Fall ADA Coordinator Conference-- Kansas City Conference Registration

The ADA Coordinator Training Certification Program (ACTCP) presents the Fall ADA Coordinator Conference October, 2nd and 3rd, 2017 in Kansas City, MO. 

This 2 day event will be held at the Hilton Kansas City Airport Hotel and Conference Center. The conference will offer a variety of sessions and feature speakers from the U.S. Access Board, The National Network of ADA Centers, and other nationally recognized ADA experts.

Registration is open to the public. In addition, ACTCP members will have an opportunity to obtain both foundation and elective level credits towards their program completion.

Seating is very limited:
We strive to provide the highest quality of sessions.
This means limiting the room size so that attendees can benefit from a more personalized setting.
Doing this also means limiting our numbers and sometimes having to turn away potential attendees.
Seating for this year is only available to the First 150 Registrants. Hurry and register today.
Don't miss out on this great training opportunity!

Costs:

Registration for this event is only $350. Now until Sept 22.

There will be an additional $30 charge for those wishing to attend the ADA Basics Pre-Conference session

Registration will close Sept. 22, 2017 or when the maximum of 150 is achieved.

Location:

Hilton Kansas City Airport Hotel & Conference Center
8801 NW 112th Street
Kansas City, MO 64153 

Hotel Reservations:

For attendees of the ADA Coordinator Conference, a room block has been reserved. A special room rate of only  $129 +tax for conference attendees. To get this rate, reservation must be made by Sept 13, 2017.

There is a dedicated link for reservations for our attendees.

Hotel Reservation Link

Use the following code when making reservations: 
Group Code:  GPADA

You may make reservations by phone at 1 (816) 891-8900 . If making a phone reservation please remember to say you are with the Great Plains ADA Conference and give the group code.

Parking

Free parking is available at the Hilton

Meals:

The ADA Coordinator Conference will provide lunch both days.  
Dinner will not be provided, however,here is also an on-site restaurant in the hotel. There are also several other dining options in the area.

Transportation:

Transportation from Airport to the Hotel: 

Information Coming Soon

Conference Registration:

Click Here for Online Conference Registration

AGENDA

Note:

For individuals who are members of the ADA Coordinators' Training Certification Program:
* indicates that the session is approved for Required Foundation credits.
** indicates that the session is approved for Optional Foundation credits.

All other sessions are approved for elective course credits.

The Self-Evaluation and Transition Plans, 2010 Standards for Accessible Design, and Public Rights-of-Way sessions are split into two parts but are considered one continuous session . Attendees registering for these sessions may not split the sessions. ACTCP members must attend both parts of each session to receive the Foundation credits for those topics.

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Session Descriptions:

Preconference) ADA Basics
This session is designed for attendees with little or no knowledge of ADA regulations and guidelines.  The session will provide a basic outline of the three major sections of the ADA, Title I, the employment provisions of the ADA, Title II, the provisions covering state and local governments, and Title III, the provisions covering business and industry. The three-hour session will provide a working knowledge of the major concepts and regulations of the ADA through numerous illustrations and examples. If you have limited knowledge of the ADA, this session is highly recommended before attending the rest of the conference.  Note:  The information in this session will be very basic and is not designed for anyone with intermediate or advanced knowledge of the ADA.

1A-2A) 2010 Standards for Accessible Design (2 part continuous session)
The 2010 Standards for Accessible Design are the enforceable ADA standard issued by the Department of Justice for use in new construction and alterations. This 2-part session will provide an overview of changes to the 2010 Standards, scoping and technical requirements for new construction and alterations, practical strategies to ensure ADA compliance for your building projects, and provide tools and resources to evaluate accessibility.

1B) Effective Communication
Title II and Title III of the ADA requires state and local government entities to provide "effective communication" to individuals with disabilities. This session will examine what is “effective" for people with hearing or vision loss, the types of auxiliary aides and services used to provide effective communication, obligations and responsibilities of both ADA covered entities and individual with disabilities, and policy guidance to ensure people with disabilities receive access to communication.

