DEI Conference
The ADA: A Model for Disrupting Policies and Practices to Foster Equity
Session Description:
In this session, you will learn about “reasonable modifications” and “reasonable accommodations” as defined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark civil rights law. The ADA recognizes that seemingly neutral policies or practices can create barriers that unnecessarily exclude individuals with disabilities. To avoid discrimination, the ADA creates a roadmap for the disruption of such policies and practices through “reasonable accommodation” for employees in the workplace, and “reasonable modifications in policies, practices, and procedures” for members of the public. These methods compel us to interrupt everyday practices and habits, to pause and consider them anew with attention to accessibility and equity, and to change course, removing barriers so that we include more diverse people. Further, these practices can extend beyond the ADA to serve as a model that has the potential to disrupt policies that discriminate against individuals in all protected categories.
This session will share practical tips and examples of using the ADA reasonable modification and reasonable accommodation processes; examine ways to promote equity by creating inclusive environments that adhere to or exceed ADA requirements; and demonstrate how we can extend these concepts and methods to disrupt any exclusionary policy and promote equity and belonging.
Objectives and Key Takeaways:
Among the takeaways of this session, participants will be able to:
1. Define and recognize a reasonable modification request;
2. Recount three elements of the workplace accommodations process;
3. Learn to ensure accessibility when planning a meeting;
4. Apply these concepts and practices to any exclusionary policy.
Audience:
Audience Knowledge and Experience:
Ways to watch:
Live stream via Zoom Webinar on June 6, 2024
Recording available for replay July 1 through August 31
Additional Materials
Guest Speakers
NW ADA
The Northwest ADA Center is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR), and is part of the ADA National Network(link is external). The ADA National Network Centers are a national platform of ten centers comprised of ADA professionals and experts charged with assisting businesses, state and local governments, and people with disabilities as they manage the process of changing our culture to be user friendly to disability and the effect the variety of health conditions can have on society. The Northwest ADA Center is a part of the Center for Continuing Education in Rehabilitation(link is external) (CCER) within the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine(link is external) at the University of Washington, and collaborates with the Center for Technology and Disability Studies(link is external) (CTDS), an interdisciplinary program within the Center for Human Development and Disability and the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in the School of Medicine. As the ADA Information Center in Region 10, the Northwest ADA Center has aggressively staffed its project with professionals familiar with disability, rehabilitation, rehab engineering, special education, the built environment, accessibility to buildings and electronic accessibility, civil rights law, and business. The regional advisory committee and our state partners are premier leaders in ADA compliance in each of the states served--Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
