October Is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! It’s a time to celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities and to advocate for more inclusive workplace policies. The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has announced their theme for NDEAM 2023 as “Advancing Access and Equity.” Read more in a U.S. Department of Labor news release.

For NDEAM resources, visit ODEP's National Disability Employment Awareness Month webpage.

Free Webinar - Great Lakes ADA Center: DOJ Listening Session: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Title II Website/App Accessibility

Tuesday, September 26, 2023, 3-4:30 p.m. ET

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities" (NPRM) on July 25, 2023. This NPRM proposes a specific technical standard that state and local governments would have to follow to meet their existing obligations under Title II of the ADA for web and mobile app accessibility. The NPRM asks the public for comments about this proposal. To this end, the Great Lakes ADA Center in collaboration with the ADA National Network is hosting a "Listening Session" with representatives from the Disability Rights Section, U.S. Department of Justice regarding the proposed rule.

Individuals are invited to join this session and share your thoughts in support or against any or all of these proposed regulations. This is not a Q&A session. The Department of Justice will not discuss or be able to respond to any questions during this session. The intent is for DOJ to hear from interested persons and entities. This session will not be recorded and there are no continuing education recognition credits available for this session.

Participants are encouraged to review the NPRM in advance of the session as well as the Fact Sheet on the NPRM prepared by DOJ in order to be prepared to comment.

This session will have Real-Time Captioning and Sign Language Interpreters Available.

Web Registration Link

Free Webinar - Great Lakes ADA Center: What You Should Know About the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

Tuesday, September 19, 2023, 2-3:30 p.m. ET

This session will provide an overview of the new federal EEO statute, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The PWFA, effective June 27, 2023, requires covered entities to provide reasonable accommodations to a worker’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, and other related medical conditions, unless the accommodation would cause an undue hardship. Topics to be discussed include which entities and workers are covered by the PWFA; the definition of terms used in the PWFA; what employment practices are prohibited under the PWFA; and the PWFA’s relationship to other laws. 

To ensure your question is answered during the session , you are highly encouraged to submit it ahead of time via the registration website (the option to submit questions is available once you have registered).

Human Generated Real-Time Captioning will be provided for this session.

Webinar registration link

Free Webinar – Great Lake ADA Center: Accessible Residential Housing

Thursday, September 7, 2023, 2:30-4 p.m. ET

Independent living is one of the most critical elements of accessibility. Accessibility barriers within a person’s home, where they spend most of their time, are imperative to address.

Residential dwelling unit accessibility guidelines and standards are addressed under many laws, including the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Fair Housing Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, to ensure these facilities are accessible to people with disabilities. These laws, guidelines, and standards can be difficult to understand and lead to confusion for many design professionals, lawyers, and citizens. This session will clarify these requirements and their application to different types of residential facilities, including both privately and publicly funded facilities. Presenters from the U.S. Access Board and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will review differences between Title II and III of the ADA and the ABA, as well as their overlap with HUD's 504 regulations of the Rehabilitation Act. Additionally, presenters will give an overview of the accessible design and construction requirements under the Fair Housing Act that apply broadly to most multifamily housing.

This session will have real-time captioning and sign language interpreters available.

Individuals may submit questions in advance of the session when they register for the session.

Accessible Residential Housing Webinar Registration Link

Northeast ADA Center Closed September 4

Please note that on Monday, September 4, the Northeast ADA Center’s technical assistance hotline will be closed for a federal holiday. The hotline will reopen the following day, September 5, at 8:30 a.m. We encourage you to explore the resources available on the Northeast ADA Center website.

August 21 Is National Senior Citizens Day

Established in 1988, National Senior Citizens Day is a day to show our gratitude to the older generations for the years of service they have given to our communities. As technology and medicine advances, senior citizens are participating in more community activities than ever before. Remember to honor these important members of our communities and their lifelong contributions!

For more information on National Senior Citizens Day, visit the Age Safe America website.

August 7 Is National Purple Heart Day

Also known as Purple Heart Recognition or Appreciation Day, National Purple Heart Day is a time for recognizing and honoring recipients of the Purple Heart Medal. The medal is presented to service members who either were wounded or sacrificed their lives while serving in the US military. Created in 1782 by President George Washington and the oldest award to be still presented in the military, more than 1.8 million Purple Heart medals have been awarded.

To learn more about the history the Purple Heart Medal, visit the USO Website.