Talking Books


   A term referring to the audio tapes, discs and cassettes
   available at no cost from certain designated regional
   libraries throughout the State to persons who are visually
   impaired, blind, or physically disabled. Subject matters
   range from classics to recently released books, magazines
   and periodicals, to reference and information. These
   libraries also provide the equipment necessary to use
   these materials, and have many other services available.
   (See "Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped"
   and "National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
   Handicapped" for more information.) 


For more information, contact : 

		New York State Library for the Blind and Visually Handicapped 
		Cultural Education Center 
		Empire State Plaza 
		Albany, New York 12230 
		(800) 342-3688 
		(800) 342-3111
		
		New York Public Library for the Blind and Physically 
		Handicapped 
		166 Avenue of the Americas 
		New York, New York 10013 
		(212) 925-1011 
		(212) 925-9699
		
		Library of Congress 
		Washington, D.C. 20542 
		(202) 287-5100
		
		
Targeted Jobs Tax Credit Program (Federal Provision) 


   The Targeted Jobs Tax Credit (TJTC) program was established on the
   Federal level to provide an incentive for employers to hire individuals
   from targeted groups that have a particularly high unemployment rate or
   other special employment needs. The " targeted group" consists of:
   vocational rehabilitation referrals, economically disadvantaged youths,
   economically disadvantaged Vietnam Era veterans, Supplemental Security
   Income (SSI) recipients, general assistance recipients, youths
   participating in a cooperative education program, economically
   disadvantaged ex - convicts, eligible work incentive employees
   (participants in the expired WIN program), or qualified summer youth
   employees. Currently, for every TJTC-eligible worker hired, an employer
   can get a Federal tax credit of 50% of the first $6, 000 in wages paid
   during the first year, and a tax credit equal to 25% of the first $6,
   000 in wages paid for the second year (for each summer youth hired, the
   tax credit is 85% of the first $3, 000 in wages paid for any 90-day
   period between May 1 and September 15). TJTC credit can be used to
   offset up to 90% of an employer's tax liability after other eligible
   deductions, and any unused credit accumulated may be carried back three
   years or forward fifteen years to further reduce employer tax liability.
   Contact the local New York State Department of Labor Job Service Office
   for specifics on formulas for TJTC deductions and eligibility. 

For more information, contact :


		New York State Department of Labor 
		State Office Campus Building 12 
		Albany, New York 12240 
		(518) 457-6823
		
		
Tay-Sachs


   An inherited disorder caused by the absence of a vital enzyme called
   Hexosaminidase (hex-A) which results in the destruction of the
   nervous system. A baby who has Tay-Sachs develops normally for the
   first few months, then deterioration causing mental and physical
   disabilities begins. 


For further information, contact : 


		New York State Department of Health 
		Corning Tower 
		Empire State Plaza 
		Albany, New York 12247 
		(518) 474-5422
		
		National Tay-Sachs and Allied Diseases Association 
		92 Washington Avenue 
		Cedarhurst, New York 11516 
		(516) 569-4300
		
		
Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDD's)


   A telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD's) is a technological
   device which enables persons with hearing and / or speech
   impairments to communicate over standard telephone lines.
   Descendants of the original teletypewriter device (TTY), TDDs permit
   users to type messages by phone instead of voicing them. Messages
   are received on a display screen at the receiving end and/or a
   printer which records the conversation on paper. To operate
   successfully, both the transmitting and receiving parties must have
   compatible TDDs.

   To place a call, the user dials the telephone conventionally, places
   the telephone receiver on the TDD coupler (much like a computer
   modem), and observes the pattern of lights on the TDD monitor. The
   pattern signals whether the line is ringing, busy, or has been
   answered. When the telephone is answered by a TDD user on the
   receiving end, the caller simply types the message and awaits a
   response. Thus is conversation initiated. 

   Incoming TDD calls are signalled by a flashing signal light , e. g., 
   a lamp which is activated by a visual alert system. Vibrators can
   also be used to alert users of an incoming call , e. g., vibrators
   worn on the wrist or placed under a mattress or pillow for those
   insensitive to light flashing when asleep. 

