The following information is forwarded to you by the Great Lakes ADACenter (www.adagreatlakes.org) for your information:

I am a researcher for the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center forWireless Technologies (also known as the Wireless RERC). We are funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to promote the accessibility and usability of wireless technologies by people with all types of disabilities.

We are currently conducting two surveys, and I was hoping I could count on you to fill them out. The surveys are described below with links:

- Survey of User Needs - this is a general survey on use and usability ofwireless technologies. It is our cornerstone survey.https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SUN_2012-2013

- Survey on Emergency Communications - this survey focuses on the two sides of emergency communications: a) contacting emergency response services (fire and rescue, ambulance, etc.) during a personal emergency; and b) receiving alerts during public emergencies like severe weather, forest fire, etc.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Emergency-Communication-2012

We use the data from these surveys to inform government regulators and the wireless industry about the wireless needs and wants of people with disabilities. Wireless technology changes at a very rapid pace. And, regulators and engineers need to be aware of your views and experiences. We report only summaries of the data, never individual data.

You can see some of our publications at: www.wirelessrerc.org/content/publications-presentations

If you are a caregiver for loved ones, you can fill out the surveys for them.

When I collect a enough responses I will make the survey data available.

If anybody prefers to complete the survey over the phone, or on paper, please let me know. My contact information is below:

Thanks!

John Morris, Ph.D.

Research Scientist

Wireless RERC

Shepherd Center

2020 Peachtree Road, NW

Atlanta, GA 30309

404-367-1348

john_morris@shepherd.org

Disability Scoop (www.disabilityscoop.com)

December 4, 2012

Senate Rejects UN Disability Treaty

ByMichelle Diament

Despite strong support from disability advocacy groups, Republican opposition led the U.S. Senate to reject an international disability rights treaty on Tuesday.

In a vote that fell almost entirely along party lines, supporters were unable to secure the two-thirds majority of senators needed to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The treaty calls for greater community access and a better standard of living for people with disabilities worldwide. The measures chief supporter, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said that ratifying the treaty would not require any change to U.S. law, but would afford the nation a leadership role in the international community on disability rights issues. Whats more, Kerry said participation would help ensure that Americans with disabilities would have the same protections abroad as they do domestically.

This treaty is not about changing America, but about America changing the world, Kerry said just before the vote, adding that the issue had become unnecessarily controversial in the deeply-partisan body. This treaty is a test of the Senate. Its a test of whether this body is still capable of voting for change.

Eight Republicans joined all Senate Democrats in voting for ratification in the 61 to 38 vote. Former Republican Sen. Bob Dole, who was injured in World War II, also came to the Senate floor to support the treaty.

However, a majority of Republicans, led by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, fought hard against ratification arguing that the treaty would compromise U.S. sovereignty and threaten the ability of parents to determine whats best for their kids, statements that supporters insisted were not based in fact.

Former presidential candidate Rick Santorum, the Heritage Foundation and the Home School Legal Defense Association rallied their supporters from across the nation to lobby against the treaty. Ultimately, their efforts bested those of more than 300 disability organizations which had united to support ratification.

The U.S. signed the disability rights convention in 2009, but Senate approval was needed in order to make participation official. The Obama administration sent the treaty to the Senate earlier this year asking that it be ratified.

Currently, 126 countries around the word have ratified the disability treaty, according to the U.N.

Source:http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2012/12/04/senate-rejects-treaty/16887/

Take Your Legislator to Work: Participants Needed in Your County

Take Your Legislator to Work in November or December!

The Take Your Legislator to Work Campaign has been very successful this year! Legislators from all over the state of Wisconsin have been visiting people with disabilities who have community-integrated jobs at a competitive wage. During the visits, participants have been showing their legislators why community-integrated employment is good for everybody people with disabilities, employers, communities, and the state.

Despite the success of the campaign, we still need participants in your county. Dont pass up this great opportunity to show your legislator why your job is important to you! The campaign will be conducted throughout the rest of November and into December, so act now and get a visit scheduled.

If you are interested in participating in the campaign, contact Beth Moss at beth.moss@wisconsin.gov or (608) 266-5038.

More information about participating in the campaign is available. For stories and photos about some of this years great visits, go to the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (BPDD) Facebook page.

The campaign is a project of BPDD.

Connect | Share | Learn | http://sdsnetworkwi.org/

Nov. 1, 2012

Time to Vote!

Local, state and federal elections are taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 6th. In Wisconsin, you can vote early (through the end of the day on Friday, Nov. 2nd). If you have questions about where to vote, if you're eligible to vote, whether you need a photo ID (you don't) or if polling places need to be accessible (they do), check out the voting resourcesposted on the SDS Network.

