Thursday, September 29, 2005
The editors at Disability Studies Quarterly (DSQ) are pleased to announce the release of the Fall 2005 issue!
This issue features several papers in areas of general scholarship, as well as part 2 of the theme issue, "Freakery," guest edited by Michael Chemers, and part 1 of the theme issue, "Emerging Issues in the Study of Disability Policy & Law," guest edited by Peter Blanck.
You may access the Fall 2005 issue of DSQ at the website:
http://www.dsq-sds.org/2005_fall_toc.html
The theme issue guest edited by Dr. Blanck includes the following articles, some of which are authored or co-authored by Law, Health Policy & Disability Center Staff:
Theme Issue: Emerging Issues in the Study of Disability Policy & Law, Part 1
Guest Editors' Introduction Peter Blanck
Welfare Models
New Paradigms of Disability in Social Security Law and Policy in Australia: Implications for Exclusion or Participation Sarah Parker & Bettina Cass
Reforming Medicaid Incentives that Institutionalize People with Disabilities and Destroy Families: A Policy Note Mary Giliberti
Empirical Studies of Employment and Economic Advancement
Cost and Effectiveness of Accommodations in the Workplace: Preliminary Results of a Nationwide Study D.J. Hendricks, Linda C. Batiste, Anne Hirsh, Helen Schartz & Peter Blanck
A Study of the Accessibility of Ten States' Web Services and their Policies on Web Accessibility for People with Disabilities David W. Klein, Daniel Kresowik & LeeAnn McCoy
International Disability Law
A Progressive Law with Weak Enforcement?: An Empirical Study of Hong Kong's Disability Law Carole J. Petersen
Israel's Equal Rights for Persons with Disabilities Law: Current Status and Future Directions Arie Rimmerman, Tal Araten-Bergman, Shirley Avrami, Faisal Azaiza
- Item posted by James at 11:46:00 AM
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Blanck Comments On Supreme Court Case. The Supreme Court agreed Monday to decide if states and counties can be sued for not accommodating disabled prisoners, a big-money question for governments already strapped for cash. The court already has held that people in state prisons are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now the justices will consider whether prisoners can sue for damages under the ADA, a law meant to ensure equal treatment for the disabled in many areas of life. "The ADA has become the battleground for the Rehnquist court's legacy in terms of federalism," said PETER BLANCK, a University of Iowa law professor specializing in the disability law. Blanck said the case addressing the rights of convicted criminals may be tougher for the court when it hears arguments next fall. "It's not a very sympathetic population," he said. The same story appeared on the Web site of THE GUARDIAN (UK), MIAMI HERALD, ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT GAZETTE, ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, The STATE in South Carolina, CHARLOTTE (N.C.) OBSERVER, KANSAS CITY STAR, BRADENTON (Fla.) HERALD, DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE, GRAND FORKS (N.D.) HERALD, BILOXI (Mo.) SUN HERALD, SAN LUIS OBISPO (Calf.) TRIBUNE, MYRTLE BEACH (S.C.) SUN NEWS and numerous other news organizations.
The story, which appeared in the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER (May 17), can be found at the following address:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1154&slug=Scotus%20Disabled%20Inmates
- Item posted by David at 10:03:00 AM
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
The NCB Development Corporation and the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center at the University of Iowa College of Law to sponser Tax facts+ webcast. The webcast, entitled "Financial Education for Persons with Disabilities: Money Smart: An Adult Education Program from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and No Place Like Home Communities - This Is Mine! Innovative Financial Literacy Program" will take place at 12:00 – 2:00PM EST on April 20, 2005.
Tax facts+ is a three-year multi-faceted national campaign that will empower communities working with persons with disabilities to participate and expand their knowledge and utilization of favorable tax benefits and financial education services. TAX facts+ will direct needed public attention to the advancement of economic freedom and full community participation of persons with disabilities. The campaign has three parts that includes material development, training, and technical assistance activities.
For more information, including registration, see
http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/projects/aatp-casts.html.
- Item posted by David at 11:11:00 AM
Thursday, March 31, 2005
National Council on Disability ADA Impact Public Forum Held in Iowa City. The Iowa City Press-Citizen published an article covering the ADA Impact Forum held on March 25th. The article is available at http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050326/NEWS01/503260307/1079/NEWS. The article quotes center staff James Schmeling and Phoebe Ball as well as staff from the Evert Conner Rights and Resources Center for Independent Living, including director Chris O'Hanlon, Keith Ruff, and Angie Creech. The forum took public testimony from participants, and will pass that on to NCD for their report on the Impact of the ADA. Many people from the University of Iowa attended and spoke at the forum.
- Item posted by James at 8:50:00 AM
Friday, February 18, 2005
Blanck to speak at disability conference in May, 2005. Peter Blanck, Charles M. & Marion Kierscht Professor of Law at the University of Iowa and director of the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center, will be a keynote speaker at a conference sponsered by YAI/National Institute for People with Disabilities. The conference entitled, "Conference on Social Work in Disability and Rehabilitation: Policy, Program Development, and Service Provision in Community-Based Settings" will be held New York City on May 9-11, 2005. Mario Cuomo, former Mayor of New York City, will also present a keynote session at this conference.
For more on this conference, see http://yai.org/Conf2005Brochure_SocWk.pdf (PDF document).
- Item posted by David at 3:26:00 PM
Blanck speaks at business group conference. Peter Blanck, Kierscht Professor and Director of the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center, University of Iowa College of Law, delivered a presentation on "Demystifying Workplace Accommodations: Costs, Strategies, and Solutions" at The Joint Forum on Health, Productivity and Absence Management. Entitled, "Maximizing Human Capital in a Changing Economy," the conference was sponsered jointly by The Integrated Benefits Institute and National Business Group on Health (formerly the Washington Business Group on Health). The conference was held Nov. 9 - 11, 2004, in Washington, D.C.
For more on this, see http://www.ibiweb.org/2004-forum-presentations.
- Item posted by David at 3:13:00 PM
Wednesday, January 12, 2005
Peter Blanck is editor of a new volume from Ashgate Press, Disability Rights in the series The International Library of Essays on Rights. From the publisher, "There is great diversity of definitions, causes and consequences of discrimination against persons with disabilities, yet there are fundamental themes uniting countries in their pursuit of human rights policies to improve the social and economic status of those with disabilities.
In this volume are twenty-five important articles examining historical, contemporary and comparative issues crucial to the advancement of disability rights. The volume foreshadows the future of disability rights as a medium for ensuring that those living with disabilities participate as equal citizens of the world."
The volume includes the following articles:
Foreword, Christopher McCrudden.
Introduction, Peter Blanck.
Part I: Rise of Disability Rights: Peter David Blanck and Michael Millender (2000), Before civil rights: civil war pensions and the politics of disability in America; Paul K. Longmore (2000), Disability policy and politics, considering consumer influences; B. J. Gleeson (1997), Disability studies: a historical materialist view; Mike Oliver (1984), The politics of disability; Leonard Kriegel (1969), Uncle Tom and Tiny Tim: some reflections on the cripple as negro.
