16 October 2009

Good morning everyone! 

Please note that due to travel that there will not be a Resources of the Week disseminated on Friday, October 23rd. .

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 ]

ONE–STOP TOOLKIT TABLE OF CONTENTS

Resource of the Week Highlight for Disability Program Navigators

Good morning Navigators,

Participate in a National Dialogue about Accessible Transportation
Many Navigators have worked tirelessly within their communities to help make transportation more accessible especially since this is a key component to many individuals with disabilities obtaining and maintaining employment.  Do you have suggestions and ideas that you would like to share with national leaders that can assist communities to increase access to affordable and reliable transportation services for people with disabilities, older adults, and people with limited incomes?  If so, please register to participate in an upcoming national online dialogue with representatives of the federal government, state and community leaders! For more information, and to register, just click the link to visit the Dialogue website: [ www.UWRdialogue.org ] and read more details under For Your Information.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and
21 October 2009 is Disability Mentoring Day (DMD)

So, what is one great way you ask to get the word out about National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) to your staff, partners, employers, etc?  I would recommend doing so by sharing NDEAM 30-second trainings.  If you are not familiar with them then you are in for a treat.  This 5 - Part Series of 30-Second Trainings has been developed for Disability Program Navigators to use with staff and partners and employers in their Local Workforce Investment Areas to promote and increase awareness of the benefits and resources available to employers hiring and accommodating qualified job applicants and employees with disabilities. This training series can be used to augment other local level activities in honor of NDEAM, or can be used as stand-alone.  Every Wednesday—beginning with last Wednesday and continuing throughout the month—you will be receiving one of the five 30-second trainings.   We are encouraging Navigators to send out a 30-Second Training every Friday this month, hence the five trainings in this series!

So, what can you do…1) check your Wednesday e-mails…..2) access the series directly on the DPNavigator.net website at:  [ http://dpnavigator.net/pages/NDEAM.html ].  This set of 30-Second Trainings has two versions of each training – one with sound and one without sound.

Have your activities been “Spotlighted” yet?
Each year Disability Program Navigators plan activities and events for October's NDEAM and DMD. Over the years, the national DPN Program Office and the national TA provider have been really inspired by the different activities and events communities have planned to raise awareness during these national annual events.

During the month of October, the Disability and Employment website will spotlight some of the strategies that DPNs are helping to implement to raise awareness within their communities about youth and working age adults with disabilities and employment.

Check it out at:  [ http://disability.workforce3one.org/ ] by clicking on “Spotlight.”  If you have not already done so, let us know what you have planned and maybe your area will be spotlighted.  It is a great opportunity to share with the public workforce system all of the great work that communities are doing to help raise awareness about employment for people with disabilities!!!

Check out what other Federal agencies are doing to celebrate NDEAM
Under For Your Information, you can see what activities other federal agencies are doing to help celebrate NDEAM (http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/ndeam.htm#fedag).  For instance, all month, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) will feature innovative, employment-based projects and individual success stories on [ http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/deam-2009/index.html ]

Resources, Resources, and Resources
As always, check out the other resources included in this issue.  Many of them may be helpful to include and/or highlight in your activities this month. 

Happy Friday!

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Federal Agencies National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) Activities and Initiatives
U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy NDEAM Activities Page
[ http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/ndeam.htm#fedag ]

Access the URL to learn more about the following federal activities and initiatives, as well as state agency activities that are taking place in honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month:

• The sign said: FOOD LION COMING SOON!
• To some people in Wilmington, Delaware, that meant more local traffic, especially during rush hour. To others it was exciting to hear that a new supermarket was opening. Read the success story.
• Read more about The Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and its NDEAM activities.
• The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Announces Plans to Provide On-Line Training to Hiring Officials Who Will Help Level the Playing Field for Those with Disabilities
  October 7 - The U.S. Office of Personnel Management joined President Barack Obama in underscoring the administration's commitment to ensuring that every American worker has access to opportunity, including the 54 million people across the nation living with disabilities. To "level the playing field" for those with disabilities, OPM announced it will launch on-line training opportunities for Federal hiring officials.
• Statement by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on National Disability Employment Awareness Month
  To celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is highlighting projects and initiatives funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitative Research (NIDRR) that improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities, including transition-aged youth.

All month, OSERS will feature innovative, employment-based projects and individual success stories on [ http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/deam-2009/index.html ]

In addition, the office will join the Department of Labor, Social Security Administration and other federal agencies for a celebration sponsored by the American Association of People with Disabilities October 12th through 13th in Duluth, Minn., highlighting the importance of exposing youth with disabilities to work-based learning and job shadowing opportunities. OSERS staff will be gathering input in coming weeks from parents, educators, students with disabilities and others to inform work on upcoming legislative reauthorizations and issues of importance to students with disabilities.

