DBTAC- Northeast ADA Technical Bulletin: February 2007
The DBTAC- Northeast ADA Center at Cornell University provides training,
technical assistance and materials on the ADA and accessible information
technology throughout New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin
Islands. This monthly technical bulletin is part of our dissemination
efforts and if you do not want to receive this document or would like others
from your organization added to our list, please call 1-800-949-4232 or
reply to this message. Thank you.
Please Join us for the February Distance Learning Program-- Tapping a New
Resource: Veterans with Disabilities
Date: February 20, 2007
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm EST
Veterans, including those with service-connected disabilities, have the
skills, training, and character to meet your toughest challenges. There are
an extensive number of veterans- resources to assist you in finding veteran
candidates for your job openings. In this second session of a two-part
series, the Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network (EARN) will showcase
some top resources and give you the opportunity to speak with key members of
these organizations to find out how they can assist you to reach out to
veterans in your employment efforts.
Speaker: Jane C. Ivey - Director, Private Sector Employment, Tyler T.
Matney - EARN Program Coordinator, Robert J. Roundtree - Employment
Services Supervisor, VR&E Service, VA Central Office, Billy W. Wright -
EARN Program Coordinator, Veterans with Disabilities
Pricing: http://www.ada-audio.org/ProgramInformation/prices.php
Registration: https://ada-audioorg.secure.powweb.com/WebForms/Login/
Deadline for Registration: Monday February 19, 2007
New information on the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
There have been several changes, expansions and revisions with WOTC. One
change is Congress' combining the WOTC with the Welfare to Work Tax Credits.
Others include expanding the eligibility for food stamp recipients, revising
the eligibility requirements for ex-felons and modifying the filing deadline
for WOTC claimants. For more information, please go to US Department of
Labor's website at, http://www.doleta.gov/business/Incentives/opptax/
Mental Health Parity Bill: Finally on the Way to Becoming Law
For the past 15 years, the Mental Health Parity Bill, guaranteeing that
mental health disabilities receive the same medical insurance coverage as
any other health problem, has languished in Congress. Recently, however,
the Mental Health Parity Bill was put on the fast track to passage in the
new Congress. It is expected that the Bill will be signed early this year.
For more information, go to
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2007/01/09/mental-health-parity-bill/
New website that brings together employers and people with disabilities
seeking employment
(excerpt from press release from Access Solutions)
SIOUX FALLS, SD, January 8, 2007-Access Solutions, LLC has announced the
launch of DisabilityWORK.com, a service that brings employers and people
with disabilities together. Employers can expect to reach an untapped pool
of qualified workers, while people with disabilities have a new venue in
which to showcase their talents. DisabilityWORK.com consists of several
different services for both employers and people with disabilities.
Employers can search a database of resumes to find prospective candidates to
fill needed positions. They can also post their job openings on the website
and utilize DisabilityWORK.com's headhunting services. People with
disabilities can not only post their resumes on the website, but they can
also use an array of services ranging from resume-writing and career
coaching to job placement and job coaching. For more information, please
go to http://www.disabilitywork.com//default.aspx
<http://www.disabilitywork.com/default.aspx> .
Erasing offensive language in New Jersey's State Laws
NJ Council on Developmental Disabilities', Monday Morning Advocacy Project
is spearheading a constitutional effort to eliminate offensive and outdated
language in NJ State Article II, Section I, regarding elections and voting.
When the law was adopted in 1789, the verbage read, "No idiot or insane
person shall enjoy the right of suffrage." This amendment would erase that
language. For more information, please go to
http://www.njddc.org/amendment.htm
American Association for People with Disabilities (AAPD) joining National
Public Radio (NPR) for Legal Blogs and Discussion Forums
Beginning February 2007, AAPD will join the ranks of other legal analysts
and commentators on NPR on issues that affect Americans . This is part of
NPR's Justice Talking Program, hosted by Margot Adler. Among the
specialists with AAPD are the American Tort Reform Association, the Natural
Resources Defense Council, the Family Research Council, the National Council
of Churches, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations. AAPD will be
featured on the 13th of every month and their initial posting is titled
"Keeping the World Safe for Disability" which can be viewed at:
http://communities.justicetalking.org/blogs/day13/default.aspx. For more
information on NPR's programs, please visit NPR's Justice Talking website at
www.justicetalking.org.
Windows Vista Offers Greater Accessibility
Vista, the new Microsoft operating system, includes a variety of new
features and functions that enhance accessibility. The new Ease of Access
Center in Vista is where users can set up the accessibility features that
are beneficial to them, such as the new speech recognition feature which
allows users to interact with their computer by voice.
Read more about Microsoft's approach to accessibility with Vista in the
following article in The Register:
Vista's accessible attitude:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/19/vista_accessibility/.
Find more detailed information about the accessibility features of Vista at
the following Microsoft websites:
Accessibility in Windows Vista:
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windowsvista/
Windows Vista Accessibility Tutorials
http://ms.helifan.net/enable/training/windowsvista/default.aspx?v=p
DBTAC - Northeast ADA Center
201 ILR Extension Building
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
1-800-949-4232 (TTY and voice)
NY, NJ, PR, USVI
www.northeastada.org
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
