eSight Community News

Date: Saturday, November 3, 2007

Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Check-in at 9:30 a.m.

Location: NYU School of Continuing and Professional Studies
11 West 42nd Street, Room 1027
New York, NY 10036

RSVP Magda Trojan
or call (212) 244-1470.

Posted by Nancy at 05:54 PM | Comments (0)

The Carroll Center for the Blind, TECHNOLOGY FAIR 2007: Newton, Massachusetts

Tuesday, November 20, 2007
10:00 am to 4 pm
The Carroll Center for the Blind , 770 Centre Street, Newton, MA

Don’t miss this annual opportunity to try out the latest products for individuals who are visually impaired. Free and open to consumers, families/friends and professionals. No reservation is required!

• Meet the manufacturers and local vendors;
  
  
• Learn about the latest equipment and applications;
  
  
• Stop by the store to see a variety of devices to purchase; and

• Ask the Wizard...An answer for all your questions whether you are trying to choose the right technology or wondering how to apply technology to a challenging task.

Seminars: Workshop space is on a first come availability.

10:30-11:30 am Tools & Techniques for Students with Low Vision,
Janet Ulwick-Sacca, Karen Allison, Carroll Center

11:30 – 12:30 Low Vision Technology Question & Answer Drop-In,
Robert McGillivray, Low Vision Lab, Carroll Center

1 – 2 pm Accessing E-Books: Services & Devices
Brian Charlson, Karen Allison, Carroll Center

2:15 - 3:15 pm Robots in the Home, Hannah Fairbarn & Maria Rueters, Carroll Center

Exhibitors

ABISee
Adaptive Technology Consulting
AdaptiVision
Ai Squared
Eschenbach
Freedom Scientific
Humanware
Kurzweil Educational Systems
MagniSight
National Braille Press
Perkins Braille and Talking Book Library
Talking Information Center
Verizon
Vision Dynamics
Visions Resource Library

Posted by Nancy at 02:50 PM | Comments (0)

Job Development Web Course: November 7-20

TRN, Inc. is offering its popular 2-week, 20-hour web training covering key principles and hands-on tools for job development for youth and adults with disabilities. The course includes applying marketing principles, creating various job seeking tools, and developing business partnerships.

Participants will learn to approach employers and represent job seekers with confidence.

Registration is $149 US. Participants can log on at any time during the course period and participate in the training.

The course will be taught by Dale DiLeo and Dawn Langton. Dale has provided marketing and job development seminars thoughout the US, and Dawn is 20-year marketing veteran and co-author of Get the Marketing Edge: A Job Developer's Toolkit for People with Disabilities.

Registration is limited (as of today, there are about 20 seats left), and all previous courses have filled to capacity.

To learn more about the training, and to register, go to: http://www.trninc.com/entry/welcome2.asp

Posted by Nancy at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)

Social Security wage base rises to $102,000 for 2008

THE Social Security Administration has announced that the wage base for computing the Social Security tax (OASDI) in 2008 rises to $102,000 from $97,500 in 2007, an increase of about 4.6%. The $4,500 increase is due to an increase in average total wages.

RIA observation: The increase from 2007 to 2008 is larger than the increase from 2006 to 2007 (when the wage base increased by only $3,300). It also marks the first time the wage base has exceeded $100,000.

The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) imposes two taxes on employers, employees, and self-employed workers--one for Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance (OASDI; commonly known as the Social Security tax), and the other for Hospital Insurance (HI; commonly known as the Medicare tax).

The FICA tax rate for employees and employers is 7.65% each--6.2% for OASDI and 1.45% for HI. For self-employed workers, the FICA tax is 15.3%--12.4% for OASDI and 2.9% for HI. There is a maximum amount of compensation subject to the OASDI tax, but no maximum for HI.

RIA illustration: On a salary of $102,000 (or more), an employee and his employer each will pay $279 more ($6,324 instead of $6,045) in Social Security tax in 2008 than in 2007.

RIA illustration: A self-employed person with at least $102,000 in net self-employment earnings will pay $558 more ($12,648 instead of $12,090) in the Social Security part of the self-employment tax in 2008 than in 2007.

RIA observation: Self-employed workers deduct half of their self-employment tax above-the-line in arriving at adjusted gross income. RIA observation: The FICA tax rates have remained unchanged since '90.

References: For FICA tax, see FTC 2d/FIN ¶ H-4545; United States Tax Reporter Income ¶ 31,114; Tax Desk ¶ 541,001; Tax Guide ¶ 9500.

Social Security News Release, 10/17/2007

Posted by Nancy at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)

October 12, 2007

Picture This! Family Program at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Make Your Mark, A Workshop for Families with Children who are Blind or Partially Sighted

Saturday, October 27, 2007
2:00 P.M. to 3:30 P.M.

