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
22 February 2008
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 Gleneck
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 "For Your Information."]
Starting in May, the Treasury will begin sending economic stimulus payments to more than 130 million individuals. The stimulus payments will go out through the late spring and summer. The vast majority of Americans who qualify for the payment will not have to do anything other than file their 2007 individual income tax return to receive their payment this year. The IRS will use information on the tax return to determine eligibility and calculate the amount of the stimulus payments.
Navigators, this would be good information to share with One-Stop partners and other community disability organizations that work with employees with disabilities especially that may not be considering filing a 2007 tax return. According to the information for Low-Income Workers and Recipients of Social Security and Certain Veterans’ Benefits (accessible at http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=179096,00.html) some low-income workers and recipients of Social Security, certain veterans’ benefits and certain Railroad Retirement benefits may qualify for economic stimulus payments this year from the federal government. Taxpayers may receive $300 for each qualifying child.
Most taxpayers do not need to take any extra steps to receive the payment beginning in early May. But there are some exceptions.
Individuals who might not otherwise be required to file a 2007 tax return will need to file a return this year to receive the stimulus payment. The return must show at least $3,000 in qualifying income. In other words, low-income workers who had at least $3,000 in earned income in 2007 but do not otherwise earn enough to be required to file a federal tax return need to file a return in order to get the stimulus payment. Likewise, Social Security recipients, veterans and retired railroad workers who might not otherwise need to file a tax return must do so to receive the economic stimulus payment. In most cases, payments will range from $300 to $600 for individuals and $600 to $1200 for joint filers and taxpayers may receive $300 for each qualifying child.
Normally, certain Social Security, Railroad Retirement benefits and certain veterans’ payments are not subject to income tax. However, the economic stimulus law passed in February contains a special provision allowing Social Security recipients and recipients of certain veterans’ benefits and certain Railroad Retirement benefits to count those benefits toward the qualifying income requirement of $3,000 and thereby qualify for the stimulus payment.
This means a taxpayer who had, for example, $500 in earned income and $2,500 in any combination of the benefits described above can count those benefit payments toward his or her qualifying income to reach the $3,000 earned income requirement, even though the individual would not otherwise owe taxes on such income.
Navigators can put the information from this fact sheet into a stand alone document to disseminate to various partners to get the word out!
[The following is excerpted from the website.]
Starting in May, the Treasury will begin sending economic stimulus payments to more than 130 million individuals. The stimulus payments will go out through the late spring and summer. The vast majority of Americans who qualify for the payment will not have to do anything other than file their 2007 individual income tax return to receive their payment this year. The IRS will use information on the tax return to determine eligibility and calculate the amount of the stimulus payments.
The IRS and Treasury will be working closely with the Social Security Administration along with beneficiary organizations to ensure that all eligible individuals know what to do to receive a stimulus payment. In many cases, the taxpayer will be able to use the short tax return Form 1040A.
The IRS and Treasury will be working closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs along with beneficiary organizations to ensure that all eligible individuals know what to do to receive a stimulus payment. In many cases, the taxpayer will be able to use the short tax return Form 1040A.
[The press release is included below in its entirety.]
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - (Business Wire) The year 2007 was the most violent for American troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The number of military personnel wounded in the war on terror is now nearly 40,000. For many of these Americans, traditional employment may represent a lifelong challenge. Throughout American history, entrepreneurship has been a means for veterans to provide for themselves and their families, and to re-engage the economic engine of their communities and the nation. Business ownership offers veterans the opportunity to “own their futures” while also offering the flexibility to accommodate the unique challenges associated with a service-connected disability.
Building on an innovative program created in 2007 by Syracuse University, the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University will lead a nationwide partnership with UCLA Anderson School of Management, Mays Business School at Texas A&M University and Florida State University’s College of Business to offer cutting-edge training in entrepreneurship and small business management to veterans with disabilities. This consortium represents one of the first, significant partnerships since WWII among some of the country’s most prestigious business schools focused specifically on opening the doors of America’s colleges and universities to veterans motivated by business ownership.
The consortium is an extension of SU’s Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV) program, first offered in summer 2007 at SU, which enrolled 20 veterans with disabilities. The EBV integrates world-class faculty, entrepreneurs, disability experts and business professionals in an educational program focused on training veterans in the competencies associated with small business ownership.
“Syracuse University and the Whitman School are proud to lead this new nationwide partnership,” says SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “By expanding our innovative Bootcamp program across the nation, we will provide disabled men and women who have served abroad the resources and training to help them follow and pursue their dreams as they rejoin their communities at home.” The four-university EBV partnership will dramatically expand the ability to offer this valuable program to veterans with disabilities. At all four institutions, the EBV curriculum will be standardized, ensuring that all participants receive a consistent, high-quality experience.
“This consortium is an important and meaningful extension of the EBV program offered at the Whitman School and is the only academic partnership of its kind aimed at this unique group of American citizens,” says Melvin T. Stith, dean of the Whitman School and a former U.S. Army captain. “On behalf of all of the four participating national universities, we are proud that institutes of higher education are stepping in to fill what is clearly a void for these veterans.”
The EBV program is offered in three phases. Phase I is a self-study session in which the veterans complete courses through online discussions moderated by university faculty. Phase II is a nine-day residency where participants learn to develop their own business concepts and understand the basic elements of small business management. Phase III involves 12 months of ongoing support and mentorship from the faculty experts at the EBV universities. Throughout the EBV, students engage in experimental workshops to write business plans, raise capital, attract customers, and develop a marketing strategy that is most effective for their business model.
