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The Council for Disability Rights |
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November 2006
Election Protection Coalition adds Disability Information The Election Protection Coalition is once again hosting the 866/OUR-VOTE hotline, where voters can call to report problems and receive advice on what to do. The Election Protection Coalition is a nonpartisan alliance of civil rights and civic organizations committed to protecting the rights of all voters to cast their ballot. The hotline (866/OURVOTE, or 687-8683) is an immediate, on-the-spot resource staffed by lawyers, law students and other volunteers trained to resolve voting problems. For those of you who are not familiar with the Election Protection Coalition, below is a more detailed description about the Election Protection effort. Election Protection will only have lawyers and volunteers on the ground available to go to (some) polling places in 20 states (Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin). However, Election Protection is also happy to walk voters in other states through their problems on the phone. Attached in both Word and PDF is a flier for the disability community about the Election Protection hotline. The logo and other picture in both versions have been given alt-tags, so they are readable with screen readers. We encourage voters with disabilities that encounter voting issues to contact the hotline so that we as a community can continue to catalog and pinpoint the issues that voters with disabilities are facing. The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) will have primary responsibility for providing back-up to the Election Protection hotline on accessibility issues for voters with disabilities. However, you should know that NDRN will not field each and every such call, and therefore most calls may, at least initially, be addressed by volunteers with less experience on disability voting rights issues; however, these volunteers should have most of the basic accessibility information in their state manuals. This will be just the second election in which Election Protection will have staff devoted specifically to handling calls from voters with disabilities. Therefore, it will be critical that voters with disabilities provide feedback to us so that we can work with our coalition partners to improve this service for future elections. Thanks and please visit our website for Election Day resources for voters with disabilities. 
Visit the site
Christina Galindo-Walsh, Senior Staff Attorney Nat'l Disability Rights Network 900 Second Street N.E., # 211 Washington, DC 20002 Voice: 202/408-9514, Ext. 110 TTY: 202/408-9521 http://www.ndrn.org What is Election Protection? Election Protection, the nation's largest non-partisan voter protection coalition, is led by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Laws National Campaign for Fair Elections, the NAACP, the National Bar Association, and People For the American Way Foundation. Election Protection guides voters through the voting process, helping to ensure that all eligible voters have the opportunity to cast a meaningful ballot and have their vote counted. While Election Protection is a resource for all Americans, the program centers on traditionally disenfranchised communities including: African Americans, Latinos, and other racial, ethnic, and language minorities; seniors; young people; low-income voters; and individuals with disabilities. In 2000, millions of Americans, primarily those in minority communities, were denied their right to vote through a combination of illegal threats and intimidation, ineffective voter education, inadequately trained poll workers, and voting machines that did not work. To respond to these challenges, the Election Protection coalition was formed to ensure that all voters have the opportunity to participate in the political process. During the 2004 election cycle, Election Protection mobilized 25,000 trained volunteers, including 8,000 legal volunteers, who were recruited to monitor polling places, educate voters, facilitate a dialogue with local and state election officials, provide legal support to poll monitors, and answer the voter protection hotline, which received over 200,000 calls from voters in all 50 states. The news media reported few problems with the 2004 elections; however, the stories we heard were of an inability to participate and well-resourced, deliberate efforts to disenfranchise eligible voters. Over 3 million voters cast provisional ballots in 2004, but only 1.6 million of those ballots were counted and as many as 52% of new registration applications from voters who registered through third-party registration groups were rejected. Our 2004 experience demonstrated the need for an Election Protection program that starts earlier to support voter registration efforts as well as ongoing election reform work. Collecting Invaluable Data Election Protections unparalleled data collection also provides invaluable support for potential litigation and prospective reform efforts, demonstrates the impact of provisions that disenfranchise voters (such as voter identification proposals), engages activists, and creates sustainable coalitions to work on election reform. It provides real stories of real people stories that are invaluable for our litigation and advocacy programs. The Election Incident Reporting System (EIRS) allows us to monitor, track, record and respond to problems across the country in real time. EIRS is the first database of its kind and includes the most comprehensive reporting of election irregularities in the country. Calls to the national hotline and reports from the field are entered in to one database for follow-up by our legal volunteers. 
