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FYI Newsletter February 15, 2010
Quick Scan:
- ADA-Indiana Audio Conference
- Voices of Katrina, Voices of Service
- VETS Statehouse Ceremony Rescheduled
- Funding for Local ADA Implementation Projects Announced
- Benefits Access
- Adaptive Programs - Monroe County YMCA
- Library Corner
UPCOMING
ADA-INDIANA AUDIO CONFERENCE: It's no secret, the workforce is aging, and with that, employers will likely see an increase in the number of workers with disabilities. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, including what solutions and practices employers can use to support and retain aging workers with disabilities, plan to participate in ADA-Indiana’s free audio conference titled Aging Workers with Disabilities: Implications for Employers, on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. (Eastern Time).
By the end of 2010, aging workers with disabilities will account for nearly half (44%) of the working age population (20-64), and the number of people with disabilities between the ages of 50 and 65 is predicted to double. Disability management and accommodation policies and practices readily lend themselves to addressing the challenges employers will face with an aging workforce, and the increasing prevalence of disability that these demographics bring.
Featured speakers Susanne Bruyere, Director of Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell University and Wendy Strobel, Project Coordinator, DBTAC-Northeast ADA Center, will examine the practices associated with maximizing the productivity of an aging workforce and contribute to aging worker retention.
ADA-Indiana audio conference sites include Bloomington, Columbus, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Gary, Indianapolis, Kokomo, Merrillville, Muncie, Terre Haute, Vincennes, West Lafayette, and Louisville, Kentucky. For additional information, contact Matt Norris at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail adainfo@indiana.edu. The audio conference series is co-sponsored by ADA-Indiana, the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, and the Great Lakes ADA Center. For more information about this or any other ADA trainings, please visit the ADA-Indiana website at www.adaindiana.org.
VOICES OF KATRINA, VOICES OF SERVICE: The Indiana Institute’s Center on Education and Lifelong Learning will be offering a service-learning course for the spring semester (February 23-March 30, 2009) titled Voices of Katrina, Voices of Service (Education F401/W505).
The course will meet at the Indiana Institute on February 23, March 2, 9, 23, and 30 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and will travel to New Orleans, LA.
Sessions will focus on:
- Social justice issues relating to poverty, homelessness, and place;
- During spring break week, the class will assist in the rebuilding efforts in New Orleans; and
- The class will host a public forum to present reflections, insights, and lessons learned from the New Orleans trip.
Regular three hour course undergraduate and graduate credits will be offered. Undergraduate and graduate fees apply. Travel arrangements will be provided by Indiana University. Lodging will be arranged with the New Orleans partners. For more information, contact Cate Hart at the Indiana Institute at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail camhart@indiana.edu.
VETS STATEHOUSE CEREMONY RESCHEDULED: Due to inclement weather, VETS: Voicing Experiences through Services appreciation celebration has been rescheduled for Tuesday, May 4, 2010. It’s anticipated that more than 130 Indiana high school students will descend on the Indiana Statehouse Rotunda to honor students and veterans who have participated in the VETS service learning project.
VETS, funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service and administered through IU’s Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, supports students, ages 14-21, as they build relationships with veterans and collaboratively record oral histories. These histories will be submitted to National Veteran’s History Project at the Library of Congress.
The appreciation celebration will showcase VETS and Learn and Serve Indiana projects through displays and presentations from 10:00 to 1:00 p.m. Learn and Serve Indiana, also funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, supports service learning in Indiana by integrating community service projects with classroom learning.
The day’s activities will culminate in a reading of a Proclamation from the Office of Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels’ designating February 5 as a Day of Celebration for Service Learning. All activities are free and open to the public.
The VETS approach combines academic learning, transition, career development, oral history, and service learning. To date, over 600 students have collected several hundred oral histories. For more information, contact Cate Hart at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail camhart@indiana.edu.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
FUNDING FOR LOCAL ADA IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS ANNOUNCED: ADA-Indiana, in conjunction with Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities, is pleased to announce that funding is available for a second round of the 2010 Keith Coros Community ADA Implementation Projects.
In keeping with the advocacy efforts of former ADA-Indiana member, Keith Coros (1946-2008), the purpose of this program is to promote increased implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in Indiana’s local communities. Funding up to $1500 is available for projects submitted by social service agencies, local government entities, schools, businesses, or other community organizations interested in increasing implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Proposals are due Monday, March 1st, 2010. The Request for Proposal is available at the ADA-Indiana website . To receive information on how to apply for the grants, contact Vicki Pappas, Fiscal Agent of ADA-Indiana, at (812) 855-6508 or e-mail at adainfo@indiana.edu.
This year, we are giving priority to proposals that result in specific and measurable CHANGES. Projects should target one or more of the Titles of the ADA. This may include training employers to increase their knowledge about the ADA and reasonable accommodations; working with local governments to make their programs, services, and activities accessible to people with disabilities; helping business and non-profits become more accessible; or making sure people with hearing and speech impairments have access to information. The mission of ADA-Indiana is to serve as a statewide resource for promoting the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Founded in 1991, ADA-Indiana is part of the six-state consortium that comprises the DBTAC: Great Lakes ADA Center.
NEWS YOU CAN USE
BENEFITS ACCESS: The Social Security Administration has, for some time, had a list of 50 diagnoses that allowed people to get a “quick review” and immediate social security income or disability benefits (days vs. months or years). This quick review access is imperative for persons who have a limited life expectancy, children who need significant medical care, some cancers, etc.
Effective March 1, 2010, the Social Security Administration will add an additional 38 diagnoses to the initial list, including early onset of Alzheimer’s disease. National Public Radio has produced a blog segment for more information.
IN MONROE COUNTY
ADAPTIVE PROGRAMS - MONROE COUNTY YMCA: The Monroe County YMCA is offering two adaptive programs in volleyball and basketball for persons with disabilities. Adapted basketball will be offered on Thursdays starting on February 25 through April 15, 2010 and will focus on skill development, understanding of game strategies, and teamwork. A combined volleyball and basketball class will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting February 23 through April 15. Skill development, understanding of game strategies, and teamwork will be the primary focus. For more information, contact Kevin Thompson at the YMCA at (812) 332-5555.
LIBRARY CORNER
NEW ITEMS: The following new materials may be borrowed by Indiana residents from the Center for Disability Information and Referral at the Institute. To check out materials, contact the library at 1-800-437-7924, send e-mail to cedir@indiana.edu, or visit us at 2853 East Tenth Street in Bloomington.
Causton-Theoharis, J. (2009). The paraprofessionals’ handbook for effective support in inclusive classrooms. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co.Lissitz, R. W. & Schafer, W. D. (2009). Alternative assessments based on alternate achievement standards: Policy, practice, and potential. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Pub. Co.
Wexler, A. (2009). Art and disability: The Social and political struggle facing education. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.