From Chinese calligraphy to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs to Braille, we will explore through touch and description the artful ways people have communicated throughout history. You’ll get to make your own mark, by creating your own work of art.

The program is free, but places are limited, so reservations are required. Please call (212) 879-5500, ext. 3561 to make a reservation or for more information.

Access programs are also made possible by the generous support of the Filomen M. D’Agostino Foundation.

Additional support has been provided by the Renate, Hans & Maria Hofmann Trust; The Ceil & Michael E. Pulitzer Foundation, Inc.; and the Allene Reuss Memorial Trust.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028-0198

Posted by Nancy at 07:29 PM | Comments (0)

Veterans Job Fair and Career Expo

A recruitment event providing former servicemen and women - and the spouses of active-duty personnel - with job opportunities, career seminars, résumé-writing workshops and more.

A 30-day Online Career Fair will follow the Job Fair & Career Expo.

FACE-TO-FACE EVENT DETAILS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2007
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
JACOB K. JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER
655 West 34th Street, New York, NY 10001

ONLINE CAREER FAIR DETAILS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2007 THROUGH THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2007

Visit nytimes.com/SaluteOurHeroes today for more information.

Posted by Nancy at 03:32 PM | Comments (0)

October 11, 2007

Employment Support Services Survey: Ottawa

Disabled Persons Community Resources, a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the independence, participation and integration of people with physical disabilities in the Ottawa area is conducting a survey.

They want to hear from working aged adults with physical disabilities about their experience with accessing and using employment support programs in Ottawa.

The survey is posted online:

• in English; and,

• in French.

Posted by Nancy at 06:10 PM | Comments (0)

New York To Bring News Service to Visually Impaired Consumers

Lieutenant Governor David A. Paterson and New York State Consumer Protection Board (CPB) Chairperson and Executive Director Mindy Bockstein announced today that the CPB is the first State Agency to work together with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) of New York State to provide consumer alerts, notices and newsletters to individuals who are blind or visually impaired via the NFB's NEWSLINE(r) service.

NFB-NEWSLINE(r) enables adults and children who are blind or print-impaired to read newspapers, magazines, notices of public interest, government announcements and other materials of interest at any time and from anywhere. Text-to-speech technology developed by the National Federation of the Blind, has changed the way people with visual impairments can access reading material. The only technology required is a standard touch-tone telephone.

"I am pleased that the Consumer Protection Board has taken the initiative to make the critical information that they produce available to the blind and visually impaired," Lieutenant Governor Paterson said.
"Our goal is for this groundbreaking program to lead to even greater access to government for blind and print-impaired individuals."

Mindy Bockstein, Chairperson and Executive Director of the CPB said: "This revolutionary technology is opening doors and providing reading materials to adults and children who could never before access them. The CPB is dedicated to protecting all New Yorkers. This population will now be able to have the information they need about important issues like identity and credit card theft, recalls, consumer credit issues and more. With this technology, visually impaired New Yorkers can do something as simple as access the newspaper or work independently on school projects. We are grateful to the NFP for providing this critical service."

Through the use of the telephone, a subscriber to NFBNEWSLINE(r) can access more than 250 daily newspapers, including the Albany Times Union, the Buffalo News, the Long Island Newsday and the New York Times, a growing number of magazines and now for the first time, timely and important notices from government agencies.

Carl Jacobsen, President of the National Federation of the Blind of New York State, said: "I am pleased that the Spitzer/Paterson Administration has reached out to the blind community to partner in this venture. For the first time, we can get the same notices as our neighbors and not have to wait for second-hand information. I applaud the Administration, especially the CPB, for yet another effort to make government more accessible and participatory by all of its citizens."

The NFB-NEWSLINE(r) service is totally free to anyone who is unable to access standard print. The estimate is that there are more than 310,000 persons in New York State who would be eligible for this free service. This includes people who have not been diagnosed as legally blind, but who have difficulty reading printed information. The NFB-NEWSLINE(r) system is simple and user friendly and there are tutorials and training available.

Persons interested in obtaining this service for their own use or for a family member should contact the National Federation of the Blind of New York State at 718-567-7821 or by e-mail at Newsline@nfbny.org
, or access the CPB website at www.nysconsumer.gov for information.

CONTACT: Maritere Arce
Maritere.arce@chamber.state.ny.us

212.681.4640
518.894.3003

Posted by Nancy at 11:24 AM | Comments (0)

October 10, 2007

ATIA Leadership Forum on Accessibility

Dates: January 31 - February 1, 2008
Location: Caribe Royale All-Suites Hotel & Convention Center, Orlando, Florida

Government agencies are being faced with strategic decisions surrounding access for people with disabilities, the aging workforce, and worker shortages. With 78 million baby boomers and 54 million people in the U.S. living with disabilities, today's federal, state, and local agencies need to deliver accessible services and mission critical information to the public and internally for this growing population segment.

