The U.S. Supreme Court hasn’t had the chance to decide the constitutionality of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act as two cases testing the 11th and 14th Amendments settled out of court in February before oral arguments were to be heard in April.
Dickson v. Florida Department of Corrections (98-829) came to settlement toward the end of February according to Assistant Florida Attorney General Louis F. Hubener. The case involved a Florida prison guard that claimed his failure to win a promotion was the result of discrimination based on his age and heart condition. The State of Florida, which appealed to the Supreme Court after losing lower court rulings, agreed to pay Dickson $142,000 according to the Washington Post reports some 60 odd days before the Supreme Court was to hear oral arguments.
Alsbrook v. Arkansas, et al (99-0423) is the second such Title II case to settle out of court before the Supreme Court was to hear the oral argument scheduled with the Dickson case in April.
At issue is the interplay between the 11th and 14th Amendments. The 11th Amendment prohibits citizens from suing their state in federal court. However the 14th Amendment gives Congress power to enact laws that prevail over the sovereign immunity provision in the 11th Amendment when states deny citizens equal protection under the law. The 14th Amendment is the basis of civil rights laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).
In reports to the Washington Post, Gary H. Blumenthal, Executive Director of the Florida Protection and Advocacy Program says, "It didn’t hurt that it was an election year. There are many people who questioned the appearance of Bob Butterworth [Gore campaign chairman and former House member] seeking to overturn Tony Coelho’s greatest legislative achievement. And there were a lot of people who questioned Jeb Bush seeking to overturn George Bush’s greatest presidential achievement."
Coelho is Chairman of the President’s Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities appointed by President Clinton in 1994. He is a former Congressman and Majority Whip in the House of Representatives. He worked on the passage of the ADA. Former President George Bush signed the ADA into law on July 26, 1990.
Legal analyst’s don’t think that Title II is out of the woods yet. It may just have been awarded a short election-year reprieve. The Supreme Court can agree to take a similar case on the Title II constitutionality issue at any time. Currently the Circuit Courts are split on the issue. Thus, there are many similar type cases waiting in the wings that could be taken up still this term or at the start of the new term in October.
Source: This article was gathered from wire stories and reports from the Disability News Service.
Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago and nine individual plaintiffs with disabilities filed suit against the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in February. The legal action seeks injunctive relief, declaratory relief and damages for the system’s failure to provide equal access to public buses and trains for people with disabilities under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.
"We are filing this lawsuit against the CTA to ensure that people with disabilities, including senior citizens, have equal access to public transportation in Chicago as mandated by the ADA," said Xena Naiditch, president and CEO of Equip for Equality, the nonprofit protection and advocacy organization serving Illinois.
Over the past two years, Equip for Equality and Access Living have received more than 350 complaints from people with disabilities who have been denied equal access to CTA. A system-wide review of CTA public documents confirmed the violation of federal law. Progress Center for Independent Living assisted with the investigation.
Among the specific examples cited in the lawsuit of CTA violations on its fixed route system that hinder passengers with disabilities on its buses are: the frequent malfunctioning or non-functioning of the mechanical lifts and doors for boarding and disembarking, inadequate training of CTA bus drivers in the operation of the mechanical lifts, the frequent failure of CTA bus drivers to pick up passengers with disabilities at bus stops, and the routine failure of CTA bus drivers to make next-stop announcements.
Examples of the CTA’s repeated failure to provide equal access to plaintiffs on its trains are: failure to implement a safe system for mobility-impaired riders to embark and disembark, inadequate training of CTA station agents in the use of the gap-filler that acts as a bridge between the train platform and the train car, elevators that are consistently broken or turned off, thereby stranding riders on the streets or platforms, and the unsanitary condition of CTA elevators.
"It is inexcusable and reprehensible that the disability community is still fighting to gain access to public transportation despite the fact that the ADA was passed nearly a decade ago," said Karen Tamley, Program Director for Access Living. "People with disabilities are not able to lead full and productive lives when buses and trains are inaccessible because of equipment and facility neglect or disregard by CTA personnel."
