Question: My supervisor and I happened to be getting coffee at the same time. I told him my vision disability has progressed a bit. I asked my supervisor for a screen magnifier so I can keep doing my job accurately. They said I need to put my request in writing. Do requests for reasonable accommodation need to be in writing?

The answer is at the end of the newsletter.

Thursday, November 10

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST

Live Event - Copley Central Library

The City of Boston Budget Department invites organizations, and their members, to an upcoming workshop on how to engage with the City of Boston budget process. The City of Boston Disabilities Commission staff will be attending the workshop for constituents with disabilities at the Copley Central Library in the McKim Building's Orientation Room located at 700 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116. The location is ADA Accessible and each session will have ASL and/or CART.

Register for City of Boston Budget Department Workshops.

Wednesday, November 16

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

Zoom Webinar

MOD’s Quarterly Teas address your most frequently asked questions and concerns related to hot topics in the disability community. This quarter's tea will address your most frequently asked questions related to digital accessibility: why it's important, what's required, and fundamentals of ensuring accessibility in your digital communications. To request reasonable modification to participate in this event, please contact MOD General Counsel and ADA Coordinator, Julia O’Leary, at [email protected] or 617.727.7440 x27324.

Register for Quarterly Tea with MOD: FAQs about Digital Accessibility.

Wednesday, November 16th, and

Tuesday, November 29th

Zoom Webinar

The ADA Coalition of Connecticut (ADACC) is committed to supporting ADA Coordinators in municipalities, businesses, agencies, and organizations. They work to ensure that designated ADA Coordinators have the knowledge and understanding of the civil rights law to be effective. Therefore, ADACC is offering ADA Coordinators the following courses to apply to their ADA Coordinator Certification Program requirements. November 16th: Unions, Contracts and Accommodating Employees at 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. EST; and ADA and Addiction and Recovery at 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST. November 29th: Overview of the ADA and Introduction to the ADA Coalition of CT at 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. EST; and Breaking the Inclusive Employment Glass Ceiling 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST. Participants can register online or to register by mail using the downloadable form.

Register for ADA Coalition of Connecticut State Conference.

Tuesday, November 15

2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. EST

Zoom Webinar

Are you a Veteran with a physical or mental disability or know someone that is? Are you a service provider that works with Veterans with disabilities? Veteran programs, services, and benefits can be complex to understand and use. This presentation provides a general awareness of basic concepts and resources available to Veterans with disabilities that a Veteran, their family members, and service providers need to know. There will be time for participants to ask questions of the speaker following the presentation.

Register for Veterans with Disabilities: An Overview of Veteran Affairs (VA) Resources Supporting Independence and Inclusion.

Tuesday, November 22

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST

Live and Facebook Live Stream

770 Centre Street, Newton, MA

The Carroll Center for the Blind’s in person Technology Fair is back! Attend exciting and informative presentations, visit with assistive technology exhibitors in breakout rooms, and find the products and services you need to live as independently as possible. Discover innovative technology that can make an immediate impact on your life at the technology fair! Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the latest products for individuals who are visually impaired. The Technology Fair is free and open to consumers, families, friends, and professionals.

Register for Carroll Center for the Blind’s Live and Virtual Technology Fair.

Image source: image courtesy of the Carroll Center for the Blind.

With an eye toward understanding challenges residents and visitors with disabilities may face in Barnstable, the town recently completed an ADA self-evaluation study and draft transition plan. Last year, Barnstable received a $250,000 Massachusetts Office on Disability grant, which was used to hire the Institute for Human Centered Design to undertake the project. The Disability Commission was actively involved in the entire process developing the self-evaluation and transition plan. Now the town is inviting public input on the findings, which can be reviewed in detail at tinyurl.com/BarnstableADAselfevaluation.

Is Barnstable Accessible for Residents and Visitors with Disabilities? Town Seeks Input.

Image source: image courtesy of the Cape Cod Times by Steve Heaslip.

With a degree from the University of Rhode Island, Ferri bought his acumen to the City of Woonsocket as a code enforcement officer and as a program manager. He joined the GCD to serve as the Assistant ADA Coordinator. He hopes to bring his experience from a municipal level to the state level. “I hope to help people in any capacity that I can along the way and hope to continue to build on my career,” said Ferri. For any questions email [email protected].

