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July 30, 2021
Biden-Harris Administration ADA Anniversary Fact Sheet
The White House released the "Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Marks Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act and Announces Resources to Support Individuals with Long COVID." The fact sheet outlines policy actions, plans and resources from the administration that support inclusion, access and equity for people with disabilities. It also provides guidance and information for people with long COVID on their rights and protections under federal disability laws and regulations.
Long COVID Resources
The U.S. Department of Labor published resources for individuals who are experiencing long COVID. Long COVID is a range of symptoms that can last weeks or months after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Resources include a "COVID-19 and Long COVID-19" web page with information on job accommodations, employee benefits and services, youth services, employer resources and more; a blog on "Workers With Long COVID-19: You May Be Entitled to Workplace Accommodations" from the Job Accommodation Network; and a public service announcement from U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh.
- Visit the "COVID-19 and Long COVID-19" web page
- Read "Workers With Long COVID-19: You May Be Entitled to Workplace Accommodations"
- View the public service announcement from U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh
SEED COVID-19 Policy Collaborative for an Inclusive Recovery Resources
In November 2020, the State Exchange on Employment & Disability launched the COVID-19 Policy Collaborative for an Inclusive Recovery to explore the pandemic's impact on the employment of people with disabilities and ways to ensure disability-inclusive state and local policies. The Collaborative focused efforts on three topic areas: 1) Return to the Workplace: Inclusive Safety and Health Policies, 2) Workforce Retention: Inclusive Vaccinations and Mental Health Policies, and 3) Preparing for Work: Inclusive Workforce Readiness Programs and Initiatives. As a result, SEED published a report, a policy checklist and the "Frameworks for a Disability-Inclusive Recovery" guide that provides options and examples to help state and local policymakers adopt disability-inclusive COVID-19 recovery policies and initiatives.
NDEAM Poster
The National Disability Employment Awareness Month poster is now available for pre-order in hard copy. The poster displays the NDEAM theme "America's Recovery: Powered by Inclusion" and depicts the diversity of workers with and without disabilities across the nation. The poster also can be downloaded from the NDEAM website.
Apprenticeship Resources
The Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth posted a new apprenticeship web page. The page offers examples of inclusive apprenticeships in states and resources to expand diversity and inclusion in apprenticeship, such as recently published briefs from the Apprenticeship Inclusion Model.
The Future of Accessible XR Technologies
The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology posted a blog on "5 Takeaways from the XR Access Symposium Report." XR Access is an initiative founded and led by Cornell Tech and Verizon Media, with support from PEAT. In the blog, PEAT shares key findings and future directions identified in the XR Access Symposium report. The blog also features a recording of U.S. Department of Labor Chief Innovation Officer Chike Aguh’s keynote address at the symposium.
Public Forum on Inclusive Design of AVs Summary Report
The U.S. Access Board published the "Public Forum on Inclusive Design of AVs Summary Report" from its four-part series of virtual meetings on making autonomous vehicles accessible to passengers with disabilities. The report summarizes each forum speakers' presentation and comments from the public, including those posted on the online platform. The forum was hosted by the U.S. Access Board, the Office of Disability Employment Policy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service's Administration for Community Living and other agencies.
Telecommunications Relay Services Video
The Federal Communications Commission released an American Sign Language video on the variety of available telecommunications relay services. Telecommunications relay services allow people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind or have speech disabilities to communicate by telephone equivalently to telephone services used by people without such disabilities.