News Items
20TH Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act a Cause for Celebration and Rededication to Equal Educational Opportunity for Students with Disabilities
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act's (ADA) enactment by applauding the legislation and by rededicating the U.S. Department of Education to the ADA's effective implementation.
"The Americans with Disabilities Act is a landmark piece of civil rights legislation. It protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination and promotes their full inclusion into education and all other aspects of our society," Duncan said. "I want to celebrate the progress that we've made and highlight our commitment to continuing the
work of providing equal access for all Americans. I acknowledge we still have work to do and renew my commitment to ensuring that individuals of all ages and abilities have an equal opportunity to realize their full
potential.
"With President Obama's support," Duncan said, "we are strengthening our efforts to ensure that all students, including those with disabilities, have the tools they need to benefit from a world-class education that prepares them for success in college and careers."
Duncan noted that the Department plays two important roles serving children and adults with disabilities. First, it enforces portions of the ADA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other civil rights laws.
The Power of Technology, The Power of Equality
Twenty years ago, a simple, standardized way to link together pages of text via the Internet was invented, and the World Wide Web was born. Perhaps equally amazing as this innovation are all of the commercial communications advances that were either nascent or not even invented then – email, Smartphones, GPS, and the rechargeable batteries that power laptops, cell phones, and cameras to name a few. For as powerful as these inventions were in changing the lives of so many Americans, we recognize that technology has the power not just to entertain but to enhance our work-life experience and connect us to our families and communities.
This is particularly true for the approximately 54 million Americans with disabilities. In fact, technology has the ability to enable Americans with disabilities to participate fully both in their personal and professional lives. Imagine a person who is deaf video chatting with loved ones using sign language where a decade ago interpreter-assisted phone service was the only option. Or consider that the blind can navigate their Smartphones and computers on par with their colleagues and friends. In recognition of the powerful role that technology plays in all of our lives, the White House continued its celebration of the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act with a Technology Showcase, in partnership with the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Commerce.
Yesterday's events began with a morning session at the White House, where participants from across the country, heard from a wide-range of Administration officials. U.S. Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra described how the White House is working with entrepreneurs, innovators, and technologists to find new ways for people with disabilities to access information, communicate easily and enable Americans to live more independently through mainstream and assistive technology.
Federal Chief Information Officer Vivek Kundra and the Office of Management and Budget’s Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy Dan Gordon also issued a memorandum reinforcing accountability and responsibility measures that all federal agencies must comply with to make government websites and other technology accessible as required by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
For Disabled, a Job Hunt Alternative
David Shunkey is autistic and doesn't speak. Around the start of the recession, he got laid off from two jobs. Now he's trying to run his own business.
More mentally and physically challenged adults are looking to entrepreneurship as they get closed out of an exceptionally competitive job market, according to several organizations that help the disabled, including Community Options Inc., a nonprofit based in Princeton, N.J. of which Mr. Shunkey is a member. But in an economic climate that's been tough on entrepreneurs, the disabled are no exception, and many face extra challenges.
"It's more difficult for someone like David to obtain a normal job," says Heather Gooch, one of several Community Options workers helping Mr. Shunkey build a dog-treat business with an $850 state grant from New Mexico, where his enterprise is based. "He needs close supervision."
The unemployment rate for disabled workers was 14.3% in June, up from 9.3% two years earlier, when the Labor Department first began tracking such data for this demographic. In June, the unemployment rate for the rest of the U.S. was 9.4%.
Employment opportunities have historically been scarce for the disabled. Twenty years ago this month, Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act, barring employers from discriminating against qualified job applicants with disabilities. Last year alone, more than 21,000 claims were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against employers accused of violating the law.
Millions of books get digitized for the disabled
By Stephanie Steinberg, USA TODAY
For those who are blind, dyslexic or have diseases like multiple sclerosis and have difficulty turning book pages, reading the latest best seller just got easier. Brewster Kahle, a digital librarian and founder of a virtual library called the Internet Archive, has launched a worldwide campaign to double the number of books available for print-disabled people.
The Internet Archive began scanning books in 2004 and now has more than 1 million available in DAISY format, or Digital Accessible Information System, a means of creating "talking" books that can be downloaded to a handheld device. Unlike books on tape, the digital format makes it easier for print-disabled people to navigate books because they can speed up, slow down and skip around from chapter to chapter.
About 7 million books are downloaded by Internet Archive users around the world each month, Kahle says. With 20 scanning centers in the USA and eight in countries around the world, the archive scans more than 1,000 books a day from more than 150 libraries, including the Library of Congress— the largest library in the world that also offers online digitalized collections of books, articles and newspapers.
The U.S. government, foundations and libraries provide funding for the Internet Archive. To help with the campaign, Kahle received a grant from the city of San Francisco to employ 100 "digital technicians" who work to scan books that people and organizations are donating for the project. The technicians were all formerly unemployed or underemployed single parents.
Read about free access to books
Program trains young people with autism for jobs
Rates of autism, a developmental disability that shows up as difficulties with communication, social interaction and behavior, have increased significantly in recent years. One of the first signs of autism noticed by parents is a young child's lack of eye contact.
"The U.S. is more interested in autism than in any other disability that I have ever seen in my decades-old career," Wehman said yesterday at a ceremony honoring the students. "What they are learning is the tremendous potential and gifts that many people with autism bring to the table."
Bon Secours, VCU, Henrico County Public Schools and the state departments of Rehabilitative Services and Education are all partners in the job-training effort.
Contact Tammie Smith at (804) 649-6572 or TLsmith@timesdispatch.com .
