King County is celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Disability Awareness Month in October. This year we have some exciting events planned covering a wide range of topics, from accessibility to insights from employees with disabilities:

Universal Design for Meetings, Events and Trainings 

Wednesday, Oct. 6, from noon to 1 p.m. Register here. 

The term reasonable modification is something we hear frequently when we talk about providing access to people with disabilities during out meetings, trainings and events. What if we flipped that concept on its head? What if, instead of modifying programming that is designed for the non-disabled so that it works for people with disabilities, we built our programming from the ground up so that all minds and bodies felt valued, seen and heard without the need for significant modification?  Blayne Amson, City of Bellevue Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VI Program Administrator, will discuss his work applying the principles of Universal Design to meetings, trainings, and events. Blayne is a powerchair user, holds a Masters in Disability Studies, and has over 15 years of experience helping the non-disabled adopt an anti-ableist lens in the work they do. ASL interpretation and auto transcription services will be provided. 

ADA 101: Employment and Public Service 

Wednesday, Oct. 13, from noon to 1 p.m. Register here. 

Northwest ADA Center (NWADAC) will lead a free, live 60-min webinar presentation entitled ADA 101: Employment and Public Service. The training will consist of a PowerPoint-guided presentation, and live Q&A. The training content includes: History & Purpose of the ADA; An Overview of the five ADA Titles; Title I: Employment (Reasonable Accommodations); Title II: State and Local Government (Program Access/Reasonable Modifications); Q&A. All King County employees and community associates are welcome to attend. ASL interpretation and auto transcription services will be provided. 

Considering Accessibility on Capital Improvement Projects 

Wednesday, Oct. 20, from noon to 1 p.m.  Register here. 

King County carries out major capital projects to build roads, stormwater and wastewater utilities, transportation facilities, and more. How can we consider accessibility in our projects to support project teams and our communities? Hear some ideas from King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division, and share some of your own. ASL interpretation and auto transcription services will be provided. 

Employee Disability Panel: So I disclosed my disability, what’s next? 

Thursday, Oct. 28, from noon to 1 p.m. Register here. 

In honor of Disability Awareness Month, King County employees are invited to join a free, live, virtual conversation that will feature employees with disabilities who will share their personal experiences of disability disclosure, perspective from a supervisor’s understanding, alongside a Disability Service representative who will share resources available to support employees with disabilities and the process of navigating accommodations. All King County employees are welcome to attend. ASL interpretation and auto transcription services will be provided.