European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 28, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes wednesday july 28,1993 agent Orange compensation widened 2 diseases added to Vernam need ailments Washington a the department of vetch ans affairs on tuesday added two More diseases to theist of disorders that entitle affected Vietnam veterans to compensation As a result of cd pour e to the Herbi cide agent Orange. Veterans affairs Secretary Jesse drown said Viet Nam veterans with had skirt s disease or with a liver Dis order called porphyria Cutanda Tarda will become Eligi ble for disability payments under a proposed Rule. Compensation already is paid to Vietnam veterans with three other agent Orange related disorders two types of cancer soft tissue Sarcoma and non-1 Hodgkin s Lymphoma and a skin disease called chloral no. Drown said in a statement that he was adding the new diseases to the compensation list As the result of a National Academy of sciences study released tuesday that concludes sufficient evidence links these diseases to agent Orange exposure. Agent Orange is a herbicide that was sprayed i Vietnam from 1962 to 1970 during the War there. The chemical defoliated Trees and killed crops thus denying Jungle concealment and food to enemy soldiers. Since the 1970s, some veterans groups and scientists have blamed dioxin a chemical in agent Orange for cancers and other diseases suffered by Vietnam Veter ans. Some also have blamed the herbicide for birth defects in children of veterans. In the National Academy of sciences report a panel of 23 experts reviewed the results of More than 230 studies on herbicides dioxin and health. The panel concluded that there is a statistical association link ing exposure to the chemicals to the five diseases. Our committee has determined through an Exten Sive review of the scientific literature that indeed there docs appear to be a link Between exposure to herbicides and certain diseases said Harold fallen chair Man of the committee and Dean of the school of medi Cine at the University of Alabama Dirmingham. The committee said limited suggestive evidence linked herbicides to respiratory cancers such As those of the lung Larynx and Trachea to prostate cancer and to multiple myeloma which is another Type of  committee said that evidence for linking agent Orange to these diseases could not be ruled out wit Confidence but that the evidence is not conclusive. There was inadequate or insufficient evidence the committee said to link the herbicide with a Long list of other ailments including birth defects female cancers digestive disorders and nerve diseases. The committee said evidence indicated that the herbicide was not linked with skin cancer gastrointestinal tutors stomach cancer pancreatic cancer Colon can cer and rectal cancer bladder cancer and brain to mors. Drown said in a statement that the scientific report gives us new information that i believe will help to further resolve the lingering concerns of Vietnam vet Erans and their  he ordered that regulations be drawn up swiftly tallow Benefit payments for Hodgkin s disease and porphyria Cutanda Tarda. The Secretary said he also would order the a to re View its records so that Vietnam veterans who have been diagnosed with these disorders can be identified. A number of herbicides were sprayed in Southeast Asia during american involvement in the Vietnam War but agent Orange was the most common. After a class action lawsuit on behalf of Vietnam vet Erans and their families was filed against chemical companies that manufactured the herbicides a settlement was reached to establish a $180 million compensation fund. From 1970 to just last year committees of Congre shave had repeated hearings on agent Orange and its health effects. In 1984, a Law was passed to Grant disability payments for Chlorace non Hodgkin a Lymphoma and soft tissue Sarcoma associated with agent Orange. Reno urges firms to improve Access for disabled Takoma Park my. A  general Janet Reno rang the Doorbell at Kaz gift shop monday an was greeted by a portable ramp which she ascended. Minutes later Reno walked up a Brick ramp into the Takoma women s health enter to View an examination table built for disabled people. Reno visited both businesses As Well sothers in this Washington suburb to commemorate the three year anniversary marking passage of the americans wit disabilities act. Her visit also marked the end of Al Grace periods for compliance with the disabled crawl out of wheelchairs in protest Austin Texas a about 25 protesters got out of wheelchairs and crawled into restaurants and businesses monday to protest the Lack of ramps More than a year after a Federal Law ordering Access to the disabled went into effect. This is really just a message that we want to work cooperatively but that we think Access  civil right said Bob Kafka an organizer with american