   Innovations in TDD technology enable the user to choose between a
   variety of devices. Small portable TDDs are available with or
   without a printer as are sophisticated computerized devices with
   answering machine capability. A number of models enable users to
   bypass use of standard telephone equipment and dial directly from
   the keyboard. 


The following sources can be contacted for further information
regarding TDDs and TDD vendors. 


For more information, contact : 

		
		Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf
		3417 Volta Place, N.W.
		Washington, D. C. 20007
		(202) 377-5220 (TDD/Voice)
		
		Deaf Telecommunicators of Greater Washington, Inc.
		Capital Plaza Branch
		P. O. Box 2125
		Hyattsville, Maryland 20784
		(301) 322-1035 (TDD/Voice)
		
   To place a call, the user dials the telephone conventionally, places the
   telephone receiver on the TDD coupler (much like a computer modem), and
   observes the pattern of lights on the TDD monitor. The pattern signals
   whether the line is ringing, busy, or has been answered. When the
   telephone is answered by a TDD user on the receiving end, the caller
   simply types the message and awaits a response. Thus is conversation
   initiated. 


   Incoming TDD calls are signalled by a flashing signal light , e. g., a
   lamp which is activated by a visual alert system. Vibrators can also be
   used to alert users of an incoming call, e. g., vibrators worn on the
   wrist or placed under a mattress or pillow for those insensitive to
   light flashing when asleep. 


   Innovations in TDD technology enable the user to choose between a
   variety of devices. Small portable TDDs are available with or without a
   printer as are sophisticated computerized devices with answering machine
   capability. A number of models enable users to bypass use of standard
   telephone equipment and dial directly from the keyboard. 


The following sources can be contacted for further information regarding
TDDs and TDD vendors. 


For more information, contact : 

		
		Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf
		3417 Volta Place, N.W.
		Washington, D. C. 20007
		(202) 377-5220 (TDD/Voice)
		
		Deaf Telecommunicators of Greater Washington, Inc.
		Capital Plaza Branch
		P. O. Box 2125
		Hyattsville, Maryland 20784
		(301) 322-1035 (TDD/Voice)
		
		GSA, OIRM Schedule 58-VI
		Office of Information Resources Management
		18th and F Streets, N.W.
		Washington, D. C. 20405
		(202) 566-1601 (Voice only)
		
		National Information Center on Deafness
		800 Florida Avenue, N. E.
		Washington, D. C. 20002
		(202) 651-5976 (TDD)
		(202) 651-5109 (Voice)
		
		Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc.
		814 Thayer Avenue
		Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
		(301) 589-3006 (TDD)
		(301) 589-3786 (Voice)
		
		National Association of the Deaf
		814 Thayer Avenue
		Silver Spring, Maryland 20910
		(301) 587-1788 (TDD and Voice
		

The 52 Association

   A non-profit organization founded in 1945 which provides "Confidence
   Through Sports" and "Learn-To-Ski" programs to the handicapped
   community. The purpose is to provide adapted sports participation at
   its 41-acre recreational rehabilitation center in Ossining, New
   York, as an integral part of post-therapeutic rehabilitation for
   individuals from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut who are
   amputees, paraplegic, or blind. The Center and its Sports Complex
   offer specially adapted facilities / activities including :
   wheelchair basketball, paddle boats for leg and arm amputees, a
   swimming and diving pool, archery, track and field, tennis, golf
   driving ranges and adapted bicycle paths around a 5-acre lake for
   use by the blind using tandem bikes. 

For further information, contact : 

		The 52 Association
		441 Lexington Avenue
		New York, New York 10017


Therapeutic Recreation

		National Therapeutic Recreation Branch Liaison 
		National Recreation and Park Association 
		3101 Park Center Drive
		Alexandria, Virginia 22302 (703) 820-4940
		
		
Tourette Syndrome (TS)


   TS is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary muscular
   movements (i. e. excessive blinking, sniffing, twisting and
   bending body), uncontrollable vocal sounds (i.e. cough, sniff,
   grunt, bark, shout), and inappropriate words (i.e. involuntary
   obscenities or repeating words of other people). These multiple tics
   (involuntary rapidly repeated movements) usually begin when a person
   is between ages 2 and 16. TS is thought to be caused by a chemical
   abnormality in the neurotransmitter system (chemicals which carry
   signals from cell to cell in the brain and along the nerves), by
   which the brain regulates movements and behavior. 


