Disability & College resources and Subway & ADA Signing

From Ollie Cantos- USDOJ

A SYSTEMIC APPROACH TO ARMING
STUDENTS AND JOB SEEKERS WITH DISABILITIES AND
THEIR ADVOCATES IN SECURING
MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT

by Olegario D. Cantos VII, Esq.
Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice

July 21, 2007

Introduction

Disability will touch the lives of most Americans at some point
during their lives either through firsthand experience or acquaintance
with someone who has a disability. Census figures indicate that, in
2002, more than one in six Americans had a disability involving limitations
in seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, learning, or undertaking other
major functions central to daily life.[1]

As career and guidance counselors, vocational rehabilitation
professionals, social service providers, for-profit headhunting firms and
career placement organizations, federal government officials, governors'
committees on people with disabilities,[2] disability rights advocates,
and others seek to empower students and job seekers with disabilities
to maximize employment opportunities available to them and as people
with disabilities themselves are armed with the tools they need to
succeed in the workplace, of utmost importance is the need effectively to
understand both the social context within which members of the disability
community must be viewed and the various support network elements that
have been put into place to enable them to reach their full economic
potential. A working comprehension of these concepts[3] will allow
stakeholders to know how to utilize a myriad of approaches which, when
examined either alone or in their aggregate, will lead to real-world
employment outcomes for people with disabilities.

A Brief History of the Disability Rights Movement

For centuries, people with disabilities were viewed on the fringes
of mainstream society. As a class of individuals, they were
economically disadvantaged, socially segregated, politically excluded, and
almost universally regarded as being less capable than others. In fact, the
term "handicap" is said to have originated from the old practice of
people with disabilities holding "cap in hand" as they begged for a
pittance just to survive from one day to the next.[4] Those who were not on
the streets and who were not cared for by family or other loved ones
(most typically, individuals with severe psychiatric and developmental
disabilities) were placed in institutions, and many spent their lives in
such settings whose conditions would be considered inhumane by today's
standards. But, as the result of a series of documented events that
date back to 1817 to the present, both people with disabilities and
their families eventually built what is collectively known today as the
disability rights movement.[5]

That movement has spawned landmark pieces of civil rights
legislation including the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Education of All
Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (which was renamed the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act in 1990), the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986,
the Fair Housing Act being amended in 1988 to include people with
disabilities as a protected class, the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990, the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, and the Help America Vote Act
of 2002.

These and other federal laws have formed the tapestry of civil
rights protections afforded to people with disabilities, paving the way
for full participation in every aspect of societal life and enabling the
United States to serve as a model for other countries around the world
to follow. Driven by a philosophy of self-determination, the old
medical model which focused on curing individuals with disabilities has now
significantly been replaced by an approach that entails promotion of
equality of rights and responsibilities.

Steps for Easing Smooth Transition Into Employment

STEP 1 - LEARN ABOUT HOW BEST TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT TYPES
OF DISABILITIES.

Often, when members of the general public envision whom would be a
"person with a disability," they tend to think of disabilities that
are visible. In reality, disabilities are both visible and invisible.[6]
Examples of the former include people who have mobility impairments,
are blind or visually impaired, are deaf or hard-of-hearing, have
developmental disabilities, or have muscular or neurological conditions.
Invisible disabilities include psychiatric disability, asthma, arthritis,
heart disease, HIV/AIDS, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or
learning disabilities.

That is why close collaboration with organizations of and for
people with disabilities plays such a critical role. As career counselors
and other job placement professionals build strong working partnerships
with those serving physical,[7] psychiatric,[8] developmental,[9] and
learning[10] disability constituencies, new possibilities will arise
for building cohesive cross-agency/cross-organizational clusters to
advance mutual goals.

STEP 2 - ASSIST IN ENHANCING UNDERSTANDING OF EMPLOYMENT-RELATED CIVIL
RIGHTS LAWS.