To reach persons with disabilities, services and systems must be accessible. This Forum will address successful solutions by other organizations - both public sector and private sector - to deliver accessible systems to Americans with disabilities.

This Forum will discuss not only the need to comply with Section 508, Section 504 and ADA laws, but the organizational benefits that others have realized by going beyond compliance and taking a leadership role in accessibility. How to approach accessibility from an organization-wide perspective is a key element to this Forum. This Forum will also present the return on investment that other organizations have realized through their accessibility efforts.

Real solutions implemented by public and private sector organizations will be presented throughout the two days. All government agencies can benefit from the lessons learned by these companies, agencies, and educational institutions.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy and the Department of Labor are sponsors of this event, recognizing the importance of these discussions to enhancing employment for persons with disabilities and the opportunity to gain input for future policy and program needs. The Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) at the Department of Defense is also a participant and will provide information about creating a successful centralized accommodations infrastructure and the measurable benefits they have seen since implementation.

Government personnel will benefit from the dialogue throughout these two days with others in similar situations and with the AT and IT leaders in accessibility. This Forum provides access to key accessibility executives from amongst the leading IT suppliers such as IBM, Microsoft, Adobe, Canon and AOL.

Attendees can network with key industry and government executives and share insights into matters of employment, customer outreach and other accessibility issues. The ATIA Leadership Forum provides the accessibility professional from any background the information needed to begin a complete accessibility integration or expand an existing one.

Who should attend?

Organizations are encourage to bring teams representing multiple functions:

• Executives including CIO's who are determining their accessibility strategies;
  
• Accessibility professionals;
  
• Government and education professionals responsible for service delivery to persons with disabilities and the maturing population;
  
• HR professionals that play a key role in the internal execution to hire and retain successful workers with disabilities;
  
• Federal/State/Local agency professionals who support corporations in the hiring of persons with disabilities; and
  
• IT professionals and Quality Assurance/Usability professionals responsible for providing an accessible and robust user experience.

Is this forum held on other dates in other locations?

No. This forum is held once per year in Orlando. It runs in parallel with the ATIA International Conference and at the same hotel so as to be able to take advantage of the Exhibit Hall available in that conference.

The ATIA Leadership Forum on Accessibility and the ATIA International Conference are separate events with separate educational sessions. However, all Forum attendees have free access to the Exhibit Hall in the Main Conference.

The Exhibit Hall showcases over 125 Assistive Technology (AT) manufacturers and service providers in one of the most comprehensive exhibitions in the industry. This offers Forum attendees an opportunity to meet with leading AT suppliers to get their questions answered and get hands-on experience with the most up-to-date AT technologies.

Where can I find additional information about the Forum?

Additional details are available at www.atia.org/leadershipforum.

Posted by Nancy at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)

October 09, 2007

White Cane Safety Day Proclamation by the President

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary October 12, 2007 -- Our country upholds the value of every person, and all Americans deserve an opportunity to realize the American dream. Many citizens who are blind or visually impaired use white canes to achieve greater independence and increase mobility and productivity. On White Cane Safety Day, we celebrate the symbolism of the white cane, and we underscore our dedication to ensuring more individuals have the ability to lead active lives and achieve their personal and professional goals.

My Administration is committed to helping Americans with disabilities live and work with greater freedom. Through the New Freedom Initiative, we are building on the progress of the Americans with Disabilities Act and helping our citizens who are blind or visually impaired gain greater access to the workplace, school, and community life. By working to tear down barriers, we are creating a society where all people are encouraged to reach their full potential and where the promise of our great Nation is accessible for everyone.

The Congress, by joint resolution (Public Law 88-628) approved on October 6, 1964, as amended, has designated October 15 of each year as "White Cane Safety Day."

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 15, 2007, as White Cane Safety Day. I call upon public officials, business leaders, educators, and all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Posted by Nancy at 07:12 PM | Comments (0)

One Step at a Time: Integrating Career Ladders into Workforce Development

Date: Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Time: 9 am - 5 pm
Cost: $165

Topics Will Include:

• Identifying sources of Career Ladder information for the New York City economy;

• Creating visual Career Ladder models that capture the attention – and imagination – of participants;

• Using Career Ladders to increase the appeal of entry level positions;

• Tapping into education, training and skills upgrade opportunities for existing workers;

• Shifting program focus from placement and retention to career development;

• Integrating Career Ladders into all aspects of your program

This workshop will complement the New York City Employment & Training Coalition's "Building Career Pathways in New York City" conference scheduled for tomorrow, October 10, 2007. Attendance at the conference is not required to register for this training program, although a 50% discount will be given to organizations that attend the conference.

