Law, Health Policy & Disability Center
University of Iowa College of Law
and
The Burton Blatt Institute
Syracuse University
One-Stop Toolkit
Resources of the Week Technical Assistance Project E-Mail listserv
28 April 2006
Good morning everyone,
Below please find the web site and publication of the week, as well as other resources that we hope will be useful as you work on systems change activities to help improve employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
To subscribe and / or view past resources of the week
archives, access: www.onestoptoolkit.org
and click on the link to "Resources of the Week"
on the
right hand side of the home page.
To view an indexed list of the resources of the week by subject matter, visit the LPHDC web site at http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/resources/wig/default.asp. It currently includes 20 categories, covering over 300 annotated references. Each category opens to a new window with each Resource of the Week which covered material in that area.
Have a good day and weekend!
Laura Farah
Program Associate
Law, Health Policy & Disability Center
University of Iowa College of Law
P: 617-489-0086
F: 617-489-1374
[ E-mail laura-farah@uiowa.edu ]
[ E-mail LFarah8@aol.com ]
[ http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/dpn/ ]
[ http://www.onestoptoolkit.org ]
[The full announcement is located under the section heading "Websites of the Week."
]
Navigators are always looking for ways to capture the attention of employers in order to provide more clarification and education on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and to increase the number of individuals with disabilities in the workforce. The U.S. Department of Justice - Disability Rights Section has issued an informative marketing tool based on census and financial information for employers called, Expanding Your Market: Customers with Disabilities Mean Business. The central message in this marketing piece is that compliance with the ADA makes good business sense. Facts and figures are provided on the growing number of people with disabilities in the U.S. and globally, as well as on the increasing spending power of individuals with disabilities ($175 billion in discretionary spending; almost two times the spending power of teens). This census and financial information illustrates how businesses can benefit by welcoming customers with disabilities. Businesses may do this by modifying their policies and practices that discriminate against people with disabilities, complying with accessible design standards when constructing or altering facilities, removing barriers in existing facilities where readily achievable, and providing auxiliary aids and services when needed to ensure effective communication. As a result, they would not only expand their market, but become more educated on the ADA and become more willing to hire people with disabilities. As a Navigator, you may want to add this marketing information to your Employer Toolkits or hand out this information at your local Chambers of Commerce, Business Advisory Councils, and local Workforce Investment Boards.
If you or your One-Stop / community is involved in any activities to help celebrate and bring awareness to mental health, please send me a description to highlight in a One-Stop Toolkit Resources of the Week during the month of May.
This 50 year tradition, which helps improve the lives of millions of Americans every year, promotes mental wellness and overall health in your community. The theme for this year’s observance is MIND Your Health, which focuses on the mind-body connection. The National Mental Health Association offers materials that give practical tips that people of all ages and backgrounds can use to help balance everyday stresses, increase their awareness of mental health issues, and improve their overall health. Resources also provide how-to’s for reaching out to specific audiences.
This website contains all the materials you'll need to launch a successful Mental Health Campaign this May and throughout the year:
Online materials: provide planning and activity ideas, fact sheets and a media guide you can use to engage your entire community in this important mission — all free of charge! Two products of interest include the 2006 Mental Health Month Messages (http://www.nmha.org/may/messages.pdf) and Fast Facts (http://www.nmha.org/may/fast_facts.pdf) (Get free Adobe Reader). We will be sharing some of the messages and fast facts in the May weekly resources.
MIND Your Health Workplace Guide: The newly updated Workplace Guide can be used to launch a wellness program in your own workplace and to distribute to other employers. Realize the benefits of worksite wellness programs: savings on health and mental health expenses, improved productivity, reduced absenteeism and better morale.
Guidance for FY06 Implementation; notice and request for comment for FY07 implementation; and announcement of public meeting and conference call.
UPDATE ON PUBLIC COMMENT DUE DATE: The public comment period for the Federal Register Notice on SAFETEA - has been extended to May 22. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is developing guidance in the form of circulars to assist grantees in implementing the Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities Program, the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program, and the New Freedom Program beginning in FY07. By this Notice, FTA seeks additional public comment to assist us in developing circulars for these programs. This notice also includes guidance for FY06 implementation for those requirements that go into effect immediately.
