New York State finally got its act together and had accessible voting machines at the regular polling places that your neighbors go to.
This is my third time actually utilizing the machines as I had tested out in a remote voting place. It does take a lot more time as the technology is still new to the polling persons involved.
I was actually able to give the two women manning my accessible machine some advice they thought it was quite helpful. The whole scene was quite comical but by the end my vote went in without another person viewing it or commenting on my choice of candidate.
Welcome to the 21st century!
**It might be noted our NYS Governor did not use the new machines. There's controvesy in the "community". I'm still debating.
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( 3 / 157 )Mon Oct 27, 2008 4:28pm GMT
Link:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/healthNew ... 081027?sp= true
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study shows that women with a disability
are far more likely to experience a physical assault by a spouse or other
intimate partner than those without a disability.
Intimate partner violence is "an understudied issue in much need of
attention," Dr. Brian Armor, who led the study, told Reuters Health. "We need to ensure that prevention initiatives designed to reduce intimate partner violence explicitly include the needs of adults with disabilities
(e.g. ensuring shelters are accessible).
To estimate disability prevalence and differences in intimate partner abuse among women with and without a disability, Armor and his colleagues from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, analyzed data from theCDC's 2006 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System -- a large annual
telephone survey of Americans designed to monitor the prevalence of key health behaviors.
They found that women with a disability were significantly more likely than women without a disability to report experiencing some from of intimate partner violence in their lifetime (37.3 percent versus 20.6 percent).
Women with a disability were more likely to report ever being threatened with violence (28.5 percent vs 15.4 percent) and hit, slapped, pushed,kicked or physically hurt (30.6 percent vs. 15.7 percent) by an intimate partner.
Women with a disability were also much more apt to report a history of unwanted sex by an intimate partner (19.7 percent vs 8.2 percent).
"Future work is needed to get at why" this is so, said Armor, who reported the findings today at the American Public Health Association' s annual meeting in San Diego.
"Perhaps, women with disabilities are vulnerable to intimate partner
violence because their disability might limit mobility and prevent escape;shelters might not be available or accessible to women with disabilities; the disability might adversely affect communication and thus the ability to alert others or the perpetrator might control or restrict the victim's ability to alert others to the problem."
Fear is another possibility, Armor said. "That is, a catch-22, stemming from reliance on the perpetrator for caregiving needs that might go unmet or lead to some form of undesirable placement if they tell authorities. "
He concluded, "Since intimate partner violence is a public help problem, we need to ensure that prevention strategies for people with disabilities are widely adopted."
© Thomson Reuters 2008 All rights reserved
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( 3 / 170 )DBTAC- Northeast ADA Technical Bulletin: October 24, 2008
The DBTAC- Northeast ADA Center at Cornell University provides training, technical assistance and materials on the ADA and accessible information technology throughout New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This monthly technical bulletin is part of our dissemination efforts. If you have feedback on how to improve the bulletin, would like others in your organization added to our email list, or no longer wish to receive this bulletin, please call 1-800-949-4232 or email us at dbtacnortheast@cornell.edu. Thank you!
What’s New in the Northeast:
Deadline Extended for the DBTAC Northeast Train the Trainer Network
Participate in the ADA Trainer Network event on November 19th and 20th in Amherst, NY! Through this program, you will learn how to facilitate trainings on multiple disability and ADA related topics, as well as join the ADA Trainer Network as an active partner in building awareness, improving practices, and contributing to our understanding of how to craft powerful disability-related programs. New deadline for registering is October 30th. For more information and to register go to: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/dbtacnor ... ining.cfm.
HUD Charges New York City Co-op with Disability Discrimination:
On October 9th the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced that it has charged the Townsend House Corporation, a private cooperative in NYC, with violating the Fair Housing Act for refusing to allow tenants to obtain an emotional support animal. Read more at: http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?con ... 8-156.cfm.
New Jersey Jury Finds in Favor of Deaf Patient in a Denial of Interpreter Case:
A Hudson County jury awarded $400,000 to a deaf plaintiff who sued their doctor under the ADA, Rehabilitation Act, and New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination for refusing to provide a sign language interpreter during appointments. The plaintiff’s attorney says that this award is a national record for such a case in the nation. Read more about this case at: http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202425326286.
