Program Development Associates Webletter – July 2009

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATES WEBLETTER
News and Information for Disability Professionals
Volume 13 – 55th Edition
July 29, 2009

Welcome to our July issue! In this 55th edition of our bi-monthly disability newsletter you will find news stories and current events on education, law and advocacy, employment, community living and technology. Just as we have in our last 54 editions we strive to enrich these stories from our highly respected collection of over 650 resources. Each news story is matched with a DVD or curriculum with similar training and educational content. If you choose, you can get in depth training or an educational resource just by clicking the PDA Resource links below each story. In the Highlights section we include information on the latest resources and company news that has an impact on you, our customer. In this month’s issue we have information on our new Blog and the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act section located on our web site.

IN THIS ISSUE

PDA HIGHLIGHTS
QUOTES OF THE MONTH
LAWS – Disability Groups Urge Confirmation of Sotomayor Based on Extensive Disability
Rights Record
COMMUNITY LIVING – White House Launches “Year Of Community Living” On Olmstead
Anniversary
TECHNOLOGY – Let Your Tongue Do The Driving
EMPLOYMENT – EEOC Getting More Aggressive In Pursuing Disability Claims

PDA HIGHLIGHTS

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)- View PDA’s ARRA Resource Center and choose from over 90 DVD’s or Curriculums that may help you meet stimulus funding goals.
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/arra-main.php.

NEW Blog on DisabilityTraining.com- We have added a “Blog” feature to our website. To participate, just click on http://www.disabilitytraining.com/wpblog/.

Diversity and Disability: PDA is now offering a new line of diversity resources and in case you have not noticed a new slogan has been added to our logo; “The Professional’s Choice for Disability and Diversity Resources”.
Just click on the link to see our training and education diversity resources: http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-list.php?Diversity-pg1-cid43.html.

NEW RESOURCES

Our collection of over 650 resources is continuously monitored and updated so you can be assured you can are getting the most current and popular disability information and training materials available. Our most recent additions are:

A REASON TO LIVE – A powerful documentary about teen and young adult depression and suicide – penetrating, personal stories of despair and hope told by the young people themselves and their families. http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?A_Reason_to_Live_DVD-pid472.html

BREAKTHROUGH – A comprehensive multimedia presentation that offers staff developers the necessary materials to help administrators create expert instructional systems that can dramatically improve performance for both students and teachers. http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Breakthrough_DVD_SET-pid454.html

CONFRONTING DISCRIMINATION AND PREJUDICE – Encourage students to explore biases and stereotypes with this group of segments. http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Confronting_Discrimination_and_Prejudice_DVD-pid459.html

DRESS AND GROOM FOR THE WORKPLACE – Presents the fundamental principles of dressing for success on the job interview and in the workplace. http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Dress_and_Groom_for_the_Workplace_DVD-pid528.html

EPILEPSY: HAVING A LIFE – Follows four people with epilepsy who have taken control of their lives with the help of their families, epilepsy education, and advancement in therapies. http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Epilepsy_Having_A_Life_DVD-pid507.html

NEW WEAPONS TO FIGHT MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS – This program enters an MRI lab and presents informative case studies as it reveals state-of-the-art developments in the battle of against MS. http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?New_Weapons_to_Fight_Multiple_Sclerosis_DVD-pid481.html

PARAEDUCATORS: QUALITY SUPERVISION AND TRAINING – To effectively utilize paraeducators, schools need to provide an environment where teachers “coach” and paraeducators “learn” to better understand their roles and responsibilities. This DVD program addresses the supervision and support of paraeducators as they work. http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Paraeducators_Quality_Supervision_and_Training_DVD-pid470.html

SCHOOL SOCIAL BEHAVIOR SCALES – This tool is the perfect way to identify children with problem behaviors, target classroom interventions, measure the effectiveness of interventions over time, and bring families into the process to provide the best support for children. http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?School_Social_Behavior_Scales_SET-pid91.html

