7 April 2006

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 LPHDC 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 laura-farah@uiowa.edu ]
[ E-mail LFarah8@aol.com ]
[ http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/dpn/ ]
[ http://www.onestoptoolkit.org ]

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ONE-STOP TOOLKIT TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Resource of the Week Highlight for Disability Program Navigators

Summary, Chat with the EEOC

[The full announcement is located under the section heading "For Your Information."]

Currently, the number one technical assistance request from Disability Navigators is how to develop linkages with employers and the business community in order to connect more qualified individuals with disabilities with job opportunities. There are many ways in which Navigators nationwide are making these connections. Many agree that it is important to first learn about the needs of local employers, as well as about what they have to say and ask about hiring people with disabilities. Working closely with your One-Stop Business Service staff to survey employers or facilitate employer focus groups can provide valuable insight on the type of information to relay and how to respond to local business needs in the areas of hiring and retaining people with disabilities. This documented 'Chat with the EEOC' provides a glimpse of what employers are currently asking nationwide about job candidates and employees with disabilities, as well as offers concrete answers to questions that you may hear as a Navigator from the business community. Employers ask about legal interview questions, providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with a variety of disabilities, and risk factors for people with mental health disabilities. Find out what employers in your local community are asking about hiring people with disabilities and respond to their specific business needs and concerns.

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FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Full Article, Chat with the EEOC

[The following is excerpted from a March 2, 2006, live chat with Christopher Kuczynski of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC's) Office of Legal Counsel on questions related to rules for accommodating employees with vision impairments, cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, and Persons with intellectual disabilities.]

Each question includes the location from where the question came from, the main topic in italics and then the EEOC response.

• Pensacola, FL: Regarding phone interviews, what would be the most appropriate way to ask a candidate if they can fulfill the requirement of lifting up to 50 pounds? Should the words "with or without accommodations" be used?
  
  Christopher Kuczynski / EEOC: You may ask someone whether he or she can meet job-related requirements. If lifting fifty pounds is a requirement of the job, you may ask whether the applicant can do this. You may also say "with or without accommodation," because answering the question "yes" or "no" doesn't reveal whether the person needs an accommodation. You may not ask a question such as, "If you need accommodation, please explain why," or "If you need accommodation, then what type of accommodation do you need?"
• Florence, SC: Mental disabilities that could put other employees' or customers' safety at risk -- are we required to be a test case if the doctor advises to try the impaired person out to see what he / she can tolerate?
  
  Christopher Kuczynski / EEOC: I would be very careful to avoid assuming that just because someone has a mental disability, he or she would constitute a risk to other employees. Most people with mental disabilities are productive workers who do not disrupt the workplace. It is important to consider factors such as what disability the particular person has, how the disability affects the person, and whether there has been any history of violence or threats of violence in the past (something you should be concerned about with respect to all of your employees).
• Richmond, Va: In recent years, there has been a great deal of effort to encourage businesses to hire persons with disabilities. (ADA, etc.). Yet it appears that the percent of people with disabilities being employed has not increased. Is this an accurate assessment and what are we missing?
  
  Christopher Kuczynski / EEOC: Some studies and polls suggest that the number of people with severe disabilities who are working has remained relatively constant, even after passage of the ADA. I think there may be other studies, which use a somewhat broader definition of disability and suggest that the numbers have improved. Part of the problem is that it's difficult to come up with a single definition of disability that will yield consistent data. To the extent that studies showing little improvement are correct, there are a number of factors that might account for this: lack of transportation; lack of education, training, and access to technology; and fear of losing health care benefits if one returns to work. These are complicated issues that can't be resolved simply through enforcement and implementation of the ADA's employment provisions.
• Bloomington, IL: If an employee does not request an accommodation, is an employer at risk for not offering accommodation? Employers do not always know, and perhaps should not know, if an employee has a health condition that may warrant accommodation considerations. Due to HIPAA laws and ethical obligation, our Company respects an employee's right to privacy and confidentiality regarding their health. Thus, we do not ask and we do not assume that their health is affecting their job performance, which may lead to termination if they no longer perform the essential functions of their job.
  
