Here is your January 23, 2015 update on the Americans with Disabilities Act 25th Anniversary Celebration. THE ADA LEGACY PROJECT: MOMENTS IN DISABILITY HISTORY 25 Behind the Scenes in the Reagan and Bush Administrations – Stories from No Pity “In his award-winning book on the disability rights movement, No Pity, Joseph Shapiro tells many background stories about overlapping events and processes through which the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law. At the time, Shapiro was a social policies writer for U.S. News & World Report and received an Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellowship to study the disability rights movement. Today, he is an Investigations Correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) News. A brief bio is available at npr.org/people/2101159/joseph-shapiro In No Pity, Shapiro documents the progress of the political awakening of people with disabilities that culminated in the enactment of the ADA. His five years of in-depth reporting uncovered many personal stories that had a direct bearing on the disability rights movement and the ADA.” To read some of these stories, please visit the Minnesota Governors Council on Developmental Disabilities website. The Minnesota Governors Council on Developmental Disabilities ADA Legacy Project “celebrates the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act on disability rights, and honors the contributions of individuals with disabilities and their allies who persevered in securing the passage of this landmark civil rights legislation.” WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE ADA? Be a part of the future of the ADA! Please take the ADA Employment Survey The ADA protects rights of individuals by prohibiting employers from “discriminating against qualified individuals with disabilities in job application procedures, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation, job training, and other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.” This landmark civil rights legislation brings great cause for celebration and reflection. While many things have improved, there is still work to be done. A 2004 National Organization on Disability/Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities found that 64 percent of poll respondents felt the ADA had made no difference in their lives. How have things changed since then? What can be done to continue improving the ADA? MSCOD contracted with the Improve Group, an external research group from Saint Paul, to study what the employment landscape in Minnesota looks like now that ADA has been law for 25 years. We are examining how employment—both for the employer, and the disabled individual who may currently be employed, or is seeking employment—has been impacted by the ADA. As we examine the ADA’s impact on employment, your personal experiences and insight will be invaluable to the success of this study. We also ask that you share this survey with everyone you know. All opinions count. The survey can be found here: tinyurl/ADA25employmentMN These survey results will inform the public’s understanding of ADA’s impact, and will provide valuable data for agencies seeking funds in order to serve people with disabilities. We will also develop employee training programs around the survey results. The survey asks about the following: · Familiarity with ADA and laws regarding employment of people with a disability · Opinions about ADA and experiences with employment, job-seeking, and hiring · Changes and experience with employers’ Human Resources · Best practices regarding employing people with disabilities · Basic demographics In return for your participation in this survey, we will gladly share the results in the near future. You will be prompted at the end of the survey if you would like to receive the report. We are excited to learn about your experience with the ADA! Please contact Andrew Mosca at [email protected] or 651-361-7803 with any questions. About the ADA 25th Anniversary Legacy Project The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) turns 25 years old on July 26, 2015. The Minnesota State Council on Disability (MSCOD) is planning a number of activities leading up to and marking this historic day. The MSCOD ADA 25 year Anniversary Legacy Project seeks to preserve and raise awareness of Minnesota’s role in the development of the ADA as well as celebrate Minnesota’s disability cultures in tandem with the 25 year anniversary of the passage of the ADA. For more information about the Legacy Fund visit legacy.leg.mn/. MSCOD’s Legacy Funds are administered by the Minnesota Humanities Center. Learn more about the Minnesota Humanities Center at minnesotahumanities.org/.
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 00:40:43 +0000
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