USBLN Tapped by ODEP for Alliance to Promote Employment of Americans with Disabilities
Date: Tuesday September 30, 2008Posted in: Business, Employment, Media
Tagged: Office of Disability Employment Policy, US Business Leadership Network
WASHINGTON, DC (September 24, 2008) – The US Business Leadership Network today announced that it entered into a Strategic Alliance with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy to promote employment of people with disabilities nationwide. The USBLN is only the third organization to receive this prestigious honor, along side the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and CVS/Caremark.
“We are honored and humbled by ODEP’s recognition of the good work being done by the US Business Leadership Network, its 54 BLN affiliates, and corporate members,” stated John D. Kemp, executive director and general counsel of the USBLN. “Our alliance will allow our organization to further discuss how organizational structures, values, policies, and day-to-day practices affect all aspects of the employment of people with disabilities — including recruitment, hiring, retention, and promotion.”
iTunes Update Accessible to Users with Visual Disabilities
Date: Monday September 29, 2008Posted in: Advocacy, Education, Media
Tagged: Accessibility, Apple, National Federation of the Blind
Through an agreement between Apple and the National Federation of the Blind, the iTunes software will now transform screen-based information to speech or to Braille. The agreement requires Apple to make all versions of iTunes and iTunes U accessible on all platforms (types of computers and operating systems) by next June. One major push for the agreement was because of iTunes U, which provides students access to lecture and other course materials which would otherwise not be accessible to students with visual disabilities.
This is a major breakthrough for users of iPods and iTunes software as it was nearly impossible without visual assistance to use the iTunes software to sample and purchase online music through the iTunes Music Store. Spokespeople for the NFB stated this agreement makes Apple a new forefront in portable and accessible digital media technologies and hopes will push other companies to follow in Apple’s footsteps.
iTunes can be read immediately on the Macintosh platform, but users of Windows must purchase a screen reader to make iTunes screen reading features accessible.
Bush Signs ADA Amendments Act into Law
Date: Thursday September 25, 2008Posted in: Business, Civil Liberties, Employment, Health, Legal, Legislation
Tagged: Americans with Disabilities Act, Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act, George W. Bush
The new law, signed today, broadens the protections of the original Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Through court cases since the original bill’s enactment, the law has been narrowly interpreted and has refused coverage to many Americans it was designed to protect.
The ADA Amendments Act is designed to force the courts into a loose interpretation of the definition of disability, making it clear Congress’ intent coverage to anyone facing disability discrimination.
Special Olympics of Mendocino County 8th Annual Soup-Off
Date: Friday September 19, 2008Posted in: Activities, Advocacy, Fund Raisers, Meeting
Tagged: Mendocino County (California), Special Olympics, Ukiah (California)
As time flies by and the summer heats starts to ween and we move into autumn, it’s once again time to dust off the cookbooks and dig through the secret family recipes. Mendocino County Special Olympics is excited to reveal the date of their annual soup cook-off. We are hoping that Saturday, November 15th will be a cool blustery day and just right to taste all the wonderful soups that this areas chefs have to offer. Do you have the People’s Choice Soup? Do you have the creativity to decorate a booth to catch the eyes of our Athletes? Now is your chance to show your stuff!
Special Olympics volunteers and athletes are working hard organizing this event and would like to offer a special thanks to all the past, present and future supporters. You make this program happen. All proceeds from the booth donations, entrance fees and beverage sales go to support the Special Olympics Sports program in the Mendocino County Inland.
Tasting will be from 5:00PM to 8:00PM in Carl Purdy Hall at the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds. The entry fee will be $4.00 for children from 5-14, adults will be $8.00.
