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Accessible
Web Search for the Visually Impaired:
Accessible Search is an early Google Labs product designed
to identify and prioritize search results that are more easily usable by
blind and visually impaired users. Regular Google search helps you find a
set of documents that is most relevant to your tasks. Accessible Search goes
one step further by helping you find the most accessible pages in that
result set.
Google Accessible Search
 Buy into New York State
Medicaid if you are
disabled and working
 Federal program may assist
you to become
employed
(must qualify)
& PASS ( Plan for
Achieving Self Support) should increase  employment
for people with disabilities. Call us at Rockland Independent Living Center
(RILC) for information.
Shop from Home A little more
Independence
Shop online at
www.shoprite.com. Shoprite has a new service that lets people do their
grocery shopping online (over the internet).
InfoRock adds 3-way interpreter service. 845 364-2020
InfoRock the county's free information and referral hotline, funded
by the county's Department of Social Services.
Want to communicate, go ahead, 711
Speech to Speech (STS)
Relay y Service is Available in New
York
Deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-impaired users of text telephones (TTY)
- as well as hearing customers using standard telephones
- can dial 711, toll free, to access the
Telecommunications Relay Service Center from anywhere in New York
State.
There are 36 Independent Living
Centers in New York State and 530 Independent Living Centers in
the United States.
www.nad.org The National Association of the
Deaf (NAD), established in 1880, is the oldest and largest
constituency organization safeguarding the accessibility and civil
rights of 28 million deaf and hard of hearing Americans.
FirstGov -The US Government's Official Web Portal Two free fast and
easy ways to get all the info
you need on the programs, benefits, and services of the Federal Government.
Visit www.FirstGov.gov
or call 1-800-FED-INFO(that's 1-800-333-4636)
There's a new place
to go for a wealth of information about Social
Security's programs and services:
www.socialsecurity.gov
The new address takes you to a redesigned site that is easier to navigate,
more attractive, and more accessible to all visitors, including people with
visual impairments or physical disabilities. One of the most popular
features of the website is the online benefits application, where people can
apply for retirement, spouse's and disability benefits online. The service
allows people to do business with Social Security whenever they want from
the comfort of their own home.
To use our online
benefits application, visit the link below.
Governor Signs Bill preserving access to handicapped parking.
Gov. Pataki announced that
he has signed into law legislation that will preserve access to
handicapped
parking by prohibiting drivers from blocking
handicapped access aisles and establishing fines equal to
those
imposed for illegally parking in handicapped space. The law
becomes effective 1/1/2004. For
more information visit:
www.advoc4disabled.state.ny.us
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES HAVE A NEW
ONE-STOP WEBSITE
http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/
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There's a new one-stop website with access to information for Americans
with disabilities, and it's just a click away! The new White House website,
DisabilityInfo.gov, has information on civil rights, education, employment,
housing, transportation, government benefits (including Social Security) and
more. "All of our citizens deserve to live and work with dignity and
freedom," President George W. Bush said. "This website is an important step
in our work to build an America where all individuals are celebrated for
their abilities and encouraged to achieve their dreams." Jo Anne B.
Barnhart, Commissioner of Social Security, said, "Under President Bush's New
Freedom Initiative, the Social Security Administration is providing greater
opportunities for people with disabilities to stay connected to the
workforce. SSA is committed to making positive changes in the lives of
millions of Americans." Now you can get helpful information from Social
Security and a number of government agencies, all in one place:
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www.nydoctorprofile.com
click above
can help you choose a doctor licensed to practice medicine in New
York State
by giving you information
ranging from qualifications
to malpractice payments.
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Rockland Independent Living Center
U.S.
Senate called to take action on Stem Cell Legislation
United Spinal Association, a national disability rights and advocacy
organization, is calling on the U.S. Senate
to take immediate action on stem cell research legislation that has been
shelved by law makers for over a year
after being passed by the House of Representatives.
“The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005, which would
open up more embryonic stem cell lines for
federally funded research, was passed in late May 2005 and sent to the
Senate. Since then, nothing has happened,”
said United Spinal Executive Director Gerard M. Kelly. “Millions of
individuals with catastrophic illnesses and injuries
have been denied potentially life-saving research because the Senate has so
far refused to consider HR 810.”
“United Spinal has seriously considered the ethical concerns that have
been raised regarding embryonic stem cell
research and strongly believes that HR 810 includes strict standards that
sufficiently address those concerns,” said Legislative Director Dan
Anderson. The bill states that the stem cells must be “derived from human
embryos that have
been donated from in vitro fertilization clinics, were created for the
purposes of fertility treatment, and were in excess of
the clinical need of the individuals seeking such treatment.” Further, the
bill requires that the embryos used “would never
be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded.”
