FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative

FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 

UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative

Through the Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative, U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the nation partner with the Department’s Civil Rights Division to target their enforcement efforts on a critical area for individuals with disabilities. This initiative makes sure that people with disabilities, especially those who are deaf or have hearing loss, have access to medical information provided to them in a manner that is understandable to them. The Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative is a multi-phase plan that will also involve other key issues for people with disabilities, including ensuring physical access to medical buildings.
The Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorneys’ offices have long enforced the ADA in this area. This nationwide initiative seeks to focus and leverage the Department’s resources together and aggregate the collective message that disability discrimination in health care is illegal and unacceptable.

• Settlement Agreement Between the United States of America and Northshore University Healthsystems (signed June 28, 2012)
  
• Settlement Agreement Between the United States of America and Steven Senica, M.D., and Senica Bruneau, Ltd. (signed June 11, 2012)
• Settlement Agreement Between the United States of America and Richard Noren, M.D., Henry Kurzydlowski, M.D., and Pain Care Consultant, Inc. (signed April 3, 2012)
• Settlement Agreement Between Jessie Fox, the United States of America, and Trinity Regional Medical Center and Trinity Health Systems (signed March 29, 2012)
• Settlement Agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act Between the United States of America and the Henry Ford Health System (signed February 1, 2012)
• Consent Decree under the Americans with Disabilities Act Between The United States Of America and Cheshire Medical Center, Keene Health Alliance, and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic D/B/A Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene (signed October 31, 2011)

U.S. Attorney Program for ADA Enforcement

For more than 15 years, U.S. Attorneys have been a critical force multiplier with the Civil Rights Division in enforcing the ADA through the U.S. Attorney Program for ADA Enforcement with the Disability Rights Section. Eighty-four U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the Nation currently participate in this critical and unique partnership effort and have resolved hundreds of matters involving core issues ranging from accessible voting, access to places of public accommodation and state and local governmental facilities, and discriminatory policies, practices and procedures.

Offices of the United States Attorneys:http://www.justice.gov/usao/
http://www.justice.gov/usao/about/offices.html

Access Board Webinar on Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment (December 6)

Access Board Webinar on Accessible Medical Diagnostic Equipment (December 6)

The next webinar in the Board's monthly series will take place December 6 from 2:30 – 4:00 (ET) and provide an update on the Board’s development of new accessibility standards for medical diagnostic equipment. These standards will address access to examination tables and chairs, weight scales, mammography equipment, and other equipment used for diagnostic purposes. To register for this free webinar, visit www.accessibilityonline.org. Questions for the webinar can be submitted in advance through this website.

Webminar SS504 - UFAS - FHA - ADA from ADAAG Consulting Services
www.adaag-consulting.com
www.naaconline.org

October 24, 2012

Working at Home Can Change Your Life

Categories: Employment, My Story

By Guest Blogger Lori Adler, Ticket to Work Participant & Public Relations Specialist for Employment Options, Inc.
I hated the inevitable question, “What do you do for a living?” I didn’t want to say I was on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). I didn’t want to tell anyone that I did not have a job. But that was the truth. I had a disability, and it interfered with my ability to work locally.
This was a hard time for me. I had too much time on my hands. I missed having a set routine. Moreover, I missed that feeling of being productive and the intrinsic sense of pride that comes from having a job. I also missed the paycheck!
A few years went by and then, I learned the Social Security Administration had created a return-to-work program for people with disabilities, like me, receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. Even though I had not worked in a long time, I still believed that I had abilities and skills to offer the working world. I just had no idea how to go about getting a job or whether I could handle the “work world” again. Moreover, I was afraid. As much as I needed more money, I simply could not afford to lose my monthly cash or health benefits.
However, this Social Security Administration return-to-work program, officially called the Ticket to Work program, was free, which made my ears perk up. They also told me I wouldn’t lose my cash benefits or medical care all at once. It is a gradual program with a large safety net.
If I wanted to try it out, all I had to do was contact an employment network (EN) that was certified to handle program participants. I called Employment Options, because I liked the name. After I finished all my screenings, they told me I would be a good candidate for working from home.
At first, I didn’t think I was cut out for working from home, but then I began to realize what a great deal it was for people with disabilities and their employers. American companies save on all the overhead, while the employee avoids all the cost and time of commuting. Plus, and perhaps most important, the workspace and work environment is already set up with accommodations for a person’s particular disability.
Working from home through the Ticket to Work program has been life changing for me. I feel I got a second chance at a career because I had the help I needed to get a good job that fits my needs. Ticket To Work gave me that cushion to transition back to work, which means now I can answer the question, “What do you for a living?” with a big smile.
For More Information:

