Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living

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Advocacy

ADA Awareness Day: 23 Ways the Americans with Disabilities Act Empowers People Who Have Disabilities

Friday, July 26, 2013 is the 23rd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As such, July 26 now marks ADA Awareness Day each year.

What is the ADA?

The Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, is a federal law that extends to individuals who have disabilities the right to equal access and opportunity in the areas of employment, transportation, public services, and telecommunications. Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa initially sponsored the ADA in Congress, and President George H. W. Bush signed it into law on July 26, 1990. Implementation began in 1992, and in 2009 Congress passed some important updates and clarifications to the original law.

The Signing of the ADA
President George H. W. Bush signs the ADA into law.

Everyday ADA

So what does the ADA mean to people who have disabilities in their everyday lives? Ah, let us count the ways—23 of them to honor this year’s anniversary!

  1. Qualified people who have disabilities now get the same consideration as everyone else when applying for jobs.
  2. Workers who have disabilities can ask for reasonable accommodations to help them meet their essential job functions.
  3. Workers who have disabilities enjoy more privacy now because their employers can’t ask them personal or non-job-related questions about their disabilities.
  4. People who have disabilities can choose to have someone advocate for them when asserting their rights under the ADA.
  5. Employers who have technical questions about ADA compliance and how to best help their employees who have disabilities can get guidance and answers from www.ada.gov.
  6. New public buildings now have accessible features such as ramps and elevators, and many older ones have been made accessible.

    Photo of concrete ramp
    Exterior Concrete Wheelchair Ramp
  7. Sidewalks now have “curb cuts” so that people who use wheelchairs can access them and cross streets more safely.

    Photo of a curb cut
    Curb Cut
  8. Public restrooms now have at least one stall fitted with grab bars that can accommodate a wheelchair.

    Photo of an accessible public restroom
    Accessible Public Restroom
  9. People who have low vision or no vision can request printed material from businesses and public entities in alternative formats such as large print and Braille.
  10. People who have disabilities no longer have to fear and deal with being turned away from public places.
  11. Nowadays, entities that provide transportation to the public also provide accessible service to people who have disabilities.

    Photo of paratransit bus
    An Accessible Paratransit Bus
  12. People who have hearing impairments can now communicate more easily thanks to enhanced devices and networks that handle text.

    Photo of a TTY machine
    A Teletypewriter Machine (TTY)
  13. Students who have disabilities can also now get reasonable accommodations to help with campus access, optimal classroom seating, and test taking.
  14. Persons with disabilities who use service dogs can now take their dogs that are specially trained to assist them any place the public is allowed.service dogs
  15. People who have developmental disabilities can navigate the public environment more easily and safely thanks to signs that have pictures as well as words, such as those found outside public restrooms.

    Photo f accessible restroom sign, including Braille
    Accessible Restroom Sign
  16. People who have low vision, or no vision at all, can now navigate their environments more independently because of Braille markings on doors and elevators.
  17. Even web sites are becoming easier to use thanks to provisions in the ADA.
  18. People with disabilities who have experienced discrimination in violation of the ADA can now go to court to have the discrimination or lack of access corrected.
  19. In public places, store shelves, water fountains, towel dispensers, displays, and even buffets are now better labeled, designed and positioned to allow people who have disabilities to access them.

    Drawing of accessible store aisle and display
    Accessible Store Aisle and Display
  20. Store aisles are now much wider to allow two wheelchair users to pass each other comfortably.
  21. People with disabilities who use adaptive devices can now take their technology that is specifically designed to assist with their disabilities anywhere the public is allowed, such as taking a white cane through airport security.
  22. The ADA has given rise to a concept called “universal design,” which entails designing buildings, environments, and even objects so that everyone can use them, regardless of their functional or access needs.
  23. The ADA has raised much awareness about disabilities and how people who have them live, work, travel, transact, and communicate.definition of advocacy

Of course the ADA has far more than 23 benefits. With that in mind, we look ahead to the upcoming Silver Anniversary in 2015—the ADA Legacy Project! For more information and to participate, please visit: http://www.facebook.com/ADALegacy.

504s and IEPs: The “Alphabet Soup” of Advocacy for Students with Disabilities

Your Special Education Rights is an online advocacy resource for parents of children who have disabilities and need customized support at school. The site is hosted by special education advocate Julie Swanson and attorney Jennifer Laviano, who explain complex legal and educational issues in plain English from a parent-to-parent point of view. The site features forums, videos, and a blog.

In one recent informative video, Jen and Julie, as they refer to themselves on-site, explain the differences between an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and a 504 Plan. Depending on needs, a student may have one, the other, or both.

According to Julie and Jen, 504 plans are for children who need only supporting accommodations at school, such as sitting up front or having use of an elevator, but do not need any modifications to the way instruction is delivered. Children who need adaptive instruction methods get IEPs.

