FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jacquie Brennan
DBTAC Southwest ADA Center
713.520.0232, jbrennan@bcm.edu
FIRST EVER ASL VIDEO PODCAST from the
DISABILITY LAW LOWDOWN
August 21, 2008 – The first ever video podcast series in American Sign Language announces new episodes on the Disability Law Lowdown website at ASL.DisabilityLawLowdown.com. The Disability Law Lowdown ASL podcasts bring a new level of service to the Deaf community by expanding traditional audio-only podcasts to include video that allows subscribers to see native Deaf speakers signing the show’s content. The podcasts deliver the latest in disability law information every other week via American Sign Language, captioning, voice-over, and transcripts to maximize accessibility. Free subscriptions to the ASL podcasts are available to have shows automatically delivered to MP3 players. The ASL podcasts are also available on the Disability Law Lowdown website, where transcripts of the shows are simultaneously available. And for the fastest viewing, the ASL podcasts are available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/disabilitylawlowdown.
Topics currently available include: Your Legal Rights as a College Student, Legal Obligations of the Hospitality Industry, Requesting an Interpreter, and an Overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The hosts for the ASL Disability Law Lowdown are native Deaf signers Danny Warthling and AJ Roupp. They will provide the latest information about disability rights and obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other disability-related topics. Subscription is free and RSS feeds are available to automatically download the shows to video iPods, computers, phones, and other video-capable devices.
Disability Law Lowdown is provided by the Disability Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC), a national network of ten ADA Centers across the country, offering technical assistance and training in the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability-related laws. DCRE Labs developed the Disability Law Lowdown website and brought together several new technologies as part of the Disability Law Lowdown project.
To subscribe, look for the ASL Disability Law Lowdown podcast on iTunes, or visit http://www.ASL.DisabilityLawLowdown.com .
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Secretary of State's Office Wants to Hear From You
The Secretary of State's office is doing extensive voter outreach as they prepare for the November 4th Presidential election. As you probably know, they use a paper-ballot voting machine and have a special telephone in each polling place that can be used to cast a ballot for people who are blind, sight-impaired or for some other reason would prefer not to fill out a paper ballot.
If there is anything they can do to help you feel more familiar and confortable with voting in November, please feel free to contact their office.
Lesley D. Mara
Deputy Secretary of the State
(860) 509-6268
If there is anything they can do to help you feel more familiar and confortable with voting in November, please feel free to contact their office.
Lesley D. Mara
Deputy Secretary of the State
(860) 509-6268
Monday, August 11, 2008
Presidential Candidates' Stands on Disability Policy Issues
The following is a letter from NCIL, the National Council on Independent Living, regarding the positions of our Presidential Candidates on Disability Policy Issues
Dear Fellow Advocates:
As many of you know, I announced at the NCIL annual conference that Senator McCain was changing his position on the Community Choice Act (CCA) and that he would be making a formal announcement of his support for the CCA at the Disabilities Issues Forum in Ohio. This information had been given to me by a staff person within the McCain campaign with direct responsibility for disability policy issues. Therefore, I felt confident in making this announcement to the NCIL membership during our time together at the conference.
However, as we all now know on July 26, the 18th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, at the Disabilities Issues Forum in Ohio, Senator McCain once again stated that he does not support the Community Choice Act.
The National Council on Independent Living supports two pieces of legislation in regards to people with disabilities receiving services in the community. They are the Community Choices Act and the Community Living Assistance, Services and Supports (CLASS) Act. There is a strong historical linkage between NCIL and the struggle for people with disabilities to live in their own homes and communities - not in institutions. We believe it is important for the NCIL Membership to know that Senator Obama is signed on as a co-sponsor of both of those pieces of legislation and Senator McCain is a co-sponsor of neither. For more information on where the candidates stand on our issues, visit the candidates’ campaign websites: http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues and http://www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities.
The Community Choice Act would give people with disabilities the right to live with dignity in homes of our choosing, rather than to be forced into nursing homes or other institutions. Senator McCain said that he opposes the Community Choice Act because of cost, placing the value of money over the value of people with disabilities’ dignity and choice. Also, evidence-based research by Dr. Mitch LaPlante from the University of California San Francisco, who is recognized as one of the foremost disability researchers in the country, proves that the Community Choices Act is affordable.
We must end the institutional bias now. We have to stop locking people away from home, friends, and family just because they have a disability. Ending this bias will make a better and richer society because history has shown that ending bias and segregation against people, any and all people, is good for us all.
We encourage you to continue and ramp up your advocacy efforts and to exercise your right to vote. In the words of Justin Dart – “Vote as if your life depends on it, because it does.”