View the data
EIRS data from 2004 formed the basis for our special report, Shattering the Myth: An Initial Snapshot of Voter Disenfranchisement in the 2004 Elections, co-authored with the NAACP and People For the American Way Foundation. Our 2004 data also enabled us to locate plaintiffs for our historic lawsuit, League of Women Voters of Ohio v. Blackwell. Recently, EIRS data from the Orleans Parish primary election on April 22, 2006 was used to help improve election administration for the general election on May 20, 2006. We are currently tracking data for ongoing work in Arizona and Missouri. Read "Shattering the Myth: An Initial Snapshot of Voter Disenfranchisement in the 2004 Elections"
Helping Voters Election Protection protects voters rights before, during and after Election Day, giving voters the information and resources they need to cast a meaningful ballot. From support for registration programs to creating voter education materials to providing direct assistance through the national hotline, Election Protection is a support system for eligible voters who otherwise would be unable to cast their vote Successful Election Protection programs are critical to a meaningful election reform. The National Campaign for Fair Elections uses Election Protection data to help address the challenges confronting our electoral system through a comprehensive strategy of litigation, legislative advocacy, communications, and citizen education. Election Protection 2006 Our program this year will focus more intensely on fewer locations to provide more effective, efficient assistance to voters throughout the voting process, from registration through Election Day.
Learn more about how you can participate in your community.
We have already begun Election Protection work in key states. Through our work in Louisiana, the Election Protection coalition created the first success story of Election Protection 2006. Together with the Louisiana Voting Rights Network, a large and dynamic coalition of national and local civil rights and community organizations, the Lawyers Committee assisted displaced voters throughout the country and those who voted in person in Orleans Parish in the April 22 primary and May 20 general election.
Learn more about our Orleans Parish Election Protection program. Election Protection has been actively monitoring developments in Arizona, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Ohio and other states throughout the primary season.
As with past programs, a broad national coalition, as well as state and local coalitions, will lead efforts in targeted locations around the country. The American Bar Association and dozens of other organizations are Election Protection co-sponsors. The Lawyers Committee is the lead legal organization for Election Protection. Working with our Board members and pro bono network, the Lawyers Committee is recruiting diverse networks of volunteer attorneys to respond to problems throughout the election process. We are also coordinating meetings with election officials, to help ensure a smoother system for voters. Updated Voters Bills of Rights and legal manuals are being created for all 50 states. The 866/OUR-VOTE hotline will again be available to assist voters across the country throughout the registration process and early voting as well as on Election Day. Our legal field program will include legal command centers, mobile field attorneys, and poll monitoring. In order for the Election Protection Program to provide a holistic response to voting problems, we must also combine our legal efforts with an extensive field component. Source: National Disability Rights Network Where to vote? Problems with voting hotlines? The following are resources for voters to use if they have questions about voting. The League of Women Voters Education Fund provides such information as:
Visit the site
For voting problems, or if you need to talk to a lawyer, the nonpartisan Election Protection Coalition has launched its national voter assistance hotline (866.OUR.VOTE or 866/687.8683) and poll location website. This hotline is staffed by live call center operators trained to provide state specific assistance to all voters. The services will include bi-lingual assistance for areas with a heavy concentration of Spanish-speaking voters.
Visit the site
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials has set up a national nonpartisan, bilingual hotline.
National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials
For more voting news issues
PLAYSKOOL Contest Hasbro/PLAYSKOOL, Boundless Playgrounds and GameTime believe that children of all abilities should have the opportunity to play and learn together and because of this commitment they are launching the first-ever national PLAYSKOOL Win a BOUNDLESS Playground Essay Contest. Enter today and your community could win a BOUNDLESS playground, a place where children with and without disabilities can experience the joy and discovery of play -- together! The postmark deadline is November 30, 2006; entry must be received by December 7, 2006.