• To earn about the Ticket to Work program, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/work or call 1-866-968-7842 (1-866-833-2967 TTY/TDD).

• To find an employment network (EN), like Employment Options, near you, go to http://www.chooseworkttw.net/resource/jsp/searchByState.jsp or call 1-866-968-7842 (1-866-833-2967 TTY/TDD).

• To learn more about Employment Options, visit http://myemploymentoptions.com/for-job-seekers/.

• To find out about the full and part time work at home jobs with reputable national companies that Employment Options is currently offering, visit http://myemploymentoptions.com/work-at-home-jobs/. 

Lori Adler is a Public Relations Specialist for Employment Options, Inc., a nationally-recognized Certified Social Security Administration (SSA) Employment Network for the Ticket to Work program. The company has been in business for over 20 years and handles both work-at-home and on-site job placement. 
* Please note: the links above are provided for informational purposes only. Disability.gov does not endorse any particular EN or other service providing part time or full time employment opportunities.

Source: http://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2012/10/24/working-at-home-can-change-your-life/

Access Board Webinar on Accessible Historic Buildings and Facilities (November 1)

Access Board Webinar on Accessible Historic Buildings and Facilities (November 1)

The next webinar in the Board's monthly series will take place November 1 from 2:30 – 4:00 (ET) and will cover access to historic buildings and facilities. The session will focus on addressing accessibility in planned alterations to qualified historic facilities and review permitted exceptions where State Historic Preservation officials determine that compliance would threaten or destroy a facility’s historic significance. To register for this free webinar, visit www.accessibilityonline.org. Questions for the webinar can be submitted in advance through this website.

October 19, 2012

Workplace Flexibility Toolkit: For Workers with Disabilities, and Beyond

Categories: Employment

By Guest Blogger Megan Totka, Editorial Director, ChamberofCommerce.com
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and this year’s theme, “A Strong Workforce is an Inclusive Workforce: What Can YOU Do?” celebrates the many and varied talents of America’s workers with disabilities. In celebration of NDEAM, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez recently wrote a blog about the value of work and its intrinsic link to individual identity. In her post, she encourages employers to foster workplaces that accommodate people of all ability levels and people with disabilities to respond with a strong work ethic.
In his NDEAM Proclamation, President Barack Obama put his support behind the government’s push to keep people with disabilities working. He said that all Americans have the right to a “level playing field” when it comes to making a living and building a life for themselves and their families.
With those goals in mind, and to help government agencies, private companies and individuals looking for ways to improve the workplace for employees of all abilities, the Department of Labor (DOL) recently unveiled a new virtual toolkit on workplace flexibility. The toolkit was created through a partnership between the department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and DOL’s Women’s Bureau, and includes more than 170 resources to help employers come up with the best working plan for employees that need flexibility regarding time, location or manner of work.
The toolkit includes:

• Fact sheets;
• Tips for employers and workers;
• Relevant articles and case studies; and
• Links to helpful resources & websites.

