Settlement Agreement Between the United States of America & Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
On January 16, 2009, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice entered into a settlement agreement with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act to improve access for persons with disabilities at Wal-Mart stores around the country. The agreement resolves an investigation that began after the Department received several complaints alleging that Wal-Mart had refused to make reasonable modifications to its rules, policies, practices and procedures for customers with disabilities. Many of the complaints alleged that persons with disabilities were denied access to, or an equal opportunity to shop in, Wal-Mart stores because they were accompanied by service animals.
For more information about the ADA visit the Civil Rights section of DisabilityInfo.gov. To learn about other enforcement actions taken by the U.S. Department of Justice, visit the department's Civil Rights Division Web site.
Proposed Expansion of Projects Eligible for Disability-Related Transportation Funding
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is proposing to expand the types of projects it considers to address the transportation needs of persons with disabilities beyond the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and thus qualify for funding under its New Freedom program. Under the proposed interpretation, new and expanded fixed-route and on-demand transit services designed to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities would become eligible. The deadline for receiving public comments on this proposal is February 23, 2009.
Social Security Expands Fast-Track Disability Claims Processing
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that improvements to the agency's computer modeling system have increased the number of claimants receiving expedited approvals for disability benefits. "In practical terms, this means that this year 100,000 to 125,000 disabled Americans – those with the most severe disabilities – will be approved for benefits in about 10 days instead of waiting the three to four months it typically takes for an initial decision," SSA Commissioner Astrue said.
Release date: January 13, 2009
Contact: EAD & Associates at (718) 330-0034
EAD & Associates and the National Emergency Management Resource Center to
Sponsor First Disability Inaugural Ball
NEW YORK- EAD & Associates, LLC is proud to announce its support of the disability community as a sponsor of the first-ever Disability Power & Pride Inaugural Ball, which is set to take place at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on Sunday, January 18.
The ball is expected to draw officials from the new Administration and numerous political leaders, as well as hundreds of prominent disability advocates, including Elizabeth Davis, founder of both EAD & Associates and the National Emergency Management Resource Center (NEMRC).
“On a professional level, I made the decision that my companies would be named sponsors because it is too important right now not to recognize the emotion and energy that exists around this particular event,” Davis said, adding, “I wish we could do more, but in the spirit of working together to bring change to our own lives and others, we are proud to support this celebration and look forward to being part of the solutions of tomorrow.”
Ms. Davis is an internationally-recognized and published expert in the fields of emergency management and special needs planning. A leader in the development and implementation of special needs policies and protocols, Ms. Davis brings more than fifteen years of passion, dedication, experience, and accomplishments to her work.
A long-time advocate for people with disabilities, Ms. Davis began her career in public service with the NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities followed by the NYC Office of Emergency Management as a Special Needs Advisor.
Ms. Davis later became the first Director of the National Organization on Disability’s Emergency Preparedness Initiative, a position she has since retired from. She remains an advisor to the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA. In 2001, Ms. Davis founded EAD & Associates, a New York-based emergency management consultancy with a unique expertise and focus on special needs and human services issues.
Joining Ms. Davis at the Ball will be Kelly Rouba, an associate with EAD and member of the Inaugural Ball’s Event Media Committee. Ms. Rouba, who has juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, also writes for various disability-related publications and serves as a Disaster Assistance Employee for FEMA Region II. She is a former Ms. Wheelchair New Jersey titleholder and continues to serve as a disability rights advocate. For her community service efforts, she received the 2008 NJ Governor’s Award for Volunteerism.
“As members of the disability community, Kelly and I are thrilled to be attending the first ever disability ball in celebration of what we can all achieve when we come together and support common goals. We can’t wait to see friends and colleagues from all across the country and dance away into the night,” Davis remarked.
To request an interview with Elizabeth Davis or Kelly Rouba, or for more information on EAD & Associates, LLC, call (718) 330-0034 or visit
www.eadassociates.com.*Please note: The Disability Power & Pride Inaugural Ball will be held from 7 p.m. until midnight at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on Sunday, January 18. For more information, visit
www.disabilitypowerandpride.org.About NEMRC
The National Emergency Management Resource Center (NEMRC) serves government, non-profit, and corporate organizations that are seeking to improve their emergency preparedness and response efforts with respect to the special needs population.
NEMRC is a community that believes in a fully-inclusive approach to emergency management, taking into account all population segments and helping to empower individuals and communities. To this end, NEMRC provides our members with the necessary tools to enable efficient, expedited, and involved resolution of special needs emergency management issues and concerns.
For more information, visit www.nemrc.net.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Chris Danielsen, Director of Public Relations, National
Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330 or (410) 262-1281 (Cell);
cdanielsen@nfb.org
National Federation of the Blind to Award $50,000 in 2009
Baltimore, Maryland (January 7, 2009):
The National Federation of the Blind today announced that applications are now being accepted for the 2009 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Program. Each year the National Federation of the Blind presents cash awards to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions toward achieving the full integration of the blind into society on a basis of equality.
Dr. Jacob Bolotin was a blind physician who lived and practiced in
Chicago in the early twentieth century. He was widely known and
respected in Chicago and throughout the Midwest during his career, which spanned the period from 1912 until his untimely death at the age of thirty-six in 1924. He was particularly recognized for his expertise on diseases of the heart and lungs. Bolotin used his many public speaking engagements to advocate for the employment of the blind and their full integration into society.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
said: "Dr. Jacob Bolotin was a pioneer who overcame low expectations and discrimination to become a renowned member of the medical profession without the benefit of the support services and civil rights protections available to blind people today. He was also a fierce advocate for greater opportunity for the blind in his time, and doubtless would have been a leader in the organized blind movement had he lived to see it come into being. The Jacob Bolotin Award Program celebrates his pioneering spirit by recognizing and supporting outstanding programs, technologies, and individual efforts that promote independence and opportunity for blind Americans."
Recipients of the 2009 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards will be determined by the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Committee of the National Federation of the Blind. Online applications are due by April 15, 2009. Individual award recipients will be announced at the 2009 National Federation of the Blind Convention in Detroit. A total of $50,000 will be distributed to the award recipients.
The Jacob Bolotin Award Program is funded through the generosity of Dr.Bolotin's nephew and niece, Alfred and Rosalind Pearlman. In addition to establishing the Alfred and Rosalind Pearlman Trust to endow the awards, the late Mrs. Pearlman also wrote The Blind Doctor: The Jacob Bolotin Story. The book has been published by Blue Point Books and can be ordered directly from the publisher at www.bluepointbooks.com
<http://www.bluepointbooks.com/> .
For more information or to fill out the online application, please visit
www.nfb.org
