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
30 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 ‘Publications of the Week.’]
Many Navigators develop linkages with the business community by working closely with their One–Stop business service teams, and often provide education and resources to employers on hiring qualified people with disabilities. Check out these case studies that describe companies across the U.S. and the best practices that have been achieved related to recruitment and hiring of people with disabilities. Other company sketches relate to return to work models of success for when an employee becomes disabled and is returning to employment. Each case study offers information on the people who were key in the development and or implementation of the corporate best practice and there is contact information for each company case study for additional information. Navigators may use these real–life examples to share with their One–Stop business service teams, as well as with Workforce Investment Boards and employers in the community to promote effective employment practices for hiring and retaining employees with disabilities.
The 2007 Workforce Recruitment Program (W.R.P.) is ready to help employers fill their summer or permanent hiring needs with talented college students with disabilities. The W.R.P. database contains profiles of student job candidates from more than 200 colleges and universities nationwide, representing all majors, and ranging from college freshmen to graduate students and law students.
Coordinated by the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the U.S. Department of Defense, the W.R.P. is a recruitment and referral program that connects federal and private sector employers with highly motivated post–secondary students with disabilities who are eager to prove their abilities in the workplace through summer or permanent jobs. Annually, trained recruiters from W.R.P’s federal agency partners conduct personal interviews with more than 1,500 students with disabilities at college and university campuses across the nation, and develop a database listing the qualifications of each student. This searchable database is available to federal Human Resource Specialists, Equal Opportunity Employment Specialists, and other hiring officials in federal agencies at the W.R.P. federal website (http://wrp.gov). Employers in the private and non–profit sectors can gain access to the W.R.P’s pool of candidates through the Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network (EARN) (www.earnworks.com/wrp), a free service of ODEP.
College career counselors or disability student services providers who would like to schedule a recruitment trip to their campuses in 2008 can see the Information Brochure below or contact E–mail wrp@dol.gov. Students interested in the program must work through their colleges. Due to limited staff resources, the Office of Disability Employment Policy cannot respond to direct student inquiries.
[The article is included below in its entirety.]
The National Federation of the Blind (N.F.B.) and Amazon.com announced [on March 28th] that they have agreed to work together to promote and improve technology that enables blind people to access and use the World Wide Web. In a cooperation agreement, Amazon.com pledged its commitment to continue improving the accessibility of its Web site platform, while the N.F.B. committed to contribute its expertise in Web accessibility technologies to help further Amazon.com’s efforts.
‘Amazon has always looked for ways to provide the most convenient and easy–to–use shopping experience for all our customers, including those who use screen access software,’ said Patty Smith, director of corporate communications for Amazon.com. ‘By working directly with the N.F.B., which has a wealth of accessible technology experience, we’ll be able to make more improvements for both our sighted customers and those customers who use screen access software to browse and shop the Internet.’
Blind persons access Web sites by using keyboards in conjunction with screen access software, which vocalizes or translates into Braille the visual information displayed on a computer screen by Web browsers and other computer applications. If not designed properly, however, Web sites can present barriers that do not allow the information contained on them to be translated properly for blind users, and emerging Internet technologies are presenting new accessibility challenges.
‘The National Federation of the Blind has long been a center of expertise in both developing and implementing access technology to provide the blind with the information and tools we need to integrate successfully into society,’ said Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind. ‘We have developed technologies like the Kurzweil–National Federation of the Blind Reader and N.F.B. – NEWSLINE ® that provide the blind with unparalleled access to information, and the staff of our International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind has experience in making Web sites and other technologies more accessible to blind computer users. We look forward to working with the developers at Amazon.com, the leader in innovation in online retail, to perfect techniques and technologies that will make the Internet more accessible for users of assistive technology. We are pleased that an industry leader like Amazon.com is committed to full and equal access for the blind on its Web sites and throughout the e–commerce industry. This cooperation agreement demonstrates to the world that the blind are eager to work with leading Internet companies to improve the online experience for everyone, and also that access for the blind goes hand in hand with continued innovation in Internet technology.’
[The following is excerpted from the Council for Disability Awareness on facts about the survey.]
A recent survey of American workers conducted by the Council for Disability Awareness reveals that most workers grossly underestimate their chances of experiencing a disability and, in addition, haven’t considered the financial impact of a disability. These statistics are alarming, given that the number of American workers who have experienced a serious disability has increased by 35 percent since 2000.
