Resource Center

Bulletins | On the Web | On Video

The purpose of this page is to list materials such as videos, books, periodicals and web sites that are related to ADA issues. The videos are available from the Division of Court Operations for lending purposes. Please call Martine Arenella at (518) 238-4327 if you want to borrow them for training sessions.

Updates to this page will occur as additional resources become available.

Bulletins

Supreme Court Rules Title II of ADA Constitutional 05/17/04

New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Braille Transcription Service - Memo - 1/28/03

US DOJ publishes new handbook 11/21/02

DOD activates site for disabled 10/16/02

Confidentiality of Medical Information Obtained During the Reasonable Accommodation Process 8/30/02

On the Web

The Blindness Resource Center
This site connects you to other sites regarding blindness and visual impairments, as well as a history of Braille, a biography of Louis Braille, and a list of transcription services.

The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation
This site provides you with a list of facts on spinal cord injuries and on central nervous system May 12, 2008;s newsletters and annual reports.

The Disability Mall
An easy-to-use directory designed and committed to featuring information on disability and medical products, resources and services with over 2,500 links including over 400 companies for your one-stop shopping convenience.

The DRM Regional Resources Directory (States)
The following sites represent organizations and agencies that serve New York State residents with disabilities. National organizations that happen to be based in New York City (or State) are listed by subject.

Lighthouse International

National Center for State Courts

Access-A-Ride - Access-A-Ride is a shared ride, door-to-door paratransit service for people with disabilities. Access-A-Ride provides transportation for people who are unable to use public bus or subway service for some or all of their trips.

Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association (EPVA)
This site offers a lot of information that can be downloaded and used as training materials. Some of the components included are:

• Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Communication Access: Everyone’s Right (A handbook for meeting planners, conference site managers and people who are deaf or hard of hearing)
• Fire Prevention for Persons with Disabilities
• Disability Etiquette (very valuable tips on interacting with people with Disabilities)

HandSpeak
This site is a practical introduction to sign language with over 3000 signs. It also includes mini-films and several signed short stories.

The Justice Department
This site includes statements from Attorney General Janet Reno, a list of ADA resources, a section about technical enforcement, technical assistance and technical materials, and more...all of which can be downloaded for free if you have Acrobat Reader.

The League for the Hard of Hearing
The League's Mission is to improve the quality of life for people with all degrees of hearing loss. This is accomplished by providing hearing rehabilitation and human service programs for people who are hard of hearing and deaf, and their families, regardless of age or mode of communication. This site has links to a variety of other sites related to hearing impairments. Their technical department describes a range of assistive listening devices.

On Video

The following videos can be viewed from your computer in Windows Media Player.

A Change in Perspective

30 minutes

Greg is a community advocate in Harlem. His efforts helped convert an old tenement into accessible housing. He pushes many residents to look beyond their disabilities. That’s a subject Greg know well because he is a paraplegic.

Laura is a world-class athlete. She competed in Barcelona in 1992. She divides her time among community work, public appearances and training. Laura pushes her body to its physical limits everyday. She has multiple sclerosis.

A change in perspective introduces you to five people who lead productive lives because they stress their ability over disability. This 30-minute video examines the physical and social issues connected with spinal chord injury and smashes outdated attitudes about persons with disabilities. Its motto is: "There’s a lot more to life than just standing up."

Obstacle Courts

34:58 minutes

1998 Film issued by the Judicial Council of California

Silent Justice

21:59 minutes

From the American Judicature Society

The Ten Commandments of Communicating with People with Disabilities

25:43 minutes

This video uses humorous vignettes to deliver its disability awareness message. Large corporations as well as small companies use this video to train employees, improve customer service, and avoid losing talented employees due to ignorance and awkwardness. The video covers a wide variety of disabilities and is a good general tool to use for disability awareness programs.

Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act

30 minutes

Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act summarizes the law and explains how business managers, supervisors, municipal employees and consumers can benefit from it. The video was taped at a variety of businesses, including a beauty shop, a dry cleaner and a hotel. The minor modifications illustrated at these establishments show that complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not have to be expensive. Other information includes: how to conduct non-discriminatory job interviews; improving access in the workplace; how state and local governments can make their programs accessible.