  Christopher Kuczynski / EEOC: Generally, someone with a disability must request an accommodation before an employer will have an obligation to provide one. If, however, you do see that someone is having difficulty performing a job and you reasonably believe it may be the result of a medical condition, you may ask the person if he or she might benefit from an accommodation, in addition to counseling the employee on the performance problems.
• San Leandro, Ca: If an employer terminates for absences, but was unaware of a related disability, can the employer still be held liable?
  
  Christopher Kuczynski / EEOC: No.
• Minneapolis, Minnesota: During the interview, an applicant discloses they need accommodation in the workplace for insulin dependent diabetes. What are we to do with this information prior to prehire? If we hire this applicant, what are the next steps in the accommodation process?
  
  Christopher Kuczynski / EEOC: You may ask the applicant what type of accommodation he or she will need. Usually, this will be a very simple type of accommodation. You can not deny the person a job because of the need for and accommodation unless it will cause undue hardship.
• Franconia, VA: What are the conditions under which an employer can legitimately warn other employees that someone has a condition such as epilepsy that could flare up unexpectedly at work?
  
  Christopher Kuczynski / EEOC: An employer must keep information about someone's disability confidential except in very limited circumstances. Supervisors and managers who need the information to provide a reasonable accommodation may be told about an employee's disability. Disclosure is also permitted to first aid and safety personnel for emergency purposes, to government officials requesting information to investigate a charge of discrimination, and for workers compensation and insurance purposes. These are the only exceptions to the confidentiality obligation.
• Houston, TX: For individual applicants who have vision impairment or learning disabilities; is it permissible / advisable to read and complete the application on behalf of the individual, or what other course of action would be suggested to help them complete the application.
  
  Christopher Kuczynski / EEOC: yes you may read an application to someone with a vision or learning disability. And fill out the application based on the information the person provides. Other accommodations might include providing a large print application that someone with a vision impairment could complete or giving an applicant a little extra time to read and complete the application.

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DOL Workforce Recruitment Program

http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/workforc.htm

The 2006 Workforce Recruitment Program database containing profiles of student job candidates is now available. Fill your summer or permanent hiring needs with talented college students with disabilities. These candidates, from more than 200 colleges and universities, represent all majors, and range from college freshmen to graduate students and law students. To request a free copy of the entire WRP database on CD-ROM, send your name, company name and mailing address to wrp@dol.gov. Please note: if you represent a federal agency, contact wrp@dol.gov for information on access to the WRP.

Coordinated by the Office of Disability Employment Policy and the U.S. Department of Defense, the Workforce Recruitment Program aims to provide summer work experience, and in some cases full-time employment, for college students with disabilities. The program develops partnerships with other federal agencies, each of whom makes a commitment to provide summer jobs and a staff recruiter. Each year, recruiters interview more than 1,500 students with disabilities at college and university campuses across the nation, and develop a data base listing the qualifications of each student. As of 1996, private sector employers have been able to utilize the data base. Employers in the private and public sectors who are interested in more information about the program should contact wrp@dol.gov. College career counselors or disability student services providers who would like to schedule a recruitment trip to their campuses in 2007 should also contact 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.

Workforce Recruitment Program (for Employers) - brochure
http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/brochures/wrp4Cstd.htm

The Workforce Recruitment Program (Information for Colleges) - brochure
http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/brochures/wrp1.html

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RESOURCES OF INTEREST

Department of Labor Electronic Tools Guide

[ http://www.careeronestop.org/OUTREACHTEACHING/Electronic%20Tools%20Guide%200106_1.pdf ]
[ Get free Adobe Reader ]
[Two page brochure that includes the following information on the first page and a chart on page 2, which helps determine which web sites are appropriate are the most helpful to different users groups.]

