People With Disabilities Urged To Comment On The ADA At Public Forums
March 23, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Fritz Rumpel
(912) 927-1514 (V/TTY/TDD)
(912) 786-9799 (Fax)
Email Fritz RumpelAs a part of a year-long study, the National Council on Disability (NCD) is sponsoring five public forums around the country to gather testimony from people with disabilities, their families and their advocates on the impact the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) has had on their lives. NCD is an independent federal agency making recommendations to the President and Congress to enhance the quality of life for all Americans with disabilities and their families.
Fifteen years ago, the ADA was hailed as a major civil rights law guaranteeing equal opportunity for Americans with disabilities to participate more fully in their communities, to have greater access to goods and services, and to enjoy more employment opportunities. To what extent the ADA has achieved its goals of equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities remains an open question, one the public forums will address.
Representing a diversity of regions, populations and ethnicities, the five sites for the public forums (with dates) are: Iowa City, Iowa (March 25), co-sponsored by the Evert Conner Center on Rights and Resources and the University of Iowa's Law, Health Policy & Disability Center; Los Angeles, California (March 29), co-sponsored by Western Law Center for Disability Rights; Houston, Texas (April 8), co-sponsored by Independent Living Research Utilization Project; Savannah, Georgia (April 13), co-sponsored by Savannah-Chatham Council on Disability Issues, Savannah Association for the Blind, Inc. and Living Independence for Everyone, Inc.; and Washington, DC (May 3), co-sponsored by Mayor's Committee on Individuals with Disabilities.
- Each forum will run from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will follow this agenda:
- 8:00 a.m. Opening Remarks from the National Council on Disability and the local co-sponsoring organization
- Public Testimony from individuals with disabilities, their families and advocates on:
- 8:30-9:30 a.m. Telecommunications: Has the ADA had an impact on the ability of people who have hearing and/or speech impairments to communicate by telephone?
- 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Employment: Has the ADA improved employment opportunities and job retention for people with disabilities?
- 1:30-3:00 p.m. Public Services: Are goods and services provided by local and state agencies more accessible to people with disabilities because of the ADA?
- 3:00-4:30 p.m. Public Accommodations Operated by Private Entities: Are goods and services provided by businesses more accessible to people with disabilities because of the ADA?
- 4:30-5:30 p.m. General comments about the ADA
Public forum participants may provide written as well as spoken testimony. Reasonable accommodations will be provided on request to ensure full participation by all individuals seeking to testify on the impact of the ADA on their lives.
In addition to holding public forums, the ADA Study Team is conducting focus groups and interviews with individuals with disabilities, employers, service providers, business and trade association representatives, and other stakeholders who have been directly affected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Rounding out the research activities, the ADA Study Team is also conducting an environmental scan to collect data on such ADA impact statistics as number of curb cuts, number of telephone relay calls, number of reasonable accommodations provided by employers, and other indicators to determine whether the law has brought about significant change in the last 15 years.
The ADA Study Team is being advised by a Blue Ribbon Panel of nationally and internationally recognized experts on disability policy chaired by Professor Peter D. Blanck, Director of the Law, Health Policy and Disability Center at the University of Iowa. The National Council on Disability will present the study's findings and recommendations to the President and Congress on July 26, 2005 -- the 15th anniversary of the ADA.
Dates, locations and contact information for each forum are below (All forums run from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.):
Iowa City, Iowa -- March 25
Iowa City Public Library
Meeting Room A
123 South Linn St.
Iowa City, IA 52240
Contact: James Schmeling
Law, Health Policy & Disability Center
University of Iowa
Phone - (319) 335-8458
Email James SchmelingPhoebe Ball
Law, Health Policy & Disability Center
University of Iowa
Phone - (319) 353-5828
Email Phoebe BallChris O'Hanlon
Evert Conner Center
Phone - (319) 338-3870
Email Chris O'HanlonLos Angeles, California -- March 29
Goodwill Industries of Southern California
342 San Fernando Road
Los Angeles, CA 90031
Contact: Doreen Wong
Western Law Center for Disability Rights Phone - (213) 736-8365 (Voice)
(213) 736-8310 (TTY/TDD)
Email Doreen WongHouston, Texas -- April 8
City of Houston Metropolitan Multi-Service Center
1475 West Gray
Houston, TX 77019
Contact: Tajuana Dunning
Independent Living Research Utilization Project
The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research
Phone - (713) 520-0232, ext. 112
Email Tajuana DunningSavannah, Georgia -- April 13
Savannah Association for the Blind
214 Drayton Street
Savannah, GA 31401
Contact: Fritz Rumpel
Lockheed Martin Services, Inc.
Phone - (912) 927-1514 (Voice/TTY/TDD)
Email Fritz RumpelWashington, DC -- May 3
Auditorium (formerly DC Council Chambers) One Judiciary Square
441 4th Street, NW,1st Floor North
Washington, DC 20001
Contact: Patricia Jackson
Lockheed Martin Services, Inc.
Phone - (703) 208-5042 (Voice/TTY/TDD)
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