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Physical Disabilities & Aging

Communicating With Digital Accessibility Mind — Tips & Tools! 

Attendees will learn:

  • Why emails and documents need to be created with digital accessibility in mind;
  • How to be more accessible in creating emails and MS Word documents; and
  • Where to access a host of user-friendly tips and videos about this topic.

Presented by:

  • Katherine Eng, Senior ICT Accessibility Specialist, Office of Technical and Information Services, U.S. Access Board
  • Janet D. Fiore, CEO, Sierra Group, Inc.
  • Michael Mangos,  Chief Strategist, Tamman, Inc.
  • The Sierra-Tamman 360 Collaborative

This Complimentary Training is hosted on GoToWebinar.
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EDT
Register

ASL and Auto-Captions will be provided.

Request additional accommodations during registration on or BEFORE 3/15/23 via email.

Space is Limited, Register Today! Accommodation requests are due by 3/21/2023.

Why attend?

Because together, we can drive up accessibility and inclusion for Americans with Disabilities in the Workforce. Yet this does not happen every day. Your efforts can make a significant different. Attend to learn how.

Emails and Word documents as Daily Communication Tools!

Your professional communications and content is not automatically inclusive to everyone, but it can be — learn how by joining us for this COMPLIMENTARY training, which is geared for any business professional who uses email and MS Word at work. Includes entry level content with tools and tips for deeper learning.

Why Be Accessible?

So that someone with a disability has the same access to your information as everyone else. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s the law.

About The Sierra Group

The Sierra Group Academy and Tamman, Inc.’s 360 Degree Collaboration

Committed to spreading the word about digital inclusion AND the accommodations per the ADA, in the summer of 2020 when the world was emerging from the full pandemic lockdown mode, digital accessibility for Americans with disabilities was more critical than ever before.  64 million Americans with disabilities were beholden to live and work and shop and tele-health remotely, just like everyone else.  However, communication tools and IT systems were not fully inclusive to support them. 

About the US Access Board:

The Access Board is an independent federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities. The Board develops and maintains design criteria for the built environment, transit vehicles, telecommunications equipment, and for electronic and information technology.

RCPA is pleased to announce a new program for RCPA members, one that will help you save on your health insurance while providing access to quality care for your employees: Introducing the RCPA Captive Health Plan.

Join RCPA as we host the 2023 Annual Conference, A Decade of Unity: Enhancing Lives and Shaping the Future, October 10–13, at the Hershey Lodge. RCPA staff and the Conference Committee are excited to release this year’s Sponsors, Exhibitors, and Advertisers brochure, with new opportunities to get in on the action. Booth self-selection will be available for exhibitors and exhibiting sponsors. In order to be considered for self-selection, a completed contract with payment must be submitted.

Don’t miss your chance to be seen and to support the work of this dynamic organization at our 10 year anniversary! The event is a highlight for the Pennsylvania behavioral health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, children’s, brain injury, medical rehabilitation, and physical disabilities and aging provider communities.

Celebrate, Communicate, and Compete in Connections Hall
Exhibit activities take place during the two busiest days of the conference, with many networking opportunities throughout the event. You’ll also be able to compete and have a chance to win “Best of Show!”

Exciting New Sponsorship Opportunities
The association is privileged to have the backing of the finest organizations in the field for our conference. Through the use of sponsorship circles, RCPA is able to honor all supporting organizations.

Sign Up Now
Sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers who wish to be listed on the website, the mobile app, and in the conference program must submit all materials by September 8. The association looks forward to welcoming you at the conference! Space and opportunities are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis, and no reservation is considered complete without payment. If questions remain, please contact Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

An announcement was issued today regarding the Bureau Director for the Bureau of Human Services Licensing (BHSL) for the Department of Human Services (DHS). The current Bureau Director, Jeanne Parisi, has accepted the Deputy Secretary position for Quality Assurance at the Department of Health, effective March 20, 2023. Brian MacDaid has been appointed Acting Bureau Director, also effective March 20, 2023. Brian has worked for the Commonwealth in DHS for the past 22 years and currently works for the Office of Long-Term Living (OLTL) in the Bureau of Quality Assurance and Program Analytics as the Director of the Quality Assurance Division.

