National Council on Independent Living
Weekly Advocacy Monitor
Volume 8, Issue 33; November 1, 2010
1) What's Happening in the Nation's Capital?
-White House Urges More Hiring of People with Disabilities; Initiative Attempts to Strengthen Clinton-Era Order
2) National News
-Unfriendly Skies? Blind Passengers Sue United
-More Young People with Intellectual Disabilities Go to College
3) State News
-Connecticut Governor's Race Spotlights Disabilities
-Want to Speak Up About Movie Theater Captions? Hearings to be Held in Chicago, San Francisco, and D.C.
-Mississippi Hotline for Voting Rights
4) Announcements and Additional Resources
-Survey on Public Transit
-FCC to Hold Open Developer Day on November 8, 2010
-Creating Art to Say No to Violence
1) What's Happening in the Nation's Capital?
White House Urges More Hiring of People with Disabilities; Initiative Attempts to Strengthen Clinton-Era Order
Source: federaltimes.com
With agencies facing a renewed White House push to hire nearly twice as many employees with disabilities, the Office of Personnel Management is ramping up a campaign to show them how to do that. A training event last week drew about 285 hiring managers and human resources professionals to OPM's auditorium; the agency hopes to host similar events elsewhere in the county where there are large numbers of federal employees, Deputy Director Christine Griffin said. "This was really the kickoff," she said. "This is going to be evaluated: what worked; what didn't."
A July executive order issued by President Obama sets a target of adding 100,000 people with disabilities to the federal work force over five years. About 105,000 disabled people are in the work force now.
The order requires OPM — in conjunction with the Labor Department, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Office of Management and Budget — to come up with model recruitment and hiring strategies. Under the executive order, those plans were supposed to be completed last month, but were held up in the clearance process at OPM and other agencies, Griffin said. They could be out as early as this week.
With the guidance in hand, agencies will have 120 days to come up with their own plans and numerical goals for hiring more disabled people. Each agency will also have to name a senior-level official responsible for meeting those goals. Read More ( http://www.federaltimes.com/article/20101027/PERSONNEL02/10270301/1049/PERSONNEL ).
2) National News
Unfriendly Skies? Blind Passengers Sue United
Source: NPR / WQED
This week, a group of blind air travelers filed suit against United Airlines claiming that the airline's digital kiosks are inaccessible to blind people. It's not a problem that most travelers think about: How would they get through an airport without their eyesight? But something as simple as finding out your flight's gate can be a hassle.
Mike May, who lives in Davis, Calif., says he has to ask someone to look for flight information on the big digital boards. And checking in using the now-ubiquitous electronic kiosks is an even bigger hassle, at least at many airlines. "There's no earphone jack, no audio output, no Braille output," says May, who is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. So he often has to find a stranger with time to help, then hand over his credit card and other private information. "It's demeaning to have to ask, it's inconvenient, and it has an element of not being safe to have to depend on another person for that," he says.
Websites Inaccessible, Too: In fact, the problems start even before they get to the airport, says Jonathan Lazar, who teaches computer science at Towson University in Maryland. Recently, Lazar took a close look at the websites of 10 leading airlines. He found that four of them, including United, are inaccessible to blind people; the sites are incompatible with the screen readers that blind people use to surf the Web.
Those airlines effectively force blind people to buy tickets by phone, "and more than one-third of the time, they ended up overcharging blind people. Either charging higher fares, or refusing to waive the call center fee, or both," Lazar says. Read More ( http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130921227 ).
More Young People with Intellectual Disabilities Go to College
Source: Fox News
In years past, college life was largely off-limits for students with such disabilities, but that's no longer the case. Students with Down syndrome, autism and other conditions that can result in intellectual disabilities are leaving high school more academically prepared than ever and ready for the next step: college.
Eight years ago, disability advocates were able to find only four programs on university campuses that allowed students with intellectual disabilities to experience college life with extra help from mentors and tutors.
As of last year, there were more than 250 spread across more than three dozen states and two Canadian provinces, said Debra Hart, head of Think College at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston, which provides services to people with disabilities.
That growth is partly because of an increasing demand for higher education for these students and there are new federal funds for such programs.
