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July
DisabilityInfo Connection
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In This Issue
July 2008
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Welcome to DisabilityInfo Connection, the newsletter of DisabilityInfo.gov. Managed by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, DisabilityInfo.gov provides people with disabilities a direct connection to the information and resources they need to fully participate in the workforce and in their communities. This newsletter will keep you informed about new developments relating to disability programs, policies and services across the federal government. It also offers timely information about the important initiatives of the 22 federal agencies that are partners to this Web site. ��� Neil Romano, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy |
News & Events |
Celebrating the ADA's 18th AnniversaryOn July 26, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which grants civil rights protections to people with disabilities. Communities across the nation will be holding celebrations to commemorate the 18th anniversary of this landmark legislation that guarantees equal access for individuals with disabilities to services and opportunities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services and telecommunications. You can watch a captioned video of the 1990 signing ceremony on the ada.gov Web site. In celebration of the ADA, the U.S. Census Bureau recently published a Facts for Features special release that includes many disability-related statistics. For more information about the ADA and other laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities, visit the Civil Rights section of DisabilityInfo.gov. DOJ Proposes Changes to Regulations Implementing the ADAThe Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking the public's input on proposed amendments to its regulations implementing Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The proposed regulations will, for the first time, establish specific requirements for the design of accessible public facilities such as courtrooms and an array of recreational facilities such as playgrounds, swimming pools, amusement parks and golf courses. Comments must be received by August 18, 2008. A public hearing on the proposed revisions to the regulations was held on July 15th. ODEP Launches Business $enseIn June the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) launched a new e-bulletin for corporate America���Business $ense. The monthly publication educates about the value people with disabilities add to businesses, and debuted shortly after ODEP's Disability Employment Policy Summit. The Summit convened hundreds of leaders from business, government and non-profit organizations to discuss how today's global marketplace has the power to open doors to employment for people with disabilities. Learn more about this frequently untapped labor pool in the publication Diverse Perspectives: People with Disabilities Fulfilling Your Business Goals. More information for employers interested in hiring people with disabilities can be found on DisabilityInfo.gov. DTV is Coming Sooner Than You May ThinkBeginning February 17, 2009 federal law will require that all full-power television broadcast stations stop broadcasting in analog format and broadcast only in digital format. Some consumers have expressed concern about how the digital-to-analog converter boxes will work and whether they will continue to receive closed captions. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules require digital-to-analog converter boxes to either pass through available analog captions or generate their own digital captions if the programming is captioned. Read more about the Digital TV Transition. |
Federal Agency in Focus |
National Council on Disability (NCD)NCD, one of DisabilityInfo.gov's twenty-two federal agency partners, is an independent federal agency composed of members appointed by the President of the United States. For 30 years NCD has provided advice to the President, Congress and executive branch agencies to promote policies, programs, practices and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, to enable them to achieve economic self-sufficiency and live independently. NCD holds quarterly meetings that are open to the public and free of charge. People with disabilities are always encouraged to attend and participate in the daily public comment segments of these meetings. |
Hot Topics in Benefits |
VONAPPVONAPP stands for Veterans ON-line APPlication. Through this Web site the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) now accepts online applications from veterans, survivors and other claimants filing initial applications for disability compensation, pension, education, and vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits. Over 3.7 million veterans and beneficiaries receive compensation and pension benefits from the VA and 523,000 students receive education benefits. Approximately 90,000 veterans with disabilities participate in the VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program. Additional resources for veterans and service members are available on DisabilityInfo.gov. SSA's New Ticket to Work Program RegulationsThe Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced improvements to the Ticket to Work Program. The changes became effective on July 21, 2008. Download Questions and Answers about the New Ticket to Work Regulations in .pdf format. Under this program SSA issues a "ticket" to eligible beneficiaries who, in turn, may choose to assign the ticket to an Employment Network (EN) of their choice to obtain employment or vocational rehabilitation services in order to achieve a work or vocational goal. More information on the Ticket to Work Program and other work incentives can be found on DisabilityInfo.gov. Now You Can Subscribe to Receive Updates on More Than 1,000 Benefit & Assistance ProgramsGovBenefits.gov offers information on a variety of benefit and assistance programs for veterans, seniors, students, caregivers, children, people with disabilities, disaster victims, job seekers and more. Recently, GovBenefits began offering a subscription service so you can easily sign up to receive updates on multiple areas of interest, including "Disaster Housing Assistance," "Educational Programs" and news sections, which include the GovBenefits.gov quarterly e-newsletter. |
Featured Tools & Resources |