Data from the survey underscores the critical need to better inform America’s workforce about the likelihood of experiencing a disability, as well as the potential financial consequences that may accompany a disability. And C.D.A. is embarking on an outreach effort to increase public dialogue about disability awareness.
In January and February of 2007, C.D.A. worked with the research firm StrategyOne to conduct a 15–minute telephone survey of 1000 working American adults ages 18 to 65 nationwide. The margin of error for the sample size was +/–3.1 percentage points at the 95% level of confidence.
Access an article in the March 14th issue of Insurance Journal for more information on the survey:http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2007/03/14/77748.htm.
Join the D.B.T.A.C. — Southwest A.D.A. Center at ILRU for a Web cast on E.E.O.C. perspective to employment and disability–related issues. This Web cast will look at prevention and how to train your staff to understand the rights and requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Why is written documentation so important? When should it be prepared? Who should write it? Where should it be kept? Bring your questions, concerns and criticism and get answers and leave with the lesson plan to edit and make your own.
Joe Bontke is the outreach manager and ombudsman for the Houston District office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Joe has been in the field of Human Resources & Civil Rights for the past 19 years and has experience in employment law and adult education. With a Bachelor’s in Philosophy and a Masters in Education, he has been a Human Resources Director, a Training Coordinator for the Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A.) Technical Assistance Center for Federal Region VI and was appointed as Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine. Using his entertaining style, Joe has educated groups throughout the country and most recently, his work at the E.E.O.C. has enabled him to empower employers and employees with the understanding they need to work effectively at their jobs. Joe’s philosophy of education is — 90 percent is knowing where to find the information ...when you need it.
To link to this Web cast and download accompanying materials visit:
[ http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/calendar.html ]
[ Get Microsoft Office C.D., free trial, S / H applies ]
[ Get free Word Viewer ]
For instructions on how to access a Web cast visit:
http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/instructions.html
For technical assistance, please check out our FAQs (frequently asked questions) at:
http://www.ilru.org/html/training/webcasts/FAQ.html or contact a Web cast team member at
E–mail webcast@ilru.org or 713.520.0232 (v/tty).
Join many other national and local organizations and companies meeting in Kansas City this summer to exhibit at the largest annual conference dedicated to supported employment in the United States! Access the U.R.L. to view the conference brochure for registration materials, conference content, and sponsorship opportunities.
On January 30 – 31st, the Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (E.T.A.) held a training meeting for representatives associated with the fourteen new Disability Program Navigator (D.P.N.) projects in Washington, D.C. The meeting offered an opportunity for D.P.N. stakeholders to cultivate a peer learning environment to learn from each other and national experts about system relationships building, improved and effective participation for job seekers with disabilities in the One–Stop system, and state–local implementation best practices.
Throughout the day and–a–half meeting, we learned some common acronyms that are used in the disability employment field that were fondly referred to as ‘alphabet soup.’ Some of these acronyms, along with their title / phrase and a brief definition are included in chart form with a U.R.L. to find more information. We thought that in addition to the D.P.N. program, this selection of ‘alphabet soup’ might be of interest to the One–Stop Toolkit readership as well.
The Life Cycle Series, is a series of informational publications from the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.) designed to educate taxpayers about the tax impact of significant life events. The series on tax benefits and credits presents basic information about existing tax credits and benefits that may be available to qualifying taxpayers with disabilities, parents of children with disabilities, and businesses or other entities wishing to accommodate persons with disabilities.
This fact sheet describes three tax incentives available to help employers cover accommodation costs for employees and / or customers with disabilities, making their businesses accessible for everyone.
A fact sheet from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (E.E.O.C.) addresses questions related to the rights of workers who are blind or visually impaired.
The Employment and Training Administration (E.T.A.) has produced a wealth of information related to America’s workforce system. You may also view performance reports related to E.T.A. Programs.
Workforce professionals assist businesses, workers, and job seekers to help build a better workforce system. The tools and resources on this page assist workforce professionals in the development of America’s workforce.
These case studies provide a brief sketch of 20 companies. This overview will provide the name of the company, the best practice and the results that have been achieved. The first 12 companies represent corporate success stories related to recruitment and hiring of people with disabilities. The remaining eight company sketches relate to return to work models of success for when an employee becomes disabled and is returning to employment. Following these company highlights will be a complete case study, presented in its entirety. Each case study will share information on the people who were key in the development and or implementation of the corporate best practice. Further, readers will be provided with contact information for each company case study for additional information.