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
16 March 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 "Resources of Interest."]
In the One–Stop system, job seekers are not the only customers; Employers are highly valued customers as well. The One–Stop system responds to the needs of employers and as a result, has strong relationships with the business community. Navigators across the nation are helping to strengthen partnerships with agencies that provide employment services to individuals with disabilities and one of the main benefits that these disability agencies will gain through collaboration with the workforce system is the strong employer relationships. This article on Creating Effective Business Partnerships is an excellent resource for Navigators to share with Job Development groups and / or inter–agency committees they are involved with. It provides tips on how employment service providers can better respond to companies’ needs and points out that while the primary customer of employment services for people with disabilities is the job seeker, placement services can only succeed if they meet the needs of business.
START–UP / U.S.A. provides technical assistance to support self–employment and small business ownership among people with disabilities. The website includes information on a series of Webcasts on using S.S.A’s Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS) to support small business ownership, developing a business plan, as well as information for veterans with disabilities.
Self–Employment Technical Assistance, Resources, & Training (START–UP / U.S.A.) is a partnership between Virginia Commonwealth University and Griffin–Hammis and Associates, L.L.C. START–UP / U.S.A. is funded by a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor (D.O.L.), Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). A primary focus of the project will be to provide technical assistance and disseminate resources nationally to individuals interested in pursuing self–employment.
START–UP / U.S.A. also will be providing assistance to three sub–national projects, START–UP / Alaska, START–UP / Florida, and START–UP / New York. These projects are charged with the generation of data and information to validate systems capacity–building strategies and systems change models for successfully increasing self–employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The information generated through these model programs will be disseminated nationally for replication through technical assistance and support.
For over 23 years, the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) has provided focused, trusted, and informed answers to these and other questions. This annual conference unites JAN consultants with featured speakers who have expertise in employment law, innovative employment practices, and disability issues.
With two full days of training, the JAN Conference offers three concurrent training tracks addressing accommodation issues, innovative employment practices, and A.D.A. / legal issues. Sessions will be highly interactive and include question and answer segments. In addition, JAN consultants will be available throughout the conference to address your specific questions. The Exhibit Area, which includes a High Tech Demonstration Room, provides additional learning opportunities.
Access the U.R.L. for more information including online registration.
Keep visiting the website for updated information and registration.
[The following is excerpted from the article.]
In October 2005, the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston hosted Mission: Employment II, a conference that brought together people with disabilities and workforce, rehabilitation, and employment professionals. Representatives from the Massachusetts Business Leadership Network (Mass B.L.N.) presented these tips on how employment service providers can better respond to companies’ needs. The MassB.L.N. is an association of Massachusetts companies committed to a diverse marketplace that includes people with disabilities as both customers and employees. For more information on the MassB.L.N., visit www.massbln.com.
While the primary customer of employment services for people with disabilities is the job seeker, placement services can only succeed if they meet the needs of business. This issue of MassWorks examines the "demand side" of job development.
Two of the resources listed in this section of the article that are not Massachusetts–specific are highlighted below:
Learn about successful corporate models that promote the employment of people with disabilities through collaboration with human service organizations at www.worksupport.com/research/viewContent.cfm/578
Visit the I.C.I. website www.ForEmployers.com for resources on recruitment, accommodations, legal issues, and other topics that can help both employers and providers include people with disabilities in the workforce.
The goal is to make life easier for riders by helping those who schedule rides to build a more streamlined, unified transportation system.
United We Ride, an inter–agency federal initiative, in collaboration with the Federal Inter–agency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility and the National Consortium on Human Service Transportation has just launched its newest community education campaign called "One Vision: One Call." This campaign is advocating for all transportation consumers to have only one number to call for their transportation needs. The campaign consists of a PowerPoint slide show, a brochure, and talking points available to share with others.
This website includes information on the critical roles played by individuals with and without disabilities in emergency preparedness. As more people and organizations come together to expand this work, people with disabilities, their family and friends, and the community as a whole will benefit.
[The following is excerpted from the Abstract.]
Engaging employers with youth in workforce preparation activities is widely supported by program providers as a good practice. Research, although limited, supports this practice as well. This paper describes the findings from 58 interviews with youth program providers, employers, and policy–makers that explored the inclusion of employers in workforce preparation activities for disadvantaged youth [including youth with disabilities]. The researchers examined the degree to which youth and employers are prepared to engage with each other, how race and culture influence the entire experience, and whether program and policy efforts to increase employer engagement are in scale with youth program demand. The research highlighted important disconnects between program providers and employers and the affect these disconnects may have on expanding employer involvement. Implications for program development are also discussed.