Source: Equip for Equality
On January 10, in its first ADA-related case of this term, the Supreme Court rejected the argument an insurance policy cap of $25,000 for AIDS-related illness versus that of a $1 million limit for other illnesses is discriminatory under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The case, Doe v. Mutual of Omaha, originated in the 7th Circuit where two HIV-positive individuals bought separate insurance policies from Mutual of Omaha. The first individual purchased a policy in 1992 that set a $25,000 lifetime coverage limit for AIDS-related illnesses and a $1 million maximum for other illnesses. The second individual purchased a policy in 1997 with a $100,000 limit for AIDS-related illnesses.
The district court had ruled that the AIDS caps violate Title III. However, the 7th Circuit disagreed both with the district court and with the U.S. Department of Justice’s amicus brief, concluding that Title III does not regulate the content of insurance policies or other goods or services offered by places of public accommodation.
The court of appeals also ruled that to read Title III as reaching the content of insurance policies would violate another Federal law restricting Federal interference in State regulation of insurance.
The Supreme Court turned down the appeal without further comment.
In February, the U.S. Department of Justice entered into one of the most comprehensive settlement agreements with a private university under the Americans with Disabilities Act to date. The out-of-court settlement resolves a complaint filed with DOJ alleging that a number of buildings and facilities on Duke’s campus were not accessible to people with mobility impairments.
"Making the overall college experience accessible is essential to providing equal access for college students with disabilities," said Bill Lann Lee, Acting Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights. "Duke University is setting an example that other schools should follow."
Under the agreement, Duke has agreed to:
• modify elevators, entrances, counters, food service lines, telephones and bathrooms throughout campus;
• create accessible circulation paths among university buildings and repair sidewalks;
• ensure classes in which students with disabilities are enrolled are located in accessible spaces;
• modify shuttle bus route schedules to ensure accessible buses run regularly;
• make dormitory rooms fully accessible upon enrollment until two percent of all rooms are accessible; and
• enlarge doorways in at least half of the rooms on floors with accessible rooms so students using wheelchairs can visit friends like non-disabled students.
The terms of the full agreement are available through DOJ.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
On November 16, 1999 the U.S. Access Board issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the ADA/ABA Accessibility Guidelines. The proposed rule updates the current accessibility guidelines for the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Architectural Barriers Act. The proposed rule culminates more than six years of work by the Access Board to streamline accessibility guidelines and format closer to existing model building codes.
The public is invited to submit written comment on the rule to the Access Board. The period of public comment will close May 15, however late comment will be accepted, as practical, for one month following. The Access Board staff will then complete analysis of public comment and make revisions where necessary. The Access Board is scheduled to vote on the final rule during its January 2001 board meeting.
Marsha Mazz, Technical Assistance Coordinator for the Access Board, provided an overview of the proposed changes to ADAAG during the ADA Distance Learning 2000 session in February. The transcript and outline of the session are available on the Great Lakes web site at www.adagreatlakes.org.
The full text of the proposed rule is available on the Access Board web site at www.access-board.gov. Limited quantities of the proposed rule hard copy are available through the Access Board.
The U.S. Access Board is also currently working on the development of several other rules under the ADA. The following list includes an update to rulemaking and anticipated timelines for future development.
Proposed guidelines for play areas were issued in April 1998. The Access Board has voted on the text for the final rule. The final rule is anticipated to be released before the end of this year.
Proposed guidelines for sports facilities, places of amusement, golf, boating and fishing facilities, and swimming pools were issued last July. The Access Board is expected to vote on the final rule during its September board meeting.
A Regulatory Negotiation Committee report on access to trails, campgrounds, picnic areas and beaches was submitted to the Board last September. The final report is currently being drafted as a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). It will be released as a proposed rule once a regulatory assessment is complete and it has been reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget. If all stays on track, the NPRM could be released within the next six months.
The advisory committee on access to passenger vessels is scheduled to make its recommendations for guidelines to the Access Board during its November board meeting.
