N.D.I. Technical Assistance Team
N.D.I. Consulting, Inc.
http://www.dpnavigator.net
and
The Burton Blatt Institute
Syracuse University
http://bbi.syr.edu
One–Stop Toolkit Resources of the Week Technical Assistance Project E–Mail listserv
24 July 2009
Good morning everyone!
Below please find the website(s) and publication(s) of the week, as well as other resources that we hope will be useful as you work on systems change activities to help improve employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
To subscribe and / or view past resources of the week archives, access: www.onestoptoolkit.org and click on the link to "Resources of the Week" on the right hand side of the home page.
Have a great weekend!
***NEW CONTACT INFORMATION***
Laura Gleneck
Project Coordinator
NDI Technical Assistance Team
Phone: 781-899-0139
Fax: 781-642-0895
[ E–mail lgleneck@ndi-inc.org ]
[ http://www.dpnavigator.net ]
Good morning Navigators,
In honor of the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), July 26th, this week’s Resource of the Week includes information about the ADA.
It’s that time a year again when the U.S. Census Bureau updates their Facts for Features on the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is July 26th. This issue includes some great facts that you can include in flyers, brochures, factoids, marketing materials…Your work is making a difference….because of your efforts more people with disabilities are finding more effective and meaningful employment opportunities, but there is still more work to be done. According to this issue:
On the Job
Number of 16- to 64-year-olds who reported a medical condition that makes it difficult to find a job or remain employed. They comprise 7 percent of the population this age.
46%
Percentage of people 21 to 64 having some type of disability who were employed in the past year. The rate ranged from 75 percent of those with a nonsevere disability to 31 percent with a severe disability. For those without a disability, the employment rate is 84 percent for the same period.
59%
Percent of people 21 to 64 with difficulty hearing that were employed. The corresponding percentage for those with difficulty seeing was 41 percent.
48%
Percentage of people 21 to 64 with a nonsevere disability who work full time. This compares with 63 percent without a disability and 16 percent with a severe disability.
Check out more of the statistics from the Facts for Features under Resources of Interest.
Under Websites of the Week, you will find a link to the U.S. Department of Justice’s ADA Technical Assistance Program
(http://www.ada.gov/taprog.htm), which provides free information and technical assistance directly to businesses, non-profit service providers, state and local governments, people with disabilities, and the general public. In particular, DPNs will find the ADA Materials section of use, which provides a range of publications including:
You will also want to check out the archive to the a two part webinar series on the Americans with Disabilities Act that took place in December 2008. This training webinar provided:
Access the DPNavigator Training Page athttp://dpnavigator.net/pages/tr_09.html)to listen to the complete audio/web recording of the archived presentations plus view/download supporting materials and resources especially the resources for DPNs!
[The following is excerpted from the News Release.]
In the Obama Administration's continued effort to stimulate community development and job growth, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan announced nearly 700 grants totaling $360 million in funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). The grants represent over half of the Recovery Act-funded grants available through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, which primarily benefit low- to moderate-income families. CDBG enables state and local governments to undertake a wide range of activities intended to create suitable living environments, provide affordable housing and create economic opportunities. Under the Recovery Act, recipients give priority to responsible projects that can award contracts through a bidding process within 120 days of the grant agreement. A total of $1 billion will be awarded nationwide by HUD in Recovery Act Community Development Block Grants.
Since 1974, CDBG has provided more than $127 billion to state and local governments to target their own community development priorities. The rehabilitation of affordable housing and the construction and improvement of public facilities have traditionally been the largest uses of CDBG funds although the program is also an important catalyst for job growth and business opportunities. Annual CDBG funds are distributed to communities according to statutory formulas based on population, poverty, pre-1940 housing stock, growth lag, and housing overcrowding.
HUD is committed to implementing Recovery Act investments swiftly and effectively as they generate tens of thousands of jobs, modernize homes to make them energy efficient, and help the families and communities hardest hit by the economic crisis. The Recovery Act includes $13.61 billion for projects and programs administered by HUD, nearly 75 percent of which was allocated to state and local recipients only eight days after President Obama signed the Act into law. The CDBG funding was among the 75 percent that was allocated during that time. Now as grant recipients' spending plans are approved, HUD is officially making funding available to spend. The remaining 25 percent of HUD Recovery Act funds will be awarded through a competitive process in the coming weeks and months.
The full text of HUD's funding notices and tracking of future performance of these grants is also available at HUD's Recovery Act website.
Kathleen (Kathy) Martinez has been confirmed as Assistant Secretary of the Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). Ms. Martinez comes to ODEP with a background as an internationally recognized disability rights leader specializing in employment, asset building, independent living, international development, diversity and gender issues.
Access the URL to read the full article of Ms. Martinez appointment and background.
This is a Social Security Administration (SSA) and CESSI, the Ticket to Work Program Manager for Recruitment and Outreach (PMRO), Webinar.
