent federal agency, is to promote programs, practices, policies, and procedures that ensure full inclusion of people with disabilities into all aspects of society, says the organization. NCD provides advice and makes recommendations to the President, Congress, governmental agencies, and other stakeholders.

For more information, contact Mark S. Quigley, NCD’s director of external affairs, at [email protected] or call (202) 272-2004.

[Source: [removed]National Council on Disability[/removed]]