Part II: Law of Disability Rights: Theresia Degener (2000), International disability law – a new legal subject on the rise: the interregional experts' meeting in Hong Kong, December 13-17, 1999; Jerry Alan Winter (2003), The development of the disability rights movement as a social problem solver; Lisa Waddington (1996), Reassessing the employment of people with disabilities in Europe: from quotas to anti-discrimination laws; Lee Ann Basser and Melinda Jones (2002), The Disability Discrimination Act 1992(Cth): a three-dimensional approach to operationalising human rights; Katharina C. Heyer (2002), The ADA on the road: disability rights in Germany; Reiko Hayashi and Masako Okuhira (2001), The disability rights movement in Japan: past, present and future; Christian Courtis (2002), Disability rights in Latin America and international cooperation.
Part III: Assessment of Disability Rights: Mike Oliver (1992), Changing the social relations of research production; Colin Barnes (1996), Disability and the myth of the independent researcher; Mike Bury (1996), Disability and the myth of the independent researcher: a reply; Tom Shakespeare (1996), Rules of engagement: doing disability; Harlan Hahn (1996), Anti-discrimination laws and social research on disability: the minority group perspectives; Michael Ashley Stein (2000), Empirical implications of title I; Peter Blanck, Lisa Schur, Douglas Kruse, Susan Schwochau and Chen Song (2003), Calibrating the impact of the ADA's employment provisions; Jerome Bickenbach and Jeremy Cooper (2003), Does a needs-led delivery of services undermine disability discrimination principles?.
Part IV: Future of Disability Rights: Tom Shakespeare and Nicholas Watson (1997), Defending the social model; Adrienne Asch (2001), Critical race theory, feminism, and disability: reflections on social justice and personal identity; Marcia H. Rioux (1994), Towards a concept of equality of well-being: overcoming the social and legal construction of inequality; Arelene S. Kanter (2003), The globalization of disability rights law; Gerard Quinn (2004), Disability rights an American invention - a global challenge.
It is available from Ashgate Press at https://www.ashgate.com/shopping/title.asp?key1=&key2=&orig=results&isbn=0%207546%202452%208
- Item posted by James at 11:11:21 AM
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Blanck Comments On Jobs For Disabled. Twelve years after the Americans with Disabilities Act declared employment discrimination against the disabled illegal, a Harris poll found the percentage of disabled adults with jobs stuck at about 35 percent. Experts on the disabled say they've seen positive employment gains, many of them among young adults. "Young people who have severe disabilities who want to work, who are capable of being accommodated, their employment rate has risen dramatically," said PETER BLANCK, director of the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center at the University of Iowa College of Law. The newspaper is based in New Jersey.
The story, which appeared in the Asbury Park Press (Dec. 20), can be found at the following address: http://www.app.com/app/story/0,21625,1148773,00.html.
- Item posted by David at 3:52:51 PM
Thursday, December 16, 2004
Blanck, Schmeling Comment On Disability Case (Capital Times, Dec. 11)
When her daughter Jessica was 5 years old, Helenville, Wis., resident Peggy Schwartz had to fight to get the developmentally disabled girl into a "regular" kindergarten class for just 15 minutes twice a week. When Jessica graduated from high school two years ago, she had not only made friends but found a job working five days a week at two Lake Mills businesses with the help of a state-funded job coach. Now Schwartz says Jefferson County officials are trying to sideline her daughter's chances to work in the real world by cutting back on the job coaching she receives. In a case that could have implications for human service programs statewide, Schwartz is suing Jefferson County, claiming that those limits violate the Americans With Disabilities Act. While the Americans With Disabilities Act has been on the books for more than a decade, there has been few major cases relating to access to employment services, says PETER BLANCK, director of the Law, Health Policy and Disability Center at the University of Iowa and an authority on the disabilities law. Citing recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, however, Blanck warns that if Jefferson County "is restricting access to supported employment (the general term for job-coaching services) on the basis of disability severity, that could be problematic under the ADA." Blanck's colleague, JAMES SCHMELING, adds that many counties nationwide are grappling with the choice between supported employment and sheltered workshops for people with developmental disabilities. "Many counties provide little or no (supported employment) services rather than equivalent services, so the option might be that they totally eliminate that class of service rather than provide it to everybody," he says. The paper is based in Madison, Wis. http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/index.php?ntid=20929&ntpid=1
- Item posted by James at 4:42:38 PM
Friday, December 03, 2004
The NCB Development Corporation and the Law, Health Policy, & Disability Center at the University of Iowa College of Law to sponser Tax Facts webcast. The webcast, entitled "Volunteer Income Tax Assistance: Effective Strategies to Reach People with Disabilities and Practical Solutions for Meeting Accessibility Challenges" will take place at 12:00 – 2:00PM EST on December 9, 2004.
Tax facts+ is a three-year multi-faceted national campaign that will empower communities working with persons with disabilities to participate and expand their knowledge and utilization of favorable tax benefits and financial education services. The purpose of the Tax Facts campaign is to build knowledge and utilization of favorable tax provisions and financial education for individuals with disabilities, their families and employers to empower and advance self-directed economic security.
For more information, including registration, see
http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/projects/aatp-casts.html.
- Item posted by David at 11:57:26 AM
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
The EEOC issued Questions & Answers About Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act, dated October 20, 2004. The guidance cites Peter Blanck's 1998 book, The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Emerging Workforce: Employment of People with Mental Retardation, American Association on Mental Retardation. The guidance is available at http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/intellectual_disabilities.html
- Item posted by James at 1:20:52 PM
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
The Chronicle of Higher Education Gazette (10/08/2004) noted the recent generous gift from Stanley and Gail Richards according to the University of Iowa News Digest at http://list.uiowa.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0410&L=ui-news&T=0&F=&S=&P=177: "UI Center Nets $1.25 Million Grant (Chronicle, Oct. 8)The UNIVERSITY OF IOWA FOUNDATION has received $1.25 million from Stanley and Gail Richards for the LAW, HEALTH POLICY, AND DISABILITY CENTER to promote awareness of the rights and interests of persons with disabilitiesthrough seminars and public forums.
http://chronicle.com/prm/weekly/v51/i07/07a05101.htm" The Chronicle is a subscription only publication, but you may access the news item if you are on the University of Iowa campus through a University network connection.
- Item posted by James at 11:52:02 AM
Monday, October 04, 2004
Blanck to Lead Miller Center of Public Affairs Forum. Peter Blanck, Charles M. & Marion Kierscht Professor of Law at the University of Iowa and director of the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center, will lead a Forum presented by the University of Virginia's Miller Center of Public Affairs. Entitled, "Americans with Disabilities and their Civil Rights: Past, Present, Future," the forum will be held on Friday, October 22, 11:00 AM CST.
The Miller Center's Forums are held at the J. Wilson Newman Pavilion on the grounds of the Miller Center, located at 2201 Old Ivy Road. Forums are free and open to the public. For more information and schedule updates please call their information line at 434-924-0921, or main telephone line at 434-924-7236. All Forums are live webcast and many are archived at http://www.millercenter.virginia.edu/programs/forums/forum_archive.html.
