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
21 March 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 "Resources of Interest."]
The NEW RED BOOK 2008 is available! As a Disability Program Navigator, you know how important it is to provide accurate information to beneficiaries of SSI/SSDI so that individuals can make informed choices about work. Be sure to review the changes for 2008 (see below) and provide this updated information in a one-page, easy-to-read/post handout to One-Stop staff and throughout the disability community! Check out the online versions available both in PDF and HTML formats and in English and Spanish versions, and access the URL to view and download a copy. Or better yet, call to order the Red Book and get copies in alternative formats by calling 1-800-772-1213 or the TTY number at 1-800-325-0778.
The Red Book serves as a general reference source about the employment-related provisions of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Programs for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve people with disabilities.
SUMMARY: On October 7, 2003, the Commissioner of Social Security published a Notice in the Federal Register (68 FR 57950) announcing the beginning of a demonstration project designed primarily to test the effectiveness of altering certain Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and other program rules as an incentive to encourage individuals with disabilities or blindness to work or increase their work activity and earnings. In order to complete a more thorough evaluation of this project, SSA is extending the duration of the altered program rules in three of the seven original project locations and adding three new project locations that will also offer the alternative program rules.
BACKGROUND: In October 2003, at the start of the Youth Transition Demonstration (SSA has slightly altered the project name from the original Notice), SSA announced the award of seven cooperative agreements in six states for the development and implementation of demonstration programs intended to help youth with disabilities maximize their economic self-sufficiency as they transition from school to work. These seven programs (one each in California, Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, and Mississippi, and two in New York) worked with transition-aged youth (mostly between the ages of 14 and 25) who either receive SSI, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or Childhood Disability Benefits (CDB) or are at risk of receiving such benefits, including those who have a progressive disability, who have a prognosis for decreased functioning, or who have existing disabling conditions prior to age 18 that would render them eligible except for deemed parental income. The projects were designed to help Federal, State, and local agencies develop and implement sustainable improvements in the delivery of transition services and supports. They also tested ways to remove other barriers to employment and economic self-sufficiency. The October 2003 Notice stated that SSA would fund the projects on a yearly basis for up to five years, through September 2008, subject to the continued availability of funds and satisfactory progress.
Currently, five of the original seven YTD projects remain fully operational. Two ended because of difficulty they had reaching the goals stated in their cooperative agreements. Two more will end in September 2008, when their original cooperative agreements expire, because they have not agreed to the type of methodology, random assignment (RA) that SSA is now requiring in the demonstration. The three remaining original projects (two in New York and one in Colorado) will continue with the YTD beyond 2008. However, all seven of the original projects will be included in SSA’s overall evaluation, specifically the process and implementation portion of the analysis.
In the fall of 2006, in an effort to identify three additional programs for the YTD, SSA awarded funding to five candidate programs. In the five candidate programs, individuals were provided with additional services, but no SSI program rules were altered. Ultimately, SSA chose the three programs located in Florida, Maryland and West Virginia to take part in the YTD beginning in 2008. Each of the newly selected programs will receive funding for up to four years, ending in 2012, and will participate in all aspects of the YTD. Going forward, therefore, SSA will conduct the YTD with six programs: the three remaining original programs (one in Colorado and two in New York) and three new ones ( Florida, Maryland and West Virginia).
Access the URL to read the full announcement including the Evaluation Status, key dates and supplementary information.
[The following is excerpted from the article. Access the URL to read the full report.]
Labor shortages are projected in the coming decades as the baby-boom generation reaches retirement age. These shortages increase the importance of finding and reaching out to all available talent.
Current workplace trends indicate good and bad news. The bad news: people with disabilities are currently underrepresented in the fastest emerging occupations. The good news:
On both sides of the labor market, one often finds that some people with disabilities do not know what jobs they might be able to do, and how to obtain the necessary training. They may not be aware of their ADA rights or available government programs to facilitate employment. Likewise, employers often do not know where to go to hire people with disabilities, and what resources are available to assist them. The Disability Program Navigator Project, (DPN) was created to guide employers, agencies and people with disabilities to navigate the challenges of seeking and retaining employment.
