Americans with Disabilities Act celebrates 20 years
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed July 26, 1990 but did not became effective until January 26, 1992. The ADA opened up services and employment opportunities to the 43 million Americans with disabilities. The law was written to strike a balance between the reasonable accommodation of citizens’ needs and the capacity of private and public entities to respond. The ADA means that we can all benefit from the skills and talents of individuals with disabilities and gain from their increased purchasing power and ability to use it. It also means fuller, more productive lives for all Americans, not just those with disabilities.
An ADA celebration will be held the week of July 26 in Rapid City, South Dakota. Follow link for details of local celebration. : resources/uploads/files/ADA%20event%20flyer.jpg
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Recent NewsSuzie Cappa artists show work at the Dahl Arts Center Artists from the Black Hills Workshop's Suzie Cappa Center for Art Expression and Enjoyment are showing their work at the Dahl Arts Center now through October 4 with an Artist's Reception Friday, September 3 from 5-7. The show, titled Face Ahead, will showcase 67 Styrofoam heads that have been sculpted into a variety of designs. Also on display will be the new book created by Julie Kowalski, a former volunteer at the Suzie Cappa Center. The book features black and white photos of fifty-one people served by Black Hills Workshop some with artwork they created at the Suzie Cappa Center. Face Ahead will be held in the Education Center; enter through Kansas City Street doors. Workshop undertakes housing projects Black Hills Workshop and other community support providers are playing a key role in the State Division of Developmental Disabilities’ goal to increase the availability of community supports in South Dakota. There are currently 147 people living at the South Dakota Developmental Center (SDDC) at Redfield, many of whom would benefit greatly from increased integration into communities closer to their families. This would also put the state in compliance with the integration mandate of the Americans with Disabilities Act which requires public agencies to provide services “in the most integrated setting appropriate to the needs of individuals with disabilities.” The mandate was upheld by the Supreme Court in the Olmstead Decision in 1999. We are in the beginning stages of building three homes and leasing another, all of which will either house people currently living at Redfield, or create openings for them in our other housing options when people we currently serve move. Chantil Wilkerson Simply the Best Congratulations Chantil Wilkerson who has been selected as Black Hills Workshop’s Excellence in Service Award nominee. She and nominees from other South Dakota community service providers will be honored at Simply the Best September 15-16 in Chamberlain. The award is presented to direct support professionals for outstanding service and performance. Chantil has been in the disability field for 17 years and is currently a pre-vocational instructor in the sensory area. Shawn Bifulco's self-portrait to hang at Smithsonian As part of its 40th anniversary celebration, ANCOR (American Network of Community Options and Resources) will present an exhibit of self-portraits by individuals served by its member providers. The portraits will be presented at a party September 13 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Portrait Gallery. According to coordinators, the show will provide an opportunity to see through the eyes of people with disabilities, reinforcing the message ANCOR members have been sharing for four decades: the value of individuals with disabilities as contributing members of our communities. Later ANCOR intends to use the submitted artwork to create a permanent installation at ANCOR National Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. All pieces, including Shawn’s which is shown above, will be photographed and ANCOR may also use the images to create note cards, calendars and other items for sale. |
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