Americans with Disability Act Celebrates 26th Anniversary

Today marks the 26th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990.

The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private buildings and venues that are open to the general public. The purpose of this law is to guarantee that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

In addition to the noticeable signs of ADA – such as Title III, which calls for accommodations in public and commercial buildings – the ADA also:

• Guarantees equal employment opportunities for people with disabilities
• Provides for nondiscrimination in state and local government services
• Establishes a process for Reasonable Accommodation
• Supports a nationwide system interstate and intrastate telecommunications relay services that allows individuals with hearing and speech disabilities to communicate over the telephone, and requires closed captioning of federally funded public service announcements.

To learn more about the ADA, visit the ADA National Network at http://adata.org/learn-about-ada.

Inslee honors 22 state government managers for excellence in leadership

OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee today honored state agency managers who have demonstrated outstanding leadership. The 2016 Governor’s Award for Leadership in Management was presented to 22 recipients at an awards luncheon at the Executive Residence.

This year’s recipients were recognized for a wide range of accomplishments, including work to save taxpayer dollars, improve communications with local governments, small businesses and the public, and protect public health.

“These managers exemplify the best in our state employees. They have set priorities and achieved results, managed risk and modeled leadership attributes,” Inslee said. “They are setting a great example and I am pleased to recognize their excellence in management through these awards.”

The Leadership in Management program was created in 1985 to recognize state government managers who demonstrate excellent performance. A selection committee composed of agency directors and executive staff chose the winners based on demonstrated performance.

This year’s recipients of the Governor’s Award for Leadership in Management are:

• Kathy Beith, Department of Revenue
• Daniela Bremmer, Department of Transportation
• Steve Campbell, Department of Retirement Systems
• Terri Colbert, Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board
• Sreenath Gangula, Department of Transportation
• Betsy Hagen, Washington Student Achievement Council
• Julie Hudson, Washington State Patrol
• Scott Jarmon, Washington State Patrol
• Vickie Kennedy, Department of Labor and Industries
• Catherine Kinnaman, Department of Social and Health Services
• Dr. Yong Liu, Department of Agriculture
• Michael MacKillop, Department of Services for the Blind
• Dr. James Marra, Department of Agriculture
• David Mitchell, Washington Student Achievement Council
• Larry Pierce, Military Department
• Connie Shumate, Department of Commerce
• David Smelser, Department of Transportation
• Kathy Smith, Health Care Authority
• Annette Taylor, Department of Labor and Industries 
• Dr. Kathy Taylor, Department of Ecology 
• Brian Thomas, Office of Administrative Hearings
• Haiping Zhang, Department of Licensing

Aberdeen Rotary Club Offers Scholarship for Blind, Deaf, and Deaf-Blind Youth

Rosenkrantz Scholarship Fund application deadline approaches

The Alex and Suzanne Rosenkrantz Scholarship Fund was established with the proceeds of a bequest to assist youth who are blind, deaf and deaf-blind in becoming self-sufficient through higher education, vocational training, or other appropriate schooling.

Although the bequest prioritizes higher education, scholarships will not be limited to higher education. Vocational training, education in Braille, and computer-based education for the blind, deaf, and deaf-blind will also be funded.

The fund is administered by the Aberdeen Rotary Club. The number and amount of the awards are subject to change from year to year. Priority is given to Grays Harbor residents; then residents of Pacific, Thurston, and Mason Counties; then residents of other counties in Washington State. Organizations may apply for grants that support the goals of the Fund.

Application forms for scholarships may be downloaded at: www.facebook.com/AberdeenRotary56

Applications are accepted year round. Those that are postmarked by July 15th will be considered during the annual August review period.

Submit completed packets to:

Aberdeen Rotary Club

Rosenkrantz Scholarship Fund Committee

P.O. Box 836
Aberdeen, WA 98520

Give your feedback 

The Department of Services for the Blind is seeking your input on a draft version of its four-year plan for implementation of vocational rehabilitation services, on the DSB web site. See below for ways to comment.

Overview 

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 reauthorized the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and maintained funding for the vocational rehabilitation activities through the Department of Services for the Blind.  The law also consolidated job training programs under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), amended the Wagner-Peyser Act, and reauthorized adult-education programs. The emphasis within the law is for all workforce partners to deeply collaborate to streamline services and improve outcomes for a shared customer base. Within WIOA, there is an added emphasis on youth services, universal accessibility, serving communities with barriers, and effective engagement with business for all partner programs.
All workforce partners under WIOA in Washington State will collaborate on a combined state plan as an agreement with the federal partners on how the law will be implemented in the state. The combined state plan, entitled “Talent and Prosperity for All”, has a number of components: a strategic component, a shared operational component, and specific attachments for each of the individual partner agencies. The vocational rehabilitation attachment requires DSB to provide responses to specific area questions.

The Department of Services for the Blind has also submitted a draft response to the combined operational component of the state plan, attached to this email and on the DSB web site, which will later be merged with the responses of the other core partner groups.

