Adam Johnsen

We would like to invite you to participate in a national survey titled, “Transportation Access and Experiences”, which is designed to improve understanding of accessibility of public transportation for people with disabilities. This survey is being conducted by the ADA Participation Action Research Consortium (ADA-PARC), a collaborative research project of ADA Regional Centers (PIs: Lex Frieden and Joy Hammel). This project focuses on community living, community participation & work/economic participation disparities of people with disabilities (For more information, visit the website: www.adaparc.org). We would like to improve our understanding on transportation access of people with disabilities and use this information to make improvements at regional and national levels. 

We are very interested in receiving as many responses as possible from people with disabilities based on their personal experiences with public transportation. The results will serve as crucial evidence to support improvements to accessible transportation. 

Please use the link below to access and complete the survey. The online survey can be completed in English or Spanish. This is the second round of data collection for this survey, so if you have already completed it, please do not complete the survey again.

If you would like to complete the survey by phone in English, please contact the research team at 800-949–4232 V/TTY. If you would like to complete the survey by phone in Spanish, please contact Ancel Montenelli at 312-413-1439. Please mention that you are calling about the ADA transportation survey.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this survey, please contact Jill Bezyak, Investigator for this survey from the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at jill.bezyak@unco.edu.

https://unco.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_00wcGeTOzGL2lQ9

JAN’s Workplace Accommodation Toolkit offers disability-related guidance for U.S. businesses. 

Morgantown, WV – The Job Accommodation Network (JAN), the leading source of free, expert and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues,  has developed an online tool to help U.S. businesses successfully recruit, hire and retain applicants and employees with disabilities. The newest addition to JAN’s suite of products, the Workplace Accommodation Toolkit packages JAN’s deep knowledge into an online platform with the information businesses need to create inclusive workplaces while complying with disability-related employment laws. 

“Recently JAN has seen an increase in requests for guidance related to the reasonable accommodation process and creating disability-inclusive workplaces. The Toolkit was designed to respond to these requests,” said Lou Orslene, JAN co-director.  It includes sample accommodation procedures, examples of policies and forms from leading U.S. businesses, training presentations, roleplay videos and best practices for creating an inclusive workplace for people with disabilities. The Toolkit provides inclusive practices at various phases of the employment life cycle for recruiters, hiring managers, and supervisors; human resource professionals; accommodation consultants; and allies of employees with disabilities. Checklists are also available to help keep track of the accommodation process.

The JAN Workplace Accommodation Toolkit was developed in consultation with Deb Dagit, from Deb Dagit Diversity, Inc.

The JAN Workplace Accommodation Toolkit can be accessed at: http://AskJAN.org/toolkit

For more information contact Lou Orslene @ 800-526-7234 Ext. 135 or Anne Hirsh Ext. 112.

This Toolkit release coincides with National Disability Employment Awareness Month #NDEAM  

About JAN 

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Policy (ODEP).  Working toward practical solutions that benefit both employer and employee, JAN helps people with disabilities enhance their employability, and shows employers how to capitalize on the value and talent that people with disabilities add to the workplace.

JAN’s trusted consultants offer one-on-one guidance on workplace accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related legislation, and self-employment and entrepreneurship options for people with disabilities. Assistance is available both over the phone and online. Those who can benefit from JAN’s services include private employers of all sizes, government agencies, employee representatives, and service providers, as well as people with disabilities and their families.

JAN serves as the most comprehensive job accommodation resource available. From Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurs, JAN has served customers across the United States and around the world for more than 30 years. Its consultants are thought leaders and innovators on disability employment issues, and all have earned at least one Master’s degree in their specialized fields, ranging from rehabilitation counseling to education and engineering.

On July 26, 2016, ADA Celebration Committee and the disability community celebrate the 26th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. An event that day at the Minnesota History Center, 345 W Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, will bring together the rich variety of communities, ethnicities and identities that make up the disability community.

Festivities begin at 3:00 p.m. in the 3M Auditorium with keynote address by Ken Rodgers, chair of the Minneapolis Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities, followed by a panel discussion on the joys and challenges of living with a disability in a culturally diverse community. Panelists include Carlos Vazquez, SMG; Mai Thor, Metropolitan Council; Char Coal, artist and disability advocate; and Fardowsa Ali, Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community. Kenneth Brown, a disability and civil rights advocate, will moderate the panel that will conclude at 5:00.