The federal rules that took effect this fall allow students with intellectual disabilities to receive grants and work-study money. Because details on the rules are still being worked out, the earliest students could have the money is next year. Hart and others expect the funds to prompt the creation of even more programs.
"There is a whole generation of young people who have grown up under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and to them it (college) is the logical next step," Hart said. Read More ( http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/10/18/intellectually-disabled-youths-college/ ).
3) State News
Connecticut Governor's Race Spotlights Disabilities
Source: Norwich Bulletin, By Sharma Howard
A statue that depicts one of America's most charismatic presidents, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was sculpted to show him in a way he wanted to be seen — able-bodied. But the man who led the United States out of the Great Depression and through World War II was [had post polio syndrome]. In today's world, a politician with a disability can be perceived positively by constituents, disability advocate Elanah Sherman, of Norwich, said.
This dynamic is unfolding in Connecticut, where Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy, who has dyslexia, and Republican candidate Tom Foley, who has Bell's palsy, are in a tight race. "Now, it's more an emblem of pride than an emblem of stigma," Sherman said.
Some might say this points to dramatic change, but, rather, it is a softening of a harsh landscape for the disabled that has come with time and hard work.
"We are fighting societal attitudes with teaspoons — you're still a person first, and then you have a disability," said Catherine Ferry, executive director of the Norwich-based Disabilities Network of Eastern Connecticut. "The nature of stigma is still there. People don't say things directly, but they will think in stereotypes."
Advocates such as Ferry are hoping Tuesday's election will continue to help de-stigmatize [people with disabilities]. If either Foley or Malloy is elected, it will be the first time Connecticut will have a governor who has acknowledged a disability or condition that sets them apart. Independent Thomas E. Marsh also is on the gubernatorial ballot.
Malloy, the former mayor of Stamford, graduated with a law degree from Boston College. When he was a child, his parents were told not to expect much from him, he said, and even labeled him mentally retarded. Today, Malloy often talks to parents and children about his disability.
His presence as governor could challenge perception. So could the election of Foley, a successful businessman who describes his Bell's palsy, a drooping or paralysis on one side of the face, as an "affliction." Read More ( http://www.norwichbulletin.com/carousel/x1650567861/Governor-s-race-spotlights-disabilities ).
Want to Speak Up About Movie Theater Captions? Hearings to be Held in Chicago, San Francisco, and D.C.
Source: Deafness Blog ( http://deafness.about.com/b/2010/10/28/want-to-speak-up-about-movie-theater-captions.htm ), By Jamie Berke, Deafness Guide
Now you can! If you live in or near Chicago, San Francisco, or Washington, DC you can speak up about movie theater captioning (and other topics including web site accessibility) at three hearings on Department of Justice Advance Notices of Proposed Rulemakings (ANPRs). These ANPRs address nondiscrimination in both state and local government services, and public accommodations and commercial facilities.
You do have to register in advance. If you are one of those who prefers open captions to the closed rear window captions in theaters, now is your chance. Speakers get only five minutes to talk, but the DOJ is also welcoming written testimony. Full details are on the DOJ website ( http://www.ada.gov/anprm2010/public_hearing_anprm_2010.htm ). Hat tip to the [National Association for the Deaf].
Mississippi Hotline for Voting Rights
Source: wapt.com
Disability Rights Mississippi, a private, non-profit, legal protection and advocacy agency for the state of Mississippi will have advocates and attorneys manning a hotline during Tuesday's general election.
The purpose of the hotline is to provide information to individuals with disabilities who have concerns regarding their right to access to the ballot. It will also provide assistance and guidance to poll-workers should they have a question or concern about the voting process. The hotline, which is 1-800-772-4057 will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday. For more information, go to www.drms.ms.
4) Announcements and Additional Resources
Survey on Public Transit
The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Accessible Public Transportation, a partnership between the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and the IDeA Center at SUNY Buffalo, is currently recruiting individuals of all ages (18 and older) and abilities to participate in an online survey that investigates user requirements for public transit buses. The survey includes questions on individuals' experiences getting on and off public buses, circulating inside of buses, understanding the communication and information systems of public buses, as well as issues concerning rider safety. The information collected from this study should help identify the aspects of using public buses that merit further detailed experimental research in controlled settings.
Access the brief survey at: http://www.udeworld.com/surveys/transitbusstudy.html.