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is developing guidance in the form of circulars to assist grantees in implementing the Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities Program, the Job Access and Reverse Commute Program, and the New Freedom Program beginning in FY07. FTA solicited public comment in 2005 through a Federal Register Notice (Transit Program Changes, Authorized Funding Levels and Implementation of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, 70 FR 71950, November 30, 2005) and public listening sessions held in five locations around the country.
Drawing on the public comment received, FTA developed proposed strategies, described in this Notice, for implementation of the Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities, JARC, and New Freedom programs, including the cross-cutting requirement to develop a coordinated public transit - human services transportation plan for FY07. By this Notice, FTA seeks additional public comment to assist in developing circulars for these programs. This notice also includes guidance for FY06 implementation for those requirements that go into effect immediately.
Access the URL for more information, including how to submit comments and to read the full Federal Register guidance.
The ADA & IT Technical Assistance Centers (also known as DBTACs), a federally supported network of ten regional centers that provide information, training, and technical assistance on the ADA, seek comments on people’s experiences under the law. Feedback is requested on employment, building access, and public services, among other topics. The Centers will use this input to identify training gaps and issues where additional technical assistance and guidance is needed. Previously known as the Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers, they provide a comprehensive "one-stop" source of guidance and training on all aspects of the ADA.
Comments can be submitted through a brief online survey form on the centers’ central website at www.adata.org. For further information, contact the centers at (800) 949-4232 (voice / TTY).
DATES: Statements must be received by May 31, 2006 for the FY2006/2007 program.
SUMMARY: Easter Seals Project ACTION (ESPA) is collecting ideas for research and project development that would advance the goals of Accessible Community Transportation In Our Nation. Since its inception, ESPA has worked with the transportation industry and disability community to identify and promote effective practices in public and private transportation for people with disabilities and their families. ESPA undertakes and supports applied research, the development of resources, and training and technical activities focusing on accessible transportation for people with disabilities. ESPA will use these statements to identify its contract funding priorities for the fiscal year 2006/2007 program.
Congress established Easter Seals Project ACTION in 1988 to promote and facilitate cooperation between transportation providers and people with disabilities. ESPA receives funding through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and is administered by Easter Seals.
Access the URL for more information on how and where to submit need statements. You can also view current and past funded ESPA projects.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. The ADEA's protections apply to both employees and job applicants. Under the ADEA, it is unlawful to discriminate against a person because of his / her age with respect to any term, condition, or privilege of employment, including hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits, job assignments, and training.
It is also unlawful to retaliate against an individual for opposing employment practices that discriminate based on age or for filing an age discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation under the ADEA.
The ADEA applies to employers with 20 or more employees, including state and local governments. It also applies to employment agencies and labor organizations, as well as to the federal government. The Act is administered by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Source: http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/age.html.
[Found under the topic heading: Education]
On March 29, 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amendment to HR 609, the College Access and Opportunity Act of 2005. This amendment, introduced by Congressman Pete Sessions (R - TX), will allow students with intellectual disabilities to obtain valuable, paid work experience in college work study jobs while pursuing post-secondary studies. Due to provisions in the Higher Education Act, students with intellectual disabilities and their families are not currently able to access federal financial aid, in the form of loans, grants or work study.
To read the full news article PR Newswire, access:
http://sev.prnewswire.com/education/20060330/NYTH15930032006-1.html.
The National Council on Disability and its federal partners are pleased to announce "A National Dialogue on the State of Disability," a town hall meeting and seminar to observe the 16th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This town meeting is open to the public and free of charge. Space is limited. The event will also be webcast and archived for later viewing.
For more information, please contact Mark Quigley at E-mail ncd@ncd.gov.
The 2006 National Equal Opportunity Training Conference represents the continued commitment of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to support the efforts of DOL recipients in ensuring that the individuals they have identified as responsible for administering the various equal opportunity and non-discrimination laws and regulations that apply to programs that are funded by the Department of Labor, are knowledgeable about those laws and regulations. This conference is intended as a means by which a recipient's equal opportunity professionals can maintain and enhance their knowledge, skill, and abilities in order to effectively carry out these responsibilities. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Civil Rights Center in collaboration with the National Association of State Workforce Agencies Equal Opportunity Committee, this annual conference will showcase expert insight into the challenges faced as we re-commit ourselves to the precepts of equal opportunity.
Access the URL for more information including a schedule of events and registration form. You may also contact Vicky Best-Morris, E-mail best-morris.vicky@dol.gov, Conference Coordinator at 202-693-6512.