Let students and job seekers with disabilities know that Title I
of the Americans with Disabilities Act[11] requires employers with 15 or
more employees to provide qualified individuals with disabilities[12]
an equal opportunity to benefit from the full range of
employment-related opportunities available to others. "For example, it prohibits
discrimination in recruitment, hiring, promotions, training, pay, social
activities, and other privileges of employment. It restricts questions
that can be asked about an applicant's disability before a job offer is
made, and it requires that employers make reasonable accommodation to the
known physical or mental limitations of otherwise qualified
individuals with disabilities, unless it results in undue hardship. Religious
entities with 15 or more employees are covered under Title I."[13] The
federal government is covered under Sections 501 and 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973.[14]

STEP 3 - GIVE STUDENTS AND JOB SEEKERS ASSESSMENT TOOLS THAT WILL HELP
THEM DECIDE THEIR CAREER PATH, AND STRENGTHEN CONFIDENCE THROUGH
EXPOSURE TO SUCCESSFUL ROLE MODELS.

For people with disabilities, career goals are just as diverse as
members of the disability community themselves. Many students and job
seekers have found different career assessment tools[15] to be helpful
such as the Myers-Briggs test as a basis for determining personality
type,[16] whose results are then cross-referenced with careers that have
often been associated with different classifications.[17]

However, these assessment tools must be considered but a part of
an overall approach to assist people in deciding their own career path.
Here, within a disability rights context, it is critical that one
remains mindful of possible perceived limitations based on old and
outdated stereotypes about disability.[18] As such, identification of
successful role models,[19] both those who are well known[20] and those who
are not as much so[21], may assist in bolstering the confidence of those
seeking either to enter or re-enter the workforce, including in the
fields of law[22] as well as science, engineering, and mathematics[23]
(among others). For youth, "Guideposts To Success" in making the
transition into adulthood include school-based preparatory experiences, career
preparation and work-based learning experiences, youth development and
leadership, connecting activities (such as mental and physical health
services, transportation, tutoring, financial planning and management,
post-program supports, and other services), and family involvement and
support.[24]

STEP 4 - ENCOURAGE GREATER EXPOSURE TO CAREER OPTIONS THROUGH
FACILITATING JOB SHADOWING AND HANDS-ON CAREER EXPLORATION.

As a creative way of providing students and job seekers with
opportunities to see what life is like in an actual workplace setting and at
a real-world level, career-oriented mentoring[25] by those in their
chosen profession provides future potential employees with invaluable
exposure to others in the field, paves the way for greater understanding
about the abilities and aspirations of people with disabilities, and may
lead to internships that could result in job offers. Events such as
Disability Mentoring Day,[26] most typically held during October which
is annually declared by the President as National Disability Employment
Awareness Month,[27] may prove quite useful as people endeavor to learn
as much about chosen career pursuits. Assisting students and job
seekers with career preparation and work-based learning experiences is an
effective tool for helping them to enhance economic opportunity.[28]
Promoting real-world experience through service learning is also an
effective tool for people with disabilities to gain a multitude of
experiences far outside the classroom.[29]

STEP 5 - EXPOSE STUDENTS AND JOB SEEKERS WITH DISABILITIES TO EXISTING
WORK INCENTIVES THAT WILL ENABLE THEM TO KNOW HOW TO ENHANCE THEIR
ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY.

Many students and job seekers with disabilities receive federal
government benefits such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)[30] and, according to the 2005
American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau, the domestic
employment rate among people with disabilities ages 21-64 is only 38.1%.[31]
However, this figure need not necessarily remain this low.

