By Suzanne Robitaille President Obama’s remarks at the White House on Monday celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act were eloquent, passionate and memorable. Speaking after performances by Patti Labelle and Marlee Matlin, Obama thanked the champions of the original ADA — signed by President George H. W. Bush in 1990 — for [...]
Working with the Department of Justice, President Obama announced two final rules that will amend Americans with Disabilities Act regulations that relate to Title II and Title III of the law. The changes will improve access to programs and services for people with disabilities, such as at baseball games and public swimming pools. Under the [...]
Kathy Martinez is assistant secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy, for the Department of Labor. A long-time disability advocate, Martinez, who is blind, spoke at the National Council on Disability’s national policy summit on what her office is doing to make sure more jobs go to people with disabilities. On working in Washington: It’s great to have [...]
As the nation celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, both private and public organization are making efforts to show their initiatives. Yahoo! today announced its new accessibility blog, led in part by Alan Brightman, who works on accessibility issues at the Internet company. The National Council on Disability has gathered [...]
He gets it, I said aloud to no one in particular. I listened to the robotic-sounding voice on my screen reader that was turning the words I was reading into comprehensible spoken text. I was talking about Samuel R. Bagenstos, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights division, who had just told the House Judiciary panel that access to new technologies for people with disabilities is “not simply a technical matter, but a fundamental issue of civil rights." All I have to say is Hallelujah!
I got two press releases yesterday. One from Hotels.com, and another from Expedia.com, both claiming that they have renovated their websites to let people with physical disabilities search for accessible hotel rooms. While this seems like good news, here’s what they didn’t say: 1. Customers can search for, but not book, accessible rooms. I thought the [...]
By Melissa Feldsher Princeton University consistently ranks at the top of all the college charts, but in the eyes of one student, the school is short one accolade — “best university for students with a learning disability.” On Jan. 11 — just before finals — a District Court in New Jersey will hear the case of [...]
President Obama says the government can do more to be a model to society, and has tasked several agencies with developing new plans and policies that will promote the hiring of disabled people for federal jobs in Washington. The move comes as the White House continues to recognize Disability Employment Awareness Month in October. “Across [...]
By Suzanne Robitaille A disabilities lawsuit against Walt Disney Co. has been dismissed, after a judge rejected a proposed settlement from three park-goers who sued Disney for not letting them bring Segway Personal Transporters into the park. Though Disney offers personal four-wheeled scooters to those who need mobility assistance, the plaintiffs claimed that a ban on [...]
The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission says it's likely against ADA policy to ask employees to disclose health information before signing up for company-sponsored insurance plans.