FCC to Hold Open Developer Day on November 8, 2010
Source: FCC
On Monday, November 8, 2010, the Federal Communications Commission will sponsor an "Open Developer Day" event at FCC Headquarters in Washington, DC, (445 12th St., SW) to promote collaboration between web developers in the public and private sectors in furtherance of FCC goals to foster citizen participation in open government and further innovation in accessible technologies.
This will be a public, single-day event that prioritizes accessibility goals, though other web solutions are also of interest. The event will feature guest engineers from the Yahoo! Developer Network and Yahoo!'s Accessibility team and will have a component addressing the requirements and opportunities in the new "Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act."
FCC's Chief Data Officer Greg Elin described Open Developer Day as a digital barnraising where software developers learn new tools and volunteer their skills to prototype and build new web applications together. "Developer days have become a tradition in the web community for programmers to share knowledge, learn tools, and build things. We are excited to bring this tradition to the FCC," Elin said. Read More ( http://www.fcc.gov/cib/dro/headlines.html ).
Creating Art to Say No to Violence
Over the last six weeks, 14 different youth have committed suicide because they were bullied for being gay. The National Youth Leadership Network, an organization led by young people with disabilities, recently put out a statement on ending violence for all youth ( http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=55qnz6cab&v=001g7xYn3eIW2Nu6yYesfNvtOVQR8o1aysQxsmoFXbUNQF5VKerL1gP7-BmkeC0ey9L17mFXw6O9ncbTf87Y_M_gZgsXv19V9cvT4W3EF78jKfr3bPVp8GaGZ3_3Mxz6MmMiKpVuMBqH8GkhnZpmledIwf5NgalUm7qGBUGV4o7YvZZzqTyvBwMrw%3D%3D ) -- youth with disabilities, immigrant youth, GLBTQ youth, and the multitudes of people who are bullied. After we put out this statement, Becky Atkinson, a youth advocate from NC, asked if she could send the 14 families cards expressing her condolences. We did not have their addresses, but want to follow in Becky's steps and make cards.
We will being collecting cards and other sentiments (poems, letters, drawings, videos, statements, music mixes, readings etc) from the disability community. This is a time the disability community can come together to cry out against violence. After everything is compiled and made public, we will contact local media in the towns of these young people and talk about the ways people experience violence when they are pushed outside of the box of what is considered normal. We want people to know why it is important to create safe spaces for everyone, including youth with disabilities and GLBTQ youth.
The deadline for submissions is NOV 12, 2010 but please email me this week at stacey@nyln.org if you can join us in this. We appreciate it if you can forward this to others who may be interested in participating in the card-making and/or the media interviews. All classrooms, organizations, groups, and individuals who participate will be credited. We are asking that cards go deeper than the "it gets better if you wait it out" message, and talks about personal experiences, resiliency, community, power, and ending violence.
Contact the Editor: Eleanor@ncil.org. To advertise in the Weekly Advocacy Monitor, contact the Editor.
From: NCIL <ncil@ncil.org>
Subject: Weekly Advocacy Monitor: Volume 8, Issue 33; November 1, 2010
To: "NCIL" <ncil@ncil.org>
Date: Monday, November 1, 2010, 5:07 PM
National Council on Independent Living
Volume 8, Issue 33 November 1, 2010
In This Issue:
1) What's Happening in the Nation's Capital?
White House Urges More Hiring of People with Disabilities; Initiative Attempts to Strengthen Clinton-Era Order
2) National News
Unfriendly Skies? Blind Passengers Sue United
More Young People with Intellectual Disabilities Go to College
3) State News
Connecticut Governor's Race Spotlights Disabilities
Want to Speak Up About Movie Theater Captions? Hearings to be Held in Chicago , San Francisco , and D.C.
Mississippi Hotline for Voting Rights
4) Announcements and Additional Resources
Survey on Public Transit
FCC to Hold Open Developer Day on November 8, 2010
Creating Art to Say No to Violence
If the link above is not active, please visit http://www.ncil.org/resources/whamv8i33.html to access this week's WhAM! The text-only version is attached to this email.
Contact the Editor: Eleanor@ncil.org
To advertise in the Weekly Advocacy Monitor, contact the Editor.
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