Click here to watch this video, and be sure to explore the site for more information.

 

 

Texas Legislators Add Protection Against Service Dog Discrimination in Food Establishments

Just prior to the close of the current General Session, Texas legislators passed an amendment to the Texas Health and Safety Code to bolster the rights of people with disabilities who use service dogs when visiting restaurants and other food establishments. This measure ensures that service dogs are permitted under the law in these businesses, limits how much staff people can ask about the disability, and streamlines recourse in the event of discrimination.

One good first approach in these situations is to calmly and nicely explain that the dog is needed because of a disability (details unnecessary), and that he or she is safe and well trained. Oftentimes, people don’t mean to be mean; they just don’t understand. Maybe they never encountered a service dog before. If they persist in being obstinate, however, then the dog owner can assert his or her rights under the law.

If Governor Perry signs this bill, when a service dog is denied entry into a place where food is served, all the dog owner has to do is call the police, who will then simply write the offending establishment a $300 ticket. Although the new law doesn’t necessarily prevent the person with the disability from taking additional action, it does allow for a little “instant justice” that can save time, work, and often expense involved when filing formal civil rights complaints and lawsuits, the only recourse prior to this bill.

While business owners are prohibited from digging too deeply into the private matters of a disability, the police will need some basic proof if called. Providers of service dogs say that it is a good idea to make sure you have your ID, proof of your disability, and a copy of your service animal prescription with you when traveling with your service dog.

Check out the video on this web page for more information.

The important thing to remember here is that this is not the law just yet. Our governor has not yet put his “Rick Perry” on the piece of legislation. Do you think he should? Either way, it’s a good idea to let him know where you stand. You can use this web site to send Governor Perry a message, or you can call his Information, Referral, and Opinion Line at (512) 463-1782.

 

Medicaid Expansion in Texas: Time is Running Out to Speak Our Minds!

Medicaid still matters, and millions of Texans remain without any health insurance coverage at all.

The current Texas legislative session ends in less than two weeks. At this point, it looks like Texas is not going to participate in straightforward Medicaid expansion as set forth in the federal Affordable Care Act. It will be two years before the state legislature may look at this main issue again.

However, one option remains on the table as a provision in the Senate’s version of the state budget. This choice would make way for Texas to negotiate with the federal government to use dollars earmarked for Medicaid expansion to create a new healthcare system for Texas that is different from Medicaid. This approach would affect not only people who are uninsured, but also people who already receive Medicaid. Just how folks would be affected would depend on the outcome of the negotiations and the details of the new system–all future unknowns.

We Texans have the responsibility to read up, make up our minds, and let our representatives know how we feel. The clock is ticking down, and these last few days of the legislative session are our last chance to be heard on this issue for a long time. Do you want Medicaid to stay like it is and not expand to include others? Or, would you like Medicaid to change and be able to include people who are uninsured? It’s our choice, but only if we make ourselves heard.

Once you decide, just follow the link below to find your specific representatives. Then give ’em a good ol’ Texas holler or zap ’em an email! Medicaid matters, and so does choice!

http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx

Help Our Community Improve Local Transportation

The Brazos Valley Council of Governments (BVCOG), BVCIL, and other local organizations are partnering on a survey to gather data about local transportation. From the survey site:

“The purpose of the survey is to better understand the travel needs of the residents of the Brazos Valley-how they’re getting around, where they’re going for work or school, medical appointments, shopping and other services-and if they need help getting to them.

We’ll be sharing the results with the cities, counties and medical providers of the region as well as Texas A&M, TxDOT, Brazos Transit District and other organizations working to improve transportation for area residents.

This survey is open to any resident of the Brazos Valley regardless of age. If you prefer a paper copy of this survey, please call 979-595-2910 and leave your mailing address on the answering machine. A paper copy of the survey, with a postage-paid return envelope will be mailed to you.

When you complete this survey you can be eligible to win one of eight $25 Walmart gift cards. To be eligible, put your name, telephone number and/or e-mail address in the area at the end of the survey. Eight winners will be drawn at random on Monday, June 24, 2013 and winners will be notified by e-mail and/or telephone.”

Just follow the link below to take the survey. It would be helpful to have your family and friends take it too!

 http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DFYWB2M

Reserve Tickets by 5/12

Reserve tickets by May 12, 2013 to view the movie in Bryan-College Station
Movie presentation of Any Day Now

Inspired by a true story from the late 1970s and touching on legal and social issues that are as relevant today as they were 35 years ago, ANY DAY NOW is a powerful tale of love, acceptance and family. When a teenager with Down syndrome (Isaac Leyva) is abandoned by his mother, a gay couple (Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt) takes him in and becomes the loving family he’s never had. But when their unconventional living arrangement is discovered by authorities, the men are forced to fight a biased legal system to save the life of the child they have come to love as their own.