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Governor's Advisory Council on Disability Affairs Hosted Second Quarterly Meeting in June
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The Governor’s Advisory Council on Disability Affairs (GACDA) hosted its second quarterly meeting on June 21, 2024, at the Louisiana State Capitol, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
GACDA was established to monitor state compliance with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and to advise the governor on the needs of individuals with disabilities in Louisiana. GACDA is also charged with assisting the Governor’s Office of Disability Affairs with the resolution of state disabilities issues and provide education, communication, and networking services concerning disability issues and needs for all Louisiana citizens.
Seven (7) new members have recently been appointed to the GACDA board.
GACDA's New Members
Franklin Foil - State Senator
Rhonda Butler - State Representative
Rikki David - Representative ADA Coordinator’s Office
Jamar Lanier Ennis - Executive Director of GODA
Ashley Allen - Representative of person with disabilities
Rocky Fuselier - Representative of person with disabilities
Barry Mele - Representative of person with disabilities
Julia Tanner - Representative of person with disabilities
To learn more about GACDA and/or to apply for membership, please click here.
To apply to become a member of the GACDA board, please click here.
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Youth Leadership Forum Hosted Annual Program in Lafayette Louisiana | |
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The Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) hosted its annual program on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette from June 20th to June 23rd.
The YLF program is a three-day educational and motivational camp held every summer on a university campus. Delegates of the 2024 class were afforded the opportunity to work in small and large groups and work to identify resources that can help them achieve their goals while building lifelong friendships.
The speakers of this year's program addressed topics such as disability rights laws, innovations in technology, community resources, legislative processes, and much more.
For the second consecutive year, Lillian DeJean coordinated the YLF program with a dedicated team of volunteer counselors and mentors. The Delegates were presented diplomas from the YLF Leadership and certificates of recognition signed by Governor Landry from Jamar Lanier Ennis of the Governor's Office of Disability Affairs for completing the YLF program.
The 2024 YLF Delegates
Roan Songy
Vivian Hauck
Makala Chaisson
Sewell Stephens
Andrew Soley
Michael Pettis Jr
Bryson Curtis
Shia Armant
Jonah Stampley
LeDamion LeDay
Landon Hanks
Isabella Melara
Cale Rees
YLF's goal is to afford students with disabilities and opportunity to identify themselves with pride, as individuals and as members of their community. YLF offers students with common experiences the opportunity to learn from each other in a framework of history and an atmosphere of encouragement.
To learn more about the Youth Leadership Program please click here.
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Governor's Office of Disability Affairs Welcomes Tillie Carrier as Senior Coordinator | |
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Tillie Carrier joins the Governor's Office of Disability Affairs as its Senior Coordinator.
Mrs. Carrier is a native of Lafayette, Louisiana . She comes to GODA with 36 years of experience within the educational sector of Louisiana public schools. For the last 20 years, she has worked under the special education department as a gifted teacher and as the Gifted & Talented Facilitator in St. Landry Parish.
She considers her “Love Language” to be Acts of Service to others, which is evidenced by her passion for teaching and her students. She has been an advocate for the gifted and talented students and is eager to bring that drive to serve persons with disabilities in Louisiana as a GODA senior coordinator.
Tillie received her Bachelor’s degree from ULL and her Master’s +30 from the University of Phoenix. She currently resides in Opelousas with her husband Ray.
Mrs. Carrier can be reached at: Tillie.Carrier@la.gov
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Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Turns 34 | |
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The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990. The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in many areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and many public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. The ADA is divided into five titles (or sections) that relate to different areas of public life.
- Title I - Employment
- Helps people with disabilities access the same employment opportunities and benefits available to people without disabilities.
- Applies to employers with 15 or more employees.
- Requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants or employees. A “reasonable accommodation” is a change that accommodates employees with disabilities so they can do the job without causing the employer “undue hardship” (too much difficulty or expense).
- Defines disability, establishes guidelines for the reasonable accommodation process, and addresses medical examinations and inquiries.
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Regulated and enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Title II - Public Services; State & Local Government
- Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by “public entities” such as state and local government agencies.
- Requires public entities to make their programs, services and activities accessible to individuals with disabilities.
- Outlines requirements for self-evaluation and planning; making reasonable modifications to policies, practices, and procedures where necessary to avoid discrimination; identifying architectural barriers; and communicating effectively with people with hearing, vision and speech disabilities.