TOILET TRAINING FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS – Provides an overview of practical toilet training techniques and core principles for children with special needs. http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Toilet_Training_for_Children_with_Special_Needs_DVD-pid490.html

WITH AND WITHOUT YOU: A FATHER’S SUICIDE, A FAMILY’S JOURNEY – This documentary, originally planned as a record of the families global trek, is a quest to understand her husband’s decision to commit suicide and to grow past it. http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?With_and_Without_You_A_Fathers_Suicide_A_Familys_Journey_DVD-pid506.html

Click the link to view a complete list of PDA’s new resources – http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-list.php?New_Resources-pg1-cid55.html

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“We have every reason to believe she will continue this stellar record when confirmed to the Supreme Court.”
–Robert Bernstein, executive director of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, urging Congress to confirm Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court (First story)

“It is unfortunate that many employers still deny people who are ready and able the opportunity to work simply because of a disability.”
–Herbert Brown, director of the Norfolk, Virginia office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (Fifth story)

LAW

Disability Groups Urge Confirmation of Sotomayor Based on Extensive Disability Rights Record
(Bazelon Center For Mental Health Law)
July 16, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC– [Excerpt] A coalition of national disability advocacy organizations today announced support for the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court based on her extensive experience in, and careful approach to, deciding disability rights cases.

“Judge Sotomayor has repeatedly demonstrated a thorough understanding and a deep respect for the laws that protect the rights of Americans with physical and mental disabilities, like the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. We have every reason to believe she will continue this stellar record when confirmed to the Supreme Court,” said Robert Bernstein, Ph.D., executive director of the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law.

In a letter of support sent to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, national disability organizations cited Judge Sotomayor’s meticulous consideration of the facts and the law in deciding whether plaintiffs are protected by disability rights laws, and in deciding whether such individuals have suffered discrimination. The letter also cites Judge Sotomayor’s life experience as a person with insulin-treated diabetes as a reason to believe that she will fairly protect the rights of all Americans, including people with disabilities.

Entire article:
Disability Groups Urge Confirmation of Sotomayor Based on Extensive Disability Rights Record http://www.bazelon.org/newsroom/2009/7-07-09Sotomayor_Endorsement.htm

This article is reproduced here under special arrangement with Inclusion Daily Express Disability Rights Email News Service. http://www.InclusionDaily.com ©Copyright 2009 Inclusion Daily Express. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed in any form or displayed on any web site without prior approval from Inclusion Daily Express. News@InclusionDaily.com

RELATED RESOURCES FROM PDA

ADA REVISITED – Combines analysis of the ADA by a team of legal experts as well as interviews with employees with disabilities and their managers to provide a balanced view of the impact of the ADA in today’s workplaces.
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?ADA_Revisited_DVD-pid146.html

ADA AND DISABILITY LAW – Gives practical, step-by-step guidelines for complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?ADA_and_Disability_Law_DVD-pid150.html

ACCOMMODATING EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES – Shows common examples of how to recognize and respond to requests for job accommodations in familiar job settings
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Accommodating_Employees_with_Disabilities_DVD-pid171.html

EDUCATION

Supreme Court Rules Parents Can Seek Public Funds For Private Schools
(New York Times)
June 22, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC– [Excerpt] In a decision that could help disabled students obtain needed services and cost school districts millions of dollars, the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that parents of special-education students may seek government reimbursement for private school tuition, even if they have never received special-education services in public school.

The case before the court involved a struggling Oregon high school student, identified in court documents only as T. A., whose parents removed him from public school in the Forest Grove district in his junior year and enrolled him in a $5,200-a-month residential school.

Although Forest Grove officials had noticed T. A.’s difficulties and evaluated him for learning disabilities, he was found ineligible for special-education services. Only after he enrolled in the private school did doctors say T. A. had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other disabilities.

While most of the nation’s six million special-education students attend public school, as T. A. did for many years, thousands of families with disabled children, convinced that the public schools lack appropriate placements, avoid the public schools altogether. Instead, they enroll their children in expensive private schools for students with emotional or learning disabilities, and then seek reimbursement.

