Youth Advisory Committee Members Sought

[Guest guest]

Subject: Youth invited to serve on advisory committeeDear Disability Organizations:

I'm a volunteer for the Youth Advisory Committee of the National Council on Disability. We are recruiting new members. Please share this notice with any teenagers and young adults that you think might be interested inapplying. Thank you.Sincerely,

Member, Youth Advisory Committee, National Council on Disability The National Council on Disability's Youth Advisory Committee is looking for new members. All applications needto be received by January 15, 2004.The committee provides advice to the National Council on Disability (NCD)on various issues such as NCD's planning and priorities. NCD is seeking this type of input in order to make sure NCD's activities and policy recommendations respond to the needs of youth with disabilities. NCD's Youth Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) was established as a non-paid advisory body to include youth and young adult perspectives in carrying out the mission of NCD. This is to ensure that NCD's activities andpolicy recommendations incorporate the needs of youth with disabilities. NCD's mission is to promote policies, programs, practices, and proceduresthat guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability; and to empowerindividuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency,independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects ofsociety. In an advisory role to NCD, the Advisory Committee will perform the following duties:

1. Advise NCD on matters (e.g., economic, educational, employment, housing, social, transportation, and technological) related to the needs of children, youth and young adults with disabilities. 2. Review and provide comments on NCD's priorities and projects. 3. Select a reasonable number of issues and activities among NCD's priorities for Advisory Committee concentration.4. Enhance NCD's knowledge about how the lives of children, youth, and young adults are affected by the implementation andenforcement of federal legislation (e.g., The Americans With Disabilities Act, Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, Carl D. Perkins Vocational Education Amendments, Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology EducationAct, Higher Education Act, Fair Housing Act, Assistive Technology Act, Rehabilitation Act Amendments, Ticket to Work and Work IncentivesImprovement Act, Aircraft rs Access Act, and Workforce Investments Act); advise NCD on compliance issues and recommend policy changes. The Advisory Committee, whose members shall be appointed by NCD, shall be comprised of a balanced, culturally diverse membership, representing a variety of disabling conditions, and from across the United States,including each of the 10 federal regions. Members serve for at least a two-year term. Terms of appointment may be staggered to ensure that one-half of the members are appointed annually. Selection of members and their terms shall be determined by NCD; members will serve until succeeded.

Any interested parties, high school or beyond, ages 16 - 25 years feelfree to contact me, Hare (rhare54@a...) or Isaac Huff (I_Huff@s...)about the application process. Let's continue getting our voices out there!Sincerely,

Hare -Youth Advisory Committee Executive Group National Council on Disability