This week Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R–TN), who last July
endorsed expanded federal support for embryonic
stem cell research, stressed that he is working to bring stem cell
legislation to the Senate floor this summer. “We urge
Senator Frist to bring up H.R. 810 as soon as possible and call on the
Senate to pass it with no amendments,” Anderson stated. “Americans with
spinal cord injuries and disorders, as well as those suffering from
Parkinson’s disease, diabetes,
and other devastating illnesses deserve to know that the federal government
is supporting research with the greatest potential to improve their lives.
Last May, the House did its part to make this happen. The Senate should
follow suit.”
The democratic candidate for governor of New York State chose a legally
blind man as his running mate for the
office of lieutenant governor. Senate
minority leader David A. Paterson, a powerful Harlem state senator was
chosen to be his running
mate in the 2006 governors race.
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Special Committee on Election Modernization Oversight
A panel of twelve county residents has been formed to improve the
way Rockland County runs its elections. It will make recommendations to
state lawmakers, changes in procedure and machinery that would allow
N.Y. to meet the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) by the
January 1, 2006 deadline. An advocate from Rockland Independent Living
Center
has been selected to be a committee member.
Visit
NYSILC web
site for more on (HAVA)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New York State is being sued by United States Justice Civil
Rights Division
for lagging behind every other state in complying with
the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA).
HAVA was adopted by Congress in the wake of the vote counting fiasco in Florida
during the 2000
presidential election. NY State officials have still not finalized voting
machine requirements. Until
those standards are adopted by the state board, new machines can't be certified
for sale in New York
and counties can't begin to negotiate purchases with manufacturers. New York
State has received
$220 million in federal funds to buy new voting machines, the official deadline
for HAVA compliance
was January 1, 2006. No new voting machines have been certified in New York, and
state officials do
not know whether any will be in place in time for the September Primary or the
November 2006 elections.
Debate continues over type of voting machines is best for New York State.
DRE (Direct Recording Electronic)
touch screen, similar to ATM style.
or
Optical Scanners (ballot marker and separate scanning machine)
requires marking of large paper ballot with
marker pencil or (for people with
disabilities) a ballot marking machine and than inserting marked paper ballot
into optical scanner.
I am a member of
the Special Committee on Election Modernization Oversight
in Rockland County and have
attended about eight meetings over the past
year as an advocate from Rockland Independent Living Center
representing people
with disabilities.
My personal opinion ( the Committee is waiting to
make a recommendation). I personally prefer the touch
screen DRE machines
over the optical scan machines. The optical scan machine requires a person with
a disability
approach two separate machines (a ballot marker and an
optical scan machine). Many would require assistance
because of additional
writing and paper handling. With the touch screen you approach only one machine
and handle
no paper. You also get a paper trail. United Spinal Association (formerly Eastern paralyzed
Veterans) opposes optical scanners and NYSILC testers have seen problems with
optical scanners for people with disabilities. League of Women
Voters prefer optical scanners
because they are a little less costly and provide a paper trail. I disagree with
their
preference. I feel they are not putting enough importance on
accessibility. One major requirement of HAVA is to make
voting machines accessible. I
feel the touch screen DRE is a better choice for N.Y. and the disabled
community. In the
end, the state board of elections officials will
finalize voting machine regulations. Until those standards are adopted
by the
state board, new machines can't be certified for sale in New York and counties
can't begin to negotiate purchases
with manufacturers. It is urgent that
whatever voting machines are selected, they must guarantee security,
accuracy, reliability
&
accessibility.
Bill Mullin/Webmaster
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ELEVEN MINUTES IN TIME
Eleven minutes in time that many Americans
who are living with disability and disease will likely never
forget was during these 11 minutes on August 9th of
2001 that President Bush addressed the nation from
his ranch in
Crawford, Texas, placing limits on federal funding for embryonic
stem cell research.
The Bush administration’s stance on embryonic stem cell research
is relevant to the over 100 million
Americans who are today living
with spinal cord injuries, diabetes, cancer, heart, Alzheimer’s,
and Parkinson’s
diseases.
Americans throughout this land are being forced to travel abroad
in search of medical clinical trials,
a cure, or simply treatments
that may possibly improve their quality of life. Our country once
was poised on the
cutting edge of medical research. Today, with
each and every moment that passes without support for stem cell
research, we fall another step further behind our counterparts in
Asia, Europe, and the remainder of the free world.
Earlier this year, 58 United States Senators and over 206 members
of the House of Representatives sent letters to
President Bush
urging him to lift the ban on federally funded stem cell research.
Despite this bi-partisan effort from
well-known and respected
Republican senators such as Orrin Hatch and John McCain, the plea
from those who
represent us all in government has fallen upon deaf
ears. It has become increasingly apparent that the Bush
Administration is steadfast in their position.
