Weekly online events mark 30th anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Oregon Disabilities Commission and the Northwest ADA Center are hosting weekly Lunch and Learn sessions in July.
“The ADA was a crucial civil rights law in 1990 and it remains an essential resource for people with disabilities in securing full rights for participation in society,” said Michael Richardson, director of the NW ADA Center.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we needed to switch from a large event to something that would allow us to maintain physical distancing,” said Joseph Lowe, staff to the Oregon Disabilities Commission.
Instead of a one-day event in the Human Services Building in Salem, there will be four weekly Lunch & Learn sessions, from noon until 1 p.m., via Zoom.
“The Zoom sessions will help more Oregonians have access to this important information,” Lowe said. “The topics will be useful to people who aren’t familiar with the ADA and to those who have been involved since the beginning. We hope to get a large turnout to further ADA knowledge in Oregon.”
Lunch and Learn registration: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItcuCvrzsqGTXMtF-0R7vZbxuzVk0XloM
Here’s the schedule:
Tuesday, July 7
ADA History
Michael Richardson, Director, NW ADA Center
Tuesday, July 14
Disability Language & Etiquette
Linda Clemon-Karp, Continuing Education Coordinator, NW ADA Center
Tuesday, July 21:
Assistive Technology & Universal Design
Brian Sacre, Access Technologies, Inc.
Tuesday, July 28
Effective Communications & COVID-19: Lessons Learned
Emily Cooper, Legal Director, Disability Rights Oregon
These sessions will be accessible to people with disabilities. Captioning and American Sign Language interpretation will be provided. For questions about accessibility, or to request an accommodation, please contact OregonDisabilities.Commission@dhsoha.state.or.us. Requests should be made at least 48 hours in advance of the meetings.
About the event sponsors:
The Oregon Disabilities Commission is charged by state statute to advise the Department of Human Services, the Governor, the Legislative Assembly and appropriate state agency administrators on issues related to achieving the full economic, social, legal and political equity of individuals with disabilities. ODC also acts as a coordinating link between and among public and private organizations serving individuals with disabilities.
The Northwest ADA Center is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), and is part of the ADA National Network. The ADA National Network Centers are a national platform of ten centers comprised of ADA professionals and experts charged with assisting businesses, state and local governments, and people with disabilities as they manage the process of changing our culture to be user friendly to disability and the effect the variety of health conditions can have on society.
