The Great Lakes Vine features information from Region V Affiliates. Our Affiliates help foster voluntary compliance with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through a variety of activities and projects. Here's how...
The Illinois ADA Project is proceeding with the plans for the ADA Conference titled: "Making the ADA Work for Business". The Conference will be held on Monday September 12, 2005, from 8:30am to 5:00pm at UBS Tower at 1 North Wacker Drive in Chicago. The Conference will be targeted toward businesses. The Chicagoland Business Leadership Network (CBLN) and Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce have already expressed an interest in co-sponsoring the Conference. The Conference will include four workshops:
1. A Panel discussion titled, "Reasonable Accommodations: Low Cost and No Cost Solutions."
2. Web site and Computer Access Issues under Titles I and III of the ADA presented by Robin Jones of the Great Lakes ADA Center.
3. A workshop on Emerging Employment Issues and Latest Court Interpretations given by Adele Rapport of the EEOC and Barry Taylor, Legal Advocacy Director at EFE.
4. Training on the Interaction between the ADA, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and Illinois Worker's Compensation Laws given by Susanne M. Bruyère of Cornell University.
The next Illinois ADA Project Steering Committee Meeting will be held on August 9, 2005. Please see The Illinois ADA Project Website for more information.
Indiana will commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the signing of the ADA by hosting a public reception at the Indianapolis Arts Garden on Tuesday, July 26th from 11:30am to 3:00pm The public is invited to come celebrate the accomplishments of the past 15 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as looking to the future. Refreshments and musical entertainment will be provided. ADA-Indiana, the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, the Governor's Council for People with Disabilities, and Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services are sponsoring the event.
Please check the ADA-Indiana website for more details or for more information contact Matt Norris or Vicki Pappas at 800-825-4733.
2005 Michigan Youth Leadership Forum (MYLF)
The sixth annual Michigan Youth Leadership Forum for high school students with disabilities was held June 12-16, 2005, at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. Thirty students will disabilities from across the state attended the forum where they learned about disability history, disability civil rights laws, and selected a bill to debate at the state capitol. The students were selected through an application process. The mentors, who themselves have disabilities, serve as group leaders. A majority of the MYLF presenters also are people with disabilities. The MYLF gives the students tools to become leaders in their own communities and the state.
The MYLF is sponsored by the Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns and other disability organizations. There is no cost for students to attend the MYLF. All expenses are paid through fundraising activities. This year's major contributors are Dow Chemical and General Motors. The Michigan ADA Steering Committee has supported the MYLF program for the past several years. Next year's MYLF is tentatively scheduled for June 11-15, 2006.
In honor of the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a coalition of 13 local disability organizations will hold a free celebration at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center from 9:00am to 3:30pm, on Tuesday, July 26. The event, "ADA 15 Years Strong: Then, Now and Beyond," will feature entertainment, exhibitors from local organizations, educational group sessions, food and presentations, including a talk by NBC correspondent John Hockenberry and Barry Taylor, Legal Advocacy Director at Equip for Equality, Inc., the Illinois Protection and Advocacy system.
The event will include six educational group sessions throughout the day. These session topics include: aging and disability, mental health issues in the workplace, reasonable accommodations at work, accessible web design, understanding Social Security and emergency preparedness for people with disabilities.
The celebration is open and free to the public. For more information about the event, contact ADA Minnesota at 651-603-2015.
ADA Ohio’s provides services to various disability organizations through participation in workshops and presentations on a variety issues surrounding the ADA. As we reflect on the Anniversary year of the ADA here some organizations we have provided services:
The Wisconsin ADA Partnership was pleased to participate and provide a sponsorship for the 16th annual Juneteenth celebration held in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday, June 18, 2005. Juneteenth commemorates the freeing of the last African American slaves in 1865 and the Madison event annually draws over 8,000 participants.
One mission of the event is to provide education on health and social issues and how to connect with service providers or agencies that can meet various needs. The Wisconsin ADA Partnership sponsored a panel presentation of self-advocates who shared their stories as minorities with disabilities and how they have helped themselves and others to overcome barriers. The Partnership also featured an exhibit booth and shared information and resources to a great number of attendees on employment, disability rights and accessibility issues.
The Partnership is sponsoring "The ABC's of the ADA", a one-day conference focused upon the employment provisions of the ADA as well as the obligations of business and state and local governments. The program will be held in two locations: Wausau, WI on August 10th and Madison, WI on August 11th. More information is available on the website.