ADA Arkansas Roundtable

The Arkansas ADA Roundtable is a coalition of interested people, organizations, agencies, and government entities from around the state. The mission of the Arkansas ADA Roundtable is to promote and advocate for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This is done through the provision of training, technical assistance, education, and resource provision.

The Arkansas ADA Roundtable was formed in 1991, following a teleconference with Justin Dart, one of the primary authors of the ADA and who was then the Chairperson of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities.

At its inception the ADA Roundtable developed and adopted a set of value statements that continue to drive its efforts today:

We value full inclusion of people with disabilities in the mainstream of society.
We value partnership among businesses, government and people with disabilities.
We value the free enterprise system and its potential to respond to the needs of all consumers.
We value the implementation of both the letter and the spirit of the ADA.
We value cultural and ethnic diversity of people affected by the ADA and their unique needs.
We value the concept of "reasonable accommodation."
We value the disability community as an under-utilized market resource.
We value the promotion and recognition of individuals' abilities, skills and competencies in employment.

With these value statements as the foundation and its mission of assisting businesses and agencies to implement the ADA effectively and without excessive costs, the ADA Arkansas Roundtable, through its network, offers training, technical assistance and an electronic news service on the ADA.

Mainstream, which is an Independent Living Resource Center for persons with disabilities coordinates activities of the roundtable. An Executive Steering Committee assist with the development and implementation of the Roundtable's activities. The Roundtable's Steering Committee is responsible for establishing and maintaining linkages with the business community and other community organizations. Another Roundtable member, is UAMS Partners for Inclusion, assist with training and technical assistance. Mainstream, serves as the fiscal agent, and the Roundtable's toll-free hotline is located at Mainstream.

The capacity of individual Roundtable trainers to provide training, presentations, and technical assistance is regularly enhanced through targeted training activities, updates at meetings of members conducted on a quarterly basis, and participation on the Roundtable distribution list.

For membership and other information about Roundtable activities contact:

Rita Byers, Chair
Arkansas ADA Roundtable
c/o Mainstream
1818 South University Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72204
501-280-0012-Voice, (501) 280-9267-FAX
501-280-9262 TDD