pages: CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities/2017-10-11.pdf, 14
This data as json
body | date | page | text | path |
---|---|---|---|---|
CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities | 2017-10-11 | 14 | ITEM 2-A COMMISSION ON DISABILITY ISSUES MEETING MINUTES OF Wednesday, October 11, 2017 6:30 p.m. the time to speak had passed, so I apologize. People who have low-income or are disabled are eligible for what's called the VITA Program, which is Volunteer Income Tax Assistance. It's funded by the federal government, and there are certain places around every area where people can go to have their taxes prepared for free. But, of course, these places have to be physically accessible. And most of them only operate during tax season. And if you get nailed by the franchise tax board or somebody for a delinquent tax return, even though you can still file between April and October, only problem is, there's no places open in the East Bay except one. Carol Gottstein: I had to go there last year and I found that even though they had one of those blue disabled signs out on the front of their building, it's all on the second floor and there's no elevator, and the doorbell didn't work. So I filed a complaint against the Internal Revenue Service with the Department of the Treasury, and they found in my favor. And after six months of going back and forth and filing lots of paperwork, I got a list of things that the IRS has to do to correct this, including move it off the second floor or put it in another building, because they actually did send a site person out to explore the site and they discovered there's only stairway access and the doorbell doesn't work, so if a disabled person who can't use the stairs does show up at the front door, they can't even let the people on the second floor know that they're there. And there was no alternative. Carol Gottstein: I mean I literally couldn't file my tax return without help and they were the only place in the East Bay. I would have to go to San Francisco to find another place. So I'm happy to share more about that if you ever want to hear about it in another meeting. Beth Kenny: Thank you for doing that. That helps quite a few people, I'm sure. Tony Lewis: Congratulations. Beth Kenny: Also, if you're interested in being part of the Emergency Preparedness Sub- Committee, you're more than welcome to join us. Tony Lewis: I wanted to mention too, I believe that there is another VITA site, but they only do operate during tax season. Lisa Hall: I also want to just add that what you brought up is so, so sad and true. One of the workshops was, that I did attend, was the emergency planning and preparedness for people with disabilities and the cities they live in, and the gentleman told us some very sad stories about a gentleman was taking a night class, on the third floor, and the whole high school had to be evacuated, and the elevator didn't work. And they had to have all these firemen come, he was in a wheelchair, and they had to have all these firemen come and help bring him down by the stairs, and it took like an hour and a half. Thank God it wasn't a fire. But nonetheless, it was just one example of how vulnerable people with disabilities are, especially in a situation like that. What you did is a very good thing, to make the complaints, because this is what we have to do. We have to make businesses, including our own IRS, aware of these things. Susan Deutsch: Yes, I just want to say that, in terms of evacuation of people in wheelchairs When I was working in Berkeley, any student that had a class on the second floor, or if there were 12/13/17 Page 14 of 16 | CommissiononPersonswithDisabilities/2017-10-11.pdf |