Indeed, a number of work incentives have been put into place by
the Social Security Administration to assist people in easing themselves
away from economic dependency.[32] With particular rules being applied
respectively to SSI and SSDI recipients, these work incentives include
deduction of Impairment Related Work Expenses, the value of
"subsidies" and "special conditions," and, in the case of self-employed
individuals, unincurred business expenses from net earnings.[33] Other special
rules entail consideration of Unsuccessful Work Attempt and, for
individuals who lose benefits eligibility under Social Security rules, they
may continue to receive benefits through Continued Payment Under a
Vocational Rehabilitation Program (otherwise known as Section 301 Payments),
testing of one's ability to work through the Trial Work Period, and an
extended period of eligibility for benefits if successfully completing
the Trial Work Period at the "Substantial Gainful Activity"
level."[34] In addition, particularly for people with disabilities who rely on
medical benefits such as Medicare or Medicaid,[35] knowledge of work
incentives is essential.[36] After all, health and wellness are
important, including to people with disabilities.[37] Through this nation's
network of more than 16,000 one-stop career centers designed to provide
employment services, administered by the Employment and Training
Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor, those seeking employment may
receive additional assistance.[38] In fact, Disability Program Navigator
grantees have been provided with specific tools and resources to
assist them in providing services that are physically and programmatically
accessible.[39]

A prudent move for vocational rehabilitation counselors and other
career placement professionals in helping those with disabilities on
government benefits to know the range of possibilities available to
facilitate long-term employment is to recommend that they take full
advantage of Work Incentive Planning and Assistance Programs that exist in
every state to provide guidance on what to do.[40] "Benefits Calculators"
are also available to be of assistance to government benefits
recipients.[41]

STEP 6 - SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK FOR THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.

The federal government is actively seeking qualified individuals
with disabilities to fill job vacancies[42] at all levels of leadership
through what is known as the Excepted Service appointment process,
which literally means that agencies may accept resumes without being
required to post job notices.[43] Through the U.S. Office of Personnel
Management, prospective employees as well as human resource professionals
alike may learn about supports that have been established to help members
of the disability community join the federal workforce.[44] Of
significant importance is the need to become familiar with U.S. Office of
Personnel Management's Schedule A[45] hiring authority which supports the
hiring of people with physical disabilities, psychiatric disabilities,
and "mental retardation"[46] in cases where physicians/medical
professionals, federal government agencies issuing or providing disability
benefits, state vocational rehabilitation agency counselors,[47] or private
vocational rehabilitation or other counselor issuing private
disability benefits may certify disability and job readiness.[48] Veterans may
receive appointment through Veterans Recruitment Appointment, the 30%
or More Disabled Veterans Program, and Veterans Employment Opportunity
Act appointments.[49] Veterans may also receive vocational
rehabilitation assistance through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs[50] and a
whole host of other programs including for job seekers[51] and
entrepreneurs.[52]

As a way of facilitating coordinated expansion of the use of these
various hiring authorities by bringing together stakeholders including
people with disabilities, hiring managers,[53] selective placement
program coordinators[54] whom (among other things) seek qualified
applicants with disabilities, and others, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission in June 2006 launched the LEAD (Leadership for the
Employment of Americans with Disabilities) Initiative.[55] These efforts are
dovetailing quite well with the efforts of the Federal Disability
Workforce Consortium, a cross-agency working group of federal agencies that
comes together on a regular basis to take action on recruitment, hiring,
retention, and career advancement strategies for people with
disabilities.[56]

STEP 7 - ENCOURAGE STUDENTS AND JOB SEEKERS TO INVESTIGATE CAREER
POSSIBILITIES IN THE NON-PROFIT WORLD OR IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

More than 600,000 non-profit organizations of every description
exist in the United States and are dedicated to causes of every
description, and information about each of these and where they are located is
readily accessible online, free of charge.[57] As students and job
seekers delve into endless possibilities, they may decide to consider
factors such as salary,[58] proximity to one's residence, and possibilities
for upward advancement.