1C) Role of the Title II ADA Coordinator
An effective ADA Coordinator is critical to successful ADA implementation. However, the role and responsibilities of the ADA Coordinator are often both ill-defined and misunderstood. This session will clearly outline the functions of the ADA Coordinator position, the departments and community members the ADA Coordinator should interact with, and how the ADA Coordinator position should fit into the overall structure of a Title II entity.

 2B) Principles Behind Accessible Web Design
This session will cover how people with different disabilities access websites and common barriers to their access.  Designing websites based on the four principles of accessible web design: Perceivable, Operable, Understanding and Robust (POUR), which are the foundation of WCAG v2. will be examined. The relationship between good design and accessible design will also be discussed.  Examples, scenarios and audience input will be provided throughout the session.

2C) EEOC: Title I Employment Guidelines
Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act addresses the rights of individuals with disabilities in employment settings. ADA Coordinators should understand the basic requirements of Title I and non-discriminatory employment practices and procedures. This session will discuss who has obligations and rights under Title I, essential functions of a position, and reasonable accommodation and accommodation policies. This session will also focus on non-discriminatory practices related to employment recruitment, application process, interviewing, pre-employment inquiries & testing, hiring, medical examinations, and performance management.

Evening Session) Haphazard Barriers to Accessibility
Just because a building is constructed to be fully accessible, it may not always stay that way. Over time, barriers to accessibility can sometimes up creep into compliantly built spaces. Often times inadvertently, an entity’s staff may create accessibility barriers while attempting to make day-to-day operations easier for them or their clientele.   Trashcans in the clear floor spaces, protruding signage hung by an employee, furniture blocking the accessible routes, are just some of the examples that will be examined in this session. This session will also discuss strategies of properly training employees to be cognizant of accessibility when changing the layout of the public spaces within their facilities.

3A-4A) Self-Evaluation & Transition Plans
Are you one of those public entities that are slightly behind in doing a self-evaluation and transition plan? Are you asking yourself What is a self-evaluation and transition plan? Well then, this is the session for you. All public entities subject to title II of the ADA must complete a self-evaluation. For entities that have50 or more employees, there is also a requirement to have in place a transition plan that addresses structural changes that are necessary for achieving program accessibility. Come to this 2-part session if you are interested in learning more about how to approach conducting a self-evaluation and how to integrate the information gathered into a transition plan.

3B) Service Animals
This session focuses on the rights of individuals with disabilities who use service animals under the ADA and the responsibilities of entities covered by the ADA. This session will cover who can have a service animal, what service animals are allowed, what documentation can be required or requested and when a service animal can be refused. “What Would You Do” scenarios will be discussed.  The session is targeted toward entities that provide customer service to the general public.

3C) Project Civic Access
Project Civic Access is a program of the U.S. Department Justice in which the Justice Department reviews selected cities and counties for ADA compliance. Two ADA Coordinators whose cities were part of a Project Civic Access review will present this session. The session will share the experience of working with the Department of Justice to implement the resulting settlement agreement including practical considerations, strategies that worked, challenges and solutions from a “hands-on” perspective. This session is highly recommended for ADA Coordinators and city officials. 

3D) The ADA and Customer Service
This session will provide a forum to discuss how businesses can accommodate individuals with disabilities and still provide superior customer service. Complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act is both the right thing to do and a way to attract a growing group of customers to your goods and services. Participants are encouraged to bring questions and ideas as we explore best practices for achieving superior customer service while meeting the needs of the disability community. 

4B) Temporary Events
Community events, street festivals, craft fairs, music events, state and county fairs, sports tournaments, parades and political rallies are just a few of the many temporary events that take place in communities nationwide. This session will focus on the application of the general non-discrimination requirements of the ADA to both indoor and outdoor temporary events as well as the obligation for the venues/facilities being used to comply with the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design. In addition, this session will highlight an online resource available for the ADA Nationl Network , “A Planning Guide for Making Temporary Events Accessible to People with Disabilities”, and strategies for providing access for event attendees.