This publication is designed to help human resources personnel look at the benefits of a Mental Health-Friendly Workplace. Section I is a brief introduction to the status of mental health in the U.S. workplace, including the challenge of overcoming stigma and discrimination toward persons with mental illnesses. Section V provides ready-to-use resources for communicating with employees about mental health in the workplace. Section VI provides materials for basic supervisory training in some mental health essentials for working with employees who experience mental illnesses.
This brief discusses the areas that should be explored based on the needs, including: mobility, environmental modifications, seating, positioning, software and hardware options, training and maintenance of the device. It includes some questions that should be considered, and provides some additional AT resources on:
Mention the phrase "service animal" and what comes to mind? For some, it evokes an image of a guide dog assisting a person who is blind. This traditional concept is born of a rich history in which the first recognized service animals in the 1800’s and 1900’s were typically German Shepherd dogs. The dogs were individually trained to perform mobility assistance tasks for injured soldiers and individuals with low or no vision. Training initially began overseas and gradually developed in the United States with an organization called the Seeing Eye (http://www.seeingeye.org).
Fast forward to today. Service animal training organizations are available around the country. In some cases, organizations are extending service animal training and availability to assist individuals with a variety of impairments. For instance, a service animal could be individually trained to perform tasks to assist a person who has a vision impairment, is deaf, uses a wheelchair, or has epilepsy, depending on the training organization. The concept of the service animal has expanded beyond German Shepherd dogs to include a variety of breeds -- such as Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Boxers, and Border Collies -- as well as other types of animals when appropriate.
Service animals are not pets. People with disabilities may choose to use service animals to assist with a variety of tasks. For example, a person who is deaf might use a hearing cat to alert him to sounds in his environment, a person with a motor impairment might use an assistance animal to retrieve small items from a satchel on the floor, and a person who is blind might use a guide dog to help her travel to / from work and move about her environment.
In the workplace, some people with disabilities do use service animals as reasonable accommodations. To address many workplace questions we receive about accommodating people with disabilities who use service animals, JAN has developed new materials to offer service animal information, accommodation ideas, and resources. These include a full length publication, a fact sheet, consultants’ corner briefs, a resource list of informative organizations, a non-exhaustive list of service animal training organizations, and a vendor list for service animal related products.
Service animals are more than just a concept. They are individually trained, work, perform tasks, serve as informative role models, and assist people with disabilities -- at home, in the work environment, and within our communities. To learn more, please visit these JAN links:
This issue features two new ESPA publications (products, one affecting bus stop accessibility and the other supporting youth learning to use public transportation as they prepare to transition from school toward adulthood), San Diego County's post-MPS coordination success story, accessible taxis in Miami-Dade County, and North Dakota State University student projects to design accessible transit projects, as well as other local and national information on accessible transportation.
Several new sources of information on emergency preparedness are available online through the work of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities which is comprised of representatives from the Department of Homeland Security and other Federal departments. These include:
To meet the goals of the ADA, the law established requirements for businesses of all sizes. These requirements went into effect on January 26, 1992. Businesses that serve the public must modify policies and practices that discriminate against people with disabilities; comply with accessible design standards when constructing or altering facilities; remove barriers in existing facilities where readily achievable; and provide auxiliary aids and services when needed to ensure effective communication with people who have hearing, vision, or speech impairments. All businesses, even those that do not serve the public, must comply with accessible design standards when constructing or altering facilities.
This website includes a wealth of resources on the ADA for businesses, including:
The LD InfoZone includes information and resources on learning disabilities from across the nation. Here you can access easy-to-read fact sheets, in-depth research reports, and contact information for local agencies and organizations. On this page, you will find links to the following:
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) makes it unlawful to discriminate in employment against a qualified individual with a disability. The ADA also outlaws discrimination against individuals with disabilities in State and local government services, public accommodations, transportation and telecommunications. This booklet explains the part of the ADA that prohibits job discrimination. This part of the law is enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and State and local civil rights enforcement agencies that work with the Commission.
The booklet includes information for Employers on:
The 2005 annual report of the National Organization on Disability commemorates the end of an era. Last year brought the death of N.O.D. founder and leader, Alan Anderson Reich, to whom this annual report is dedicated. The annual report introduces many of N.O.D.'s programs and activities and provides updates on the accomplishments of the past year. Initiatives and accomplishments highlighted in this report include: