Winter ADA Coordinator Conference-- Phoenix, AZ Registration Closed

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The ADA Coordinator Training Certification Program (ACTCP) presents the Winter ADA Coordinator Conference January 16th and 17th, 2020 in Phoenix, AZ.

This 2 day event will be held at the Black Canyon Conference Center. The conference will offer a variety of sessions and feature speakers from the National Network of ADA Centers, and other nationally recognized ADA experts.

Registration is open to the public. Members of the ADA Coordinator Training Certification Program will have an opportunity to obtain both foundation and elective level credits towards their program completion. In addition, members and non-members alike may participate in our newest program, the Title III Business Certificate. 

The ACTCP introduces our Title III Business Certificate. 

to obtain the Title III Certificate:

• As an attendee, if you already have earned the ACTCP Title II Certification you would need to attend all “D” sessions on day two. That's it. There is no exam and no online courses after the conference.  Just attend the Day 2 "D" sessions and you will earn the certificate.

• If you have not earned the Title II Certification prior to the conference you would need to attend the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design (1 and 2) session on Day 1 and then all the “D” sessions on Day 2. If you can show us that they have previously taken the 2010 Standards prior to the conference then you would not have to repeat it.

Seating for the Winter ADA Coordinator Conference 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 200 Registrants. Hurry and register today.

Don't miss out on this great training opportunity!

Costs:

Registration for this event is only $350 

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

Location:

Black Canyon Conference Center
9440 N 25th Ave,
Phoenix, AZ 85021

Hotel Reservations

There are four hotels located within a block of the conference center and several more hotels in the area.

All 4 hotels are within close proximity and walking distance of the Center, Homewood Suites is a short drive. The three hotels listed below offer a special rate for conference goers. Please ask for the Black Canyon Conference Center preferred rate.

For hotel rooms:

Phoenix North Courtyard by Marriott

SpringHill Suites Phoenix North

TownPlace Suites Phoenix North

Parking

Meals:

The ADA Coordinator Conference will provide lunch both days.
Dinner will not be provided, however there are several other dining options in the area.

Transportation:

Information Coming Soon

Conference Registration:

Click Here for Online Conference Registration

AGENDA
(Session descriptions are below 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 and 2010 Standards for Accessible Design 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.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Session Descriptions:

Pre-conference) ADA Basics Overview
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.

To apply what we learn, the program wraps up with a review of a recent $12 million-dollar construction project from accessible design perspectives that presented opposition between real-world construction limitations and accessibility ideals. Participants are invited to interpret and judge the application of the 2010 DOJ Standards for Accessible Design. This interactive approach raises facility access concerns surrounding the alteration and new additions to two multi-story, existing buildings that were originally free standing, but eventually connected.

1B) 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.

2B) Accessible Assembly and Meeting Spaces
From Coffee with the Mayor to Professional Sports Stadiums and everything in between, all assembly spaces can be universally accessible. The trainer will share the tips, tricks, and tools to make your assembly area fully accessible and to ensure that your organization’s future events are accessible by default. Accessible spaces, technologies, and good customer service can streamline your preparation and reduce the need for accommodations requests.

2C) 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.

3A-4A) Self-Evaluation & Transition Plans (2-Part Continuous Session)
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 have 50 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) Wheelchair User Contacts for Law Enforcement
This course is designed for Local Government ADA Coordinators and Law Enforcement Officers. The goal is to open a dialog between the two professions and improve overall contacts with wheelchair users. During the 90 minute session, attendees will be instructed on the fundamentals designs and uses for wheelchairs, How to conduct safe interviews, searches, handcuffing concerns, restraint and transportation issues. In addition to ADA Coordinators and Law Enforcement Officers, this course is will be helpful for all first responders of every profession. This class is instructed in an open format where questions and participation from the audience is encouraged. The instructor keeps the course lively with numerous examples of law enforcement contacts and personal stories.

3C) Effective Communication
This is a comprehensive session that defines effective communication under the ADA, reviews different forms of communication that need to be accessible, and determine methods of communication. This session will cover proactive steps to take for effective communication, and applying effective communication obligations to different settings.

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) Emergency Preparedness
National state, and local entities and communities are increasingly planning emergency management and preparedness to handle disasters. Emergencies and disasters can be particularly concerning for people with disabilities. Successful outcomes for people with disabilities in disasters will depend on the how inclusive the plans are. This session will focus on key strategies and approaches at various levels (federal, state, and local) toward emergency management and preparedness and the inclusion of people with disabilities.