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Regulated and enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice
- Title III - Public Accommodations & Services Operated by Private Entities
- Prohibits places of public accommodation from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. Public accommodations include privately owned, leased or operated facilities like hotels, restaurants, retail merchants, doctors' offices, golf courses, private schools, day care centers, health clubs, sports stadiums, movie theaters, and so on.
- Sets the minimum standards for accessibility for alterations and new construction of commercial facilities and privately owned public accommodations. It also requires public accommodations to remove barriers in existing buildings where it is easy to do so without much difficulty or expense.
- Directs businesses to make "reasonable modifications" to their usual ways of doing things when serving people with disabilities.
- Requires that businesses take steps necessary to communicate effectively with customers with vision, hearing, and speech disabilities.
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Regulated and enforced by the U.S. Department of Justice
- Title IV - Telecommunications
- Requires telephone and Internet companies to provide a nationwide system of interstate and intrastate telecommunications relay services that allows individuals with hearing or speech disabilities to communicate over the telephone.
- Requires closed captioning of federally funded public service announcements.
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Regulated by the Federal Communication Commission
- Title V- Miscellaneous Provisions
- Contains a variety of provisions relating to the ADA as a whole, including its relationship to other laws, state immunity, its impact on insurance providers and benefits, prohibition against retaliation and coercion, illegal use of drugs, and attorney’s fees.
- Provides a list of certain conditions that are not considered disabilities.
The ADA National Network provides information, guidance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), tailored to meet the needs of business, government and individuals at local, regional and national levels.
Celebrate & Share
To learn more about the Americans with Disabilities Act please click here.
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Disability Unite Festival
Returns July 14th
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Celebrate Disability Pride at Disability Unite Festival 2024! Come together with friends and family virtually or in-person at the Central Park Naumburg Bandshell in New York City to celebrate community, and commemorate the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
For virtual participants, the Disability Unite Festival will be livestreamed and continue to be offered with all access accommodations for those unable to travel or not located in NYC.
Sign up today and explore events or locate them on social media to join the conversation.
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To learn more about Disabilities Unite and see more activities, please click here. | |
Engaging Kids About Disability Through Animated Cartoons | |
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The Northeast ADA Center has been producing and testing a unique animated school cartoon series intended for elementary-aged children that is designed to educate the next generation about disability inclusion. The videos, along with a companion curriculum, is intended to assist parents and educators to engage children in conversations and in learning about people with disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.) The webinar will address the development, challenges, and testing of the cartoons and curriculum. It will share how the cartoons are made and give participants tips on how they can access and use this valuable resource.
Presenters: Peter Quinn, Multimedia Editor Yang Tan Institute, Joe Zesski, Program Manager Northeast ADA Center
This webinar is offered in English and Spanish. Written translation in other languages is available after the webinar upon request.
Event Date/Time:
Tuesday, July 16th, 2024 - 1:00 PM EDT - 2:00 PM EDT
Location:
Virtual
Registration:
Required
Cost:
$ 0.00
Registration Link:
Click to Register
For More Information:
Northeast ADA Center - News & Events
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A Conversation With People With Disabilities About Sexual Violence and Call to Action for State Agencies | |
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Monday, July 8, 2024 | 2:00 PM ET
This webinar, hosted by The Link Center in partnership with other federal agencies, will highlight the prevalence of sexual assault in the disability community and the unique dynamics and barriers survivors with disabilities experience when seeking support. It will feature sexual assault survivors with disabilities, as well as state officials and other individuals, who have been leading efforts to improve access to care and support services. The panelists will share their experiences and recommendations for concrete actions that leaders can take to improve services in their states.
People with disabilities, especially those with cognitive disabilities, including I/DD (Intellectual and Developmental disabilities) and brain injury, experience sexual assault at much higher rates than non disabled people. They also encounter challenges receiving care and support services due to pervasive accessibility barriers.
The target audience is state mental health, developmental disability, and head injury administrators.
The goal of this webinar is to raise awareness of these issues among key leaders from state agencies that support people with disabilities.
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For more information on the Link Center, please click here. | |
Louisiana Emergency Management Disability Awareness Training | |
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One of the most important roles of local government is to protect their citizenry from harm, including helping people prepare for and respond to emergencies. Making local government emergency preparedness and response programs accessible to people with disabilities is a critical part of this responsibility.
This program provides the information necessary to address the need areas of persons with disabilities and access and functional needs as it relates to both legal obligations, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (and other related laws), and moral intentions to serve the whole community. Content includes FEMA Access and Functional Needs guidance and lessons learned from lawsuits and citations levied against municipal EMOs.
LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA
September 9th-10th, 2024 9:00am-5:00pm CST
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
OR
September 10th, 2024 1:00pm-5:00pm CST
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA
September 11th-12th, 2024 9:00am-5:00pm CST
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
OR
September 12th, 2024 1:00pm-5:00pm CST
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
For more information contact:
Shannon Barber, Program Manager,
716-286-8139
shannonbarber@niagara.edu
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LAD'S Confidence Building Series | |
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Louisiana Association of the Deaf
Deaf Focus - Splish Splash Fun!
This event is designed for deaf/hard of hearing children ages 2-12 years to promote healthy social and mental well-being. Many activities will be scheduled such as painting a sun-catcher, socializing with peers, and enjoying the splash pad, among many other fun things to do.
FREE Lunch provided!
WHEN?
July 27, 2024
10am - 2pm
WHERE?
BREC's Highland Road Community Park
14024 Highland Road
Baton Rouge, LA
RSVP REQUIRED: Please email Amy Shamburger at Support@deaffocus.org to secure your spot by July 18, 2024.
For more information, please click here.
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Input Needed To Support Development of National Plan On Aging | |
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On May 30, ACL released “Aging in the United States: A Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging.” The Strategic Framework captures the opportunities and challenges created by the aging of the U.S. population and defines goals and objectives for addressing critical aging issues. It provides a road map for developing a national plan on aging that will advance best practices for service delivery, support development and strengthening of partnerships within and across sectors, identify solutions for removing barriers to health and independence for older adults, and more.
The National Plan on Aging Community Engagement Collaborative, which is comprised of three ICC partners — West Health, The SCAN Foundation, and The John A. Hartford Foundation — is seeking input from both individuals and organizations on the Strategic Framework and key aging issues.
Elevate the voices of older adults and community partners by completing the online survey.
Comments may be submitted until Sunday, September 15, 2024
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The Disability Information and Access Line | |
The Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) helps people with disabilities get connected to information about local community resources that support independent living. Launched in 2021 to help disabled people access COVID-19 vaccinations, DIAL also provides information about essential services such as transportation, housing support, disability rights, and more. | |
Final Opportunity: Apply for Free Person-Centered Planning Technical Assistance | |
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Applications closing Tuesday, July 9, 2024
Free technical assistance is currently available from the National Center on Advancing Person-Centered Practices and Systems (NCAPPS) through the end of September 2024, and the final deadline for states to apply is the end of the day on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
NCAPPS works with human service agencies to create tangible action plans and connect them to experienced subject matter experts to provide support in achieving their goals. Since 2018, NCAPPS has been offering free technical assistance to states experiencing significant challenges implementing person-centered planning in compliance with the Home and Community-Based Services Final Rule requirements. States have used NCAPPS technical assistance to develop, implement, and improve person-centered planning policies, procedures, processes, guidance documents, manuals, and more
To apply for technical assistance, complete the online application form.
Questions can be addressed to ncapps@hsri.org.
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Coming this Fall:
ASL and Deaf Studies to be offered as a minor at the University of Louisiana -Lafayette
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LAFAYETTE, La. — For the first time in University of Louisiana at Lafayette's history, a minor in American Sign Language (ASL) is being introduced to the curriculum starting this fall. This inclusive addition will offer students the chance to be able to study and one day master the language.
The program is already off to a great start. Once the announcement was made that ASL would be offered as a minor, classes quickly filled up. It was offered as a modern language requirement elective, but this will allow students to actually minor in it.
The hope of the department is to educate and inspire those who do decide to minor, to have more individuals in the community proficient in ASL.
According to the Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, ASL is the third most commonly used language in the United States, after English and Spanish.
"We have been working on it for the last two years, and I think it will really add quite a bit to the university just exposing the students to a wider variety. More than just your basic conversational sign language which we do address. We also address deaf culture, issues within the community and inclusion," says Katie Potier, ASL and Deaf Studies Instructor.
To find out more about the Department of Communicative Disorders department at UL, click here.
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NCBA Webinar on Accessibility and Inclusion in the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
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Thursday, July 11, 2024 | 1:00 PM ET
The National Caucus and Center on Black Aging (NCBA), one of the ACL-funded national Minority Aging Technical Assistance and Resource Centers, and the Northwest ADA Center for "Explore the Americans With Disabilities Act: Accessibility and Inclusion." is hosting a webinar designed to address the disability needs and concerns within the African American and Black community, as well as other diverse communities.
