A project of the Institute for Human Centered Design | |
ADA Question of the Month | |
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Question: I wanted to attend a town meeting recently. I asked for a sign language interpreter because I am deaf. I was told that they cost to much and I should bring someone to translate for me. Is that allowed under the ADA?
The answer is at the end of the newsletter.
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Access to Healthcare and the ADA: A Review of the Case Law | |
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Wednesday, January 18
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST
Zoom Webinar
Access to healthcare is important for people with disabilities, but many barriers still exist. This webinar will look at how court cases and ADA settlement agreements have affected the ADA’s application in healthcare. Topics on healthcare will include effective communication (which is anything that will make communication with people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, low vision or have speech disability is as effective as communicating with people without disabilities), accessible medical facilities, equipment, and service animals. The webinar will also include how certain disabilities have been addressed in healthcare settings, such as opioid use disorder and HIV/AIDs.
Access to Healthcare and the ADA: A Review of the Case Law.
Image source: file photo.
| The ADA Title II for Municipalities | |
Friday, January 20
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. EST
Live Event: Cumberland Public Library,
1464 Diamond Hill Rd #1, Cumberland, RI
The Rhode Island Governor’s Commission on Disabilities, Citizens for Access, and the New England ADA Center invite the public to this free training event in person. Learn about the obligations for cities, towns, and local governments under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The live event will be held at the Cumberland Public Library, Cumberland, Rhode Island. Advanced registration is encouraged. For questions, email: [email protected]. If you require an accommodation, please contact the Governor’s Commission at 401-462-0100 or [email protected].
Register for the ADA Title II for Municipalities.
Image source: file photo.
| Restorative Cities: Urban Design for Mental Health and Wellbeing | |
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Wednesday, January 25
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EST
Zoom Webinar
The Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD) invites you to join the "Restorative Cities: Urban Design for Mental Health and Wellbeing" webinar. Speakers, Jenny Roe and Layla McCay, will discuss a new Restorative Cities framework that defines the elements of a restorative city. The webinar is for people interested in urban design and planning for mental health and wellbeing including students, academics, policymakers and anyone involved in planning and designing cities.
Register for Restorative Cities: Urban Design for Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Image source: image courtesy of IHCD.
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Creating Accessible Recreational Gaming Webinar | |
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Wednesday, January 25
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST
Zoom Webinar
Games can be a fun experience for people of all ages and abilities. As board game companies widen and change their products for a bigger audience, there is an opportunity for more people to play. Unfortunately, inaccessible design often limits interest in community events where people gather to play a game. In this session, people can learn how to plan and hold an event focused on welcoming all players through the careful selection of games and the use of assistive technology. Assistive technology is a device or program used by people with disabilities to help them do something that otherwise might be difficult or impossible. While no single game can be completely accessible, it is possible to plan an accessible gaming event.
Register for Creating Accessible Recreational Gaming Webinar.
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Supports and Services: Accommodations with a Heartbeat | |
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Thursday February 9
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EST
Zoom Webinar
The Job Accommodation Network will host a webinar on supports and services as reasonable accommodations (A reasonable accommodation is any change to the application or hiring process, to the job, to the way the job is done, or the work environment that allows a person with a disability to do the job and enjoy the benefits of the job.) This training will cover the offering of supports and services as job accommodations. Heartbeat accommodations involve support provided by a human or animal and include solutions like a service animal, job coach, or interpreter, but also can be accommodations like an emotional support animal, mentor, or support person.
Register for Supports and Services: Accommodations with a Heartbeat.
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Massachusetts DCR’s Universal Access Program Provides Accessible Winter Events | |
Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Universal Access Program (UAP) offers outdoor events in Massachusetts state parks for people of all abilities. Accessibility is achieved through park improvements, special equipment, and accessible programs. UAP has events at various sites that have modified skating opportunities. Other places have snow making and groomed trails for people to try a kick sled, sit-ski, snowshoes, ice grippers, or cross-country skis.
DCR’s Universal Access Program Provides Accessible Winter Events.
Image source: image courtesy of DCR’s UAP.
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Maine’s Prisons Taught Washington a Crucial Lesson in Fighting Opioids | |
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Medications to treat opioid use disorder (MOUD) have existed for years as treatments for people with addiction to opioids. Jails and prisons across the country did not provide these Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved life-saving medications. That is beginning to slowly change thanks to the ADA. More county jails and state prisons are prescribing medications to treat addiction. Now, at least one jail or prison in almost every state offers some form of MOUD, according to Georgetown Law’s O’Neill Institute, which researches addiction and public policy.
