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30th Anniversary of Deaf President Now
Did you know this month is the 30th
anniversary of Deaf President Now. The original Deaf President Now (DPN), put on by student activists
from Gallaudet University in March of 1988, led to the University's first Deaf
President in its 124 year old history.
DPN helped to bring about a systematic
change not only socially across the United States but
within legislation. After DPN, new bills and laws were
passed that protect and promote the rights of people who are Deaf,
DeafBlind and hard of hearing.
For upcoming
events related to the celebration of DPN please visit Gallaudet
University's website.
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Winter Paralympics 2018:
Pyeongchang
The 2018 Paralympics Opening Ceremony Watch
Party. Friday, March 9th 7:45 - 9:45 PM. The 2018 Winter Paralympics begin this
Friday. We are excited to cheer on our country's athletes as they compete for
gold. We want to recognize Noah Grove, from our neighboring
state of Maryland, who will be competing this year in sled hockey. This
will be Grove's first time competing in the Paralympics. Good luck Noah and all
of team USA!
Also, follow and promote the hashtag #EqualMedalPay
to promote policy change so that Paralympic athletes receive
equal medal payout to their Olympic peers. Currently, Paralympic athletes only
receive one-fifth of what their Olympic peers make.
Hidden Army,
a local networking group for young professionals with disabilities in the
DC area will be hosting a watch party Friday night. The event will take place at 130 M Street NE at 7:45 PM. The opening Ceremony begins promptly at 8 PM.
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See Me for Me: 2018 Celebration
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See Me for Me: 2018 Developmental Disabilities
Awareness Month Celebration. Tuesday, March 20th 4-6 PM. The DC Developmental Disabilities
Council in partnership with the DC Department on Disability Services
(DDS) invites you to celebrate this year's Developmental Disabilities
Awareness Month.
The
event will have an array of performers and speakers including Mayors
Muriel Bowser and DDS Director Andrew Reese. To register for this free
event and to find further details go to eventbrite.
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Join Today: Commission on Persons with Disabilities
Join the Commission on Persons with
Disabilities. Are you interested in
actively participating on a DC advisory body to inform and advise the District
on programs, services, facilities, and activities that impact the lives of
residents with disabilities in the District of Columbia? If so, join the Commission
on Persons with Disabilities today. Contact Julia.wolhandler@dc.gov for
more information.
Upcoming
Commission Meetings:
March 22nd, 10:00 AM. 441 4th Street NW, 11th Floor. Further details can be
found at ODR.DC.GOV
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ReelAbilities Film Festival
The ReelAbilities Film Festival in our
neighboring Northern Virginia begins this Saturday, March 10th. The ReelAbilities Film Festival presents
award-winning films by and about people with disabilities.
For information
on this film festival and how you can attend please visit the Northern
Virginia's ReelAbilities website.
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Verbal Description Tour: Library of Congress
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Verbal Description Tour of the Library of
Congress Thomas Jefferson Building. Visitors who are Blind or low vision are invited to experience a
walking tour of the Thomas Jefferson Building. The Touch History tour is led by
a specially trained docent, who uses vivid language to describe the building.
Upcoming tour dates:
- Saturday,
March 10 at 9:30 AM
- Tuesday,
April 3 at 9:30 AM
- Saturday,
April 14 at 9:30 AM
Tours can also be
requested. To sign up or for more information contact Visitor Services at VSO@loc.gov or
call 202-707-9779.
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Join NFB-Newsline
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Anyone who is blind or visually impaired is
eligible to sign up for NFB-Newsline. If you sign up for NFB-Newsline, you will have FREE access to many
newspapers and magazines. Additionally, you will be able to hear them read,
because you will use your phone, your computer or a stand-alone player like the
Victor Reader Stream to access them.
If you
are interested in doing so, please email me at Nfb.newsline@dc.gov.
Or call the DC Public Library Center for Accessibility at 202-727-2142.
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Bringing
Autonomous Vehicles to DC
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Mayor Bowser and Deputy Mayor Kenner announced new
efforts to explore an autonomous vehicle (AV) program by establishing the
Interagency AV Working Group to proactively prepare the District for AV
technologies and ensure that AV deployment will benefit District residents and
visitors. The working group is comprised of District agencies focused on
transportation, disability rights, environmental issues, and public safety.
Additionally, the Bowser Administration is partnering with the Southwest
Business Improvement District (SWBID) to release a Request
for Information (RFI) for a AV pilot program on 10th Street, SW.
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International Women's Day
 Happy International Women's Day from some of our staff! International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. #IWD2018
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Performance Oversight Hearing of ODR
 On February 14th, the Council of the District of Columbia, Committee on Human Services held the oversight hearing for the Office of Disability Rights. Our Director, Mat McCollough, spoke on the performance outcomes achieved by ODR in FY 2017 and FY 2018.
A recording of the Performance Oversight Hearing is now available through video.
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Welcome Julia Wolhandler
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ODR is pleased to welcome Julia Wolhandler as our Public
Affairs Specialist. As a person with
multiple disabilities, Julia Wolhandler has worked in various capacities as a
disability rights advocate both nationally and internationally. She comes to us from FEMA where she worked as a Disability Integration Advisor
working with survivors with disabilities and access and functional needs affected by disasters.
As ODR's Public Affairs Specialist, Julia's role includes outreach to the greater Washington Metropolitan Area with regards to communication access, inclusion, public involvement, event planning and coordination, trainings on disability rights laws, and emergency planning and preparedness.
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For Information about ODR’s Newsletter call (202)724-5055 or visit the web at odr.dc.gov.
441 4th Street NW, Suite 729 North, Washington DC 20001, Phone: (202)724-5055
Fax: (202)727-9484 E-mail: ODR.Complaints@dc.gov
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the District Office of Disability Rights (ODR) is to ensure that the programs, services, benefits, activities and facilities operated or funded by the District of Columbia are fully accessible to, and useable by people with disabilities. ODR is committed to inclusion, community-based services, and self-determination for people with disabilities. ODR is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the City's obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as other disability rights laws.
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