JAN’s Workplace Accommodation Toolkit offers disability-related guidance for U.S. businesses. 

Morgantown, WV – The Job Accommodation Network (JAN), the leading source of free, expert and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues,  has developed an online tool to help U.S. businesses successfully recruit, hire and retain applicants and employees with disabilities. The newest addition to JAN’s suite of products, the Workplace Accommodation Toolkit packages JAN’s deep knowledge into an online platform with the information businesses need to create inclusive workplaces while complying with disability-related employment laws. 

“Recently JAN has seen an increase in requests for guidance related to the reasonable accommodation process and creating disability-inclusive workplaces. The Toolkit was designed to respond to these requests,” said Lou Orslene, JAN co-director.  It includes sample accommodation procedures, examples of policies and forms from leading U.S. businesses, training presentations, roleplay videos and best practices for creating an inclusive workplace for people with disabilities. The Toolkit provides inclusive practices at various phases of the employment life cycle for recruiters, hiring managers, and supervisors; human resource professionals; accommodation consultants; and allies of employees with disabilities. Checklists are also available to help keep track of the accommodation process.

The JAN Workplace Accommodation Toolkit was developed in consultation with Deb Dagit, from Deb Dagit Diversity, Inc.

The JAN Workplace Accommodation Toolkit can be accessed at: http://AskJAN.org/toolkit

For more information contact Lou Orslene @ 800-526-7234 Ext. 135 or Anne Hirsh Ext. 112.

This Toolkit release coincides with National Disability Employment Awareness Month #NDEAM  

About JAN 

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Policy (ODEP).  Working toward practical solutions that benefit both employer and employee, JAN helps people with disabilities enhance their employability, and shows employers how to capitalize on the value and talent that people with disabilities add to the workplace.

JAN’s trusted consultants offer one-on-one guidance on workplace accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related legislation, and self-employment and entrepreneurship options for people with disabilities. Assistance is available both over the phone and online. Those who can benefit from JAN’s services include private employers of all sizes, government agencies, employee representatives, and service providers, as well as people with disabilities and their families.

JAN serves as the most comprehensive job accommodation resource available. From Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurs, JAN has served customers across the United States and around the world for more than 30 years. Its consultants are thought leaders and innovators on disability employment issues, and all have earned at least one Master’s degree in their specialized fields, ranging from rehabilitation counseling to education and engineering.

An accessible trolley and spacious new restrooms near the Kidway are among new Minnesota State Fair accessible accommodations for 2016. Also available for 2016 is a list of accessible and affordable dining options. This year’s fair is August 25 through September 5 in Falcon Heights.

For more info, visit Access Press…

On July 26, 2016, ADA Celebration Committee and the disability community celebrate the 26th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. An event that day at the Minnesota History Center, 345 W Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, will bring together the rich variety of communities, ethnicities and identities that make up the disability community.

Festivities begin at 3:00 p.m. in the 3M Auditorium with keynote address by Ken Rodgers, chair of the Minneapolis Advisory Committee on People with Disabilities, followed by a panel discussion on the joys and challenges of living with a disability in a culturally diverse community. Panelists include Carlos Vazquez, SMG; Mai Thor, Metropolitan Council; Char Coal, artist and disability advocate; and Fardowsa Ali, Minnesota Deaf Muslim Community. Kenneth Brown, a disability and civil rights advocate, will moderate the panel that will conclude at 5:00.

“9 Nights of Music”, a popular MN History Center series, now in its 19th year, presents Minnesota’s multi-cultural artists at free outdoor performances. “9 Nights of Music” is thrilled that Angelique Lele, 2015 Miss Wheelchair Minnesota, and Young Dance will perform and provide dance instruction for the assembled audience of all abilities. Performance and lessons start at 6:30 p.m. Lele is a yoga teacher, actor and dancer, who landed in a wheelchair after a trapeze accident in 2012. She continues to perform in the world of integrative dance. Young Dance brings together youth of all abilities with professional artists to forge an inclusive, creative community. The dance performance will be followed at 7:00 p.m. by Tamarak, a driving, no-holds-barred, classic rock-n-roll band, whose drummer Curt Jones, is blind. The night’s festivities end at 8:30. For more information on the “9 Nights of Music” visit www.mnhs.org.

The event is free and open to the public. ASL interpreters, audio description and CART captioning will be provided. Food will be available for purchase. Go to www.disability.state.mn.us for more information or to request accommodations by July 12, or call the Minnesota Council on Disability, 651-361-7800, toll-free 1-800-945-8913.

The ADA celebration is made possible in part by a grant from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, in addition to partnerships with AMPERS, the Minnesota History Center, and 15 disability organizations and state agencies.

The ADA establishes protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided in the Civil Rights Act on the basis of race, sex, national origin, age, and religion; and ensures equal opportunity for access to businesses, employment, government programs and services, and telecommunications.

The ADA celebration is made possible in part by a grant from the Art and Cultural Heritage Fund. The Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grants Program has been made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008. Administered by the Minnesota Historical Society.

We would like to invite you to participate in a national survey titled, Transportation Access and Experiences, which is designed to improve understanding of accessibility of public transportation for people with disabilities. This survey is being conducted by the ADA Participation Action Research Consortium (ADA-PARC), a collaborative research project of ADA Regional Centers (PIs: Lex Frieden and Joy Hammel). This project focuses on community living, community participation & work/economic participation disparities of people with disabilities (For more information, visit the website: www.adaparc.org). We would like to improve our understanding on transportation access of people with disabilities and use this information to make improvements at regional and national levels.

We are very interested in receiving as many responses as possible from people with disabilities based on their personal experiences with public transportation. The results will serve as crucial evidence to support improvements to accessible transportation.