Attendees will be informed of their rights under the ADA, learn how to include or enhance accessibility in their businesses or communities, and receive practical insight from real-life examples. This webinar is ideal for individuals with disabilities, older adults, caregivers, aging and disability service organizations, and community leaders of all backgrounds.
Closed captioning will be provided.
For questions about the webinar, please contact
Aboddie@ncba-aging.org
Atelesford@ncba-aging.org.
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2024 Special Education Parent Involvement Survey | |
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Each year, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) surveys parents of children with disabilities who receive special education services to gather information about how well schools involve parents in the education of their children. The LDOE uses this information to guide their efforts to improve services and results for children with disabilities and enhance family involvement.
LDOE uses a sampling method to collect this feedback by selecting certain school districts and charter schools to participate in the survey. Parents in the selected districts and schools should receive participation information from their child’s school, but a list of participating districts and schools and the survey are also available on the Special Education Parent Involvement Survey webpage on the Louisiana Believes website.
Parents who would like to complete the survey, but may not have children in the selected school district or charter school, can still complete the survey. The survey will be available until July 31, 2024.
Click here to complete the survey.
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Jude's Story-
Overcoming Obstacles
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Shoutout to Jude for his resilience, determination, and love of life. Jude is a 17-year-old teen enthusiastically involved in his interests. Like many people with Autism, Jude has the tendency to hyperfocus on special interests. The Garyville, LA native loves sports. He competes in the Special Olympics, participates in track and field, and plays softball and basketball. He’s an avid football fan who carefully tracks NFL stats and helps as a trainer for his high school’s football team. And then, above all else, there’s Jude’s ultimate passion–NBC’s hit TV show, American Ninja Warrior (ANW).
Jude very well might be the show’s number one fan. He considers himself an ANW “factologist” and can tell you facts and figures from all 14 seasons in great detail. Jude was captivated by ANW because it showed people overcoming mental, physical, and of course, literal obstacles. This resonated with him as Jude faces many hurdles in his own life. He once believed that because of his physical challenges such as hand tremors and epilepsy, he couldn’t participate in athletics. Jude works through these challenges with the love and support of his family, help from his Easterseals Support Coordinator, Loretta Boudreaux, inspiration from American Ninja Warrior, and encouragement from his own ninja mentor, Ernesto “Flybird” Perez.
Jude met Ernesto years back at a sports camp and saw Ernesto training for ANW on Facebook. Judd's mother reached out to Ernesto, who then invited Jude along to the ninja gym to train with him. Working out alongside Ernesto allowed Jude to practice some of his own ninja moves and discover new confidence in himself. You can only imagine Jude’s excitement when the "Flybird" invited Jude to join him on the set as he competed on the ANW course in San Antonio.
Once on the set of ANW, he was asked to join Matt and Akbar, ANW's cohosts, in the host tower to be on the show! He captured the hearts of the audience in San Antonio and back home as he served as a guest analyst for "Flybrid’s" (Ernesto's) run! The hosts even joked, “Jude, don’t steal our jobs!”
Jude told his mom afterward, “My dream came true…this is the best day ever.’”
Jude has been an Easterseals Participant for three years and is a junior at East St. John High School. His mom Summer is a Support Coordination Supervisor at Easterseals Louisiana with 16 years of service. They reside in Garyville, Louisiana with Jude’s brother, Logan, and his stepdad, Shawn.
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July Book of the Month
Life Without Limits
By: Nick Vujicic
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"For the longest, loneliest time, I wondered if there was anyone on earth like me, and whether there was any purpose to my life other than pain and humiliation."
Born without arms and legs, Nick overcame his disabilities to live an independent, rich, fulfilling, and "ridiculously good" life while serving as a role model for anyone seeking true happiness. Now an internationally successful motivational speaker, Nick eagerly spreads his message: "The most important goal is to find your life's purpose and to never give up, despite whatever difficulties or seemingly impossible odds stand in your way."
Nick tells his story of his physical disabilities and the emotional battle he endured while learning to deal with them as a child, teen, and young adult. He offers practical advice for realizing a life of fulfillment and happiness by building trust in others, developing supportive relationships, and gaining strength for the journey. He encourages the reader by showing how he learned to accept what he could not control and focus instead on what he could.
Learn more about Nick and his crusade to help pass on universal principles of resilience, courage, and faith on his website: Nick Vujicic : Obstacles = Opportunities
"I'm officially disabled, but I'm truly enabled because of my lack of limbs!" Nick Vujicic
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