BOB DOLE KANSAS 141 SENATE HART BUILDING RULES (202) 224-11521 COMMITTEES: AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AHO FORESTRYKANSAS FINANCE RULES United States Senate WASHINGTON, DC 20510-1601 November 19, 1993 Ms. Sandra Swift Parrino Alliance for International Development 123 Marlborough Road Scarborough, New York 10510 Dear Ms. Parrino: Thank you for your letter with an update on your activities and the work of the Alliance for International Development on behalf of people with disabilities in the Russian Federation. As you may know, I have had a longstanding interest in improving the circumstances of people with disabilities in Russia. I understand your have spoken with my legislative assistant, Dr. Alexander Vachon, on this matter. I would appreciate it if you would kept me posted on the progress of your project, and if I can be helpful in any way, please let me know. With best regards, Sincerely, Bob Dole United State Senate MEMORANDUM Date: November 24, 1993 To: Senator Dole From: Alec Vachon Re: Letter from Sandy Parrino re Russian Project * Attached is a letter for your signature, acknowledging the attached letter from Sandy Parrino, former Chairman of the National Council on Disability, and offering future assistance if appropriate. Parrino is traveling to Moscow for 3 days next week to allegedly develop a model rehabilitation center and invited a representative of the "Republican Leadership" to accompany her. *I spoke to her about the trip --her organization is apparently a "letterhead" group (the mailing address is her home). Frankly, I think it will take more than three days to accomplish anything substantial, and there seems to be no funding for this project at present (travelers must pay their own expenses). *Incidentally, I traveled with Sandy once before --to Red China for two weeks' under the sponsorship of a semi-private disability organization headed by Deng Pufang (son of Deng Xiao-ping), who is paralyzed from an injury he sustained when thrown from a window by the Red Guard during the early 1970s. Although the China trip was fascinating, Parrino spent two weeks terrorizing just about everyone. I asked her if anyone going on the Russia trip had ever traveled with her before, and she said "no." * Incidentally, I am tracking six other American disability/rehabilitation projects in Russia. If any of these merit support, I will let you know. ALLIANCEFOR lNTERNATIIONAL DEVELOPMENT Sandra Swift Parrino, President September 27, 1993 The Honorable Robert Dole United States Senate United states Capitol Room S-230 Washington, D.C. Dear Senator Dole, I am writing to you, as Republican leader, to apprise you of my efforts to facilitate the development of disability policies and programs in the Russian Federation that promote the independence, productivity and inclusion of persons with disabilities. I am past Chairperson of the National Council on Disability, having been first appointed by President Reagan in 1982 and reappointed by President Bush in 1989. In the fall of 1992, I met Mrs. Ella Pamfilova, the Minister for Social Protection for the Russian Federation, when I delivered the United States remarks to the United Nations General Assembly. At that time, the Minister invited me to visit Russia to assist in the development of their disability policies and programs, and I have subsequently traveled to Russia on numerous occasions to evaluate existing rehabilitation programs and to make recommendations for improving the social protection system for persons with disabilities in Russia. It is with great pleasure that I now inform you that Mrs.Pamfilova and the Alliance for International Development have agreed to develop a joint Russian-American rehabilitation project that will result in the opening of a model rehabilitation center in Moscow in the spring of 1994. The model rehabilitation center will be housed within the Central Prosthetics Institute of Moscow (CPI),and will be the first of its kind in Russia. An American rehabilitation system will be adapted for use at CPI, and will subsequently be duplicated at rehabilitation facilities throughout the Russian Federation and the newly independent states. The goal of the project is to provide the Russian Federation with an effective and cost-efficient rehabilitation system that meets the highest medical standards and promotes the independence, productivity and integration of disabled persons. 123 Marlborough Road • Scarborough, New York 10510 Tel: (914) 941-4667 • Fax: (914) 941-6667 Page 2 September 27, 1993 On November 29 -December 1, 1993, a joint Russian-American planning meeting will be convened in Moscow. I will bring an American team to this meeting, composed of leading rehabilitation specialists, administrators, public policy experts, and potential U.S. investors to meet with representatives of the Ministry todetermine how the Russian-American rehabilitation project might best be implemented, and to develop broad strategies for improving the Russian system of social protection disabilities. We would very much like to have a representative of the of the Republican Leadership attend this meeting, and I am therefore writing to you now to seek you advice in determining whom the appropriate person might be. Given the support this project enjoys at the highest levels of the Russian government, I believe that we have been presented with an extraordinary opportunity to bring American disability philosophy to Russia and the newly formed republics, and I am certain that the support of the Republican Leadership will help assure our success. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely yours, Sandra Swift Parrino