An advisory committee was established last October to make recommendations for access to public rights-of-way. The committee is scheduled to make its final report to the Access Board during its January 2001 board meeting. In the interim, the Access Board has developed a new technical assistance resource "Accessible Rights-of-Way: A Design Guide." The 148-page document shows how existing ADA standards for pedestrian routes on sites can be adapted for application to sidewalks and street crossings. It provides best practices recommendations, along with the rationale behind them, for the design, construction, alteration, and retrofit of public pedestrian facilities. The Board believes that use of this guidance will lead to greater consistency in the design of accessible rights-of-way features. The guide is available through the Access Board at (800) 872-2253 (v) or (800) 993-2822 (TTY) or e-mail a request to pubs@access-board.gov.
The Federal Communications Commission, which enforces Title IV of the ADA and other telecommunications regulations has established a Disability Rights Office. The new office will be responsible for oversight of FCC implementation of disabilities-related requirements, the provision of technical assistance on disabilities-related rulemaking, and other related functions. The Disability Rights Office is a division of the FCC’s newly created Consumer Information Bureau which now oversees public inquiries and informal consumer complaints. At the same time the Consumer Information Bureau and Disability Rights Office were created last fall, the FCC also created an Enforcement Bureau to take formal complaints, investigate complaints, and enforce the Communications Act and other Commission regulations.
The FCC is currently undertaking rulemaking for several communications areas affecting people with disabilities. A new regulation for relay will require expansion for speech to speech services. Regulations for the hours of captioned television video programs will increase for broadcast television, satellite programs and cable programs. The FCC will also issue a Notice of Proposed Rule to require video description of programs on a limited basis.
The Disability Rights Office can answer questions on communications access for people with disabilities covering areas such as: relay services; captioning of broadcast video programming, video description and hearing aid compatible equipment. To contact the FCC’s Disability Rights Office: (888) CALL-FCC (voice), (888) TELL-FCC (tty), www.fcc.gov/dtf or e-mail at access@fcc.gov.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has expanded its outreach to air travelers with disabilities through its web site by posting information on air travelers rights and the form to file a complaint against a carrier.
DOT, which enforces the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986, reports that of complaints by travelers with disabilities, the most frequent complaint last year was the carrier’s inability to deliver the traveler’s wheelchair in a timely fashion following arrival. The second most frequent complaint was that of deplaning where airlines staff were inexperienced with assisting travelers with mobility impairments in transferring and disembarking. In addition, DOT reports a high frequency of complaints where travelers with mobility impairments were left unattended on the airplane for more than 30 minutes after the remaining passengers had disembarked and left the plane empty.
The question as to whether air travel has improved for people with disabilities since the passage of the Air Carrier Access Act remains. In a case last October, DOT assessed a civil penalty of $1,000 against America West where a passenger, accompanied by her guide dog, boarded a flight on which she had been assigned a seat in the first-class cabin. The passenger sitting next to her refused to sit next to a dog and would not let her take her seat. Flight attendants were unsuccessful in persuading the neighboring passenger to change his mind and since there was no alternative seating in the first-class cabin, the passenger and her dog were moved to coach.
Currently, legislation is being proposed that would extend the regulation to foreign airlines, allow for recovery of attorney fees and increase the cap on fines. For more information, visit the DOT web site at www.dot.gov/airconsumer
by Leye Jeannette Chrzanowski
Copyright ©2000 The Disability News Service, Inc.
On January 14, 2000, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent a letter to all state Medicaid directors which conveyed the federal agency’s "initial approach to Olmstead and outlines a framework for us to respond to the challenge." The letter stated HHS’s commitment to help states "craft comprehensive, fiscally responsible solutions that comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)." The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Olmstead v. L.C., 119 S.Ct. 2176 (1999) held that under the provisions of Title II of the ADA:
•states are required to provide services, programs and activities in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of qualified individuals with disabilities;
•unjustified isolation is disability-based discrimination;
•confinement in an institution severely diminishes the everyday life activities of individuals, including family relations, social contacts, work options, economic independence, educational advancement, and cultural enrichment; and
•states are required to provide community-based services for eligible people and those who want such services if state treatment professionals determine that such placement is appropriate and can be reasonably accommodated using available resources.