What’s New in the Rest of the Country:
Social Security Announces Benefit Increase for 2009:
Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 55 million Americans will increase 5.8 percent in 2009, marking the largest increase since 1982. The 5.8 percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) will begin for over 50 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2009 and increased payments to over 7 million SSI recipients will begin December 31st. Read more at: http://www.ssa.gov/pressoffice/pr/2009cola-pr.pdf.
Minorities with Disabilities Report Poorer Health:
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) an estimated 43 million Americans have some type of disability. A recent CDC study found that black, Hispanic, and Native Americans with a disability reported fair or poor health at excessively higher rates than white or Asian Americans. To access a U.S. News and World Report article on this study, go to: http://health.usnews.com/articles/healt ... ealth.html
Office of Congressional Accessibility Services Established:
In September, the Senate unanimously passed the Capitol Visitor Center Act of 2008 which will establish an Office of Congressional Accessibility Services (OCAS). The purpose of this office is to improve the level of accessibility to Congress and its activities for people with disabilities as well as provide training and information to staff regarding accessibility. Read the Capitol Visitor Center Act of 2008 (H.R. 5159) at: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin ... mp;docid=f:h5159enr.txt.pdf
Election 2008 News:
New Video on Voting Rights:
The Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York’s consumers, with staff guidance, filmed an eight minute video about the rights and accessibility issues of voters with disabilities. Watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBhWYFq1 ... ;eurl=http://www.cidny.org/cidnyweb/index.jsp
Presidential Candidates Reference Special Needs Population in Final Debate:
Children with disabilities, autism, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as well as the need for funding these issues, were all mentioned by both candidates during their final debate on October 15th held at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY. To read more about this and to access a full transcript of the debate, go to:
http://www.specialneedsanswers.com/reso ... ;section=4
Are You Preparing a Polling Site for the November 4th Election Day?
If so, you will want to peruse these resources for making voting more accessible:
Information on what types of materials should be posted: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/misc/po ... 23.03.html
Accessible Polling Places Checklist: http://www.ada.gov/votingck.htm
Additional information and resources from Disabilityinfo.gov:
http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-pub ... lderId=238
Where the Presidential Candidates Stand
This link is to a comparison chart provided by the Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS) that lists the candidates’ positions on disability-related issues (Note that neither the OLRS nor the DBTAC endorses any political party or candidate): http://www.olrs.ohio.gov/prescompare.htm.
Opportunities for YOU:
FREE Online Webinar about the 2007 Disability Status Report:
Cornell University’s Employment and Disability Institute, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Demographics and Statistics have discovered that in 2007, 36.9 percent of working age people with disabilities were employed compared to 79.7 percent of people without disabilities. Furthermore 24.7 percent of working age Americans with disabilities lived in poverty compared to 9.0 percent of those without disabilities. Learn more about these and other findings of the 2007 Disability Status Report through a FREE online webinar November 12th from 12:00-1:00pm EST. Cornell University experts in disability statistics and research will lead this webinar that will explore 2007 American Community Survey data related to disability and employment, education, poverty, household income and labor earnings while emphasizing the relevance of these statistics to the process of policy development and implementation that relates to Americans with disabilities. To register please go to: www.DisabilityStatistics.org.
Leadership Summit on Medicare Calls for Presenters:
The World Congress 5th Annual Leadership Summit on Medicare, Solutions to Maximize Profitability, Maintain Compliance and Ensure Program Solvency in the New Era of Healthcare Reform to be held July 13-14, 2009 in Washington, D.C., is actively seeking speakers. The conference will address and discuss issues facing Medicare today and in the future. All speakers will receive free admission to the event. For consideration and to receive information on proposal guidelines, e-mail Ann McGrath at ann.mcgrath@worldcongress.com. Submission deadline: Friday, November 7, 2008.