For more information please visit:

http://www.workforceprofessionals.org/index.php

Posted by Nancy at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)

Web Cast-Employment & Implications of Legal Definitions of Disability

DATE: Friday, October 12, 2007

Time: at 3:00pm Eastern; 2:00pm Central; 1:00pm Mountain; 12:00pm Pacific; 11:00am Alaska; 9:00am Hawaii.

In this Web cast, Chrisann Schiro-Geist and Emer Broadbent of the Rehabilitation Research Institute for Underrepresented Populations will address the various legal definitions of disability, provide practical suggestions on how to convey this information, and examine ways to avoid legal pitfalls.

THE ISSUE: People with disabilities who wish to become employed must consider working in terms of their eligibility for essential benefits. The question to be considered is not so much, "Can I work?" as "Should I work?"

People assisting consumers in making such decisions must understand the various legal definitions of disability and their implications for the lifestyle of a person with a disability.

Without sound assistance, misunderstandings will likely occur, resulting in poor decisions, particularly among people who are members of traditionally underserved populations. Especially at risk are consumers for whom English is not their primary language.

WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THE WEB CAST: While the Web cast will address concerns of vocational rehabilitation counselors, the principles it presents are applicable to people working at CILs. It will be especially useful to centers wishing to increase their effectiveness in assisting people in becoming employed as well as increasing services to people who are traditionally underserved.

NOTE: ACCESSIBILITY For people with severe hearing impairment, real-time captioning will be provided. For people with severe vision impairment, materials of the Web cast, including bios of the presenters and their handout material, if any, will be posted in advance to allow for downloading to speech synthesizers, printing in large type, etc.

THE WEB CAST IS A PROJECT OF: The Rehabilitation Research Institute for Underrepresented Populations at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Schiro-Geist and Broadbent are with The University of Memphis Institute on Disability.

Support is received from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The opinions and views expressed are those of the presenters, and no endorsement by the funding agency should be inferred.

To link to this Web cast and download accompanying materials visit: http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/calendar.html

FOR INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO ACCESS A WEB CAST VISIT: http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/instructions.html If this is your first Web cast, you may wish to visit this site ahead of time to make sure your computer is configured to receive the Web cast.

FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE See our FAQs (frequently asked questions) at: http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/FAQ.html or contact an ILRU Web cast team member at webcast@ilru.org or 713.520.0232 (V & TTY)

Posted by Nancy at 04:51 PM | Comments (0)

October 04, 2007

AOL, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo! Unite to Advance Online Media Captioning

In an effort to overcome technology and production barriers, the leading providers of Web-based video have joined with media access pioneer WGBH/Boston to develop solutions that will increase the amount of online video accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

AOL, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo! have asked WGBH and its Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) to establish and manage the Internet Captioning Forum (ICF). The ICF will initially address the technical challenges presented by online video repurposed from broadcast or other previously captioned sources, as well as video created specifically for the Web.

"More and more people are turning to the Internet to get their news, watch programs and other video," says WGBH's Director of Media Access, Larry Goldberg. "The scarcity of captions online is due to a variety of challenges, including a proliferation of media and text formats and players, editing of programs originally distributed with captions, and lack of clear online caption production and delivery requirements. The founding members of the ICF are all companies long dedicated to making their products and services accessible to people with disabilities. They recognize that working together on this challenge is the best, fastest and most practical way to get more captioned video on the Web."

The collaboration is expected to yield a range of solutions and tools, among them:

• A database for online media distributors, populated by major captioning providers, of previously captioned programs. This tool will facilitate the location and reuse of existing caption files.

• Technical and standards documents, case studies and best practices for accomplishing pervasive online video captioning.

• Demonstrations of innovative practices to preserve captions while editing and digitizing captioned videos.

In addition to the global audience of people who are deaf or hard of hearing, beneficiaries of the ICF's initiative also include people who rely on translation engines to convert caption text into other languages, people using online video in noisy situations or at work, and search engines that use caption text to search and retrieve online videos.

Cheryl Heppner, executive director of the Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons says, "The formation of the Internet Captioning Forum will become a milestone in the history of access to media. The community of people who are deaf or hard of hearing has worked for decades to achieve the access to television captioning we have now. The partnership of AOL, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo! with WGBH promises to be a major step forward for accessible online video."

