TRENTON
– Attorney General Peter C. Harvey
and Division on Civil Rights Director
J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo announced today
that the State will host the second session
of its Second Annual Disability Law Conference:
“Protecting the Rights of People
with Mental Disabilities” on Wednesday,
March 23, at Bergen Community College.
The event is free and all are welcome
to attend. Anyone interested can register
online at www.NJCivilRights.org. The first
session of this year’s Disability
Law Conference was held at the Ancora
Psychiatric Hospital in Winslow Township,
Camden County, on March 9. The session
was well attended, Attorney General Harvey
said, and drew an audience that reflected
a cross-section of persons interested
in the rights of those with mental or
intellectual disabilities. From advocates
to attorneys, and from service providers
to the relatives of persons with disabilities,
people from throughout southern and central
New Jersey came to listen, learn and ask
questions about this complex and sensitive
topic, Harvey noted.
The Attorney General said the goal of
this year’s conference is to foster
greater awareness and understanding of
the rights of those with mental disabilities,
and to provide persons with disabilities
– as well as their loved ones and
other advocates – an opportunity
to ask questions and express concerns.
“We
in law enforcement have both a moral and
legal responsibility to make certain a
person’s disability never becomes
a justification for disparate treatment
in the workplace, housing and public spaces,”
said Harvey. “Enforcing the State’s
anti-discrimination statutes, and holding
those who discriminate accountable, is
one way we are meeting this responsibility.
Another way is through ongoing education
and public outreach efforts – like
this conference -- which provide New Jerseyans
an opportunity to obtain the information
they need to protect their rights, and
the rights of loved ones.”
Division Director Vespa-Papaleo said the
Division’s main objective in hosting
this year’s conference is to educate
attendees about the New
Jersey Law Against Discrimination
(LAD) in general, and especially as it
pertains to those with mental health issues.
“We
need to ensure that residents of the state
are made aware of their rights to places
of public accommodation, employment, housing,
education and public services,”
he said.
Vespa-Papaleo added that last year’s
Disability Law Conference, which focused
on the rights of the deaf and hard of
hearing, “was so successful at letting
government agencies know how we can continue
to help our constituents, we knew we had
found a forum and program that would be
fruitful.”
This year’s conference is also part
of continued, extensive outreach to New
Jersey residents with disabilities through
the Division’s Disability and Public
Accommodation Special Investigation Unit.
Under the leadership of Acting Governor
Richard J. Codey, who has made mental
disabilities and mental illness a priority
policy issue, the conference will bring
renewed awareness to the public about
mental disabilities, and help facilitate
the advancement of the rights of the mentally
disabled.
“This conference supports our broader
efforts to eliminate the stigma associated
with mental illness,” Codey said.
“By educating the public about the
rights of individuals of mental illness,
we are helping break down the barriers
they too often face.”
The Division on Civil Rights has brought
together experts from around the state
to present various issues pertaining to
those with mental disabilities, and to
answer questions from members of the public.
Panelists consist of representatives from
the Coalition of Mental Health Consumers
Organization, Equal Employment Opportunities
Commission, Mental Health Association
of New Jersey, NAMI-NJ, New Jersey Community
Health Law Project, New Jersey Protection
and Advocacy, Governor Codey’s Mental
Health Task Force, and the Division of
Law and the Division on Civil Rights.
The conference is co-sponsored by Acting
Governor Codey, Attorney General Harvey,
the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities
Commission, New Jersey Division of Mental
Health Services, New Jersey Council on
Developmental Disabilities, New Jersey
Mental Health Task Force, New Jersey Human
Relations Council, Bergen County Division
of Disability Services, Bergen Community
College Office of Specialized Services,
and Ancora Psychiatric Hospital.
The Division on Civil Rights is responsible
for enforcement of the New Jersey Law
Against Discrimination and the Family
Leave Act. Specifically, the Division
investigates allegations of discrimination
in employment, housing, places of public
accommodation and credit. The Division
has six offices located in Trenton, Newark,
Atlantic City, Paterson, Camden and Jersey
City. Further information about the Division
is available on its Web site, www.NJCivilRights.org
.