Entire article:
Court Affirms Reimbursement for Special Education
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/education/23special.html

Related:
Forest Grove School District v. T.A.
http://tinyurl.com/m7vje9

This article is reproduced here under special arrangement with Inclusion Daily Express Disability Rights Email News Service. http://www.InclusionDaily.com ©Copyright 2009 Inclusion Daily Express. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed in any form or displayed on any web site without prior approval from Inclusion Daily Express. News@InclusionDaily.com

RELATED RESOURCES FROM PDA

ADHD & LD: POWERFUL TEACHING STRATEGIES & ACCOMMODATIONS – Specifically illustrates how educators can greatly assist students with attentional, behavioral, and learning challenges within their classrooms using these effective techniques.
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?ADHD_LD_Powerful_Teaching_Strategies_Accommodations_DVD-pid420.html

AYP AND ASSESSMENT OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES – Learn about the specific legal requirements affecting AYP and assessment of special education students, the exceptions for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities and whether the new law changes the FAPE standard.
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?AYP_and_Assessment_of_Students_with_Disabilities_DVD-pid381.html

COMPLYING WITH THE 2006 IDEA PART B REGULATIONS – Helps to answer questions about the new regulations and offers frank and practical tips for implementing these changes in your school district.
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Complying_with_the_2006_IDEA_Part_B_Regulations_DVD-pid417.html

COMMUNITY LIVING

White House Launches “Year Of Community Living” On Olmstead Anniversary
(The White House Press Office)
June 23, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC– [Excerpt] On the 10th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in the case of Olmstead v. L.C., President Barack Obama today celebrated that anniversary and launched “The Year of Community Living,” a new effort to assist Americans with disabilities.

Specifically, the President has directed Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan to work together to identify ways to improve access to housing, community supports, and independent living arrangements.

As part of this effort, later today, Secretaries Sebelius and Donovan will announce several new initiatives including details about increased numbers of Section 8 vouchers and enhanced interagency coordination to address this critical civil rights issue. The initiative also will include listening sessions conducted by HHS across the country to hear the voices and stories of Americans and to keep the President’s pledge to be as open and transparent as possible.

“The Olmstead ruling was a critical step forward for our nation, articulating one of the most fundamental rights of Americans with disabilities: Having the choice to live independently,” said President Obama. “I am proud to launch this initiative to reaffirm my Administration’s commitment to vigorous enforcement of civil rights for Americans with disabilities and to ensuring the fullest inclusion of all people in the life of our nation.”

Entire article:
President Obama Commemorates Anniversary of Olmstead and Announces New Initiatives to Assist Americans with Disabilities
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/2009/red/0623a.htm

HHS Announces Initiatives in Support of the “Year of Community Living” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/06/20090622b.html

This article is reproduced here under special arrangement with Inclusion Daily Express Disability Rights Email News Service. http://www.InclusionDaily.com ©Copyright 2009 Inclusion Daily Express. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed in any form or displayed on any web site without prior approval from Inclusion Daily Express. News@InclusionDaily.com

RELATED RESOURCES FROM PDA

PRINCIPLES & PRACTICES: SUPPORTED ROUTINES – The four supported routine outcomes (facilitating connections, maximizing independence, enhancing self-worth, and producing self-determination) are detailed and their life enhancing effects are reviewed.
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Principles_and_Practices_Supported_Routines_DVD-pid557.html

ALL OF US: LIVING FULLY WITH A DISABILITY – Reveals the life experience of a handful of people with disabilities and the support they receive. http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?All_Of_Us_Living_Fully_With_a_Disability_DVD-pid120.html

CONSUMER DIRECTION IN PERSONAL ASSISTANCE – Use this training package to recruit, train and maintain personal assistants and other non-medical home caregivers
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Consumer_Direction_in_Personal_Assistance_DVD-pid361.html

TECHNOLOGY

Let Your Tongue Do The Driving
(New Scientist)
July 6, 2009

ATLANTA, GEORGIA– [Excerpt] A headset that makes it possible for a person to precisely control a wheelchair or computer using only their tongue has begun trials with spinal injury patients in the US.