ICF partners share their thoughts on the collaboration:

"For several years now AOL has been working to tackle the range of challenges to facilitate timely delivery of captioned video content online: from the production and need for automated publishing of caption data to support for the display of captions in AOL's web-based media player. Our efforts have demonstrated that collaboration between content producers and content distributors is the best way forward to achieve wide scale availability of captioned video on the web. It is our hope that the Internet Caption Forum will provide the venue for producers and distributors to come together to define the model for production and delivery of captions on the Web."
- Tom Wlodkowski, Director of Accessibility, AOL

"The Internet has been one of the most democratizing forces in the communications universe but it needs to accommodate the needs of all its users, including those who have need of features such as captions for audio and adaptable visual presentations. The Forum is one way in which information service providers can work together to establish reliable practices to improve access to Internet-based information."
- Vint Cerf, Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist, Google

"As a leader in the online media space, we recognize our responsibility to raise the level of service we supply so that it is accessible to everyone. Microsoft is pleased to join with our industry colleagues and WGBH to create solutions that will enable the industry to effectively deliver online captioned media."
- Rob Sinclair, Director, Microsoft Accessibility Business Unit

"Yahoo! applauds the collaborative effort led by WGBH to create a solution for making online video content accessible to all. Because the need for online captioning will continue to grow across the Web, Yahoo! is excited to join with our colleagues to develop quality responses to this accessibility challenge. "
- Victor Tsaran, Accessibility Program Manager, Yahoo!

About NCAM/WGBH
The WGBH-Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) is a research, development and advocacy entity that works to make existing and emerging technologies accessible to all audiences. NCAM is part of the Media Access Group at WGBH, which also includes The Caption Center (est. 1972), and Descriptive Video Service® (est. 1990). For more information, visit access.wgbh.org.

WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcasting producer, the source of fully one-third of PBS's prime-time lineup, along with some of public television's best-known lifestyle shows and children's programs and many public radio favorites. WGBH is also the leading producer of online content for pbs.org, one of the most-visited dot-org sites on the Web. For more information, visit www.wgbh.org.

Contacts:

WGBH: Mary Watkins, 617 300-3700, mary_watkins@wgbh.org

AOL: Jaymelina Esmele, 703 265-7831, jaymelina.esmele@corp.aol.com

Google: Gabriel Stricker, 650 930-3555, press@google.com

Microsoft: Ellen Kampel, 425 706-3055, ellenk@microsoft.com

Yahoo!: Julie Han, 408 349-7661, juliehan@yahoo-inc.com

Posted by Nancy at 12:52 PM | Comments (0)

Research Center seeks participants for a Health Promotion Study for Women Aging with Disabilities

Houston -- (August 14, 2007) -- The Center for Research on Women with Disabilities (CROWD) is seeking women who would like to participate in a health promotion study for women aging with physical disabilities. This research project is part of a national study conducted by a team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.

According to Dr. Margaret Nosek, the study's principal investigator, women aging with physical disabilities make up one of the most disadvantaged and rapidly growing segments of the U.S. population. She states that "despite the large size of this population and the numbers of problems they face in maintaining their health and quality of life, they have received little attention in the movement to promote healthy behaviors". The purpose of the research study that the Houston-based research group is conducting is to test a health promotion workshop program specifically designed for women aging with physical disabilities. According to Nosek, the workshop program is designed to "enhance participants' sense of control over their health, improve their health behaviors, and enhance their sense of connectedness with others - all factors that ultimately improve overall quality of life." This study will allow the researchers to explore whether or not the program meets those expectations.

Staten Island Center for Independent Living, Inc. 470 Castleton Avenue Staten Island, New York 10301 is one of 12 U.S. Centers for Independent Living participating in the research study.

Women with physical disabilities who are interested may call the Staten Island Center for Independent Living, Inc. at 718 720-9016 ask for Courtney Gross for more information. Qualified participants will receive a small payment for their participation in the study.

NEWS RELEASE
Staten Island Center for Independent Living, Inc.
For further information contact:
Courtney Gross, 718-720-9016

Posted by Nancy at 12:44 PM | Comments (0)

October 03, 2007

Mission: Employment 3: 10/23/07 in Marlborough, MA

Date: October 23, 2007
Location: Marlborough, MA
Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center

Join Massachusetts disability, employment, and workforce development professionals as well as people with disabilities to:

• Learn innovative approaches to help people with disabilities get good jobs.

• Get essential information on important employment initiatives and opportunities.

• Network with colleagues and advocates from around the state.

  Register today online

  Cost is $20.00.

  A limited number of registration fee waivers are available for individuals with disabilities and family members who are not affiliated with an agency. Waivers will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can request a fee waiver on the registration form. Project staff will then contact you to confirm waiver availability.

  Continuing Education: The conference has applied for continuing education credits for CRCs and MSWs. PDPs will be available. Further details will be available at the conference.
  

  Posted by Nancy at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)

  Disabilityworks: Increasing Employment with Supply and Demand

  The disabilityworks project uses a business model targeting both the supply and demand sides of employment. The project works with companies to develop employment opportunities, engages educational programs for youth and adults with disabilities, and builds awareness about work incentives and workforce development services. Disabilityworks is funded primarily by the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, with support from the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and the city of Chicago. The project also partners with the Chicagoland Provider Leadership Network, which represents 117 organizations, and the Chicagoland Business Leadership Network, which has 63 member companies. In its first year, the project resulted in jobs for 194 people with disabilities, more than 90 percent in private industry. In 2006, the Secretary of Labor and ODEP recognized disabilityworks with a New Freedom Initiative Award for demonstrating exemplary and innovative efforts in furthering the employment and workplace environment for people with disabilities.