Get the official rules and an application form
National Federation of the Blind Files Target Lawsuit By Laura Parker Bruce Sexton is blind. He would like to shop on Target's website, but says he can't "read" it. He says the site lacks certain coding found on many other websites that would activate software to allow blind computer users to hear audio descriptions of what is on Internet pages. Sexton, 24, who lives in Berkeley, Calif., and the National Federation of the Blind are suing Target on behalf of the 1.3 million blind people in the USA. The suit alleges that the giant retailer discriminates against the visually impaired by violating state and federal laws that protect the disabled. The case draws national attention because it could have implications for virtually every retailer and business in the USA that operates a website. The case also fuels a wider debate starting to play out in courtrooms: whether anti-discrimination laws apply to the Internet. It's a key question in lawsuits across the nation. Craigslist.org, a popular advertising and networking website, is being sued in federal court in Chicago over allegations it has allowed ads for apartments and other housing that discriminate on the basis of race, sex, class, religion or familial status. In court papers, Craigslist argues it is protected by the federal law that protects website owners from liability for content posted by the sites' users. Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster has said it would be impossible for the site's staff to review the 2 million free housing ads posted to the site each month. A hearing in the case is scheduled for Nov. 13. In the Target case, the retailer contends that the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and two California laws cited by Sexton apply only to its brick-and-mortar stores and do not extend to the Internet. Last month, a federal judge disagreed with Target and rejected its bid to dismiss the suit. The case is proceeding toward trial, but no court date has been set. The recent ruling was "very significant," says Brian Blair, an Orlando lawyer who specializes in defending companies accused of violating laws that protect people with disabilities. "For any business that has a physical location and a website, (the ruling) says you need to take reasonable steps to permit accessibility for the disabled," says Blair, who is not involved in the dispute. Blind or visually impaired people are able to use the Internet by installing "reader" software on their computers that searches for codes embedded on websites. The codes enable text and graphics to be read or described audibly. The software also lets the blind navigate sites by using keystrokes instead of a mouse. Such functions have not been available to blind users of target.com, court papers say. Because Target's website has required the use of a mouse, blind customers have been unable to make purchases on the site. Target.com has "thousands of access barriers that make it difficult, if not impossible, for blind customers" to use the site, the suit says. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires stores, restaurants and other businesses to provide access to people with mental and physical disabilities. Since the Internet emerged, several lawsuits have focused on what site owners should be required to do to make their pages accessible to the disabled. A lawsuit filed by the National Federation of the Blind against America Online in 1999 was dropped after AOL agreed to design new versions of its software to accommodate disabled users. In 2002, Southwest Airlines fended off a similar challenge after a Miami judge found that federal disability law did not apply to the airline's website because a "virtual" ticket counter is not a physical place. Southwest's Brandy King says the airline opposed the lawsuit because it believed its website complied with federal disability law. Since then, she says, Southwest has added more coding to the site to help the blind. Andrew Langer, manager of regulatory policy for the National Federation of Independent Business in Washington, said the cost of changing a website to accommodate disabled viewers often is not significant for large companies. He said companies often fight such lawsuits for philosophical reasons. Businesses want to attract customers, he says, "but they want to do it on their own terms. You want to make decisions for your business without being coerced." Langer says that as retailers get more savvy about the Internet, "more are going to be making sure their websites are readily accessible to the blind," he says. Carolyn Brookter, a Target spokeswoman, declined to discuss the lawsuit. In an e-mailed statement, Brookter said the retailer is "making online enhancements that will benefit all our guests, including those with disabilities." She added that "one of the things the enhancements will do is further increase the usability of the website for guests with sight disabilities." She did not elaborate or say when the changes would be made. Sexton says he visited Target's site two weeks ago to see whether it had been improved. "They've made some minor changes," he says. "But they haven't made it an easy or enjoyable experience for me." EEOC ADA Lawsuits BROOKLYN, NY -- A federally funded housing complex in Brooklyn violated federal disability discrimination law by refusing to promote an employee because of his Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), the US EEOC charged in a lawsuit filed today. The EEOC's lawsuit (Civil Action No. 06-CV-3230, filed in US District Court for the Eastern District of New Yorik) charges that Starrett City, Inc., refused to promote Ryan Burrowes to the permanent position of operating mechanic because of his ADD, which is a form of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Burrowes had performed well as an apprentice for Starrett City from December 2000 to August 2004 and was the most senior apprentice who had applied for the promotion. However, because of his ADD and related medical conditions, including a learning disability, he was denied the promotion for which he was well qualified, the EEOC says. Such alleged conduct violates Title 1 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits employment discrimination based on disability and protects employees who complain about such offenses from retaliation. The EEOC filed the lawsuit after first attempting to conciliate the matter voluntarily. This is the first suit the EEOC has filed in New York based on ADD. The suit seeks monetary relief, an order requiring Starrett City to implement policies and procedures against discrimination, and a permanent injunction against discrimination. "While ADD and ADHD are commonly recognized as childhood conditions, they afflict many adults and are frequently misunderstood in the workplace," said Kam S Wong, the EEOC's senior trial attorney in New York. "This lawsuit should send a message of support to the disability community and help raise awareness of employers about these disabilities." Spencer H Lewis, the EEOC's New York District Director, added, "Employees should know that they cannot discriminate on the basis of disability, whether that disability is a physical or mental impairment." Starrett City consists of 46 buildings and runs its own police security force, power plant and cable TV station. The EEOC is responsible for enforcing the nation's laws prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, sex (including sexual harassment and pregnancy), religion, national origin, age, disability and retaliation. Further information about the EEOC is available online. Contact Kam S Wong at 212/336.3703, or Elisabeth Grossman, Regional Attorney, at 212/336.3622.