The Court, however, cautioned that nothing in the ADA condones termination of institutional settings for people who cannot handle or would not benefit from living in their communities, and that states do not have to provide unlimited community-based services. To comply with the Olmstead ruling, the HHS letter spelled out key principles that states should follow. States should:
•develop and implement comprehensive, effective working plans to provide services to eligible individuals with disabilities in more integrated, community-based settings;
•provide an opportunity for interested persons, including individuals with disabilities and their representatives, to be integral participants in plan development and follow-up;
•take steps to prevent or correct current and future unjustified institutionalization of individuals with disabilities;
•ensure the availability of community-integrated services;
•afford individuals with disabilities and their families the opportunity to make informed choices regarding how to best meet their needs; and
•take steps to ensure that quality assurance, quality improvement and sound management support implementation of plans.
The letter also noted that HHS’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR), which investigates all ADA Title II complaints, will apply these principles when conducting investigations and compliance reviews. HHS also will provide technical assistance during the implementation process. When developing plans, states should:
•consider conducting thorough, objective and periodic reviews of all people with disabilities, including those in state-run institutions, ICFs/MR, nursing facilities, psychiatric hospitals, and residential service facilities for children, and whether they should be placed in a more integrated setting;
•establish procedures to prevent or correct current and future unjustified institutionalization;
•provide "a reliable sense" of how many individuals with disabilities are currently institutionalized, how many are eligible for community-based services, and whether existing data collection systems need improvement to adequately identify people who should be placed in more integrated settings;
•evaluate how well existing assessment procedures identify individuals in the community who are at risk for placement in an unnecessarily restrictive setting, and how to quickly and effectively respond with preventive measures;
•identify and organize Medicaid and other funding sources to increase the availability of community-based services and improve coordination of existing programs to serve different populations, including older people with disabilities, people with physical, psychiatric, or developmental disabilities, and people with HIV-AIDS in the most integrated and appropriate setting;
•evaluate waiting lists to ensure that people are removed at a reasonable pace; and
•identify, assess and improve existing community-based services to meet the needs of people who may or may not require the assistance of family members or informal caregivers to live in the community.
During a January 18 conference call with HHS, advocates learned that HHS has not established a deadline for nationwide implementation of comprehensive, effective working plans. Further complicating the process, the ten regional HCFA offices lack consistency because each represents several states with separate and different requirements. To improve coordination, the national OCR office has assembled a technical assistance team to work with regional offices. HCFA regional offices, however, remain the primary contacts for any changes to state plans and waivers. During the teleconference, advocates were assured that a state cannot deny community-based services simply because it has not implemented a working plan. In the interim, what are the options for institutionalized people who want community services or people who are in imminent danger of institutionalization?
"I would recommend that you would bring them to our attention now," responded Thomas Perez, the director of OCR. "We have the capacity to address those issues now without forfeiting our capacity and ability to address the more systemic issues that underlie the complaint." Perez also reported that his office is working with HCFA to access data that will give them "some preliminary sense of at least the context of who is there, and what is the potential of people to move into a more integrated setting."
If a state denies community-based services to people with disabilities in violation of Title II of the ADA, as soon as possible, those individuals or their representatives should file a complaint which includes the following information: the name, address, and telephone number of the complainant; the name, address, and telephone number of the person (either the complainant or his or her representative) filing the complaint; the name, address and telephone of the person or entity that allegedly discriminated; the date of the alleged discrimination; the legal basis for the complaint, for example, Title II of the ADA; and a description of the alleged complaint.
Perez recommends filing a complaint with the appropriate HHS OCR regional office, and sending a copy of the complaint to him at OCR headquarters in Washington, D.C. In instances when a quick response is required, OCR can be reached at (800) 368-1019 (voice); (800) 537-7697 (TTY).