• America's Career InfoNet (www.careerinfonet.org) is an electronic storehouse of national, state and local labor market data, and interactive career tools including a Career Resource Library that helps people make informed career decisions. Career InfoNet also provides linkage to state workforce and labor market information Web sites that contain local information resources and tools.
• America's Job Bank (www.ajb.org) is a large labor exchange Web resource in cyberspace, with over a million and a half jobs nationwide and 600,000 resumes on-line to assist both employers and jobseekers.
• America's Service Locator (www.servicelocator.org) connects people to local offices providing employment and training services. It provides maps and driving directions to the nearest One-Stop Career Center. ASL has information on more than 20,000 local resources and offices.
• CareerOneStop Coaches (http://www.onestopcoach.org/) identifies common problems or issues facing job seekers, workers and employers and provides interactive step-by-step instructions to help users find answers or related information. Special versions of the Coach for workforce staff, military spouses, and military base closure (BRAC) situations are also available.
• Career Voyages (www.careervoyages.gov) presents career and labor market information in high-growth and demand-driven jobs. It includes videos and links to actual job descriptions and jobs in local communities.
• MilSpouse (www.milspouse.org) assists spouses of military personnel with easy access to information resources related to education, training and employment, and support services such as child care and transportation.
• O*NET OnLine (http://online.onetcenter.org/) enhances businesses' hiring and retention efforts and supports workers and students in career planning by accessing key data for identifying and developing workplace skills.
• Toll Free Help Line (1-877-US2-JOBS, TTY: 1-877-889-5627) provides a full range of basic information about workforce program services for both workers and employers, as well as locations to One-Stop Career Centers and other offices. Information is available in over 140 languages.
• Workforce-3 One (www.workforce3one.org) is the place for employers, educators, economic development professionals, workforce investment system leaders and practitioners to learn, collaborate, and transform to a demand-driven system.
• Workforce Tools of the Trade (www.workforcetools.org) helps workforce development professionals gain the knowledge and skills they need to excel at their jobs. It contains an extensive database of training resources and providers and access to cutting edge research.
• Department of Labor (www.dol.gov) and the Employment and Training Administration (www.doleta.gov) provide comprehensive resources on work-related topics and labor market data to support business, job seekers, and the workforce system.

Access the URL to find the tool the right tool! The chart, found on page 2, identifies which DOL web sites key user groups find the most helpful: This two-page document is useful to share with One-Stop staff and community partners.

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CART: Communication Access Real-time Translation

http://cart.ncraonline.org/directory/directory.shtml

Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) is the instant translation of the spoken word into English text using a stenotype machine, notebook computer and realtime software. The text appears on a computer monitor or other display. This technology is primarily used by people who are hearing-impaired or who are learning English as a second language. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) specifically recognized CART as an assistive technology which affords "effective communication access."

CART Provider Directory: The NCRA Online CART Provider Directory is a service to make it easier for both consumers and CART Providers to locate qualified providers in your area. Access the URL listed above to click on your state to locate a CART provider.

CART Brochure: Access the following URL to download a brochure that explains CART and CART services: "CART: Providing Equal Access to People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing"
[ http://cart.ncraonline.org/consumer/CARTmarketingbrochure.pdf ] [ Get free Adobe Reader ]

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WEB SITES OF THE WEEK

ExpectMore.gov

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/

[Excerpted from a March 29th DOL News Release.]

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is now participating in ExpectMore.gov, a government-wide effort to encourage greater accountability for results and for how taxpayers' money is spent. Launched with the release of the President's 2007 budget, www.ExpectMore.gov is a new web site that provides candid assessments of federal programs in jargon-free language.

ExpectMore.gov allows the general public to review the performance of 28 DOL programs and almost 800 other federal programs accounting for 80 percent of the federal budget. The remaining 20 percent will be included within a year. For every program assessed, visitors can find a rating of performance, strengths and weaknesses and the program's improvement plan. ExpectMore.gov also links to detailed program assessments and the program's own site.