4C) Temporary Events 
Music festivals, street fairs and other temporary leisure events strengthen our connection to others and foster strong communities. Unique challenges are faced when creating facility and program accessibility and ensuring communication at these events. This session will cover the ADA obligations of Title III entities that offer temporary outdoor community programming and provide examples that illustrate the application of these guidelines in real-world settings. It will specifically address typical barriers encountered by individuals with disabilities and removal of those barriers in the provision of accessible: routes, seating, concessions & vending, restrooms and parking. It will also address effective communication, auxiliary aids and services, and the use of certified American Sign Language Interpreters at these events. The right interpretive team, one that displays a nuanced navigation of meeting both the interpreting and performance needs, is necessary to provide maximum enjoyment for the Deaf, Deaf/Blind and Hard of Hearing attendees. Specific focus will be given to the training and hiring of an ASL interpreting team.

4D) Business Benefits of Disability Inclusion
Recruiting, hiring, retaining, and advancing qualified workers with disabilities provides extensive benefits for employers. This session will offer a discussion of those benefits with a focus on promising practices being used by top diversity employers around the globe. Learn about cutting edge techniques for campus recruiting, community partnerships, and innovations in professional development, among others.

5A) 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. This session 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. Topics covered include the minimum criteria for pedestrian access routes, curb ramps, street crossings, accessible pedestrian signals, parking and transit.

5B) Outdoor Recreational Facilities and Trails
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.

5C) Design for Employment
This course examines the intersections of two normally disparate ADA topics: Employment and Design. The DOJ 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design provides only a handful of architectural provisions when designing employee work areas. And, accessible work-place design is often undertaken without first considering the accessibility policies and principles of the employer and the essential job functions in Title I of the ADA.  Designers, ADA coordinators, human resources professionals and others have the opportunity to envision building design before construction or alterations that maximizes the facility potential for all users regardless of their abilities.

Facility design can begin with an educated Title I strategy to avoid or diminish alterations or conflicts later. Buildings can be poised for adaptability and easily learn without extensive modifications. Issues like essential job functions, secondary facility functions, reasonable accommodations, and newly disabled employees are discussed with a strong focus on deliberate facility design. Designers and facility owners sometimes believe that no accessibility is required for certain careers or areas of a building. We examine design misinterpretations – and exceptions - when an employee is initially able-bodied such as; police, fire fighters, building inspectors, etc.

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. 

6A) Reasonable Employment 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.

6B) Autism and Law Enforcement
This course is designed for Local Government ADA Coordinators to assist them in understanding how police officers respond to calls for service involving individuals on the Autism Spectrum and the challenges Law Enforcement faces. The goal is to help ADA Coordinators open a dialogue with the Police Departments that service their community in an effort to improve their response protocols, if needed, and cooperate with them to better serve the Autism community they are entrusted to protect. Topics that will be covered include Autism research, the diagnosis process, behaviors and characteristics, common therapies, restraint and control and the often ignored caregiver contacts. During this course participants will be instructed on how to recognize the signs of Autism, identify safe means to communicate and contact individuals on the spectrum. In addition to ADA Coordinators this course is will be helpful for all first responders of every profession, to include Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Services. This class in instructed in an open format where questions and participation from the audience is encouraged. The instructor keeps the course lively with numerous examples of spectrum contacts with law enforcement and personal stories.

6C) How Individuals with Disabilities use the Web
Not sure how screen reading software works or sounds? Have no idea what accessible features are built into browsers? Then this session is designed for you. We will cover the different ways people with disabilities access web pages, specific needs for different types of disabilities, and the supporting software/adaptive technologies available. This session have numerous examples and plenty of time for Q & A. Note: this will be a basic session for attendees with little knowledge of web accessibility issues.

6D) Title III Barrier Removal 
Obligations for businesses operating from existing buildings continues to be one of the most misunderstood requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). People forget that the ADA is a civil rights law and not a building code. Numerous lawsuits and complaints have arisen due to the lack of barrier removal by retail and business establishments on main streets across the country. This session will cover ADA requirements for "readily achievable barrier removal" and how it applies to a place of public accommodation.

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