ACTION:  Invitation to Join a United We Ride National Dialogue
United We Ride, Federal Transit Administration
November 2nd through November 13th , 2009
[ www.UWRdialogue.org ]

Please join a Federal Government Online Outreach Effort to Develop New Ideas
in Transportation Access for People with Disabilities,
Older Adults and Persons of Limited Income

Announcing an Online Dialogue hosted by the National Academy of Public Administration and Easter Seals Project ACTION on behalf of the Federal Government Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility

Do you have suggestions and ideas that you would like to share with national leaders that can assist communities to increase access to affordable and reliable transportation services for people with disabilities, older adults, and people with limited incomes?

If so, please register to participate in an upcoming national online dialogue with representatives of the federal government, state and community leaders! For more information, and to register, just click the link to visit the Dialogue website: [ www.UWRdialogue.org ].

The Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) invites you to participate in the United We Ride National Dialogue. This groundbreaking, web-based interactive dialogue is designed to allow a broader range of opinions and ideas to inform future policies, the CCAM Strategic Plan and to strengthen the CCAM's relationship with is vast array of partners and stakeholders, including state, local, and tribal governments, transportation agencies, human service agencies, healthcare providers, employment specialists, educators, and consumers.

In order to capture this critical feedback, the CCAM is seeking your participation in a 2 week long, web-based dialogue that will begin on November 2nd and end on November 13th. This dialogue will allow participants to submit, comment, and rate ideas interactively on how to increase access to affordable and reliable transportation services for people with disabilities, older adults, and people with limited incomes. Your invaluable participation will directly inform the work of the CCAM on future policy decisions and the Strategic Plan.

The Project:
Access to Transportation Resources is one of the number one barriers to community based living for people who cannot drive. The Federal Government, through a multiple agency partnership led by the Federal Transit Administration, has been working to address this need in many ways for many years. Please help us further refine these efforts by participating in an online dialogue designed to gather your thoughts, ideas, feedback and perspectives to a series of questions associated with how to increase impacts at the community level in this important area. Our goal is to expand and enhance actions that enable everyone to get a ride whenever they need one without regard to their various mobility abilities or disabilities. Registration is now open to access the dialogue that will begin on November 2nd and end on November 13th, so please take a moment to access the site, register and return back to give us your thoughts and ideas!

Background:
The Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) includes 11 Federal departments responsible for providing transportation for people with disabilities, older adults, and people with lower incomes. In response to a General Accountability Office report detailing the need to breakdown federal barriers to the local coordination of federal transportation funding resources, CCAM launched United We Ride in 2004 with an initial action plan to address the coordination of transportation services across 64 different federal programs. While significant progress has been achieved through United We Ride and through new Federal Transit Administration projects, challenges to coordinating stove piped funding, policies, programs and services still exist. One significant finding thus far is that through the act of coordination and joint strategic planning across many different groups at the state and local level, innovations occur. Thus, before planning the next set of activities, CCAM felt it essential to reach out across the country through an easy to access and use online venue to gather the invaluable input of national, state and local organizations and groups.

The Dialogue:
To address these challenges and President Obama’s directive to increase transparency and openness in government, the CCAM is leveraging the emerging power of web 2.0 collaboration tools to engage its stakeholders in an online National Dialogue.

This virtual town hall forum is open to key stakeholders across the country and uses collaborative web-based technologies to engage these stakeholders in a creative, interactive conversation about the future of coordinating transportation services for people with disabilities, older adults, and people with limited incomes. The outcome of this dialogue will inform future policy decisions, programs and updates to the CCAM strategic plan.

During the United We Ride National Dialogue, participants will be asked to submit, comments, and rate ideas to increase transportation access for people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals with limited incomes. The overall question is noted below:

• Overarching Question:    What ideas can increase access to affordable and reliable transportation services for people with disabilities, older adults, and people with limited incomes?

The results of the feedback to this dialogue will be given to the members of the CCAM to assist them in the development of the CCAM 2010 through 2015 strategic plan. Policy makers and program leaders with use this plan for the next set of strategic and tactical areas of focus to address this critical area.

The dialogue will begin on November 2nd and close on November 13, 2009, so please participate soon and feel free to check back and comment on other posts during this time period. CCAM and everyone involved in the project thanks you for your input!
All individuals who register and provide email addresses will receive feedback on the results of this online dialogue. Additionally, the results will be posted on the dialogue website:  [ http://www.UWRdialogue.org ].

ACTION - Outstanding Business Leaders in Your Community
Institute for a Competitive Workforce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Business Champions
[ www.businesschampions.org ]

Do you know a business leader who is making a significant contribution to help expand educational opportunities so more people earn valuable degrees and credentials after high school? Have you worked with a business leader who has been a vital partner in breaking down systemic barriers that limit opportunities for postsecondary education? If so, we want to hear from you.