Ashley Santana was hired as the Massachusetts Office on Disability’s (MOD) Access Specialist. With her background in customer service, Santana assists in the coordination of the daily operations of the Community Services Program. Moreover, she provides technical assistance, training, and policy guidance on disability laws through in-person meetings and trainings, telephone, email, and written correspondence. “I like making people happy and have them inspired to do bigger and greater things in life,” said Santana. She added, “I am a proud Dominican serving the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” To reach Ashley Santana, email her at [email protected].

New England Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Center, a project of the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD), seeks an expert individual in all federal accessibility standards and regulations at their Boston, Massachusetts location. Successful candidates will provide advanced trainings on the ADA’s Title II, III, the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, and related New England state and federal disability rights laws (Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Act). The position will also direct the ADA Center’s technical assistance (TA) on the ADA. Candidates will supervise and train, as needed, the two ADA Center staff with primary daily responsibilities for TA and training. Additionally, the position will also provide seasoned expertise as needed to IHCD’s design and consulting team and contribute to occasional development of IHCD’s tailored guidance products on accessibility and Inclusive Design.

IHCD and the New England ADA Center Seeks a Director of ADA Training and Technical Assistance.

The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) announced grant awards totaling more than $340 million to help combat America’s substance use crisis amid a continued escalation of overdose deaths. “Opioids and other licit and illicit substances continue to take a massive toll on our society,” said OJP Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon. Opioids were responsible for the deaths of more than 107,000 people in 2021. The Biden-Harris 2022 National Drug Control Strategy is guided by one fundamental principle: saving lives. The awards aim to address prevention, treatment and recovery support service needs for individuals with substance use disorders

Justice Department Awards More Than $340 Million to Address Substance Use Disorders and Fight the Overdose Epidemic.

Employers, desperate for workers, are reconsidering job requirements, overhauling hiring processes and working with nonprofit groups to recruit candidates they might once have overlooked. At the same time, companies’ newfound openness to remote work has led to opportunities for people whose disabilities make in-person work — and the taxing daily commute it requires — difficult or impossible. With Covid prompting more employers to consider remote arrangements, employment has soared among adults with disabilities. The strong late-pandemic labor market is giving a lift to a group often left on the margins of the economy: workers with disabilities.

For Disabled Workers, a Tight Labor Market Opens New Doors.

Image source: file photo.

Touchscreen kiosks and other types of self-service transaction machines (SSTMs) are a common feature in places of public accommodation, government offices, and other buildings and facilities, allowing users to independently conduct a range of transactions and functions. The U.S. Access Board seeks comments on accessibility related to the various types of SSTMs, use and design of SSTMs, location of SSTMs, and economic impacts on small business, non-profit, and governmental entities in the implementation of accessible SSTMs. Public comments are due by November 21, 2022.

U.S. Access Board Seeks Public Comment on Accessibility Guidelines for Self-Service Transaction Machines.

During the pandemic behavioral health providers transitioned from providing face-to-face care to virtual services. The Great Lakes Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network (ATTC) surveyed behavioral health services providers in 2020 to gather feedback and data on the use of telehealth services. The Great Lakes ATTC is now conducting a follow-up research study on the use of virtual behavioral health services and its benefits and challenges. You are asked to complete the brief survey because the ATTC wants perspectives on this issue as a behavioral health services provider.

Seeking participants for a research study on the use of Telehealth in Behavioral Health Services

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released an updated ‘Know Your Rights’ poster, which replaces the previous “EEO is the Law” poster. Covered employers are required by federal law to prominently display the poster at their work sites. The EEOC’s web page for the poster provides information about where to post it. The poster also includes a QR code for applicants or employees to link directly to instructions for how to file a charge of workplace discrimination with the EEOC. The poster is available in English and Spanish and will be available in additional languages at a later date.

EEOC Releases Updated “Know Your Rights” Poster.

As Veterans return to civilian life, some want to return to jobs they held before entering the military. Some will begin the search for new jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 4.9 million Veterans, or 27 percent, have a service-connected disability. In recognition of Veterans Day on November 11th, and in honor of military Veterans, this episode of ADA Live! is dedicate to the employment of Veterans and the challenges some Veterans face in returning to civilian employment.

Supporting Our Veterans: Tips for Job Seekers and Returning Workers.