President Obama Commemorates 20th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act
July 26, 2010
Department of Justice Announces Plans to Prepare New ADA Regulations
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today that it will publish four new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) proposals addressing the accessibility of websites, the provision of captioning and video description in movies shown in theaters, accessible equipment and furniture, and the ability of 9-1-1 centers to take text and video calls from individuals with disabilities. The proposals are in the form of advance notices of proposed rulemaking, or ANPRMs, which provide information on these ADA issues and ask questions seeking comments and information from the public. The four ANPRMs will be published in the Federal Register on July 26, 2010.
“We are working hard to ensure that the ADA keeps up with technological advances that were unimaginable 20 years ago,” said Attorney General Holder. “Just as these quantum leaps can help all of us, they can also set us back – if regulations are not updated or compliance codes become too confusing to implement. To avoid this, the Department will soon publish four advanced notices of proposed rulemaking regarding accessibility requirements for websites, movies, equipment and furniture, and 9-1-1 call-taking technologies.”
Web Accessibility
State and local governments, businesses, educators, and other organizations covered by the ADA are increasingly using the web to provide information, goods, and services to the public. In the web accessibility ANPRM, the department presents for public comment a series of questions seeking input regarding how the department can develop a workable framework for website access that provides individuals with disabilities access to the critical information, programs, and services provided on the web, while respecting the unique characteristics of the internet and its transformative impact on everyday life.
Next Generation (NG) 9-1-1
9-1-1 centers are moving towards an Internet-enabled network to allow the general public to make a 9-1-1 “call” via voice, text, or video over the Internet and directly communicate with personnel at the centers. The NG 9-1-1 ANPRM seeks information on how the centers may be able to provide direct access to 9-1-1 for individuals with disabilities as they implement new communication technologies.
Captioning and Video Description in Movies Shown in Movie Theaters
Recent technologies have been developed to provide closed captions and video description in movies being shown at movie theaters. Movie studios have begun to produce and distribute movies with captioning and video description. However, these features are not generally made available at movie theaters. In the captioning and video description ANPRM, the department asks for suggestions regarding the kind of accessibility requirements for captioning and video description it should consider as proposed rules for public comments, particularly in light of the industry’s conversion to digital technology.
Equipment and Furniture
Full use of the nation’s built environment can only be fully achieved by the use of accessible equipment. There is now improved availability of many different types of accessible equipment and furniture, ranging from accessible medical exam tables, chairs, scales, and radiological equipment and furniture to “talking” ATMs and interactive kiosks. In the equipment and furniture ANPRM, the department poses questions and seeks comments from the public, covered entities, equipment manufacturers, advocacy and trade groups about the nature of accessibility issues and proposed solutions for making equipment and furniture accessible to persons with disabilities.
The four ANPRMs will be available for review today at 3:00 P.M. EDT at http://ada.gov/anprm2010.htm
To Find this Press Release online, use the following link:
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/July/10-crt-850.html
10-850
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July 22, 2010
Congratulations to Melody Musgrove – One of our own
Former Mississippi Director of Special Education, Melody Musgrove, has been named the Director of the Office of Special Education Programs.
Melody’s career began as a special education teacher. As her professional skills grew she became an Assistant Principal, a due process hearing officer, and an Assistant Superintendent. After leaving the state director position, Melody became the Director of Business Development with LRP Publications.
As many us of know Melody personally, we are confident of her knowledge and leadership abilities in the development of national policy for children with disabilities. Congratulations to one of our own.
July 4, 2010
Children’s Mental Health Reform
Dear Friends and Allies,
As we all know, there is little more important than investing in our children’s well-being and their ability to lead us into the future. In the spirit of a genuine desire for health and wellness for Mississippi ’s children, all of you expressed your support for significant reform of Mississippi’s children’s mental health system through your sign-on to our September, 2010 letter to the Department of Mental Health. In the interest of a sustained effort, we write you to ask for your renewed support for our efforts to ensure adequate and effective mental health services to all children in Mississippi .
As many of you may know, the Mississippi Youth Justice Project filed suit on behalf of the state’s children in need of intensive home- and community-based services. Our suit, J.B. v Barbour, is about improving the children’s mental health system so that children can receive the services they need and are entitled to receive under federal law. Parents shouldn’t have to choose between hospitalizing their child in an institution or going without services altogether. We want to help the state of Mississippi develop intensive home- and community-based services so that children can stay in their homes and communities, where they can maintain and build upon their support systems, rather than face segregation in a hospital or treatment facility.
The lawsuit is seeking two things. We want the State to create the intensive home and community-based services that children need and have a right to receive. We also want to ensure that children are not placed in hospitals and institutions when they could be more appropriately served in their homes and communities.
As another critical legislative session approaches, we will be ramping up our organizing efforts. In the coming days we will be calling you asking you to continue your support. We welcome your expertise and contributions in whatever ways you have the capacity to be effective. Specifically, we have identified the following needs:
- Referring parents and children concerned about the state’s mental health system to MYJP
- Helping us to locate mental health “success stories”, i.e. families that have been appropriately served without being separated from one another and who have consequently been able to turn their child’s life around
- Support our push in the upcoming state budget cycle to fund more community and home based care options and partially divest from large, expensive and ineffective state hospitals
- Publicizing and discussing this important issue in your newsletters, websites, blogs, and other communications
- Participate in a long term strategy session for the 2011 legislative cycle.
It is our hope that our continued alliance can result in speedy justice for the children of Mississippi . As always, we thank you for your very important work.
Sincerely,
Ursula Price
For more information please contact Ursula Price:
Ursula Price
Advocacy Coordinator
Mississippi Youth Justice Project
921 N President St., Ste. B
Jackson , MS 39202
T: 601.948.8882 | F 601.948.8885
C 334.306.3937 | Toll Free 800.597.9583
ursula.price@splcenter.org
www.splcenter.org