More forum information is available at http://www.millercenter.virginia.edu/programs/forums/index.html.
- Item posted by David at 1:42:02 PM
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Blanck to deliver Inaugural Thornburgh Lecture On Disability Policy. Peter Blanck, Charles M. & Marion Kierscht Professor of Law at the University of Iowa, will deliver the inaugural Thornburgh Family Lecture in Disability Law and Policy on Thursday, Oct. 14 at the University of Pittsburgh. Blanck will discuss "Americans with Disabilities and their Civil Rights." A panel discussion, featuring business and disability law leaders, will follow Blanck's lecture.
The Thornburgh Family Lectureship is named after Richard Thornburgh, former Pennsylvania governor and U.S. attorney general, and Ginny Thornburgh, vice president of the National Organization on Disability and director of the Religion and Disability Program. The two were awarded a Henry B. Betts Award for their work in advocating for disability issues and donated the award to the University of Pittsburgh to endow the annual lecture series.
Blanck is lead author of Disability Civil Rights Law and Policy, an authoritative treatise that covers the history, development, and details of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability law and legislation. He directs the Iowa Law, Health Policy & Disability Center (http://disability.law.uiowa.edu).
A press release from the University of Iowa is available at http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2004/september/092004blanck.html.
- Item posted by David at 9:31:24 AM
Friday, August 27, 2004
The Center for International Rehabilitation (CIR) presented the inaugural report of the International Disability Rights Monitor (IDRM) to the United Nations on August 24th documenting the situation of people with disabilities in 24 countries of South and North America. James Schmeling, Helen Schartz, and Peter Blanck prepared the chapter on the United States for this first report. The IDRM is "a groundbreaking initiative by the CIR and other members of the disability community to document and assess disability rights and abuses in every country across the globe. The report provides vital data about disability rights just as the United Nations begins two weeks of historic meetings to debate the proposed International Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities." http://www.cirnetwork.org/index.cfm. A copy of the report in HTML is now available at http://www.cirnetwork.org/idrm/reports/americas/index.html and in PDF at http://www.cirnetwork.org/idrm-pdf/IDRM_Americas_2004.pdf. The chapter by Schmeling, Schartz, and Blanck is available at http://www.cirnetwork.org/idrm/reports/americas/countries/united_states.html. A press release from CIR is available at http://www.cirnetwork.org/info/press12.cfm and press coverage by the Associate Press is at http://www.cirnetwork.org/idrm/press.cfm.
- Item posted by James at 8:43:07 AM
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Brewster Thackery of the National Organization on Disability (NOD), Melanie Brunson of the American Council of the Blind (ACB), and Peter Blanck, Kierscht Professor of Law, and Director of The Law, Health Policy & Disability Center, respond to a recent Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) report showing that the number of federal employees with disabilities has declined by 19.8 percent in the last 10 years, far surpassing the overall reduction in federal employees of 7.6 percent.
The story, which appeared in the Washington Post (July 5), can be found at the following address: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29590-2004Jul5.html.
- Item posted by David at 11:47:09 AM
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Blanck To Testify Before Congress On Disability Policy. Peter Blanck, Charles M. & Marion Kierscht Professor of Law at the University of Iowa and director of the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center, will testify before Congress this week on the lives of disabled people in America. The hearing, "Living with Disabilities in the United States: A Snapshot," will be held June 24 before a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives. The testimony will, in part, provide some analysis of the results of the N.O.D./Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities, which will be released on the same day.
A press release from the University of Iowa is available at
http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2004/june/062204blanck-congress.html.
- Item posted by David at 2:24:03 PM
Monday, June 07, 2004
National Organization on Disability launches benchmark quadrennial survey. On June 3, 2004, the National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) announced that its national survey of Americans with disabilities, conducted every four years by the Harris organization, has gone into the field and will be released in late June. The N.O.D./Harris Survey of Americans with Disabilities has been commissioned by the National Organization on Disability since 1986, and is the most comprehensive survey of its kind. It looks at ten key quality of life indicators and measures the gaps in responses between individuals with, and without, disabilities in employment, income, education, health care, access to transportation, entertainment, socializing, religious and political participation, and life satisfaction.
The survey also looks at issues of specific concern to people with disabilities, such as the impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act on their lives, and issues concerning access. This year’s survey will be expanded to include questions regarding health care, finance and asset issues, and assistive technology.
The survey has been sponsered in part by the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center. For more information, see http://www.nod.org/content.cfm?id=1527.
For more on the events of June 24, including a Congressional hearing, see http://www.nod.org/content.cfm?id=1533.
- Item posted by David at 2:42:34 PM
Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Blanck Discusses ADA On Internet Radio Program. Peter Blanck, University of Iowa professor of law and director of the Law, Health Policy and Disability Center (LHPDC) in the College of Law, was interviewed on the program "Disability Matters with Joyce Bender" on the Internet radio network VoiceAmerica. They discussed the Americans with Disabilities Act, the recent Tennessee v. Lane decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, and the LHPDC. A recording of the program can be found at VoiceAmerica's archive (http://voiceamerica.com/) or at Joyce Bender's website (http://www.benderconsult.com/radio.html).
- Item posted by David at 11:21:16 AM
Monday, May 17, 2004
The Supreme Court today issued their opinion in Tennessee v. Lane. The opinion is available at from the Supreme Court website (http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/03slipopinion.html) in PDF format only. Google News has links to coverage from many news sources.
- Item posted by James at 8:59:34 PM
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Peter Blanck, Charles M. & Marion Kierscht Professor of Law at the University of Iowa and the director of the Iowa Law, Health Policy & Disability Center, has been named to the board of directors of the National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.). A press release from the University of Iowa is available at http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2004/may/051004blanck.html. The N.O.D. website is at http://www.nod.org/ and the listing of the full board is available at http://www.nod.org/content.cfm?id=62.
- Item posted by James at 2:21:57 PM
Monday, April 19, 2004
New research on Workforce Investment Act Section 188 methods of administration (MOA) plans by Robert Silverstein. Entitled, "Analysis of WIA Section 188 Methods of Administration Plans from a Disability Perspective," this paper is intended to 1) "provide a baseline for assessing the nature and extent of changes over time to the policies and procedures" of MOAs developed by six states and 2) to provide state-based examples. Section 188 prohibits discrimination on the ground of disability. MOAs from the following states were included in the research: Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Texas, and Washington. Robert "Bobby" Silverstein, J.D., is the Director of the Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy (CSADP). Mr. Silverstein was the former staff director and chief counsel to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy.
Go to http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/rrtc/documents/silverstein/MethodsOfAdmin_0404.doc to view the paper.
- Item posted by David at 11:30:58 AM
Tuesday, April 06, 2004
"Choosing an Employment Provider" article by Pat Steele. The March, 2004, Iowa APSE (Association For Persons In Supported Employment) newsletter published this guide to consumers of employment services. See http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Villa/5214/Newsletterarticles.htm to see the article online, or go to the LHPDC publications section (http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/publications/steelepubs.html) to download a draft.