For further information, contact: 
		
		
		Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc.
		41-02 Bell Boulevard
		Bayside, New York 11361
		(212) 224-2999



Tuberous Sclerosis


   Tuberous Sclerosis is a genetic disease characterized by one of its
   most common symptoms in its most severe form- - the hardening (
   sclerosis) of swellings (tubers) or tumors. Other symptoms may
   include one or more of the following : convulsive seizures, mental
   retardation, white skin spots, tumors, physical handicaps,
   hyperactivity, developmental delay, and certain skin rashes seen
   over the face and most prominently over the cheeks. The disease is
   highly variable in its pattern of progression and because of its
   multi-faceted character, is often confused with other disorders. 


For more information, contact : 


		New York State American Tuberous Sclerosis Association
		P. O. Box 212
		Seaford Manor, New York 11783
		(516) 783-1989
		
		National Headquarters
		American Tuberous Sclerosis Association
		P. O. Box 44
		Rockland, Massachusetts 02370
		(800) 446-1211
		
		
Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS)


   On August 2, 1984, the General Services Administration (GSA),
   Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Housing and Urban
   Development (HUD), and the United States Postal Service (USPS)
   adopted UFAS, amending HUD regulations, 41 CFR Part 101-19 with the
   DOD and USPS intending to take timely administrative actions. 


   The UFAS and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
   standards are supported to be the same. The purpose of the UFAS
   standards adoption is to make sure old federal agencies had a
   uniformed set of standards. 

For more information about the UFAS standards, you may contact : 


		Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
		451 Seventh Street, S.W.
		Washington, D. C. 20301
		(202) 755-6422
		
		General Services Administration (GSA)
		18th and F Street, N. W.
		Room 3044
		Washington, D. C. 20405
		(202) 472-1082
		
		Office of Secretary of Defense (FMP-DEOC)
		Pentagon Room, 3C-961
		Washington, D. C. 20301-4000
		(202) 697-8567
		
		U. S. Postal Service (USPS)
		475 L'Enfant Plaza West, S.W.
		Washington, D. C. 20260-6415
		(202) 682-9595
		

Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 (UMTA) (Public law 88- 365)


   A Federal act whose purpose is to establish programs for bettering
   transportation in urban areas. Pertinent sections include: Section
   16A -- provides grants to local public agencies for the acquisition
   of vehicles and equipment, and for services, including meeting
   special transportation needs of persons who are elderly and/or
   handicapped; Section 16B --provides grants to private non-profit
   groups for the acquisition of vehicles and equipment, and for
   services, including meeting special transportation needs of persons
   who are elderly and/or handicapped; and, Section 5M -- sets up the
   funding program for reduced and half-fare rates for persons who
   elderly and/or handicapped. 


For more information, contact : 


		Transit Division
		New York State Department of Transportation
		Building 4, Room 115
		State Office Campus
		Albany, New York 12232
		(518) 457-7664


Very Special Arts New York


   Very Special Arts New York is a component of the local, district,
   and State Very Special Arts network which exist nationwide under the
   auspices of the National Very Special Arts in all 50 states, the
   District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The National Committee was
   formed over 10 years ago to strengthen and unify the various efforts
   being made to serve individuals in the arts, and to create national
   awareness of arts education in the lives of individuals who are
   disabled. Very Special Arts provides an opportunity for all
   individuals, disabled and non-disabled, to celebrate and share their
   accomplishments in the arts. Through Very Special Arts programs,
   literature, drama, dance, music and the visual arts are used as a
   way for people with disabilities to enter the mainstream of cultural
   and educational activity. At the heart of the Very Special Arts New
   York effort is the Very Special Arts Festival Program which provides
   a non-competitive forum for all children, youth and adults to
   celebrate and share their accomplishments in the arts with their
   peers and interested audiences. Arts festivals provide people with
   handicapping conditions the opportunity to enter exhibitions,
   demonstrations, performances and workshops which illustrate the
   achievements and responsiveness by learning through the arts. 


