JetBlue Violated Air Carrier Access Act Rules

FROM DISABILITY.GOV--
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) today assessed a civil penalty against JetBlue Airways for violating rules protecting air travelers with disabilities. DOT’s rules implementing the Air Carrier Access Act require airlines to provide assistance to passengers with disabilities in boarding and deplaning aircraft, including the use of wheelchairs, ramps, mechanical lifts or service personnel where needed. A review of complaints about the treatment of passengers with disabilities filed with the airline and with DOT showed violations of the requirement to provide this kind of assistance to travelers with disabilities.

For more information visit this link: http://www.disability.gov/transportation/laws_%26_regulations

White House Begins Monthly Disability Issues Calls

White House Disability Group
mailto:disability@messages.whitehouse.gov]
MONTHLY DISABILITY CALL

In order to help keep you more informed, the White House Disability Group is beginning in December to host monthly calls to update you on various disability issues as well as to introduce you to persons who work on disability issues in the federal government.

Our first call will be this Friday, December 3, at 11:00 AM Eastern.

The conference call information is below.

Dial in: (800) 230-1092

Title: Disability Call (use instead of code)

Date of Call: 12/03/10

Start Time: 11:00 AM Eastern

For live captioning, at time of call, log onto:
http://www.fedrcc.us/Enter.aspx?EventID=1663465&CustomerID=321

The White House * 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW * Washington DC 20500 *
202-456-1111

Disability.gov Technology News & Events Update

FROM DISABILITY.GOV-- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that it plans to upgrade the capabilities of the 9-1-1 emergency system by allowing texting, video streaming and data sharing as part of the National Broadband Plan's Next Generation 9-1-1.

Many people, particularly those with disabilities, depend on texting as their primary means of communication. In some emergency situations -- especially in circumstances where a call could further jeopardize someone’s life and safety -- texting is the only way to reach out for help.

For more information visit: http://www.disability.gov/technology/news_%26_events

Federal Conference on TBI

Interagency Conference on Traumatic Brain Injury
JUNE 13-15, 2011Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave NW , Washington DC
www.tbi-interagency-conference.org

You’re invited! Please plan to join us for the third Federal Interagency Conference on Traumatic Brain Injury in June, 2011. We will seek to surpass the outstanding success of the first two, held in 1999 and 2006. The Interagency Conference on TBI, sponsored by a consortium of federal agencies and advocacy groups, brings together clinicians, researchers, consumers, and policy makers to share cutting-edge advances in TBI research and clinical care.
What’s new for 2011? For the first time, the Federal Interagency Conference brings together civilian and military agencies, including the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration in addition to the National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research, the National Institutes of Health, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and other leading federal players in research and clinical care for TBI.

The Third Federal Interagency Conference will feature outstanding speakers and symposia on a wide variety of topics within several broad themes:
· Effective Practices for Community Integration
· Seminal Advances in TBI Research
· The Promise of Technology
Important Dates
June 1, 2010 – December 31, 2010: On-line call for proposals open at the conference website
July 1, 2010: On-line conference registration and hotel reservations open – register early for big savings! Matriculated graduate students and individuals enrolled in formal post doctoral training programs are eligible for a reduced conference fee of $350.
July 1, 2010 – January 15, 2011: Registration is $500
January 16, 2011 – March 15, 2011: Registration is $575
March 16, 2011 – conference dates: Registration is $650

Pacific Rim International Conference on Disabilities

Pacific Rim International Conference on Disabilities
“Humanity:Equality anDiversity”
April 18 & 19, 2011 • Honolulu, HI: Hawai‘i Convention Center

2011 Call for Proposals is Now Open for the 27th Pacific Rim International Conference on Disabilities. In the tradition of Pac Rim, the 2011 conference will visit familiar themes and explore new directions—Exploration and Innovation. We are truly excited about 2011; we hope you will be too. Continue this extraordinary journey with us as we deepen our commitment to advancing inclusion, equality and diversity.

With over 16 topic areas, pre and post conference forums, including the International Forum on the Rights of People with Disabilities, we anticipate a rich dialogue and an exchange of best practices, research, methodology, and advocacy initiatives. With your participation, this can happen. Proposals are being accepted in all formats.

National Council on Disability Welcomes New Executive Director Aaron Bishop

WASHINGTON—National Council on Disability (NCD) Chairman Jonathan Young, announced today that Aaron Bishop of Washington, DC, will become NCD’s new Executive Director on November 15. NCD is an independent federal agency charged with advising the President, Congress, and other federal officials and entities on all policies, programs, practices and procedures affecting people with disabilities. NCD’s mission is to further the goals enshrined in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990: equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for all people with disabilities.