The toolkit is also searchable, providing visitors with the specific information that they need in an easy to use manner. Information is categorized by audience (e.g. employee, employer, policymaker), types of workplace flexibility (e.g. time, task, place) and frequently asked questions. The toolkit includes a variety of ways to improve workplace flexibility that are easy to understand and realistic to implement, and will be continuously updated as new information becomes available.
It makes sense that the federal government would take the lead on this initiative, since today it employs more people with disabilities than at any time in the past two decades. Those that back the initiative, like Secretary Martinez, believe that it has the potential to provide mutual benefits to employers and workers, citing benefits to employers like increased retention and productivity, and an overall stronger economic climate.
The idea of workplace flexibility applies not only to workers with disabilities, but also to anyone with life situations that make traditional work pursuits more challenging, such as parents of young children, older workers, single parents and family caregivers. Anyone that feels they cannot work up to his or her full potential because of a personal situation is encouraged to visit the site and make use of the information.
Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She specializes in the topic of small business tips and resources. The Chamber helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide.  Megan also specializes in disability support and insurance.

Source: http://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2012/10/19/workplaceflexibility/

October 17, 2012

NDEAM 2012: Establishing Gainful Employment and Respect – The GEAR Foundation

Categories: Community Life, Employment

By Dave Krikac, CEO & Founder, Our Thrift Store, a program of The GEAR Foundation 
For my entire life, I have been a go-getter. I was born with a LOT of energy for SURE. Working in various fields throughout my life from the police force to marketing to airplane building, my experiences have given me an extensive resume. Job security was never something that I worried much about, as I was confident in my ability to keep a good job – but one day, I was thrown for a loop that changed everything.
In 2003, I was let go from my job as a result of the economic downturn, and soon realized that finding a new job was not going to be simple. I dedicated my time and efforts into securing a job for myself; but shortly thereafter, I had the revelation that my job was actually to secure a job for my daughter, who is autistic and found nothing but dead ends after her high school graduation. This change of heart came on strongly and suddenly, and my wife, Sandy, and I began to pursue the possibilities of this endeavor.

Creating a job for Sara (or Princess Sara as she prefers to be called) quickly turned into a mission of creating jobs for other special adults in the community. We discovered that our family was not the only one who had been discouraged in the search for job opportunities for our special needs family member. The majority of available jobs tended to be things that were “left over,” the least desirable and paid minimum wage. There were very few environments that provided the nurturing and love that could build Sara and her friends up and give them dignified work – and we knew that that needed to change. Hence, The GEAR (Gainful Employment and Respect) Foundation was founded.
Since 2004, we have created jobs for multiple special needs neighbors in the area. We started out as a 7,000 sq ft donation-based thrift store, appropriately called “Our Thrift Store,” and have been expanding ever since. We now have more than twice that amount of space, an entire furniture/appliance store and a fulfillment center, where we run an eBay business for employees with mobility issues, and complete fulfillment projects for local businesses. The outpouring of support from the surrounding community has been overwhelming, and we are constantly restocking the store with donated items from clothing to couches. The “stuff” that we receive gets converted into much needed jobs during the procedure of processing the items. We strive to provide a loving and fun environment, where our employees earn a sense of self respect, responsibility and ultimately, independence.
Among our employees, we also have had many success stories. One example is our friend, Chris. At his last job washing dishes, he never spoke. He never engaged with the people around him or said a word to anybody during the work day – he just washed the dishes and went home. Well, that is hard for us to believe, because since working here, he has completely come out of that shell and his personality shines through all day long. He has even decided to be in our first Christmas production and volunteered for a solo singing part! The impact of a loving work environment has absolutely changed his demeanor.
Another success story is Robert. When he came to work with us, we were told that he had an extremely low IQ and would never be able to drive, much less live independently. He has sure proven those assumptions wrong! Currently, he is our computer expert, drives himself to work every day and even lives on his own in an apartment close to work. All he needed was someone to go the extra mile in building him up, and now he is self-sufficient.
Since I had the blessing of being let go from my job, God has made the path clear as to what I should devote my efforts to and has completely had his hand on this venture. The ability to love and build up these adults, who many times are looked over, has been something more fulfilling than any other corporate job, and we continue to see the impact on a daily basis.
For more information about The GEAR Foundation and Our Thrift Store, please visit www.OurThriftStore.org

Source: http://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2012/10/17/ndeam-2012-establishing-gainful-employment-and-respect-the-gear-foundation/