EEOC
Wall Street securities firm settles disability bias case for $500,000 NEW YORK -- The US EEOC announced the settlement of a disability discrimination lawsuit against LaBranche & Co., Inc., for significant remedial relief and $500,000. The lawsuit charged that for Peter Servidio, a trading assistant on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, had been harassed because of his disability, bipolar disorder/ manic-depression, and retaliated against when he complained about the hostile environment. EEOC's lawsuit (EEOC v. LaBranche & Co., Inc. 05-CV-8304), filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleged that the Wall Street trading firm created a hostile environment for a long-time empoloyee on the basis of his disability. EEOC's lawsuit charged that the firm's supervisors and co-workers on the Exchange floor frequently targeted Servidio about his disability, his use of medication, and frequently made comments that he was crazy, in and out of mental institutions, and ready to "go postal," meaning that he could potentially hurt or kill people. The lawsuit also charged that the firm's top officers retaliated against Servidio when he complained to the company's human resources department about the ongoing harassment by employees and managers, and that its top officers threatened Servidio with termination of his employment and harming his future career. LaBranche is a leading specialist and market maker in equities, options and exchange traded funds on major securities exchanges, and it serves as a specialist for more than 670 companies in more than 500 classes of equity and index options. EEOC's New York District Director, Spencer H Lewis, Jr, stated, "Disabled employees must be permitted to function in the workplace without being subjected to stigma, ridicule, and hostility because they have a mental disability and seek treatment that can require a medication regimen or a visit to the hospital." As part of the remedial relief contained in the Consent Decree, submitted to the Hon. Shira A Scheindlin for approval, LaBranche agreed to take a number of steps to prevent future discrimination and retaliation, including providing training to its employees and modification of relevant policies. Elizabeth Grossman, the EEOC's New York District Regional Attorney, said, "Many individuals with disabilities have enjoyed long and successful careers in a variety of jobs where there are pressured work situations such as the stock exchange trading floor, and no one should be forced to endure an environment where his or her disability is treated as a joke." In addition to enforcing the ADA, the EEOC enforces other federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin or age. Medicare and You 2007 : Handbook Now Available The Medicare & You 2007 handbook is now available to help people with Medicare review their coverage options and prepare to enroll. This official government handbook contains important information about what's new, health plans, prescription drug plans, and rights for people with Medicare. You can find 48 geographic-specific versions of the handbook on the website, with drug and health plan comparison charts for particular states or regions. These are the versions that will be mailed to people with Medicare in the next few weeks. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is encouraging people with Medicare to review their current coverage this fall to see if it will meet their needs in 2007. Now is the time to help people think about the cost, coverage, and customer service that they need in a plan to get the most out of their Medicare.