- Item posted by David at 11:23:43 AM
Friday, February 13, 2004
Blanck and LHPDC receive mention in CPE newsletter. The Winter, 2004, newsletter published by the University of Chicago's Center for Population Economics (http://www.cpe.uchicago.edu) highlighted recent events at the Law Health Policy & Disability Center. The Nellie Ball Trust award for $20,000, the recent award of the Asset Accumulation and Tax Policy Project by National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), and the new hornbook publication, Disability Civil Rights Law & Policy by Blanck, Hill, Siegal, and Waterstone, were described. Click to see the CPE Newsletter.
- Item posted by David at 1:39:58 PM
Thursday, January 08, 2004
Blanck Receives $20,000 Grant From Nellie Ball Trust Fund Grant. A $20,000 research grant from the Nellie Ball Trust has been awarded to Kierscht Professor of Law Peter Blanck to renew support for his research examining the impact of discrimination against persons with mental disabilities, including depression and psychiatric conditions. See http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2004/january/010804blanck-grant.html.
- Item posted by David at 12:46:32 PM
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Disability rights' advocates celebrate 10th anniversary. On Oct. 16, 2003, Oakland's Disability Right Advocates celebrated their 10th anniversary. This celebration was also their first fundraiser, which collected $600,000 toward a permanent fellowship fund for the organization. Among the attendees included Peter Blanck of the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center.
For more on this, see the article from the Daily Journal.
- Item posted by David at 12:42:55 PM
Monday, November 17, 2003
Peter Blanck to Speak at International Seminar in Oslo. The seminar, entitled "International seminar: Anti-discrimination legislation; the disability experience," to be held December 2-3, 2003, is part of an effort to to strengthen the protection against the discrimination of disabled persons in Norway.
- Item posted by David at 10:24:27 AM
Monday, October 27, 2003
Merrill Lynch to Host Disability Diversity & Corporate Culture Program. On November 28, 2003, Merrill Lynch will host "Disability Diversity and Corporate Culture: A Program in Honour of the European Year of the Disabled" in London, England. The program is sponsored by the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center. For more details, see the program flyer (PowerPoint file).
- Item posted by David at 11:42:56 AM
Thursday, September 18, 2003
Justice for All? Exploring Gender, Race, and Sexual Orientation within Disability Law, will be held on October 10th and 11th, 2003 at the University of Iowa College of Law in the Boyd Law Building. The 8th Annual Journal of Gender, Race, and Justice Symposium at the University of Iowa College of Law will analyze the intersections of Gender, Race, and Sexual Orientation within the world of disability law. The conference will explore both philosophical perspectives on gender, race, and sexual orientation while at the same time looking at more practical issues such as disability within the education system, employment discrimination due to disability, and the link between poverty and disability. Participants in the symposium are both academic scholars and practitioners from across the globe. The diverse nature of the participants will encourage a vigorous level of academic debate and discussion. The Journal, through the symposium, hopes to test, shape, and strengthen academic scholarship by bringing a myriad of experiences into the realm of legal thought. Questions or special accommodation requests can be made by contacting, Paul Kraus, the Symposium Editor at (319) 337-8654 or my emailing paul556@yahoo.com
- Item posted by James at 11:37:48 AM
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Webcast scheduled for September 15: "Section 188 Disability Policy Checklist -- A New Tool for One-Stop Compliance"
Robert Silverstein will be featured on a Webcast addressing the Workforce Investment Act Section 188 "checklist" on Monday, September 15, 2003, 2:00 PM (Central). For access to the Webcast and the presenter handouts go to http://www.ilru.org/online/handouts/2003/Silverstein/index.html
- Item posted by James at 9:09:34 AM
A new resource is available for rehabilitation professionals, Court Decisions Involving the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Resource Guide for Rehabilitation Professionals authored by Lewis E. Vierling. It is available at http://www.elliottfitzpatrick.com/publications/ under New Publications, and the catalog number is B122, and ISBN is 0-945019-85-8. From the publisher: "The ADA law has been in the news in recent years as several federal court cases seek to clarify relevant issues related to interpretation. Vierling presents an excellent overview of the ADA law and how it differs from other related disability laws. Discussion of cases is presented (many of them being addressed by the US Supreme Court) involving private employers, the definition of disability, and several related aspects to the application of the law in the workplace. The appendices include a comprehensive listing of references related to ADA court cases and related literature. Section of laws related to ADA are included as well (The Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; and the Civil Rights Act of 1991). "
- Item posted by James at 9:05:50 AM
Friday, September 05, 2003
A new disability policy website went online on September 1, 2003 containing training materials, policy papers and policy briefs prepared by ROBERT "BOBBY" SILVERSTEIN. Bobby is the Director of the Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy (CSADP) in Washington, D.C. and former staff director and chief counsel to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Disability Policy, chaired by Senator Tom Harkin. The address for the website is: http://www.disabilitypolicycenter.org.
The website is organized by relevant topic areas. The following topics are included:
• Advocacy Training Materials
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Disability Policy, In General
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
• Olmstead Supreme Court Case
• Personal Assistance Services (PAS)
• Rehabilitation Act (See Vocational Rehabilitation)
• State Medicaid Buy-In Programs and State Work Incentive Initiatives
(See also Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act)
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA)
• Vocational Rehabilitation
• Workforce Investment Act (WIA)
In addition, the website includes hot links to other disability policy-related websites.
Bobby can be reached by email at: Bobby@CSADP.org. Melanie, Bobby's assistant, may be reached at: Melanie@CSADP.org.
- Item posted by James at 1:46:26 PM
Saturday, July 26, 2003
Peter Blanck, Kierscht Professor of Law, and Director of The Law, Health Policy & Disability Center, was noted in an Iowa City Press-Citizen article for having significant external research support. The article is available at UI attracts $352M in grants is available on the Press-Citizen website.
- Item posted by James at 10:14:11 AM
Thursday, May 22, 2003
Professor Andrew Williams is hosting a program titled Robotics and More (RAM) Day Camp on May 24, 2003. Junior high students who have applied and been selected will be instructed on robot programming and Web page design. In Web Page Design students will use Microsoft Frontpage to design and create their own Web site. In Robot Programming students will learn how to program Lego Mindstorms Robots and see demos of the Sony AIBO Robotic Dogs. And in Assistive Technologies students will learn about and see demos of assistive technologies. The University of Iowa will host the event. Sponsors include the College of Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the Law, Health Policy and Disability Center, and Microsoft Corporation. The mission of RAM is to promote robotics and computer education among junior high students with disabilities, women, and minorities.
