04 September 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 ]

ONE–STOP TOOLKIT TABLE OF CONTENTS

Resource of the Week Highlight for Disability Program Navigators

Good morning Navigators,

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)—October
[ http://www.dol.gov/odep/faqs/ndeam.htm ]

Congress designated each October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The Office of Disability Employment Policy has the lead in planning NDEAM activities and materials to increase the public's awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities. Various programs carried out throughout the month also highlight the specific employment barriers that still need to be addressed and removed.

This effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment actually began in 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to "National Disability Employment Awareness Month."

Disability Mentoring Day (DMD)—October 21st
[ http://www.dmd-aapd.org/DMD/2009DMDlaunch.html ]
DMD is a national program that promotes career development for students and job-seekers with disabilities through job shadowing and hands-on career exploration.

Highlights from 2008 Activities & Events during October's National Disability & Employment Awareness Month And Disability Mentoring Day
DPN projects—statewide and local—shared great activities and events that they planned for both events. What was most impressive was the partnerships that were formed and the interest in seeing these types of partnerships and activities—such as mentoring day—extend beyond just the month of October and/or begin as early September. In addition, several DPNs talked about the event being the “second” or “third” or even “fourth” annual (or just annual) indicating that it has become institutionalized.

Many of the Navigators were quite creative and innovative in their outreach efforts and how they obtained support and interest within their communities. Some highlights from these events shared by DPN projects include:

NDEAM

• Employer recognition events: recognized for their training and hiring activities of individuals with disabilities.
• Great collaborations with community partners to host Disability Awareness activities such as job/career fairs and mentoring activities.
  
• Many workshops and seminars helped to focus on and raise awareness of disability-related issues, supports and services with great connections to the One-Stop Career Center.
• DPNs chose unique ways to highlight information on disability awareness such as through news letters, and community media events.
• Many communities worked with the Mayor’s Office and had signed proclamations recognizing NDEAM. In some cases, it was announced in a big event, which some DPNs said made local newspapers and in some cases was televised. In other instances, the Mayor and/or Governor participated in person in either NDEAM or DMD events.
• Some DPNs placed a special focus on unique activities such as for Veteran’s with disabilities, and emergency preparedness and response and mental health. One activity featured a “fashion show” to highlight what types of clothes to wear on an interview!

Disability Mentoring Day

• Great connections within the community to really make this a community event, i.e., identifying local restaurants to host and provide meals, working with local transportation agencies to provide free transport between the schools, One-Stop Career Center and participating businesses.
• Very different and diverse mentoring/job shadowing opportunities were offered. DPNs did a great job of tapping into the local community and ensuring a wide array of employment opportunities were included.

REMINDERS

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

Navigators, it is that time of year again to start preparting for the 2009 National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Disability Mentoring Day. Over the years, the national DPN Program Office and 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.

Let us know what activities you are planning this year for NDEAM and we will produce a chart that incorporates the activities and events you have planned for October and circulate it among the projects. If you would like to receive a copy of a chart that highlights what many DPNs did for last year’s celebration (you may get some ideas of different things that you can implement in your area) and/or to submit your activities and events for this year, please send an e-mail to [ E–mail lgleneck@ndi-inc.org ] or DJ at [ ddiamond@ndi-inc.org ]

To help you begin to spread the message, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy has copies of the 2009 National Disability Employment Awareness Month poster available depicting this year’s theme, Expectation + Opportunity = Full Participation, which captures the vital role that expectations play in our successes as individuals and as a society. We must ensure that both people with disabilities and their employers expect that they will fully participate in our workplaces. Such an expectation alone, however, is not enough. They must also have opportunity. People with disabilities need access to a full range of employment choices to maximize their talents. With both the expectation and opportunity, +

The NDEAM 2009 Poster is available in both English and Spanish. The posters are available in one size, 20” x 15,” at no cost to you. To order online, go to:[ http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/rc/odep.htm ] .
The maximum order is 100 posters. You may also download PDF versions of the posters at [ http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/ndeam09.pdf. ]

We look forward to learning how your community will be celebrating NDEAM and DMD this year!

