ADA Resources

The ADA Wisconsin Partnership is a coalition of people with disabilities, business and government that promotes full implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

GENERAL RESOURCES:

• The DBTAC: Great Lakes ADA Center provides information, materials, technical assistance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Website: www.adagreatlakes.org

• U.S. Department of Justice, Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA home page contains extensive federal resources, technical assistance, publications and checklists for understanding rights and responsibilities covered under the ADA: www.ada.gov

• National Toll-Free ADA Information Line--Call to obtain answers to general and technical questions about the ADA and to order technical assistance materials: 800-514-0301 (voice) 800-514-0383 (TDD)

• Access Board: This information summarizes the provisions of the ADA and references the regulations issued by various agencies that are used to enforce them. Links are provided to these agencies. Regulations are referred to their location in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and their publication in the Federal Register (FR):
  http://www.access-board.gov/about/ADA%20Overview.htm

• Job Accomodation Network: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/

WISCONSIN ADA RESOURCES:

• ADA Wisconsin Partnership

c/o Employment Resources Inc.
4126 Lien Road, Suite 104
Madison, WI 53704
608-246-3444 (Voice/TTY)
608-246-3445 (Fax)
ada@eri-wi.org

• Disability Rights Wisconsin (formerly the Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy): a private, nonprofit agency chosen by Wisconsin's Governor to provide protection and advocacy for people with disabilities throughout the state: www.disabilityrightswi.org/

• Wisconsin Independent Living Centers: An independent living center (ILC) is a consumer-directed, non-profit organization that provides an array of services, including: peer support, information and referral, independent living skills training, advocacy, community education, personal care and service coordination. Independent living centers also provide information and access to assistive technology as part of the WisTech Program. To find your local Wisconsin Independent Living Center visit the Wisconsin Department of Health & Family Services list of centers: http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/Disabilities/Physical/ILCs.htm

• Accessible Parking Space Requirements: http://www.handiplate.com/Wisconsin summary.htm

• For the Assistive Technology Project contact WISTECH (Wisconsin Assistive Technology Program): (608) 266-8905 (voice), (608) 267-9880 (TTY) or visit http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/disabilities/wistech/index.htm

• For Building Code Questions contact Wisconsin Department of Commerce: (608) 266-8982 or visit www.commerce.state.wi.us

• Wisconsin Civil Rights Commission Equal Rights Division, Department of Workforce Development

PO Box 8928
Madison, WI 53708
(608) 266-6860 (voice)
(608) 261-8752 (TTY)

Milwaukee office
(414) 227-4384 (voice)
(414) 227-4081 (TTY)
www.dwd.state.wi.us/er

• Office for Persons with Physical Disabilities (a coordinating point in state government for policies and services affecting people with physical disabilities.)

608/266-7974 (Voice)
608/267-9880 (TTY)
608/267-3203 (FAX)
powerbd@dhfs.state.wi.us
http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/Disabilities/Physical/OPPD.htm

• Governor's Committee for People with Disabilities (now part of the DHFS Division of Disability and Elder Services)

(608) 266-7974 (voice), (608) 267-9880 (TTY).
http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/Disabilities/Physical/gcpd.htm

• Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities (The Council is dedicated to improving the independence, productivity, and integration of people with developmental disabilities.)

608/266-7826 (V)
608/266-6660 (TTY)
608/267-3906 (FAX)
wiswcdd@dhfs.state.wi.us
http://www.wcdd.org/

• Training and Information Centers:

Wisconsin Family Assistance Center for Education, Training and Support
(414) 374-4645 (voice)
(414) 374-4635 (TTY)
(414) 374-4655 (fax)
wifacets@execpc.com
http://www.wifacets.org/

Native American Family Empowerment Center
(715) 588-3324
(715) 588-7900
(800) 472-7207 (Wisconsin only)
drosin@newnorth.net

• Other Wisconsin Resources:

Vocational Rehabilitation Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
(608) 243-5600 (voice)
(608) 243-5601 (TTY)
(800) 442-3477
www.dwd.state.wi.us/dvr

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
(608) 266-6722
(608) 266-3348
(608) 261-4891
www.dwd.state.wi.us/dwdwia

Pathways to Independence: A joint initiative of the Department of Health and Family Services and the Department of Workforce Development
(608) 261-8884
www.dhfs.state.wi.us/WIPathways/

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

• AccessIT promotes the use of electronic and information technology (IT) for students and employees with disabilities in educational institutions at all academic levels. This Web site features the AccessIT Knowledge Base, a searchable, growing database of questions and answers regarding accessible IT. It is designed for educators, policy makers, librarians, technical support staff, and students and employees with disabilities and their advocates: http://www.washington.edu/accessit/index.php

