2. Who am I? Indiana Institute on Disability and Community
Matt Norris …
Indiana Institute on Disability and Community
Social Worker by training
Staff for ADA-Indiana
The Indiana Institute on Disability and Community is a research institute at Indiana University – Bloomington. Our Institute is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service and part of the Indiana Developmental Disability Network – authorized through the Developmental Disabilities Act. This also includes the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities and Indiana Disability Rights as well.

3. What is ADA-Indiana? ADA-Indiana is…
Funded by the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities
State Affiliate of the Great Lakes ADA Center
A volunteer-led organization
Housed at the Indiana Institute
One of the project we host at the Institute is “ADA-Indiana.” ADA-Indiana is a “state affiliate” of the Great Lakes ADA Center. But we also receive support from the Governor’s Council. ADA-Indiana is lead by volunteers, a “steering committee,” that provides guidance on the activities and work of the organization. We have a diverse membership – representatives from universities, municipalities, state agencies, disability organizations like Centers for Independent Living, and disability advocates.

4. Great Lakes ADA Center One of 10 Regional ADA Centers
Promoting Voluntary Compliance
Not an Enforcement Agency
Website:
As I mentioned before, ADA-Indiana is ca state affiliate of the Great Lakes ADA Center which is part of the 10 Regional ADA Centers funded through the U.S. Department of Education. (And some of you might know them by their older name the “DBTACs” – Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers – you won’t have to remember that because they don’t use the DBTAC acronym any more, it’s now just “ADA Center”) These ADA Centers were created to provide information and technical assistance on the ADA, as well as promoting Voluntary Compliance.
Great Lakes provides services – ADA information, Technical Assistance, and Training - in six states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. So if you are not from Indiana, you might also check out the websites, or connect with your state affiliate: ADA Illinois, ADA Michigan, ADA Minnesota, and ADA Wisconsin Partnership.
If you go to the website of the Great Lakes ADA Center (and I encourage you to do so – not now but later - just to get an idea of what type of services and information that offer) right there on their front page … their mission … “to increase awareness and knowledge with the ultimate goal of achieving voluntary compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
Great Lakes ADA Center is not an enforcement entity - as I find myself explaining a lot to people who call us –we are not the DOJ or the EEOC, or any of the other federal agencies that have some enforcement powers under the ADA – and sometimes I do get the occasional, “oh, then what good are you?” but most of the time, “then what do you do, and how can you help me?”

5. What does ADA-Indiana do?
Much like Great Lakes ADA Center…
Information Dissemination
Technical Assistance
Training Opportunities
Much like our partner – Great Lakes ADA Center – we provide information (print, information on ADA resources), technical assistance (and that might mean connecting to one of our steering committee members who works in the area, Great Lakes, and the federal agencies like the DOJ, Access Board, or other organizations like JAN).
As part of our connection to the ADA National Networks, and specifically to the Great Lakes ADA Center since Indiana is in their region, we have adopted their three core services of …. Information (and referral), Technical Assistance (or Guidance), and training. These are the three activities that we focus on to – going back to the mission – promote voluntary compliance with the ADA.
(And we are very careful to make sure that individuals and organizations we work with know that we are not providing legal advice.)

6. What does ADA-Indiana do?
But also …
Annual ADA Event
ADA Community Grants Program
Promotion of online training through ADA National Network
Some of the other things we also do is do an “annual event” community grants program, and ADA Report Card.

7. Updates What are we focusing on Indiana? Local capacity
Municipal ADA Coordinators
Employment
Some of things our steering committee has chosen to use our resources on is reflected in our activities.
Local capacity – working with local organizations (Centers for Independent Living, etc.) on building their capabilities to assist organizations with compliance efforts.
Municipal ADA Coordinators – see grants program
Employment – we have a couple of members who work in this area and have been great in working with organizations on doing training on Title I.

8. Coros ADA Grants Program
Coros Community ADA Grants
Request for Proposals
Up to $2,500 in funding
Focus on Local Community Needs
2017 Priority: Law Enforcement and Emergency First Responders
Our “Coros ADA Grants program” funded by Governor’s Council

9. Past Grant Recipients Highlights by City
Bloomington (CCA, City of Bloomington)
Evansville (Human Rights Commission)
City of Monticello
Fort Wayne Citilink
Give some highlights of what past recipients have done.

10. Great Lakes ADA Center Monthly ADA Audio Conference
Expanded Online Training
ADA PARC
Research Projects around the ADA (Transition Plans and Public Rights of Way)
The Great Lakes ADA Center does the monthly ADA Audio Conference which focuses on what they and the ADA National Network has determined to be the “hot” ADA issues. So if you take a look at what they have covered in this program year: Olmstead Update with the DOJ, a 3-part series on Self-Evaluation and Transition Plans, “Googling” Job Applicants with the EEOC, Electronic Information and Digital Access with the DOJ, and just this week – a session with the EEOC and DOL/OFCCP on the topic of disclosure under the ADA and Section 503 of the Rehab Act.
[FOLDER HANDOUT]
Expanded online training – the Great Lakes ADA Center has greatly expanded their webinar training programs. These series are a great way to keep up to date with ADA issues. If you are interested in finding out about the legal issues involved in web accessibility and the ADA (something we are hearing a lot about), you should sign up for the September session. Great Lakes works with the legal team at the Illinois P & A on the webinar series – they not only do the session but also do a 4-5 “legal” brief on the topic. Some of the topics they covered this past year - Definition under the ADA Amendments Act, Top 10 Cases of the Year, “Qualified” under the ADA. The AccessibilityOnline webinar series is a collaboration with the Access Board on the ADA Standards. But they also coordinate on other topics such as accessible technology, emergency preparedness, and their most recent series on health and disability (with the Illinois Disability and Health Program).
ADA Legal (with Legal Briefs)
Accessible Technology
Emergency Preparedness
AccessibilityOnline (with Access Board)
Great Lakes and the Southwest ADA Center maintains the ADA Case Law website ( where they collect summaries of court cases, settlement agreements, and consent decrees. A quarterly digest is posted to reflect the recent cases.
As part of their involvement with the ADA National Network, the Great Lakes ADA Center is participating in a couple of “research” projects around the ADA. The National ADA Knowledge Translation Center Project and the ADA PARC (ADA Participation Action Research Consortium). I guess if you are funded through the DOE, and NIDDR, there probably is the expectation of these more “researchy” activities.

11. New website: www.adata.org
ADA National Network
10 Regional ADA Centers
Same Phone Number
New website:
Brings together: training events, publications, and research

12. [Folder Handout: ADA Fact Sheets]

13. [Folder Handout: ADA Action Guide]

14. Thank You! Stop by our online space … Google “ADA Indiana” or go to:
Web:
Facebook: facebook.com/adaindiana