Great Lakes ADA Center

Finding authentic real-world examples of disability in stock photos can be a challenge. This is important because a lack of accurate representation can often lead to stereotypes which impact how people in the disability community are treated. Recently, more and more organizations are recognizing the importance of disability representation and are working to fill the gaps in their collections. Learn more about what Getty Images is doing to combat the lack of disability inclusion in their stock photo catalogues: https://bit.ly/41LI8Ol #GettyImages #StockPhoto #DisaiblityRepresentation #Stereotypes

Believe it or not, socks get people talking! That's the idea behind the Lots of Socks campaign which is designed to get people talking about Down Syndrome. The idea is to start a conversation to spread awareness and what better way than with some funky socks? Learn more about the Lots of Socks campaign and World Down Syndrome Day: https://bit.ly/4cnvZDJ #WorldDownSyndromeDay #LotsOfSocks #DisabilityAwareness #LetsChat

Just 2 more days to apply! Our Great Lakes ADA Center is offering registration stipends for the Virtual and In-Person 2025 National ADA Symposium! The deadline for stipend applications is this Friday, March 21st. Applications will only be accepted from individuals who work and/or reside in the Great Lakes Region (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, and WI). Learn more about the stipend: https://bit.ly/3R1eIGS Virtual Symposium (May 5-7): https://bit.ly/3FmBre7 In-Person Symposium (June 15-18): https://bit.ly/3DKzese #ADASymposium #Disability #Stipends #Training #Conference

This week for our Women's Disability History campaign, we are highlighting women who advocated for program equality and community services for people with disabilities. Pictured from left to right: Agatha Tiegel Hanson was the first deaf woman to graduate from Gallaudet with a four-year degree. She started in 1888 at the age of 15 but quickly became frustrated with the college's policy that did not allow female students to debate with male students. In response, Agatha established a secret debate group for women called O.W.L.S. Learn more about Agatha's role as an equal rights advocate for deaf women: https://bit.ly/41GDxgn Johnnie Lacy was a black disability rights activist and polio survivor who helped found the Berkeley Center for Independent Living in 1981. Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are now federally funded and mandated to exist in every state. If Ed Roberts is the father of the independent living movement, Johnnie Lacy is its mother. Learn more about Johnnie Lacy's role in the independent living movement: https://bit.ly/3B0IqDi Mary Lou Breslin co-founded the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) in 1979. DREDF is now a leading national civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities. They are engaged in disability rights training, education, legal advocacy, public policy and legislation. Learn more about Mary Lou Breslin and her role at DREDF: https://bit.ly/4kwoiiJ Ann Greenberg advocated for her developmentally disabled son during the 1940s by working with other mothers to start a learning facility where their children were taught basic skills. Together, they formed the Association for the Help of Retarded Children (now referred to as the Arc), which went on to found the first schools, workshops, day-treatment programs and community residences for people with intellectual and developmental issues. Learn more about Ann's role in creating services for the IDD community: https://bit.ly/4iEQhv4 #WomensHistoryMonth #WhoRunTheWorld #DisabilityRights #ADA #DisabilityAdvocacy #IndependentLiving #IDD #DREDF #Deaf

Register by next Wednesday to join us for an ADA Audio Conference webinar titled, "Ticketing and Accessible Seating Under the ADA." Whether it’s a concert, a movie or a sporting event, the ADA includes specific requirements around ticketing and accessible seating to ensure people with disabilities and their companions have access to these venues and activities. Join us for this session where we take a look at the physical access requirements for accessible seating as well as who is qualified to sit there. We will also take a look at the requirements for how accessible seating tickets must be sold, held and released, whether that’s by the venue itself or a third-party ticket seller.. Register now: https://bit.ly/4iTIAAY Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 Time: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM ET Speakers: Betty Siegel, Director of the Office of Accessibility and VSA, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts #Webinar #ADA #Accessibility #Tickets #Concert #Events #Sports #Theatre #WheelchairAccess #Disability

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Great Lakes ADA Center! #StPatricksDay #LuckOfTheIrish #ADA #Disability

The Great Lakes ADA Center is here for all of your ADA-related questions! We have experienced ADA professionals on staff who can answer questions, provide resources and share referrals by phone or text. Reach out to us Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Central Time. We offer information in English or Spanish. Phone: 800-949-4232 (Voice/TTY) SMS/Text: 872-298-1019 #GreatLakesADACenter #Disability #ADA #Information #KnowYourRights #KnowledgeIsPower #ADACompliance

Two years ago, Twitch streamer and developer Valentin Squirelo set out on a mission to create a face-recognition program that allows disabled individuals to control game inputs through their expressions. The result is a program called PlayAbility. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4hCqKkO #VideoGames #Gaming #Accessibility #Disability #Twitch #FaceRecognition

Missed a webinar? No worries! You can catch up on past videos by watching them in the archive. Check out this ADA Audio Webinar on "ADA Rights and The Criminal Justice System." This session explains the ADA rights of an individual with a disability when involved in the justice system. Watch now: https://bit.ly/4krjYRN ADA Audio Webinar Series Archive: https://bit.ly/3xVodB7 #Webinar #CourtCases #Law #Disability #CriminalJustice #CivilRights #FBF #FlashBackFriday

Join us for our upcoming Accessible Technology series webinar, "Can You Read This Map? Checking Maps for ADA Accessibility." This session will present ways of evaluating and creating ADA-accessible complex digital spatial diagrams and maps. Whether you are working with city GIS, campuses, buildings, or anatomical diagrams, these techniques will be useful. Register now: https://bit.ly/3Fubklo Date: Thursday, March 20, 2025 Time: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Eastern Time Speaker: Brandon Biggs, CEO, XR Navigation #AccessibleTech #AssistiveTechnology #Webinar #Maps #GIS #Disability #WCAG