NPR’s Weekend Edition recently featured our 2011 Chemistry Camp, which was held this past spring at Enchanted Hills Camp. The LightHouse offered the session in collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind of California, the California Association of Blind Students and the University of California, Davis Chemistry Department.
Click here to listen to the story or read a transcript here.
The National Federation of the Blind is working in partnership with eBay to continuously improve eBay’s website accessibility and create new business opportunities for blind individuals.
Please take a few minutes to provide feedback about your experiences and needs in the realm of Internet shopping (e-commerce) by taking this survey. By doing so, you will help eBay continue to improve the accessibility of its site. Your responses are completely confidential and will be analyzed only in combination with those of other participants.
The next installment of our Jobsite Conversation Series will take place on Wednesday, August 3. We will visit Anita Aaron, who is the Executive Director of the World Institute on Disability (WID).
WID strives to eliminate barriers to full social integration and increase employment, economic security and health care for persons with disabilities. WID creates innovative programs and tools; conducts research, public education, training and advocacy campaigns; and provides technical assistance.
Ms. Aaron has been a resident of California for over thirty years and active in disability concerns at both the local and state level. She has published several articles in professional journals on the role of organizations serving individuals who are blind and visually impaired. As a visually impaired person, Ms. Aaron is both personally and professionally committed to the inclusion of all people with disabilities into mainstream society.
Prior to assuming the Directorship of the World Institute on Disability, Ms. Aaron served as Executive Director/CEO of the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco. In addition to her duties as Executive Director at the LightHouse, she served on the San Francisco Commission on Aging and Adult Services, the San Francisco In-Home Supportive Services Public Authority, the Curry Senior Center Board of Directors and on the Executive Committee of California Agencies for the Blind & Visually Impaired (CABVI).
As you all know, in recent weeks we have visited a blind scientist, a blind massage therapist, a blind city budget analyst, a blind student accessibility coordinator and a blind attorney. They have all been wonderful opportunities, and our time spent with Ms. Aaron will be no different.
Please RSVP to Rich Russo by August 2, as space is limited. Or talk to Rich about joining us for future visits. He can be reached at 415-694-7352 or rrusso@lighthouse-sf.org.
If you are a jobseeker and would like to meet and learn from some of the Bay Area’s most successful blind professionals, we invite you to come along with us on a visit. Please contact Rich Russo at 415-694-7352 or rrusso@lighthouse-sf.org.
Our next visit will take place on Wednesday, July 27. We will visit Dr. Joshua Miele, who is an Associate Scientist at The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute’s Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center in San Francisco. He has made major contributions to tactile map technology, auditory/haptic display research, audio/tactile graphics techniques and Braille technologies.
Josh is an alumnus of the University of California at Berkeley, where he received his BA in physics and his Ph.D. in psychoacoustics. He is also an active member of the Bay Area disabled community. In addition to his current position as Vice President on the LightHouse Board of Directors, he has served on the boards of both the Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program and the Ed Roberts Campus. He has also been a member of the City of Berkeley’s Commission on Disability and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Elderly and Disabled Advisory Committee.
Please RSVP to Rich Russo today, as space is limited. Or talk to Rich about joining us for future visits. He can be reached at 415-694-7352 or rrusso@lighthouse-sf.org.
If you are a jobseeker and would like to meet and learn from some of the Bay Area’s most successful blind professionals, we invite you to come along with us on a visit. Please contact Rich Russo at 415-694-7352 or rrusso@lighthouse-sf.org.
On May 31, 2011, Wells Fargo entered into a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice.
The agreement requires Wells Fargo to compensate certain individuals who experienced disability discrimination in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when trying to call Wells Fargo or Wachovia, visit a Wells Fargo or Wachovia bank or retail store, or otherwise access Wells Fargo or Wachovia services before May 31, 2011.
Any person who experienced disability-based discrimination that happened before May 31, 2011 in violation of Title III of the ADA based on something Wells Fargo or Wachovia did or didn’t do may be eligible for compensation under this settlement agreement.
All types of disability discrimination can be claimed; for example, physical inaccessibility at bank branches, refusal by a bank branch to provide documents in alternate formats, policies that cause barriers to equal access by individuals with disabilities and refusal to accept relay calls.
The deadline to file a claim for compensation is January 29, 2012. If you or someone you know may be eligible, it is important to file a claim for compensation by that date.
Begin the process of filing a claim by sending your name, address, email address, and day and evening telephone numbers by email to WFclaims@usdoj.gov or by leaving a message at 866-708-1273 (voice mail) or 866-544-5309 (TTY).
This claims process also helps to identify ADA violations to be fixed by Wells Fargo (i.e., physical inaccessibility at retail stores and policies that cause barriers to equal access by individuals with disabilities). Please visit www.ada.gov/wells_fargo/ for more information about the settlement or the claims process.
West Virginia University announces the nationwide availability of its online graduate program for teaching certification in visual impairments and/or a master’s degree in special education: low vision/blindness.
A federally funded project is now available to provide financial support for students who are completing requirements to become certified in visual impairments through reimbursement of all tuition and fees. To qualify, students must complete courses with a grade of A or B and promise to work in the field for two years for each year of program support upon completion.
WVU also offers TAECH grant loans for individuals who agree to work in a high-need school system for a period of four years after completion. Participants must apply for the program by the application deadline of August 1, 2011,
All courses in this program are offered entirely online through live, interactive class sessions, as well as other web-based learning activities. Both in-state and out-of-state students pay the low resident tuition rates through a special agreement with the Southern Regional Education Board’s Electronic Campus.
All field and practicum experiences are completed in the student’s local community, in the job setting if s/he works with students with visual impairments or in an appropriate classroom, under the supervision of a qualified practitioner with online support from a university supervisor.
