News at a Glance
New AOL Blog Targets
People with Disabilities
In honor of National
Disability Employment Awareness Month, AOL has introduced a
new AOL Ability blog site and
forum, http://ability.aol.com dedicated
to millions of people with disabilities, and their families, friends
and colleagues.
Designed to provide focused content for people with disabilities
and to heighten disability awareness with mainstream audiences, the
AOL Ability blog will bring together relevant news, stories
and information in the key areas of employment, entertainment, family,
health and technology. AOL is partnering with The Paciello Group
(TPG) and recruiting bloggers from the disability community to provide
the majority of content in these areas. By reengineering corporate
software, TPG is focused on results to support technology vendors,
government agencies, e-commerce corporations, and educational
institutions to build community, foster interaction through social
networking and deliver accessible communication services to make
their technology equally accessible to all people with (and without)
disabilities.
The site incorporates specific features to increase accessibility
among users with disabilities and functional limitations including
the ability to select a high contrast view (yellow text on a black
background) and increase fonts to a larger text size for blind and
low vision users. ![]()
[Source: AOL Corporate Communications]
U of M Twin Cities Class of 2010
One of Most Diverse in History
The
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities freshman class is one of the
most diverse in history, the Board of Regents learned recently
in a report outlining the academic profile of the class of 2010.
Students of color make up 20.2 percent of the Twin Cities campus
freshman class, compared with 18.5 percent in fall 2005. Asian Americans
see the biggest jump, with 644 students compared to 541 last fall.
African American students increased from 254 to 289 and Native Americans
from 56 to 58. Chicano/Latino is the only group to see a decline,
from 128 last fall to 109 this fall.
Increasing diversity
in the student population is crucial to the mission of the University
of Minnesota, said Nancy “Rusty” Barceló,
vice president and vice provost for equity and diversity.
The number of students
registered in disabilities services about 1100, or about 3-4 %
of the student body. The total number of students with disabilities
is likely higher because not all students with disabilities register
with Disability Service. ![]()
[Source: University News Service and UM
Office of Disability]
Automark
Users Needed for Survey
The Minnesota legislature
established a Voting Machines Options Working Group in the 2006 session.
The purpose of the group is to make recommendations to the legislature
regarding additional options for voting equipment that is in compliance
with HAVA (MN Session Laws 2006, Chapter 242, Sect. 37). One of the
group’s
goals has been to look at the AutoMark and evaluate its operation
and functionality during its use in the election.
The working group has put
together a survey on the AutoMark for this purpose. They ask any
voter who used the AutoMark in the November 7 elections to please
participate. The survey can be found on the League of Women Voters
Web site at www.lwvmn.org/automark.asp. ![]()
[Source:Minnesota Disability
Law Center]
Grants Available for Youth-Led
Service Projects
The Bubel/Aiken Foundation
and Youth Service America (YSA) are pleased to announce grants of
up to $1,000 to support youth-led service projects in which youth
with and without disabilities serve their communities together.
These grants support youth (ages 5-25), teachers, youth-leaders,
youth-serving organizations, or organizations that serve people with
disabilities in implementing service projects for National and Global
Youth Service Day, April 20-22, 2007. Projects can address themes
such as the environment, disaster relief, public health and awareness,
community education, hunger, and literacy, and any issues youth identify
as a community need. The receipt deadline is Thursday, November 30.
FFI: www.YSA.org/awards. ![]()
[Source: Youth Service of
America]
New Local Jobs for the Deaf
and Hard of Hearing
Deaf2Work, a collaboration
between The Home Depot and the Rehabilitation Services (RS) Office
of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
(DEED), is expanding job opportunities in the state for people who
are deaf or hard of hearing. As a result, the home improvement retailer
has hired 15 people who are deaf or hard of hearing to work at 10
stores in the Twin Cities area.
The collaboration project
capitalizes on The Home Depot’s
flexibility in the recruiting, training and retention of associates.
The project’s methods include the conversion of job application questions to
American Sign Language. In collaboration with staff at the Minnesota
Employment Center for People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, RS’s
occupational communication specialists conduct initial application
and employment assessment.
Store managers find
they benefit from Deaf2Work’s recruitment
and screening of qualified candidates, and from readily available
consultation with Deaf2Work’s expert staff. ![]()
[Source: MN Department
of Employment and Economic Development]
Minneapolis/Hennepin Homeless
Plan Complete
Minneapolis and Hennepin County
have recently completed a 10-year plan to end homelessness. This
innovative plan, entitled Heading Home Hennepin, is available for
reviewal at the Central branch of Minneapolis Public Library. The
plan is accessible both in large print and audio, and can be found
in the assistive technologies lab on the 1st floor. ![]()
[Source:
Hennepin County/Mpls Coordinator to End Homelessness]
