The Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens in recognition of the Americans with Disabilities Act 30th Anniversary will show Boundless A Musical Journey today at 3pm. The link is here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kceGvqTwoGd3I6Xf-kBIjODx_NxBlsqMo 

More than 500 people are expected to attend the 2020 LIFE Conference, the largest annual cross-disability conference in Delaware in support of people with disabilities and their families, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at Dover Downs Hotel and Conference Center.

The conference brings together people with disabilities, their families, advocates, providers, educators, legislators and government officials for educational and networking opportunities. LIFE stands for Liberty and Independence For Everyone, and the conference addresses the topics of legislation, independence (through assistive technology), families and education.

The 21st annual conference, organized by a coalition of Delaware groups serving people with disabilities, runs from 8 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. Registration ($35-$95) is required. Conference participants can choose from 12 different workshops, with break times scheduled throughout the day to allow time to visit conference exhibitors.

Jarrett Butler, a 2019 graduate of the Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC) Junior Partners in Policymaking Program, will provide opening remarks at the conference. Butler is a frequent presence at Legislative Hall in Dover, where he is a passionate advocate for full accessibility in the community and for upholding rights and standards under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Junior Partners in Policymaking offers policy training for Delawareans ages 15-22 with disabilities.

This year’s keynote speakers are also self-advocates. Donna and Ricardo Thornton of Washington believe that people should make their own decisions and choices, and individuals with disabilities can achieve almost anything with support. The keynote presentation will focus on “ADA 30 Years Later: How Far We’ve Come and the Work Left to Do.”

“For Delawareans with disabilities and their families, the LIFE Conference is an important opportunity to connect with educational and occupational resources that people with disabilities need to live, work and participate as active members of our communities,” said Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker, a practicing family physician. “I am excited about the role that self-advocates are playing in this year’s LIFE Conference because empowerment, inspiration and information are all critical in building a more inclusive Delaware. All of us at DHSS are proud to be a part of the LIFE Conference and to support Delawareans with disabilities and their families.”

More details about the conference, including session descriptions, the schedule, and a link to the online registration form are available on the conference website, www.lifeconferencede.org.

NEW CASTLE (January 10, 2019) – More than 500 people are expected to attend the 2019 LIFE Conference, the largest annual cross-disability conference in support of people with disabilities and their families, on Thursday, January 31, at Dover Downs Hotel and Conference Center.

The conference brings together people with disabilities, their families and professionals for educational and networking opportunities.  LIFE stands for Liberty and Independence For Everyone, and the conference addresses the topics of legislation, independence (through assistive technology), families and education.

The 21^st annual conference, put together by a coalition of Delaware organizations serving people with disabilities, runs from 8 a.m. until 3:45 p.m. Registration ($35-$95) is required. Conference participants can choose from 12 different workshops, with break times throughout the day to visit the dozens of conference exhibitors.

Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long and Dr. Kara Odom Walker, Cabinet Secretary for the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, are among those scheduled to make opening remarks.

“The LIFE Conference is a wonderful opportunity for Delawareans with disabilities to connect to the educational and occupational resources they need to live, work and participate as active members of the community,” Secretary Walker said. “For more than two decades, this conference has provided information, empowerment and inspiration to people with disabilities and their families. That is what makes the LIFE Conference one of the most important events on the calendar each year.”

This year’s keynote speaker is Rebecca Cokley, Director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress. Cokley is expected to give a state of the state on issues related to the disability community and share her thoughts on opportunities for positive change.

More details about the conference, including session descriptions, the schedule, and a link to the online registration form are available on the conference website, www.lifeconferencede.org.

(Wilmington, DE) – In his weekly message, Governor Markell recognizes the 25th anniversary of the American’s with Disabilities Act by sharing efforts both in Delaware and across the country to create a more inclusive society.

“Educational and government programs, building access, transportation and adaptive technology have all helped many individuals with disabilities achieve a far greater quality of life,” said Governor Markell. “Over the past twenty-five years, we have made great strides in fostering an environment that is welcoming and supportive of individuals with disabilities. By building on our efforts to create a more inclusive society we will keep Delaware and our country moving forward.”

Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/R8WmNpmkbfw

Delaware.Gov: http://governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml

By email: Please contact our press team to subscribe to our press list

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/governormarkell

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/governormarkell

Transcript of the Governor’s Weekly Message: Building on Our Efforts: 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

ADA Author Tony Coelho to Speak at Delaware’s July 18 Celebration in Dover of the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act

DOVER – Delaware will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the historic Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the inclusion of Delawareans with disabilities in all aspects of community life during an outdoor celebration Saturday, July 18, on Legislative Mall in Dover. Former U.S. Rep. Tony Coelho, the author of the ADA who now lives in Rehoboth Beach, will provide the keynote address.

The free family-friendly event will kick off at 11 a.m. with a parade down Loockerman Street in Dover. The celebration, which will continue until 5 p.m. on both Loockerman Street and Legislative Mall, will include live music and entertainment, vendors, exhibitors, giveaways and an official program, including former U.S. Rep. Tony Coehlo, Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Rita Landgraf, state Rep. Debra Heffernan, Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen, Jill Houghton, director of the US Business Leadership Network, and Delawareans with disabilities representing the past, present and future of the ADA. The event will be accessible to those who have access and functional mobility needs, and will take place rain or shine.

The Dover event also will be a stop on the national tour of the U.S. Business Leadership Network’s America’s Disability Rights Museum on Wheels, the country’s first disability rights mobile museum. The mobile museum helps visitors to understand that the ADA is a civil rights law, engages young people in interactive learning experiences, educates the public on the history of human rights violations and the community engagement that led to the ADA’s passage, and highlights the possibilities for the next 25 years through the use of innovative and connective technologies. The bus is fully accessible.

“The ADA is now the law of the land in 52 countries and it has paved the way for people to have their basic rights,” ADA author and former Rep. Tony Coelho said. “There is still a lot of work to do regarding the employment and transportation needs of people with disabilities, but it is important for us to commemorate and celebrate the amount of progress we have made during the past 25 years on behalf of millions of people.”

“I am thrilled that Tony Coelho will join us in Delaware to celebrate the inclusion that his historic legislation has helped to foster,” Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Rita Landgraf said. “We are a better and stronger community when we all share our gifts and talents with each other. While we have much work to do, especially in the areas of employment and health care for people with disabilities, the ADA means that individuals can no longer be discriminated against simply because of their disability status. Those basic civil rights for people with disabilities are the cornerstone of what it means to be a fully participating member of our society.”

“To quote the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act, 2000), ‘Disability is a natural part of the human experience that does not diminish the right of individuals with developmental disabilities to live independently, to exert control and choice over their own lives, and to fully participate in and contribute to their communities through full integration, and inclusion in the economic, political, social, cultural, and educational mainstream of United States society,’” said Pat Maichle, executive director of Delaware’s Developmental Disabilities Council. “The Americans with Disabilities Act gave Americans with disabilities the civil rights that they are due as American citizens to be able to be included in the economic, political, social, cultural, and educational mainstream just like everyone else. Delaware is committed to the full implementation of the ADA!”

“The ADA transformed the entire fabric of American life for individuals with disabilities. Transportation, employment, building access, government programs – all were significantly improved by enactment of the ADA,” said Brian Hartman, Disabilities Law Project Director with Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. “Twenty-five years later it is important to renew our commitment to the ADA’s promise by actively promoting its implementation and enforcement.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act, commonly referred to as the ADA, was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. Bush. The groundbreaking civil rights legislation prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, telecommunications, and transportation. About one in five people has a disability, or about 57 million Americans, including 187,000 Delawareans.

A coalition of local and national organizations including the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Delaware Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC), the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), the Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens (GACEC), the United States Business Leadership Network (USBLN), the State Council for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD), the Disabilities Law Program (DLP), the Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS), Endless Possibilities in the Community (EPIC), United Cerebral Palsy of Delaware (UCP DE), Independent Resources, Inc. (IRI), the City of Dover and Easter Seals of Delaware (ESDEL) is organizing the Dover celebration.

To learn more or to participate in the July 18 event, contact Stefanie Lancaster at 302-739-3333 or Stefanie.Lancaster@delaware.gov

For more information, contact Jill Fredel, Director of Communications, (302) 255-9047 (office) or (302) 357-7498 (cell).

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.