For more information, contact : 


		New York State Committee on Arts with the Handicapped 
		5 Bradhurst Avenue 
		Hawthorne, New York 10532 
		(914) 592-2180
		
		
Visual Impairments (Blind and Visually Impaired)


   This term refers to a variety of conditions. Visual impairments
   include, but are not limited to: 

   legal blindness -- the inability to see no more at a distance of
   20 feet than a person with normal sight can see at a distance of
   200 feet;

   astigmatism -- curvature of the outer, transparent part of the
   eyeball resulting in a distorted image;

   retinitis pigmentosa -- a congenital degeneration of the
   pigmented layer of the retina (the innermost part of the eye
   which is responsible for the details, color and perspective of
   vision) that leads to a severe loss of peripheral vision (
   vision to the side while looking straight);

   farsightedness (hyperopia) -- a refractive error or defect in
   the curvature of the eye in which the focal point for light rays
   is behind the retina, resulting in the inability to see close
   objects clearly; and

   nearsightedness (myopia) -- a refractive error of the eye where
   the image of a distant object (more than 20 feet away) is
   formed in front of the retina and cannot be seen distinctly
   resulting in the inability to see distant objects clearly.


For further information on visual impairments, contact :
		
		
		Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired 
		New York State Department of Social Services 
		40 North Pearl Street 
		Albany, New York 12243 
		(518) 473-1801
		
		American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) 
		15 West 16th Street 
		New York, New York 10011 
		(212) 620-2000
		
		National Federation of the Blind 
		c/o David Arocho 
		80 North Moore Street, Apt. 4K 
		New York, New York 10013 
		(800) 356-7713
		
		Technical Assistance Center
		Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults
		111 Middle Neck Road
		Sands Point, New York 11050
		(516) 944-8900
		
		Blinded Veterans Association
		1735 DeSales Street, N.W.
		Washington, D.C. 20036
		(202) 347-4010
		
		American Council of the Blind, Inc. (ACB)
		1211 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 506
		Washington, D.C. 20036
		(800) 424-8666
		
		American Association of Workers for the Blind, Inc. (AAWB)
		206 North Washington Street
		Alexandria, Virginia 22314
		(703) 548-1884
		
		National Retinitis Pigmentosa Foundation
		8331 Mindale Circle
		Baltimore, Maryland 21207
		(800) 638-2300
		
		Parents of Visually Handicapped Children
		Empire State Plaza
		P.O. Box 2029
		Albany, New York 12220
		
		Recording for the Blind
		The Anne T. MacDonald Center
		20 Roszel Road
		Princeton, New Jersey 08540
		(609) 452-0606
		
		
Williams Syndrome


   Williams Syndrome is a very rare condition which statistics state
   affect approximately 1 in 20, 000 babies. It is an inborn error of
   metabolism cause as yet unknown, which can leave a degree of brain,
   heart and kidney damage, ranging from mild to severe. 


   The symptoms, characteristics and behaviors of Williams Syndrome are
   as follows: 


   Elfin/Pixie Facial Features : a broad forehead, upturned nose,
   wide mouth, full lips, widely spaced teeth, small chin,
   puffiness around the eyes, small head, depressed nasal bridge. 

   Stellate Eye Pattern: blue and green-eyed children may have a
   star-like pattern in the iris. Brown-eyed children don't usually
   display this pattern. 

   Low Birth Weight: many of these children are labeled failure to
   thrive but do show a slow but steady growth and weight gains.
   Vomiting, gagging, diarrhea or constipation are common in
   infancy. 

   Heart Disorders: can range from non-existent, to slow murmurs,
   to aortic or pulmonary stenoses (narrowing). 

   Elevated Serum Calcium Level: this sometimes occurs in the first
   two years of infancy. 

   Hernias: umbilical, inguinal

   Apparent Sensitive Hearing: can over-react to volume or type of
   noise (high-pitched motors, machines). 

   Development Delays: sitting, walking, language, gross and fine
   motor skills. 

   Friendly/Talkative Personality: unafraid of strangers, have some
   attention problems, sometimes described as impulsive. 

   Possible mild mental retardation: attention deficit-type
   behaviors, good long-term memory. 