  Posted by Nancy at 11:00 AM | Comments (0)

  Tax Incentives for Providing Business Accessibility

  Information on tax incentives available to help employers cover the cost of accommodations for employees with disabilities and to make their places of business accessible.

  Posted by Nancy at 10:14 AM | Comments (0)

  October 02, 2007

  National Council on Disability Says Americans with Disabilities Act Findings Encouraging

  WASHINGTON—The National Council on Disability (NCD) today released two reports on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that show that ADA implementation is not only possible and practicable, it is also good for business.

  The first,The Impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act: Assessing the Progress toward Achieving the Goals of the ADA, describes a retrospective study and review of the impact the ADA has had on the lives of Americans with disabilities during the first sixteen years since its passage, with particular focus on the four major goals of the ADA—equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. Progress toward the goal of economic self-sufficiency appears to be the goal having the least success.

  The purpose of the ADA is "to provide a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities." This report describes a two-year retrospective study and review of the impact the ADA has had on the lives of Americans with disabilities over a sixteen-year period, with particular focus on the four major goals of the ADA—equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. NCD-funded researchers consulted disability experts and ADA stakeholders from around the country through interviews, public forums, and focus groups, and analyzed existing data and information sources to gather information about the impact of the ADA. The findings are encouraging but far from complete.

  The provisions of the ADA addressing architectural, transportation, and communication accessibility have changed the face of American society in numerous concrete ways by enhancing the independence, full participation, inclusion, and equality of opportunity for Americans with disabilities. People with disabilities report having greater access to goods and services from businesses, state and local governments, and their local communities. People with mobility impairments have experienced substantial improvements in physical access to transportation, businesses and government agencies. As workers, people with disabilities are more likely to receive accommodations and less likely to be terminated due to their disabilities. However, obtaining employment remains difficult for people with visible and severe disabilities. Disparities still exist in access to health insurance, health care, and financial assets for people with disabilities, as compared to people without disabilities. Access to information, particularly the Internet, is inconsistent, at best, for people who are visually impaired. Progress toward the goal of economic self-sufficiency appears to be the goal having the least success.

  The ADA impact report contains recommendations for addressing the barriers that are preventing full achievement of the overarching goals of the ADA.

  The second report, Implementation of the ADA: Challenges, Best Practices, and New Opportunities for Success, highlights many strategies for ADA implementation that have been successful, as well as obstacles that are preventing ADA implementation. This report reflects the experiences and ideas of ADA stakeholders from around the country, including small and large businesses, employers, judges and legal professionals, governmental entities, and individuals with disabilities, concerning ADA implementation. Through this extensive stakeholder input, NCD learned of the many strategies for ADA implementation that have been successful, as well as obstacles that are preventing ADA implementation.

  One important finding is that meaningful ADA implementation is both possible and practicable. Some effective ADA implementation practices were identified that can serve as models and that illustrate how diverse covered entities are going about making the promise of the ADA a reality. However, in many areas, the ADA remains unimplemented, and gaps in information, knowledge, and interest in compliance with the ADA still exist. Therefore, this study also focused on understanding why certain sectors of our society have made little progress in ADA implementation and on developing recommendations to address those implementation gaps.

  The ADA implementation report contains extensive recommendations for improving ADA implementation, and NCD remains committed to working with the Administration, Congress, and the public to achieve the promise of the ADA for all Americans—the elimination of disability-based discrimination in all aspects of society.

  Despite extensive ADA technical assistance and training available from federal agencies, however, people with disabilities report widespread failure to comply with the ADA by small businesses, especially those in small towns and rural areas. Input from small businesses revealed that many in the small business community still do not understand the specific requirements of the ADA. Some mistakenly believe the ADA does not apply to them, while others believe the ADA requires much more than it does. NCD's ADA implementation report contains an ADA public awareness campaign prototype targeting small businesses, and calls for Congress to provide specific funding to DOJ and all technical assistance organizations, such as the ADA & IT Technical Assistance Centers, for outreach to chambers of commerce, Rotary Clubs, and other small business organizations. NCD also recommends that building renovation requests trigger an ADA compliance review.

  According to NCD chairperson John R. Vaughn, "It is 17 years since the ADA was enacted and yet public awareness and societal attitude issues are still factors that inhibit the full promise of the ADA to truly level the playing field for people with disability. NCD conducted this ADA implementation project to learn from the successes, best practices and to bring together people with disabilities and covered entities to develop recommendations to advance ADA implementation. This dialogue resulted in 167 recommendations. So, there is much to do, and we look forward to working with all ADA stakeholders to further the progress toward a fully accessible America."

