New England ADA Center
November 2019 Newsletter

ADA Question of the Month - Do You Know the Answer?
Question : My friend with  a mobility impairment has a service animal.  It is well behaved and trained to help him with his balance.   He takes it everywhere, even to our favorite restaurant. He has been asked to stop feeding the service animal at the table. At times he will order a burger and let the dog eat it under the table. Can my friend feed his service animal when he goes out to a restaurant?
The answer is at the end of the newsletter.
Upper Valley Vermont Photographer Wins National Award For Artists With Disabilities
self portrait in the trees Aurora Berger, of South Strafford, won a national award for emerging artists with disabilities for photographs that depict self-portraits. Her's was printed on fabric and hung up to weather in the woods.

Image source: photo courtesy of Aurora Berger.
Athena Health Care Systems Enters Into a Settlement Agreement with the United States Of America
The United States Department of Justice alleges a skilled nursing facility operated by Athena discriminated against a patient on the basis of disabilityThe complaints alleged that the facility refused to accept a patient for treatment because that patient was being treated with medication used to treat Opioid Use Disorder.

Image source: file photo.
New Research Results Identify Challenges to Implementing the ADA Survey for Cities and Towns in New England
Logos of the New England ADA Center and a project of the Institute for Human Centered Design
Did you know that only 7.5% of municipalities in the New England region are in full compliance (administrative requirements and services, programs and activities) with the ADA? The New England ADA Center published the results of our research study about the challenges that municipalities face in implementing the ADA.

National News
The new encyclopedia, 'Disability in American Life' explains concepts, policies, and controversies in a two-part text book. The authors take an interdisciplinary approach to studying disability in America.

Image source: photo courtesy of Oce Harrison.
 
U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Releases Report on Falls Prevention
U.S. Senate The committee's report documents the impact of falls in the US, which cause millions of injuries each year and can lead to lasting disability. The report highlights federal, state, and private sector efforts to develop or expand access to evidence-based falls prevention programs, home safety evaluations and home modification programs, and other solutions.
It has been heralded as an architectural triumph, but a new public library in Long Island City has several  terraces that are inaccessible to people who cannot climb to them. A staircase and bleacher seating in the children's section, judged too risky for small children, has been closed off.

Image source: photo courtesy of the New York Times by Hiroko Masuike.
Our ADA Checklist is a friendly and easy to use tool that will help you identify barriers to accessibility in your indoor and outdoor facilities.

Get the  Checklist here.
 
Answer to the ADA Question of the Month

Answer Service animals must  be trained, house broken, and well behaved .  A trained service animal must sit on the floor at the owner's side when out in public and when not performing a task, which includes in a restaurant, bar, and other places that serve food or drink.  The consumption of food and drink is for customers only. The restaurant is not required to allow an animal to sit or be fed at the table. For more frequently asked questions on service animals click here .
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New England ADA Center, a project of the Institute for Human Centered Design