I am aware that some individuals in this country are opposed to
stem
cell research due to moral or religious reasoning. With that
said, you should find yourself a person of faith and
undecided on
this issue, I encourage you to visit
www.pfaith.org where you can
plainly see the varying religious faiths, locations, and names
representative of thousands of religiously affiliated Americans
who support this highly deserving
and necessary cause.
My personal opinion as an
individual with a spinal cord injury for the past quarter century
is that we must support
embryonic stem cell research: Bill Mullin
click here to read AUGUST 1st, 2001
article written by Bill Mullin
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"Visitability" Bill introduced
in Congress--June 5, 2003
Rep. Jan Schakowsky
(D.-Ill.) has introduced H.R. 2353 to require all
single family homes receiving federal funds be built with a
no-step entrance, "32"clearance doorways on the main level, and
one wheelchair-accessible bathroom.
The Bill would require all newly
constructed, federally assisted, single-family houses and town
houses to meet minimum standards of visitability for persons with
disabilities.
"It
defies logic to build new homes
that block people out when it's so easy and cheap to build new homes that
let people in, says Schakowsky.
"Under current law," says
Schakowsky, "95 percent of federally supported homes do not have
to meet any accessibility standard. This creates unnecessary
barriers for disabled veterans and other people with mobility
impairments. It defies logic to build new homes that block people
out when it's so easy and cheap to build new homes that let people
in. Many states and localities have already incorporated
visitability standards. This list includes , Illinois, Atlanta,
Vermont, Texas, Kansas, Arizona and others."
To see a copy of the bill go to
http:/thomas.loc.gov
"Visit-ability Initiative is based on the
conviction that inclusion of basic architectural
access features in all new homes is a simple and human right and
improves livability for all”
Visitability:
The Concept of Universal Design.
“Universal design principles can be applied to the built
environment, information technology, and telecommunications,
transportation, and consumer products. These technological
systems are basic to community integration, education, employment,
health, and economic development. The application of universal
design principles during the research and development stage would
incorporate the widest range of human performance into
technological systems. Universal design applications may
result in the avoidance of costly retrofitting of systems in use
and the possible reduction in the need to develop orphan products”
NIDRR Long Range Plan 1999-2004. The roots of universal design can
be traced to pioneering architect Ron Mace (19 41-1998) who first
envisioned a design concept guaranteeing the greatest access and
usability to all, regardless of age or ability, while maintaining
aesthetic appeal. Mace’s influential work proved
instrumental in passing both of Fair Housing Amendments Act of
1988 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and his
efforts also helped to establish the Rehabilitation Engineering
and Research Center (RERC) on Universal Design at North Carolina
state University, a NIDRR-supported and internationally
regarded authority on universal design.
Accessibility in Our Built Environment: The ability of
individuals to freely interact, navigate, and integrate within
their environments is an inherent need - one that all too often
may be taken for granted. The National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDDR) in the U.S.
Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services has supported a variety of efforts to
directly address such issues and enhance accessibility within our
built environment through the Concept of Universal Design.
Evolution of Visitability: Over the last decade, a new
front has emerged from within the universal design movement.
Known as the Visitability, this increasingly popular application
of universal design fuses together the concepts of accessibility
and community integration and has taken great strides toward
achieving widespread acceptance, thanks to the work of Eleanor
Smith, an Atlanta disability activist and founder of Concrete
Change. The philosophy she established emanates from the
belief that people with mobility difficulties should be afforded
basic access to newly constructed homes in order to them to be
“visitability” or accessible. Rather than requiring a long,
complicated and expensive list of all modifications, visitability
requires only three simple and practical provisions:
1. A no-step
entrance;
2. Doorways wide enough to
accommodate entry by people in wheelchairs; and
3. A main-floor bathroom with a doorway and space sufficient to
enter with a wheelchair and close the
door.
These three tenets of visitability are intended to bring benefit
to all people, and while visitability most immediately affects
persons with mobility impairments, it also serves the notion that,
as resident’s age at the chances of requiring a disability
increase, visitable homes are easier to modify for any special
mobility needs. This empowers homeowners to maintain their
independence as they age rather than finding themselves compelled
to prematurely or unnecessarily leave their homes.
RERC on universal design at Buffalo: The NIDRR-supported
Rehabilitation Engineering and Research Center on Universal Design
at Buffalo has collaboratively developed their Visitability
Initiative to cultivate new accessibility strategies,
alternatives, audiences. According to the RERC the”
Visit-ability Initiative is based on the conviction that inclusion
of basic architectural access features in all new homes is a
simple and human right and improves livability for all" See
http://www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea/visitability/. NIDRR has
also supported work at the rehabilitation research and training
center on Independent Living Management at Buffalo to enhance
information and training materials at community-based centers for
independent living.
... New federal programs, such as "ticket
to work" and PASS( plan for achieving self support) should
increase employment for disabled. Call us at Rockland Independent
Living Center (RILC) for information and assistance.
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