[The following is excerpted from the News Release.]
The U.S. Department of Labor awarded $125 million to 69 community colleges and community-based institutions that competed successfully under the President's Community-Based Job Training Grants Initiative. The institutions will use the funds to prepare students for careers in high-growth industries.
Introduced by President Bush in his 2004 State of the Union address, Community-Based Job Training Grants improve the ability of community colleges to provide their regions' workers with the skills needed to enter growing industries. The first round of 70 competitive awards was made on October 19, 2005. The second round of 72 awards was made on December 11, 2006.
The 69 grants awarded today will support projects in 36 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
For more information on the President's Community-Based Job Training Grants, visit www.doleta.gov/business/Community-BasedJobTrainingGrants.cfm.
Access the URL for this news release to view a complete list of the award winners.
This webcast is the fourth in a series of five once-a-month webcasts on ADA Transportation featuring Marilyn Golden of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF). This webcast will focus on general rules that apply across the board to many modes of transportation under the ADA. This covers subjects such as equipment maintenance, lift and securement use, service animals, the ADA’s prohibitions against retaliation and harassment, and other miscellaneous provisions. This webcast will focus, in particular, on some new best practices examples related to equipment maintenance and stop announcements.
Marilyn Golden is a Policy Analyst at the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), our nation's foremost national law and policy center on disability civil rights, with offices in Berkeley, California and Washington, D.C. She has been closely involved with the Americans with Disabilities Act throughout all the stages of its proposal and passage and now during its implementation. A highly lauded ADA trainer, she has directed and led numerous in-depth programs on the ADA which have given thousands of people comprehensive knowledge on how to make this law a reality. She is the principal author of the DREDF publication The ADA, an Implementation Guide (the "Bluebook"), DREDF's highly-respected ADA curriculum.
Since the ADA's passage, Ms. Golden has continued to play a key role in policy development on a federal level in the areas of transportation and architectural barriers. She was appointed by the President to the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (also known as the Access Board) in 1996 and served on the Access Board until 2005 as a very strong and effective advocate for the interests of people with disabilities. She has also played a key role as a national transportation advocate, and has led the struggle for many of the policy victories during and since the ADA to provide better public transportation for people with disabilities. She has also authored or coordinated many ADA-related transportation papers and projects, and led numerous in-depth training programs on ADA transportation.
In 2005, the National Council on Disability published a major
paper on current major disability transportation policy issues
co-authored by Ms. Golden, "The Current State of Transportation
For People with Disabilities in the U.S".
Please visit this site ahead of time to test and ensure your computer is configured and updated to participate in the webcast.
For technical assistance, please check out the FAQs (frequently
asked questions) at:
http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/FAQ.html or
contact a webcast team member at E–mail webcast@ilru.org or 713.520.0232
(v/tty).
This webcast is supported through the DBTAC - Southwest ADA Center, a project of ILRU. Southwest ADA Center (http://www.SouthwestADA.org) is one of ten Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to provide training, technical assistance and materials dissemination on the ADA and other disability-related laws. NIDRR is part of the U.S. Department of Education.
[This is the same announcement that was disseminated on March 10th through the One-Stop Toolkit listserv.]
Moderator: Nanette Relave, Director, Center for Workers with Disabilities, APHSA
Medicaid Infrastructure Grants (MIGs), authorized by the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, are being used by states across the country to enhance systems and supports that promote employment and health care for individuals with disabilities. Many MIGs are building partnerships with businesses and the workforce system to open avenues for employment. This Webinar will provide an overview of Medicaid Infrastructure Grants and highlight innovative state practices and partnerships. These practices include collaboration with the Disability Program Navigator (DPN) initiative, partnerships with Business Leadership Networks (BLNs), and engagement of employers and the State and Local Workforce Investment Boards (SWIBs and LWIBs).
The lack of health care is a major barrier to the employment of people with disabilities. Recent public policy has attempted to address this challenge by providing work incentives, including retention of health care benefits. For many people receiving Social Security disability benefits the risk of losing Medicaid coverage linked to their cash benefits can be a work disincentive. The MIGs include a state Medicaid Buy-In (MBI) option which authorizes states to extend Medicaid coverage to eligible people disabilities who go to work. The MIGs encourage the adoption of a state Medicaid Buy-In optional eligibility group which allows states to extend Medicaid coverage to eligible people with disabilities who want to go to work
This webinar will:
Effective practices will be highlighted from Virginia, Oregon and Maine.
