Educating and Empowering
ILR’s Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability has been awarded renewed grant funding to operate the Northeast ADA Center during the next five years.
The center, located at the Yang-Tan Institute on the Cornell campus, is a neutral resource for companies, educational institutions, disability advocacy organizations and individuals.
The Northeast ADA Center’s mission is to provide a greater awareness of the Americans with Disabilities Act through information, referrals, resources and trainings focused on the equal opportunities that people with disabilities are guaranteed under federal law.
“Our goal is to educate and empower the diverse range of ADA stakeholders throughout our region,” said Wendy Strobel, director of the Northeast ADA Center. It covers New York State, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and is one of 10 ADA centers across the United States.
“Specifically, we hope to increase their knowledge of the ADA to allow people to make better decisions regarding disability inclusiveness, and to implement the ADA in their own lives, workplaces, businesses and communities.”
The ADA is a comprehensive civil rights law designed to ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities in all aspects of society.
The ADA addresses disability discrimination in employment, participation in state and local government activities, access to businesses open to the public such as hotels and restaurants, telecommunications access and other areas.
Tied to the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability mission of advancing knowledge, policies and practices to enhance equal opportunities for all people with disabilities, the Northeast ADA Center provides trainings and technical assistance, and distributes materials on disability-related topics.
“Our objectives are to improve ADA stakeholders’ understanding of their rights and responsibilities under the ADA, as well as identify barriers to ADA compliance and develop innovative approaches to address these barriers,” Strobel said.
“Further, we strive to continuously improve our understanding of ADA stakeholders’ needs for and use of our services, systematically enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our services, and increase the implementation of the ADA throughout our region.”
The Northeast ADA Center is a member of the National Network of ADA Centers funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, a center within the Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services.
The Northeast ADA Center is not an enforcement agency and does not provide advocacy or legal services.