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Americans with Disabilities Act now applies to more people

Watch for more lawsuits alleging discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act now that a new law amending the ADA has gone into effect as of Jan. 1.

Over the last decade, the Supreme Court had substantially narrowed the number of people eligible for legal protection under the act. The new statute, passed by Congress and signed into law this fall, affirms a broader definition of disability.

Notably, the Supreme Court decided in 1999 that a person with a serious but well-controlled medical condition couldn’t be considered disabled under the ADA. Examples include people with epilepsy or diabetes who respond well to medication.

Advocates for the disabled argued that the court’s interpretation was overly strict. By its reasoning, someone with well-managed epilepsy couldn’t prevail on a discrimination charge even if an employer put up signs saying “epileptics not welcome here,” according to Robert Burgdorf Jr., a professor of law at David Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia.

In a separate case, the Supreme Court held that a disability must be permanent or long-term to qualify for protection, which excluded people with episodic illnesses that flare up and subside. Similarly, the court said an impairment had to be severe enough to affect activities central to a person’s life.

With these and other restrictions, employers prevailed in as many as 97 percent of disability discrimination cases, according to testimony last year by Andrew Imparato, president of the American Association of People with Disabilities.

The 2008 amendments to the ADA make it clear that Congress intended to cast a wider net of protection.

As of Jan. 1, people are deemed disabled on the basis of their underlying medical condition, not the therapy they’ve pursued. (An exception is made for people with poor eyesight rectified by eyeglasses.)

If someone has an episodic illness—for instance, relapsing and remitting multiple sclerosis—the impact on that person’s functioning when the condition is most acute will be used to determine disability.

The ADA still requires an individual to establish that he has a mental or physical impairment that substantially affects a major life activity. But the list of activities that qualify has been expanded significantly to include such tasks as concentrating, thinking, communicating, working, bending, lifting, standing, reading, performing manual tasks and caring for oneself.

“As a result of the passage of the [ADA amendments], the number of disability discrimination claims is likely to increase,” the law firm Goodwin Procter, headquartered in Boston, noted in an advisory.

Recently disabled veterans are among those who Congress hopes will benefit from the newly strengthened ADA protections.

“For our returning war veterans with disabilities, [the new law] will ensure their transition back to civilian life will not include another battle here at home—a battle against discrimination on the basis of disability,” said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, in a September statement in Congress.

Article courtesy of ChicagoTribune.com

Paid internships and mentoring for students with disabilities pursuing computing at the University of Washington

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington and DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) sponsor the AccessComputing Alliance for the purpose of increasing the participation of people with disabilities in computing careers.  College students with disabilities who are pursuing Computer Science and other computing majors are encouraged to join the AccessComputing Team.

Team members are eligible for help with PAID COMPUTING INTERNSHIPS and MENTORING. The application is at: http://www.washington.edu/accesscomputing/team_app.html

This project is funded by the National Science Foundation. For more information, or help with the application, students are encouraged to contact Julie Grant (jago@u.washington.edu).

How To Choose The Right Desktop Video Magnifier

Desktop magnifiers, also called CCTVs allow people with low vision to read, write, and view pictures with ease.

A desktop video magnifier consists of a reading tray or table where the material to be viewed sits. Above the reading tray facing downward is the magnifier, and a screen is attached to the magnifier facing the user. 

Everything that goes on the reading tray is magnified and projected onto the screen for the user to see. A desktop magnifier is helpful for anyone with low vision who wants to live independently. However, with ticket prices ranging from $1000 to $5000, selecting the right CCTV for your needs can be difficult. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself when you are looking to purchase a CCTV: 

1. Do you need a monitor? 

There are CCTVs that work with your existing television, CRT or LCD monitor or you can purchase a model that comes with a monitor attached to the reading table. Although you can still find them, CRT models are largely being replaced by the smaller, higher quality LCDs. Also look at monitor sizes; these will be similar to other computer size options as they are essentially the same monitors.

2. Auto focus or manual focus?

Auto focus works similar to your camera. You place the book, prescription bottle, or other item onto the reading table and the CCTV automatically finds the object and zooms for you. With manual focus, you adjust a knob on the magnifier until you can see your book clearly. You can save up to $500 or more by choosing a manual focus magnifier. 

3. Do you need color magnification? 

If you will mainly be reading and writing, black and white desktop magnifiers are less expensive and will get the job done. If you will be looking at photos, crocheting, or anything that requires colors, full color magnifiers are available. 

4. Do you need reverse mode? 

Some models have the option to display text in white with a black background. This reduces glare so your eyes aren't strained as much from reading and it is best for people with certain vision impairments such as macular degneration. 

5. How much viewing area do you need? 

The viewing area tells you how much you can actually view at once on-screen. If you've got a larger viewing area, you can see more at once! This may be important for you depending on the kinds of things you look at regularly. An average viewing area is about 12-15" diagonally. 

 

6. Do you need other features? 

Lines and windows are features on some models that make it easier for you to read things on your screen. Windows limits the area that you see onscreen at once, making it easy to find where you are on the object. Lines give you a grid to keep your place in a block of text or to vertically or horizontally mark the area you are viewing. 

This should give you a start as you begin to research desktop magnifiers to find one that will best suit your needs.