The Institute for a Competitive Workforce, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is partnering with Business Champions, Inc. and other leading organizations to find and profile exemplary business leaders who are using their influence to create large scale changes so more people get the skills they need to advance, companies have the workforce required to compete, and communities thrive. Please share your story about how business leadership is making a difference. Visit [ www.businesschampions.org ] to tell your story and read about Business Champions.

UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST

Job Accommodation Network’s Annual Webcast Series - 2009 to 2010
[ http://www.jan.wvu.edu/webcast/index.htm]

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) Webcasts are available at no cost. Gather your employees together in a room for live, in-service training. Educate yourself, management, and other employees on disability etiquette, assistive technologies, management techniques, and the latest on accommodations and the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All Webcasts begin at 2 pm eastern and are 1 hour. You must register to attend. One registration is equivalent to one login.

The list of webcasts for 2009/2010 is as follows.  Access the URL to register for any of these events and to learn more about how JAN’s webcasts work.

• November 10, 2009 - Veterans Issues
  Speakers: Vicky Crawford, Senior EEO Specialist/Wounded Warrior Program, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Paul Cataldi, USCIS Immigration Services Assistant, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with Anne Hirsh, M.S., JAN Co-Director.
• December 7, 2009 - Considering the Needs of Employees with Disabilities During a Pandemic Flu Outbreak
  Speakers: TBN
• January 12, 2010 - Accommodation Ideas for Employees with HIV/AIDS
  Speakers: Tracie DeFreitas Saab, M.S., JAN Lead Consultant, with Linda Carter Batiste, J.D., JAN Principal Consultant, moderating.
• February 9, 2010 - Current Events in Accommodation
  Speakers: Linda Carter Batiste, J.D., JAN Principal Consultant, and Beth Loy, Ph.D., JAN Principal Consultant.
• March 9, 2010 - Accommodation Ideas for Employees with Traumatic Brain Injuries
  Speakers: Melanie Whetzel, M.A., JAN Consultant, and guest speaker with Beth Loy, Ph.D., JAN Principal Consultant moderating.
• April 13, 2010 - Employer Best Practices
  Speakers: Lou Orslene, MPIA, MSW, JAN Co-Director, interviewing guest employer representative.
• May 11, 2010 - Accommodations for Individuals with Mental Health Impairments
  Speakers: Anne Hirsh, M.S., JAN Co-Director, and Beth Loy, Ph.D., JAN Principal Consultant.
• June 8, 2010 - Assistive Technology Update
  Speakers: Suzanne Gosden Kitchen, Ed.D., JAN Senior Consultant, and Teresa Goddard, M.S., JAN Consultant, with Beth Loy, Ph.D., JAN Principal Consultant, moderating.
• July 13, 2010 - ADA Update
  Speakers: EEOC Representative and Linda Carter Batiste, J.D., JAN Principal Consultant, with Beth Loy, Ph.D., JAN Principal Consultant moderating.
• August 10, 2010 - Employer Best Practices
  Speakers: Lou Orslene, MPIA, MSW, JAN Co-Director, interviewing guest employer representative.

Webinar Archive:  Using Video Interpreting in the Workplace
Southeast Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Center
[ http://sedbtac.org/eventscalendar.php?eventid=503 ]

Access the archive of this webinar, which provides information on using video interpreting in the workplace, to listen to the audio recording, download and/or view the transcript and PowerPoint presentation.  The webinar includes information on:Access the archive of this webinar, which provides information on using video interpreting in the workplace, to listen to the audio recording, download and/or view the transcript and PowerPoint presentation. The webinar includes information on:

• Interpreting Methods: In-person versus Video Interpreting
• Definitions of Video Relay Services (VRS) & Video Remote Interpreting (VRI)
• Network Security
• Costs
• Federal, State Regulations and Guidelines
• Making Decisions to Use VRS and/or VRI
• Examples of How VRS & VRI Can Be Used in the Workplace
• What Snap!VRS Provides
• CSC’s Experience In Implementing Video Interpreting in the Workplace
• Questions & Open Discussion

Overview of some of the key provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 affecting individual taxpayers: Tax Benefits, Credits, and Other Information
Internal Revenue Service
[ http://www.tax-coalition.org/materials/2009/economicStimulus.cfm ]

This seven-page resource provides an overview of some of the key American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provisions affecting individual taxpayers. Many of the IRS Forms and Publications referenced as additional resources are under revision due to the new tax law provisions. They are scheduled for release prior to the 2010 Filing Season. Publication 553, Highlights of Tax Changes, and IRS.gov should be used for additional information until the other Forms and Publications are available with the ARRA information.

