« July 2009 | Main | September 2009 »
August 31, 2009
NYC: Fifth Annual National Preparedness Month Citywide Kickoff
September is National Preparedness Month
To kick-off a month full of activities, the New York City Citizen Corps Council has planned a citywide kickoff event where they will distribute emergency preparedness and volunteerism information, as well as, hand sanitizer to New York City residents on Wednesday, September 2nd.
This year in Times Square, the Ad Council will be joining us to kick off a national, as well as a NYC-specific, preparedness ad campaign and the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has confirmed her attendance.
As with every year they would like see volunteers from all Citizen Corps Council member agencies to spend some time volunteering at a convenient site near your home or your place of work.
The kick-off will occur at five distribution locations, one in each borough:
Event Locations:
Brooklyn: Borough Hall (Columbus Park)
Bronx: The Hub (149th Street and 3rd Avenue)
Manhattan: Times Square
Staten Island: Staten Island Ferry Terminal
Queens: Queens Library Flushing Branch (Main Street and Kissena Boulevard)
Suggested volunteer shifts are two hours long beginning at 6:00 AM and ending at 7:00 PM. They will need most of our volunteers during the morning rush, lunch, and evening rush hours. This is a fun event and a rewarding experience. Over the course of the day hundreds of volunteers from our Citizen Corps Council member agencies will staff tables at each location, hand out guides to the public, and talk about their volunteer experiences. Please note that given the prominence of the Times Square site there will be specialized instructions for that location that will come out soon.
To volunteer, please e-mail the following information about you RSVP to: citizencorps@oem.nyc.gov
- Preferred Location (see above)
- Languages you speak fluently
- Hours you can work
- Contact number
- Volunteer/Agency affiliation
Once they receive your RSVP they will send each volunteer a confirmation of your location, as well as, information about Citizen Corps Council and Ready New York.
Each distribution location will include:
- Several tables set up to display the CCC members' promotional material and Ready New York guides;
- Volunteers from participating agencies handing out the Ready New York Pocket Guide and NYC CCC Volunteer Guide to commuters and the general public;
- Giveaways of hand sanitizer;
- Demonstrations from our member agencies;
- And, will be open from 6:00 AM until 7:00 PM.
Contact
Herman Schaffer, MSW
Director, Community Outreach
New York City Office of Emergency Management
165 Cadman Plaza East
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Tel: 718-422-4821
Fax: 718-422-8451
Email: hschaffer@oem.nyc.gov
Disasters are always inclusive! Response and recovery are not, unless we plan for it! In disasters, people with disabilities continue to lose their health, independence and sometimes lives because information transfer and lessons documented over decades, are not yet uniformly learned and applied!
Posted by Nancy O'Connell at 10:31 AM | Comments (0)
August 27, 2009
Action Alert: Support the Inclusion of Vision Rehabilitation Professionals in Healthcare Reform
As the healthcare reform debate moves forward, New York's United States Senators are playing an enormous role in shaping the final healthcare reform bill. It is critical that they continue to hear directly from you. Please email Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand and urge them to support the inclusion of vision rehabilitation professionals in healthcare reform.
Vision rehabilitation is conducted by nationally certified professionals (Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapists, Certified Low Vision Therapists, and Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists, along with Occupational Therapists) and each instructs people with visual impairments on the best ways to utilize remaining sight and senses.
Such services prevent accidents, reduce falls and fractures, and help people learn new techniques for independent travel, food preparation, health management, and information access that improve overall health and prevent injuries.
These services avert the need for more costly and intensive rehabilitation and help to reduce long-term health care costs. Find out how you can send a letter to both Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand.
Email Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand.
Posted by Lester Marks at 06:24 PM | Comments (0)
"High School Discussion: Hadley’s Diploma Program."
Service providers, educators, professionals in the field of blindness and Hadley High School Program students are all invited to take part in this interactive Seminars@Hadley.
We all know the importance and value of obtaining higher education. It is essential as it relates to employment and career selection for our visually impaired consumers. A sense of confidence, self-worth and marketability is gained through education and considered an asset to the quality of one’s life.
Please join Karen Woodfork, Director of Student Services and Julie Lee Kay, Lead Instructor as they discuss specific topics related to Hadley’s High School Program that include credit options, course media and availability, and more. In addition, some of their high school graduates will be in attendance sharing their personal Hadley experiences.
Don’t miss this very motivational and inspirational discussion on how to obtain a Hadley diploma and information on transferring Hadley course(s) for credit to a local school.
