people with disabilities

individuals with disabilities. At SSB, we see this as a compelling competitive advantage. It allows us to offer solutions to our customers that address their core concerns.” Tim Springer, Founder and CEO of SSB BART Group The goal of the Curb Cuts to the Middle Class Initiative – a federal cross agency initiative – is to coordinate and leverage existing resources to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. This resource guide is an example of federal agencies working together to ensure employers have the tools and resources they need to recruit, hire, retain, and promote people with disabilities.

Communicating with People with a Disability It is not uncommon for some of us to be uncomfortable around people with disabilities. We may be unsure of what to do, how to act, what is correct, and what will offend. The most effective strategy is to be sensitive, fl exible and honest. A lack of

In institutional settings, power imbalances often exist between service providers and people they serve?. Research has shown that people with disabilities who live in institutions are mo[r]

examined the experiences of people who share the same functional and/or access needs. Second, while studies have found differences in mortality rates, preparedness, evacuation behaviors, and services post-disaster in particular disasters, for robustness these findings would need to be observed in other disaster settings. Third, most research to date has been focused on data and reports gathered at a single point in time, rather than following the long term experiences of people with disabilities across time. As research suggests that recovery from disaster is more complex and requires additional support (Stough, Sharp, Decker, & Wilker, 2010; Stough, Sharp, Resch, Decker, & Wilker, 2015), investigations of recovery are particularly of interest. Fourth, limited work has been done on how people with disabilities enact disaster risk, despite evidence they can create disaster risk reduction strategies which are not only personal and local, but structural and systemic (Stough & Kelman, 2015). Finally, as discussed at the beginning of this chapter, multiple definitions and conceptions of disability are used across disciplines and across researchers, making recommendations for people with specific functional needs problematic.

Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) in developing countries have long tried to advocate better access to microfinance for their members. However, if any answer is given at all, the message from the MFIs is normally that people with disabilities are a group too risky for lending and that their savings capacity is limited. Owing to the general misun- derstanding within society that people with disabilities are ‘destitute’ and without the knowledge, skills and opportunities to operate busi- nesses successfully, the MFIs generally shy away from clients with disabilities. However, in doing so they miss an important business opportunity, and fail to reach out to the poorest and the most mar- ginalised – hence failing to implement the double bottom-line policy of reaching both financial and social objectives, with which nearly all MFIs claim to be acting in accordance (UN, 2006; Helms, 2006). Adding to the challenge of persuading MFIs to target people with disabilities is the fact that DPOs, in their advocacy efforts, often dem- onstrate limited knowledge about microfinance. After all, microfinance is about the provision of working capital and financial services for sustainable businesses and individuals with lending and/or savings capacities. Advocacy to improve access to microfinance that fails to keep in mind the MFIs’ business models (and the rationales behind them) risks being counterproductive. This leads to lost opportunities for both the MFIs and people with disabilities – the former miss out on an important market segment while the latter continue to be left out of the benefits of microfinance. A situation of asymmetric information is currently prevailing in the microfinance disability market. We therefore want to make the case for information dissemination and awareness creation among the microfinance providers as well as among DPOs and disabled people in general. In order to assure improved access to microfinance opportunities in the future, it is important to understand better what microfinance is and the reasons why people with disabili- ties tend to be excluded from it.

1. Overview This Good Practice Guide has been designed by AMTA to encourage and assist Australia’s mobile telecommunications industry 1 , to enhance and develop, on a continuing basis, the accessibility of its products and services to people with disabilities. Recognising that many aspects of mobile telephony already offer benefits to people with disabilities, and although the Australian industry enjoys only a limited capacity to influence equipment design and availability, our aim is to foster innovation in these areas where possible.

Assessment of need for children under five The Disability Act 2005 provides for, among other things, the assessment of need of people with disabilities and the consequent drawing up of service statements that outline how these needs will be met. Currently the rules about the assessment of need only apply to children under five. Children are entitled to an assessment of need if their disability means that they need services to be provided early in life to lessen the effects of the disability. The parent or guardian of children under five must apply in writing to the Health Service Executive (HSE) for an assessment. It was announced in 2009 that further implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act and further implementation of the Disability Act were being deferred.