Happy Friday!

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

In The News: DOL is "First Fed" for Project SEARCH
U.S. Department of Labor News Release / August 20, 2009
[ http://www.dol.gov/_sec/newsletter/2009/20090820-2.htm#ProjectSEARCH ]

Starting this week, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Frances Perkins Building will serve as a school house and workplace for up to a dozen DC high school seniors with cognitive disabilities participating in a unique program called Project SEARCH. The Office of Disability Employment Policy welcomed the students, their families, teachers and counselors, along with the project's partners at a special reception on Wednesday.

The students will get hands-on workplace/skills-building experience, classroom sessions, and career counseling/placement services during the 9-month work/study program. Three 10-12 week work rotations in a variety of DOL offices, including ILAB, VETS, OFCCP, Job Corps and the Solicitor's Office, will provide the student participants with a broad view of opportunities at DOL, and the skills required to succeed in those positions.

Project SEARCH was launched in 1996 and has more than 140 sites across the country, the UK, and Australia with both private and public employers. The Labor Department is the first federal participant.

Project SEARCH is a significant step toward making the federal government a model employer and putting these students on the path to good jobs. The initiative is a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor and ODEP; the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS); the District of Columbia Department on Disability Services (DDS), the District of Columbia's Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA), the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute of Catholic Charities (JPKI), and Project SEARCH Cincinnati.

• To access a Fact Sheet on Project Search
  [ http://www.dol.gov/_sec/newsletter/2009/20090820-2.htm#ProjectSEARCH ]

UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST

Ticket to Work September Events of Interest

1. Ticket Express Events: Spreading the Word About the New Ticket to Work
The NEW Ticket to Work Program offers new opportunities to expand the scope of services and supports available to assist Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities who are interested in entering or re-entering the workforce. Administrative and regulatory improvements have made it easier and more profitable for Employment Networks (ENs) to participate in the Ticket program. ENs can get paid earlier in the employment process, more often and at higher rates. A new Partnership Plus service delivery option encourages State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies and ENs to partner to ensure that beneficiaries have access to services and supports to help them maintain and advance in employment.

Ticket Express events provide information about the new Ticket program and how the new program can help grow your organization’s bottom line. If your organization is interested in becoming an EN or learning more about the Ticket program, a Ticket Express event will provide all the information you need to understand why and how to become an EN.

2. Work Incentives Seminar Events (WISE): Helping Beneficiaries Make Informed Choices About Work!
If you are a Social Security disability beneficiary and interested in working, the Social Security Administration and CESSI, the Ticket to Work Program Manager for Recruitment and Outreach (PMRO), want to make sure you are aware of upcoming free opportunities to connect with local training and employment resources, explore opportunities to increase your income, and network with other job seekers and employers. Local Work Incentive Planning and Assistance projects will be hosting 28 WISE events in 18 states in September.

September Event Schedule:

For more information or to sign up for a WISE event in your area visit [ www.cessi.net/wise ] or call 1-877-743-8237 (voice or TTY).

For more information or to sign up for a Ticket Express event, visit [ www.cessi.net/ttw ]

If you can’t make it to any of these in-person events, visit the CESSI web site, [ www.cessi.net/ttw ] for information on upcoming and archived teleconference training opportunities and webinars.


RESOURCES OF INTEREST

NICHY State Specific Information
National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
[ http://www.nichcy.org/Pages/StateSpecificInfo.aspx ]

Locate organizations and agencies within your state that address disability-related issues.

Fact Sheet: Self-Employment Q and A: Community Resources for Small Business Development
Self-Employment Technical Assistance, Resources, & Training (START-UP/USA)
[ http://www.start-up-usa.biz/resources/content.cfm?id=648 ]

People with disabilities who want to start a business can find assistance and support from a number of different local agencies. This fact sheet lists some of the many resources that are available across the country that can help you become self-employed or start a small business..