disabled for attendant programs today. The protesters crawled into various businesses in the City s main entertainment District that they said still did not have ramps and other equipment for the disabled by monday the third anniversary of the americans with disabilities act s passage and the end of a Grace period that gave businesses time to provide Access. Our intent was not to disturb but show what people with disabilities have to do just to order an enchilada dinner Kafka said. He said several business owners promised to make improvements. Police helped the protesters Back into their wheelchairs Kafka said and no one was arrested. The americans with disabilities act which took effect in january 1992, requires businesses to provide Access to the nation s 43 million disabled people and prohibits employment discrimination. The Federal government gives tax Breaks to cover a portion of renovation costs. Janet Reno Law. The act requires businesses to provide Access to the 43 million disabled Ameri cans and prohibits employment discrimination against them. The Federal government gives tax Breaks to cover a portion of renovation costs. The renovations to make Kaz accessible to the disabled Cost $370 chances atthe health Center ran More than $8,300. Businesses along Takoma Park s main thoroughfare were models for an educational film called open for business. The film was made and distributed by a non profit group the disability rights Educa Tion and defense fund. Becky Ogle a disabled resident of de Thesda md., who worked on the film said she thinks Reno s trip signified she Means business that this is the Law of the  in a speech at the town s Center Reno touted the flexibility of the Law which people with multiple disabilities to live says businesses must make changes that work and play in their  Are readily  each Small step can make such a Dif Ference Reno said. To All americans. I say Don t be Williams 36, comes to the Job from the United cerebral palsy associations inc., where he was an advocate for the Ameri cans with disabilities act. Fearful Don t be afraid of what it takes to the Agency is responsible for program comply with the act. Be reasonable be that protect the rights and promote the thoughtful and be caring and you can self sufficiency of nearly 4 million Ameri i i -.i�_-lt�?comply. Meanwhile health and human serv ices Secretary Donna e. Shalala announced that Dob Williams an advocate for the disabled who was born with Cere cans with developmental disabilities. The Agency has a budget this year of $109 million. In Takoma Park Reno promised re fort h will need enforcement of the Law. The jus bral palsy had been chosen to Lead thex Tice department is already investigating Faett vol a a m to Ftp Ftp a Jan pm i a i Row of of. Federal administration on develop Tal disabilities. Dob Williams is the kind of who reminds us again thar Persone need to look at abilities not disabilities when we hire and promote Shalala said. Dob is a nationally recognized expert on the Best ways to create supports for More than 800 complaints in connection with the Law. Reno also announced a new Public service Campaign with violinist Fteha Perlman and former new York jets foot Ball Star Dennis Byrd As spokesmen. Perlman suffers from polio and dyed was injured in a football Accident.  station cutback to Cost 1, Washington a Nasa s administrator has notified the Agency s employees that the scaled Back space station approved by president Clinton will mean the loss of an estimated 1,300 jobs among Federal work ers alone. Success of the new space station program requires an immediate transition to a new organizational Structure Daniel s. Goldin said in a memo distributed throughout Nasa last week. The complement required to do this Job will be reduced to approximately 1,000 civil  the space Agency currently has 2,300 of its 24,000 per manent employees working on the space station. About 17,000 contractor employees Are scattered across 39 states but Goldin s statement did not address prospects of a cutback for no government workers. Nasa has asked the White House and Congress for permission to offer eligible employees inducements of leaving. About 3,500 of the Agency s employees Are Eligi ble for retirement. The number grows to 7,500 if Early outs and buyouts Are added said Mark Hess a spokesman for the National aeronautics and space administration. February Clinton ordered Nasa to produce a space station at far less Cost and complexity than the one on the drawing boards which was to have Cost $31.3 Bil lion. Nasa came up with a plan to have a station ready for occupancy in the year 2000 for $12.7 billion in Addi Tion to the $9 billion already spent. As part of the restructuring Nasa will abandon the practice of administering separate work packages at four centers naming a single prime contractor instead. One of the Nasa centers will be designated As the Host