University of Southern Indiana - Extended Services: Community Outreach

American's with Disabilities Act - Audio Conference & Webinars

Conferences and Webinars are open to the public and free of charge.

All conferences/webinars are held at the University of Southern Indiana Science Center ,Room 1212 (SC1212), 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. (Central Time).

For additional information, please contact Lorie A. Van Hook at 812/464-1863 or email at lvanhook@usi.edu .

Audio Conferences

January 19, 2010
Service Animals: Unraveling the Difference and Best Practices

The rights of people with disabilities who use service animals vary, depending on which law applies. The Americans with Disabilities Act, the Air Carrier Access Act, and the Fair Housing Act each have different standards for service animals and their owners. Complicating the topic even further is the issue of the definition of service animals, especially in relation to emotional support or therapy animals. This session will provide information about the definition of service animals and the rights of service animal owners under the ADA, the ACAA, and the FHA. We will also discuss the differences in how the various laws treat service animals versus emotional support or therapy animals, as well as model service animal policies for educational institutions and healthcare facilities.

Speaker:

Jacquie Brennan, Attorney, DBTAC-Southwest ADA Center

Guest Moderator:

Wendy Wilkinson, Project Director,DBTAC-Southwest ADA Center

February 16, 2010
Aging Workers with Disabilities: Implications for Employers

The aging workforce is likely to result in increasing numbers of workers with disabilities. By the year 2010, this group will account for nearly half (44%) of the working age population (20-64), and the number of people with disabilities between the ages of 50 and 65 is predicted to double. Disability management and accommodation policies and practices readily lend themselves to addressing the challenges employers will face with an aging workforce, and the increasing prevalence of disability that these demographics bring. Join this session for a discussion of the practices associated with maximizing the productivity of an aging workforce and contribute to aging worker retention.

Speakers:

Susanne Bruyere, Director of Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell University

Wendy Strobel, Project Coordinator,DBTAC-Northeast ADA Center

March 16, 2010
Conducting Effective Accessibility Surveys: Part I

What to measure, how to measure, who is qualified to do a survey and what tools are available to support this activity are commonly asked questions. This two-part series will explore the requirements to conduct accessibility surveys by business, government and educational institutions to ensure that they meet the requirements of the ADA. Topics to be covered include what to look for in an existing facility as well as a facility that has undergone renovation and/or was newly constructed since the implementation date of the ADA. Experts in the field will share their "lessons learned" and tricks of the trade.

Speakers:

Panel of Speakers to be announced

Guest Moderator:

Don Brandon, Project Director,DBTAC-Northwest ADA Center

April 20, 2010
Conducting Effective Accessibility Surveys: Part II

This is the conclusion of the two-part series that explore the requirements to conduct accessibility surveys by business, government and educational institutions to ensure that they meet the requirements of the ADA. Topics to be covered include what to look for in an existing facility as well as a facility that has undergone renovation and/or was newly constructed since the implementation date of the ADA. Experts in the field will share their "lessons learned" and tricks of the trade.

Speakers:

Panel of Speakers to be announced

Guest Moderator:

Don Brandon, Project Director,DBTAC-Northwest ADA Center

May 18, 2010
Reservations Please: Ensuring Access for Customers with Disabilities

Customers with disabilities are a growing market in the hospitality industry. Millions of people with disabilities regularly travel, shop, and eat out with family and friends. According to Census 2000, approximately 20.9 million families in this country have at least one member with a disability. An Open Doors Organization study estimated in 2003 that diners with disabilities would spend $35 billion in restaurants that year and the number was expected to grow and it has. The study also found that more than 75% of people with disabilities report that they eat out at restaurants at least once a week. Furthermore, The New York Times reported that spending by travelers with disabilities exceeds $13.6 billion annually. These statistics alone make the business case for ensuring access for customers with disabilities. Join this session to hear more about what the hospitality industry is doing to serve this market and their experiences doing so.

Speaker:

TBA

Guest Moderator:

Marian Vessels, Director, DBTAC - Mid-Atlantic ADA Center

June 15, 2010
Disability Statistics: What Do They Tell Us?

Where does the 54 million Americans living with a disability number come from? Where can I get more information about disability data sources? Why are there different numbers out there about the unemployment rate of people with disabilities? These are just a few of the questions that are frequently asked about disability statistics. Join this session as we explore the various sources of statistics related to disability, how to use them and interpret them and what can we expect to learn about disability from the 2010 US Census.

Speaker: Andrew Houtenville, Associate Professor of Economics, University of New Hampshire

July 20, 2010
ADA Update: 20th Anniversary of the ADA

Mark the historic 20th anniversary of the ADA by joining this audio conference as we listen to representatives of the Federal Agencies present an update on their litigation, technical assistance and enforcement efforts over the past year, including highlights of accomplishments over the past 20 years. Participants will have an opportunity to pose questions to the presenters regarding issues in their own workplace or community.

Speakers:

Sharon Rennert, Senior Attorney Advisor, Americans with Disabilities Act Division

John Wodatch, Chief, Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division, US Department of Justice

August 17, 2010
ADA & After School and Daycare Programs for Children with Disabilities

Parents of children with disabilities are often faced with limited choices when it comes to locating appropriate after school and daycare programs to meet the needs of their children. Many daycare and after school providers are reticent about accepting children with disabilities into their programs based on the fear that they are not able to provide the child with the services that they need, they don't have the "specialized " staff that may be needed, unfounded fear that the cost of serving a child with a disability is too great or a general bias against serving individuals with disabilities. Join our speakers as they discuss best practices in day care and after school programs for serving children with disabilities and resources that are available to assist providers and parents.

Speaker:

TBA

Guest Moderator:

Shelley Kaplan, Director, DBTAC-Southeast ADA Center

September 21, 2010
Corrections and the ADA: Balancing the Rights of People with Disabilities While Incarcerated

Studies show that a large number of individuals within the prison system are people with disabilities. The literature discusses how the various systems serving incarcerated individuals have historically treated people with disabilities as second class citizens and ignored their rights to equal access whether it be access to medical care, the removal of physical barriers or provision of effective communication. This session will explore the strides that have been made and strategies implemented within the corrections community to address the rights of individuals with disabilities while retaining it's focus on imposing punishment.

Speaker:

TBA

Guest Moderator:

Jim DeJong, Director, DBTAC-Great Plains ADA Center

Webinars

December 2, 2009 » Employer Defenses Under the ADA

The ADA provides employers with a number of defenses when an employee files suit, including undue hardship, direct threat and that the employee is unable to meet the essential functions of the job. This session will review the various defenses employers can raise and analyze recent case decisions interpreting these defenses, along with relevant EEOC guidance and regulations.

Speaker:

Barry Taylor , JDDirector of Legal Services, Equip for Equality, Chicago, Illinois

February 3, 2010 » Impact of the Supreme Court's ADA Decisions

When Congress passed the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, it repudiated two of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ADA decisions. (Sutton and Williams) But what about the other ADA cases decided by the Supreme Court? These cases involved important issues including reasonable accommodation and seniority systems, the definition of employee and employer, pretext, the impact of qualifying for Social Security benefits, and direct threat. What impact have these cases had? This session will provide an in-depth review of lower court interpretations of the major Supreme Court ADA decisions that were not covered by the ADA Amendments Act and provide guidance for interpreting those issues in the future.

Speaker: