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Entry bubble Discovering DisabilityInfo.gov

By: Nancy | July 24, 2008 | Category: General

I didn't want to move this morning when the Metro pulled into the station near my office. Normally, I'm more than ready to crawl through the tangle of arms and legs, newspapers and briefcases when the doors open. But this morning when I got to my stop, a black lab was resting his head on my leg. All warm and soft—I didn't want to get up. Nor did I want to go without giving him a pat on the head. But as a Guide Dog, he had to keep his mind on his work and I had to leave him alone.

people with disabilitiesThe interaction with my dog buddy and with his owner got me wondering about what was being done to guide people with disabilities through the maze of online government services. I know government websites like USA.gov and this blog are constantly being checked and modified to comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires federal agencies to make what they offer online accessible to people with disabilities. That affects, among other things, the way we code and layout our websites, making it easier for people using assistive devices like screen readers to access all the information we offer.

There's also the relatively new website, DisabilityInfo.gov. It's managed by the Department of Labor and created in partnership with 21 other agencies, including Gov Gab's parent agency, the General Services Administration. The site provides a centralized location with information for people with disabilities, both physical and developmental, and for anyone involved in providing care or services for them.

DisabilityInfo.gov is divided into topics and features in-depth information including resources to help people with disabilities find jobs. If you're an employer, this section will also help you learn how to make your workplace more accessible.

The housing section shows builders how to create accessible living spaces and offers people with disabilities information on how to buy a home.

Whether you're traveling around town or around the world, the transportation section has lots of useful information to make travel safer and easier if you're using mass transit or catching a flight.

Healthcare is usually a special concern when disabilities are involved. The health section explains the range of benefits and services for people with disabilities and has special information for caregivers and for healthcare professionals.

And the technology section discusses tools that can help people with disabilities access information online more easily. If you have your own website or blog, you'll want to take a look at this section too. It shows you what you can do to your site to make it accessible to everyone.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [6] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: accessibility   disabilities   disabilityinfo.gov   nancy   section_508  

Comments (6):

blue comment bubble Posted by thomas on July 24, 2008 at 04:47 PM EDT

Thank you, Nancy, for the links. Hopefully this will allow me to make my blog more accessible to anyone who would want to visit it.

Thomas

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blue comment bubble Posted by Cindy Sue Causey on July 25, 2008 at 08:24 AM EDT

What a GREAT post opening the opportunity to say:

"Happy Birthday, ADA..!"

Tomorrow, July 26, 2008, is the 18th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.. That said, what a wonderfully timed post full of really nice leads..

In particular and on behalf of my many extended family members with service animal [companions], thank you so much for leading in with the "Do Not Pet" tip as service animals are indeed on duty.. The urge to pet is undeniable, but we definitely do have to resist out of respect for both the service animal and the person with whom they share their Lives..

Thanks again for this post full of great suggestions.. Was so beyond tickled to find it in my inbox just now.. Yay.. :)

Peace and best wishes from North Georgia.. :)

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blue comment bubble Posted by ScottB on July 25, 2008 at 10:44 AM EDT

One quick recommendation: The www.disabilityinfo.gov website offers an email alerts service that provides 50+ different subscription options. You can even sign up for updates related to your state. You can start the sign up process by looking in the upper right of the www.disabiltiyinfo.gov and entering your email address.

This service allows you to get updates on DisabilityInfo.gov without having to visit the website to check for new content.

There is a similar service on the homepage of www.govbenefits.gov

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blue comment bubble Posted by Citizen Jmaximus on July 25, 2008 at 01:21 PM EDT

Rightwing pundits often claim silly things like not being able to use a cell phone is covered by ADA. I looked through the ADA site and I have yet to find anything like this, whats the truth?

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blue comment bubble Posted by BlindDogGriffin on July 31, 2008 at 03:18 PM EDT

Thanks for the info Nancy, I've added Disabilityinfo_gov to my favorites so I can explore it well. Despite her "Ignore me, I'm working" sign, my guide dog gets distracted by plenty of people. Between that and explaining that I'm legally blind but not sightless, I'm constantly educating the public. I guess you and I have that in common, I just wish I were getting paid! :-)

BDG in North Georgia

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blue comment bubble Posted by Nancy on July 31, 2008 at 03:53 PM EDT

Hey There BlindDogGriffin!

I think the best education that I've gotten on understanding blindness and the need for accesible websites--accessible EVERYTHING, actually--has come from a musician friend of mine named Ginny Owens. She's been blind since she was two years old and has traveled the world playing the piano and singing like an angel. I've learned so much watching her graciousness as people fumble around sometimes, trying so be helpful or just trying to relate to her.

Thanks for educating the people you interact with. You must get tired of it sometimes. But I know once friends like Ginny teach me about something, I can trasfer that knowledge to all of my future interactions with people in similar situations.

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