Law, Health Policy & Disability Center
University of Iowa College of Law
http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/dpn/
and
The Burton Blatt Institute
Syracuse University
http://bbi.syr.edu
One–Stop Toolkit
Resources of the Week Technical Assistance Project E–Mail listserv
12 January 2007
Good morning everyone,
Below please find the web site and publication 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.
To view an indexed list of the resources of the week by subject matter, visit the L.P.H.D.C. web site at http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/lhpdc/resources/wig/default.asp. It currently includes 20 categories, covering over 300 annotated references. Each category opens to a new window with each Resource of the Week which covered material in that area.
Have a good day and weekend!
Laura Farah
Program Associate
Law, Health Policy & Disability Center
University of Iowa College of Law
P: 617–489–0086
F: 617–489–1374
[ E–mail Lgleneck@mail.law.uiowa.edu ]
[ E–mail LFarah8@aol.com ]
[ http://www.onestoptoolkit.org ]
[The full announcement is located under the section heading "Websites of the Week."]
One of the key responsibilities that a Navigator has is to serve as a resource on S.S.A.’s work incentives and employment support programs. This S.S.A. Resources Toolkit is a major source of information and resources that you can pass on to people with disabilities, One–Stop Career Center staff, and others throughout the community. The site provides information about the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act contracts and grants for each state and answers the top 7 most frequently asked questions about the Work Incentive Planning and Assistance (WIPA) projects (which most likely have been asked of Navigators). The Toolkit also provides fact sheets on Protection and Advocacy Programs, information about State Partnership Initiatives in 12 states, and key links to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Grants. The Social Security website (www.ssa.gov) can be overwhelming for some people to navigate, since it is packed with so much important information. Navigators can help others to navigate the site and pass on important resources like this S.S.A. Resources Toolkit.
[The following includes excerpts from the article.]
Gilda Bettis, Pamela Quandt and Karen Goehring discuss plans for the Jan. 16 job fair at Iowa School for the Deaf. The women are members of the Metro Area Placement Professionals, the sponsor of the event. A Jan. 16 job fair at Lied Multi–Purpose Complex on the Iowa School for the Deaf Campus has been planned with the goal of helping the Metro Area Placement Professionals meet a goal of helping people find new jobs in the new year. The group, also known as MAPP, got together in April 2005 to share job leads, work on mutually beneficial collaborations, and put people to work, according to Karen Goehring, a disability program navigator who works out of the Iowa Workforce Development offices at the Omni Centre through a Region XIII partnership. In addition to Goehring, members include Tyrone Abdul of Goodwill Industries, Gilda Bettis of the New Iowan Center, Kathy Huibregtse with V.A. Nebraska, Stacy Martens from Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Debi Redmon of Pottawattamie County General Assistance, Desirae Vallier from Heartland Family Services, Kristi Wills of Iowa School for the Deaf and Michelle Zuerlein of Alegent Health.
They have the common goal of working to find jobs for people who have various barriers to employment, including low–income individuals, people new to the area, people from at–risk situations and those with disabilities. They are devoted to addressing needs as they develop and recently held a first–impressions fair to help people with interview preparation and dressing for their job search.
This site includes twelve symbols that may be used to promote and publicize accessibility of places, programs and other activities for people with various disabilities. These symbols are intended to help you advertise your access services to customers, audiences, staff and other targeted publics. Advertisements, newsletters, conference and program brochures, membership forms, building signage, floor plans and maps are examples of material that might display these symbols.
This section of the website includes a repository of documents on the A.D.A. including A.D.A. legal documents; general A.D.A. publications and information; businesses and non–profit service providers; and state and local governments;
The Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) is a Federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities, such as buying an item at the store, going to the movies, enjoying a meal at a local restaurant, exercising at the health club, or having the car serviced at a local garage. To meet the goals of the A.D.A., the law established requirements for businesses of all sizes. These requirements went into effect on January 26, 1992. Businesses that serve the public must modify policies and practices that discriminate against people with disabilities; comply with accessible design standards when constructing or altering facilities; remove barriers in existing facilities where readily achievable; and provide auxiliary aids and services when needed to ensure effective communication with people who have hearing, vision, or speech impairments. All businesses, even those that do not serve the public, must comply with accessible design standards when constructing or altering facilities.
This site provides information on promoting the employment of Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities and includes information the Ticket to Work Program and targeted information for: individuals receiving disability benefits from social security, youth with a disability, individuals looking for a service provider and/or advocacy information, and for employers.
[The following has been excerpted from the Executive Summary to the report.]
Fundamental reform is needed in order to ensure the long–term fiscal sustainability of the Medicaid program. More than simply sustaining the program, the Commission believes that Medicaid can and must continue to provide quality care to promote the best possible health for all beneficiaries. Taken as a whole, the recommendations set forth in this report promote Medicaid’s long–term fiscal sustainability, while also emphasizing quality of care. Key principles that must be part of this transformation include recognizing the long–term value of investments in quality, supporting state flexibility, and changing how beneficiaries partner with the Medicaid program by encouraging personal responsibility for health care decisions and promoting and rewarding healthy behaviors.
The Commission also believes that the health of beneficiaries will be improved through a more efficient Medicaid system that emphasizes prevention, provides long–term care services in the least restrictive appropriate environment, adopts inter–operable forms of health information technology, coordinates care across providers and health care settings, and focuses on ensuring quality health care outcomes. Finally, although the Commission recommends several incremental measures to encourage individual planning for long–term care, the Commission also calls upon federal agencies and Congress to develop a fiscally sustainable plan for our nation’s future long–term care needs.