Mendocino County Special Olympics Bowling for 2008
Date: Thursday September 18, 2008Posted in: Activities, Health, Meeting
Tagged: Bowling, Mendocino County (California), Special Olympics, Ukiah (California)
Bowling starts on Monday, September 29, 2008 - 4:00PM to 5:30PM
The bowling practice dates are:
- September 29
- October 6
- October 13
- October 13
- October 20
- October 27
- November 3
- November 10
- November 17
- November 24
- December 1
The bowling qualifier will be Sunday, November 2, 2008
Schwarzenegger and Legislature Reach Deal for California’s Budget
Date: Thursday September 18, 2008Posted in: Funding, Legal
Tagged: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Budget, California, Dave Cogdill, Don Perata, Karen Bass, Taxes
On Tuesday the Governor threatened to veto any budget that did not plan for rainy-day funds for times of fiscal trouble. The Governor also said that if the legislature overrides the Governor’s veto of the budget (which is planned), he would veto more than 800 bills, which would effectively create the rainy-day fund.
Today, the Governor and top legislators reached a deal which would avoid the Governor’s planned veto of the budget thus circumventing the veto of over 800 bills scheduled to reach his desk once the budget passes. Instead of increasing tax withholdings from the paychecks of Californians, the increased penalties for corporations for late payment of taxes will raise the $1.6 billion for the rainy-day fund.
Though a deal was reached, much of the $15.2 billion short coming in California’s budget would be pushed into future years.
Read the whole LA Times article here: Schwarzenegger, top legislators reach a budget deal
Disability Services And Legal Center - Tech Expo
Date: Tuesday September 16, 2008Posted in: Advocacy, Business, Civil Liberties, Education, Employment, Health, Legal, Media
Tagged: California, Community Resources for Independence, Disability Services and Legal Center, Santa Rosa (California), Sonoma County (California)
Formerly Community Resources for Independence, Disability Services and Legal Center is holding an expo in Santa Rosa, CA in October. The dates are set for October 24th, from 10:00am to 3:00pm at the Garrett Building at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. You can visit their website at CRI Dove
ADA Amendments Act will Restore Vital Civil Rights Protections
Date: Monday September 15, 2008Posted in: Civil Liberties, Health, Legislation
Tagged: ADA Watch, Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act, Americans with Disabilities Restoration Act, Road to Freedom
ADA Watch/National Coalition for Disability Rights
601 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 900S
Washington, DC 20004
Media Contact:
Jim Ward, Founder and President
(Washington, DC) The leaders of a national coalition of disability, civil rights and social justice organizations praised the U.S. Senate today for taking bipartisan action to restore vital civil rights protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In recent years, the ADA – the world’s first human rights law for people with disabilities – has been dramatically narrowed in the courts leaving citizens with epilepsy, diabetes, mental illness, HIV/AIDS and other disabilities unprotected from discrimination. The ADA Amendments Act clarifies the intent of Congress and reverses the “judicial activism” that has resulted in more than 90% of employment-related ADA cases being dismissed on summary judgment.
California Budget Crisis May Soon Be Over
Date: Sunday September 14, 2008Posted in: Funding
Tagged: Budget, California, Dave Cogdill, Don Perata, Karen Bass, Mike Villines
Paralympic Athletes Add Equality to Their Goals
Date: Sunday September 14, 2008Posted in: Advocacy, Civil Liberties, Legal, Media
Tagged: Special Olympics, United States
AURORA, Ill. — When he rolls to the starting line for the 1,500-meter wheelchair race at the Paralympics, the Olympics for disabled athletes that begin Saturday in Beijing, Tony Iniguez will wear his Team USA uniform with pride. He will compete for the United States’s Olympic program. He is also suing it for discrimination.
Iniguez is one of many Paralympians who criticize the United States Olympic Committee for providing less direct financial assistance and other benefits at lower levels to Paralympic athletes than to Olympians in comparable sports. The committee awards smaller quarterly training stipends and medal bonuses to Paralympic athletes. Benefits like free health insurance, which help athletes devote more hours to training, are available to a smaller percentage of Paralympians.
Read the whole article at the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/06/sports/othersports/06paralympics.html
