The ADA Report
January 2023
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Resources, Articles, Updates |
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Bill Botten, U.S. Access Board Senior Accessibility Specialist, retires after 22 years of service. Bill Botten provided numerous trainings on behalf of the Great Plains ADA Center, including being a featured presenter at the National ADA Symposium. Over the years, the staff of the GP ADA Center has relied on Bill's wealth of knowledge to improve our own services and training. We wish Bill great things in his retirement
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I'm a Blind Scientist and Inventor. More Disabled Kids Should Have the Opportunities I had.
Disability Rights Nebraska is Seeking Inclusive Education Lay Advocate Volunteers
Inclusive Education Lay Advocates sit beside families in IEP meetings and confidently advocate for students to be fully included in all aspects of a school community. The Disability Rights Nebraska Inclusive Education Lay Advocacy Project is seeking volunteers who will advocate with families for an inclusive education for their children. Application period is NOW and closes on Monday, March 19, 2023 for training starting Tuesday, March 21, 2023.
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Employment
We highly recommend this comprehensive and user-friendly guide from the Job Accommodation Network!
Hiland Dairy Foods, a Springfield, Missouri-based producer and distributor of dairy products, will pay $140,000 to resolve a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency announced today. According to the suit, Hiland refused to hire a man to work at its Norman, Oklahoma, dairy plant because of his vision impairment. Hiland initially offered the applicant a dairy plant worker position knowing he had a disability, but then withdrew the offer after a standard pre-employment medical exam. The doctor responsible for the exam claimed the man was a “safety concern” because he was “legally blind", even though the doctor never personally met or examined the man and based his opinion solely on a simple vision test. Neither Hiland nor the doctor considered whether any assistive devices or other reasonable accommodations could have mitigated the potential safety concerns.
Employee Told Not to Waste Time Applying for Promotional Opportunity Because of His Visual Impairment, Federal Agency Charged.
With the start of a new year and companies in the midst of COVID-19 recovery efforts, many people have opted for a career change. Employers are now prioritizing innovative ways to retain their skilled workers, including those with disabilities. Throughout January, EARN is sharing best practices and strategies for employers. Follow EARN on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter for resources and information about fostering an inclusive workplace that encourages people to stay at their jobs.
-U.S. Dept. of Labor
Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) Publishes New Interactive Data Maps
ODEP’s Research and Evaluation team recently published two new interactive data maps to help policymakers, employers and others better understand the disability employment landscape in their states and across the U.S. The first, the Employment-Population Ratio Map, illustrates how the employment rate varies by state and race/ethnicity among working-age adults with disabilities. The second, the Median Annual Earnings Map, shows how median earnings differ by state and sex among currently working adults with disabilities.
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New Resources from the Great Plains ADA Center
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Accessible Built Environment |
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Richard Sternadori, Great Plains ADA Center Senior Program Coordinator, discusses the role of the design community in finding "solutions to reducing the spread of SARS CoV-2 and future pathogens for everyone" and how doing so is critical for vulnerable populations. Visit his article in January/February issue of Texas Architect.
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Video: Students raise funds to make playground inclusive for those with disabilities. -CBS Evening News |
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Accessible and Adaptive Technology
The Great Plains ADA Center gets a number of requests for sources to purchase an accessible vehicle or modify an existing vehicle. In response, we've compiled a list of resources that provide these services. Please note: this list is not an endorsement of the product, organization, or company.
-Northwestern University McCormick School of Engineering
The nine-month, $724,415 Phase 1 project titled Mobility Independence Through Accelerated Wheelchair Intelligence aims to accelerate the accessibility and utility of power wheelchairs by radically changing how control inputs are interpreted from movements of the human body and communicated to the wheelchair control system. Practical machine intelligence will also enhance safety and facilitate independent wheelchair operation.
Sony PlayStation’s latest accessibility controller kit paves the way for a more inclusive gaming experience for gamers with disabilities. Here’s a quick look at Project Leonardo.
Reviewed, USA TODAY’s consumer product review brand is launching the first-ever AccessABILITY Awards to honor the top products designed for consumers with disabilities.
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Transportation
NADTC and AFB Partner to Provide Guidance on Serving Older Riders with Vision Loss
The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) published two new guides to help transportation providers better serve older adults with vision loss:
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Upcoming ADA National Network Trainings
Tuesday, January 17th, 2023 1:00-2:30 PM Central
Sponsor: Great Lakes ADA Center & ADA National Network
Wednesday, January 18th, 2023. 1:00 -2:30 PM Central
Sponsor: Great Lakes ADA Center & Southwest ADA Center
Friday, January 20th, 2023 9:00-11:00 AM Central
Sponsor: New England ADA Center
Tuesday, January 24th 2023 12:00-1:30 Central
Sponsor: Great Lakes ADA Center, ADA National Network, U.S. Access Board and the CIO Council
Thursday, January 26th, 2023. 9:00 -10:00 AM Central
Sponsor: Southeast ADA Center, University of Kentucky Human Development Institute (HDI)
Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 1:00-2:30 PM Central
Sponsor: Southeast ADA Center, Region 5 - Great Lakes ADA Center
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Missouri Assistive Technology
Power-Up Conference
April 3 & 4, 2023.
Holiday Inn Executive Center
Columbia, MO
Assistive technology practitioners, teachers, parents, caregivers, and persons with disabilities have gathered at Power Up over the last 25 years to learn, network, and share best practices in assistive technology.
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