According to Young, “NCD is delighted to have selected Aaron Bishop as its new Executive Director. Mr. Bishop, a well-respected disability advocate in his own right, comes to NCD directly from the United States Senate, where he has been on the Hill since 2003 and top disability policy adviser to Wyoming Senator Michael Enzi, who is the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions since 2005. His legislative background and disability expertise will be a very nice addition to the NCD staff. We look forward to working with Mr. Bishop. He holds great promise for NCD.”

New NRCA Capitol Insider Announcements

Disability Rights Publication

Disability Rights Online News is the Department of Justice’s monthly newsletter covering civil rights developments across the country. The September issue includes summaries of ADA, Fair Housing, and National Voting Rights Act cases. See: http://www.ada.gov/disabilitynews.htm.

Disability Research Website

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a new website for the Center of Excellence for Research on Disability Services, Care Coordination and Integration. In May 2010, Office on Disability in HHS awarded Mathematica Policy Research Inc. a two–year, $7 million contract, funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), to establish the center. The Center seeks to: identify and review evidence on effective services and care models; develop and prioritize critical research questions ; create unique linked datasets to help research these question; establish criteria and standards for assessing the effectiveness of services and models; and conduct original research that applies these standards. The Center’s website can be found at: http://www.hhs.gov/disabilityresearch/index.html.

Education Commemoration

This November, in honor of the 35th anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services (OSERS) will host a celebration in Washington, D.C. OSERS is seeking input from people who have had a personal experience with IDEA or have witnessed its impact. As part of their celebration, OSERS is welcoming stories, poetry, photography, art work and video clips from individuals with disabilities , students, teachers, principals, researchers, parents, teacher trainers and others across the country for possible inclusion during the celebration. Submissions will be accepted through November 8, 2010 via: https://www.osep-meeting.org/idea35th/.

Guide on Supporting Career Development of Youth with LD

NCWD/Youth released Charting the Course: Supporting the Career Development of Youth with Learning Disabilities. This Guide is intended to help practitioners, administrators, and policymakers in secondary and postsecondary education programs, transition programs, One-Stop Career Centers, youth employment programs, and community rehabilitation programs to improve services and outcomes for youth, ages 14 to 25, with diagnosed and undiagnosed learning disabilities.

This Guide includes numerous quick reference charts, tables, and tools for counselors, career advisors, and other professionals who work directly with youth. In-depth information is provided on a variety of topics, including the types and impact of learning disabilities, needed supports, and research-based interventions. This Guide is intended to increase awareness of the fact that the workforce development system serves many youth who have learning disabilities that may never have been identified and many others who may know they have a learning disability but choose not to disclose.

Although focusing primarily on youth with learning disabilities, many of the strategies and approaches advocated in this Guide, which are premised on universal design, may be of practical use for other youth.
Access the Guide and learn more at http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ld-guide.

ODEP Announces $1 Million Funding

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) announced that it will fund the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) at the level of $1 Million for another year. This year marks the 10th year of ODEP's support for NCWD/Youth.

"Focusing on transition-age youth is an important part of addressing the under-representation of people with disabilities in the labor force," said Kathleen Martinez, Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy. "Many youth with disabilities still don't have access to age-appropriate experiences, especially when it comes to work. We are working to change this at ODEP."Read the press release at http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/ODEP20101165.htm

NRA Conference Agenda Draft

The 2010 NRA Annual Training Conference DRAFT Agenda as of Sept 8, 2010 is available here!

National Rehabilitation Association

633 South Washington Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-4109
Fax: 703-836-0848
voice: 703-836-0850
www.nationalrehab.org

Gaps in Disaster Prep for People with Disabilities

FROM THE NRCA CAPITOL INSIDER--
The National Commission on Children and Disasters, appointed by the President in 2007, approved a report to the President and Congress that highlights on-going gaps in disaster preparedness for children since Hurricane Katrina five years ago. Although the report focuses on children, many of the identified gaps and over 100 recommendations pertain to individuals with disabilities as well. For example, the Commission found poor coordination among federal, state, and local programs and lack of preparedness in the private health care system.

The report calls for establishing regional Children's Disaster Coordinators (Regional Disability Coordinator job announcements were recently posted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency); giving priority to the needs of families with children who have disabilities in housing assistance; specifically addressing the evacuation and transportation needs of children with disabilities in congregate care settings, and creating a national data system for keeping track of evacuated children so that they can be reunited with their families.