Registration for this Webinar is limited and seating is on
a first-come, first-served basis. Please click the link below
to login to Workforce3 One and register today!
http://www.workforce3one.org/public/webinars/details.cfm?id=284
Note, you must be logged in to sign-up for a Webinar. You can sign up by accessing the website and scrolling to the link at the bottom of the page that reads: Don't have a login? Register now!
Alaska and Hawaii Residents only: To access the audio portion of this event, you must use the following dial-in information 973-528-0009 and code 444126. Regrettably, the 800# is not available in your location. Therefore, please be aware that you will be assessed any relevant toll charges.
If you are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or have speech disabilities and captioning would facilitate your participation in this Webinar, you can register for captioning service through the Federal Relay Conference Captioning. Please note the Federal Relay Service requires at least 48 hours notice (2 working days) to guarantee coverage. For more information, visit http://www.workforce3one.org/support/index.cfm?id=966
The National ADA Symposium is an annual three day conference on the Americans with Disabilities Act and related disability laws that has earned the reputation as the most comprehensive event available on the ADA. Each year, the ADA Symposium brings representatives from key federal agencies involved in implementing the ADA including the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Access Board and the EEOC to provide comprehensive training and updates. All Symposium presenters are nationally recognized experts in their fields.
The ADA Symposium offers break-out sessions on a wide range of topics. Registrants select courses to create a schedule that reflects their interests and needs. A Pre-Conference is offered to provide both introductory and advanced sessions. A hallmark of the National ADA Symposium is the opportunities for networking and problem solving among participants. Social activities such as the Evening Reception and table-top discussion areas in the large EXPO Hall provide an atmosphere that encourages interaction.
The National ADA Symposium features an EXPO Hall filled with disability related products and services, an Assistive Technology Fair and demonstrations such as wheelchair golf.
Access the URL to read more about the session schedule and registration.
One of the Social Security Administration's (SSA) highest priorities is to support the efforts of disabled beneficiaries who want to work by developing policies and services to help them reach their employment goal. To that end, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs include a number of employment support provisions commonly referred to as work incentives.
The Red Book is a general reference tool designed to provide a working knowledge of these provisions. The Red Book is written primarily for educators, advocates, rehabilitation professionals, and counselors who serve individuals with disabilities. SSA also expects that applicants and beneficiaries will use it as a self-help guide.
Access the URL to download the HTML, PDF versions of the Red Book in both English and Spanish.
A presentation created for the National Council for Support of Disability Issues (NCSD)
Written by Maggie Koster
http://www.ncsd.org/
[A special thanks to Deborah Reardon, a Disability Program Navigator in Fort Myers, Florida, for sharing this resource.]
This presentation — in PDF format -- includes great information for anyone who is interested in learning more about and understanding non-visible disabilities.
To learn more about how to accommodate non-visible disabilities,
access the Job Accommodation Network’s Searchable Online
Accommodation Resource at
http://www.jan.wvu.edu/soar/disabilities.html.
This website provides tools to help HR professionals build inclusive workplaces. It includes articles, checklists, a glossary, and links to useful disability resources to help human resource professionals better understand the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), job accommodations and the employment process as it relates to people with disabilities.
A new High School / High Tech (HS / HT) Program Guide reflects effective practices nationwide. The guide includes information on lessons learned as HS / HT has evolved from a locally-administered to a state-administered national program model based upon the Guidepost to Success. It also includes information and materials used by HS / HT programs throughout the United States.
This new publication from the National Council on Disability (NCD) looks at barriers and solutions relating to people with psychiatric disabilities fully participating in their communities. According to a March 17th NCD press release, this report calls on Congress and the Administration to fully include and integrate people with psychiatric disabilities into America’s livable communities. Let people with psychiatric disabilities become part of the American dream.