Presenters:
If you would like more information on Ticket to Work, please call Susan Samuels at 703-448-6155 ext. 235, email ssamuels@cessi.net<mailto:ssamuels@cessi.net>, or visit the key Ticket to Work websites: www.cessi.net/ttw<http://www.cessi.net/ttw>, www.yourtickettowork.com<http://www.yourtickettowork.com/> or www.ssa.gov/work<http://www.ssa.gov/work>.
[The following includes excerpts. Access the URL to read all of the current facts about the ADA.]
On this day in 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), guaranteeing equal opportunity for people with disabilities in public accommodations, commercial facilities, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications.
Population Distribution
41.2 million
Number of people who have some level of disability. They represent 15 percent of the civilian noninstitutionalized population 5 and older..
15%
Percentage of females with a disability, compared with 14 percent of males.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov
On the Job
13.3 million
Number of 16- to 64-year-olds who reported a medical condition that makes it difficult to find a job or remain employed. They comprise 7 percent of the population this age.
46%
Percentage of people 21 to 64 having some type of disability who were employed in the past year. The rate ranged from 75 percent of those with a nonsevere disability to 31 percent with a severe disability. For those without a disability, the employment rate is 84 percent for the same period.
59%
Percent of people 21 to 64 with difficulty hearing that were employed. The corresponding percentage for those with difficulty seeing was 41 percent.
48%
Percentage of people 21 to 64 with a nonsevere disability who work full time. This compares with 63 percent without a disability and 16 percent with a severe disability.
Income and Poverty
$2,250
Median monthly earnings for people 21 to 64 with a nonsevere disability. This compares with $2,539 for those with no disability and $1,458 for those with a severe disability.
$2,252
Percentage of females with a disability, compared with 14 percent of males.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
12%
The poverty rate for people 25 to 64 with a nonsevere disability. This compares with 27 percent for those with a severe disability and 9 percent of those without a disability.
Serving Our Nation
$28.2 billion
Amount of compensation veterans received for service-connected disabilities in fiscal year 2007.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 505 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>.
Accommodations
98.5%
Percent of transit buses that were ADA lift- or ramp-equipped, as of 2006. This represents an increase from 61.7 percent in 1995.
Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2009, Table 1075 <http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/>.
Congress has enacted a number of work incentive programs for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients with disabilities after concluding additional incentives were necessary to help individuals become self-supporting. Moreover, Congress has noted that individuals who could work outside of sheltered workshops might have been discouraged from doing so by the fear of losing their benefits before they had established for themselves the capability for continued self-support. In this Data Note, ICI explores the degree to which SSI recipients with Intellectual Disabilities (ID) work and participate in these incentive programs..
The Department of Justice ADA Technical Assistance Program provides free information and technical assistance directly to businesses, non-profit service providers, state and local governments, people with disabilities, and the general public. The technical assistance services provide the most up-to-date information about the ADA and how to comply with its requirements. Technical Assistance includes:
America’s Service Locator has a new look and feel. It’s easier than ever to locate your local One Stop Career Center and other employment-related services. You can also find workforce system contacts and strategic partners such as Workforce Investment Boards, community colleges, local employers, and more.
America’s Service Locator includes the following resources/tools:
Take a look at successful businesses, regardless of size or industry, and you’ll find certain commonalities, such as strong leadership, an efficient business model and the ability to effectively adapt to changes in market needs. Another similarity you’ll likely see is actually dissimilarity–within each business’s own workforce.
By fostering a culture of diversity, or a capacity to appreciate and value individual differences, employers benefit from varied perspectives on how to confront challenges and achieve success. Although the term is often used to refer to differences in race or ethnicity, diversity actually encompasses an infinite range of individuals’ unique attributes and experiences. As the nation’s largest minority–comprising 54 million individuals–people with disabilities add an important dimension to diversity.
Access the URL to read the full edition including more information on “diversity,” which is one of the key themes highlighted in ODEP’s The Business Case for Employing People with Disabilities.
In response to the Federal Financial Assistance Management Improvement Act of 1999, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), among other things, developed Grants.gov as the central grant identification and application portal for federal grant programs. OMB oversees the initiative and named the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) its managing partner. Grants.gov officials have acknowledged noticeably degraded system performance, and grantees have reported difficulties submitting applications that have in some cases led to late or incomplete submissions and lost opportunities for both grantees and populations served. Through analysis of agency documents, a Web-based survey of federal grant-making officials, and interviews with agency officials and grantee associations, this requested report examines (1) the benefits of Grants.gov and applicant experiences with submitting applications, (2) the governance structure of Grants.gov, and (3) the range of agency policies for processing Grants.gov applications.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is making four recommendations to OMB to develop Grants.gov system performance measures, guidance clarifying the governance structure, a structured means for applicant input, and uniform policies for processing grant applications. OMB and HHS generally agreed with GAO’s findings and recommendations.