The seminar will last for approximately 1 hour.
To register for the seminar, go to http://hadley.edu/2_f_seminarhadley_register.asp
Posted by Nancy O'Connell at 12:41 PM | Comments (0)
August 26, 2009
Accessible Voting Machines-opportunity for orientation
With the Primary Election in New York City on September 15th, the Board of Elections has made dates available for people interested in learning how to work the Ballot Marking Devices (BMD) prior to Election Day.
Ballot Marking Device allows voters with a disability to cast their vote independently and secretly. One BMD will be available at every polling place in New York City. The following are dates when you can visit the Board of Elections to learn how to operate the BMD prior to Election Day.
The Board of Elections will be holding a regular schedule for people interested in attending:
- Regular Schedule now until September 11, 2009
- Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays 10am-4pm
(Closed September 7, 2009 in observation of Labor Day - Extended Hours
- September 3, 2009; 10am-7pm
September 10, 2009; 10am-7pm - Location:
- Board of Elections General Office
Commissioners Hearing Room
6th Floor
42 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
The Board will also have extended hours on the following dates:
In addition the following is a schedule of times when Board of Election Offices in each borough will be available:
Queens, Board of Elections Borough Office
126-06 Queens Boulevard, 1st Floor
Kew Gardens, NY 11415
August 31st, 2009 - 10am-7pm
Brooklyn, Board of Elections Borough Office
345 Adams Street, 4th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
September 1, 2009 - 10am-7pm
Staten Island Board of Elections Borough Office
1 Edgewater Plaza, 4th Floor
Staten Island, NY 10305
September 2, 2009 - 10am-7pm
Manhattan, Board of Elections Borough Office
200 Varick Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10014
September 3, 3009 - 10am-7pm
Bronx, Board of Elections Borough Office
1780 Grand Concourse, 5th Floor
Bronx, NY 10457
September 4, 2009 - 10am-7pm
Please note: no appointments are necessary.
If you need any further information please feel free to call the Board of Elections at 212-487-5300.
Posted by Nancy O'Connell at 11:33 AM | Comments (0)
Do you need your NYC Voter Guide in an Alternative Format?
The Campaign Finance Board will mail a print copy of the NYC Voter Guide to all registered voters two weeks before the September 15th primary and November 3rd general elections.
Arrangements have to be made several weeks in advance for accessible copies.
To request the NYC Voter Guide in an alternative format, call 212-306-7100.
The NYC Voter Guide will also be available on the Campaign Finance Board website at: www.nyccfb.info
Thank you, Rima McCoy, Voting Rights Coordinator at Center for Independence of the Disabled, NY (CIDNY)for providing this alert.
Posted by Nancy O'Connell at 10:56 AM | Comments (0)
August 25, 2009
inclusionRX
Don't miss Urban Miyares, President Disabled Businesspersons Association, article in the the JULY 2009 issue of inclusionRX -- "What's Your Self-Employment Motive?"
In it he discusses the three primary reasons why anyone starts a business.
Sign up to get your own free copy each month of inclusionRX, which features disability & employment issues and resources.
Posted by Nancy O'Connell at 09:35 AM | Comments (0)
August 19, 2009
New podcast show from the Disability Law Lowdown
New podcast show from the Disability Law Lowdown: "Transitioning from High School to College for Students with Disabilities"
August 17, 2009 - The Disability Law Lowdown podcast just posted Part One of Transitioning from High School to College for Students with Disabilities.
Jacquie Brennan interviews Jean Ashmore, Director of Disability Support Services at Rice University, about facts, myths, and tips for students with disabilities transitioning from high school to college.
Download the Disability Law Lowdown podcast
The Disability Law Lowdown podcast is also available on iTunes. People can listen to the podcast directly from a computer or can download it to an MP3 player, like an iPod.
The Disability Law Lowdown provides the latest information about disability rights and obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other disability-related topics. Subscription is free.
The Disability Law Lowdown is provided by the National Network of ADA Centers across the country, offering technical assistance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability-related laws. Call
1-800-949-4232 v/tty to reach the center that serves your region. The Disability Law Lowdown is available in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language.
To subscribe or find out more, visit www.DisabilityLawLowdown.com
The ADA Centers are the ten Disability Business Technical Assistance Centers
(DBTACs) funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) of the Department of Education.
