Fall 2009 Newsletter
- Web Search Tool
- Family Center on Technology and Disability
- Resource Kit for Itinerant Teachers
- Transition Summit
- Low Functioning Deaf
- FAQs from PEPNet.org
- ADA DVD
- Notetaking Accommodations
- Test Equity Issues and Answers
- Publishing Credits and Contact Information
- PDF Version of Fall 2009 Newsletter
- Past Newsletter Issues
- Suggest a topic for future issues
PEPNet Offers DVD on ADA in ASL with Voiceover
PEPNet has posted a two-part DVD on its website (www.pepnet.org/ADADVD.asp) to explain the Americans with Disabilities Act and how it applies to postsecondary education for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.
The DVD, designed for students, their families, and advocates, was produced by PEPNet and is narrated by Chicago attorney Howard A. Rosenblum, whose practice focuses on disability rights and special education. Rosenblum, who is deaf, is chairman of the Public Policy Committee for the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and is the founder and board chair of the Midwest Center on Law and the Deaf.
Part One, "The Basics of the Americans with Disabilities Act," explains the history of the ADA, including its passage, its definitions of disability, and its recent Amendment Act. The ADA's four sections-Employment, Public Entities, Public Accommodations, and Telecommunications-are discussed, along with information on the various federal agencies responsible for enforcing ADA laws.
Part Two, "The Americans with Disabilities Act and the College Years," explains how the ADA applies to postsecondary education by clarifying differences between the ADA and other legislation, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which applies to K-12 education.
It also discusses how the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 may impact postsecondary faculty and staff, reviews how students who are deaf and hard of hearing may be protected by the ADA, and shows how the law impacts access and accommodations (physical, programs and activities) as well as the provision of equipment (e.g. visual alerts, hearing devices and telecommunications).
Rosenblum outlines services that postsecondary institutions need to provide to students, including interpreting, captioning, and notetaking, and discusses how postsecondary students may effectively request services and advocate for themselves.
The DVD was produced in American Sign Language with voiceover and open captioning. It will also be available through the PEPNet Dissemination Center.