The final report will be available in early October. For the executive summary of the report, see:
www.childrenanddisasters.acf.hhs.gov

New EEOC Lawsuits

FROM THE NRCA CAPITOL INSIDER-
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed two employment discrimination lawsuits under title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston. In the first lawsuit against ENGlobal Engineering, Inc., an energy engineering and professional services company, EEOC alleged the company fired an individual because it regarded him as having a disability. The employer insisted that the employee take a medical leave of absence when he began experiencing symptoms of multiple sclerosis even though he could still work. When the person returned to work with a doctor's clearance, ENGlobal falsely told him his position was no longer available. Three weeks later, the company hired someone else.

In the second employment discrimination lawsuit, EEOC alleged that DynMcDermott Petroleum Operations Company refused to hire someone who had previously worked for the company because his wife had cancer which the company felt would interfere with his ability to do his job. The company later hired someone with no experience for the position. Discrimination based on association with a person who has a disability is prohibited under title I of the ADA.
See EEOC's press release at:
http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/8-26-10.cfm

Special Edition of American Rehabilitation

This year marks the 90th Anniversary of the public vocational rehabilitation program. Our program has a history of positive, creative change. To help celebrate this important milestone, RSA Commissioner Lynnae Ruttledge requested a Special Edition of the American Rehabilitation publication.

The theme for this publication is ‘Creating a Vision for 2020: Celebrating Our Past, Looking to the Future’. Partners included CSAVR, NIDRR, the ICDR, the ADA Network, and NRA.

Please go to the following link to view the Special Edition of American Rehabilitation: http://www.rehabnetwork.org/ Once there you will find the following versions:
1. The PDF file is the formal version, in full color, with photos, etc.
2. The word file is the accessible word version prepared by Suzanne Mitchell for individuals who cannot access the formal version.

CALL FOR ADARA AWARDS

Call for Nominations
ADARA AWARDS 2011

ADARA is calling for nominations for Biennial Awards to be presented at the 2011 Conference.

Boyce R. Williams Award is the highest award presented by ADARA in recognition of contributions toward improvement in the rehabilitation of people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.


Frederick C. Schreiber Award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding
contributions to ADARA.


Eugene W. Petersen Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exemplary direct service provision in the rehabilitation of Deaf adults with additional handicapping conditions.


Legislative Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated contributions related to
legislative activities that benefit Deaf, Late Deafened, Hard of Hearing and Deafblind individuals.


The deadline for all nominations is December, 2010

Nominations are accepted from any member of ADARA. All nominees must be members of ADARA in order to be selected.
All nominations must be submitted to Steve Hamerdinger via email at steve.hamerdinger@mh.alabama.gov , fax to 334.242.3025, or mail to Office of Deaf Services, Alabama Dept of Mental Health, PO Box 3011410, Montgomery, AL 36130.

New CRC Certification Category

CRCC is pleased to announce it has instituted Category R - a new CRC Exam eligibility category providing increased opportunity for CRC certification. Category R expands certification eligibility through the attainment of a post-graduate advanced certificate or degree in lieu of a second Master's degree in Counseling or Rehabilitation Counseling. Qualified individuals with advanced degrees in thirteen areas of study may be eligible to sit for the CRC Exam upon completion of an integrated program of study focused on rehabilitation counseling coursework and having demonstrated acceptable employment experience. Further details on Category R can be found on pages 9-10 of the CRC Certification Guide.

NRA's CEU OF THE MONTH- JUNE

National Rehabilitation Association CEU OF THE MONTH

June 2010

HM2025: Transferable Skills Analysis: A Basic Guide to Finding Related Jobs

Use your NRA custom link to receive a 10% discount on all classes

http://www.aaaceus.com/NationalRehab

4 contact hours

Pre-approved for: ABVE, ACM, ASWB (Social Workers), CA BBS , CA BRN, CDMS, CMCN, CPHM, CRC, Florida BON, Ohio SW/Counselor, RNs: ALL STATES. Also appropriate for: COHN/COHN-S, CPUM, CPUR, CRRN

This course presents a time-tested approach and method for completing a TSA. Dr. Field has up-dated the Guide to include valuable information for the vocational expert in Social Security hearings as well as related legal settings. This textbook served as a basis for a presentation to attorneys and judges in the U.S. 5th Circuit of the Federal judiciary. The booklet is well-documented with an excellent bibliography, including relevant court-reported cases involving vocational experts.