This factsheet gives a general overview of the accommodation options for people with disabilities including supports for adapting a home. Owning a home You may not be discriminated against on grounds of your disability when accessing a commercial mortgage. If you cannot afford to buy a house in this way, you may qualify for a local authority loan, affordable housing or shared ownership.

Many people with disabilities have found that high-speed broadband Internet access provides them with many unprecedented opportunities to access information and services. Whether a person has a mobility impairment or chronic fatigue, options such as telecare and telework can improve their qual- ity of life. Telework allows people with disabilities to work from their home, a convenience that can mean the difference between employment and un- employment for individuals unable to commute. In addition, working from home may provide a person with a disability a more accessible and flexible work environment. Telework also benefits companies who can use this benefit to retain productive employees who face short-term or long-term disabilities.

http://www.ncd.gov/policy/emergency_management National Council on Disability: Emergency Management This page has links to several reports, including Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning and The Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on People with Disabilities: A Look Back and the Remaining Challenges. Findings and recommendations contained in the publications in this section come from analyses of applicable laws, regulations, policy guidance, barriers, promising practices, and emergency management models that include active involvement of knowledgeable people with disabilities during each phase.

Screening and interviewing Guide to Hiring People with Disabilities 13 Shawna Debernitz Shawna Debernitz, 44, of Joshua, Texas would settle for noth- ing less than a good job. She is a single parent raising two teenagers and she has hearing loss in both of her ears due to a congenital condition. When Shawna first came to DARS, she had difficulty answering calls at work because she could not hear the caller. DARS provided her with assistive devices, includ- ing a programmable hearing aid and a Sonic Boom alarm clock that vibrates the bed to wake her up for work. DARS also helped with the Certificate for Deafness Tuition Waiver program, which helps pay costs of online classes and other support assistance. After receiving DARS services, Shawna returned to a job she enjoyed at a company that provides disaster relief clean-up teams. Shawna is part of the company’s first crew to specialize in hazardous materials clean-up. Shawna is using the skills she learned with the help of DARS to help her team be more effective on the job; she has even taught her coworkers sign language.

Fixed-route public transit is the goal of the ADA for those who are able to use it. Paratransit was envisioned only for those people with disabilities who are unable to use mass transit systems, not for those who merely choose paratransit. Several methods have been used to encourage use of fixed route systems, rather than paratransit, when possible. In addition, in the context of limited federal funding, agencies have had to find ways to control the soaring costs of paratransit. These include removing barriers to fixed transit (for instance, adding curb cuts to make streets more accessible); making fixed-route service more ADA compliant; implementing fare incentive programs on fixed-route transit; ensuring more accurate eligibility determinations; and adding disincentives such as charging premium fares for special services. Some agencies have also offered travel training to teach individuals with disabilities to use fixed route systems and to transition riders from paratransit to fixed routes. Sometimes the biggest impediment to greater use of mass transit by an individual with a disability is fear or inexperience.

created to decrease some forms of discrimination against individuals with disabilities (http:// www. ol. gov). Section 2 of Finding and Purpose (http:// www. dol. gov) states that Americans with disabilities encounter problems in areas of “ employment, housing, public accommodation, education, and access to public services. ” Although it is almost impossible to believe that segregation takes place in United States today, it unfortunately does. People with disabilities have hard times in finding jobs due to discrimination in the workplace. Schupner, who has sensory disability, tells us (2004, p. 1), her experience took place last summer.