Assisting in the expansion of career opportunities in the private
sector should also be considered. An effective approach to helping to
educate the business community about disability issues would be to
direct them to the Americans with Disabilities Act Homepage, organized and
maintained by the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of
Justice, at http://www.ada.gov. In particular, they should be directed to
the Division's ADA Business Briefs, information about the ADA Business
Connection, and free online training available to small businesses.
Business owners may also have an interest in learning about the tax
credits and tax deductions that are available for making access improvements
including architectural adaptations, equipment acquisition, services
such as sign language interpreters,[59] and transportation
adaptations.[60]

Both in the non-profit and private sectors, innovative efforts
have been afoot to expand career possibilities for people with all types
of disabilities, and the approaches have evolved from a charity-oriented
approach to one that is more focused on the business case for
including more people with disabilities in jobs of every description, including
in tasks that may not have been seen as being practical or possible
for those with certain types of disabilities.[61]

For situations in which individuals wish instead to start
businesses of their own,[62] the Small Business Administration, in joint
collaboration with the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) of the
U.S. Department of Labor, has assembled information to assist
entrepreneurs with disabilities to become successful through the New Freedom
Small Business Initiative.[63] At a national level, private businesses
have joined forces to promote greater employment opportunities and
physical and programmatic access for people with disabilities, and they are
successfully sharing and implementing best practices among themselves and
encouraging other businesses to do the same.[64]

STEP 8 - MAKE SURE TO ARM STUDENTS AND JOB SEEKERS WITH INFORMATION
ABOUT JOB ACCOMMODATION POSSIBILITIES.

Perhaps surprising to some, most job-related accommodations are
not expensive, and 71% cost less than $500; 69% of workers with
disabilities do not need adaptive equipment at all; and, job accommodations may
reduce workers' compensation and other insurance costs, increase the
pool of qualified employees, be as simple as rearranging equipment, and
increase opportunities for people with functional limitations.[65] An
effective strategy for helping to remove attitudinal barriers to
employment would be to utilize valuable informational resources available at
the Job Accommodation Network, [66] supported by ODEP. In addition, for
people with disabilities working for the federal government, they may
receive work-related adaptive technology through the
Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP),[67] spearheaded by the U.S. Department
of Defense which has cooperative agreements with more than 60 federal
agencies. Agencies such as the Social Security Administration, due
primarily to their size, provide their own electronic accommodations to
their employees separately.

STEP 9 - IF ON A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN
CAREER PLACEMENT OFFICES AND OFFICES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.

Far too frequently, as college and university students seek to
complete their post-secondary education with the ultimate goal of securing
gainful employment, they experience a disconnect between the office
for students with disabilities designed to meet their
academically-related accommodation needs and the on-campus career services office whose
role is to serve all students, including those with disabilities. For
this reason, efforts by administrators of both offices should be geared
toward providing more seamless services as is accorded to students
without disabilities. To be sure, such efforts have already been underway
across the country on hundreds of college and university campuses.[68]
Taking active part in this trend toward greater coordination will only
result in expansion of opportunity for students with disabilities whom,
like others, are simply seeking to obtain gainful employment.

STEP 10 - LEVERAGE TIME BY DISTRIBUTING THIS ARTICLE TO OTHERS.

The myriad of resources discussed and endnoted here are but a
sampling of what is available to help students and job seekers with
disabilities to enter or re-enter the world of employment. Delving into
resources provided herein will enable readers to be armed with what they
need to know what next steps should be taken.

Conclusion

Various stakeholders play such a pivotal role in the lives of
those they serve, including those with visible and invisible disabilities.
Now armed with a number of informational resources, the next step is
immediately to put into action the suggestions made here, utilizing the
vast array of agency and organizational references that have been
provided, many of which are portals to countless other resources. When
combined with a positive belief in the abilities of members of the
disability community who themselves are pushing forward to shatter limited
expectations about what they can do, the only real bounds are those of the
imagination.

[END OF ARTICLE.]

