New Episode 131: Making State Government Programs and Services Accessible

Each July we celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The United States has come a long way in fulfilling the promise of the ADA since President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law on July 26, 1990, and said “let the shameful wall of exclusion come tumbling down”.

Today, our communities are more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities. But there are still many barriers that people with disabilities face daily in communities, work, transportation, school, and civic participation.

Some people think only new construction and alterations need to be accessible – that older facilities are “grandfathered in,” and do not have to comply with the ADA. But that’s not true. Because the ADA is a civil rights law and not a building code, older facilities are often required to be accessible to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate.

The ADA requires that state and local governments (ADA Title II entities) must ensure “program accessibility” and make reasonable modification to policy, practice, and procedure so all citizens can equally participate in the programs and services of their state and local government.

Our guest for this episode is Stacey Peace. the State of Georgia ADA Coordinator.

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Audio: Episode 131: Making State Government Programs and Services Accessible
Web: soundcloud.com/adalive/episode-131

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Featured Organization

The State of Georgia ADA Coordinator’s Office
The State of Georgia ADA Coordinator’s Office serves as a technical resource to State agencies for the ADA’s Title II general nondiscrimination requirements, program accessibility, communications, and employment (including the reasonable accommodation process). It operates the statewide ADA facility improvements program. It assists State agencies in updating, strengthening and enhancing the scope of self-evaluation and transition plans to ensure ADA compliance. The office conducts general and customized training on ADA topics for State agencies. It provides informal technical assistance about the ADA to the general public and collaborates with local ADA support systems. It also increases the visibility of the ADA to help more citizens understand the law. The State ADA Coordinator’s Office is a section of the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission. To learn more, visit their website at ada.georgia.gov.

About ADA Live!

The ADA Live! podcast and resources focus on the rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A new episode airs for 30-45 minutes on the first Wednesday of each month. ADA Live! is produced by the Southeast ADA Center, one of ten regional ADA Centers in the ADA National Network.

No registration is required. You can submit your questions to ADA Live!, explore resources and the ADA Live! schedule plus connect to archived episodes on burtonblatti7.sg-host.com or download podcasts from soundcloud.com/adalive

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Disability Rights Today

The podcast series, Disability Rights Today, is your source for in-depth discussion of the facts, issues and arguments of important court cases that shape the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and that may impact the legal rights and the lives of people with disabilities.  You will hear from the plaintiffs, attorneys, and subject matter experts involved in the highlighted case. The host for “Disability Rights Today” is Dr. Peter Blanck, an American academic, psychologist, and lawyer who holds the titles of University Professor and Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University. The podcast will appeal to disability rights advocates, attorneys, and others wanting to keep current on the latest legal developments involving the ADA. Tune-in at: disabilityrightstoday.org

Let’s Get to Work: Reimagining Disability-Inclusive Employment Policy

The Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University, in collaboration with leading economic and social policy researchers at Rutgers and Harvard Universities, invite you to listen to the podcast series: Let’s Get to Work: Reimagining Disability-Inclusive Employment Policy.

Each episode features guests with unique knowledge and insights sharing their perspective on public policies that are moving the momentum forward and holding progress back. Guests from government and the business and disability communities share their perspectives on ways to translate the latest trends and thinking to advance workforce development and employment policy that produces sustainable economic opportunity for individuals with disabilities. Researchers from the three universities also share what they are learning about employment policies as part of the work of the NIDILRR grant-funded Center on Disability Inclusive Employment Policy. Tune-in at: disabilityinclusiveemployment.org/podcast-series/

The ADA Live! and Disability Rights Today podcasts are a cross-collaboration with the NIDILRR-funded Southeast ADA Center (#90DPAD0005-01-00), the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) of Syracuse University, and the NIDILRR grant-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) –  Disability Inclusive Employment Practices (#90RTEM0006-01-00).

LEARN MORE

About the Southeast ADA Center

The Southeast ADA Center is a leader in providing information, training, and guidance on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and disability access tailored to the needs of business, government, and individuals at local, state, and regional levels. It also conducts research to reduce and eliminate barriers to employment and economic self-sufficiency and to increase the civic and social participation of Americans with disabilities. Located in Lexington, Kentucky, we are a project of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) of Syracuse University and one of 10 regional ADA centers in the ADA National Network, funded since 1991 by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. Web: adasoutheast.org

About BBI

The Burton Blatt Institute (“BBI”) at Syracuse University reaches around the globe in its efforts to advance the civic, economic, and social participation of people with disabilities. Through program development, research, and public policy guidance, BBI advances the full inclusion of people with disabilities. BBI builds on the legacy of Burton Blatt, a pioneering disability rights scholar. BBI has offices in Syracuse, NY; Washington, DC; New York City, NY; and Lexington, KY. Web: bbi.syr.edu

DISCLAIMER: The contents of this post were developed by the Southeast ADA Center, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University and the ADA National Network, under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant #90DPAD0005-01-00). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this podcast and email do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.