New England ADA Center
October Newsletter

ADA Question of the Month - Do You Know the Answer?
Question : Does the ADA require that "qualified" sign language interpreters be certified by the states where they work?

The answer is at the end of the newsletter.

Community Access Monitor (CAM) Trainings
Jeff Dougan MA Office on DisabilitySince the creation of the Community Access Monitor (CAM) Trainings in 1985, approximately 12,000 people have been trained by the Massachusetts Office on Disability to survey buildings for accessibility and to advocate for compliance. Community Access Monitor Trainings are being held throughout the Commonwealth. If you are interested, read more!

Photo: Jeffrey Dougan, Assistant Director of the Massachusetts Office on Disability. Photo used with permission from Marc Vasconcellos / The Enterprise.

David Yanchulis to Present at ABX2017 in Boston
David Yanchulis of the US Access BoardIn a session sponsored by the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD), David Yanchulis, an accessibility specialist at the U.S. Access Board, will be presenting an ADA Updates workshop at the 2017 ABX conference at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center on November 8 from 8:30-10 am. 


Note, IHCD will be at ABX, exhibiting at booth 2784. Please stop by!

Photo: David Yanchulis of the US Access Board.

Vermont Woman Placed in Prison Instead of Psych Hospital
Vermont GraphicThe Vermont Human Rights Commission says the state discriminated against a woman in psychiatric crisis when she was placed in solitary confinement at a correctional facility instead of a psychiatric hospital. The Commission ruled that the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Corrections, and their umbrella Agency of Human Services, all discriminated against the woman. 


News From Outside New England
Older People with a Disability, We Need Your Expert Opinion!
ADA National Network If you are an older person with a disability or have an on-going health or medical concern that impacts your ability to participate in your community, we would value your input into this survey. 


ADA Education and Reform Act Advances
House of Representatives Judiciary Committee The House of Representatives' ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017 (H.R. 620)  would, in some cases, prohibit civil actions based on the failure to remove an architectural barrier to access into an existing public accommodation.  Many in the disability community contend the proposed law would chill businesses from being proactive about ensuring that disabled persons have access to their facilities.


AIA White Paper Proposes Additional Toileting and Bathing Accessibility Standards for Nursing Home Residents
American Institute of Architects The  American Institute of Architects (AIA) has an informative white paper available online, "Proposal for additions to accessibility Standards for Nursing Home & Assisted Living Residents in Toileting and Bathing." The project was initiated by the Hulda B. & Maurice L. Rothschild Foundation, the only national philanthropy entity exclusively focused on improving the quality of life for elders in nursing homes.


Online Now! The ADA Title II Action Guide for State and Local Governments!
ADA Title II Action Guide for State and Local Governments - 7 Steps to  Implement the ADA Graphic State and local governments (public entities) have obligations under Title II of the ADA to provide people with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in all services, programs and activities. 
 
The ADA Title II Action Guide leads public entities through a process to compliance with the ADA.


Answer to the ADA Question of the Month

Answer: The ADA does not require certification for qualified interpreters. A qualified interpreter must be able "to interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially, both receptively and expressively, using any necessary specialized vocabulary." 

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New England ADA Center, a project of the Institute for Human Centered Design