News from the Center
Old Friends and New
In November 2005, the New England ADA & Accessible IT Center bid farewell to Andy Washburn who left us to join the Department of Justice as an Information/ADA Specialist. For eight years, Andy was the familiar voice providing technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as serving as editor of our newsletter. Andy joins another former New England ADA & Accessible IT Center colleague at the Department of Justice, Rachel Tanenhaus, who said goodbye in 2004. We wish Andy the very best of luck!
Joining the New England ADA & Accessible IT Center is Karen Murray and her service dog Ali. Karen and Ali are thrilled to be a part of the Team. Karen is the new Information Specialist and looks forward to providing technical assistance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition, Karen has taken over the editing responsibilities of our newsletter, Access New England. Ali is the world's friendliest service dog (and for Golden Retriever, that's saying something!). When she is not busy snoozing, Ali works hard at fetching objects, opening doors, pressing elevator buttons and turning light switches on and off. She loves helping out! We welcome them both and think they will feel right at home.
Grants Awarded
Independent Living Center (ILC) Grants awarded to 14 ILCs in the region. Each ILC received $2,700 to support ADA training, technical assistance, materials dissemination and public awareness, locally in the areas of employment, and access to city and state public programs and activities. 2006 Incentive Grants were awarded to six non-profits in the region, one in each New England State. Each organization received $4,000. An Incentive Grant Committee reviewed 14 proposals. The organizations receiving the awards were:
- Connecticut: ADA Coalition of Connecticut. The ADA Coalition will increase awareness of the rights of people with non-apparent disabilities through a series of workshops on the ADA. These workshops will be taught by people from The Connecticut Legal Rights Project, a legally based mental health advocacy agency; Advocacy Unlimited; and National Alliance of the Mentally Ill (NAMI).
- Massachusetts: Career Works, Brockton. Career Works, a One-Stop Career Center will sponsor employment skills trainings for individuals with non-apparent disabilities. Career Works will work with Mass Department of Mental Health, Mass Rehab Commission, Veteran's Services and Mainspring, a Brockton area homeless shelter to develop and deliver this training. As part of the training, people with non-apparent disabilities who have had success in obtaining employment will tell their stories.
- Maine: Coastal Counties Workforce in Topsham. Coastal Counties is a non-profit, corporate Workforce Investment Board located in Maine. Their goal is to train at least 43 small to medium size employers on ADA requirements and specifically, reasonable accommodation. The WIB covers seven One-Stop Centers in the area. The staff of the One-Stops will be trained along with employers.
- New Hampshire: Governor's Commission on Disability. The Governor's Commission will expand and improve opportunities for people with disabilities to receive quality healthcare through a comprehensive outreach, training and resource program for medical personnel in three of the largest hospitals in New Hampshire. The Commission will also work with the NH Medical Society to provide best practices for accommodating people with disabilities.
- Rhode Island: Governor's Commission on Disability (GCD). The Governor's Commission will provide training and technical assistance to increase understanding and knowledge of the ADA for ADA Coordinators in 39 communities. The classroom trainings will then be converted to a web course and made available on GCD's website.
- Vermont: Association of Business, Industry and Rehabilitation (VABIR). VABIR will train employers on ADA requirements and specifically, reasonable accommodation. In conjunction with the local Chambers of Commerce and the local SHRM will provide trainings to at least 35 employers at meetings, conferences and other business focused gatherings.
ADA Distance Learning Opportunities
ADA Distance Learning provides continuing education on regulations and trends under the ADA. All you need is a telephone. Participate by yourself or invite colleagues to sit around a speakerphone. The toll free phone number will be available following registration. The program is available in three formats: teleconference, streaming audio via the Internet and real-time captioned on the Internet.
All sessions are on Tuesdays from 2-3:30 pm Eastern.
This year all registration is centralized. Go to the ADA Audio-Conference web site 
(www.ada-audio.org) for information.
Planning for Emergencies in the Workplace: Inclusion of People with Disabilities
March 21, 2006
Brian S. Parson, Advisor for Employer Policy, Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor
Survey of Employer Resources Regarding the ADA
April 18, 2006
Andrea Haenlin-Mott, Northeast ADA & IT Center, Cornell University
2-Part Series - The Built Environment
- Creating Accessible Play Areas - State of the Science
May 16, 2006
Jennifer Skulski, Director of Marketing & Special Projects, National Center on Accessibility, Indiana University - Permanent Rooms and Spaces: Accessible Signage
June 20, 2006
Mark Derry, Eastlake, Derry & Associates
ADA Update: 16 Years Later
July 18, 2006
John Wodatch, Chief-Disability Rights Section, U.S. Department of Justice and Sharon Rennert, Attorney Advisor, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Disability Statistics: What are the "Real" Numbers and How Do You Make Sense of Them?
August 15, 2006
Andrew Houtenville, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Demographics and Statistics, Cornell University
Accessible Travel Options: By Land, By Air and By Sea
September 19, 2006
Speaker TBA