[Note: Olegario "Ollie" D. Cantos VII, Esq., a 17-year leader in the
disability community, is Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney
General for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Justice and is the
immediate past Associate Director for Domestic Policy at the White House,
serving as the President's key staff lead in implementing the New Freedom
Initiative, which was launched on February 1, 2001.]

----------

ENDNOTES

[1] See http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/disability/sipp/disable02.html.
More recent data on the characteristics of those with a disability
are available from the American Community Survey, though these statistics
are based on a less detailed set of questions. For more information on
the American Community Survey, see http://factfinder.census.gov.

[2] See the National Association of Governors' Committees on People
with Disabilities: http://www.nagcpd.com/.

[3] The U.S. Department of Justice does not necessarily endorse the
views expressed or the facts presented on any website or other resource
mentioned in this article that fall outside the federal government.
Further, the Department does not endorse any commercial products that may
be advertised or otherwise available on such sites or through such cited
resources.

[4] See "A Brief History of the Disability Movement,"
http://www.vsarts.org/x537.xml.

[5] For a general timeline of pivotal events that led to the rise of
the disability rights movement which itself includes those with physical,
developmental, and psychiatric disabilities, see
http://www.sfsu.edu/%7Ehrdpu/chron.htm.

[6] The U.S. Office of Personal Management has put together a piece
entitled "Working with People with Different Types of Disabilities." See
http://www.opm.gov/disability/appempl_4-09.asp#people_with_invisible.

[7] Throughout the country in communities of every size, organizations
known as "independent living centers" have been formed to serve people
with all types of disabilities and are often most noted for their work
in serving people with physical disabilities. To view a complete list
of these organizations, along with their contact information, visit the
website of the Independent Living Resource Utilization Project at
http://www.ilru.org, which also lists the Statewide Independent Living
Councils (SILCs) whose members are appointed by the governor of each
state.

[8] A detailed list of local organizations serving those with
psychiatric disabilities may be found at the website of the National Alliance on
Mental Illness (formerly, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill)
at http://www.nami.org.

[9] To reach the State Developmental Disabilities Council (or "DD
Council") for each state, visit the website of the National Association of
State Developmental Disabilities Councils at http://www.nacdd.org.

[10] For information about the nature of learning disabilities, along
with local, state, and national resources that may assist people with
learning disabilities and their families, see http://www.ldonline.org.

[11] 29 C.F.R. Parts 1630, 1602.

[12] An individual with a disability is defined by the Act as a person
who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one
or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of
such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having
such an impairment. The Act does not specifically name all of the
impairments that are covered.

[13] http://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm#anchor62335.

[14] See http://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm#anchor65610.

[15] See http://www.rileyguide.com/assess.html.

[16] See http://www.quintcareers.com/career_assessment.html.

[17] See http://www.geocities.com/lifexplore/mbcareer.htm. Also see
http://www.personalitypage.com/careers.html.

[18] For a youth-oriented discussion on removal of attitudinal barriers
to equal treatment, which would also be of interest to job placement
professionals, visit
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/disability_Basics/attitudinal_barriers.html.

[19] Students with disabilities in high school may gain invaluable
insight by learning the ways of leadership through direct exposure to role
models with different types of disabilities via a three- to five-day
event called a Youth Leadership Forum. These are organized in many
states. For the Association of Youth Leadership Forums, see
http://www.montanaylf.org/?p=aylf. Youth in post-secondary settings
may become involved in the National Youth Leadership Network. See
http://www.nyln.org.

[20] See http://www.washington.edu/doit/Resources/role_model.html.

[21] With support from the Office of Disability Employment Policy of
the U.S. Department of Labor, InfoUse.com produced an interactive CD-ROM
entitled "Open Futures: Role Models for Youth with Disabilities" which
profiles everyday people with different types of disabilities, pursuing
different types of careers. See
http://www.infouse.com/openfutures/cd_overview.html.

[22] The American Bar Association Commission on Mental and Physical
Disability Rights Law offers a mentoring program for law students and has
also produced a report, detailing the present status of employment of
people with disabilities in the legal profession. See
http://www.abanet.org/disability/.

