Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06), and the American Association of People with Disabilities will host a panel discussion and screening of Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act, in honor of the 35th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The panel discussion will be moderated by Judy Woodruff and will feature guest speakers Former Congressmen Tony Coelho and Steve Bartlett.
Lunch & Learn: The ADA 35th Anniversary – What are your rights as a person with a disability?
July 16 2025
3pm – 4pm Eastern Time — 12pm – 1pm Pacific Time
Description
Join the Pacific ADA Center in celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This session will provide an overview of your rights under the ADA and how the law continues to protect people with disabilities in public life. Learn how the ADA impacts everyday experiences in employment, transportation, public services, and beyond.
Presenters
Jan Garrett serves as the Deputy Director of ADA Programs for the Pacific ADA Center at the Public Health Institute (PHI). She has over 25 years of experience providing guidance and training on the ADA and other disability rights laws for businesses, state and local governments, architects, people with disabilities, and others. As a person with a lived experience of disability, Jan has a deeply personal understanding of why disability civil rights are so important.
Savannah Bradley is the Community Outreach and Programs Manager for the Pacific ADA Center, a program within the Center on Disability at the Public Health Institute (PHI). Savannah holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from San Diego State University and a Master of Public Health in Health Promotion and Health Behavior from Oregon State University. She worked in higher education for a decade before joining PHI in 2024 and has dedicated her career to reducing health disparities and advocating for underserved populations.
Join Tony Coelhi and Congressman Steny Hoyer in person and ONLINE in marking the 35th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act.
On Wednesday, July 16th from 6:00-8:00pm in the Capitol Visitor Center Auditorium (CVC 200), there will be a screening of the PBS short documentary Change Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act (see here).
Following the film, Judy Woodruff will moderate a panel discussion featuring legislators who helped shape and pass the ADA, as well as those who participated in the making of the documentary. Panelists will reflect on progress made, strategies, the determined advocates who changed the civil rights landscape for people with disabilities, and challenges ahead. A livestream will be available for those wishing to attend virtually.
All About Sensory Inclusion Wednesday, July 16, 2025 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Online Event
This webinar will offer strategies and tools you can use to ensure your workplace and community spaces are equipped for individuals to manage their sensory needs.
This webinar will address:
The meaning of sensory inclusion;
Ways to accommodate sensory needs in the workplace and in community spaces;
Universal design concepts to create sensory inclusion in your work and community environment;
Presenters: Cynthia L. Crews, Business Relations Specialist and Tanya K. Vela, OTR/L, ADAC, Accessible Ohio Specialist
Cynthia L. Crews
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Business Relations Specialist
Cynthia is the Business Relations Specialist for Southwest Ohio with the Division of Employer and Innovation Services at OOD. In this role, Cynthia supports Ohio’s businesses in their efforts to hire and retain individuals with disabilities. Cynthia joined OOD in January 2014 and holds a master’s degree in public administration, a bachelor’s degree in political science, and a bachelor’s degree in secondary education-comprehensive social studies.
Tanya K. Vela, OTR/L, ADAC
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Accessible Ohio Specialist
Tanya is the Accessible Ohio Specialist for Southeast Ohio. In this role, Tanya supports Ohio’s businesses, communities, venues, and attraction to be accessible and inclusive through individualized consultations, education, and resources. In addition to being a registered and licensed occupational therapist with a bachelor’s degree, Tanya has a master’s degree in health care administration. She is also a certified Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator.
Build Your Advocacy Skills! Join the Advocacy Training Series
The Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC), along with the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, is holding three training sessions on advocacy basics presented by Disability Rights Ohio in July. Learn how to strengthen your advocacy skills!
All sessions will be done via Zoom webinars. Sessions include:
The Basics of Advocacy: The Basics of Advocacy: Come learn what advocacy is, and how you can be involved for yourself and others. July 8, 2025 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Register here: https://bit.ly/ats1basics
The Legislative Process: Learn how the ideas of people become laws from the work that is done by elected officials. July 9, 2025 from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. Register here: https://bit.ly/ats2leg
Engaging with Policymakers: Learn how you can tell policymakers and elected officials how you feel about topics. July 16, 2025 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Register here: https://bit.ly/ats3ewp
Captioning and Sign Language will be available. For questions, please contact the Ohio SILC at info@ohiosilc.org.
