California Department of Rehabilitation’s Post

For most, this will mean less, until you ask yourself "What is the real meaning of Inclusion and Equity, then reread the judgement against the School System which should have had a Webster's Dictionary nearby to validate their less than exemplary results for our Deaf Children and Families... --------------------------------------------------------- Feb 14, 2024 - US Justice Department Finds Nebraska School District has Discriminated Against Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students... The Justice Department announced today that Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) in Lincoln, Nebraska, violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by denying some Deaf and Hard of Hearing students an equal opportunity to attend their neighborhood schools. The Department found that, when LPS believed that a student required America Sign Language interpretation, LPS then required the student to attend a cluster school serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. ***In applying this policy, LPS has not considered the individualized needs of Deaf and Hard of Hearing students, denying them an equal opportunity to participate in neighborhood school and high school choice programs, & fails to provide effective Communication Accommodation to some Deaf and Hard of Hearing students… To learn more, see the press release and read our letter of findings. For more information on the ADA, please visit ADA.gov or call the toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264).

Knowing The ADA And The Rights Of Deaf and Hard Of Hearing Individuals Understanding Deafness: Before diving into the legal framework of Deaf rights, it’s essential to understand Deafness itself. Deafness is not simply the absence of hearing; it encompasses a cultural identity and a community with its own language, American Sign Language (ASL). For many Deaf individuals, ASL is their primary mode of communication, and it plays a crucial role in their daily lives. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA): Enacted in 1990, the ADA is a landmark piece of legislation that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including employment, education, transportation, and public accommodations. It was a groundbreaking step towards ensuring equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities, including those who are Deaf or hard of hearing. To read this month’s full blog check out the link below. https://lnkd.in/eC8y6djM

DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) is an important concept businesses/organizations should strive for but often, those with disabilities are left out. That is why this new concept, IDEA, is starting to gain popularity because it adds ACCESS to the equation. By acknowledging that access matters, we ensure that everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, can fully participate in all aspects of life. What do you think of this concept? ID: Blue background with I D E A in black at the top. Underneath each letter, it continues to spell out what the letter stands for in white lettering: Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access. In the right corner are 4 symbols representing some accommodations: Closed Captions, wheelchair accessible, ASL interpreter, Braille.

This election season, the votes of one million Deaf Americans are up for grabs. What do they need to participate? "To feel like citizens...we need not only access, but meaningful engagement across differences." https://lnkd.in/eNgARg9z Campaigns must, at a minimum, accurately caption their videos. But as noted by this article, real accessibility and inclusion go beyond that. Campaigns, especially larger campaigns at the state & national level, should have ASL interpreters at events. And true inclusion means more than accessibility. Campaigns should be reaching out to the Deaf community, meaningfully engaging with Deaf supporters, and learning about what they care about as voters. #Election2024 #DisabilityRights #Deaf Image description: an excerpt from the news article "Presidential campaigns that receive federal funding are legally required to caption their ads, but captions can be glitchy or inaccurate, and most candidates don't hire interpreters for live events. And captions do not always provide sufficient access. ASL is its own language separate from English, with its own grammar, word order and idioms. When deciding who to support, deaf voters may be interested in candidates' stances on issues related to their disability, such as funding for specialist schools, but they are focused on the same issues other Americans care about too."

Knowing The ADA And The Rights Of Deaf and Hard Of Hearing Individuals Understanding Deafness: Before diving into the legal framework of Deaf rights, it’s essential to understand Deafness itself. Deafness is not simply the absence of hearing; it encompasses a cultural identity and a community with its own language, American Sign Language (ASL). For many Deaf individuals, ASL is their primary mode of communication, and it plays a crucial role in their daily lives. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA): Enacted in 1990, the ADA is a landmark piece of legislation that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including employment, education, transportation, and public accommodations. It was a groundbreaking step towards ensuring equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities, including those who are Deaf or hard of hearing. To read this month’s full blog check out the link below. https://lnkd.in/e8Yq-rJg

The Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) offers specialized training sessions on cultural competency, effective communication best practices, and accessibility for the deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing community. These trainings can be tailored to your audience and specific needs and can be conducted in person or virtually. Additionally, MDCR's Division can partner with other units within the Department to provide relevant training for the disability community. Enhance your organization’s inclusivity and accessibility by scheduling a session today https://lnkd.in/ePgzRViD [ALT Text: The image has a dark blue background. The logo for the MDCR is at the bottom. Large white text covers most of the image and reads, Michigan Department of Civil Rights Trainings, Receive training specifically tailored to your audience and your needs. Such as cultural competency, effective communication best practices, and accessibility for the deaf, deafblind, and hard-of-hearing community.]

Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the ADA. For deaf people, the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) ensures that they have equal access to opportunities and services. This includes provisions for communication accessibility, such as providing interpreters, closed captioning, or other auxiliary aids, to ensure effective communication in various settings, including workplaces, public spaces, educational institutions, and more. The ADA aims to break down barriers and promote inclusion, empowering deaf individuals to participate fully in all aspects of society. Yet we have so much work to do to ensure that this law is being enforced in the workplace and medical sector and beyond. #ADA #CommunicationAccess #Training #SignLanguage #Translation #InclusionMatters #DEIA #ADACompliance #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

Introducing deaf together, a new campaign to end the inequalities we face. Join us in the fight for deaf equality! #deaftogether www.deaftogether.org.uk Video description: an animated video of the words 'deaf together' transitioning to different colour backgrounds and text. It begins with a turquoise background with yellow text, then a yellow background with blue text, then a pink background with yellow text, then a green background with white text, then a yellow background with orange text and lastly an orange background with white text. This repeats back to the beginning. End of description.

Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, otherwise known as ADA! The ADA is one of the key initiators of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and many other areas of life. It’s a great time to celebrate, explore and learn more about the ongoing impact it has had on our society. Here is an interesting blog from Swati Misra, web compliance specialist at Güd Marketing, on emerging technologies and how they impact and support ADA compliance today. Give it a read now: bit.ly/477zviM. #NationalDisabilityIndependenceDay #ADA33

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently updated its guidance on how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to job candidates and employees with visual disabilities. The guidance addresses issues such as: 1) How an employer should treat voluntary disclosures about visual disabilities. 2) What types of reasonable accommodations may be needed. 3) Which technologies may be used to provide reasonable accommodations. 4) How using AI and algorithms to make employment decisions can impact compliance. Inadvertently violating the ADA can lead to unexpected and substantial legal costs. To read the full text of the guidance, go here: https://bit.ly/3KsCNUo