Speakers
Disability Rights Today New Episode! Upcoming Supreme Court Term Critical Cases that Could Impact the Disability Community
Disability Rights Today New Episode! Upcoming Supreme Court Term Critical Cases that Could Impact the Disability Community
BBI Receives $6.2 Million Award for Southeast ADA Center to Advance Understanding of Disability Rights, Responsibilities
For the third time in 15 years, the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) has been awarded a five-year, $6.2 million grant to advance and support understanding of rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through its Southeast ADA Center.
The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration on Community Living (ACL), National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Continue Reading
Southeast ADA Center Announces Launch of Disability Rights Today Podcast Series in celebration of the ADA 31st Anniversary
The Southeast ADA Center, a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University, is pleased to announce the launch of a new podcast series, Disability Rights Today –your source for in depth discussion about important court cases that shape the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In celebration of the 31st ADA anniversary, please join us on July 26 for our next episode featuring the recently decided court case – Crawford v. Hinds County Board of Supervisors, (5th Circuit Court of Appeals, 2021). Topics include jury duty and courthouse access. Our guests will be the plaintiff, Dr. Scott Crawford and his lead counsel, Andrew Bizer, with the law firm Bizer & Dereus, New Orleans, LA. Continue Reading
Fitore Hyseni
Dr. Fitore Hyseni is the Director of Research at the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University, where she leads projects focused on improving socio-economic outcomes for people with disabilities. In this role, she oversees the development and management of grant-funded research while mentoring and supporting research staff. Her work centers on advancing disability rights and socio-economic inclusion, ensuring that research makes a tangible difference in people’s lives and aligns with BBI’s mission.
Dr. Hyseni holds a PhD in Social Science and a Master’s in Public Administration from Syracuse University, along with a Bachelor’s in Public Policy and Economics from Rochester Institute of Technology. Her research explores how inequalities, such as in housing, employment, education, and healthcare, impact people with disabilities. She has led several federally funded projects, including grants from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), addressing issues like workplace accommodations, financial inclusion, and the relationship between mental health and employment. Her latest work involves a randomized control trial with Fortune 500 companies, aiming to reduce stigma and improve accommodation practices for employees with disabilities.
Dr. Hyseni’s research has appeared in publications such as the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation and the Journal of Cancer Survivorship. She has presented her work at national and international conferences, including the Academy of Management (AOM) and the American Sociological Association (ASA), and her work has been recognized by numerous awards and grants.
Barry Whaley, Director of Southeast ADA Center, Giving Keynote Presentation at National APSE Conference
On Thursday June 17th, Barry Whaley, M.S., Project Director of Southeast ADA Center a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University; Founding Board Member and Past President of Kentucky APSE; will be delivering the closing keynote speech at the National Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) 2020 Conference. The theme of the APSE conference is “Employment Fist Elevated”. To commemorate the 30-year anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Whaley will reflect on significant events and leaders of the disability rights movement in their long yet rewarding journey towards equality. Continue Reading
The Southeast ADA Center Launches Disability and COVID-19 Portal
The Southeast ADA Center (SEADA), a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University and a member of the ADA National Network, announces the launch of the Disability and COVID-19 Portal.
The Portal, in development since mid-March, began as a way for the Southeast ADA Center to provide timely and relevant information for people with disabilities about the COVID-19 pandemic and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). You can explore the Portal through Alerts, Fast Facts, Virtual Events, and over 250 Resources from known national, federal, state, and organizational sources. Some information is available in Spanish, and American Sign Language. Continue Reading
Mary Morder
Mary has more than 18 years of experience in business communications and disability rights. She also coordinates all alternate format requests to the Southeast ADA Center for materials relative to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She works with a team to produce materials on the ADA and provides support to the web developer for the Southeast ADA Center. Mary is also a member of the Georgia Emergency Preparedness Coalition for Individuals with Disabilities and Older Adults.
Cheri Hofmann
Cheri began her career in 1976 working with the Federal Government as a training coordinator. During her 16 years with the Federal Government, she worked with the Staff Judge Advocates Office as a paralegal and at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as a paralegal assistant. Her areas of experience include: legal, technical writing, training, contracting, procurement, and architecture engineering /design. Throughout her career, Cheri has been involved in volunteering, fundraising or assisting with researching laws for people with disabilities.
In 2000, Cheri began actively working with the Independent Living Movement as the Advocacy/Outreach Coordinator for the Center for Independent Living (CIL) Disability Resource Center. Cheri began her career with the Southeast ADA Center in 2002 as a part-time ADA Technical Assistant and later became the full-time in 2003. She currently is their ADA Distance Learning and Training Coordinator.
Additionally, she is a recognized voice for ADA technical assistance and training for the Southeast ADA Center for eight states for businesses, state and local government and people with disabilities for her knowledge with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal laws. Cheri currently has her ADA Coordinator certification from the ADA Coordinator Training Certification Program through the University of Missouri- College of Human and Environmental Sciences, School of Architectural Studies and the Great Plains ADA Center as well as the University of Alabama Birmingham, ADA Coordinator Program.
Sally Z. Weiss Retires from BBI’s Southeast ADA Center
May 29, 2018
Sally Z. Weiss Retires from Syracuse University’s Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) – Southeast ADA Center
Sally Weiss, a pioneer and tireless advocate for the rights of people with disabilities, retired in March 2018 from Syracuse University’s Burton Blatt Institute (BBI).
In an amazing career spanning four decades, Sally’s work began in the classroom in Rockville, MD, continued as an editor with the American Enterprise Institute, and then on to the United Cerebral Palsy where she served in multiple roles including Information/Publications Coordinator, Project Director, and National Projects Coordinator. Continue Reading
Celestia Ohrazda
Celestia Ohrazda is a researcher and designer who works across multiple projects at the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University. Her experience and research interest focus on accessibility and usability of web-based technologies and the adoption of innovations specifically media-rich technologies. She has been instrumental in research concentrating on access to and the design of learning technologies for individuals from diverse cultural and ability backgrounds. Her experience as a designer and producer of web-based technologies, coupled with her experience as a researcher, provide her with a unique perspective as a scholar who brings multiple methodologies to bear on the design, dissemination, and evaluation of technology driven interventions.
In 2009 she joined the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) as web developer, instructional designer, research assistant, and survey manager. Her primary responsibilities include the design and development of the BBI’s primary and subsidiary websites; support of distance learning technologies; design and evaluation of survey instrumentation; and the creation and assurance of accessible electronic products.