Archives for 2014

Important Announcements

The New Rules for Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act that require federal contractors and subcontractors to plan affirmative action toward employing individuals with disabilities goes into effect today, March 24, 2014. These rules cover employers with federal government contracts or subcontracts of $10,000 or more. The new rules strengthen the enforcement of existing regulations and puts into place new requirements around recruiting, hiring and accommodating individuals with disabilities. Covered employers nowhave greater accountability and reporting requirements in their employment practices.

Resources:

An excellent article on the New Rules for Section 503 appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, New Rules on hiring disabilities workers, vets go into effect for federal contractors

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/new-rules-on-hiring-disabled-workers-vets-go-into-effect/article_963a3582-7458-5b32-959d-24a038d3ec16.html

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs developed a Frequently Asked Questions document for Section 503 New Rules that is available on their website at
http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/faqs/503_faq.htm

The ADA National Network provides a fact sheet on the New Rules at
http://adata.org/factsheet/section-503-rehabilitation-act-new-rules-fact-sheet

The ADA National Network is hosting a new sessions for the Accessible Technology Webinar Series titled “Introduction to ARIA.”

When:   March 27, 2014

Time:      1:00pm-2:30pm Central Time

Description:
Find out what Accessible Rich Internet Application (ARIA) is and how it is important to accessibility in web design. See demonstrations of the effect ARIA roles, particularly landmark roles, can have on the accessibility of your web pages. Learn how easy it is to add ARIA landmark roles to your code in both standard HTML pages and in WordPress themes.

Speaker:
Virginia DeBolt, Consultant

The ADA National Network is hosting a new sessions for the Accessible Technology Webinar Series titled “Introduction to ARIA.”
When: March 27, 2014
Time: 1:00pm-2:30pm Central Time
Description:
Find out what Accessible Rich Internet Application (ARIA) is and how it is important to accessibility in web design. See demonstrations of the effect ARIA roles, particularly landmark roles, can have on the accessibility of your web pages. Learn how easy it is to add ARIA landmark roles to your code in both standard HTML pages and in WordPress themes.

Speaker:
Virginia DeBolt, Consultant

ADA Conferences
Great Lakes ADA Center
877-232-1990 (V/TTY)
webinars@ada-audio.org

The ADA National Network is pleased to announce the upcoming session in the ADA Legal Webinar Series, March 12, 2014 focusing on “The ADA and Religious Institutions.”

Although religious institutions are largely exempt from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) there are situations where these entities are indeed covered by the law. What does this mean for religious entities that operate schools? Are employees of religious organizations covered by employment provisions under the ADA? Further, what about religious entities receiving federal funds such as faith-based grants? Does the ADA apply to those operating businesses open to the public? The presenter will also discuss some of the more recent cases and examples of these situations and whether the ADA applies. During this session we will examine how the ADA applies to religious institutions/organizations with regards to:
Title I- Employment
Entities that receive federal funds under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Title III- Public Accommodations and operation of Commercial Facilities

Speaker:
Judy Spalding-J.D.
Consultant, Disability and Family Law

When: March 12, 2014
Time: 2:00pm-3:30pm Eastern Time (Calculate the start time based on your location)
Cost: Free

This session is close captioned. Audio and visuals will be available via the webinar platform. A telephone connection (not toll free) will be available for audio as well.

ADA Conferences
Great Lakes ADA Center
877-232-1990 (V/TTY)

February 12, 2014  |  AAPD Press Team

Washington, DC (February 12, 2014) – Today, the White House announced that President Barack Obama will sign an Executive Order raising the minimum wage to $10.10 for all future federal contract workers, including workers with disabilities. Under the current law, employees with disabilities can be paid subminimum wage, but the Executive Order, which covers all new federal contracts, will end the practice among contractors beginning in 2015.

“By including people with disabilities in his Executive Order, the President has opened the doors of equal opportunity to many federally contracted employees with disabilities,” said Mark Perriello, President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). “We applaud the Administration for recognizing that people with disabilities have the right to equal wages for doing the same jobs as people without disabilities.”

AAPD, the nation’s largest cross disability rights organization, and other disability rights organizations had urged the inclusion of people with disabilities in the President’s Executive Order since the plan was announced at the 2014 State of the Union Address.

Currently, 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act allows for workers with disabilities to be paid subminimum wage. This law dates back to 1938 and has been used by sheltered workshops where people with disabilities are segregated from other workers and can be paid as little as pennies per hour for doing the same work as employees without disabilities. About 95% of Americans with disabilities working for subminimum wage are employed at sheltered workshops, and about 420,000 workers with disabilities are being paid subminimum wage under the 14(c) program.

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The American Association of People with Disabilities is the nation’s largest disability rights organization. We promote equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation for people with disabilities. Our members, including people with disabilities and our family, friends, and supporters, represent a powerful force for change. To learn more, visit the AAPD Web site: www.aapd.com.

The ADA National Network announces a new sessions for the ADA Legal Webinar Series, January 15, 2014.  This session titled “The Top ADA Cases of 2013” will talk about a number of significant ADA cases were decided in 2013, and this session will provide an in-depth review of the top ADA cases from the past year. In addition to reviewing the specific facts and ruling in each case, there will also be a discussion of the impact these cases may have on future ADA litigation. This webinar promises to cover a wide variety of ADA issues under Titles I, II and III. Start the New Year off right with a better understanding of the most important ADA cases decided in 2013.

When:   January 15, 2014
Time:      1:00pm-2:30pm Central Time

Speakers: Barry Taylor and Rachel Weisberg, Equip for Equality

The ADA National Network announces new sessions for the Emergency Management and Preparedness Webinar Series, January 8, 2014 on “Oakland California’s Journey from Emergency Management Defendant to Model City for Inclusionary Practices”.

Description:
In 2009, the City of Oakland was the subject of a major lawsuit saying that its emergency management policies, practices and procedures fell short of providing individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to survive disasters and other emergencies. Hear how Oakland met the challenge by engaging a wide group of stakeholders and integrating progressive functional needs access frameworks into all aspects of its emergency management planning and response programs. The session will cover the tools that Oakland created and how local government agencies can efficiently and effectively transform their emergency preparedness programs.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will understand the various elements of inclusionary emergency planning and response at the local government level, including the C-MIST approach.
• Participants will learn how to integrate functional needs frameworks and build the capacity of local government emergency preparedness programs, activities and services to serve diverse disability populations.
• Participants will learn how local governments can effectively engage functional needs populations in all aspects of emergency planning and response.

When: January 8, 2014
Time: 1:00pm-2:30pm Central Time
Presenters:

• Christine Calabrese – ADA Coordinator, City of Oakland, California.
• June Isaacson Kailes – Disability Policy Consultant and Associate Director, Center for Disability and Health Policy, Western University of Health Sciences
• Scott Means – , ADA Programs Division, City of Oakland, California
• Renee Domingo – Director, Emergency Services and Homeland Security, City of Oakland, California
• Lorraine Rosenblatt – Chairperson, Mayor’s Commission on Persons with Disabilities Ad Hoc Outreach Committee, City of Oakland, California

Registration is available on-line at http://www.adaconferences.org/Emergency/Register/