- Item posted by James at 9:54:43 AM
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
Supreme Court Rules for Clinic in Disability Case (The Guardian, April 22)
Thousands of small companies could avoid a law requiring special accommodations for disabled workers under a ruling Tuesday by the Supreme Court. In a 7-2 decision, the court ruled against a disabled woman who contended a small company's partners and shareholders should be counted as employees. The decision mainly affects professional service companies like law firms, medical practices and accounting offices, though advocates for the disabled were split on the likely impact. "It's unfortunate that the court has taken a miserly reading of this broad civil rights law," said Peter Blanck, a University of Iowa law professor specializing in the disabilities law. "Companies will think twice about whether or not they have to make an ADA accommodation." Versions of the article also ran April 22 on the websites of the NEW YORK TIMES, the DAYTON DAILY NEWS in Ohio, the NEWS JOURNAL in Texas and on BOSTON.COM, which carries stories from the BOSTON GLOBE and April 23 on the websites of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, THE TENNESSEAN, NEWSDAY, the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER and the DETROIT NEWS. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2593542,00.html.
- Item posted by James at 12:30:31 PM
Monday, March 31, 2003
A $50,000 gift from Guardsmark LLC has established the Alan Ross Hawley Distinguished Visitorship and Lecture at the Law, Health Policy and Disability Center in University of Iowa College of Law. Hawley, who died on Feb. 18, graduated from the UI in 1948 with an undergraduate degree in political science and from the Iowa Law School in 1950. A press release is available at http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2003/march/033103guardsmark.html and the Center's web page for the Hawley Distinguished Visitorship and Lecture is available at http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/events/hawleylectures.html.
- Item posted by James at 12:24:03 PM
Friday, March 28, 2003
The Heldrich Center has released their new report, "Restricted Access: Work Trends Survey of Employers About People with Disabilities" which was funded in part by the RRTC on Workforce Investment and Employment Policy. This is the latest survey and report in the Work Trends survey series. This survey charts the views of employers regarding workers with disabilities and the barriers they face to employment. Work Trends is the joint project of two distinguished social science research centers, the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, and the Center for Survey Research and Analysis at UConn. This multiyear public opinion series explores the attitudes of American workers and employers on the central challenges facing the workforce, workplace, and economy. The report is available at http://www.heldrich.rutgers.edu/Resources/Publication/89/Work%20Trends%20XIV%20Restricted%20Access%20Final%20Report.pdf.
- Item posted by James at 9:29:22 AM
Robert Silverstein, Director of the Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy, and a partner in the RRTC on Workforce Investment and Employment Policy and the Center on State Systems and Employment has authored and released a policy brief titled "The Applicability of the ADA to Personal Assistance Services in the Workplace." The policy brief is available at http://www.communityinclusion.org/publications/pub.php?page=pb10 in text format or at http://www.communityinclusion.org/publications/pdf/pb10.pdf in PDF format. The PDF version may also be downloaded from this website on the publications page under Robert Silverstein's name in the partners section and in the RRTC section in the category of Employment and the ADA or at http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/rrtc/documents/silverstein/ADAtoPersonalAssistance.pdf.
- Item posted by James at 9:24:08 AM
Thursday, March 27, 2003
Randy Desonia has recently authored a paper titled "Is Community Care a Civil Right? The Unfolding Saga of the Olmstead Decision" which is available from the National Health Policy Forum at The George Washington University http://www.nhpf.org/. The web page for the paper is at http://www.nhpf.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Details&key=454. Summary: "This paper lays the groundwork for understanding the implications of the historic U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case of Olmstead v. L.C., which has far-reaching consequences for the long-term care of people with disabilities. The paper reviews the critical components influencing the case: the Medicaid program’s role in funding community-based long-term care; the Americans with Disabilities Act, which serves as the statutory basis for the decision; and the Court’s legal reasoning. The paper also describes the federal and state responses to the ruling and concludes with a brief discussion of some legal issues that will be debated in the courts."
- Item posted by James at 11:08:29 AM
Monday, March 10, 2003
A $20,000 grant from the Nellie Ball Trust Research Grant has been awarded to Kierscht Professor of Law Peter Blanck to support his research examining the impact of discrimination on persons with mental disabilities, including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and psychiatric conditions. The Nellie Ball Trust Fund grant competition is administered by Iowa State Bank & Trust Company located in Iowa City. A press release with full information is available at http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2003/march/030603blanck-grant.html.
- Item posted by James at 2:51:07 PM
Thursday, February 27, 2003
An article by Nate Odem and Peter Blanck, published in Spine, on a pending ADA decision by the U.S. Supreme Court is now available at http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/webblog/docs/Spine_Odem_Blanck_03.pdf.
- Item posted by James at 4:03:40 PM
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
Behavioral Sciences & the Law has released two articles by Center staff and students from a forthcoming issue. The promise of the Internet for disability: a study of on-line services and web site accessibility at Centers for Independent Living by Heather Ritchie and Peter Blanck and Electronic doors to education: study of high school website accessibility in Iowa by David Klein, William Myhill, Linda Hansen, Gary Asby, Susan Michaelson, and Peter Blanck are both available at http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/issuetoc?ID=94518033.
- Item posted by James at 2:39:41 PM
Tuesday, January 21, 2003
A presentation titled "The Appearance of Justice" will be given by Dr. Peter Blanck, Michael Searcy, and Steve Duck, of the University of Iowa, for the Social Psychology Faculty of The Claremont Colleges to a conference on “Applications of Nonverbal Communication”. It will be held on Saturday, March 8, 2003, in the Mary Pickford Auditorium, Bauer Center at Claremont McKenna College. Outstanding psychologists from many areas of the country who are internationally known authorities on applications of nonverbal communication will present their research and summarize current knowledge on this vital social issue. The program flyer is available at http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/webblog/docs/CGU_Conf_Flyer.pdf.
- Item posted by James at 3:27:52 PM
Friday, January 17, 2003
A new website and publication, as well as other items of interest to those working in the disability policy field, are featured each week in our discussion board section. It is available at http://lhpd.law.uiowa.edu/bbs in the section titled Technical Assistance to Work Incentive Grantees/Department of Labor ETA, Websites and Publications of Interest.
- Item posted by James at 10:20:26 AM
Thursday, January 09, 2003
ITAA and Disability Law Center Launch Awards Program Recognizing the Hiring and Advancement of People with Disabilities
The Information Technology Association of America (ITAA), the nation’s leading IT industry association, in cooperation with the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center’s IT Works project, has established a national awards program to stimulate interest in employing individuals with disabilities and to give public recognition and reward to IT firms that have developed effective strategies that promote the employment and advancement of people with disabilities. The IT Works Ability Awards 2003 program has five (5) categories of awards: Recruitment and Hiring; Assistive Technology; Developing Accessible IT Products and Services; Retention and Inclusion; and Career Advancement and Training. A total of ten (10) companies will be honored each year, with awards going to one small and one large IT firm in each category. Each winner will be presented an award at ITAA’s 2003 National IT Workforce Convocation. Award recipients will also receive complimentary attendance to the Convocation. For more information see http://www.itaa.org/workforce/gendoc.cfm?DocID=101. A press release is available at http://www.itaa.org/news/pr/PressRelease.cfm?ReleaseID=1042131588 or at http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2003/january/0109law-awards.html
- Item posted by James at 11:17:02 AM
Monday, December 23, 2002
GAO released today a report on inter-agency collaboration. Family Poverty includes issues related to WIA and TANF for instance, including Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and other agencis. The report is titled Results-Oriented Management: Agency Crosscutting Actions and Plans in Drug Control, Family Poverty, Financial Institution Regulation, and Public Health Systems. GAO-03-320, December 20. It is available at http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-03-320 and highlights are available at http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d03320high.pdf.
