Roads Services Division receives Public Employer of the Year Award
On Oct. 27, the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment (GCDE) held their 28th annual Governor’s Awards, which recognizes outstanding employers in the public and private sector who recruit, retain and advance individuals with disabilities and demonstrate best practices in the workplace. The Public Employer of the Year Award went to King County Roads Services Division for their dedication and support of Matt Everson, an employee in King County’s Supported Employment Program. This is the first time King County has received the Public Employer of the Year Award and the second… Read More
Disability Employment Etiquette, December 11
The Council of State Governments (CSG) and the State Exchange on Employment and Disability will present a webinar on “Disability Employment Etiquette” as part of CSG’s 2020 National Conference. The webinar will focus on interacting with people with disabilities and creating inclusive workplaces. Friday, Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Register here. Additionally, the Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology has released “Making Documents Accessible,” a resource to ensure documents are designed so people with and without disabilities can easily access and edit them. View “Making Documents Accessible” here.
King County Council approves Metro’s Access Paratransit Advisory Committee (APAC)
Crossposted from Metro Matters King County Metro is pleased to announce the 11 members of its newest advisory group, the Access Paratransit Advisory Committee (APAC). The Access Paratransit Advisory Committee will advise Metro, the King County Executive, and the King County Council on transit and policy issues related to equitable public transportation for people with disabilities. The work of this new committee will enhance the Access paratransit program by providing guidance to Metro on what to prioritize and on developing a vision for ongoing improvements. The committee was appointed by the King County… Read More
Join DDECSD at their 31st Annual Developmental Disabilities Legislative Forum, November 23
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections King County’s annual Developmental Disabilities Legislative Forum, hosted by the Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports (DDECSD), is marking its 31st year. Join us on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, from 7–8:30 p.m. for this community conversation. On this special evening we will hear stories from community members and present King County’s related legislative priorities that will help all people live full, integrated and productive lives. Last year, we hosted close to 600 community members at this event and welcomed 30 state legislators. Read more.
Access paratransit brings food to 10,000 families in need during pandemic
Crossposted from Metro Matters October is Disability Awareness Month – a month to honor individuals whom our King County Metro Access paratransit team celebrates all year long. Metro’s Access paratransit service provides around one million trips each year to our Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) customers, allowing them to maintain independence and have access to whatever they need to thrive. It’s just one way Metro lives out its mission to provide mobility for all. In a pandemic, that mobility has looked a little different: Access paratransit has mobilized both people and the food… Read More
Navigating the coronavirus pandemic with a disability
Every October, King County recognizes Disability Awareness Month. On Oct. 13, the County Council officially proclaimed October as Disability Awareness Month, and this past July, King County also marked the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), signed into law in 1990. These efforts celebrate the many contributions that people with disabilities make to our community and workforce here at King County. This year, due to COVID-19, the Disability Awareness Month Committee has been developing a conversation about how people with disabilities are being impacted by the pandemic. The Committee created an interactive multimedia article, “Navigating… Read More
Join us for a conversation on the impacts of the pandemic while living with a disability
There are many different types of disabilities: physical and mental, invisible and visible, temporary and permanent. The pandemic has had a unique impact on the lives of people with all types of disabilities, bringing joy, relief, and difficulty. Join the Disability Awareness Committee, Balanced You, and the Employee Assistance Program in a live, virtual conversation on the impacts of the pandemic while livin with a disability. This conversation will feature employees with disabilities who will share their experiences and stories of living and adapting through 2020, alongside employees from Disability Services who will share… Read More
The benefits of King County’s Return-To-Work Transitional Duty Program
Getting all those tasks done at work can be a challenge, especially the “non-essential” ones that just seem to pile up. Does your team have stacks of filing sitting in boxes? Need help staffing a front desk or hotline? Have some documents ready to be scanned so you can go paperless? That’s where King County’s Transitional Duty Assignment (TDA) Program comes in. Providing light duty work to a TDA worker gives you valuable labor you don’t have to pay for while also keeping temporarily disabled workers connected to King County. It’s a win for… Read More
Reasonable Accommodations in King County Superior Court
by Linda K. Ridge, Deputy CAO, King County Superior Court Access to justice for all persons is a fundamental right; however, for individuals with a sensory, cognitive, or physical disability, this access can be filled with challenges. Implemented in 2007, Washington State General Court Rule 33 (GR 33) was designed to assure that persons with disabilities have equal and meaningful access to the judicial system. GR 33 requires courts to provide prompt response to requests for accommodation in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Washington State Law Against Discrimination… Read More
Disability Awareness Month: Ableism and ally-ship in the workplace
For people with disabilities, navigating a society constructed by and for people considered to have “typical” abilities can be a constant battle, and one that further entrenches the discrimination they face. According to the 2010 census, nearly 1 in 5 Americans experience disability. Some people’s disabilities are visible to others and include physical disabilities such as blindness, deafness, prosthetic limbs, or wheelchair usage. Other people’s disabilities may be less visible or not visually apparent at all, such as behavioral health conditions (depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress), Traumatic Brain Injuries, developmental and intellectual disabilities,… Read More
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