• Computer Technology in Special Education and Rehabilitation: http://www.closingthegap.com/index.lasso

• The Trace Research & Development Center is a part of the College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Founded to prevent the barriers and capitalize on the opportunities presented by current and emerging information and telecommunication technologies, in order to create a world that is as accessible and usable as possible for as many people as possible: http://trace.wisc.edu/

• Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative - A statewide project to make assistive technology devices and services more available to children with disabilities: http://www.wati.org/

ADA ENFORCEMENT:

• Department of Justice ADA Mediation Program:This Department of Justice website describes the use of alternative means of dispute resolution, including mediation, to resolve ADA disputes: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/mediate.htm

• Department of Justice ADA enforcement reports: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/enforce.htm

FINANCIAL RESOURCES:

• U.S. Department of Justice Tax Incentives Packet: This packet contains information about the disabled access credit that is available for small businesses and the tax deduction that is available for businesses of any size to help offset some of the costs of improving accessibility for customers or employees with disabilities. It also includes the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) form and instructions for claiming the disabled access credit, a list of ADA publications available free from the Department of Justice, and a list of telephone numbers and Internet sites to which you can turn for answers to your ADA questions: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/taxpack.htm

ADA HISTORY:

• The Disability History Museum's mission is to promote understanding about the historical experience of people with disabilities by recovering, chronicling, and interpreting their stories. Our goal is to help foster a deeper understanding of disability and to dispel lingering myths, assumptions, and stereotypes by examining these cultural legacies: http://www.disabilitymuseum.org/

LEGAL ASSISTANCE:

• The National Employment Lawyers Association (NELA) was founded in 1985 to provide assistance and support to lawyers in protecting the rights of employees. NELA is comprised of lawyers who represent individual employees in cases involving employment discrimination, wrongful termination, employee benefits, and other employment related matters: http://www.nela.org/home.cfm

• Wisconsin State Bar home page: This site includes a wealth of information on a variety of legal subjects. It includes resources such as an attorney search function, information about educational opportunities, and articles about recent legal events: http://www.wisbar.org/index.html

• Wisconsin State Bar State and Federal Legal Resources: Includes links to various state and federal legal resources: http://www.wisbar.org/index.html

TRAINING AND EDUCATION:

• The Great Lakes ADA &IT Center is one of 10 regional centers funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), a division of the U.S. Department of Education. Its purpose is to provide technical assistance and training to businesses and people with disabilities regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA): http://www.adagreatlakes.org/

• Disability Rights Wisconsin (formerly the Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy) is the designated protection and advocacy organization for people with disabilities in the state of Wisconsin: www.disabilityrightswi.org/

• The ADA Basic Building Blocks is an introductory web course that explores the legal requirements and the spirit of the ADA. The course content is self-paced and organized into 12 topics that have been designed to be studied in order. It covers the basic principles and core concepts contained in the ADA. For more information and to register for the course go to: www.adabasics.org

• AccessIT at the University of Washington is available: (866) 968-2223 (voice), (866) 866-0162 (TTY), email: accessit@u.washington.edu or on the web site: www.washington.edu/accessit. Information, technical assistance, and training is also available from the Regional Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers, (800) 949-4232 (V/TTY), or on the web: http://www.adata.org

ACCESSIBLE BUILDING DESIGN:

• U.S. Department of Justice: ADA Standards for Accessible Design. The ADA gives the DOJ authority to issue regulations for title II and III of the ADA and to provide technical assistance and enforcement. DOJ also has authority to certify that a State or local accessibility code is equivalent to the ADA's requirements for new construction and alterations: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/stdspdf.htm

• Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal: This Department of Justice checklist helps identify accessibility problems and solutions in existing facilities in order to meet the obligations under the ADA: http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/checktxt.htm

• Wisconsin State Park Accessibility: There are six cabins for people with disabilities in Wisconsin State Parks. There are rustic cabins at Copper Falls and Blue Mound state parks and cabins with more amenities at Mirror Lake, Buckhorn, and Potowatami state parks and Kettle Moraine State Forest--Southern Unit: http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/access/

• Wisconsin Independent Living Centers: An independent living center (ILC) is a consumer-directed, non-profit organization that provides an array of services, including: peer support, information and referral, independent living skills training, advocacy, community education, personal care and service coordination. Independent living centers also provide information and access to assistive technology as part of the WisTech Program: http://www.dhfs.state.wi.us/disabilities/Physical/ILCs.htm