“9 Nights of Music”, a popular MN History Center series, now in its 19th year, presents Minnesota’s multi-cultural artists at free outdoor performances. “9 Nights of Music” is thrilled that Angelique Lele, 2015 Miss Wheelchair Minnesota, and Young Dance will perform and provide dance instruction for the assembled audience of all abilities. Performance and lessons start at 6:30 p.m. Lele is a yoga teacher, actor and dancer, who landed in a wheelchair after a trapeze accident in 2012. She continues to perform in the world of integrative dance. Young Dance brings together youth of all abilities with professional artists to forge an inclusive, creative community. The dance performance will be followed at 7:00 p.m. by Tamarak, a driving, no-holds-barred, classic rock-n-roll band, whose drummer Curt Jones, is blind. The night’s festivities end at 8:30. For more information on the “9 Nights of Music” visit www.mnhs.org.

The event is free and open to the public. ASL interpreters, audio description and CART captioning will be provided. Food will be available for purchase. Go to www.disability.state.mn.us for more information or to request accommodations by July 12, or call the Minnesota Council on Disability, 651-361-7800, toll-free 1-800-945-8913.

The ADA celebration is made possible in part by a grant from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, in addition to partnerships with AMPERS, the Minnesota History Center, and 15 disability organizations and state agencies.

The ADA establishes protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided in the Civil Rights Act on the basis of race, sex, national origin, age, and religion; and ensures equal opportunity for access to businesses, employment, government programs and services, and telecommunications.

The ADA celebration is made possible in part by a grant from the Art and Cultural Heritage Fund. The Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grants Program has been made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008. Administered by the Minnesota Historical Society.

• October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Held each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is a time to celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. The theme for this year — which marks 70 years since the first observance — is “My Disability is One Part of Who I Am.” Learn more at the Office of Disability Employment Policy website.
• MSCOD supports the VSA Minnesota event, “Minnesota Arts Access Chautauqua.” Please consider attending this fine event on Friday-Saturday, September 25-26, 2015 at the Cowles Center for Dance & Performing Arts in Minneapolis.
• Metropolitan Center for Independent Living’s annual event is coming up on October 6 and features Paralympic Athlete and MN native Chuck Aoki as keynote speaker!
• On Oct. 22, AuSM will bring together Minnesota’s top corporate leaders, business professionals, state agencies, and autism advocates for Autism in Business.

• MNBLN Presents: Career Fair with Private and Public Employers, including Resumé Review and Mock Interviews
• MNSCIA Presents: Resource Vendor Fair with Private and Public Resource Organizations
• Minnesota State Council on Disability (MSCOD) Breakout Sessions
• 25th Anniversary of the ADA Celebration Recap
• Artists & Performers with Disabilities
• tpt Live broadcast statewide Brown Bag Lunch featuring U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, Minnesota Policy Makers, Minnesota Employers, Minnesota Job Seekers and Employees.
• Statewide Employment Dialogue
• Q&A with U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and Featured Employers

Family day Celebration at the Minnesota History Center

345 W Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55102

Sunday, July 26, 2015
12 Noon – 4 PM
Free and Open to the Public

Entertainment & Activities

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the civil rights of people with disabilities. This legislation established a clear and comprehensive national mandate for the elimination of discrimination against individuals with disabilities. On July 26, 2015, we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the signing of the ADA.

The ADA has expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by reducing barriers and changing perceptions, and increasing full participation in community life. However, the full promise of the ADA will only be reached if we remain committed to continue our efforts to fully implement the ADA.

To commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the ADA, the Great Lakes ADA Center wants to learn how the Americans with Disabilities Act impacted the lives of people with disabilities and their family/friends. Please click on the following link to finish this statement

BECAUSE OF THE ADA…

Please consider participating in the ADA impact survey at: https://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/12291g568bd!

Lex Frieden, the legendary key author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, needs help evaluating the impact of the landmark civil rights law.

Frieden, and the organization he works with, Independent Living Research Utilization, ILRU, have developed a 10-minute online survey. It collects the opinions of people with disabilities, advocates and interested parties nationwide in preparation for the 25th anniversary of the law’s signing.

According to ILRU, “The information gathered from this survey will help us 1) understand what aspects of society have become more accessible due to the ADA; 2) understand what areas of society still require further investigation and proposed solutions; and 3) to develop and improve the information, support, and guidance needed to help further the goals of the ADA. These findings will also provide the foundation for further research on the ADA and its impact on people with disabilities.”

They have received hundreds of responses, but they are urging more people all over the US to take the survey, particularly those in Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Puerto Rico.

Throughout the year and on the ADA Anniversary – July 26, celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in your workplaces, schools and communities. While much progress has been made, much remains to be done.

Explore the ADA Anniversary Tool Kit  at http://adaanniversary.org/