Medicare & You 2007 (English)
Medicare & You 2007 (Spanish)
For more Medicare Prescription Drug Plan issues
Source: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicare Proposes to Improve Care through Learning from Prescription Drug Data Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., announced today that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeks public input on a proposed regulation on using Medicare Part D claims data for research and quality initiatives that will improve the health care and health of seniors and persons with a disability. Medicare drug claims would be linked to other Medicare information on patient care such as hospitalizations and physician visits, and made available to researchers and Federal agencies for studies only with appropriate privacy protections and safeguards, as required by the Privacy Act and HIPAA regulations. "We have seen great improvements in the quality of health care based on identifying opportunities for better care based on Medicare information," CMS Administrator Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., said. "Through the appropriate use of the new prescription drug claims data, we have an unprecedented resource to help us learn more about prescription drug usage by seniors and how we can help seniors get the most benefit from prescription drugs." The proposed regulation will allow the Department of Health and Human Services and CMS to use Part D claims data to:
Under the proposed rule, the FDA, the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and academic researchers would have access to the data to address these and other important public health-related questions. The proposed rule will appear in the Oct. 17, 2006 Federal Register. Comments will be accepted on the proposed rule until December 18th, 2006.
The press release announcing the proposed rule
National Council on Disability Recommends Making Livable Communities Reality WASHINGTON -- The National Council on Disability (NCD) today released a new report titled Creating Livable Communities that identifies barriers to developing livable communities and sheds light on potential methods for overcoming these barriers. According to NCD chairperson John R. Vaughn, "Communities in the United States are faced with increasingly difficult choices and decisions about how to grow, plan for change, and improve the quality of life for all citizens including children, youth, and adults with disabilities. NCD believes that for the promise of full integration into the community to become a reality, people with disabilities need: safe and affordable housing, access to transportation, access to the political process, and the right to enjoy whatever services, programs, and activities are offered to all members of the community by both public and private entities." "Disability prevalence is rising in the under-age-65 population and, although it has decreased slightly for people aged 65 and older, it will begin to rise sharply as the current senior population of 34 million doubles over the next 20 years. In light of these demographic developments, communities will face significant challenges as they strive to address consumers' needs in a coordinated and comprehensive manner, reduce fragmentation in the service delivery system, provide consumer choice, and implement policies and programs that help adults with disabilities remain independent and involved in community life," Vaughn concluded. A livable community recognizes and responds to the universality of needs of its residents regardless of age, economic status, race, gender, or abilities. In improving its livability for one particular group of constituents, the community considers opportunities to respond to all community members' needs from a perspective of accessibility, equality, and inclusion. This report identifies and highlights multiple strategies that may be applied to the design and support of livable community principles. The identified strategies have been initiated by federal and state government agencies as well as the private sector. These entities have recognized the power of collaboration and use of distinct tools to guide and stimulate systemic changes to make communities more livable for all. The highlighted strategies touch all facets of what livable communities do, that is provide residents with:
1. Issue a new Executive Order to charge the Office on Disability of the Department of Health and Human Services to chair a time-limited workgroup (six months, for example) on livable communities that includes representation by the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Transportation, Education, Labor, Treasury, the Social Security Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administration on Aging, the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, and the Office of Community Services within the Department of Health and Human Services. 2. Modify federal requirements for allocation of low-income housing tax credits so that, in making awards to developers, all states require a) the adoption of universal design standards, and b) documentation of approaches to allow a minimum of ten percent of units in multifamily affordable housing developments to be affordable to individuals with disabilities on fixed incomes (SSI/SSDI recipients). 3. Modify current performance measures being used to assess individual program strengths and weaknesses to focus on cross-department and agency collaboration to enhance livable community outcomes. 4. Utilize grant funds from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Social Security Administration, and Departments of Labor, Commerce, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and Housing to offer a consolidated Livable Communities Program Initiative that streamlines 1) a single application for funds, 2) utilization of waiver authority, 3) consolidation of program management and service delivery, and 4) use of tax credits to reengineer the delivery of long-term supports, transportation, housing, employment, education, and cultural, social, and recreational opportunities at a community level. 5. Expand tax incentives to promote matched savings plans for low-income wage earners across the life span. 6. Utilize and leverage community service opportunities to create livable communities. 7. Focus on the Gulf Coast recovery and rebuilding to promote livable community outcomes. 8. Establish a National Resource Center on Livable Communities to educate policymakers, government administrators, community developers, people with disabilities, and the public about best practices in policy development and program implementation. For more information, please contact Mark Quigley, Director of Communications, National Council on Disability, 1331 F Street, NW, Suite 850, Washington, DC 20004, at 202/272-2004 or 202/272-2074 TTY. Source: NCD #06525
Creating Livable Communities
Special Needs Future Planning Brian Rubin has been lecturing on the topic of Special Needs Future Planning since 1982 -- since his own son with special needs (Autism) was one year old. Topics included in the presentation are:
11/09/06 (Thursday) The Arc of Illinois Presentation, hosted by Kreider Services, Inc. & The Arc of Lee County, at the DeSoto House Hotel in Galena, IL. Call The Arc of Illinois at 708/206.1930.