Maine’s Prisons Taught Washington a Crucial Lesson in Fighting Opioids.
Image source: file photo.
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The Rhode Island Governors Commission on Disability Welcomes Elisabeth Hubbard | |
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Assistant ADA Coordinator for Employment and Services, Elisabeth Hubbard, is the newest member of the team at the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities (GCD). Elisabeth graduated from Smith College and later earned her a degree from the Brooklyn Law School. Before starting at the GCD, Hubbard was a staff attorney for eighteen years at Disability Rights Rhode Island (DRRI). In a statement, Hubbard said, “I have always wanted to work in policy, but I felt that I needed to spend time working directly with the community to learn what the issues people with disabilities were themselves concerned about, not just what others thought was best.” For any questions email [email protected].
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Fourth Circuit Rules That Transgender Status May Be Covered Under the ADA | |
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A recent ground-breaking decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has ruled in a new direction in the area of transgender rights and the ADA. The new ruling states that transgender people may be covered by the ADA as people with disabilities. The court's decision directly involved the rights of an incarcerated individual’s access to medical care. The case could have broad meaning for entities nationwide if other courts follow the same reasoning.
Fourth Circuit Rules That Transgender Status May Be Covered Under the ADA.
Image source: file photo.
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Justice Department Finds Alaska Unnecessarily Segregates Children with Behavioral Health Disabilities in Institutions | |
$686 Million in Grants Will Modernize Older Transit Stations and Improve Accessibility Across the Country | |
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The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced 15 grants in nine states to help make it easier for people with disabilities and mobility needs to use some of the nation's oldest and busiest rail transit systems. $686 million in grants will be used for upgrades, such as elevators. The new, All Stations Accessibility Program, is designed to improve the accessibility of transit rail stations so everyone, including those who use wheelchairs, push strollers, or cannot easily climb stairs, can reliably access the rail systems in their communities.
$686 Million in Grants Will Modernize Older Transit Stations and Improve Accessibility Across the Country.
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SAMHSA Proposes Update to Federal Rules to Expand Access to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment and Help Close Gap in Care | |
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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) presented the idea to make the emergency policies, enacted during the 2020 pandemic, permanent. The changes would expand access to methadone and buprenorphine, which are two key medications used to treat opioid addiction. While methadone and buprenorphine are both controlled substances (a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession and use is regulated by a government) the emergency measures increased the medication's availability. For the first time, doctors could start treatment with buprenorphine via telehealth instead of an in-person visit and allow more people to take home their medication.
New Proposal Would Keep Pandemic-Eased Restrictions to Treatment for Addiction.
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U.S. Access Board Hires New Accessibility Specialist Cholé Gray | |
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The U.S. Access Board has hired Cholé Gray as an Accessibility Specialist in its Office of Technical and Information Services (OTIS). In this role, Gray will offer technical assistance to the public on accessible design and accessibility, including the ADA Accessibility Guidelines and Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards. Prior to joining the Board, Gray worked with the Department of Buildings for New York City as a Code Reviewer for fire safety, zoning, and other types of interior plans supported by the ADA.
U.S. Access Board Hires New Accessibility Specialist Cholé Gray.
Image source: image courtesy of the U.S. Access Board.
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Southeast ADA Center Launches Virtual Interview Series on 50 Years of Section 504 | |
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To observe the 50th anniversary signing of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Southeast ADA Center has started an interview series with leaders of the disability rights movement who led the fight for equal rights. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects the rights of qualified individuals with disabilities from discrimination. The law applies to the federal government and organizations that receive financial assistance from the federal government. Interview guests include: Lois Curtis, artist and plaintiff in Olmstead v. L.C.; John Wodatch, former Chief of Disability Rights, U.S. Department of Justice; and Lex Frieden, educator, disability rights activist; along with several other disability rights leaders.
Southeast ADA Center Launches Virtual Interview Series on 50 Years of Section 504
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U.S. Access Board Senior Accessibility Specialist and Training Coordinator Bill Botten Retires | |
Bill Botten, retired from federal service. A Board employee for 22 years, Botten contributed in many ways to the mission and vision of the agency. Botten, an Exercise Physiology graduate from the University of Kansas, joined the Access Board in May of 2000. He was always a supporter for accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities, especially in recreation and outdoor environments. He helped advance accessibility in those different facilities and other built environments through his hundreds of trainings and presentations to people across the country.