[23] The National Association for the Advancement of Science has
established "Entry Point," a program designed to recruit people with
disabilities into science and related fields. See
http://ehrweb.aaas.org/entrypoint/. The National Federation of the
Blind has engaged in efforts most particularly for students who are blind
or visually impaired. See http://www.BlindScience.org.

[24] See
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/guideposts/.

[25] Non-profit organizations that operate career-oriented mentoring
programs may benefit substantially from ensuring that these programs also
serve individuals with disabilities. See
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/mentoring.html.

[26] See http://www.dmd-aapd.org.

[27] As an illustration, see the 2006 Proclamation by the President at
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061003-7.html.

[28] See http://www.dol.gov/odep/categories/youth/career.htm.

[29] See the National Service Inclusion Project of the Institute for
Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts, Boston:
http://nationalserviceresources.org/resources/tta/university_mass.php.

[30] See http://www.ssa.gov.

[31] See
http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/disabilitystatistics/StatusReports/2005-html/2005-StatusReports_US.html?CFID=22539169&CFTOKEN=64997919#employment.

[32] See
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/workincentives.htm.

[33] See
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/detailedinfo.htm.

[34] Id.

[35] See http://www.medicare.gov/.

[36] Id. at Note 28.

[37] In July 2005, along with the Office on Disability of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, the Surgeon General for the first
time in history issued a Call to Action to Improve the Health and
Wellness of People with Disabilities. The following year, a "People's
Piece" was issued to assist in knowing how to make this more of a reality.
See http://www.hhs.gov/od.

[38] See http://www.doleta.gov/. This page also discusses the awarding
of millions of dollars in grants to expand the Disability Program
Navigator effort to serve job seekers with disabilities.

[39] See the One-Stop Toolkit for Serving People with Disabilities:
http://www.onestoptoolkit.org/.

[40] See
http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work/ServiceProviders/WIPADirectory.html#service.

[41] See
http://www.disabilitybenefits101.org/planning/(S(m4egvevwocgutmqoq3g1sbav))/index.aspx.

[42] See http://www.JSAJobs.gov. Each federal agency also has internal
websites posting current job vacancies.

[43] See http://www.opm.gov/disability/appointment_disabilities.asp.

[44] See http://www.opm.gov/disability.

[45] See 5 C.F.R. Part 213.3102(u):
http://www.opm.gov/fedregis/2006/71-072606-42246-a.htm.

[46] The term "mental retardation" is used instead of "cognitive
disability," "developmental disability," or "intellectual disability,"
because it is the official terminology used in the authorized Executive Order
12215, dated March 15, 1979. See Id. at Note 34.

[47] To view a national directory of state vocational rehabilitation
agencies, see http://www.jan.wvu.edu/SBSES/VOCREHAB.htm.

[48] Id. at Note 34.

[49] See http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetsinfo.asp#Special.

[50] See http://www.va.gov.

[51] See http://www.vetsuccess.gov/.

[52] See http://www.vetbiz.gov.

[53] For a useful Question and Answer document for hiring managers
within the federal government, see
http://www.opm.gov/disability/appointment_disabilities.asp.

[54] An online directory of Selective Placement Program Coordinators in
every state as submitted by agencies to the U.S. Office of Personnel
Management may be found at http://apps.opm.gov/sppc_directory/. Any
information found either to be inaccurate or out of date should be brought
to the attention of Kitty Kobert at Kitty.Kobert@opm.gov.

[55] See http://www.eeoc.gov/press/10-4-06.html.

[56] The Consortium is led by a steering committee, currently comprised
of five co-equal agencies: The U.S. Department of Commerce (Jennifer
Croft - JCroft@doc.gov), U.S. Department of Education (Joseph
DePhillips - Joseph.DePhillips@ed.gov), U.S. Department of Labor (Akinyemi Banjo
- Banjo.Akinyemi@dol.gov), U.S. Department of Transportation (Alison
Levy - Alison.Levy@dot.gov), and U.S. Department of the Treasury (Jay
Young - Jay.Young@occ.treas.gov).

