National Disability Awareness Month

October is National Disability Awareness Month.

Assisting Persons with Disabilities

Persons with disabilities often need special assistance unique to their particular situation. Whether you are dealing with an applicant for employment, producer, or friend or family member, there are numerous resources available for yourself and individuals with disabling conditions. Information on employment, medical care, and other topics are available from local rehabilitation offices in your community, libraries, and internet sites. The following are a few samples of internet resources:

• National Council for Support of Disability Issues
• Disability Information and Resources web page by Jim Lubin
• Internet Disability Resources web page on the Brejcha Personal and disABILITY Resource Site
• International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet (ICDRI)
• Less than Four.org Online Community for Amputees
• Paralyzed Veterans of America
• The Social Security and Disability News Resources Center

Important Accessibility Reminders (It's the right thing to do and it's the law.)

• NRCS is required to include the "non-discrimination statement" on all materials provided to the public. The new statement, revised July 2005, is as follows:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

• Public meeting announcements should include instructions for people who need accommodations, wheelchair accessibilities, interpreters, special diets (if food is provided) or alternate form materials such as Braille. Many buildings claim to be accessible but only certain areas. See Making Meetings Accessible on the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) website.
• If you know an interpreter is going to be needed at a meeting, provide printed copies of power point presentations, and so forth so that the interpreter and person with hearing impairment can read ahead or take notes.

Disability Etiquette