The ADA and Voting Access

As we cast our ballots this week, it is important to remember how Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) addresses barriers to voting for people with disabilities. The ADA requires all state and local governments to provide accessible programs, services, and activities, including voting! This includes ensuring that entrances have sufficient signage, allowing service animals, and providing appropriate auxiliary aids and services for people with disabilities.

To learn more about the ADA and voting access, read the Northeast ADA Center article on Voting Access Rights and additional voting resources on NortheastADA.org.

Make Halloween Accessible to All!

Halloween is almost here, and while festivities are full of fun and treats for some, it can be an inaccessible experience for others. To ensure all trick-or-treaters and their families can enjoy the holiday, consider the following:

1. Is the path to the candy open and accessible? Preferably no stairs.
2. Are there treat options for dietary restrictions? Maybe add stickers!
3. Are you aware of the different ways trick-or-treaters may say “trick-or-treat”?
4. Are you ready to describe or show treats for trick-or-treaters who are blind or deaf?
5. What Halloween decorations are nearby? Be wary of loud, sudden noises and strobing lights.
6. Let the neighborhood know that you are making an effort to have an accessible Halloween. To learn more, read this short article on making Halloween accessible.

Share this Northeast ADA Center Trick-or-Treating Allergy Awareness infographic with your friends and neighbors!

Free Webinar - Great Lakes ADA Center - Understanding the ADA’s Interactive Process: How Employers and Employees Should Discuss Requests for Accommodations

Tuesday, October 15, 2024, 2-3:30 p.m. EDT

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)’s “interactive process” is about an employer and employee (or applicant) having a meaningful discussion about a request, including why accommodation is needed and what forms of accommodation might be effective. Yet, both employers and employees often lack understanding on why a discussion generally is necessary and how to discuss a request, including what types of information may need to be shared and their respective roles in having a meaningful discussion. This session will discuss how to ensure an interactive process that provides employers with the information to make a legally sound decision consistent with the requirements of the ADA. We will discuss how each person plays a part in ensuring that critical information is shared (including sometimes medical documentation) and outside sources that can assist in identifying potential accommodations.

Register for this Great Lakes ADA Center webinar

October is NDEAM!

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! It is a time to champion employment of people with disabilities and promote their full inclusion in the workforce. The Office for Disability Employment Policy has announced this year’s theme as “Access to Good Jobs for All” to highlight the need for workers with disabilities to have access to good jobs. For celebration suggestions and shareable resources, visit the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s NDEAM webpage.

Free Webinar - Southeast ADA Center: Polling Place Accessibility and the ADA

Thursday, September 26, 2024, 10-11 a.m. EDT

Join the Southeast ADA Center webinar on polling place accessibility! Learn how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects polling place access for people with disabilities and receive resources on polling place accessibility.

Register for the Southeast ADA Center webinar

For more information on voting and the ADA, read our Northeast ADA Center article on voter access rights.

Free Webinar - The Intersection of the ADA and FMLA; Which Applies and When

Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 1-2 p.m. ET

Presenters: Patti Bennett Riddle, Medical Leaves Administration at Cornell University Division of Human Resources, Joe Zesski, Program Manager Northeast ADA Center

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) are two laws which afford the right for employees with disabilities to take leave when necessary due to their disability. However, the when, how, and for whom of these laws is different even while there is some overlap. Join Joe Zesski of the Northeast ADA and Patti Bennett Riddle of Cornell University's Division of Human Resources for an informative webinar about this important and often confusing topic. The presentation will begin with an overview of the ADA and FMLA in regard to leave. This will be followed by a conversation on the insights gained by Patti Bennett Riddle during her career in human resources. She will share how best practices for employers have evolved, pitfalls for employers to avoid, and lessons learned through experience and observation in the field.

Live Spanish interpretation will not be provided, but a Spanish transcript of the webinar is available upon request following the event.

Register for this Northeast ADA Center webinar

Free Webinar - Great Lakes ADA Center: Creating a Business Accessibility Plan – Revisiting Readily Achievable Barrier Removal in Existing Facilities and Web Accessibility Obligations under the ADA

Wednesday, September 18, 2024, 2-3:30 p.m. ET

Removing architectural and communication barriers is an ongoing responsibility for businesses and non-profit entities under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). But there is a great deal of misinformation relating to the actual legal obligation of any private entity to make their facilities, goods, and services readily accessible for individuals with disabilities - including what to do about inaccessible web sites and mobile apps. Join the Great Lakes ADA Center for a legal webinar addressing these issues to at least establish a rational level of compliance awareness with as current technical guidance information as possible - including applying the ADA and any relevant recent court decisions.

Diego Demaya, J.D., with the Southwest ADA Center will review readily achievable barrier removal requirements under Title III as well as the applicability of the Effective Communication requirement. This session will review recent cases and how those decisions affect businesses and consumers as well as recommending proactive compliance while keeping in mind the ADA undue burden and fundamental alteration defense standards when compliance might be financially burdensome or fundamentally alter how goods and services are offered.

Register for this Great Lakes ADA Center webinar

Northeast ADA Center Operating with Limited Staffing August 30, Closed September 2

The Northeast ADA Center technical assistance services will be operating with limited staffing Friday, August 30, and the Center will be closed on September 2. The Center will open again on September 3. Please note that our normal hours of operation are Monday through Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm. We appreciate your patience as our response may be delayed during these times. We encourage you to explore the resources available on the Northeast ADA Center website.

New York State DREAM Symposium

Tuesday, October 1, 2024, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Albany, NY

New York State Residents: Register for the third annual New York State DREAM (Disability Rights & Employment Awareness Month) Symposium!

Highlights include:

• Opening Ceremony and Keynote Speaker
• In-person Job Fair for People with Disabilities
• Vendor and Technology Fair
• 10 Breakout Sessions
• Interactive Special Olympics Demonstration
• Job Fair and Job Preparation Assistance
  • Mock Interviews
  • Virtual Career Center
  • Resume Workshop
  • Benefits Planning
  • World-Renowned Photographer
  • Accessible clothing demonstration and career-appropriate attire guidance
• Broadway Performance & More…

The registration deadline for the DREAM event is Wednesday, September 23, 2024. Accommodation requests must be made via the registration form by Monday, September 16, 2024.

Register for the 2024 DREAM Symposium