For your interest, there are other draft components to the state plan also available for your review and comment:

• The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation vocational rehabilitation state attachment is located at link DVR state attachment

How to Comment on DSB’s Draft VR State Plan Attachment:

Comments can be sent to comments@dsb.wa.gov. Email comments will be accepted until January 27, 2016.

The Department of Services for the Blind and the State Rehabilitation Council for the Blind will also host a phone conference to accept public comment and answer questions about the draft.

Date: Thursday, January 21, 2016
Time: 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Toll free: 800-379-6841 (FREE)
Passcode: 679809#

For questions or to make a Reasonable Accommodation request:
Email:  comments@dsb.wa.gov
call toll-free: 1-800-552-7103.

DSB Celebrates Customers' Successes!

Fall is the time when we look back at the year and celebrate the successes of all of our customers who completed their Vocational Rehabilitation programs and went to work in, or kept, good jobs.

This year 169 individuals are now employed in competitive jobs with benefits. Three others gained independence as homemakers in order to free up a family member to go to work, for a total of 172 successes. This is not just about numbers, but about each person who is able to take charge of their life, support their family, pay taxes, and give back to their community.

Everyone is encouraged to view the list of jobs and employers.  The list is always exciting because it illustrates in what an unlimited range of professions individuals who are blind or visually impaired succeed.  It also shows the wide variety of employers who benefit from qualified employees who are blind or visually impaired.

It is interesting that out of this year’s 172, three (3) are self-employment/ small business start-ups. Ninety-five (95) are new employment outcomes. Sixty-eight (68) are individuals who were able to the gain the skills, assistive technology, and confidence needed to keep their jobs. This includes two individuals, age 84, who now work competitively as an electrical engineer and an installation helper.

More details of DSB’s customer achievements will be available in the coming weeks.

Please Touch: A Tactile Art Exhibition

Join Mount Baker Neighborhood Center for the Arts for the exhibition Please Touch, an exciting art show featuring 19 regional artists, emerging to established, providing artwork you can TOUCH and experience through the tactile sense.

Featuring: Deborah Kapoor, Nancy Stokely, Lucy Mae Martin, Randy Warren, Suzanne Tidwell, Laura Castellanos, Stacy Thurston, Elise Koncsek, Hawo Ali, Camille Jassny, Karel Hendee, Carolyn Autenrieth, Canyon Bowden, Betty Laughlin, Cara Franklin-Moytoy, John Lucas, Jane Walster, Randy Warren, and Robert Ross.

Also on display will be select work from MBNCA's collection of artwork by visually impaired artists from around the world, including the famous Turkish artist Eşref Armağan.

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
Location: 2919 Rainier Ave S., Seattle, WA 98144
Contact: Barbara, voice line: 206-734-1994

This special exhibition is supported by 4Culture.

Mount Baker Neighborhood Center for the Arts is a South Seattle nonprofit exhibition space focusing on artists with disabilities and from under-served communities. MBNCA exhibitions, workshops, and events are designed to provide creative experiences for ALL artists and audiences. For more information, please visit https://mtbakerarts.wordpress.com/news/.

'Access For All' technology open houses at The Seattle Public Library this fall

The Seattle Public Library and the Library Equal Access Program (LEAP) are proud to launch "Access for All: Accessibility Kits & Software" for low vision and blind patrons.

New accessibility software will be available on public computers at every Library location. All computer workstations will have ZoomText, a text-enlargement software program for low vision patrons, and JAWS, screen reading software to assist blind users.

To learn more about the software and kits, everyone is invited to attend an "Access for All" technology open house this fall. The open houses will be happening at Library locations across the city from Wednesday, Oct. 28 through Saturday, Dec. 19. Free parking is available at the branch library locations. Parking in the Central Library's parking garage is $6 after 5 p.m. and will be covered for attendees of the LEAP technology open house.

At the open houses, Library staff will give patrons hands-on access to computers with the assistive software. They will also demonstrate how to use magnifiers, Braille systems and other items in the new Accessibility Kits. Dates, times and locations for the "Access for All" technology open houses are as follows.

5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave, Level 1, LEAP Lab, Room 167, 206-386-4636.

5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave, Level 1, LEAP Lab, Room 167, 206-386-4636.

5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16 at the Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave, Level 1, LEAP Lab, Room 167, 206-386-4636.

2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4 at the Columbia Branch, 4721 Rainier Ave. S., 206-386-1908.

2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12 at the Southwest Branch, 9010 35th Ave. S.W., 206-684-7455.

3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15 at the University Branch, 5009 Roosevelt Way N.E., 206-684-4063.

2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19 at the Broadview Branch, 12755 Greenwood Ave. N., 206-684-7519.

The "Access for All" kits and software are generously supported by the Safeco Insurance Fund's "Access for All" inclusion grant and The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

For more information visit the Access for All page, call the Library at 206-386-4636 or Ask a Librarian.