The Council of State Governments
By Dean Farmer, The Council of State Governments
The Council of State Governments (CSG) will host a webinar on the importance of accessible transportation and workplace technology for workers with disabilities on Oct. 15, 2020, from noon to 1:30 p.m. (ET). In partnership with the State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED), this will be the fifth webinar in a CSG series commemorating the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
As of last December, 3.6 million Americans avoid or are unable to leave their homes because of travel-limiting disabilities (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2018). While an increasing number of services, including mental health care and retail delivery, are now available with the push of a button, many people with disabilities have critical needs that must still be met through in-person appointments. These individuals are also less likely to own a vehicle. In 2018, 20% of non-workers and 12% of workers with disabilities between the ages of 18 and 64 lived in households without a vehicle (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2018), while the national percentage of households without a vehicle in 2017 was 7.9% (Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2017).
Continue reading “Ride-Share Platforms Continue Expansion into Medical Transportation”By Sydney Geiger
Boston, Chicago, D.C., Las Vegas, Toronto, San Francisco and New York City are improving their paratransit options through an Uber initiative. Since Uber’s launch, the company has invested in ensuring that its features and technologies are accessible to all users. In November 2018, Uber, a CSG Associate member, announced plans to widely expand paratransit for individuals using wheelchairs and other motorized mobilization devices.
Continue reading “Uber Expands Paratransit Options for Eight Cities”By Frank Lally & Elizabeth Whitehouse
People with disabilities are a major contributing group to the workforce. However, the unemployment rate for those with disabilities is about twice as much as the unemployment rate of the general population.[i] This high rate of unemployment could be reduced by taking the proper steps to provide workers with disabilities the appropriate accommodations to allow them to be successful in the workplace. These accommodations include access to transportation, assistive workplace technologies and other employment supports.
Continue reading “Providing transportation, technology and other employment supports to people with disabilities”By Elizabeth Whitehouse
This FREE CSG eCademy webcast centered on employment-related supports for individuals with disabilities with particular focus on issues of transportation and technology, including assistive technology and emerging technologies. In addition, experts discussed other employment supports such as health care, personal assistance services and housing. This is the third webcast in a four-part series presented by the National Task Force on Workforce Development for People with Disabilities in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy.
Workforce Development for People with Disabilities: Transportation, Technology & Other Employment Supports
Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2 p.m. EST
Part three of a four-part FREE CSG eCademy Webcast series
David D’Arcangelo
Director
Massachusetts Office on Disability
Full bio>>
Jeff Kline
Accessibility coordinator, Electronic and Information Resources
Texas Department of Information Resources
Full bio>>
Aaron Bangor
Chair
Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities
Full bio>>
Additional Resources:
A Review of Accessible Parking for Persons with Disabilities in Texas
By CSG Committee on Suggested State Legislation
Achieving a Better Life Experience Act
The Act establishes ABLE savings trust accounts to be administered by the Virginia College Savings Plan to facilitate the saving of private funds for paying the qualified disability expenses of certain disabled individuals. Under the federal Achieving a Better Life Experience Act of 2014, Congress authorized states to establish ABLE savings trust accounts to assist individuals and families in saving and paying for the education, housing, transportation, employment training and support, assistive technology and personal support services, health, prevention and wellness, financial management and administrative services, and other expenses of individuals who were disabled or blind prior to the age of 26. Earnings on contributions to ABLE savings trust accounts are exempt from federal income tax. Because Virginia conforms to the federal income tax laws, earnings on contributions to ABLE savings trust accounts will also be excluded from Virginia taxable income.
Submitted as:
Virginia
HB 2306
Status: Signed into law on March 17, 2015.