Department of Education
ADA Technical Assistance Coordinator
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the focus of work for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Through a subcontract with CESSI, New Editions staff supports and enhances the operation of 11 NIDRR grant recipients who are national partners in the ADA Technical Assistance Program. Working in tandem with the federal enforcement agencies, New Editions staff members coordinate, promote and report on the progress of these grantees as they respond to the goals and mission of the program. Adding new dimensions during the three- year initiative, staff members have updated the Web site (www.adata.org) to reflect the central coordinating functions and to serve as a conduit to pass along relevant information to grantee’s Web sites.
Through a targeted public relations campaign, New Editions staff promotes the efforts of the Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) and the National Employment Project at Cornell University. New Editions staff also assists TA grantees by assuring that frequently used materials are available in alternative formats for people with disabilities. By instituting an archival system, New Editions makes information from news organizations available to the DBTACs for research and training purposes. Staff members regularly scan news from federal enforcement agencies, national businesses, disability agencies, state and local government organizations and circuit courts to assure that the DBTACs have timely information affecting their activities. Recent efforts have focused on providing resources on assistive information technology and the use of IT in educational settings.