   Premature puberty: 

For more information, contact : 

		New England Chapter of the National
		Organization for Parents of Williams
		321 New Hampshire Avenue
		Somerset, Massachusetts 02726-3749
		(617) 674-8544
		
		Williams Syndrome Association
		P. O. Box 178373
		San Diego, California 92117-0910
		(713) 376-7072
		
		
Winter Activities Guide for the Disabled


   A guide to access for winter sports statewide, published by the
   Senate Select Committee on the Disabled in conjunction with their
   1983-84 pilot program of downhill and cross-country skiing for
   people with disabilities. This Program has been taken over by a
   coalition of disabled groups, chaired by the Albany Office of the
   New York Easter Seal Society. 


For more information, contact : 


		New York Easter Seal Society
		845 Central Avenue
		Albany, New York
		(518) 438-8785
		
		
Workers' Compensation


   Workers' Compensation (WC) laws are generally considered to be the
   earliest form of social insurance established in the United States.
   WC is an employer-funded form of income security that is intended to
   replace a portion of a wage earner's income lost as a result of a
   temporary or permanent disability caused by a job-related injury or
   illness. New York enacted WC legislation in 1914, making it one of
   the first states to adopt such a statute. Nearly all workers are
   covered by WC in New York. The WC Law is administered by the State
   WC Board through seven district offices around the State. The Board,
   appointed by the Governor with the consent of the Senate, is an
   independent agency under the auspices of the Department of Labor.


   Essentially, all injuries which are proven to be job-related are
   covered by WC, except when an employer can prove the employee
   deliberately hurt him/herself or the injury happened solely as a
   result of the employee's intoxication. For occupational illness, the
   employee must argue that the work itself or work-related exposure
   contributed to the illness. The disability designation will
   determine what kinds of benefits the employee will receive. Degree
   of disability is solely related to whether or not the individual is
   able to work at pre-injury work capacity, rather than any effect the
   injury may have had on any other aspects of life. (Lost working
   capacity is usually designated by a percentage, such as 20%, 50%
   75%, or 100% disabled).


   There are several disability classifications:


   temporary total disability -- wage earning capacity is lost
   totally, but temporarily;

   temporary partial disability -- wage earning capacity is lost
   partially, and temporarily ;

   permanent total disability -- wage earning capacity is totally
   and permanently lost;

   permanent partial disability -- a percentage of wage earning
   capacity is permanently lost due to continuing partial
   disability;

   schedule loss -- a type of permanent partial disability,
   involving loss of eyesight or hearing, loss of a member of the
   body, such as an arm or leg, or loss of use of such a member ;
   and, 

   disfigurement -- permanent, serious disfigurement of the face,
   head, or neck. Workers' Compensation benefits can include:
   medical care and treatment and cash benefits. 


   The New York Disability Benefits Law DBL) acts as a complement to
   Workers' Compensation and is also administered by the WC Board. The
   DBL requires most employers in the State to carry disability
   insurance to provide cash benefits to employees disabled by an "off-
   the-job" illness or injury. Public employers in New York State,
   however, are not required to provide DBL disability benefits to
   their employees, and only local governments may opt to provide such
   coverage. Coverage may be purchased from approximately 140
   companies, including the State Insurance Fund. (The State, as an
   employer, is barred from providing it.) Employees are usually
   required to pay premiums for nonoccupational disability coverage. 


For more information on this complex system, contact the local
district Workers ' Compensation Office or: 

		
		New York State Workers' Compensation
		100 Broadway
		Albany, New York 12241
		(518) 474-2121
		

Workers with Disabilities Program


   This program, administered by the New York State Department of Civil
   Service, provides essential services to applicants and State
   employees with disabilities to enhance their overall State
   employment opportunities. This includes placement options under
   Section 55 of the Civil Service Law, along with career counseling
   and training. Technical assistance for agencies and employees in
   reasonable accommodations is also available. 


For more information, contact :

		
		New York State Department of Civil Service 
		The W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus
		Albany, New York 12239
		(518) 457-9392
		

Young Adult Institute


   A non-profit agency serving children and adults who are mentally
   retarded and developmentally disabled with more than 35 programs
   throughout the New York Metropolitan area.


For complete information, contact :


		Young Adult Institute
		460 West 34th Street
		New York, New York 10001-2382
		(212) 563-7474