*The ADA Report* *January, 2026* ***** *National **ADA Symposium Registration is Open!* Virtual | May 4-6, 2026 www.adasymposium.org [ [link removed] ] Registration [ [link removed] ]      *ADA Coordinator Conference* Virtual | Feb 2–4, 2026 Registration Deadline: Jan 23, 2026 Registration  [ [link removed] ] This 3-day virtual training includes multiple 90-minute sessions covering a wide range of ADA topics and Titles. All sessions are delivered via Zoom and include ASL interpreters and real-time captioning (CART). ACTC Program membership is not required to attend.  Website Accessibility Certificate Available!   ***** *Articles, Resources, and Updates* *Bob Kafka, a renowned disability rights advocate and key organizer for ADAPT, died at 79 in his Austin, Texas home on December 26, 2025. [ [link removed] ]*     *New Report: Health Care Accessibility-Further Efforts Needed to Address Barriers for People with Disabilities [ [link removed] ]* (US Government Accountability Office, Dec 19, 2025)     *The Hidden ROI of Accessible Design: How Inclusion Drives Innovation [ [link removed] ]* (Forbes, Updated Dec 16, 2025)     *Help Us Serve You!!* If you live or work in the Great Plains Region (IA, KS, MO, NE), we would appreciate your taking a few moments to complete this survey to determine the types of information and services that best meet your needs. *Go to Survey  [ [link removed] ]*   *Hearing Assistive Technology Makes Noisy Spaces Easier to Navigate [ [link removed] ]* -Tech devices like hearing loop systems and Auracast work hard to help you hear better. (AARP, 12,12,2025)     *Guide Dog, Service Dog, Working Dog, Therapy Dog, Emotional Support Animal: Know the Differences* [ [link removed] ] (12-22-2025)  Very clear explanation of the differences in assistive animals from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Blog: No Bones About It.     *The ADA Accommodation Gap: Why Employers Struggle and How a Better Process Can Help* [ [link removed] ] (JDSupra-01-06-2026)    ***** * * *Federal Activities* *Peak Performers to Pay $160,000 in EEOC Disability Lawsuit* [ [link removed] ]  ----Staffing agency to implement major ADA training, policy measures, and compliance. The EEOC’s lawsuit alleged that even though executives at Peak Performers knew the executive assistant asked for time off to seek treatment for mental health-related disabilities, the company denied her brief, unpaid leave request and instead fired her in April 2024.   *EEOC Sues Horseshoe Casino and Caesars Entertainment Companies for Disability Discrimination and Retaliation* [ [link removed] ] (12-31-2025)  -Federal lawsuit charges casino operators with discrimination against employee after falling ill at work.   *Walmart to Pay $60,000 in EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit* [ [link removed] ] (01-12-2026)  -Retailer settles federal suit charging its Farmingdale store refused to accommodate employee’s disability and fired her. ...Walmart managers who were new to the Farmingdale location discontinued accommodations designed to help the employee, who has hearing, speech and cognitive impairments, to understand her daily assignments.    *1st Franklin Financial Corporation to Pay $750,000 in EEOC Disability Discrimination Suit* [ [link removed] ] (12-23-2025)  According to the suit, since 2022, 1st Franklin denied reasonable accommodations to its employees with disabilities and offered no alternative accommodations, including when its employees requested leave as an accommodation   ***** *ADA National Network Trainings* *The Born-Accessible Design Approach: Cost-Effective, Inclusive, Compliant  [ [link removed] ]* Tuesday, January 20, 2026. 11:30 -1:00 Central Sponsor: Great Lakes ADA Center   *Protected Health Information: Deciphering What is Protected under the Alphabet of Civil Rights and Medical Information Laws [ [link removed] ]* Wednesday, January 21, 2026. 1:00 - 2:30 Central Sponsor: Great Lakes and Southwest ADA Centers   *Assistance Animals in Employment [ [link removed] ]* Thursday, January 29, 2026. 1:00 - 2:30 Central Sponsor: Great Lakes ADA Center and the ADA National Network   *2026 ADA State of the Science * *Research Conference * February 26, 2026 and March 12, 2026 *Learn More  [ [link removed] ]* ** ** **

Great Plains ADA Center | 573-882-3600 |_ _https://www.gpadacenter.org [ [link removed] ]

Architectural Studies Department, University of Missouri



 

*Craig Knutson*| "Executive Director
"Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC)
*Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
*900 SW Jackson, Suite 100 | Topeka, Kansas 66612
(785) 296-6525 (direct) | (785) 260-4027 (cell)

[email protected] | www.kcdcinfo.ks.gov [ [link removed] ]

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