HHS OCR Headquarters
Thomas E. Perez, Director OCR
U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Room 509F HHH Building
Washington, D.C. 20201
(202) 619-0403 (voice number to Perez)
(800) 368-1019 (voice), (800) 537-7697 (TTY)
HHS letter to state Medicaid directors: www.hhs.gov/ocr/olms0114.htm
HHS sample Olmstead letter to governors: www.hhs.gov/ocr/olmstgov00.htm
OCR Regional Office
Region V - Chicago (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin)
Al Sanchez, Acting Regional Manager
U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services
Office for Civil Rights
233 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 240
Chicago, Ill. 60601
(312) 886-2359 (voice)
(312) 886-1807 (fax)
(312) 353-5693 (TTY)
HCFA Regional Office
Region V - Chicago
DHHS/HCFA/DSC
233 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 600
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 353-9635 (voice)
(312) 353-3419 or (312) 353-0252 (fax)
This article was developed under a subcontract with the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois for the Great Lakes ADA Center, and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, NIDRR #133D60011.
In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Great Lakes ADA Center has subcontracted with Disability News Service, Inc. for the development of articles regarding the ADA and related issues.
The articles produced by Disability News Service are intended to be utilized by individuals and entities associated with the Great Lakes ADA Center. Using the articles in agency newsletters and community publications can be a great way to generate awareness of ADA issues as advocates throughout the United States celebrate the 10th anniversary of the monumental civil rights legislation.
Articles will be made available on a monthly basis. There is no charge for the use of this information by authorized individuals and entities. Individuals and entities are encouraged to use this information for publication to promote awareness and an understanding of the ADA and associated issues. Conditions for the reproduction of articles include providing appropriate credit to the authorship and sponsorship of the information. The monthly articles are posted for downloading on the Great Lakes web site at www.adagreatlakes.org. The following article is available for reproduction through the Great Lakes ADA News Service:
by Leye Jeannette Chrzanowski
Copyright ©2000 The Disability News Service, Inc.
In early November, 1999, a jury found that Chuck E. Cheese, a subsidiary of CEC Entertainment, Inc. of Irving, Texas, violated Title I, employment provisions of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and awarded Donald Perkl, a resident of Madison, Wisconsin, $10,000 in back pay, $70,000 compensatory and $13 million in punitive damages. The verdict represents the largest monetary award by a jury in an ADA case brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). According to a spokesperson for Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy, the protection and advocacy (P &A) organization that joined EEOC in the trial, Perkl will receive attorney’s fees, but the amount of compensatory and punitive damages will be capped at around $300,000 because of statutory limitations.
Perkl, who has mental retardation and cognitive disabilities, compensated for speech difficulties by using picture cards and a hand-held computer device. Coupled with the assistance of a job coach, Perkl, who is in his early fifties, was employed as a janitor by a Madison Chuck E. Cheese. Although the restaurant’s manager was pleased with his performance, Perkl was fired by a regional manager, who stated Chuck E. Cheese did not hire "those kind of people." When Perkl’s manager and coworkers asked the company’s president and CEO to intervene and reverse the regional manager’s decision, they were met with silence. Adding insult to injury, Chuck E. Cheese attorneys argued Perkl’s cognitive limitation left it "highly unlikely" that he experienced any significant distress as a result of his termination.
With its decision and landmark monetary award, the jury clearly recognized that Perkl did feel the pain of discrimination, even if his disabilities placed limitations on his ability to express those feelings in a traditional manner, and that hiring and firing decisions should be based on ability not myths, fears or stereotypes.
To read the complete article, visit the Great Lakes web site. This work was performed under a subcontract with the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois for the Great Lakes Center and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, NIDRR #133D60011.
The Great Lakes ADA Distance Learning 2000 series kicked off in October bringing professionals, advocates and consumers new opportunities to tap into the current trends and hot issues surrounding the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA Distance Learning 2000 program utilizes a combination of teleconferencing and web-based technologies to deliver cost-effective continuing education on the ADA. The program is designed to offer advanced information on the ADA as building blocks to an individual’s existing foundation of ADA knowledge.