  NCD is an independent federal agency and is composed of 15 members appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. It provides advice to the President, Congress, and executive branch agencies to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability and to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.

  For additional information, please contact Mark S. Quigley or Julie Carroll at 202-272-2004 (V) or 202-272-2074 (TTY).

  NCD #07-540
  July 26, 2007
  Contact: Mark S. Quigley
  202-272-2004
  202-272-2074 TTY
  mquigley@ncd.gov

  Posted by Nancy at 09:22 AM | Comments (0)

  October 01, 2007

  SERN First Friday Entrepreneurs Forum

  Friday October 5th from 9 am until 10 am is the monthly "SERN First Friday Entrepreneurs" phone-in forum.

  This month's speaker will be Gene Oulvey of the Department of Human Services - Division of Rehabilitation Services. Gene will be discussing the SERN mentoring program. He will address the program is, how SERN mentoring evolved, how it works and how it can be of benefit to people wanting to be self-employed, as well as, to vocational rehabilitation counselors.

  Online Instructions: Click on the webinar link, if you are a first time user, click that link to download a small applet, then click on the enter the room link, type your name and log in. You will not need a password for this session.

  Contact: Dave Porter from Comp-Unique Inc. at
  773-427-5200

  Posted by Nancy at 08:13 PM | Comments (0)

  Customized Employment: A New Competitive Edge

  On September 1, the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) published a Questions and Answers article on "What is Customized Employment and and how can employers use it as a strategy to recruit and retain workers of all abilities?" and in the August 2007 edition of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Work and Family Research Network's Network News, an interview with ODEP staff about Customized Employment was published.

  Read the Sloan interview

  
  Read the SHRM article

  Posted by Nancy at 07:54 PM | Comments (0)

  National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2007 A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

  "National Disability Employment Awareness Month is an opportunity to recognize the contributions and accomplishments of Americans with disabilities and to underscore our Nation's commitment to advancing employment opportunities for all our citizens."

  Americans with disabilities strengthen our country's workforce, and their achievements help keep our Nation the world's economic leader. Landmark reforms such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 have helped to ensure that individuals with disabilities are better able to engage in productive work and participate fully in the life of our Nation. It is important that we continue to expand on these opportunities for Americans with disabilities by eliminating the barriers and false perceptions that hinder them from joining the workforce. By enhancing the workplace environment for people with disabilities, employers can help provide access to jobs that allow these individuals to demonstrate their potential and realize their dreams.

  Since 2001, my New Freedom Initiative has helped promote the full participation of people with disabilities in all areas of society, including education, training, and employment. Programs such as "Ticket to Work" and services at One-Stop Career Centers have helped improve access to employment training and placement services for individuals who want to work. Throughout the Federal Government, we have worked to improve access to jobs for individuals with disabilities and to promote greater inclusiveness in the workforce. Individuals and employers can learn more about the Federal Government's disability-related programs by visiting DisabilityInfo.gov. We will continue to build on the progress that has been made for individuals with disabilities and will work to ensure that our Nation remains a place of opportunity for all Americans.

  To recognize the contributions of Americans with disabilities and to encourage all citizens to ensure equal opportunity in the workforce, the Congress (36 U.S.C. 121) has designated October of each year as "National Disability Employment Awareness Month."

  NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim October 2007 as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I call upon Government officials, labor leaders, employers, and the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

  IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand seven, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.

  GEORGE W. BUSH

  Posted by Nancy at 07:50 PM | Comments (0)

  National Disability Employment Awareness Month

  Throughout October, which is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Office of Disability Employment Policy will profile on its Web site individuals who have personally benefited from agency-sponsored programs aimed at eliminating the chronic underemployment of people with disabilities, as well as employers and organizations that have successfully implemented strategies to hire, support, empower and otherwise value employees with disabilities.

  View All Profiles

  Posted by Nancy at 07:46 PM | Comments (0)

  Southwest ADA Center's Web cast on Accessible Parking & Compliance Issues on October 10

  Aaron McCullough attorney at law will present the Web cast "All about Accessible Parking and Compliance." on Wednesday, October 10, 2007 at 3:00pm Eastern; 2:00pm Central; 1:00pm Mountain; 12:00pm Pacific; 11:00am Alaska; 9:00am Hawaii.

  This Web cast will focus on solutions to accessible and compliant parking for employers, employees, civic planners, commercial facility managers, residential facility managers, parking providers, and those who have responsibility in organizing parking for temporary events. Potential participants are strongly encouraged to send in their parking-related images and questions to the Southwest ADA Center at webcast@ilru.org with PARKING Web cast in the subject line, in advance of the web cast.

