May 2023 Newsletter

Update on Service Animals in Public Accommodations, Employment, Transportation, and Housing

Wednesday, May 17

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EDT

Zoom Webinar 

The regulations regarding service animals vary across different settings, such as employment, transportation, and housing. This informative session goes into the latest laws and updates for individuals with disabilities regarding the use of service animals. 

Register for Update on Service Animals.

Image source: file photo.

Quarterly Tea with Massachusetts Office of Disability (MOD): Service Animals in Public Settings

Wednesday, June 7

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT

Zoom Webinar

MOD’s Quarterly Tea aims to describe the rights and obligations of people with disabilities and their service animal in public places, such as restaurants, stores, and libraries. To request reasonable modification to participate in this event, please contact, Julia O’Leary, at [email protected] or 617-727-7440 Extension 27324. Requests made after May 31, 2023, will be considered but may not be possible to fill.

Register for Quarterly Tea with MOD.

Saturday, June 10

10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. EDT

In-person event: 1255 Soldiers Field Road, Brighton, MA 02135

Join the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Universal Access Program to learn about regional adaptive recreation opportunities. People can sign up for disability-friendly adaptive summer programs like sailing, kayaking, canoeing, cycling, hiking and more. The event is free and open to the public.

Register for Annual Adaptive Recreation Fair.

Image source: courtesy of the Universal Access Program.

Virtual 2023 National ADA Symposium

June 12 - 14

10:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. EDT

Virtual Symposium

Register today for this three-day virtual training event featuring 36 sessions on all aspects of the ADA. Trainings will be presented by nationally recognized experts in the field. This year's program includes a presentation by the New England ADA Center’s director Oce Harrison and trainer Stacy Hart on how to use the Americans with Disabilities Act as a tool to address the addiction crisis. Some sessions have been approved for AIA or Health, Safety, and Welfare credits. 

Register for Virtual 2023 ADA Symposium.

Is the Americans with Disabilities Act at Risk?

In the coming months, the U.S. Supreme Court will issue a decision on whether a “tester” can bring a lawsuit challenging a hotel’s failure to provide information about its accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Interplay of Workers’ Compensation, FMLA & ADA

Employees who become injured, ill, or disabled may be eligible for medical and disability-related leave under the ADA, FMLA, and state workers' compensation laws. Stay informed about your rights and obligations as an employer by understanding the intersection of these important legal frameworks.

Remote Work as an ADA Accommodation

A captioned video provides strategies to include remote work as a reasonable accommodation.

Participate: Make Your Voice Heard on Long COVID

The RECOVER study is a major national effort to understand long COVID. Researchers are seeking people with disabilities to participate in this study. 

Participate in Disability and Vocational Interests Research

Workers with or without disabilities who are 18 years and older are qualified to participate in the study.

Women Less Likely to Seek Substance Use Treatment Due to Stigma and Logistics

Answer: The ADA is a federal law that protects people with disabilities, including mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, from discrimination in the workplace. Employers must provide reasonable accommodations, such as schedule adjustments and work tools, to help individuals perform their job duties. The law also prevents employers from asking about mental health conditions in the interview stage. However, employers can ask disability related questions if a person discloses a disability to request a reasonable accommodation. Medical information related to that request must be kept confidential. These protections ensure that people with mental health conditions have a fair chance to succeed in their careers.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Learn more about the rights of people with mental health disabilities and employment in the ADA National Network's research brief: "Mental Health, Employment, and the ADA."

Participate in our monthly interactive quiz feature where you answer our disability-related question.

Question: The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design are a set of guidelines established by the United States Department of Justice to ensure that facilities and buildings are accessible to individuals with disabilities. Some of the key requirements of the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design are listed below. What requirement below is not part of the 2010 Standards?

1. Accessible routes of travel, including accessible entrances and exits, ramps, and curb cuts
2. Accessible parking spaces and passenger loading zones
3. Accessible restrooms and other facilities
4. A public entity shall take steps to ensure that communications with members of the public with disabilities are as effective as communications with others. 
5. Clear floor space and turning space for wheelchairs and other mobility devices
6. Visual and tactile signage and other forms of communication that are accessible to individuals with visual or hearing impairments

Email your answer to [email protected] by May 31.

First person to respond with the correct answer will be featured in next month’s newsletter. 

Last month’s Show You Know! answer

Thank you to Tony Philips, Director of Social Services, Town of Ridgefield for being the first person to submit the correct answer.

The question was: A person with a disability shows up at your business with a dog. The business has a no pets policy. What questions can you ask of the person? Select all appropriate questions from the list below.

1. What is your impairment?

2. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?

3. How long have you had a disability?

4. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

“2. and 4." was the correct answer. 

The U.S. Department of Justice allows an entity to ask: "Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability; and, What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?" Learn more at the ADA National Network's Service Animal Resource Hub.

Please spread the word and share this newsletter with friends, individuals, and organizations in your community where the

above resources and events will be helpful.