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Career One-Stop

http://www.careeronestop.org/

On March 24th, the LHPDC, as part of its Key Web sites of Interest Series, held an audio conference on the CareerOneStop web site. Kelly Tenner, Minnesota State Colleges & Universities, navigated the DPN and WIG grantees through the site. She also provided a Power Point that highlights key areas of the web site. If you would like an electronic copy of the Power Point presentation, send an e-mail to Laura at (laura-farah@uiowa.edu).

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The Burton Blatt Institute: Centers of Innovation on Disability

http://bbi.syr.edu/

The Burton Blatt Institute (BBI), located at Syracuse University, will build the premier organization to advance civic, economic, and social participation of persons with disabilities in a global society by creating a collaborative environment - with entrepreneurial innovation and best business practices - to foster public - private dialogue, and create the capacity to transform policy, systems, and people through inclusive education, the workforce, and communities.

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PUBLICATIONS OF THE WEEK

DPNs in the News: Northwest Indiana
Work-One Northwest
March 27, 2006

[The following is excerpted from an article that highlights two Navigators - Sarah Sharp and LaShaunta Pierce, who are with the Work Incentive Grant Project, Workforce Development Service, Inc. in Gary, Indiana.]

For people with disabilities negotiating the path to employment and self-sufficiency can be complicated by difficulties in finding the right services or understanding and completing all the necessary paperwork. At the Work-One Centers people with disabilities can get help. The Disability Navigators, LaShaunta Pierce and Sarah Sharp assist people with disabilities connect with the services they need.

Hired by Workforce Development Services through a Department of Labor Work Incentive Grant, the navigators' role is to improve access in the One Stop Centers for people with disabilities; act as a liaison between clients and partners; provide staff training; streamline the referral process, insure that clients receive needed services; and conduct outreach to agencies, schools and the community.

The Navigator assisted a recent client in one of our Work-One Express offices who has been diagnosed as Learning Disabled (LD). The client's career goal was to obtain a full time position in the food service industry, but he was very limited in his reading and comprehension abilities. Test results indicated that the client read at a first grade level. The Navigator coordinated regular tutorials with the area Literacy Coalition within walking distance of the client's home. The literacy counselor was able to work with the client beginning at his current reading level. The Navigator worked very closely with the counselor to develop a curriculum for the client which included site recognition of food service industry vocabulary in order for him to maintain his job search while attending the tutorials.

After working with the literacy counselor and Work-One, the client was able to obtain employment in the food services industry and is currently seeking promotional opportunities. It should be noted that the client is also a Vocational Rehabilitation client, thus there were three organizations partnering for the success of this client.

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Evaluation Report: Engaging Persons with Disabilities in Service
Points of Light Foundation and Volunteer Center National Network

[ http://pointsoflight.org/downloads/pdf/Engag_Persons_Disabilities.pdf ] [ Get free Adobe Reader ]

[Excerpted from the Introduction.]

Persons with disabilities, like all volunteers, have unique talents to contribute and play an important service role in communities everywhere. In September 2000, with funding provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Points of Light Foundation initiated a project to learn how to effectively engage persons with disabilities as volunteers and to create inclusive days of service.

The grant resulted in 2,900 volunteers with disabilities participating in service days through 22 Volunteer Centers and with the assistance of 59 local partners. Guidelines and best practices for engaging persons with disabilities were shared with over 550 different organizations across the United States, including educational institutions, nonprofits, Volunteer Centers, government groups, and faith-based organizations, through a series of trainings and the dissemination of a best practices guide. This report highlights many of the accomplishments and lessons learned as a result of this grant.

The Points of Light Foundation, founded in 1990, is a national non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization that engages more people more effectively in volunteer service to help solve serious social problems. Today, after more than a decade of steady growth and funding from corporations, foundations, the government, and private citizens, the Foundation has achieved international prominence as the leading advocate for and authority on volunteering. In partnership with the Volunteer Center National Network, the Points of Light Foundation works with over 90 Connect America partners, as well as thousands of business partners and nonprofit organizations around the world, bringing people and resources together to make a significant and positive difference in the lives of others.

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