Stop StigmaThe Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services is working to eliminate the stigmas and discrimination frequently faced by people living with mental illness. Visit SAMHSA's Resource Center to Promote Acceptance, Dignity and Social Inclusion Associated with Mental Health (ADS Center) to learn how you can get involved in an event or plan your own event, activity or program to help eliminate stigmas and misconceptions about mental illness. Visit DisabilityInfo.gov for more mental health resources. Encouraging Future Innovation - Youth Entrepreneurship EducationEntrepreneurs drive America's economy, accounting for the majority of our nation's new job creation and innovations. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2002 Survey of Business Owners, self-employed individuals who have no paid employees operate three-fourths of U.S. businesses. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) reports that America's 25.8 million small businesses employ more than 50 percent of the private workforce and are the principal source of new jobs in the U.S. economy. Entrepreneurship education can open many new doors for young people with disabilities and provides an opportunity to learn organizational, time management, leadership and interpersonal skills, all of which are transferable skills highly prized by employers. For additional information on self-employment and small business ownership among people with disabilities visit the Self-Employment & Entrepreneurship section of DisabilityInfo.gov. Also check out the SBA's Frequently Asked Questions: Starting Your Business. Reaching Out to Customers with DisabilitiesAs a business owner or operator, or someone thinking about opening a business, you may have wondered what you have to do to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Department of Justice's (DOJ) Reaching Out to Customers with Disabilities course explains how the ADA applies to businesses in ten short lessons. Putting these lessons into practice will allow you to comply with the ADA and welcome a whole new group of customers to purchase your goods and services. A free CD-ROM that contains a complete collection of DOJ's ADA materials is now available. Designed for easy use on laptop computers in the field, or other computers that lack high speed Internet access, the CD-ROM will make searching documents and identifying appropriate ADA information easier and more efficient. This CD is available to order online. Kids' QuestKids' Quest on Disability and Health was developed to get kids to think about people with disabilities and some of the issues related to daily activities, health and accessibility. The exercises on this Web site, with the help of parents and teachers, will help students share ideas and learn that a person with a disability should not be defined, and is not limited, by his or her disability. |
In Your Community |
Including Individuals with Disabilities in National Service ProgramsEach state has a governor-appointed state commission on national and community service. These commissions coordinate service programs in the state, providing support to national service programs. Many states also have disability coordinators who are responsible for ensuring that individuals with disabilities have the opportunity to actively participate in national service programs. To learn more about volunteering or participating in a national service program such as AmeriCorps, Senior Corps or Learn and Serve America contact the National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) at 1-888-491-0326 (V/TTY). NISP will hold its National Conference on Disability Inclusion & National Service: Acting Today to Shape the Future from October 16-18, 2008. A reduced "early-bird" registration fee is available until July 31, 2008. For more resources visit Volunteering & Community Service on DisabilityInfo.gov. Brain Injury Association of AmericaFounded in 1980, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) represents individuals, families and professionals who are touched by a life-altering, often devastating, traumatic brain injury (TBI). With its network of more than 40 chartered state affiliates, as well as hundreds of local chapters and support groups across the country, the BIAA provides information, education and support to assist the 5.3 million Americans currently living with TBI and their families. For information relating to active duty military, their dependents and veterans with TBI, visit the Web site of the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC). Special OlympicsSpecial Olympics, which celebrated its 40th anniversary on July 20, 2008, offers 30 Olympic-type individual and team sports that provide meaningful training and competition opportunities for persons with intellectual disabilities. Use the Special Olympics Program Locator to find a program near you. Special Olympics currently serves 2.5 million people with intellectual disabilities in more than 200 programs in over 180 countries, including more than 500,000 athletes in China, more than 210,000 in India and almost 550,000 in the United States. For more recreational resources, visit the Community Life section of DisabilityInfo.gov. Additional information on intellectual disabilities can be found on the Web site of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID). Your State Vocational Rehabilitation AgencyState Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies assist individuals with disabilities with becoming employed. They also provide employers with qualified job candidates with disabilities to meet the workforce needs of American businesses. Contact your state VR agency to learn more about services that promote the employment and economic self-sufficiency of people with disabilities. Visit the Vocational Rehabilitation section of DisabilityInfo.gov for more information on how VR can help you return to work. |
Grants & Funding |
Improving Employment and Economic Outcomes for Individuals with Disabilities Living in Rural AreasThis Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTC) grant announcement is for the purpose of improving employment and economic outcomes for individuals with disabilities living in rural areas, as well as improving their health and access to health services. The application deadline is August 21, 2008. Improving Outcomes for Individuals with Disabilities from Traditionally Underserved Racial and Ethnic PopulationsThis Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects (DRRP) grant announcement is intended in part to enhance understanding about rehabilitation and independent living services and outcomes for individuals with disabilities from traditionally underserved racial and ethnic populations and how services for these populations can be improved. The application deadline is August 21, 2008. Techniques for Successful Aging with a DisabilityThis Rehabilitation Engineering Research Centers (RERC) grant announcement is for the purpose of researching, evaluating and developing new technologies and approaches that address the challenges to community participation experienced by middle-aged and older adults with disabilities. The application deadline is August 29, 2008. Research Funding Opportunities Webinar SeriesIn July and August the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) will host a series of webinars on research funding opportunities at the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) and the National Center for Education Research (NCER). |
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