- Item posted by James at 1:51:16 PM
Behavioral Sciences & the Law has released issue Volume 20, Issue 6, 2002, Special Issue: Disability, Public Policy, and Employment. The issue is edited by Bonnie O'Day, Helen A. Schartz, Peter Blanck. It is available on their website at http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/issuetoc?ID=101520812. Each article is available if your institution or you subscribe to this publication. Several articles are co-authored by Center staff and partners. Staff publishing in this issue include: Peter Blanck, Michael Morris, Heather Ritchie, Helen A. Schartz, Kevin Schartz, James Schmeling. Also, if you are a University of Iowa employee, but working off campus, you may access the issue from http://infolink.lib.uiowa.edu:8080/e-journals/, go to the "B" page and click on Behavioral Sciences & the Law. You will have to enter your SSN where it asks for your University of Iowa ID number.
- Item posted by James at 1:32:00 PM
Friday, December 13, 2002
The Government Accounting Office has released a report titled Business Tax Incentives: Incentives to Employ Workers with Disabilities Receive Limited Use and Have an Uncertain Impact. GAO-03-39, December 11. It is available at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0339.pdf. Page 32 of the report notes that academic experts at the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center were among those interviewed for the study.
- Item posted by James at 10:31:26 AM
The Government Accounting Office has released a report titled Welfare Reform: Former Recipients with Impairments Less Likely to Be Employed and More Likely to Receive Federal Supports. GAO-03-210, December 6. It is available at http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-03-210. Highlights from the report are available at http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d03210high.pdf.
- Item posted by James at 10:22:22 AM
Wednesday, November 20, 2002
Professor Peter Blanck was interviewed on the Mark Larson show on 1040 AM in Tampa, Florida about the pending Supreme Court case in Medical Board of California v. Hason, 02-479.
- Item posted by James at 3:52:02 PM
Tuesday, November 19, 2002
BLANCK COMMENTS ON ADA (ABCNEWS.com, Nov. 19)
The Supreme Court will consider shielding states from lawsuits from disabled Americans who use state accommodations and challenge things like inaccessible polling places or inadequate public transportation. The 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act forbids discrimination against the disabled and requires governments to provide "services, programs or activities" to those with special needs. The case puts the court in the midst of another dispute over states' rights. Justices have split 5-4 in a series of federalism cases that limited Congress' power. PETER BLANCK, a law professor at the University of Iowa who specializes in the ADA, said the court's intervention could spur more state legislatures to pass their own disability laws. "Hopefully the irony of this federalism theory is that we will have much stronger state anti-discrimination laws," he said. http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20021119_266.html.
The Associated Press article also appeared Nov. 19 on the websites of: the NEW YORK TIMES; the WASHINGTON POST; the AUSTIN AMERICAN STATESMAN; the SARASOTA HERALD TRIBUNE; the GUARDIAN newspaper (United Kingdom); WSOC-TV (Charlotte, N.C.); WFTV-TV (Orlando, Fla.); the DAYTON DAILY NEWS; YAHOO! NEWS; and Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
- Item posted by David at 3:20:51 PM
Monday, October 21, 2002
Dr. Peter Blanck was quoted in the Oregonian on Saturday, October 19th, in regard to a disability discrimination case which will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. The article is available at The Oregonian's web site, and a press release from the University of Iowa is available at http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/national.html.
- Item posted by James at 7:57:38 PM
Monday, October 14, 2002
The LHPDC is pleased to congratulate Dr. David Dawson, a partner in the LHPDC, on this recognition. The Council on Disability Awareness (CDA) is proud to announce the 2001/2002 CDA Achievement Awards recepients. CDA Awards recognize and celebrate the efforts of individuals and departments who have enhanced access for persons with disabilities. This year's awardees are the Department of History, Dr. David Dawson, and Dr. Thomas Walz. Vladimir Cuk, a renowned disability activist, will be the invited speaker. Interested parties are invited to attend the Award ceremony held at the Commons - 302 Schaeffer Hall on Thursday October 24, 2002 from 4-5:30 PM. Thanks to Jan Gorman, Administrator, Immigration Services and Faculty & Staff Disability Services, University of Iowa, for the information. The press release is available at http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2002/october/1023disabled-access.html.
- Item posted by James at 11:55:42 AM
Tuesday, October 08, 2002
The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) of the U.S. Department of Education has awarded a $1.5 million grant to the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center (LHPDC) at the University of Iowa College of Law to study improved access to technology for disabled persons. The project, "Technology for Independence: A Community-Based Resource Center," is designed to help community disability organizations across the United States develop research projects that increase access to and use of technology by persons with disabilities. The project is a collaboration between the LHPDC and the Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) at the Baylor College of Medicine. A press release is available at http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2002/october/1007disability-grant.html.
- Item posted by James at 3:03:13 PM
Thursday, October 03, 2002
A 'Legal Issues in Rehabilitation' workshop will be offered in Des Moines. The program features a special keynote presentation by Peter Blanck, a UI professor of law, psychology, and occupational health. For details see the press release at http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2002/october/1003rehabworkshop.html or the information page at http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/events/Legal_Issues_workshop.html.
- Item posted by James at 12:51:34 PM
ITAA has convened a Blue Ribbon Diversity Panel that includes top industry, education, and workforce leaders to examine ways to advance diversity within the information technology (IT) industry. Information is available at http://www.itaa.org/workforce/gendoc.cfm?DocID=32. The panel's work will focus on women, racial/ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and older workers. Michael Morris is a member of the panel.
- Item posted by James at 9:11:05 AM
Friday, September 20, 2002
The National Council on Disability has issued two publications on U.S. Supreme Court decisions regarding the ADA. The first paper, Supreme Court Decisions Interpreting the Americans with Disabilties Act, "is intended to increase public awareness of ADA as interpreted by the Supreme Court and to give policymakers and ADA stakeholders an overview of ADA issues addressed by the Supreme Court, a synopsis of the decisions, and the significant implications of each decision in helping or hindering implementation of ADA." It is available at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/supremecourt_ada.html or in PDF format at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/pdf/supremecourt_ada.pdf. The second publication is a chart with all of the cases, dates, questions presented, holding, and implications of the decision. It is available at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/supremecourt_adachart.html, or in PDF format at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/pdf/supremecourt_adachart.pdf.
- Item posted by James at 9:21:25 AM
Thursday, August 29, 2002
Peter Blanck commented on the US Airways v. Barnett Supreme Court decision for CCH Labor Law Reports' Insight newsletter. "For the first time in recent memory, the Court is quite clear on the conceptual reach of the ADA, observed Peter Blanck, Director of the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center of the University of Iowa College of Law, which he views as a very positive step for the Court. "The Court acknowledged that the Act specifies that 'preferences will sometimes prove necessary to achieve the Act's basic opportunity goal.' " For the complete story see Issue 1263, No. 815, Part 2, published June 19th, 2002.
