UNC’s Center for Aging Research and Educational Services (Cares) has been awarded a 4-year contract to assist in strengthening information, education and technical guidance in support of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The contract was awarded by the Kentucky-based Southeast Americans with Disabilities Act Center (SEADA), one of 10 regional centers in the ADA National Network. SEADA is a project of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University.
Under the contract, Cares will serve as SEADA’s North Carolina affiliate center and will partner with organizations across the state, particularly in the underserved aging network. Cares will also work to identify individuals to participate in SEADA research studies involving intersectionality of race and disability. These studies will focus on three ADA related topics: employment, short and long-term poverty, and access to digital technology.
“As the North Carolina affiliate to the Southeast ADA Center, the Cares team is excited about sharing vital information and technical assistance to support the rights of people with disabilities throughout the state,” said Linda Kendall Fields, Cares program coordinator.
Established in 1987, Cares works to improve the lives of older adults and adults with disabilities and their families in North Carolina. Cares also offers a variety of educational programs for human services professionals designed to strengthen their service to vulnerable populations. Cares frequently works with the N.C. Division of Aging and other recipients of federal grants to conduct independent evaluations of grant-funded interventions and initiatives.