[57] See http://www.Guidestar.org.

[58] See http://salaries.com.33496.fb.dbbsrv.com/.

[59] To locate a national registry of certified sign language
interpreters, located in communities around the country, see http://www.rid.org.


[60] See http://www.ada.gov/taxpack.htm.

[61] See http://www.boozallen.com/about/article/16575149.

[62] See http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/ek00/small.htm. Also see
http://www.smallbusinessnotes.com/interests/disabled.html.

[63] See http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/ODEP2003858.htm.

[64] See the homepage of the U.S. Business Leadership Network, a
national organization of for-profit businesses that is committed to doing its
part to remove physical, programmatic, and attitudinal barriers to
full participation by people with disabilities based on the business case
for marketing to and serving the disability community:
http://www.usbln.org.

[65] See http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/JANFacts.html.

[66] See http://www.jan.wvu.edu.

[67] See http://www.vetsuccess.gov/.

[68] In order to facilitate greater coordination between offices for
students with disabilities and career services offices, Career
Opportunities for Students with Disabilities was founded to centralize best
practices, exchange information and ideas, and spawn greater opportunity for
people with disabilities to participate in the economic lives of their
communities. See http://www.cosdonline.org.

- - - - - - - - - -

Olegario D. Cantos VII, Esq.
Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Room 5539
Washington, DC 20530
(202) 514-8191 (Voice)
(202) 514-0716 (TTY)
(202) 307-2839 (Fax)
Ollie.Cantos@usdoj.gov

Subway Settlement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CRT
TUESDAY, JULY 31, 2007
(202) 514-2007
TDD: (202) 514-1888
WWW.USDOJ.GOV

FEDERAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT WILL MAKE SUBWAY SHOPS ACCESSIBLE TO
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

WASHINGTON - The Department of Justice today announced a comprehensive
settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
with Doctor Associates Inc. (DAI), the privately held corporation that
franchises Subway sandwich shops throughout the United States. The
agreement, which sets out steps to make Subway shops physically accessible
to people with disabilities, affects more than 20,000 Subway franchises.
The settlement focuses on barrier removal for people with
disabilities, to ensure that they have access to the facilities; use of the
services offered by shops; and whenever readily achievable, access to
restroom facilities in the Subway shops.

"People with disabilities should be able to eat at their favorite
establishments, and this agreement is designed to improve access to 20,000
Subway shops across the nation," said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney
General for the Civil Rights Division. "I commend DAI for working with us
to fashion a practical and effective agreement. We hope that it will
serve as a model for other dining establishments so that they will take
the steps necessary to serve individuals with disabilities."

Because the individual Subway shops are franchisees, the agreement
recognizes that DAI will facilitate the efforts to ensure compliance while
the individual Subway shops will be responsible for removing barriers
to access. In particular, DAI will conduct the initial architectural
surveys to identify barriers; provide guidance on the ADA requirements
and the steps each shop must take to address violations identified in the
survey; revise its operations manual to reflect that shops are
required to conduct evaluations and remove barriers and that penalties may be
imposed if they do not comply; provide interest-free loans to its
individual stores for the purpose of ensuring accessibility; and use its
best efforts to locate accessible buildings in its site selection for
future Subway shops.

People interested in finding out more about the ADA or the agreement
can call the Justice Department's toll-free ADA Information Line at
1-800-514-0301 or 1-800-514-0383 (TTY), or access the ADA Web site at
http://www.ada.gov .

Disability Resources

ADA site
Disabilty Resources- especially Scholarships
Self Employment -Tips from Lois - dealt a hand w/brain injury
Disaboom- Disability Resources from Health to Accessibility