Get Involved Online!

• Question of the Month: What issues will affect your vote for President in November? Health care? Jobs & the Economy? Public Benefits? Something else? We've extended this poll question so that you can participate. Respond to this quick & easy poll and tell us what issues you care about!
• Discussion: What are your questions about voting? Are you wondering if your polling site is accessible? How to vote absentee? Whether you're registered? Post your questions in this discussion and we'll find resources that answer your questions.
• Survey: Participants wanted!Finding a great home that meets your needs is always challenging, and finding one that meets the needs of someone who acquired a disability while serving in the military can be especially difficult. The Housing program at Virginia Tech is conducting a study to gather information and bring awareness to the rental housing search experience and occupancy situation of veterans with disabilities. Findings from this study may help improve the housing search process and housing conditions for veterans with disabilities.
• Post your photos from the 2012 Self-Determination Conference. Are you one of those people who can't go out into public without a camera in hand? We'd love to have your photos from the recent SD Conference that was held in Wisconsin Dells. Let us know if you need help posting.

Check Out New Opportunities

• Contest:Disability Pride Madison is seeking a logo. Your design could win!

What's New?

Find out the latest news and resources on the SDS Network:

• Hear Jennifer's personal story, "Blindsided to the Flip Side"
• Lots ofVoting Resources
• Video:People with Disabilities Vote!
• Wanda shared her story on the Our Storiespage.

• Historic settlementin National Association of the Deaf, et. al v Netflix

Welcome New Members

Stop by to welcome our newest members.

• He wants to become a peer specialist.
• He's a great resource onhome modifications.
• She's working to expand SDS within the Family Careorganization she works for.
• She's looking to learn more about SDS
• He wants to learn and meet new people... Stop by and introduce yourself.
• She's looking for ideas about using IRISto support her young adult child
• He's been involved with self-directed services and advocacyfor years.

Upcoming Events

Here's a sample of upcoming eventslisted on the SDS Network:

• Family Caregiver Resource Fair, Nov. 3 - Madison

Post your event on the SDS Network and it can be included in future Network News emails to members! Questions? Contact Deb Wisniewski at scgwis@gmail.com

Thanks to the sponsors of the SDS Network!

The following information is provided by DREDF (Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund)www.dredf.org:

Dear Friends,

DREDF has a great victory to share with you: We've secured a historic settlement inNational Association of the Deaf, et al. v. Netflixthat will ensure 100% closed captions in Netflix's ondemand streaming content within two years. DREDF's work firmly establishes a precedent for a critical issue of disability civil rights law: that a web-based business is a place of public accommodation and is covered under Title lll of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Specifically, the settlement benefits people who are deaf and those who are hard of hearing, as well as a growing number of older Americans with hearing loss, who require captions in order to access online streaming video. As DREDF Directing Attorney Arlene Mayerson said, "For people who are deaf and hard of hearing, captions are like ramps for people who use wheelchairs."

As lead counsel, DREDF alleged that Netflix's "Watch Instantly" on-demand streaming programming discriminated against people who are deaf and hard of hearing because it did not provide closed captioning on all content. The case not only opens doors to entertainment, but also education, government benefits, employment, and more, as systems are increasingly accessed online.

The National Association of the Deaf, along with theWestern Massachusetts Association of the Deaf and HearingImpaired(WMAD/HI) and Lee Nettles, a deaf Massachusetts resident, brought suit against entertainment giant Netflix in 2010 to secure a commitment to provide closed captioning for "Watch Instantly" movies and television streamed on the Internet.

The case resulted in a precedentsettingConsent Decreefiled on October 10, 2012, which will increase access for the 48 million Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing to movies and television streamed on the Internet, one of the fastest growing entertainment venues in the country. The Consent Decree requires Netflix to provide captions on all streamed programming by 2014.

The case is notable for establishing that the ADA applies to online-only businesses, a critical issue as society moves from accessing services on Main Street to the Internet. To state a claim under Title III of the ADA, a plaintiff must show that the alleged discrimination involves the services of a "place of public accommodation."

In the motions leading up to the Consent Decree, DREDF successfully argued that Netflix's Watch Instantly website is a place of public accommodation by analogizing Netflix's service to that of a brick-and-mortar store or other venue that provides similar services, such as a video rental store. In hisOrder to Netflix's Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings, Federal District Court Judge Michael Ponsor rejected Netflix's argument that Title III did not include entities like websites or streaming services on grounds that when the ADA was written web-based services did not exist and could not have been explicitly included:

"In a society in which business is increasingly conducted online, excluding businesses that sell services through the Internet from the ADA would run afoul of the purposes of the ADA and would severely frustrate Congress's intent that individuals with disabilities fully enjoy the goods, services, privileges and advantages, available indiscriminately to other members of the general public."

