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Welcome
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From the Desk of Kathleen Egan:
 Happy Spring! As you may or may not be aware, March of this year brought about some important changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).The ADA helps prohibit discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities. This was a welcome reminder that accessibility is an ongoing process and technology, standards, and needs are constantly changing. This got me thinking about the work of our Statewide Inclusion Team and the important revisions we're making to the Inclusion Team's strategic plan. This past February, the Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC) convened the Inclusion Team for a two-day strategic planning session to determine new goals for 2011-2013. We were joined by two staff from the National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) who helped facilitate the process, challenging our perspectives and helping us articulate our new goals. The team also had the opportunity to reflect on the many accomplishments achieved during the previous strategic plan. It was amazing to see how far we've come and you could tell the team was even more excited to expand our vision for the future.
As we finalize the new Inclusion Team strategic plan, I want to remind all of our national service programs that the Statewide Inclusion Team is available to assist with your inclusion efforts. The team represents a wide range of voices and backgrounds, from private sector to government agencies and national service organizations; they are a group of incredibly passionate and knowledgeable individuals who are experts in their fields. As we enter into spring and a new season of growth, I challenge all of you to think about what changes or innovative ideas you can apply to your program to make it more inclusive. I look forward to sharing the final version of the strategic plan with you soon! In Service,
Kathleen Egan
Cross-Stream/Inclusion VISTA
To see past editions of IN Touch you can access the archived versions by visiting the Resources section of the Disability/Inclusion section of the MCSC website.
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Quote:
"If we are to achieve a richer culture...we must weave one in which each diverse human gift will find a fitting place."
- Margaret Meade
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New Americans With Disabilities Act Rules:
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) is an important piece of disability legislation that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in areas such as employment, public accommodations, transportation and telecommunications. The ADA was signed into law in 1990.
The ADA expanded some of the non-discrimination protections set forth in Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 beyond programs receiving federal financial assistance. Section 504 applies to federal agencies, grantees, contractors, and recipients that receive federal funds or volunteer services subsidized by federal funds. Together the ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act ensure equal access and opportunity for people with disabilities. As recipients of federal funding, ALL national service programs and activities are prohibited from discriminating against people with disabilities.
On March 15, 2011 new ADA rules came into effect. These rules expand accessibility requirements to recreational facilities and set standards for the use of wheelchairs and other mobility devices like Segways in public spaces. The rules change the standards for things such as selling tickets to events and reserving accessible hotel rooms. The new rules also clearly define "service animal" as "...any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability." This portion of the law also states that the services the service animal provides must be "directly related to the handler's disability," and dogs that provide only emotional support or crime deterrence cannot be defined as service animals.
How does your program or office rate when it comes to accessibility? Try this quick and easy to use checklist from the ADA Office of Compliance:
http://www.compliance.gov/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/fastfacts_ada.pdf
For a more comprehensive self-evaluation of your program's accessibility, check out Chapter Two of Michigan's National Service Inclusion Resource Guide at:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mcsc/Ch_2_Updated_334035_7.pdf
For more information on the new ADA rules, see the ADA Home Page at www.ada.gov or go directly to the "Revised ADA Regulations Implementing Title II and Title III" at: http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/ADAregs2010.htm. If you have any questions about the ADA you can contact the ADA information line at 1 (800) 514-0310 or 1 (800) 514-0383. |
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Inclusion Project Occurring in Lansing for Global Youth Service Day
On April 16, 2011, AmeriCorps members from the Power of We Consortium will mobilize more than 20 young people from Lansing to participate alongside community volunteers and AmeriCorps members to build and plant two raised garden beds. The beds will be built at the Hunter Park GardenHouse to accommodate members in the community who are unable to do the bending and kneeling gardening often requires. Volunteers will be constructing the beds, designed by Allen Neighborhood Center (ANC) intern, Jared Talaga, and laying pavers to ensure easier wheel chair mobility and access. Youth volunteers will help determine what to grow, as well as the planting and decoration of the two beds.
The project, coordinated by AmeriCorps*State and VISTA members, is a collaboration between ANC's Hunter Park GardenHouse, the Power of We Consortium, and the NorthWest Initiative. The project will also include volunteers from the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing, ANC's Youth Service Corps, The Garden Project of The Greater Lansing Food Bank, and the West Lansing Home Depot.
Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) will take place April 15-17 in Michigan and across the world. GYSD is an annual campaign that celebrates and mobilizes the millions of children and youth who improve their communities each day through service and service-learning. Established in 1988, GYSD is the largest service event in the world and is now celebrated in more than 100 countries. On GYSD, children and youth address the world's most critical issues in partnership with families, schools, community and faith-based organizations, businesses, and governments.
Global Youth Service Day is organized by Youth Service America with State Farm Companies Foundation as the Presenting Sponsor. In Michigan, efforts are led by the Michigan Community Service Commission and Learn and Serve - Michigan, a GYSD Lead Agency. For more information about Global Youth Service Day, visit www.gysd.org.
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Inclusion Mini-Grants: The MCSC is pleased to offer supplemental inclusion funds for Michigan's AmeriCorps*State and National, Senior Corps (RSVP, Senior Companions, Foster Grandparents), and Learn and Serve programs to engage people with disabilities in service. Funds will be granted through an application process and will support service projects and "service shadow" opportunities that include people with disabilities. Inclusion mini-grant requests may range from $100-$500. Programs will also be required to submit a final report detailing the project/event outcomes. The application is available on the MCSC website at www.michigan.gov/mcsc.
Reasonable Accommodation Funds:For cases where a reasonable accommodation would prove to be an undue hardship for a program, limited funding is available through the MCSC to provide accommodations for service applicants, AmeriCorps*State and National Direct members, Senior Corps volunteers, and Learn and Serve program participants. Programs should seek alternative funding or cost-sharing resources whenever possible. All national service programs must provide reasonable accommodations where required by law regardless of their eligibility for MCSC or outside funding.
The ADA Office of Compliance website:
http://www.compliance.gov/
National Service Inclusion Project: The National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) is a Corporation for National Community Service (CNCS) training and technical assistance provider. They are available to help meet all of your training and technical assistance needs on the inclusion of individuals with disabilities as active participants in your national service program. For more information about NSIP and the resources they provide, visit www.serviceandinclusion.org.
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan Grants: The Community Foundation for South East Michigan offers grants for 501(c)(3)s, government entities, school districts, and universities. They are looking for projects and programs that reflect regional thinking and cooperation, promote civic participation, foster innovation and entrepreneurialism, respond to a unique opportunity to move the region forward, improve the quality of nonprofit organizations, and leverage public and private resources. The next deadline available for proposals is May 15, and with another process after that with a deadline of November 15. For more information on applying please follow the link below.
http://cfsem.org/sites/cfsem.org/files/GrantmakingGuidelines.pdf
Ams Vans: Ams Vans is a website that sells accessible vans, both new and used, as well as other adaptive and mobility devices. Their page on Michigan resources offers two possibilities for funding assistance through Michigan's Assistive Technology Program and Michigan Assistive Technology Loan Fund for those looking to modify a van or purchase one that is already ready.
http://www.amsvans.com/Disability_Funding/Michigan_Disability_Grants_Handicap_Funding_MI.article
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About the MCSC:
 The Michigan Community Service Commission is firmly committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation in its programs, activities, and materials. Please call (517) 335-4295 to request accommodation or to obtain materials in an alternate format.
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