  J. Aaron McCullough is an attorney specializing in discrimination law, with a special focus on architectural accessibility. He is also a former legal specialist for the Southwest ADA Center. In that role he produced materials on disability law issues, provided training on all aspects of the ADA, and field technical assistance requests. He is now in private practice.

  Aaron earned his law degree from the University of Houston Law Center in December of 2000, and became a member of the State Bar of Texas in the spring of 2001. Aaron entered law school after working as a social worker for Central Plains MHMR in Plainview, Texas where he worked as an advocate for people with developmental disabilities. Previously, he worked at Burrell Mental Healthcare Center, and Lakes Country Rehabilitation Center, both in Springfield, Missouri.

  To link to this Web cast and download accompanying materials visit: http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/calendar.html

  For instructions on how to access a Web cast visit: http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/instructions.html

  Please visit this site ahead of time to test and ensure your computer is configured and updated to participate in the Web cast.

  For technical assistance, please check out our FAQs (frequently asked questions) or contact a Web cast team member at webcast@ilru.org
  or 713.520.0232 (v/tty).

  This Web cast is supported through the DBTAC - Southwest ADA Center, a project of ILRU. Southwest ADA Center is one of ten Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to provide training, technical assistance and materials dissemination on the ADA and other disability-related laws. NIDRR is part of the U.S. Department of Education.

  The opinions and views expressed are those of the presenters and no endorsement by the funding agency should be inferred.

  Posted by Nancy at 07:30 PM | Comments (0)

  Violence Against Individuals with Disabilities - Recognition, Response, and Prevention

  COURSE DATES: October 22 to November 9, 2007

  REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 8, 2007

  ORIENTATION TELECONFERENCE FOR STUDENTS: October 18, 2007

  PURPOSE: Participants will gain a greater understanding of domestic violence and sexual assault to help CILs recognize, respond to, and prevent abuse.

  Topics include abuse specific to individuals with disabilities, barriers to reporting, recognizing the signs of violence and abuse, screening, responding to disclosures of abuse, referrals, legal resources, personal safety planning, guidelines to reduce risk, and prevention strategies.

  TARGET AUDIENCE: Center and SILC executives and other managers, as well as board members. This is a beginning to intermediate level course.

  COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon completion, participants will be able to identify the various types of domestic violence, the effects of domestic violence/sexual assault, common stalking behaviors, unique reporting barriers, personal and organizational safety guidelines, available resources and prevention techniques for individuals with disabilities.

  FORMAT: Participants will read assignments in the online course manual, complete exercises assigned by the instructor, and interact daily with the instructor and other students in an online discussion forum.

  THE INSTRUCTOR: Marilyn Hammond has been involved in education and program development at the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University for the past eighteen years, with a number of years focused on violence-related issues. She has advanced degrees in Instructional Technology and Family and Human Development. She was the co-director and trainer for a Department of Justice funded disabilities and domestic violence/sexual assault training project for several years. She is currently the co-director of a project focused on preventing violence and improving services for women with disabilities. Dr. Hammond is an active CIL board member, volunteer for a local domestic violence/sexual assault shelter, and is a member of NCIL and AUCD task forces on violence and abuse of people with disabilities. She is also a secondary survivor.

  A full course calendar is on the ILRU Web site at: http://www.ilru.org/html/training/online/index.html

  REGISTRATION: You may register online or by mail. The online registration form is located at: http://www.ilru.org/html/forms/online_registration.htm

  The mailing address for registration is: ILRU/ONLINE LEARNING 2323 S Shepherd, Suite 1000 Houston, TX 77019

  See ILRU policies for Multiple Participants from the Same Organization, Notification of Acceptance, and Refunds/Cancellations at: http://www.ilru.org/html/training/online/onlinefaq.html

  METHOD OF PAYMENT: Payment may be made by credit card through the Web site at the time of registration. Credit card orders are also accepted by phone at 713.520.0232 ext. 130. Do not send credit card information by e-mail, since such transactions are not secure. Checks or money orders are also accepted and should be mailed with a completed registration form. Return your completed registration form and payment to the address shown above.

  COURSE FEES: The course fee is $65 per participant.

  ONLINE COURSES FROM ILRU: This online course is presented by the IL NET, the national training and technical assistance project for centers for independent living and statewide independent living councils. The IL NET is operated by the Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) Program at Memorial Hermann | TIRR in partnership with the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL). Online course implementation is facilitated by the Interdisciplinary Training Division of the Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State University.

  OTHER QUESTIONS: Contact Dawn Heinsohn at ILRU, (713) 520-0232 ext. 130 or heinsohn@ilru.org
  

  Posted by Nancy at 06:58 PM | Comments (0)