Moreover, Mayerson convincingly argued that the legislative history of the ADA makes clear that Congress intended the ADA to adapt to changes in technology and that Congress did not intend to limit the ADA to specific examples listed in each category of public accommodations.

Judge Ponsor found that plaintiffs convincingly argued that the website falls within at least one, if not more, of the enumerated ADA categories, including that it is a "service establishment" providing customers with the ability to stream video programming through the internet; a "place of exhibition or entertainment" because it displays movies, television programming, and other content; and a "rental establishment" because it engages customers to pay for the rental of video programming.

The Consent Decree is a model for the streaming entertainment industry, and will also serve as a model to improve access to Internetbased services for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. DREDF is honored to have worked with Lewis, Feinberg, Lee, Renaker & Jackson P.C., and the Boston, MA law firm Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen, P.C. on this case.

Disability Rights Wisconsin (DRW) has a toll free line to help the disability community with questions and concerns about voting rights. We can help:

• If you have questions about your voting rights,
• If your polling site is not accessible and you can't get into the polling place to vote,
• If you can not vote privately and independently because the voting machine or ballot is not accessible,
• If you were turned away from the polls even though you have the right to vote,
• If you feel you have been discriminated against in the voting process because of your disability,
• If you have questions about how to file a complaint about your concerns,
• If you don't know where your polling place is,
• If you have questions about how to register to vote or get an absentee ballot,
• and much much more!!

CALL: 800/928-8778 (toll free) or 888/758-6049 (TTY)

Phones are answered between 8:30 and 5:00 most weekdays, and from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Election Days.

Don't Forget to Cast Your Vote! Accessibility of Polling Places

On Sept. 18, 2012, this webinar was held by the ADA National Network. Visit their websitewhere you can listen to the archived recording and/or read the transcripts to learn more about this important topic. Here's a description of what the webinar:

2012 is a presidential election year and as we reflect back to 2008 we know that 14.7 million Americans with disabilities voted in the 2008 election. This is a significant increase over the 10.9 million Americans with disabilities who voted in the 2000 presidential election. Passage of the Help America Vote Act in 2002 increased the focus and attention on the barriers faced by people with disabilities attempting to exercise their civic responsibilities. However, many polling places remain inaccessible and individuals continue to report that they do not get the supports they need in the polling place to ensure that they can vote independently and confidentially. Join this session as we explore the obligations under the various laws and regulations and strategies for working with local election officials.

You can also learn more about accessibility of polling places from thischecklist.

The National Forum on Disability Issues was an historic nonpartisan event that took place on Friday, Sept. 28, 2012, focusing on the disability positions of the 2012 Presidential candidates. Edward M. Ted Kennedy, Jr. and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) spoke on behalf of their respective parties to present their campaigns positions on matters relating to Americans with disabilities.

Ohio Senate Republican nominee Treasurer Josh Mandel and Rep. Nancy Garland (D-New Albany) on behalf of Ohio Sen. Brown participated, as well as Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown. The speakers discussed their positions on a wide variety of disability issues directly to the disability community. Frank Sesno, director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University and former CNN White House correspondent, anchor and Washington bureau chief, served as Forum moderator.

View the archived webinar or read the transcripts on the National Forum on Disability Issues website.

TheWisconsin Disability Vote Coalition(WDVC) is a non-partisan effort to increase voting turnout and participation in the electoral process among members of Wisconsins disability community. The WDVC is funded byDisability Rights Wisconsin(DRW) and theBoard for People with Developmental Disabilities(BPDD). Be sure to check out theWDVC websitefor information and resources, including:

• Voting Guide for Citizens with Disabilities
• Transportation to go vote on election day
• Competency, Guardianship & Voting
• How can I ask candidates about disability-related questions?
• Where can get information about candidates?
• How can I find out where to vote?
• How do I register to vote?
• Can I vote if I have a guardian?
• I can't go to the polling place. Can I vote another way?
• Are there accessible voting machines?
• Can you vote if you're in the hospital on election day?
• What are the rules about signing my name when I vote?
• Is the Photo ID law in effect?

In addition, the WDVC website has a large number ofvideosthat explain the voting process and answer many of the same questions.

Here are a couple interesting websites that provide information about assistive technology and workplace accommodations. Be sure to check them out:

• AbleData: AbleData provides objective information about assistive technology products and rehabilitation equipment. Go to the website and click on Products to see their database - almost 40,000 products in 20 different categories
• Job Accommodations Network (JAN): The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. Working toward practical solutions that benefit both employer and employee, JAN helps people with disabilities enhance their employability, and shows employers how to capitalize on the value and talent that people with disabilities add to the workplace.