FYI-May

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DBTAC- Northeast ADA Technical Bulletin: May 2007

The DBTAC- Northeast ADA Center at Cornell University provides training, technical assistance and materials on the ADA and accessible information technology throughout New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This monthly technical bulletin is part of our dissemination efforts and if you do not want to receive this document or would like others from your organization added to our list, please call 1-800-949-4232 or reply to this message. Thank you.


Please Join us for the May Distance Learning Program - ADA Restoration Act: Legislative Update
Date; May 15, 2007
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm Eastern Time

Congressmen Sensenbrenner, Jr (R-WI) and Hoyer (D-MD) introduced a bi-partisan bill that would restore protections for individuals intended to be covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in September, 2006. This piece of legislation was not passed before the end of the 109th Congress. It is anticipated that this piece of legislation will once again be introduced during the new 110th Congress and under very different circumstances given the outcome of the 2006 elections. The ADA Restoration Act as it is currently known is intended to restore the ADA to its "original intent" and address several decisions made by the US Supreme Court over the past 16 years. Join this session to learn about the history and intent of the ADA Restoration Act and the future of legislation that may affect the civil rights of individuals with disabilities.

Speaker:
Andrew J. Imparato, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Association of Persons with Disabilities (AAPD) (Additional speakers may be added)

CEU Credits:
CRC


Access Board's New Information on Bus and Van Guidelines
(from Access Board)

As part of an effort to update its guidelines for transportation vehicles covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Board has released for public comment draft revisions to sections covering buses and vans. Published in 1991, these guidelines cover a range of vehicles in addition to buses and vans, including various types of rail cars, trams, and other modes of public transportation. Revisions to these other sections will be released as drafts are completed. For more information, please go to http://www.access-board.gov/news/vehicle-draft1.htm.


Are you prepared for the outcome of the lawsuit involving Target's web site?

This blog entry from eTrafficJams.com and posted on April 12th, 2007, sends a warning message to all businesses that they should be thinking about and creating a plan for accessibility. Prompted by a lawsuit by National Federation of the Blind, its California affiliate, and a blind University of California, Berkeley student against Target, the blogger sends a warning to web developers:

'The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will undoubtedly affect websites in the near future....“Failing to plan is planning to fail.”? Take advantage of this probable turn of events and get your clients working with you to move through recommended changes slowly and methodically. New clients are out there waiting for a tip from you about this issue. Your client’s disabled users (read: paying customers) will appreciate it too.' Read the entire blog entry at http://www.etrafficjams.com/blog/seo...abilities-act/ .

There are many other articles that support the notion that accessible web content contributes to Search Engine Optimization (favorable placement in search engine results). Read "SEO & Accessibility Prevent Lawsuits, Increase Visibility" written by Mike Banks Vale and submitted to webpronews.com on March 19, 2007 ( http://www.webpronews.com/blogtalk/2...ses-visibility ).


Employment and Disability Institute (EDI) on-line

The Employment and Disability Institute is pleased to announce the inauguration of their new virtual classroom*ediONLINE. This new on-line series of courses and public offerings focus on effective employment, workplace and disability practice and are delivered using web-conferencing as well as real-time transcription. This series is geared toward:
managers
practitioners
advocates and
policy makers
in the disability field in order to improve and enhance effectiveness in supporting employment outcomes and greater economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. ediONLINE courses bridge the gap between policy and practice by providing you with practical applications, hands-on learning, leading-edge skills, and knowledge that you can immediately apply to your work. Courses will cover the following topical areas: Work Incentive Knowledge and Utilization; Work Incentives Planning; Federal Benefit Programs; SSA Advocacy and Post-Entitlement Issues; Advanced Social Security Applications; and, Career Development and Employment Supports. Special features in this web seminar series include interactive questions and answers, interactive chat using instant messaging technology and polling, as well as print and electronic course materials. To learn more about this exciting series, go to www.edi.cornell.edu and click on ediONLINE.


Several New Disability Documents Available

1. National Council on Disability Current Newsletter online www.ncd.gov

2. Access Board's bi-monthly Newsletter online

http://www.access-board.gov/news/Acc.../Mar-Apr07.htm

3. US Department of Labor new documents for students with disabilities related to post school activities

Entrepreneurship http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/entrepreneurship.htm

Mental Health Disabilites in the workplace http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/transitioning

4. Toolbox CD Kit available on the topic of farmers/agricultural workers and disability www.bngtoolbox.info



Another Installation of the State and Local Government Best Practices Toolkit from Department of Justice

DOJ has recently added to their toolkit for state and local government information related to the implementation of the ADA, Title II. Below are the new chapters added:

Chapter 5, Website Accessibility Under Title II of the ADA

Chapter 5, Addendum: Title II Checklist

Chapter 6, Curb Ramps and Pedestrian Crossings

Chapter 6, Addendum: Title II Checklist

Please go to DOJ's ADA website at http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/toolkitmain.htm to view the toolkit in its entirety.



Grant Available for Independent Living Centers focusing on Consumer-Directed Programs

The National Council on Independent Living is proud to partner with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the nation’s largest union representative of personal care attendants (PCAs), to sponsor an intensive two-week policy and advocacy fellowship in Washington, D.C. this summer. The chosen Fellow will work at the national and state level to help NCIL and SEIU improve developing systems of consumer-directed personal care attendants (PCAs) for people with disabilities which supports the proper training, wages and benefits for PCAs. Applications are due June 1, 2007

Completed applications should be sent to Justin Chappell at the NCIL office. FAX: 202.207.0341; E-Mail: justin@ncil.org; MAIL: NCIL, 1710 Rhode Island Ave., NW, 5th Floor, Washington, DC 20036 by COB Friday, June 1, 2007.



DBTAC - Northeast ADA Center
201 ILR Extension Building
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853

1-800-949-4232 (TTY and voice)
NY, NJ, PR, USVI

www.northeastada.org
northeastada@cornell.edu