According to NCD Chairperson John R. Vaughn, “For the promise of full integration into the community to become a reality, people with disabilities need safe and affordable housing; access to transportation; access to the political process; and the right to enjoy whatever services, programs, and activities are offered to all members of the community by both public and private entities. Although previous NCD reports addressed people across the full array of disabilities, a main focus of accessibility was on environmental elements that primarily apply more to the ‘obvious’ disabilities than to ‘hidden’ disabilities like many psychiatric disabilities and mental illnesses. Information about the six identified elements of livable communities, other elements, barriers, and promising practices for people with psychiatric disabilities needs to be broadened to achieve all-inclusive communities.”
This paper focuses specifically on expanding the livable communities framework and elements to people with psychiatric disabilities and supports full inclusion that leaves out no one. Grounded in the six identified elements, a livable community
When the focus shifts specifically to people with psychiatric disabilities, it becomes plain that without expansion this framework is insufficient to ensure the full integration of all people who have disabilities. The main barrier that people with psychiatric disabilities face is that a community that eliminates all the physical environment barriers still may not be fully accessible to people with psychiatric disabilities because of ingrained attitudes toward mental illness. Before people with psychiatric disabilities can even begin to take full advantage of the elements of the livable communities framework, they must be able to surmount an attitudinal barrier.
The attitudinal barrier is exemplified by outdated policies, programs, and beliefs about people with psychiatric disabilities as needing to receive all services within segregated settings in which mental health providers deliver housing, work, education, health care, and support services entirely within the mental health system. Abolishing this attitudinal barrier is necessary to ensure that people with psychiatric disabilities have access to the wider community and all that it may offer.
In this paper, by examining a variety of programs that show promise or have proved successful in achieving community integration for people with psychiatric disabilities, NCD recognizes the need for major changes in public policies to support further efforts for full integration and participation. Five core recommendations summarizing some needed federal-level changes follow.
Core Recommendation One: Congress should ensure that Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations continue to support anti-stigma campaigns and expand efforts to provide a funding base for self-help programs operated and run by mental health consumers and survivors, analogous to the funding provided under the Rehabilitation Act for operation of independent living centers. Consideration should be given to implementation through HHS/Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reauthorization or other federal mechanisms. Consumers/survivors should be included in the evaluation of ongoing anti-stigma campaigns and the design, development, and expansion of self-help program funding.
Core Recommendation Two: Implement changes in federal and state funding and policy to encourage housing models that are integrated, in accordance with individual choice, and delinked from mandatory health services, while providing ongoing flexible supports. Several federal agencies should examine policies and practices through a partnership effort. The work can begin with congressional action to ensure removal of contradictory or incompatible federal paperwork burdens and policy barriers. Congress should provide the funding needed for initial joint planning and reporting by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), HHS, and the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Core Recommendation Three: Congress and HUD, HHS, and SSA should work to change federal and state funding and policy to eliminate the “benefits trap,” which discourages people with psychiatric and other disabilities from working, and to ensure that work opportunities are available for the full range of jobs, with ongoing flexible supports.
Core Recommendation Four: HHS should be authorized to change Medicaid policy and regulations as implemented by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The agency should examine and consider the merits of existing models; for example, the Michigan state model reframes the definition of “medical necessity” to include “community integration,” and shifts funding to services based on “person-centered planning.” Such changes would allow a broader variety of recovery-oriented services to be eligible for Medicaid funding than is available currently.
Core Recommendation Five: Congress should ask the Government Accountability Office to assess and identify indicators of practices that seem to be working in HHS efforts to address cultural and linguistic issues through initiatives like the National Center on Cultural Competence (NCCC). In addition, Congress should allocate funds to expand the NCCC cultural and linguistic competence training model to ensure that as national demographics change, services to people from diverse racial and ethnic groups are provided in ways that meet their self-defined needs.
“By ensuring the expansion of the livable communities framework and recommendations to fully include and integrate people with psychiatric disabilities, American society can provide all citizens the opportunity to become part of the American dream,” Vaughn concluded.
NCD is an independent federal agency and is composed of 15 members appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. NCD provides advice to the President, Congress, and executive branch agencies to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that—