Walton Options, as a Center for Independent Living, provides advocacy services and support to persons with disabilities and their families to help them to be able to live and work in a barrier-free community.

The Americans with Disabilities Act provides Americans with protection concerning their civil rights.  These rights include, but are not limited to, reasonable accommodation in employment (including pre employment); accessibility to both public and private buildings and business; accessible transportation and telecommunications.

Our Independent Living Advocates teach persons with disabilities about their rights, and how to effectively advocate for themselves.  We educate the community about disability rights and the importance of inclusion for persons with disabilities in all aspects of society.

Our advocates are actively involved in transportation issues in our service area, since transportation remains a major barrier for many persons with disabilities and the lack of adequate transportation can inhibit someone’s ability to work and interact in other community activities.

Accessibility in public buildings, the right to bring a service animal into a place of business, employment discrimination or lack of reasonable accommodation are issues that have been addressed by our advocates. 

Walton Options advocates are able to be proactive with employers and businesses, and can do an accessibility survey on a business to determine if it meets the ADA requirements, as well as conduct a seminar for employees on sensitivity and awareness about persons with disabilities.  This insightful training often helps employees better serve their customers with disabilities, and helps them to better understand the needs of a coworker who may have a disability.  Employers and companies find that using these tools as part of their corporate training results in better employee/customer relations and creates an overall better work environment.

If you have questions or concerns about a disability or ADA related issue, or how to make your business more ADA accessible please contact Walton Options for more information.