ECNV's Be in the Know: March 2024
Here is news of interest for the disability community!
Share your Voice: VisitAble Survey
VisitAble, is a start-up focusing on enabling better experiences for individuals with all types of disabilities. Please take a moment to complete this survey where your voice will be heard! Your responses will help VisitAble create more inclusive and authentic training.
"Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the things needed to lead one’s daily life"
-Judy Heumann
Join our Team: Exciting Opportunities Await!
Discover Your Next Career Opportunity! We're currently hiring. Please see full job descriptions below.
Manager of Independent Living Services:
The Manager of Independent Living Services is a strong advocate for disability justice and independent living, coordinating and leading ECNV’s Independent Living Services team. The Manager of Independent Living Services supervises and supports ECNV’s Independent Living Specialists, ensures high quality services and supports are provided to ECNV’s ILS consumers, and supports consumers directly. This individual will direct their work complementary to the spirit and intent of disability justice and independent living philosophy.
Full-time, Exempt, Location: Hybrid, some in-office time required
Manager of ILS LinkedIn Full Job Description
Travel Trainer:
The Travel Trainer is a strong voice for disability rights and independent living. You will be working to assist people with disabilities in independent community living, more specifically in achieving greater transportation independence. As a Travel Trainer, you will teach individuals with various types of disabilities how to understand and safely utilize public transportation throughout the Washington DC area. Duties include planning routes via subway, bus, or other transportation modes; accompanying trainees on multiple trips until they can travel on their own; documenting each training and reporting activities, as required; and marketing the program by conducting outreach and relationship-building with disability organizations, schools, and other community partners.
Full-time, Exempt, Willingness to travel: 75% (Required), Work Location: Hybrid remote in Arlington, VA
Travel Trainer LinkedIn Full Job Description
Benefits Enrollment Counselor:
ECNV seeks a Benefits Enrollment Counselor (BEC) to assist with identifying and helping to enroll people with disabilities in several entitlement benefit programs that meet their needs and conform to eligibility requirements.
Part-time, Non-exempt, This position is designed to be hybrid, with some time in the ECNV office, but ECNV is open to a fully remote position for the right candidate.
Benefits Enrollment Counselor LinkedIn Full Job Description
Input Opportunity: Ensuring Wheelchair Users Can Fly with Dignity
Comments are due Monday, May 13, 2024. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is seeking public comments on a new proposed rule designed to ensure airline passengers who use wheelchairs can travel safely and with dignity.
Survey for Passengers with Disabilities on Identifying Accessibility Needs at the Airport
At the recommendation of the US Department of Transportation (DOT) Air Carrier Access Act Advisory Committee, a working group is examining barriers and solutions for passengers with disabilities who need disability-related assistance during air travel which may require them to ask for help, or "self-identify" their needs to a service provider. A "service provider" may be an airline, an airport, or a contractor that provides accessibility services. The working group's goal is to help passengers with disabilities let service providers know that the passenger needs help during the travel process.
The purpose of this survey is to identify barriers and solutions that will help with the working group's creation of best practices and guidance.
If you experience accessibility difficulties due to the survey's formatting, an alternative format of this survey can be made available upon request at 202-626-4211.
Focus Group Participants Needed
Mid-Atlantic ADA is currently seeking individuals with disabilities who are 50 years of age or older, working (part- or full-time) to join us for an important research focus group.
This is an opportunity to share your understanding of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accommodations in the workplace, and barriers to gaining access to ADA information. This focus group will be virtual, held on April 10th from 5 to 6 pm. Qualified participants will receive a $25 Amazon gift card after the focus group.
All interested individuals should email the Mid-Atlantic ADA Center to confirm eligibility and review pre-registration requirements
VDDHH and Virginia Relay Town Hall Meetings-3/28/24
Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Virginia Relay are hosting two town hall meetings to engage with Relay users and ensure that all users are aware of the recent changes in the Relay industry. The primary focus of these two meetings will be:
Impact of the analog to digital transition on relay services
Equipment/Software options for TTY users
Feedback/concerns from Relay users
Both online sessions will be held on Thursday, March 28th at 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. ASL interpreters as well as Captioning will be provided for both sessions and registration information can be found below.
March 28, 2024 at 11:30 am (Registration)
March 28, 2024 at 6:30 pm (Registration)
NVRC Offering FREE ASL I & ASL II Classes
Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf & Hard of Hearing is offering free ASL I and ASL II classes for Fairfax County Parents/Guardians of Deaf or Hard of Hearing Children.
ASL I (virtual), Tuesday evenings from April 9 - May 28, 2024. (Registration)
ASL II (virtual), Thursday evenings from April 4 - May 23, 2024. (Registration)
Fairfax Connector Bus Strike Is Over!
