Emily Keller-O'Donnell, Journalist

Athletes with Disabilities Compete in New York Marathon

    More than 200 athletes competed in the wheelchair and handcycle divisions of the New York City Marathon November 7. (Photo of Dan O'Connor by Achilles International.)

    The male winner in the pushrim wheelchair division was David Weir of Great Britain with a time of 1:37:29. The winning female wheelchair athlete was Tatyana Mcfadden of Maryland with a completion time of 2:02:22.

    The female winner in the handcycle division was Helene Hines of New York with a finishing time of 2:02:16. The male handcycle winner was Dane Pilon of North Carolina, who finished the race in 1:21:23.

    The Achilles Track Club recruited and trained many of the athletes with disabilities who competed. Dick Traum, founder of the club, said 225 people with disabilities finished the race. The Achilles athletes came from 25 countries with the largest international teams from Japan, Russia and Brazil.

Suffolk County Office of Handicapped Services Will Remain Independent

    The Suffolk County Legislature has voted against a proposal that would have changed the status of the Office of Handicapped Services as an independent city service.

    Twelve legislators voted to pass the omnibus bill that amends County Executive Steve Levy’s 2011 operating budget. The bill, which received the required number of votes to override a potential veto by Levy, removes a proposal to place the Office of Handicapped Services within the Children with Special Needs division of the Health Services Department.   

Kathy Urschel Passes Away After Accident

    Athlete Kathy Urschel of Baldwinsville, New York passed away November 9 following an accident three days earlier.

    Urschel, 46, was a longtime member of the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) and a Paralympian.

    USABA Executive Director Mark Lucas released a statement expressing his sorrow and praise for Urschel. “A remarkably resilient, genuine, inspirational woman and fierce competitor with a zeal for life,” Lucas said.  “Kathy lost her sight and hearing and faced them as minor inconveniences, leaving us with the legacy that true success in life is how we choose our attitude in any situation.”

    Urschel had raced across the country on a tandem bike in seven days and won a silver medal in cycling at the Atlanta Paralympics. She participated in a canoe race in New Zealand and in the Sydney Paralympics, where she finished in 11th place. She was inducted into the Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

Obituary of Paul Miller

     Paul S. Miller, a lawyer and disability rights advocate, passed away on October 19 at his home on Mercer Island, Washington. The cause of his death was cancer. Miller was 49.

    Miller, who was born with dwarfism, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard Law School. He was a commissioner at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for ten years and an advisor to Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

    Miller was a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he directed the disabilities studies program. He was also an expert on genetic science who wrote about social and ethical issues in the Human Genome Project. Miller was born in New York and grew up on Long Island.

    James Weisman, general counsel for United Spinal Association, met Miller shortly after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), when Miller’s job was to recruit people with disabilities into the Clinton Administration. The last time Weisman saw Miller was at a 20th anniversary celebration of the ADA.

    “He was an amazing example of never underestimate people with disabilities. He was brilliant and funny with a very ironic sense of humor,” said Weisman. “He could have gone out and been a zillionaire. He dedicated his life to making the world a better place.”

Nassau County Seeks to Privatize Long Island Bus

    Nassau County has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) that would privatize Long Island Bus, removing it from the control of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).

    Long Island Bus is owned by Nassau County and operated by the MTA. The RFP was released September 14 following ongoing conflict with the MTA, which has proposed funding reductions for the service due to an $800 million budget shortfall this year.

Coalition for Pedestrian Safety Calls for Greater Recognition

    The Coalition of Pedestrians for Accessible and Safe Streets (PASS) is calling on city officials for a seat at the table in planning discussions for bike lanes, crossing signals and pedestrian malls.   

    Karen Gourgey, president of the New York chapter of the American Council of the Blind, said recent changes in street geometry have not included accessibility features needed for people with visual impairments and blindness to travel safely.