Complex material is very well summarized in a short period of time, truly one
of the strengths of the program.
-Barry Taylor, Equip for Equality
Well done!! We pull together all of our HR people for each employment-related
session. The sessions are excellent for continued professional development, an
incredible value for the minimal cost, and worth the time to participate.
-Dan Chizever, Lane Bryant/The Limited, Inc.
We appreciate the ability to network via teleconference at multiple sites and
thereby minimize staff travel.
-Joycelyn Dyson, Illinois Dept of Human Services
The subject-specific sessions are one-hour in length with interactive opportunity for questions and answers. David Fram, Director of EEO & ADA Services of the National Employment Law Institute jump started the fall series with a dynamic presentation on the "Definition of Disability" in light of recent Supreme Court decisions. Most recently, Marsha Mazz, Technical Assistance Coordinator for the U.S. Access Board, highlighted the major changes in the ADA Accessibility Guidelines under the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Mazz’s presentation also featured a web-based outline for participants to follow along during the session.
In addition to the telephone conference call presentation, each session is real-time captioned on the Great Lakes web site. Individuals or organizations can register as a site for one session or multiple sessions. At the point of registration, the organization designates a "site coordinator." Registration entitles the site access to the telephone conference call, instructions for logging into the ADA Forum to participate in the real-time captioning, a master copy of the session’s supplemental materials, suggestions for facilitated discussion following the conference call, and access to the session transcript posted to the Great Lakes web site. The Great Lakes staff also provide on-going technical support for site coordinators including suggestions for administration of the call and facilitated discussion following the on-line presentation.
Many site coordinators are developing creative programs surrounding the distance learning sessions. Sandy Popp at Options CIL in Green Bay scheduled the session as part of a staff meeting and used the center’s LCD projector to display Mazz’s Powerpoint presentation during the session. Diane Meredith at the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, Safety and Buildings scheduled the Proposed Changes to ADAAG session as a breakout session during the state’s conference for building code officials. The Indiana ADA Steering Committee host four sites throughout the state. In Indianapolis Ric Edwards, ADA Coordinator for the State of Indiana facilitates discussion following the program with dialogue as how the program topic is applied throughout various state agencies and action steps towards modification of policy and procedures where necessary.
For a complete schedule of upcoming sessions and registration information, visit www.adagreatlakes.org or call the Great Lakes Center at (800) 949-4232 (v/tty).
Illinois
ADA for Illinois will initiate a mini-grant program this spring to promote
awareness of the ADA throughout the state. In addition, committee members are
hosting sites throughout the state as part of the ADA Distance Learning series
so constituents from the area can participate through a host site. Information
on the mini-grant program and distance learning sites are posted to the
committee’s web site at www.ada-il.org. For more information contact the Great
Lakes DBTAC at (800) 949-4232 (V/TTY).
Indiana
ADA Indiana has initiated a Polling Place Accessibility Project by creating
and distributing a form by which voters with disabilities can quickly and easily
evaluate the accessibility of their local polling place. The forms will be
distributed to disability and social service organizations, mayors, and county
clerks across Indiana in time for Indiana’s May 2 Primary. The data will then
be compiled and reported to election officials. For more information on this
project or ADA Indiana activities for the ADA 10th Anniversary Celebration
contact John Barth at (812) 856-5548 (v) or (812) 855-9396 (tty), jombarth@indiana.edu
or visit www.iidc.indiana.edu/~cpps/ada_act.html
Michigan
The Michigan ADA Steering Committee has formed a coalition of over 40
organizations and individuals interested in celebrating the 10th anniversary of
the ADA. The celebration will take place July 19-26. Additionally, Rose Ann
Ward, Department of Transportation, was elected as the new co-chairperson to
serve with David Esau. The steering committee is also unveiling a new web site:
www.ADAMICH.org. The site contains useful information on scheduled trainings,
resources, and committee information. Please take a look at the site and let the
committee know what you think. For more info contact Tom Masseau at (517)
374-4627 or tmassea@mpas.org.