Sincerely,
Kelly Buckland
President
Dear Fellow Advocates:
As many of you know, I announced at the NCIL annual conference that Senator McCain was changing his position on the Community Choice Act (CCA) and that he would be making a formal announcement of his support for the CCA at the Disabilities Issues Forum in Ohio. This information had been given to me by a staff person within the McCain campaign with direct responsibility for disability policy issues. Therefore, I felt confident in making this announcement to the NCIL membership during our time together at the conference.
However, as we all now know on July 26, the 18th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, at the Disabilities Issues Forum in Ohio, Senator McCain once again stated that he does not support the Community Choice Act.
The National Council on Independent Living supports two pieces of legislation in regards to people with disabilities receiving services in the community. They are the Community Choices Act and the Community Living Assistance, Services and Supports (CLASS) Act. There is a strong historical linkage between NCIL and the struggle for people with disabilities to live in their own homes and communities - not in institutions. We believe it is important for the NCIL Membership to know that Senator Obama is signed on as a co-sponsor of both of those pieces of legislation and Senator McCain is a co-sponsor of neither. For more information on where the candidates stand on our issues, visit the candidates’ campaign websites: http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues and http://www.barackobama.com/issues/disabilities.
The Community Choice Act would give people with disabilities the right to live with dignity in homes of our choosing, rather than to be forced into nursing homes or other institutions. Senator McCain said that he opposes the Community Choice Act because of cost, placing the value of money over the value of people with disabilities’ dignity and choice. Also, evidence-based research by Dr. Mitch LaPlante from the University of California San Francisco, who is recognized as one of the foremost disability researchers in the country, proves that the Community Choices Act is affordable.
We must end the institutional bias now. We have to stop locking people away from home, friends, and family just because they have a disability. Ending this bias will make a better and richer society because history has shown that ending bias and segregation against people, any and all people, is good for us all.
We encourage you to continue and ramp up your advocacy efforts and to exercise your right to vote. In the words of Justin Dart – “Vote as if your life depends on it, because it does.”
Sincerely,
Kelly Buckland
President
YOUR SUPPORT NEEDED to pass ADA Amendments Act of 2008
The ADA Amendments Act of 2008, referred to earlier this year as the ADA Restoration Act, awaits action in the U.S. Senate. It passed the House of Representatives (HR 3195) by a 402-17 margin in June.
When the Senate reconvenes in September, we need to have them pass the new and improved ADA so we can get it signed into law before Congress breaks again for the November election. Senators Dodd and Lieberman need to hear from their CT constituents that the ADA Amendments Act has your support.
To contact Senator Lieberman:
Tel: (202) 224-4041
Fax: (202) 224-9750
For TTY Call 711
or for his CT office:
(860) 549-8463
(800) 225-5605
(860) 549-8478 Fax
For TTY Call 711
To e-mail a message, go to:
http://lieberman.senate.gov/contact
To contact Senator Dodd:
Tel: (202) 224-2823
Fax: (202) 224-1083
for his CT office:
(860) 258-6940
(800) 334-5341
Fax: (860) 258-6958
To e-mail a message, go to:
http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3128
When the Senate reconvenes in September, we need to have them pass the new and improved ADA so we can get it signed into law before Congress breaks again for the November election. Senators Dodd and Lieberman need to hear from their CT constituents that the ADA Amendments Act has your support.
To contact Senator Lieberman:
Tel: (202) 224-4041
Fax: (202) 224-9750
For TTY Call 711
or for his CT office:
(860) 549-8463
(800) 225-5605
(860) 549-8478 Fax
For TTY Call 711
To e-mail a message, go to:
http://lieberman.senate.gov/contact
To contact Senator Dodd:
Tel: (202) 224-2823
Fax: (202) 224-1083
for his CT office:
(860) 258-6940
(800) 334-5341
Fax: (860) 258-6958
To e-mail a message, go to:
http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3128
ACT NOW TO SUPPORT DISABILITY RIGHTS
The regulations governing accessibility standards required by the ADA are being revised, and there are many items about which we need to be concerned.
The proposal includes many items that affect private businesses as well as the accessibility of state and municipal government activities.
We have until August 18 to submit comments to the U.S. Department of Justice.
To review the proposed regulations, go to the Department of Justice website:
www.ada.gov/NPRM2008/ADAnprm08.htm.
The Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund (DREDF), perhaps the most respected disability rights organization in the country, has prepared draft comments for your review.
To review DREDF's draft visit www.dredf.org/DOJ_NPRM.
The proposal includes many items that affect private businesses as well as the accessibility of state and municipal government activities.
We have until August 18 to submit comments to the U.S. Department of Justice.
To review the proposed regulations, go to the Department of Justice website:
www.ada.gov/NPRM2008/ADAnprm08.htm.
The Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund (DREDF), perhaps the most respected disability rights organization in the country, has prepared draft comments for your review.
To review DREDF's draft visit www.dredf.org/DOJ_NPRM.
Act now to support disability rights!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