- Item posted by James at 11:34:35 AM
Tuesday, August 27, 2002
The Law, Health Policy & Disability Center has a bulletin board discussion area located at http://lhpd.law.uiowa.edu/bbs. Of particular interest is our Website and Publication of the Week section. It is updated every week with new information that may be useful to you or your organization. Alternatively you could subscribe to the weekly e-mail list from this page. We encourage feedback and interaction on our bulletin board system.
- Item posted by James at 10:32:04 AM
Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Peter Blanck is quoted in a U.S. Newswire article which appeared on July 22. The article appears at http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/prime/0722-150.html.' "We are at a high-water mark of the Supreme Court's articulation of the Americans with Disabilities Act," says Peter David Blanck, law professor at the University of Iowa and commissioner on the American Bar Association's Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law.'
- Item posted by James at 9:59:53 AM
Monday, July 15, 2002
The Disability Employment Policy Unit of the Employment and Training Administration in the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center (LHPDC) at the University of Iowa College of Law a one-year, $384,000 contract to develop information, training, and technical activities that benefit youth and working age adults with disabilities. Peter Blanck is the principal investigator and Michael Morris is the project director. For the press release see http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2002/july/0715disabilitygrant.html. The project's web page is available at http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/projects/doltech.html.
- Item posted by James at 11:33:41 AM
Monday, July 08, 2002
Peter Blanck, Kierscht Professor of Law at the University of Iowa and director of the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center, will testify this week before a congressional subcommittee on the definition of disability under the Social Security Act and its relation to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A press release is available at http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2002/july/0708blanck.html. Full details on the hearing are available at http://waysandmeans.house.gov/socsec/107cong/ss-15.htm. Blanck's testimony is available at http://waysandmeans.house.gov/socsec/107cong/ss-15wit.htm. Before the Congressional hearings, on Wednesday July 10, Professor Blanck will be among select disability experts in an advisory panel roundtable discussion on the implementation of the ADA sponsored by the U.S. General Accounting Office in Washington D.C.
- Item posted by James at 8:17:52 PM
Tuesday, July 02, 2002
Pat Steele of Adel has been selected to chair the 2002 Business Horizons program at Drake University in Des Moines the week of July 14. He is employed as a Project Director with the University of Iowa Law, Health Policy, and Disability Center. Business Horizons is a weeklong residential business camp sponsored by the Association of Business and Industry. Over 125 high school students from across the state of Iowa will participate in this year’s event. Business Horizons gives students the opportunity to run their own mock business, develop a marketing plan, create a television commercial and interact with business leaders.
Steele has been involved with Business Horizons the past five years and also chaired the event last year. During this year’s camp, Steele will offer the opening remarks, serve as an industry advisor during the week, and will emcee the graduation ceremony when the camp concludes on July 19.
- Item posted by James at 9:18:34 AM
Wednesday, June 19, 2002
Peter Blanck was interviewed for the Hartford Courant about the Echazabal case which was recently decided by the Supreme Court. The article is available at http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/hc-disable0611.artjun11.story.
- Item posted by James at 11:41:03 AM
Tuesday, June 18, 2002
College of Law professor Peter D. Blanck has been awarded a named professorship by the University of Iowa effective July 1, 2002. The new professorship was recommended by Law School Dean N. William Hines and approved by Provost Jon S. Whitmore. Blanck will hold the Charles M. and Marion Kierscht Professorship. Charles M. Kierscht is a 1962 law graduate who has chaired the college's Iowa Law School Endowment Campaign for the 21st Century for the past five years. Kierscht and his wife Marion made a generous leadership gift to the campaign to create this new professorship in the college. Complete information is available at http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2002/june/0618blanckgittler.html.
- Item posted by James at 12:56:50 PM
Friday, June 14, 2002
The Rehabilitiation Research and Training Center on Workforce Investment and Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities and the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center has prepared a WIA Reauthorization Forum Discussion Guide FOCUS: ONE-STOP SERVICES TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES at the request of the Department of Labor. It is available at http://www.usworkforce.org/reauthorization/disabilityguide.asp.
- Item posted by James at 3:28:15 PM
Thursday, June 06, 2002
The Law, Health Policy and Disability Center in its role as a partner in the Rehabilitiation Research and Training Center on Workforce Investment and Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities, faciliatated a 3-day conference for the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) on Wednesday, May 29 through Friday, May 31, 2002 at the Washington Court Hotel in Washington, D.C. Over 150 participants attended from 40 states. For more information see http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/projects/doltech_grantconference.html.
- Item posted by James at 3:20:12 PM
The U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research has awarded the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center (LHPDC) at the University of Iowa College of Law a two-year grant totaling more than $1 million. An overarching goal of the $1,039,000 grant is to expand and improve law and policy that impacts the employment of Americans with disabilities, and increases their independence and self-sufficiency. For more information see http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2002/may/0530lawgrant.htm. For the project web site see http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/rrtc/index.html.
- Item posted by James at 3:19:00 PM
Wednesday, May 22, 2002
The Law, Health Policy and Disability Center at the University of Iowa has received a $35,000 grant from the Milbank Foundation for Rehabilitation to advance the national debate on disaster mitigation for people with disabilities. See http://www.uiowa.edu/~ournews/2002/may/0522milbank-grant.html for the press release from the University of Iowa.
- Item posted by James at 11:18:38 AM
Friday, May 17, 2002
Leonard Sandler, Clinical Law Professor and Associate Director of Clinical, Educational and Special Projects at the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center has released a new report on telecommunications access for persons with disabilities. The report was developed and distributed by Student Legal Interns under the supervision of Professor Len Sandler at the Clinical Law Programs, University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1113. The Iowa Program for Assistive Technology sponsored this Clinical Law Systems Reform Project. The report or its executive summary may be downloaded at http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/publications/doc_pages/telephoneaccess.html
- Item posted by James at 10:18:48 AM
Monday, May 13, 2002
The Law, Health Policy & Disability Center has assembled a chart showing agencies involved in the lives of adults with disabilities. It is available at http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/webblog/docs/Agencies_Adults_Disability.doc. Please provide any feedback to Laura Farah at lfarah@mail.law.uiowa.edu.
- Item posted by James at 10:17:13 AM
Tuesday, May 07, 2002
Dr. Peter Blanck commented on the Supreme Court's decision in US Airways, Inc. v. Barnett in the National Law Journal. The article is available here in electronic format.
- Item posted by James at 9:50:11 AM
Dr. Peter Blanck commented on the Supreme Court's decision in US Airways, Inc. v. Barnett on NPR's Marketplace on April 29, 2002. The transcript and audio replay of the show can be found at http://www.marketplace.org/shows/2002/04/29_mpp.html. The Supreme Court's opinion can be found at http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/01slipopinion.html.
- Item posted by James at 9:39:10 AM
Monday, May 06, 2002
Dr. Peter Blanck, Ph.D., J.D., will give a keynote address at the ADA Symposium & Expo 2002, the annual ADA Project conference. Leonard Sandler, Clinical Professor of Law, David Klein, Associate Director of Technology, and Robert David Dawson, co-PI for the Center's I.T. Works project, will each be presenting individual sessions at the conference on legal and technological issues. The conference runs from May 7th through May 9th in Kansas City. For more information and registration see the ADA Project website at http://www.adaproject.org or the conference page at http://www.adaproject.org/Symposium2002.html.