• Center for Universal Design: National research, information, and technical assistance center that evaluates, develops, and promotes accessible and universal design in buildings and related products: http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/

• Adaptive Environments Center: Provides information on the National Access for Public Schools Project, funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research to help public schools implement the ADA: http://www.adaptenv.org/

• U.S. Access Board (Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board): The only independent federal agency whose primary mission is accessibility for people with disabilities: http://www.access-board.gov/

VOTING:

For information about Voting in Wisconsin, check out the following guide:
Voting in Wisconsin: A Guide for Citizens with Disabilities

WEB DESIGN:

• Bobby WorldWide--Free online test to determine how accessible your site is: http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html/en/index.jsp

• Unified Web Site Accessibility Guidelines: from the Trace Center, U. Wisc.: http://trace.wisc.edu/redirects/htmlgide/htmlgide.htm

• Web Access Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium: The official HTML standards body has posted design guidelines and sample code: http://www.w3.org/WAI/

• A gentle introduction to accessible web design, what to read first, and where to go for help: http://www.mcu.org.uk/learning/beginner.html

• A guide for the more experienced web designer where you can find information about more advanced accessible web design topics: http://www.mcu.org.uk/learning/advanced.html

• A-Prompt, developed by the University of Toronto and The Trace Research and Development Center, is a tool for Web authors that works with existing HTML editors: http://aprompt.snow.utoronto.ca/

• Accessibility in Web Design- Learn how to design Web sites that are accessible and usable by those with disabilities: http://webdesign.about.com/cs/accessibility/index.htm

• Accessibility, section 508, ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act, Website Tips Websitetips.com provides extensive information and resources to improve your website presence. Informative articles, color charts, tips, annotated website links, graphics, fonts, etc.: http://www.websitetips.com/accessibility/index.shtml

• Accessible Web Page Design: http://www.eskimo.com/~jlubin/disabled/web-desi.htm

• Accessible Website Design: http://www.e-bility.com/access.php

• Daily Web Design Tip Archive - Web Design a new Web design tip every day, from your About.com Guide: http://webdesign.about.com/bltiparchive.htm

• Designing Accessible Web Pages (AHEAD Guide): http://www.cs.tcd.ie/AHEAD/acc/acc_html.html

• DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking and Technology) hosts a rich collection of resources, including links to Internet resources for accessible Web design: http://www.washington.edu/doit/

• EASI's (Equal Access to Software and Information) Web site provides information related to serving patrons with disabilities including accessible Web design: http://www.rit.edu/~easi

• HTML Writers Guild's Accessible Web Authoring Resources and Education (AWARE) Center: http://aware.hwg.org

• IBM Accessibility Guidelines, a similar list with some of the WAI's language made less technical: http://www-3.ibm.com/able/accessweb.html

• Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox - Disabled Users and the Web called the guru of Web page usability by the New York Times, Jakob Nielsen discusses accessible design for users with disabilities: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9610.html

• Java accessibility resources are discussed at Sun Microsystems' Enabling Technologies Program: http://www.sun.com/access

• Page Valet- Page Valet combines formal validation with accessibility testing based on the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Page Valet: http://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/existingtools.html

• Suite101 - Accessible Web Design find articles and links focusing on Internet and Web site accessibility issues for the disabled: http://www.suite101.com/

• The Accessibility Group (TAG)- Services Home Web Page of The Accessibility Group (TAG): http://www.taglabs.org/

• National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) promotes the use of a Web Access symbol and provides examples of accessible pages NCAM also contains valuable resources on providing captions to streamed video resources: http://www.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/ncam/webaccess/index.html

• Trace Research and Development Center provides resources for the design of accessible Web pages including applet and plug-in features: http://www.trace.wisc.edu/

• Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design: Written by Jakob Nielsen, this article outlines 10 common sense mistakes made in web design: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9605.html

• U.S. Access Board - Learn about the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, which assures adequate access for people with disabilities: http://www.access-board.gov/

• Usability in Web Design--Information on designing sites that all visitors can view and use: http://webdesign.about.com/cs/usability/index.htm

• Web Design Tips and Guidelines--Complete information for creating a killer Web site. Learn about accessibility, compatibility, color, layout, fonts, and more. Information for beginners and pros: http://webdesign.about.com/cs/designtips/index.htm

• Web Site Development Information Try my Web authoring resources and tips and three-pronged Pitchfork Approach to Web authoring: http://www.goodpractices.com/

• Web Test Tools- Listing of 200 web test tools and management tools - link checking, html validation, load testing, security testing, java testing, publishing control, site mapping: http://www.softwareqatest.com/qatweb1.html