This project was supported, in part by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, under grant number 2401OHSCDD from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.
Join the Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center (DETAC) for a special webinar in honor of the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), with a focus on how technology is shaping the future of accessibility.
The ADA affirms a simple but powerful principle: individuals with disabilities who want to work should be able to work. In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, there have been advancements made with tools to increase accessibility. At the same time, there are basic assistive technology (AT) tools that continue to be overlooked as a solution.
The webinar panel from the Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance and Training Center (AT3 Center) will focus on increasing access to and acquisition of AT tools across the lifespan. The panel will share examples of how AT is a critical bridge to helping break down barriers and provide innovative approaches for one to be more independent within the workplace and the broader community.
Registrants can note accommodation needs, such as captioning or sign language, on the registration page. The webinar will be live captioned (with Spanish machine translations) and have ASL interpretation available.
Webinars are recorded and posted with supporting materials on the DETAC website at: aoddisabilityemploymenttacenter.com
The Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center is funded by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to provide evidence-based training and technical assistance to Administration on Disabilities grantees for improving competitive integrated employment and economic outcomes for individuals with disabilities across the nation.
Join us for online sessions every Tuesday in July from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific Time (2:30 p.m to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time) ADA 35 webinar flyer Folleto en español
Striving for educational access and equity for students with disabilities Panelists will share their lived struggles and successes within Oregon’s K-12 and Higher Education system. Panelists will also provide information and resources on how to navigate education settings with a disability.
Tuesday, July 15
Working towards equal access employment for people with disabilities Panelists will cover topics on how to navigate and understand employment options for people with disabilities.
Tuesday, July 22
Guest presenters Hannah and Shane Burcaw: Squirmy and Grubs Hannah and Shane Burcaw are relationship vloggers changing the way society understands disability.
Tuesday, July 29
Oregon’s journey to accessibility: removing barriers Panelists will highlight how Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act changed disability policy and services in Oregon.
National Trends in Disability Employment (or nTIDE) Lunch & Learn series – corresponding with the Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report – live via Zoom Webinar sharing the latest nTIDE findings. Also will provide news and updates from the field of Disability Employment and host an invited panelist who will discuss current disability-related findings and events.
1:15 pm: Open Question & Answer period for attendees
Note. All webinars will be recorded and closed captioned and will be added to our website archives along with full transcripts following the live broadcast.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the many programs and resources tied to aging, you’re not alone. This webinar will help you understand the four foundational policies identified by Alliance experts—Medicare, Medicaid, the Social Security Administration (SSA), and the Older Americans Act (OAA)—that have the greatest impact on aging populations. Our panel of experts will share their go-to resources for understanding and staying up to date on the key aging policies (and why these policies matter). Speakers will also highlight innovations and emerging models from across the country that offer a glimpse into the future of aging policy.
This free, nonpartisan webinar is open to the public and designed to give policymakers, staffers, advocates, and curious minds the tools to engage more meaningfully with the policies shaping aging in America. This webinar was made possible thanks to 2025 Signature Series Champion Sponsors Elevance Health, GSK, and Kaiser Permanente.
Rob Lott (Moderator)Senior Deputy Editor, Health Affairs
Tricia NeumanSenior Vice President, Executive Director for Program on Medicare Policy, KFF
Rebecca VallasCEO, National Academy of Social Insurance
Abby CoxSenior Director of Aging Policy, Advancing States
About the Alliance’s Signature Series:
For the past decade, the Signature Series has been the Alliance for Health Policy’s flagship annual program that brings together cross-sector experts to examine the most challenging issues in health policy. Each year, the Series uncovers key insights and translates them into accessible, nonpartisan education for policymakers and the public.
The 2025 Signature Series on “Aging in America” brings together the best and brightest minds from across the health care and policy landscape to examine how our system measures up to the needs of an aging population, and how we can best educate policymakers to be ready to take on the challenge. Events include a thought leader workshop, webinar, public summit, and congressional briefing.
This webinar will provide an overview of the current national landscape of inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) programs, including key features and insights from federally funded model demonstration projects.
IPSE is designed to allow students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to continue learning on higher education campuses.
Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the role of vocational rehabilitation (VR) services in supporting students enrolled in IPSE programs. The session will also highlight relevant federal legislation and guidance to inform the integration of IPSE within the broader scope of VR services.
Ohio Disability Blog 