Special Spotlight: National Disability Employment Awareness Month:
For 20 years now, October has been designated “National Disability Employment Awareness Month”. This effort to educate Americans about disability and employment issues actually began in 1945 when Congress declared the first week in October "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In the early ‘60’s the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. Then in 1988, Congress expanded the effort from a week to a month and changed the name to "National Disability Employment Awareness Month”. To learn more, go to: http://www.dol.gov/odep/index.htm. Read more below about specific national and regional efforts to support and celebrate this issue!
Disability Mentoring Day Held on October 15th:
Disability Mentoring Day (DMD), sponsored annually by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), is a large-scale national effort to help students and job seekers with disabilities learn about careers and build critical mentoring relationships through a variety of activities including job fairs and on-site job shadowing with the goal of earning internship and employment opportunities. DMD connects nearly 20,000 job-seekers with disabilities with thousands of employers in more than 300 locations in every U.S. State and Territory and in more than 24 countries worldwide each year. It is recognized nationally on the third Wednesday of every October as part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month and is coordinated and promoted at local and state levels through a network of DMD Coordinators. To learn more about Disability Mentoring Day efforts at the national and local levels, and to find a Disability Mentoring Day Coordinator in your area in preparation for next year, go to:
http://aapddc.org/AAPDRedesign/DMD/DMD.html
Federal Government Agencies Encouraged to Tap Hidden Talent:
The National Security Agency and the Federal Disability Workforce Consortium is working to reverse a troubling trend in federal hiring. Despite federal agencies' access to hiring authorities and funding to employ people with disabilities, their numbers have declined steadily over the last ten years with the ranks of disabled employees being only .9 percent of their workforce. Advocates in government say that agencies should increase this to 2 percent by 2010. The Federal Disability Workforce Consortium is also sending the message, particularly this month, that hiring disabled employees is not just about social justice, it is good business sense for agencies to look to the underemployed community of disabled individuals to fill their rapidly growing number of open job positions. Read more at:
http://www.govexec.com/features/1008-01/1008-01s3.htm
The Department of Labor Honors Ernst & Young with the 2008 New Freedom Initiative Award:
Cutting-edge technology to help employees with disabilities perform efficiently, accessibility efforts that go above and beyond ADA compliance, and their disability-aware corporate culture and empowering environment are among the reasons why Ernst & Young was the recipient of this prestigious award that honors corporations, non-profits, and small businesses for their efforts to further the employment and work environment for individuals with disabilities. The New Freedom Initiative, introduced by President George W. Bush in 2001 and coordinated by the Office of Disabilities Employment Policy, is a government-wide effort to promote disability inclusiveness into mainstream American life. Read more about this initiative and Ernst & Young’s achievements at:
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/e ... ;dist=hppr
See you in a few weeks!!!
DBTAC-Northeast
ILR-Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell University
1-800-949-4232 (NY,NJ,PR,VI)
Email: dbtacnortheast@cornell.edu
Website: www.dbtacnortheast.org
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( 3 / 138 )Traveling with Service Animals on Public Transportation.
Free audio conference will address topic of traveling with service
animals on public transportation
Save the Date!!
Easter Seals Project ACTION will host a free audio conference from 2-3
p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, Nov. 5, on the topic of traveling with
service animals on public transportation. The presenter will be ESPA's
manager of training Donna Smith. Simple telephone access is all that is
needed to participate in the event, but registration is required.
The topic is the first of nine audio conferences and Webinars scheduled for Project ACTION's 2008-09 train-the-trainer program, "People on the Move: Using All Transportation Options (ADA and Beyond)."
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( 3.1 / 97 )ACTION ALERT: Tell Florida Secretary of State to Permit Accessibility Survey of Polling Places
Thanks to the leadership of the Senate Select Commitee on Aging and the Senate Rules Committee, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is conducting a national voting accessibility survey during this November's general election. The GAO will send federal researchers to observe and measure the level of access at various polling places nationwide gather data for an updated report on access (a similar report was done in 2000).
Florida's Secretary of State, Kurt Browning, has refused to allow the survey to take place in his state. 29 Secretaries of State are permitting the survey to go forward in their states. What does Secretary Browning have to hide?
TAKE ACTION!
Contact Secretary Browning at 850-245-6501 and ask him to permit the accessibility survey to go ahead.
For information, contact Jim Dickson at AAPD at vote@aapd.com.
Read More...
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