Disability Resource Directory - Orange County

Happy Birthday ADA!
TALLAHASSEE — Florida Chief Justice
Peggy Quince and Attorney General
Bill McCollum joined advocates for
the handicapped today in celebrating
the 18th anniversary of the Americans
with Disabilities Act, high atop the
state Capitol.
McCollum said his office has a
special unit known as the PANE
team — for “patient abuse, neglect
and exploitation” — to enforce laws
protecting the disabled, elderly and
other most-vulnerable residents of
nursing homes and other treatment
facilities. He told about 50 people,
including patients and officials from
advocacy groups for the disabled,
that he personally negotiated with
the White House and business
representatives as a member of
Congress 18 years ago to work out
precise wording of the ADA.
Jim DeBeaugrine, interim director
of the state Agency for Persons with
Disabilities, said the ADA is now “a
civil rights law.” He said employers
and city or county agencies take
handicapped access and employment
accommodation seriously.
The Governor’s Commission on
Disabilities joined the APD, Division
of Vocational Rehabilitation and
organizations like Ability 1st and
The Able Trust in recognizing the
anniversary. They presented award
certificates to Quince for her work with
the State Courts System in advancing
the rights of the disabled, the Florida
State University School of Dance
and Department of Environmental
Protection for accommodating needs
of the handicapped.
The courts, under former Chief
Justice R. Fred Lewis, had an
accessibility initiative that surveyed
ADA compliance in more than
140 court facilities. The FSU dance
school has hosted the AXIS Dance
Company, which has some dancers
with disabilities. The Magee Allesee
National Center for Choreography
worked months in advance to make
sure AXIS members had maximum
access to workshops, shows and other
events.
The DEP Office of Greenways
and Trails was honored for building
accessible playgrounds.
07/25/2008 © Pensacola News Journal
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