1 Access Guide The following guide is for people with disabilities. We at the Millennium Forum strive to provide great service to all our customers. This includes visitors with access and mobility requirements. The Millennium Forum aims to be accessible to all and we are committed to enabling all our customers to participate in our events equally. The Millennium Forum remains one of the most inclusive environments within the province, where each area within the Centre is accessible for wheel chair users.

o Even people with disabilities who hold professional degrees (including law degrees) are underemployed. PWD with graduate degrees are employed at less than 2/3 the rate of those without a disability (47% vs. 87% in 2014) ix . While the statistics are daunting, some people with disabilities have beaten the odds. In the course of our interviews, we met Michelle Duprey, an attorney who uses a wheelchair and has carved out a rewarding, successful career that started at a law firm and transitioned to a solo practice. She now uses her legal training in her current position in the Department of Services for Persons with Disabilities for the City of New Haven. However, her story, which we explore throughout the report, illustrates some of the major challenges that people with disabilities must overcome along the educational and

With more people with disabilities finding passion and ability in the arts, there exists a growing need to provide opportunities for art participation to the same extent as their peers without disabilities. The general philosophies of participation in the visual arts by people with disabilities, as discussed in previous sections, include: art for recreation, art for creative growth, art education, art therapy, and art for employment. In many ways, these philosophies overlap in the resources and programs that currently exist in the United States. A community-based arts program for adults with disabilities serves several different functions and operates in a variety of ways. The most common example of the supported employment model exists in dedicated art centers for adults with disabilities. In these programs, adults with disabilities participate in visual arts production through a variety of mediums, with supports of the program staff. The staff typically consists of art therapists, art educators, or local community artists. Participants typically pay a sliding-scale fee to participate, and then receive staff supports and materials from the studio. Further, there is a typically an adjacent gallery where participants can display their pieces. This gallery is usually visible in a local community, and many participants sell their work in this way. In addition, these studio programs provide an opportunity for adults with disabilities to find success in the Outsider Art world. Notably, art centers modeled after Elias and Florence Katz’s innovative centers in California have been most successful at marketing the work of their participants to Outsider Art museums and galleries across the United States.

It is generally accepted that full and effective participation in society, as outlined in the CRPD, includes the right to work. A key objective of the International Labour Organisation is the promotion of decent work. This includes ‘the aspirations of people in their working lives around opportunities and income; rights, voice and recognition; family stability and personal development; and fairness and gender equality.’ 15 In addition, the CRPD emphasises the importance of states promoting ‘awareness of the capabilities and contributions of persons with disabilities,’ including ensuring ‘recognition of the skills, merits and abilities of persons with disabilities, and of their contributions to the workplace and the labour market’. 16 It is important to note that this approach is rooted in the belief that people with disabilities can and do make a positive contribution to the labour market: a contribution that is missed if they are excluded. This assumption is not explicit in the laws of Lebanon or the occupied Palestinian territory.

As you know, Chance 2 Dance is always looking for ways to support people with disabilities and their families. We are particularly interested in learning how we can improve our programming and understand its impact on our students. Chance 2 Dance has teamed up with researchers and students from Rollins College to get a better sense our community’s needs. They’re hoping you may be interested in participating in their research! They are looking to interview parents of the toddler class and of the advanced/performance class. Interviews will occur in person at a secure location in the Chance 2 Dance studio or nearby at the local Starbucks/Seminole County Public Libray, and typically last between 30 minutes and an hour. If you are interested in participating, please contact Dr. Sarah Parsloe at (407)646-2394 or at sparsloe@rollins.edu for more

Basic Care Program. People with disabilities are enrolled in special needs plans, unless they choose to opt out of managed care enrollment and remain in fee-for-service. Enrollee Cost-Sharing Federal law requires Medicaid cost-sharing to be “nominal.” Cost-sharing does not apply to pregnant women and children. In Minnesota, the MA payment rate is reduced by the amount of the copayment. A recent district court ruling held that providers cannot deny services to enrollees who do not pay the copayment. MA enrollees are subject to the following cost-sharing:

The SPD mission is to make it possible to become independent, healthy and safe. SPD contributes to the DHS mission by helping seniors and people with disabilities of all ages achieve well-being through opportunities for community living, employment, family support and services that promote independence, choice and dignity.