U.S. Access Board Senior Accessibility Specialist and Training Coordinator Bill Botten Retires.
Image source: image courtesy of the U.S. Access Board.
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Stories of Parenting with a Disability | |
Tune in for an engaging conversation on parenting with a disability and a new book on the topic, “A Celebration of Family: Stories of Parents with Disabilities,” The broadcast will feature: Dave Matheis, Kentucky Coalition for the Rights of Parents with Disabilities; Jason Jones, Human Development Institute, University of Kentucky; Kimberly Tissot, ABLE-South Carolina; Kara Ayers, University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCCEDD). The ADA Live! podcast focuses on the rights and responsibilities under the ADA.
Stories of Parenting with a Disability.
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Snow Removal and Accessibility Slide Show: Quick Tips for Small Businesses | |
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The goal of the ADA is to ensure that everyone has equal access to goods and services in their community, which includes snow removal in winter months. The Great Plains ADA Center provides some guidelines for small businesses and their snow removal.
Snow Removal and Accessibility Slide Show: Quick Tips for Small Businesses.
Image source: image courtesy of Great Plains ADA Center.
| "ACCESS FOR ALL" Design Competition for Universal Design in Federal Facilities | |
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The General Services Administration (GSA) invites students in architecture and design programs to apply universal design ideas to redesign a federal workspaces that will offer an accessible, barrier-free, and all-inclusive experience. The competition will support GSA’s commitment to advancing accessibility and providing an equitable experience in federal buildings owned and operated by GSA.
"ACCESS FOR ALL" Design Competition for Universal Design in Federal Facilities.
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Survey: Access and Attitudes towards Health Care by People with Disabilities | |
U.S. Department of Justice Debuts New ADA.gov Website | |
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) launched a new website dedicated to the ADA. The website is designed to help grow access for people with disabilities and to serve the public better. The updated website is written in plain language and includes easy-to-use navigation tools and overviews of featured topics, such as accessible parking, communication, and service animals, among others. The website also provides information about how to report a discrimination and the process for review and possible outcomes of a complaint.
U.S. Department of Justice Debuts New ADA.gov Website.
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Answer to the ADA Question of the Month | |
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Answer: No. Public entities and private businesses cannot require an individual with a disability to bring someone to interpret for him or her. They also cannot rely on an adult accompanying an individual to interpret or facilitate communication except:
- In an emergency involving danger to the safety or welfare of a person or the public where there is no interpreter available; or
- When a person with a disability specifically requests that their friend or relative interpret or help with communication, the friend or relative agrees to provide such assistance, and relying on that person is right for the situation.
To learn more, see the ADA National Network’s fact sheet on Effective Communication.
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Participate in our monthly interactive quiz feature where you answer our disability-related question.
Question: The ADA says public entities (state and local governments) and private entities (businesses and nonprofit organizations that serve the public) need to offer auxiliary aids and services to make sure that individuals with speech, hearing and vision disabilities can understand what is said or written and can communicate effectively. From the list below, choose a common auxiliary aid used for effective communication?
A) Real-time computer-aided transcription services (The instant translation of the spoken word into English text by a person using a computer.);
B) Open and closed captioning, including real-time captioning (Captions are when spoken words are put into written words. Open captions always are in view and cannot be turned off, whereas closed captions can be turned on and off by the viewer.);
C) Brailled materials and displays (Braille is a system of raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind or who have low vision.);
D) Sign language interpreting (It is when spoken words are translated into hand signals which is done in person or through video remote interpreting.);
E) All of the above.
Email your answer to [email protected] by January 31.
First person to respond with the correct answer will be featured in next month’s newsletter.
Last month’s Show You Know! answer
The question was, Which one of the following does NOT need to be provided when staging a temporary community holiday carnival and celebration?
1) accessible portable toilets
2) American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter for a mayor’s speech
3) accessible route throughout the event site
4) accessible amusement rides
“4)” was the correct answer.
Mobile or portable amusement rides, like the ones used a temporary events, are not required to be accessible. Read more on amusement rides in the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
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We strive to ensure the Newsletter and the content we share is accessible. Unfortunately we have limited control of external websites. Please email us at [email protected] if you encounter any issues accessing the newsletter or related content.
Access New England features topics related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), originating from the ADA Center, our state affiliates, the ADA National Network, and national sources.
The New England ADA Center is a member of the ADA National Network funded by the Administration for Community Living through National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research Grant 90DPAD0011.
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