UNT WISE e-News Bulletin The UNT WISE e-News Bulletin is published monthly through a grant awarded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration to the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work & Addictions at the University of North Texas. Editorial Staff Editor Martha Garber Director Contributing Authors Margaret J. Cortez Marcy Haag Jim Humes Yvonne Raffini Zach Sneed Principal Investigator Linda Holloway Any comments about the content or design of this e- From the desk of: Martha Garber Exercising the right to vote is one of our most important rights and privileges. Our elected officials create public policy which greatly influences the possibilities for our quality of life. The Rehabilitation Act, IDEA, and ADA are all examples of legislation that opened doors for people with disabilities. We must never forget our role as voters in creating public policy. As we near Election Day, I want to encourage you to exercise your right to vote. Voting Accessibility The US Access Board, an independent federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities, has assembled basic information on voting accessibility rights for persons with disabilities. We have listed state resources for you below: • Oklahoma: http://www.ok.gov/~elections/ • Arkansas http://www.sosweb.state.ar.us/elections.html • Louisiana: http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/Home.aspx • New Mexico: http://www.sos.state.nm.us/sos-elections.html • Texas: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/pamphlets/services.shtml Certificate in Rehabilitation Studies The Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work and Addictions, at the University of North Texas is pleased to announce a new undergraduate certificate program in Rehabilitation Studies offered through distance learning. Unlike other human service workers, rehabilitation graduates have received specialized instruction in the areas of disability and employment. This undergraduate academic certificate in rehabilitation studies provides students with fundamental knowledge and skills in these areas for effective interaction with individuals with disabilities. This four-course certificate option addresses an unmet need in the local and regional job market for entry-level community rehabilitation providers to serve an increasing number of people with disabilities, particularly the elderly and individuals with developmental disabilities. Additionally the certificate provides non-rehabilitation majors the opportunity to learn more about the largest minority group in the country. For more information visit the UNT eCampus page: Training Schedule November 18-19, 2008: Supported Employment: Basic Skills Clinic, Baton Rouge, LA For a list of all of our training programs, visit our calendar! Upcoming Conferences NCRE/RSA/CSAVR 2008 National Training Conference on Rehabilitation Education, November 57, 2008, Arlington, VA CSAVR Fall Conference 2008, November 16-19, 2008, San Diego, CA Click here to see all conferences listed on our website, file://C:\Sites\wiseweb\Design\publications\enewsletter\enews_voting.htm 11/18/2008 9:38:58 AM UNT WISE e-News Bulletin Newsletter should be directed to Martha Garber Click here to go to our Subscription Page where you can add or remove your name from our email list. Comments Send your comments and story ideas to e- News Bulletin Director & Editor, Martha Garber. http://www.untecampus.com/default.cfm?p=programinfo&PID=50 Trey Anderson is the advisor for the certificate program. Mr. Anderson may be reached at: Trey.Anderson@unt.edu or (940) 565-4464. Also Dr. Zachery B. Sneed is the faculty contact for the program. He may be reached at 940-565-2488 or Zach.Sneed@unt.edu SSA's Compassionate Allowances According to the Social Security Administration, the Compassionate Allowances initiative allows applications for people with certain cancers and rare diseases to fast track disability determinations on these cases in a matter of days, rather than months or years. Conditions that qualify for the expedited process can be found at www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances . SSA states that more diseases and conditions will be added overtime. ADA Resource Georgetown Law has an online resource that archives all you ever wanted to know about the ADA: http://www.law.georgetown.edu/archiveada/ file://C:\Sites\wiseweb\Design\publications\enewsletter\enews_voting.htm 11/18/2008 9:38:58 AM UNT WISE e-News Bulletin This project is in part supported under a grant from the Department of Education. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education and endorsement by the Federal Government should not be assumed. file://C:\Sites\wiseweb\Design\publications\enewsletter\enews_voting.htm 11/18/2008 9:38:58 AM