For information contact:
Jacquie Brennan
DBTAC Southwest ADA Center
713.520.0232 ext 137
Posted by Marten at 11:05 AM | Comments (0)
Third Annual Dr. Robert Greenberg Award for Innovation
The Nominations for the Third Annual Dr. Robert Greenberg Award for Innovation are now open. The Award will be presented at the COSD 10th Annual National Conference in Dallas to a person, institution, employer or program / initiative that demonstrates cutting-edge and new techniques or strategies in the area of preparing or recruiting and hiring college students and recent graduates with disabilities.
If you would like to nominate someone (yourself or someone you know) who has created or expanded a great idea that assists college students and recent graduates with disabilities, please go and complete the form and click to submit.
The great idea can be found in:
Higher education in preparation of college students with disabilities to be more competitive in the career search;
OR
Employers using effective recruitment and hiring strategies focused on college students and recent graduates with disabilities.
An esteemed panel of four judges will review the nominations and the winner will be presented the Dr. Robert Greenberg Award for Innovation at the COSD 10th Annual National conference at the Intercontinental Hotel Dallas in Addison, TX on Monday November 9, 2009.
Here are further details about this award
Please note that the deadline for nominations is September 18, 2009.
I would like to thank the University of Arkansas Career Development Center and Barbara Batson, Director, for hosting our Dr. Robert Greenberg Award for Innovation Nominations and for being one of our judges.
If you have any questions regarding the Dr. Robert Greenberg Award for Innovation or any aspect of the COSD 10th Annual National Conference, please e-mail me at amuir@tennessee.edu or call me at 865-974-7148 or go to the COSD Website and click on 10th Annual National Conference.
Thank you.
Alan
Alan D. Muir, Executive Director
Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (COSD)
Posted by Marten at 10:38 AM | Comments (0)
August 11, 2009
NYC: Prepare for the 2009 Elections; Visit a Ballot Marking Device (BMD) Learning Center
The Board of Elections in the City of New York will host several Ballot Marking Device (BMD) Learning Centers in August and September 2009. The BMD Learning Centers give the public an opportunity to view and practice using the same type of BMDs that will be available to New Yorkers at their regular polling places during the upcoming 2009 Elections.
"Those who visit a BMD Learning Center will be able to practice using the device at their own pace and staff members will be on hand to offer assistance and answer any questions," stated Commissioner of Elections in the City of New York, Juan Carlos "J.C." Polanco.
The Help America Vote Act of October 2002 requires that voters with disabilities be able to cast a ballot in the same place and manner and with the same degree of privacy as all other voters. The BMD allows all voters, including voters with disabilities, to mark a ballot privately and independently. The BMD does not count votes. It merely marks the voter's selections on a paper ballot to be counted with other paper ballots on Election night. There will be at least one BMD in each poll site for voters who wish to use them during the upcoming Fall 2009 Primary and General Elections.
"We encourage voters to visit a BMD Learning Center in the coming weeks. Practicing with the BMD will help voters feel more comfortable using the device on Election Day," stated Executive Director of the Board of Elections in the City of New York, Marcus Cederqvist.
The BMD Learning Centers will be held at the Board's General Office and in each Borough Office. No appointments are necessary. The schedule and location of each BMD Learning Center is as follows:
BMD Learning Center Locations & Schedule
Board of Elections General Office
Commissioner's Hearing Room
6th Floor
42 Broadway
New York, NY 10004
Regular Schedule:
August 17, 2009 - September 11, 2009
Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 pm.
(Closed Tuesdays)
Extended Hours:
September 3, 2009; 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
September 10, 2009; 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Holiday Closure:
Closed September 7, 2009 in observance of Labor Day
Queens
Board of Elections Borough Office
126-06 Queens Boulevard, 1st Floor
Kew Gardens, NY 11415
August 31, 2009
10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Brooklyn
Board of Elections Borough Office
345 Adams Street, 4th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11201
September 1, 2009
10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Staten Island
Board of Elections Borough Office
1 Edgewater Plaza, 4th Floor
Staten Island, NY 10305
September 2, 2009
10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Manhattan
Board of Elections Borough Office
200 Varick St., 10th Floor
New York, NY 10014
September 3, 2009
10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Bronx
Board of Elections Borough Office
1780 Grand Concourse, 5th Floor
Bronx, NY 10457
September 4, 2009
10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Posted by Nancy O'Connell at 03:19 PM | Comments (0)
August 05, 2009
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
U.S. Signs UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
On July 30, 2009 the United States became one of 142 other countries that have signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Additional information can be read here
Posted by Marten at 10:16 AM | Comments (0)