Photo by Kane Reinholdtsen on Unsplash

The 2023 RCPA Conference, which will be celebrating our 10-year anniversary as a leader in shaping policy and enhancing lives, will be held October 10 – 13 at the Hershey Lodge for a statewide audience. The Conference Committee is seeking workshop proposals in every area for possible inclusion, particularly those that assist providers in developing and maintaining high-quality, stable, and effective treatments, services, and agencies in an industry where change is constant. The committee looks for presentations that:

  • Highlight new policy, research, and treatment initiatives, such as telehealth innovations, suicide prevention, and employing people with disabilities;
  • Provide specific skills and information related to individual and organizational leadership development and enhancement;
  • Discuss advanced ethics practices;
  • Address system changes that affect business practices, including integrated care strategies, value-based purchasing, acquisitions/mergers, and alternative payment models;
  • Provide guidance on building a culture of a committed workforce, including recruitment and employee development as well as effective remote workforce strategies;
  • Offer concrete skills and tools to operate more efficient, effective agencies; and
  • Inspire ideas for organizations to be leaders in their field.

The committee welcomes any proposal that addresses these and other topics essential to rehabilitation, mental health, substance use disorder, children’s health, aging, physical disabilities, and intellectual/developmental disabilities & autism. Members are encouraged to consider submitting and to forward this opportunity to those who are exceptionally good speakers and have state-of-the-art information to share.

The Call for Proposals (featuring a complete listing of focus tracks) and accompanying Guidelines for Developing Educational Objectives detail requirements for submissions. The deadline for submissions is Monday, March 13, 2023, at 5:00 pm. Proposals must be submitted electronically on the form provided; confirmation of receipt will be sent. Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

If the proposal is accepted, individuals must be prepared to present on any day of the conference. Workshops are 90 or 180 minutes in length. At the time of acceptance, presenters will be required to confirm the ability to submit workshop handouts electronically four weeks prior to the conference. Individuals unable to meet this expectation should not submit proposals for consideration.

Individuals are welcome to submit multiple proposals. Notification of inclusion will be made via email by Friday, May 12, 2023. Questions may be directed to Carol Ferenz, Conference Coordinator.

Below are some updates regarding the upcoming Physical Disabilities & Aging (PD&A) Division meetings that members should make note of.

The March 16 division meeting has been canceled, and a special meeting has been scheduled for March 23, 2023, from 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm. The purpose of this meeting will be to discuss the recently released Office of Long-Term Living’s (OLTL) Community HealthChoices (CHC) Request for Information. Members are encouraged to review the RFI prior to the meeting in order to provide input to the comments that will be submitted, which are due by April 14, 2023. You can register for the meeting here.

The next full PD&A meeting is scheduled for May 25, 2023, from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm. Members are encouraged to submit agenda topics for this meeting (and all future PD&A meetings) to Melissa Dehoff.

The list of upcoming PD&A meetings in 2023 includes:

  • May 25, 2023, from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
  • September 14, 2023, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
  • December 14, 2023, from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Dehoff.

RCPA will be hosting our 2023 Capitol Day on Monday, April 24 and will hold a press conference and rally between 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm on the front steps of the State Capitol (outside the Main Rotunda). This is your opportunity to show a shared voice to the legislature, administration, and governor’s office on matters that impact providers and those they serve. Members from all RCPA divisions are requested to attend and schedule appointments with their Senate and House legislators to discuss the state budget, legislation, and regulations that impact the services of our members.

Detailed information will follow, but if you have questions or suggestions regarding our 2023 Capitol Day, please contact Jack Phillips, Director of Government Affairs.