Greetings colleagues! I just returned from the Florida Association of Museums, where I presented a workshop on Accessibility -- review of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title III (Public Accommodations), an abbreviated physical facility audit (e.g., depths, widths, heights of counters, tables, signs, toilets, grab bars in toilet stalls), I am an occupational therapist turned museum professional turned consultant, who has worked with hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities -- learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, amputations, spinal cord injuries, trauma, stroke, Parkinson's Disease, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, paranoia, Alzheimer's Disease, etc. I have headed up education at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, where I assisted in the formalization of a Universal Access initiative, for which the zoo won the 2001 AAM Accessibility Award. I have also been Vice President of Education at the Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa. I am currently consulting and doing independent contract work in the areas of program evaluation, exhibit evaluation, visitor studies, education and training programs and compliance with the ADA. I am more than happy to talk with anyone about their specific needs regarding accessibility or disability awareness. In the meantime, here are some resources to get you started! Majewski, Janice (1987). Part of Your General Public is Disabled: A Handbook for Guides in Museums, Zoos, and Historic Houses. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. (available through AAM) -- also has a videotape. An excellent resource that presents eight types of disabilities, signs and symptoms of each disability and suggests ways in which museum staff and volunteers can best plan for and deliver inclusive programming and visitor services. The Americans with Disabilities Act Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal, download from www.adaptenv.org/publications/checklist-pdf.pdf. Copies of this checklist are also available from your Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center. To be automatically connected to your regional center, call 1-800-949-4232. ADA Communication Accommodations Project (ADA-CAP) American Foundation for the Blind Governmental Relations Dept 1615 M Street NW, Suite 250 Washington D.C. 20036 Hotline of vision issues: (202) 223-0101 voice/TDD Hotline on hearing issues: (202) 651-5343 voice/TDD Association of Late-Deafened Adults P.O. Box 641763 Chicago, IL 60664 (312) 604-4192 TDD National Braille Press 88 St. Stephen Street Boston, MA 02215 (617) 266-6160 Voice National Federation of the Blind Information Access Project 1800 Johnson Street Baltimore, MD 21230 (301) 659-9314 voice AT & Ts National Special Needs Center 2001 Route 46, Suite 310 Parsippany, NJ 07054-1315 (800) 233-1222 voice (800) 83303232 TDD Self Help for Hard of Hearing People 7800 Wisconsin Avenue Bethesda, MD 20814 (301) 657-2248 voice (301) 657-2249 TDD Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board 1331 F Street NW, Suite 1000 Washington, D.C. 20004-1111 (202) 653-7834 voice (202) 272-5449 TDD Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. 8719 Colesville Road, Suite 310 Silver Spring, MD 20910-3919 (301) 608-0050 voice/TDD Terrie Terrie Nolinske, Ph.D., L.O.T (Licensed Occupational Therapist) Principal TNI Consultants LLC A Woman Business Enterprise Member, Tampa Chamber of Commerce Phone: 813. 973. 2102 Email: [log in to unmask] URL: www.tniconsultants.com ----- Original Message ----- From: Tracy Calvan To: [log in to unmask] Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 8:44 PM Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Training For Docents to work with Special Needs Visitors In a message dated 9/8/2008 8:08:19 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes: You could also try the special needs office at your area university. i've gone that route before and they usually do a great job. Keni Sturgeon Curator Mission Mill Museum Salem, OR --- On Mon, 9/8/08, Amy Steadman <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: Amy Steadman <[log in to unmask]> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Training For Docents to work with Special Needs Visitors To: [log in to unmask] Date: Monday, September 8, 2008, 1:19 PM Interested in any information about a course or workshop, or even a consultant who comes to your site, that helps trains certain docents and staff to work with visitors with special needs. Thanks.AmyAmy SteadmanCurator of CollectionsEudora Welty HouseJackson, Mississippi=========================================================Important Subscriber Information:The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ .You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a oneline e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the messageshould read "help" (without the quotes).If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "SignoffMuseum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). 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