September Inclusive Services Update

by | Sep 1, 2023 | Inclusive Services

Inclusive Services

Resources:

  • The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) has published its 2023 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan: There is a public comment period open through Wednesday, September 27 (approximately midnight, 11:59 a.m.). Public feedback is very important, so I have attached to this email a pdf of a poster you can hang for the public. Also please encourage the public to visit http://www.wisconsindot.gov/ada to find the plan, along with an overview video presentation and options to comment using the web, email or standard U.S. Mail.

  • Accessible website resources from the Center for Independent Living of Western Wisconsin (attached to this email).

  • Children & Libraries Summer 2023 edition: This edition covers the spectrum of inclusive topics; from cultural humility, gender representation in picture books, services to those that are incarcerated, assistive technology, mobile makerspaces, and book challenges.

  • Public Libraries July/August 2023 edition: This edition is dedicated to equity, diversity, inclusion, and social justice. Highlights include articles on making your library gender inclusive and auditing diversity in library collections.

Continuing Education:

Consumables:

Diverse Holidays in September:

September is National Suicide Awareness Month Also known as Suicide Prevention Month, the month brings awareness to a topic not often talked about. Learning about suicide prevention during the month of September is a great way to educate yourself and others. If you or someone you know needs emergency assistance, contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. Find more help at www.nami.org/Find-Support.

Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 to October 15. This month corresponds with Mexican Independence Day, which is celebrated on September 16, and recognizes the revolution in 1810 that ended Spanish dictatorship.

September 5: International Day of Charity on September 5th encourages organizations and individuals to help others. The day also emphasizes increasing solidarity and promoting social responsibility. Mother Teresa of Calcutta is one of the most well-known humanitarians in modern history. It’s due to her selfless devotion to serving the poor that September 5th was chosen as International Day of Charity. It was on this day in 1997 that Mother Teresa passed away at the age of 87. In 2011, the Hungarian Parliament chose to commemorate the anniversary of her death by making it a national holiday for their country. In 2012, the UN General Assembly resolved to make the Hungarian holiday an International one.

September 4: Labor Day in the United States. Labor Day honors the contribution that laborers have made to the country and is observed on the first Monday of September.

September 6-7: Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated over the course of 2-3 days by Hindus all over the world. During the festival, drama-dance enactments of the life of Lord Krishna is played out in ‘Krishna Lilas’. This is followed by all-night vigils with the singing of devotional songs, fasting, and a festival the following day where specially made sweets and delicacies are distributed and enjoyed by all.

September 8: International Literacy Day. The day focuses on the importance and value of literacy. On October 26, 1966, UNESCO pronounced September 8th as International Literacy Day.

September 10: World Suicide Prevention Day aims to promote ways to prevent suicide. The International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) organizes the observance.

September 12: Ethiopian New Year. Rastafarians celebrate the New Year on this date and believe that Ethiopia is their spiritual home.

September 15-17 (sundown to sundown): Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebration, marking the creation of the world.

September 18: Jews observe the Fast of Gedaliah in honor of their ancestors and commemorate the day of a massacre and exile with a day of mourning and fasting.

September 18: International Equal Pay Day, celebrated for the first time in September 2020, represents the longstanding efforts towards the achievement of equal pay for work of equal value. It further builds on the United Nations’ commitment to human rights and against all forms of discrimination, including discrimination against women and girls.

September 18-19 Ganesh Chaturthi This occasion is dedicated to the birth of Lord Ganesh, revered as the deity of wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune.

September 21: Every year on the third Thursday in September, the International Day of Listening promotes the importance of listening to one another. It’s also a day to practice the art of listening.

September 21: The International Day of Peace on September 21st urges humanity to set aside its differences and commit to making peace. Also known as Peace Day, the observance is designed to bring the world together. The United Nations established International Peace Day in 1981 with the first observance held on September 21, 1982.

September 21: World Alzheimer’s Day when health organizations across the globe focus their efforts on raising awareness about this disease.

September 22: Native American Day, a Federal holiday observed annually on the fourth Friday in September in the state of California and Nevada and on the second Monday in October in South Dakota and Oklahoma, United States.

September 23: Mabon, a celebration of the vernal equinox commemorated by Pagans and Wiccans.

September 23: International Day of Sign Languages on September 23rd recognizes the importance of language through signing. Sign language is not a universal language. On December 19, 2017, the United Nations passed the resolution and declared September 23rd International Day of Sign Languages.

September 23: Celebrate Bisexuality Day unites the bisexual community, their friends, and their supporters. It also raises awareness and provides an opportunity to educate the public about bisexuality. This day is also known as Bisexual Pride Day and Bi Visibility Day. Three U.S. activists who founded this day chose the birthday of Freddy Mercury (Queen’s lead singer) to establish the date.

September 25: Yom Kippur Otherwise known as the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur is considered the holiest day in Judaism. The holiday lasts approximately 25 hours and is typically observed with fasting and prayer in alignment with the themes of atonement and repentance.

September 27: Mawlid al-Nabi This day is observed as a public holiday in many countries with a large Muslim population as it commemorates the anniversary of the birth of the founder of Islam and the proclaimer of the Qurʾan.

September 28: Teacher’s Day in Taiwan. This day is used to honor teachers’ contributions to their students and to society in general. People often express their gratitude to their teachers by paying them a visit or sending them a card. This date was chosen to commemorate the birth of Confucius, the model master educator in ancient China.

September 28: The International Day for Universal Access to Information is observed. This day promotes the idea that every individual around the world has a right to seek and receive information.

September 29: Autumn Moon Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival, Moon Festival, or, less commonly, Mooncake Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday falling on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

September 29-October 6: Sukkot is a holiday celebrated for seven days. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. In addition to its harvest roots, the holiday also holds spiritual importance with regard to its abandonment of materialism to focus on nationhood, spirituality, and hospitality, this principle underlying the construction of a temporary, almost nomadic, structure of a sukkah.

 

Sherry Machones (she/her)
Director – Northern Waters Library Service (NWLS)
Inclusive Services Consultant for NWLS and Wisconsin Valley Library Service