CIL : Center for Independent Living in Central Florida, Inc.

BAC Meeting Highlights Technology and Customer Service

New technology makes serving people with disabilities easier than ever

Members of the Business Advisory Council (BAC) met May 30 at the beautiful Wyndham Orlando Resort, Palms ballroom. The participants were entertained and educated by a number of interesting presentations highlighting technology, human resources, and savvy consumerism.

BAC Co-Chair/Treasurer Nichole Arguello kicked off the event by welcoming the nearly 64 attendees from a variety of industries including hospitality, theme parks, staffing agencies, schools, state agencies, retail, banks, and more.

BAC meeting

Walt Disney's Guest Services specialist, Mark Jones showed attendees how the Disney Parks were accommodating guests with disabilities. He demonstrated "Disney's Handheld Device", a small, wireless, PDA-sized device guests can take with them through the park that provides deaf and hard of hearing guests with captioning and assistive listening or amplification services. For example, if you were to take the handheld device with you on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride it would caption the entire dialog for you.

For people with visual impairments, the device provides video caption activation. If you are standing in line and viewing a video monitor the device will turn on closed captioning services and provide written description on what's on screen. The device also provides "attraction description" that provides a verbal description of certain attractions.

BAC meeting

Senior Human Resource Representative, Buddy Meyer, talked about how Disney provides accommodations for employees, or cast members with disabilities.

Universal Orlando's Manager for Attraction Safety and ADA Compliance, Kevin L. Huff, talked about the wide variety of accommodations for guests with disabilities at Universal's two Orlando theme parks.

Mr. Huff says Universal is doing everything possible to make the park experience the same for people with disabilities as for those without. Some rides have been made accessible and entry and exit have been made as discreet as possible for guest safety and comfort.

Many BAC members are professionals in the field of Human Resources. Stacey Cooper, Talent Management Human Resource Manager for the Home Depot presented on the subject of Best Practices in the hiring of workers with disabilities.

The meeting concluded with Orlando Better Business Bureau President Judy Pepper relating a few cautionary tales regarding confidence games and other fraudulent employment schemes designed to turn a quick profit.

The next meeting of the BAC is scheduled for September 12, 2008. Location is to be determined.

Scheduled to speak is Dawn Hayn, Compliance Officer, U.S. Department of Labor. She will share the market trends her organization is seeing in terms of demographics statistics related to employment, disability awareness, and litigation. She will also share the effects of the current political landscape and how that is impacting budget allocation trends.

To learn more about the BAC or the services CIL provides please call Rogue Gallart, Director of Advocacy at 407.623.1070 x120 or email Rogue

Funding Progress toward Rampage 2008

Fundraising continues for this year's wheelchair ramp building event - Rampage! 2008. In it's fourth year, Rampage! continues to bring dignity and independence to people with disabilities. The struggle for independence never ends. Often just one or two steps separate many people in Central Florida from working, going to the store or visiting family.

CIL built 6 ramps in 2007 and we want to do more this year. We can succeed, but only with the generous donations of people like you.

If you believe in the mission of CIL, please show your support. To donate, visit our secure webpage.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact CIL at 407-623-1070