4D) Title III ADA Coordinator Issues
Having an effective ADA program begins with the ADA Coordinator. This session will clearly outline the functions of the ADA Coordinator position and how this position fits in the overall structure of the business. This interactive session will also focus on sharing successful strategies among business leaders to integrate the inclusion of people with disabilities into various aspects of the business culture.

5A-6A) Public Rights-of-Way
Agencies strive to offer vibrant healthy places for their citizens and visitors to enjoy.  Making facilities and transportation accessible to everyone, including seniors and people with disabilities can be difficult in an environment with existing constraints.  Melissa Anderson, Cole, and formerly with the US Access Board, will discuss the technical criteria of the proposed Public Right of Way Guidelines and obligations of states and local agencies under the Americans with Disabilities Act to make the public right of way accessible.  She will cover the minimum criteria for pedestrian access routes, curb ramps, street crossings, accessible pedestrian signals, parking and transit.  She will also discuss Transition Plans, which require a self-evaluation, schedule and process for making the right of ways and other facilities accessible. The most difficult part of this task is the inventory and data management. This session will discuss how a state DOT and several metropolitan areas are accomplishing this mandate with innovative data collection, quantitative prioritization and budget planning.

5B) Reasonable Accommodations
The ADA requires that employers provide accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities in order to remove workplace barriers to provide equal employment opportunity. For many employers understanding when and how they must comply can be, at times, complex. This session will help employers develop effective policies, procedures, and best practices that can assure full compliance as well as help to successfully respond to reasonable accommodation requests and needs resulting in creating a productive work environment for all employees.

5C) ADA Jeopardy
In the popular game show, Jeopardy!, contestants select questions from different categories and must quickly respond to these questions to accumulate points. This highly interactive session is an adaptation of this game show and is designed to provide an opportunity for participants learn about serving customers with disabilities. The fast-paced format is not just for fun, participants will have to make split second decisions about how to deal with situations when they arise. 

5D) Business Accessibility Assessments and Planning
Businesses may not be federally required to perform an ADA self-evaluation the way a public entity is but that does not mean they do not have responsibilities under the ADA. Goods and services must still be accessible and the best way to ensure that is to perform accessibility assessments of both customer service policies and facilities. This session will explore the readily achievable requirements towards making a business accessible as well as discuss strategies for handling customer service issues and training employees.

6B) Recreation Facilities and Outdoor Developed Areas
New accessibility standards for trails, picnic and camping facilities, viewing areas, and beach access routes became effective on federal sites, but do not yet cover State and local government facilities. This session will review these standards and discuss how they can be used when designing outdoor facilities covered by the ADA. The session will also cover recreation facilities covered in Chapter 10 of the 2010 ADA Standards including play areas, swimming pools, golf courses and sporting facilities.

6C) Advanced Discussion Forum: ADA Title II Coordinator Issues
This session will provide an opportunity for attendees with advanced knowledge and experience as ADA Coordinators to discuss pertinent issues and problem solve. Attendees will have a chance to discuss their own everyday issues and problems they face and work with other ADA Coordinators facing similar issues to come up with possible problem solving techniques that they can take back home with them. The session will follow a guided facilitation format.

6D) Emergency Evacuation Procedures

Understanding how to get persons into facilities has long been one of the goals of the ADA and Building Codes. The same cannot be said of accessible egress and evacuation. The Codes and Federal Regulations are still developing their understanding and working to improve protocols for egress and evacuation. This unique program analyzes three fundamental principles in better preparing for emergency evacuation:

1.     The imperative to include persons with disabilities, Human Resources professionals, ADA Coordinators, Facility Managers and Emergency Preparedness agencies in planning.

2.     With or without construction, evacuation considerations from the International Building Code are required to meet the Federal Regulations. Topics we cover include: Fire safety plans, drills, fire evacuation plans, lock-down plans, shelter-in-place, signage, communication, Accessible Means of Egress and other critical principles and actions.

3.     Sometimes evacuation needs go beyond buildings and sites, expanding outward into neighborhoods, across campuses and communities. In keeping with our “Start Simple, Start Local” philosophy, this third aspect of the training examines details of the wider scope of emergency evacuation from a civic standpoint.

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