This program is tailored to the requirements for teaching certification in West Virginia, but it meets all national standards in this area of specialization. Individuals who work or plan to work in states other than WV should contact their state education agency to determine if this program will meet requirements for certification in visual impairments in that state.
WVU has over 25 years of excellence in preparing special education personnel, has earned national awards for its innovative uses of distance education technologies and is fully accredited by the National Council on Accreditation of Teacher Education.
WVU has a decade of experience in online course and program delivery and employs faculty specially selected for their content expertise and extensive classroom experience, as well as their effectiveness in supporting adult learning.
To request a brochure with detailed information about the program and an application form, please contact sped@mail.wvu.edu or 304-293-7143.
On Friday, July 22, there will be a hearing on the disability access case against JetBlue Airways at the federal courthouse in San Francisco. The hearing is open to the public and will be held at 9:30 a.m. at 450 Golden Gate Avenue in courtroom A on the 15th floor.
Brought by the California Council of the Blind and three blind JetBlue customers, the case is about access barriers on JetBlue’s website and the inaccessibility of JetBlue’s airport check-in kiosks to people with visual impairments.
JetBlue has designed its website in a way that prevents blind customers from independently and privately accessing information and using the site’s features. JetBlue’s airport kiosks cannot be used by blind customers because the machines do not have audio output or an accessible means to input information.
JetBlue is asking United States District Court Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero to dismiss the case, arguing that California’s disability civil rights laws do not apply to JetBlue’s website or kiosks. According to JetBlue, only the United States Department of Transportation has jurisdiction to consider the access needs of blind JetBlue customers.
During the hearing, lawyers for CCB and the blind JetBlue customers will explain why California’s civil rights laws protect the state’s citizens with visual impairments from discrimination, including inaccessible airline websites and kiosks.
CCB and the individual JetBlue customers are being represented by Linda Dardarian of the Oakland civil rights firm Goldstein, Demchak, Baller, Borgen and Dardarian and the Law Office of Lainey Feingold. Linda will be presenting the argument to the court on July 22.
Those interested in attending the hearing can either go directly to the courthouse or meet at the Civic Center BART station at 8:30 a.m. Anyone who wants to meet at the BART station should send an email to LF@LFLegal.com. People can also contact Rachel Brill in Linda Dardarian’s office at 510-763-9800 for more information.
Additional details are available at http://lflegal.com/2011/06/jetblue-hearing.
Join us this Wednesday, July 20, for the next visit in our Jobsite Conversation series. We will visit San Francisco City Hall and chat with Jonathan Lyens, who serves as a Fiscal & Policy Assistant in the Office of Public Policy and Finance for San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee.
Jonathan has also worked in the administration of former Mayor Gavin Newsom. He joined the Mayor’s office in December of 2007 after working for two years in the Bay Area non-profit sector. Jonathan has worked on numerous political campaigns at the local, state and federal levels. He serves on the board of directors of the Richmond District Neighborhood Center and is a member of the San Francisco FDR Democratic Club for people with disabilities. He holds a Master’s in Public Administration from East Carolina University.
Jonathan has also arranged a tour for us of City Hall with Ellen Schumer, long-time head of the City Hall docent program. Lunch will be provided.
Sign up now! Space is limited so please RSVP by Tuesday, July 19. Contact contact Rich Russo at 415-694-7352 or rrusso@lighthouse-sf.org.
If you are a jobseeker and would like to meet and learn from some of the Bay Area’s most successful blind professionals, we invite you to join us. Please contact Rich Russo at 415-694-7352 or rrusso@lighthouse-sf.org.
The Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling Training Program (RCTP) at San Francisco State University prepares professionals to provide counseling services to individuals with a wide array of disabilities and chronic illnesses.
The RCTP degree prepares students to work directly with clients or in supervisory positions in nonprofit and for-profit agencies, including such settings as schools, colleges and universities; the Department of Rehabilitation; the Veteran’s Administration; mental health agencies; and a wide array of community-based organizations.
The RCTP will be accepting applications for the fall 2012 semester in January 2012. Please visit the department website in late summer to view the 2012 application, deadline and directions. In the meantime, please consider attending a Rehabilitation Counseling Information Meeting to learn more about the program. Meetings will be held on the following dates:
Wednesday, July 27 from noon to 1 p.m.
Thursday, July 28 from 6 to 7 p.m.
Wednesday, August 17 from noon to 1 p.m.
Thursday, August 18 from 6 to 7 p.m.
Location: Burk Hall 312, SFSU Main Campus
Please RSVP to rehabilitationcouns@gmail.com with your name and the date when you plan to attend. If you have immediate questions, please contact Dr. Julie Chronister at jchronis@sfsu.edu.
To request accommodations for this meeting, please contact the SFSU Disability Programs and Resources Center at dprc@sfsu.edu; phone: 415-338-2472; or TTY: 415-338-2472. You may also visit http://www.sfsu.edu/~dprc/student.html.
Directions to the campus and a campus map can be found here.
For more information about the program, please go to http://counseling.sfsu.edu/ and http://counseling.sfsu.edu/rehabCoun.aspx. Please also visit the Rehabilitation Student Association website.
Join us for an evening of fabulous food and wine as we honor the memory of Charlie Wilson, who passed away last year.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Wine and cheese reception: 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Three-course dinner with wine pairings at 7:00 p.m.
2223 Restaurant
2223 Market Street between Sanchez and Noe, in San Francisco
Wine provided by A Cellar Full of Noise
Tickets are $75.00 each. Part of the proceeds of this fundraiser will be used to send blind seniors to Enchanted Hills Camp in Napa.
Click here for our cleaning product safety data sheets (SDS) and ingredient information.