Register or find more information.
11/15/06 (Wednesday) 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Greater North Shore Estate & Financial Planning Council - Breakfast Speaker, at Highland Park Country Club, Highland Park, IL. 11/19/06 (Sunday) Rett Syndrome Conference, at Schaumburg Marriott on Martingale Road, Schaumburg, IL. More information to follow. 11/30/06 (Thursday) ICLE (Illinois Continuing Legal Education) Elder Law Seminar at Hamburger U, Oak Brook, IL, on "Drafting Special Needs Trusts". For Attorneys. Time TBD. 12/01/06 (Friday) 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Arc of Illinois Presentation, hosted by Little City Foundation at 1760 W. Algonquin Rd., Palatine, IL 60067. Call Arc of Illinois at 708/206.1930
Register or find more information.
2/07/07 (Wednesday) 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Arc of Illinois Presentation, hosted by Community Alternatives Unlimited, at 8765 W. Higgins Rd., 11th Floor, Chicago, IL 60631. Call Arc of Illinois 708/206.1930 2/10/07 (Saturday) 3rd Annual "Get Connected! Parent Conference", hosted by Options and Advocacy of McHenry County, at the Holiday Inn, Crystal Lake, IL. More information to follow. 3/08/07 (Thursday) 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sponsored by Developmental Services Center & Champaign Co. Mental Health Board in Champaign, IL. More information to follow. 3/11/07 (Sunday) Sponsored by Step Out USA, Inc. More information to follow. 4/28/07 (Saturday) Sponsored by Clearbrook, Arlington Heights. More information to follow.
Register or find more information.
For more information and/or to arrange for a presentation for your group or organization on the topic of "Future Planning for Families of Children & Adults with Special Needs", please contact our office.
For more information please visit our web site.
ADA Distance Learning Sessions The IL Bureau of Accessibility and Safety Systems (IL/DHS/BASS) and the Illinois ADA Project are inviting interested persons to attend free training sessions concerning issues on the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA Project is a steering committee of the US/DBTAC, Great Lakes ADA Center of which IL/DHS serves as a member organization. The distance learning sessions are being offered by Great Lakes and are scheduled as follows: 11/14/06 -- Ask the DOJ 12/12/06 -- US Access Board Each session runs from 1 to 2:30 and will be offered at 3 sites, as arranged by BASS: in Chicago at DHS, 401 S Clinton, 4th floor; in Springfield at DHS, 100 S Grand Ave. East, 2nd floor; and in Carbondale at the Southern IL CIL, 2135 W Ramada Lane. The sessions are available through the Great Lakes ADA Center in three formats: teleconference; streaming audio; and real-time caption on the internet. All sessions will have a written transcript as well as a digital recording of the sessions. The schedule is subject to change. To register (or if you have questions) call BASS at 312/793.0034 (or fax 312/ 793.3917, or tty 312/793.3597). Any need for reasonable accommodations should be indicated at east two weeks in advance of the session. The Illinois ADA Project is provided by a grant (NIDRR, USDEH133A060097) through DBTAC: Great Lakes ADA Center.
Listen to the sessions
Chicago Bears Accessible Seating Policy The Chicago Bears have designated George McCaskey, the team's Director of Operations, as the team's ADA Coordinator. Anyone with a question about accommodations for people with disabilities at Soldier Field for Bears' games is encouraged to call the ADA Coordinator at 847/739.5330, or 711 Illinois Relay Service for TTY users. 
ADA Coordinator
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