On Thursday, February 22, 2024, Fairfax Connector workers launched a strike after months of negotiations for a new labor contract with Transdev, the company that operates Fairfax County’s bus service. Due to the walk-off, Fairfax Connector suspended service on 93 of its routes, starting at 9 a.m. The bus system serves approximately 26,000 passengers daily.
On Wednesday, March 6, 2024, the union finally ratified and a new contract with Transdev and service resumed on Friday, March 8, 2024.
ECNV’s travel training team is here for you if you need practice using the bus or metro. Please contact us at 703-525-3268, or info@ecnv.org (use subject “Travel Training.”)
Metro Budget Hearings
Late last month, Metro had a series of public hearings on their FY25 Budget. All hearings are available to watch on their Youtube channel. Direct links are available below:
The Fairfax Area Disability Services Board John Hudson Summer Internship
The Fairfax Area Disability Services Board established The John Hudson Summer Internship program for college students and recent graduates with disabilities. The internship program provides participants with on-the-job experience, professional development, and training opportunities. This paid summer program begins in June.
Applications are due by Friday, April 12, 2024 ››
Fairfax County's Land Development Services (LDS) Accessible Parking Survey
The Fairfax County Health Department Speech and Hearing team is pleased to announce they will host a summer reading program, designed to help school-age children (5 – 21 years), who have a diagnosis of dyslexia develop language and reading skills.
The program will take place during normal business hours, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.at the Herndon-Reston Health Clinic. The cost is $88 per session. A sliding scale is offered for all Fairfax County Residents who may qualify based on income qualifications. Medicaid is accepted.
Don’t delay, sign up today! To participate, you must register by April 15, 2024, by completing the Speech and Hearing Program request form. Select “Reading Program” in the Service Being Requested drop down menu. If you have questions about the program, please call 703-246-7120. To learn more about Speech and Hearing Services, visit their website.
Planning to Protect and Preserve Your Special Needs Family
By: Cortney Heykoop, Clover Leaf Wealth Strategies Financial Advisor
In the most recent article on our website The Family Love Letter*: Planning to Protect and Preserve Your Family - Clover Leaf Wealth Strategies we talk about the Family Love Letter being an excellent source of information to help guide your loved ones in a difficult time. The Love Letter is designed to provide basic information to your family about your assets, liabilities, and personal desires upon your death or incapacity.
We feel that our Special Needs Resource Binder goes hand in hand with the Family Love Letter. Our Binder provides one place to reference all the essential contacts and information to care for your special needs family member if something were to happen to you and/or your partner. We provide this binder to our Special Needs Investment and Financial Planning clients.
The physical binder contains tabbed sections for Estate Planning, Medical Information, Education Information, and much more. Within each section are preprinted sheets for you to update with vital information as well as plenty of room for notes. There are also sleeves for business cards, medical images and disks, and important documents. Our Special Needs Investment and Financial Planning clients also have access to store all of this information securely online in your financial planning portal.
If you are not an investment or planning client, let's chat about these services and how we can better serve you!
Fair Housing Symposium Event
On Thursday, April 25th from 10AM-12:30 PM the Fairfax County Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs (along with partners the Equal Rights Center and the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors) will be hosting a Fair Housing Symposium Event to celebrate Fair Housing Month.
There are three ways to participate:
Attend live at the Fairfax County Government Center Board Auditorium
Watch the simulcast on Channel 16
Watch on your own time via the Fairfax County YouTube channel’s video on demand
We are thrilled to announce our keynote Speaker is Ms. Sara Pratt of the prominent Civil Rights law firm Relman Colfax and former HUD Deputy Assistant Secretary, as well as the resource panel we have convened including Legal Services of Northern Virginia, the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, the Equal Rights Center, the NAACP, and the Fairfax County Human Rights Commission.
Join us ahead of the program at 9:30AM for breakfast, and stay for lunch and networking after the program. The program will include interpretation in both Spanish and American Sign Language.
Place Your Order for Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests
Get a COVID-19 test for symptoms or exposure. ECNV serves as a supplier for individuals and organizations. For inquiries, please reach out to us at info@ecnv.org or you can get Free at-home tests from USPS.
MedStar Health Urinary Research Study
MedStar Health is looking for participants for a urinary symptoms study (#NCT05230511). Read more on their website.
Events for Learning, New Opportunities and Advocacy
April 2024
Bender Consulting Services Disability Fair, (virtual), 4/3/24, 9:00am - 6:00pm.
Disability Rights Activism and Organizing, (virtual), 4/11/24, 1:00pm - 2:00pm.
ECHO Webinar Series: Accessing the Courts with a Disability, (virtual), 4/17/24, 12:15pm - 1:45pm.