- Item posted by James at 11:21:52 AM
Tuesday, April 30, 2002
The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel will host an Expert Roundtable titled Legal Issues and Implications of the Implementation of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act at the Embassy Suites Hotel at the Chevy Chase Pavilion in Washington, D.C., on May 3, 2002. Dr. Peter Blanck will participate as an expert in two sessions. The first is the Ticket Program and the Americans with Disabilities Act and the second is Protection and Advocacy of Beneficiaries of Social Security. For further details see http://www.ssa.gov/work/panel/meeting_information/agenda0503_02.html.
- Item posted by James at 8:12:04 PM
Wednesday, April 24, 2002
Associate Director of Technology David Klein contributed to Online Learning E-News, an information and idea service of VNU Business Media on Tuesday, April 23, 2002. His note is available at http://www.vnulearning.com/archive.htm in the April 23rd archive of Online Learning E-News. The newsletter section is titled "Flash, government and 508" and discusses creating accessible content using Macromedia Flash MX and testing the development using accessibility technologies.
- Item posted by James at 10:16:10 AM
Thursday, April 11, 2002
Just published: "With Malice Toward None; with Charity Toward All": Civil War Pensions for Native and Foreign-Born Union Army Veterans", Peter D. Blanck and Chen Song
Transnational Law & Contemporary Problems Volume 11, Issue 1 (11:1), Spring 2001, Symposium Name: The Social Construction of Disability: Historical, Contemporary, and Comparative Views, page numbers: 1-76.
The Word version is available for download from the publications page.
- Item posted by James at 8:33:34 AM
Monday, April 01, 2002
James Schmeling and Kevin Schartz will be presenting on the I.T. Works project at the 2002 Region VII Issues Forum: Sieze the Spirit of Challenging Times, on April 5th. See the conference announcement at http://www.crprcep7.org/issues-forum/ for details.
- Item posted by James at 9:08:30 PM
Wednesday, March 27, 2002
Dr. Peter Blanck, Ph.D., J.D., will give a keynote address at the ADA Symposium & Expo 2002, the annual ADA Project conference. The conference runs from May 7th through May 9th in Kansas City. For more information and registration see the ADA Project website at http://www.adaproject.org or the conference page at http://www.adaproject.org/Symposium2002.html.
- Item posted by James at 4:08:18 PM
ETA Seeking Comments on WIA Reauthorization and Linkages with the TANF Program
Through an announcement in the February 28 FEDERAL REGISTER, the Employment and Training Administration is inviting public comment on two major workforce development issues: (1) what changes should the Administration propose to Titles I, III and V of the Workforce Investment Act, and (2) how can linkages between Title I and WIA and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program be improved. The Notice describes several methods --- mail, fax, e-mail, webpage posting, and public forum -- through which comments can be submitted. Comments are due on or before June 30, 2002.
See the post in the Center Bulletin Board for details.
- Item posted by James at 9:09:37 AM
Tuesday, March 26, 2002
The Law, Health Policy & Disability Center released its new web page today. Located at http://www.its.uiowa.edu/law the new page features a re-organization of existing information and the integration of our project partner's materials and publications.
Additionally the new site incorporates active conversations between Center staff, partners, collaborators, and the public through its Bulletin Board Discussion system and its electronic newsletters. Both are available through links on this page.
Welcome to the new site!
- Item posted by James at 4:38:46 PM
Tuesday, March 05, 2002
Professor Peter Blanck will speak at the 2002 National Workforce Inclusion Conference: Systems Change through Collaboration for Employment of People with Disabilities, which will be held March 11 -14, 2002 at The Wilshire Grand Hotel and Centre in Los Angeles. The conference is hosted by The California Governor's Committee for the Employment of Disabled Persons. Dr. Blanck will speak in a session titled The Evolution of the ADA, Work Incentives and Workforce Inclusion: A Conversation with Peter Blanck and Jonathan Young. The session will feature the following speakers: Laura Hershey for Opening Remarks, Hershey is a Writer, Poet, Disability Rights Advocate, and Developer of PushTheSystem.com; Peter Blanck, Professor and Director of Law, Health Policy and Disability Center at University of Iowa College of Law; and Jonathan Young, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The session is on March 12th from 11:00 am – 12:15 pm.
The conference cosponsors include the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Workforce Investment and Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities of which the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center is a partner. For complete information about the conference see the State Partnership Systems Change Initiative (SPI) web site, SPI Connect.
- Item posted by James at 10:06:12 AM
The Center for an Accessible Society, Disability Issues Information for Journalists, has a web page covering the Echazabal case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Center also notes Dr. Peter Blanck as a disability rights law expert who journalists may contact for further information on ADA cases before the Supreme Court.
- Item posted by James at 9:45:50 AM
Friday, February 22, 2002
The next 2002 Leadership Challenges on Employment Policy Audio Conference Series will be held on February 28, 2002, at 1:00 PM Eastern. It is titled Ticket to Work: Critical Challenges for all Stakeholders. Featured speakers include Moderator, Michael Collins, Co Director and Principal Researcher, RRTC on Workforce Investment and Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities; Robert Silverstein, Director of the Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy; Dan O’Brien, Director, Community Rehabilitation Services Unit, Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services; Peter Baird (invited), Connecticut Bureau of Rehabilitation Services; Ken McGill, Associate Commissioner, Office of Employment Support Programs, Social Security Administration; and Mary Satterfield, National Project Director for Ticket to Work, Maximus, Inc.
This presentation will discuss: Ticket Regulations: Review and Analysis; Employment Networks: A Status Report; and Outcome Based Reimbursement: Previous Lessons learned from the Oklahoma Experience. For full details see http://www.its.uiowa.edu/law/events/LeadershipConf_audioseries.htm
- Item posted by James at 8:39:46 AM
Thursday, February 21, 2002
Comprehensive, Person-Centered State Work Incentive Initiatives: A Resource Center for Developing & Implementing Medicaid Buy In Programs and Related Employment Initiatives for Persons with Disabilities is a website which discusses state initiatives from a policy maker's perspective. Information about state programs implemented across the country is available. The information is categorized by state and by subject matter. The web address is http://www.medicaidbuyin.org. The site is the work of the Center for the Study and Advancement of Disability Policy
and the Center for Health Services Research and Policy at George Washington University, partners in the RRTC on Workforce Investment and Employment Policy.
- Item posted by James at 9:50:36 AM
Wednesday, February 20, 2002
The new Law, Health Policy & Disabilitity Center Discussion Boards are now available at http://lhpd.law.uiowa.edu/bbs/. Go register and try them out.
- Item posted by James at 4:50:45 PM
The Social Security Administration has issued the Final Regulations for the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program. Information can be found at The Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program; Final Regulations website, as well as a link to the final regulations.
- Item posted by James at 3:51:28 PM