Please use the link below to access and complete the survey. The online survey can be completed in English or Spanish. This is the second round of data collection for this survey, so if you have already completed it, please do not complete the survey again.

If you would like to complete the survey by phone in English, please contact the research team at 312-996-9655. If you would like to complete the survey by phone in Spanish, please contact Ancel Montenelli at 312-413-1439. Please mention that you are calling about the ADA transportation survey.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this survey, please contact Jill Bezyak from the Rocky Mountain ADA Center at jill.bezyak@unco.edu.

https://unco.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_00wcGeTOzGL2lQ9

Sincerely,

Jill Bezyak, PhD, CRC, Licensed Psychologist
Associate Professor
Rehabilitation Counseling and Sciences
University of Northern Colorado

The Minnesota State Council on Disability is seeking your input on Minnesota’s disability parking regulations. The purpose of the survey is to evaluate how people use the disability parking, what issues are occurring if any, while using the disability parking and how to mediate these issues. The survey will provide valuable data needed to determine if changes need to be made to Minnesota’s disability parking statute. Your valuable insight is needed to help us determine next steps.
The survey can be found by using the following link:

http://www.disability.state.mn.us/2016/01/19/survey-2/

Minnesota State Council on Disability (MSCOD)
121 East 7th Place, Suite 107, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101
O: 651.361.7800
F: 651.296.5935
council.disability@state.mn.us
www.disability.state.mn.us

Ramsey County Parks & Recreation is proud to serve residents by providing open spaces and recreation opportunities. Research shows – and you know, too – that open space and recreation opportunities contribute to a better quality of life for you and your neighbors.

Ramsey County Parks & Recreation is proud of its efforts to make new sites usable by all, including those with and without disabilities. These steps help promote better health and better communities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became effective January 26, 1992. This comprehensive federal civil rights law requires Ramsey County to evaluate its sites and facilities, including those that existed before the ADA became law, to make sure that the opportunities at those sites and facilities are accessible to people with all types of disabilities. Towards that end, the county retained a nationally known firm, Recreation Accessibility Consultants, to develop an ADA transition plan to make the county’s parks and recreation sites accessible.

Recreation Accessibility Consultants has evaluated all sites within the Ramsey County parks system, from parks to ice arenas to golf courses to trails. Ramsey County will make changes to facilities and sites, but cannot make every change all at once. Work will be phased based on available resources while ensuring that accessible park and recreation opportunities are available throughout Ramsey County.

This fall, Recreation Accessibility Consultants is developing recommendations which will phase the county’s corrective accessibility work at sites throughout the parks system for years to come. Community engagement is a vital part of this process.

Invitation

Do you or a family member have a disability?

As a part of this process, Ramsey County Parks & Recreation wants your opinions! We’ll ask questions like the ones below…

Should golf courses have a higher access priority than other sites?

Should ice arenas have a higher access priority than other sites?

Should trails have a higher access priority than other park assets, such as playgrounds?

Should the basics, like parking and park restrooms, have a higher access priority than other park assets?

How far away from your home and your nearest park are you willing to go to find an accessible park?

Should regional parks have a higher priority than local parks, or vice versa?

We also want your general opinions about Ramsey County Parks & Recreation priorities and preferences regarding park and facility access. Knowing your beliefs and perceptions will help us be good stewards of the parks for you.

When and Where?

Ramsey County Parks & Recreation will hold three meetings.

• Wednesday, November 18

6 – 8 p.m.

Vadnais Sports Center, 1490 County Road E East, Vadnais Heights, MN 55110

• Thursday, November 19

10:30 a.m. – noon

Battle Creek Community Recreation Center, 75 S Winthrop St, St Paul, MN 55119

• Thursday, November 19 6 – 8 p.m.

Goodrich Golf Course Clubhouse, 1820 North Van Dyke Street, Maplewood, MN 55109

Please Respond…

We sincerely hope you will join us to be part of this important discussion. Please RSVP to scott.yonke@co.ramsey.mn.us.

If you’re unable to attend:

Submit feedback through an online survey.

Learn more about the Parks & Recreation ADA transition plan.

• October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Held each October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is a time to celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. The theme for this year — which marks 70 years since the first observance — is “My Disability is One Part of Who I Am.” Learn more at the Office of Disability Employment Policy website.
• MSCOD supports the VSA Minnesota event, “Minnesota Arts Access Chautauqua.” Please consider attending this fine event on Friday-Saturday, September 25-26, 2015 at the Cowles Center for Dance & Performing Arts in Minneapolis.
• Metropolitan Center for Independent Living’s annual event is coming up on October 6 and features Paralympic Athlete and MN native Chuck Aoki as keynote speaker!
• On Oct. 22, AuSM will bring together Minnesota’s top corporate leaders, business professionals, state agencies, and autism advocates for Autism in Business.

• MNBLN Presents: Career Fair with Private and Public Employers, including Resumé Review and Mock Interviews
• MNSCIA Presents: Resource Vendor Fair with Private and Public Resource Organizations
• Minnesota State Council on Disability (MSCOD) Breakout Sessions
• 25th Anniversary of the ADA Celebration Recap
• Artists & Performers with Disabilities
• tpt Live broadcast statewide Brown Bag Lunch featuring U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, Minnesota Policy Makers, Minnesota Employers, Minnesota Job Seekers and Employees.
• Statewide Employment Dialogue
• Q&A with U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and Featured Employers

Family day Celebration at the Minnesota History Center

345 W Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55102

Sunday, July 26, 2015
12 Noon – 4 PM
Free and Open to the Public

Entertainment & Activities