New England ADA Center

September, 2014
ADA Coalition of Connecticut State Conference to Take Place October 22, 2014

ADA Coalition of ConnecticutThe ADA Coalition of Connecticut (ADACC) will be holding its state conference on Wednesday, October 22, 2014 from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Newington Senior & Disabled Center at 120 Cedar Street in Newington, Connecticut.


Featured workshops are ' The Role of ADA Coordinator in Implementing the ADA', 'Public Rights of Way' and 'Municipal Responsibilities under the ADA'.


View the conference flyer.

Portland, Maine Disability Advisory Committee and Survey

City of Portland MaineThe Portland Disability Advisory Committee has developed a survey to get a sense of how the city measures up in terms of livability. The committee wants to know, 'Can people with disabilities live, work, have fun, get around, and feel connected in Portland? Are there things that the committee can learn about how to make Portland a better place for all of it residents and visitors?'


Take the online survey.

The Portland Disability Advisory Committee is a voluntary advisory body to the City Manager of Portland, and was established as a mechanism for on-going communication, engagement and activity with stakeholders working to advance the full and equal participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of city life. Contact Access Design for more information, or visit the Committee on Facebook.

New Hampshire School Takes Innovative Approach to Kids with ADHD

The Hunter School The Hunter School sits on a dirt road on a mountain in Rumney, New Hampshire where there's no cell service, but it is gaining national attention for its approach to studnets with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). 

 

Hunter works to eliminate labels such as ADHD and instead shift the lens through which the behavior is viewed away from "hyper" and instead to "highly sensitive," and while some benefit from the use of medications, the school looks to approaches beyond the use of pharmaceuticals as well.


 
Read the full story.

No Empathy for Disabled on Beacon Hill

Crosswalk in front of the Massachusetts State HouseChristine Griffin's narration from her wheelchair made it clear that when it comes to obstacles for the disabled, for many of us, our vision is impaired. Buckling bricks. Cracked pavement. Sloppily constructed curb cuts. A lamp post, just feet from the back wall of the State House, plopped down in the middle of the sidewalk. At Mount Vernon and Walnut streets, she threw up her hands. "Well, I've got nowhere to go here,'' she said. She was right. No curb cut. No ramp. No access.


Read the full story.


Photo from the Boston Globe of the crosswalk in front of the Massachusetts State House.

A Collaborative Effort to Commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the ADA at Abilities Expo in Boston

ADA Legacy Project Abilities Expo Boston To commemorate the upcoming 25th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, staff from New England ADA Center, Institute for Human Centered Design, Boston Center of Independent Living and the Mayors' Commission on Disability joined the ADA Legacy Project, the Road to Freedom bus team and others at the Abilities Expo in Boston which took place September 5 - 7, 2014 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

 

The ADA Legacy Tour will spend the next year traveling across the country raising awareness and building excitement towards ADA25 - the 25th anniversary of the ADA in 2015! Learn more about the ADA Legacy Tour.


Photo in front of the Road to Freedom bus - Back Row L-R: David, Chirs, Robin, Tom, and Haley. Front Row L-R: Eilleen, Colleen, Robin and Oce.

IHCD's Socially Sustainable Design Symposium at ABX 2014

ABX2014 October 28th-30th logo IHCD is hosting our Socially Sustainable Design Symposium on October 29th this year at the Architecture Boston Expo. For the first time, there is an option to register for the whole Symposium as a registration choice.  This year the morning plenary, Architecture that Improves People's Lives, will be a lecture by John McAslan, CBE following by an interview with McAslan by Metropolis magazine's Susan Szenasy.


Learn more about the symposium.

Save the Date for the 25th Anniversary of the ADA in Boston!

Marching in Support of the ADACelebrate on Boston Common Wednesday July 22, 2015.

 

Watch a video of our Boston Common 20th ADA Celebration from 2010! (4 minutes)
 

News From Outside New England
Mid-Atlantic ADA Center Discusses Accessibility and the DC Music Scene

Mid Atlantic ADA Center Marian Vessels, project director of the NIDRR-funded Mid-Atlantic ADA Center, was featured in Is DC's music scene shutting out disabled music fans? on the Bandwidth blog on WAMU, DC's NPR station. The article covers the accessibility of performance spaces in the Washington area, and what venue managers can do to welcome music fans with disabilities.
 

Now Available: Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals: Where are they allowed and under what conditions?

Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals Book CoverWhere are service animals and emotional support animals allowed and under what circumstances?

 

This brief guide provides an overview of federal civil rights governing the use of assistance animals by people with disabilities. The book was produced courtesy of the ADA National Network. Visit this website for more information or to download a printable PDF copy. 

Guide Dog Users Group launches Innovative Mobile App

National Association of Guide Dog UsersThe National Association of Guide Dog Users Inc., announced today that it has released the Guide & Service Dog Advocacy & Information app. This new IOS app provides comprehensive information about the rights and responsibilities of service animal users under state and federal law. "Every law in the United States concerning service animals can now be in your pocket," says Marion Gwizdala, NAGDU's president and a guide dog user himself. You can find the app by going to https://appsto.re/us/F8jO2.i or by simply searching for "NAGDU" in the Apple app store.

 

United States Supreme Court Installs Hearing Loops

Hearing Loop The installation of the "induction loop" (also known as T-Loops or Hearing Loops) assistive listening system in the Courtroom is great news for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. Many people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing do not communicate using ASL and use hearing aids or cochlear implants that include a telecoil (a small copper wire which boosts magnetic signals) to help them experience improved sound quality and clarity in venues such as churches, theaters and courthouses simply by switching on their telecoil. 
 
 

Read the full story.


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New England ADA Center, a project of the Institute for Human Centered Design


The New England ADA Center is a member of the ADA National Network funded by US Department of Education through National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation and Research Grant # H133A110028.



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