Disability and Employment Resource Page
Workforce3 One
[ http://disability.workforce3one.org/ ]

This website was featured in last week’s resource and is included again because 1) we want to ensure that the public workforce system sees it as a good resource for information on disability and employment and 2) new spotlights and information are added each week.  For example, check out the Disability Program Navigators: Coordinating Quality Employment Services in the One-Stop Career Centers To Disabled Veterans, newly added resources and updated Spotlights….So, check it out!!!

Background:  Navigating the services and resources available for assisting people with disabilities to obtain quality employment is like fitting together the pieces of a puzzle.  America cannot successfully compete in a global economy without fully engaging the 33 million working-age people with disabilities in our workforce.  As we meet our goal of “Good Jobs for Everyone,” the public workforce system needs to expand its capacity to provide integrated, seamless, and accessible services and programs to people with disabilities and/or other challenges to employment.  To achieve this goal and building upon lessons learned from the Employment and Training Administration’s  Disability Program Navigator (DPN) initiative, the workforce system is collaborating with a wide range of partners to help people with disabilities obtain meaningful and effective employment opportunities.

In connection with National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in October, Workforce3 One has unveiled a new Disability and Employment Resource Page to provide employment-related resources for the workforce system. 

The purpose of this new section on the Workforce3 One website is to disseminate promising practices to promote the positive employment outcomes of people with disabilities and expand the capacity of the One-Stop Career Center system to serve customers with disabilities.  This site compiles information related to disability and employment in one location on Workforce3 One and along with the addition of a new “Disability” super search category will make it easier for users to find this information. 

Check out the “Disability” Super Search Category at [ http://www.workforce3one.org/find ].

Virginia Commonwealth University Autism Spectrum Disorders Career Links
[ http://www.vcu-autism.org/index.cfm ]

PUBLICATIONS OF THE WEEK

Issue Briefs: National Technical Assistance and Research (NTAR) Leadership CenterSSA Benefits
U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
[ http://www.dol.gov/odep/#three ]

The NTAR Leadership Center is a collaboration of partners with expertise in workforce development, disability employment, economic development, financial education, benefits planning, and leadership development. Established in September 2007 through a grant from ODEP, the Center is housed at the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Issue Brief No. 1: Entrepreneurship for Veterans with Disabilities: Lessons Learned from the Field
[ http://www.ntarcenter.org/files/NTAR_Issue_Brief_1_Veterans.pdf ]
This brief examines entrepreneurship as a viable option for veterans with disabilities, particularly those returning from the present-day conflicts in the Middle East. As entrepreneurs, veterans have an array of opportunities to customize their employment, accommodate their challenges, maximize their strengths and skills, and achieve their financial and career goals. This brief takes a close look at one program — the Entrepreneurship Boot Camp — and discusses some lessons learned from the operation of this program.

Issue Brief No. 2: Leveraging State Economic Development Resources to Create Job Opportunities for People with Disabilities
[ http://www.ntarcenter.org/files/NTAR_Issue_Brief_2_Economic_Development.pdf ]
State and local economic development agencies are a largely untapped resource for increasing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. This brief highlights existing state, regional, and local economic development resource tools and discusses ways in which states and localities can leverage traditional loan and financing programs that enhance job creation, provide access to local employment opportunities, or help support employment for residents, including those with disabilities.

Issue Brief No. 3: Collaborating and Coordinating with Employers
[ http://www.ntarcenter.org/files/NTAR_Issue_Brief_3_Collaborating_Coordinating.pdf ]
A contemporary look at employers’ views of disability and disability employment programs to move people with disabilities into the labor market can offer clear guidance as to what best characterizes effective disability/employer collaborations. This brief examines the evolving relationship between disability employment initiatives and employers, and uses case illustrations of selected collaborations to demonstrate these characteristics. It also highlights the implications that these collaborations have for effectively formulating broad-scale promotion of disability workforce investment initiatives.

Thriving in Challenging Times: Connecting Education to Economic Development through Career Pathways
A joint publication of the National Career Pathways Network and the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
[ https://www.cord.org/thriving-in-challenging-times/  ] or [ http://www.uschamber.com/icw/ ]

The publication highlights successful models that create relevant, challenging learning environments and, if widely implemented, have the potential to significantly increase American employers' access to high-quality employees. The publication's title reflects an increasing awareness among American employers and business leaders of the critical role they must play in supporting successful education models in their local communities, particularly in challenging economic times.

Thriving in Challenging Times profiles 17 local and two statewide career pathways programs from across the U.S. by documenting the challenges, strategies, results, and business engagement each partnership has experienced. Featured industry sectors range from aerospace to healthcare to nuclear energy, with business involvement ranging from small businesses to multinational corporations. Each program includes secondary, postsecondary, and business/industry engagement components to ensure students are prepared for college and careers.