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.

[ Resource of the Week Highlight for Disability Program Navigators ]

[ For Your Information ]

U.S. Department of Labor New Monthly Data Series on Employment Status of People with a Disability—August

[ Upcoming Events of Interest ]

DMEC 5th Annual Behavioral Risk Management in the Workplace Conference

[ Resources of Interest ]

ADA Training Resource Center: Your One-Stop for Courses, Events and Tools on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments
Toolkit: One-Stop Access for All

[ Websites of the Week ]

Assistive Technology Showcase Devices
ABLEDATA

[ Publications of the Week ]

Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities
Disabilities in the Workplace Case Series

Resource of the Week Highlight for Disability Program Navigators

Disability Program Navigator: 30 Second Training Series: Ticket to Work, Work Incentives and Employment Networks
[ http://dpnavigator.net/pages/training.html ]

Well, you should know by now that the DPN 30-second trainings are one great strategy to share information on important topics related to disability and employment. They provide disability and employment information usually with a resource link for those that are interested in furthering their knowledge and expertise.

Earlier this month, the NDI TA team, along with our resident DPN 30-second training experts, Toni Costales-Servin from California and Kevin Nickerson from New York, unveiled xix new 30-second trainings that Navigators can now use with their local staff and partners to help increase awareness around work incentives and supports available to assist people with disabilities in the return to work. Check them out…

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and
21 October 2009 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 One Hundred 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!

Please take some time to peruse the table of contents and check out the resources / information that may be helpful to you and your community as you work to provide more effective and meaningful employment opportunities for job seekers with disabilities.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

U.S. Department of Labor New Monthly Data Series on Employment Status of People with a Disability—August
[ http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsdisability.htm ]

In June 2008, questions were added to the Current Population Survey (CPS) to identify persons with a disability in the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and older. The addition of these questions allowed BLS to begin releasing monthly labor force data from the CPS for persons with a disability. The collection of these data is sponsored by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. Publication of CPS disability data began in February 2009 with the issuance of labor force data for January 2009. Explanatory materials are available on the frequently asked questions page. These materials provide information on comparisons with other data sources, variability of the data, and the types of data available. Additionally, links to historical data and alternate formats are located below.

In August 2009, the unemployment rate of persons with a disability was 16.9 percent, compared with 9.3 percent for persons with no disability, not seasonally adjusted. The employment-population ratio for persons with a disability was 18.4 percent, compared with 64.6 percent for persons with no disability.

Access the URL to view the chart plus other pertinent statistical related information.

UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST

DMEC 5th Annual Behavioral Risk Management in the Workplace Conference

Mark Your Calendar for April 21-23, 2010 and plan to attend DMEC’s 5th Annual Behavioral Risk Conference in Minneapolis! Watch for more details.

Call for Presentations! You've spent years building your professional knowledge and honing your skills--now share your experience and success story by submitting a proposal for consideration as a presentation at a DMEC conference!

The Disability Management Employer Coalition invites experienced professionals and industry leaders to present informative and innovative educational sessions at the DMEC 2010 Annual and Behavioral Risk conferences. Qualified and experienced individuals are encouraged to submit proposals that will bring practical, relevant, and new information, plus resources and ideas to attendees.

The purpose of DMEC conferences is to provide high-quality education, information, and networking opportunities with like-minded peers and industry leaders across the country. Conference objectives are to provide participants with practical knowledge, successful how-to strategies, resources for measuring program ROI, and tools that can be easily implemented in their own organizations.

Access the URL to click on a link to download the 2010 Behavioral Risk Conference Call for Presentations Form.

Questions regarding presentation submission process, topic areas, and sponsorship opportunities should be directed to Lisa McGrath, DMEC Director of Conferences and Education, 217.762.3209 or conference@dmec.org ]

ADA Training Resource Center: Your One-Stop for Courses, Events and Tools on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
[ 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)
National Network of ADA Centers
[ http://www.adacourse.org/ ]

Find a wealth of ADA training materials including audioconferences, case law updates, case studies, courses, handouts, statistics, quotes, TIPS, and solutions pages for targeted audiences.

ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments
U.S. Department of Justice
[ http://www.ada.gov/pcatoolkit/toolkitmain.htm ]

On December 5, 2006, February 27, 2007, May 7, 2007, and July 26, 2007, the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice issued installments of a new technical assistance document designed to assist state and local officials to improve compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in their programs, services, activities, and facilities. The new technical assistance document is entitled “The ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments.”

The Tool Kit is designed to teach state and local government officials how to identify and fix problems that prevent people with disabilities from gaining equal access to state and local government programs, services, and activities. It will also teach state and local officials how to conduct accessibility surveys of their buildings and facilities to identify and remove architectural barriers to access.

Toolkit: One-Stop Access for All
Cornell University, ILR School, Employment and Disability Institute
[ http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/p-onestop.cfm ]

Universal Access-NY is a complete online planning toolkit, where a One-Stop Delivery System can continuously assess its practices, and develop work plans to improve physical and programmatic accessibility for all One-Stop customers. This web site was designed for use in a collaborative manner, bringing together One-Stop personnel, agency partners, business leaders and customers with disabilities.

WEBSITES OF THE WEEK

Assistive Technology Showcase Devices
IT Accessibility and Workforce Division (ITAW)
Office of Governmentwide Policy, U.S. General Services Administration
[ http://www.section508.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Content&ID=87 ]

The Center for Information Technology Accommodation maintains an Assistive Technology Center to showcase the leading edge assistive technology equipment and devices, and ergonomic workplace solutions.

This website provides pictures of some of the assistive technologies found in the AT Center.
Each device provides a description and indicates its use

ABLEDATA

[ http://www.abledata.com/ ]

ABLEDATA provides objective information on assistive technology and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and international sources to consumers, organizations, professionals, and caregivers within the United States. The website includes:

Links to Web resources that provide information on assistive technology and other disability-related issues.
The Assistive Technology Library, a searchable list of books, articles, papers and other paper and electronic publications that deal with topics relating to assistive technology.

PUBLICATIONS OF THE WEEK

Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities
National Council on Disability
August 12, 2009
[ http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/index.htm ]

The National Council on Disability’s (NCD) purpose is to promote policies and practices that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability, and to empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and integration into all aspects of society. Under its congressional mandate, NCD is charged with the responsibility to gather information on the development and implementation of federal laws, policies, programs, and practices that affect people with disabilities. This report is a result of that mandate.

In this report, NCD offers information and advice to assist all levels of government in its work to establish evidence-based policies, programs, and practices across the life cycle of disasters. This report provides examples of effective community efforts with respect to people with disabilities, and evaluates many emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and homeland security program efforts deployed by both public and private sectors.

NCD’s recommendations are based on scientific research and thorough review of policies and practices that have been tested in emergencies of all types throughout the country. It is NCD’s expectation that this report will promote a focused dialogue and communicate critical information to be used by those charged with protecting our nation's most vulnerable populations.

Disabilities in the Workplace Case Series
University of California Davis Extension Center for Human Services
[ http://humanservices.ucdavis.edu/case_studies/index.asp ]

Teaching cases, as they are prepared at business schools across the country, are one of the primary tools of management education. They are used globally in university settings, professional development and executive education training, and provide students and readers with a great wealth of insider knowledge about the "norms" of business practices. The University’s intention with this series is to demonstrate "best practices" in the employment of people with disabilities, a population which has historically had low employment rates.