“By offering veterans with disabilities the tools to create and grow their own businesses, we are helping them fight yet another battle—the battle for their own economic freedom,” says Mike Haynie, assistant professor of entrepreneurship in the Whitman School, creator of the EBV and a former U.S. Air Force major. “There is, perhaps, no better way to thank them for their extraordinary service than to demonstrate our confidence in their bright futures.”
Applications for the EBV are accepted on a rolling admissions basis. Early application is encouraged. To create disability-related curriculum and assist participants in understanding and leveraging programs at the intersection of disability and entrepreneurship, the EBV is offered in collaboration with SU’s Burton Blatt Institute, which seeks to advances the civic, economic and social participation of persons with disabilities.
To apply, or for more information, visit or contact the Dean’s Office in the Whitman School of Management at (315) 443-8736 or E–mail EBVinfo@syr.edu.
The purpose of the "Partnerships in Emergency Preparedness: A Faith-Based and Community Initiatives Preparedness Training Workshop" is to engage the Homeland Security stakeholders, including the private sector, governmental agencies, non-profit groups such as non-governmental organizations and faith-based groups in a strategic partnership to develop a national culture of preparedness.
The workshop will focus on equipping Department of Homeland Security and FEMA partners in emergency preparedness with the resources, knowledge, training, and skills necessary to respond to, and recover from all threats, hazards, and adverse incidents.
The workshops will highlight the National Strategy for Homeland Security, the National Response Framework, the National Incident Management System, Homeland Security Grant Programs, and the role of grassroots faith-based, community-based, and other non-governmental organizations in emergency management and preparedness.
The workshop will also provide faith-based and community organizations with a unique opportunity to meet and discuss pertinent issues with Department and FEMA leadership, as well as state and local emergency preparedness and emergency management officials.
| Houston, Texas | March 25, 2008 |
|---|---|
| Denver, Colo. | April, 2008 |
| New Orleans, La. | May, 2008 |
| Washington D.C. and Vicinity | June, 2008 |
| Chicago, Ill | July, 2008 |
| Los Angeles, Calif. | August, 2008 |
| New York City, N.Y. | September, 2008 |
REGISTRATION: The workshops are free and open to the public; however, registration is required.
Access the URL to find more information including how to register.
According to the Brain Injury Association (2005), a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be caused by a hard hit or jolting impact to the head (closed head injury) or by a penetrating object, such as a bullet (open head injury). Specific statistics of interest include:
Depending on the severity of the injury, a TBI survivor may not have any limitations, while another may struggle with daily living. Even if two people have the same type of brain injury, their outcomes may differ based on physical health and cognitive ability prior to the injury, the quality and duration of rehabilitation services, and family support.
Specific limitations hinge on what part of the brain was damaged by the injury, and any bodily system may be impaired as a result. Some survivors may have impairments related to gross motor limitations (walking, balancing, coordination); fine motor limitations (handling, fingering); sensory limitations (seeing, hearing); bowel and bladder control; handling stress and emotions; and speech impairments. Cognitive limitations may involve difficulty with memory, problem solving, math, reading, or “executive functions,” such as planning/organizing/prioritizing/decision-making. In some cases, because the parts of the brain that process auditory and visual information were damaged in a TBI, a person may have trouble comprehending what is seen or heard despite intact vision and hearing.
Accommodations for employees with TBI depend on the nature of their limitations, what bodily systems are affected, and essential job functions. Suggestions for accommodating cognitive deficits, psychological issues, motor impairments, sensory deficits, and speech difficulties due to TBI can be accessed at http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/brai.htm or by using the Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR) at http://www.jan.wvu.edu/soar/.
Brain Injury Association. (2005, August). Facts about traumatic
brain injury. Retrieved January 17, 2008, from
http://www.biausa.org/elements/aboutbi/factsheets/factsaboutBI.8.29.05.pdf
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The MIG-RATS provide resources and support to the ongoing research activities of the Medicaid Infrastructure Grants (MIGs). The central feature of the MIGs is to support employment for people with disabilities. Our research efforts focus on employment, disability, and related services.
This website is designed to help you find useful research reports and resources, learn about current MIG-RATS activities and initiatives, and connect with fellow MIG researchers.
In April 2006, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the concept for a state-based research resource center (MIG-RATS) to support activities under the Medicaid Infrastructure Grants (MIGs). The original vision called for establishing a resource center to support ongoing state research activities and would be based on voluntary participation and a core mission of being
The State Specific section allows users to pull information from the Activities, Toolkit, Resources, and Calendar according to the state source of the information. It provides a single access point for all research products developed by a given state.
Major disasters can disrupt transit operations, destroy vehicles and facilities, and impede the ability of people to reach essential relief and medical services and return to their homes and jobs. GAO determined
GAO reviewed laws, regulations, and guidance; analyzed DOT and FEMA data; and interviewed officials with FEMA, DOT, state and local agencies, and others.
To promote timely and effective assistance to transit, FEMA should develop guidance on the types of transit services that it will fund after a disaster and criteria for the duration of funding. DOT should evaluate the feasibility of options to increase FTA’s authority to provide financial disaster assistance to transit, and seek legislative authority as appropriate. DHS and DOT generally agreed with the facts presented, and DHS stated it would take the recommendations under advisement. DOT agreed with the recommendations and said these options would be considered by FTA in developing DOT’s legislative proposal for reauthorizing surface transportation programs.
Access the URL to read the full report, which does include reference to the needs and kinds of transit programs that exist for passengers with disabilities.