Minnesota
ADA MN sponsored an advanced ADA training workshop in February. Robin Jones
was the presenter and focussed on case studies on current "hot
topics". ADA MN was part of the planning process for the 12th Annual
Multi-Cultural Forum held on February 23. Workshops on mental health and
accommodations were part of the day’s offerings. In January ADA MN requested
proposal for its mini-grant program. Recipients will be announced in the spring.
For more information call ADA MN at (651) 603-2015 (V) or (651) 603-2001 (TTY).
Ohio
Ohio will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the ADA in Columbus on July 26
with a luncheon with a nationally recognized speaker at the Adam’s Mark Hotel.
The celebration will be hosted by the Columbus Mayor’s Advisory Committee on
Disability Issues, ADA-OHIO, Governor’s Council on People with Disabilities,
the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission, and several other Ohio non-profit
organizations and private corporations. The event will also link via satellite
to the NCIL convention and its activities on Capitol Hill at that time. For more
information, contact ADA Ohio at (614) 292-3160. www.ada-ohio.gov.
Wisconsin
The ADA Wisconsin Partnership is proceeding with plans to celebrate the 10th
anniversary of the ADA. More than 60 Chambers of Commerce throughout the state
have committed to hosting local celebrations. The ADA Wisconsin Partnership will
also coordinate activities to bring the ADA Torch Relay to Madison on July 7.
The anniversary celebration is one of three goals in the Partnership’s
streamlined work plan for 2000. "We also will be working to strengthen our
relationship to the business community," says Co-Chairperson Gerry Born.
www.dhfs.state.wi.us/adatext/index.htm.
Upcoming Events
National ADA Conference
April 25-28, Washington, DC
Sponsored by the National Association of ADA Coordinator. The conference will
focus on three tracks: employment, college/university and program/physical
accessibility issues. Information can be found at www.ci.long-beach.ca.us/human/naadac.htm
ADA Symposium 2000
May 9-11, Kansas City
Featuring a keynote address by John Hockenberry, NBC correspondent, and hosted
by the Region VII Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center. Sessions
will feature presentations from EEOC, the Department of Justice, the U.S. Access
Board, HUD, the Department of Education and a diverse range of nationally
reknowned professionals with ADA expertise. For complete registration
information visit www.adaproject.org or call (573) 882-3600 (v/tty).
Designing for the 21st Century:
International Conference on Universal Design
June 14-18, Providence, Rhode Island
Coordinated by Adaptive Environments. (617) 695-1225 or www.adapten.org/21century
Region V Spring Meeting
June 26-27, Chicago
This is the bi-annual meeting of the Great Lakes ADA Center. The meeting will
feature presentation from each of the Region V state steering committees on
current ADA activities in their respective states. The meeting is open, however
reservations must be made in advance with the Great Lakes Center (800) 949-4232
(voice/tty).
Interaction by Design:
Bringing People & Plants Together for Health & Well-Being Symposium
July 19-23, Chicago
Sponsored by the Chicago Botanic Garden. This symposium will address the issues
of communication, universal design, and therapeutic applications as they relate
to the design and therapeutic use of outdoor spaces. (847) 835-8261 or
www.chicago-botanic.org.
Facing the Challenges of the ADA: The First
10 Years and Beyond
April 7, 2000, Ohio State University College of Law
The symposium is co-sponsored by the College of Law, the Ohio State
Law Journal and ADA-Ohio. The discussion will consider the ADA from a
number of perspectives; ranging from legislative to judicial, employment
to education, and theory to practice. EEOC Commissioner Paul Miller will
present a keynote address on the role of Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Whether a symposium attendee is an academic, a student, an attorney, a
disability rights advocate, or an ADR specialist this event will offer a
stimulating intellectual and professional experience. www.osu.edu/units/law/LawJournal/symposium.html
The Great Lakes ADA Center will list 10th Anniversary events within Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin in the next issue of Region V News, as space allows. Submit: name of event, date, location brief description and contact information by April 30 to Region V Editor (see mailing address) or e-mail to jbowerma@uic.edu.