The “tongue drive” could also give astronauts a third hand in difficult situations such as space walks.

The device works by using two sensors to track a 5-millimetre-wide magnet attached to the tip of the user’s tongue.

The sensors – embedded in a wireless headset – read the fluctuations in the strength of the magnetic field as the tongue moves and transmit the signals on to a computer, where they are interpreted and acted upon.

By moving the tongue in predefined patterns, the user can steer a cursor on a screen, direct a wheelchair, or switch on a TV, for example.

Entire article:
Magnet and glue turn tongue into joystick
http://www.inclusiondaily.com/news/2009/red/0706d.htm

This article is reproduced here under special arrangement with Inclusion Daily Express Disability Rights Email News Service. http://www.InclusionDaily.com ©Copyright 2009 Inclusion Daily Express. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed in any form or displayed on any web site without prior approval from Inclusion Daily Express. News@InclusionDaily.com

RELATED RESOURCES FROM PDA

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY: A WAY TO DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES – Enable students in your district to become more empowered and less frustrated as they are helped to function more effectively and meet higher standards through Assistive Technology.
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Assistive_Technology_A_Way_to_Differentiate_Instruction_for_Students_With_Disabilities_DVD-pid584.html

AUGMENTATIVE COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES FOR ADULTS WITH ACUTE OR CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS – Shows professionals what today’s most effective AAC methods are—and why they’re a perfect fit with a variety of learning approaches that work for people with autism.
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Augmentative_Communication_Strategies_for_Adults_with_Acute_or_Chronic_Medical_Conditions_BOOK-pid594.html

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS: K-12 AND BEYOND – Makes a simple compelling case for the purchase, development, and use of accessible technology that helps parents and educators advocate for technology that is accessible to all students.
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Breaking_Down_Barriers_K12_and_Beyond_Pkg-pid61.html

EMPLOYMENT / LAWS

EEOC Getting More Aggressive In Pursuing Disability Claims
(The National Law Journal)
July 1, 2009

NEW YORK, NEW YORK– [Excerpt] Disability discrimination complaints are on the rise in the workplace, with several employers getting hit with disability bias lawsuits in recent months.

In back-to-back filings last week, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed disability bias lawsuits against retail giant Kmart Corp. and a Chicago-area beverage company, which was sued Thursday in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois.

The EEOC say these cases highlight a growing trend in the workplace, noting that disability bias complaints rose to 19,453 in 2008 — a 10 percent increase from the year before, and the highest level in 14 years.

“It is unfortunate that many employers still deny people who are ready and able the opportunity to work simply because of a disability. The EEOC will continue to fight for the rights of people victimized by such prejudices,” said Herbert Brown, director of the EEOC’s Norfolk, Va., office.

Entire article:
EEOC Getting More Aggressive in Pursuing Disability Claims
http://www.law.com/jsp/ihc/PubArticleFriendlyIHC.jsp?id=1202431864444

This article is reproduced here under special arrangement with Inclusion Daily Express Disability Rights Email News Service. http://www.InclusionDaily.com ©Copyright 2009 Inclusion Daily Express. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed in any form or displayed on any web site without prior approval from Inclusion Daily Express. News@InclusionDaily.com

RELATED RESOURCES FROM PDA

RESUMES AND APPLICATIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES – Details the resume and application while examining how the ADA provides protection against discrimination.
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Resumes_and_Applications_for_People_With_Disabilities_DVD-pid321.html

SUPERVISING AN EMPLOYEE WITH A DISABILITY – Is for employers who have hired or are considering hiring someone with a disability, offers a real-life look at issues and solutions in the workplace.
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Supervising_an_Employee_With_A_Disability_DVD-pid312.html

DISABILITIES IN THE WORKPLACE: WORKING OUT – Follows four young adults, with different disabilities, facing challenges at various stages of the employment process.
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Disabilities_in_the_Workplace_Working_Out_DVD-pid342.html