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
13 April 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."]
As a systems change strategy, some Navigators have added useful resources for customers with disabilities to their One-Stop’s orientation packets. This information may cover such topics as disclosure, reasonable accommodations, and support services available to help maintain employment. Having this type of information available in your One-Stops can be especially useful for staff to refer to as well when working with customers with disabilities. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a free service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor, devotes a section of their website on resources for individuals with disabilities, including ‘Employees' Practical Guide to Requesting and Negotiating Reasonable Accommodations Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)’ and ‘Finding a Job that is Right for You: A Practical Approach to Looking for a Job as a Person with Disability’. There are also other links to additional resources on maintaining employment, job seeking, legal assistance, and other resources. Add these resources and links to your One-Stop’s resource library, orientation packets, or disability toolkits, and review the information with One-Stop staff.
DATES: Applications are due by May 8, 2007.
SUMMARY: The Employment and Training Administration (ETA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL or the Department), announces the availability of $3,000,000 in grant funds for eligible "grassroots" organizations with the ability to connect to the local One-Stop Delivery System.
Through this competition, ETA seeks to ensure that an important WIA tenet, the development of a talented American workforce pool through universal access to the programs and services offered under WIA, is further rooted in the customer-responsive delivery systems already established by the Governors, local elected officials and local Workforce Investment Boards. ETA also reaffirms its continuing commitment to those customer-focused reforms instituted by state and local governments, which help Americans access the tools they need to manage their careers throughout their life with information and high quality services, and to help U.S. companies find skilled workers to remain competitive. Many faith-based and community organizations offer unique services and support including networks for full partnership in mutual system-building endeavors; they are trusted institutions within many poor neighborhoods; and they provide access to a large number of volunteers who bring the transformational power of personal relationships to the provision of services, and a sustained allegiance to the well-being and self-sufficiency of the participants they serve. Through their daily work and specific programs, these organizations share common purposes with government such as the attainment of occupational skills, and the entry and retention of all our citizens in good-paying jobs. Through this solicitation, ETA and CFBCI strive to leverage the programs, resources and committed staff of "grassroots" faith-based and community organizations into the workforce investment strategies already embodied in state and local strategic plans.
AWARD INFORMATION: ETA has identified $3,000,000 for this solicitation. The agency expects to award approximately 40 grants. The grant amount for each `grassroots'' organization will range between $50,000-$75,000.
Access the URL to read the full announcement including application and submission information.
For more than fifty years, our country has celebrated May as Mental Health Month to raise awareness about mental illnesses and the importance of mental wellness for all. The Mental Health Association includes links to the following Mental Health Month materials to help you raise awareness in your community. The “Activity Guide” includes ideas for mental health activities including in the workplace
The U.S. Department of Education has released final regulations under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) providing additional flexibility to states to more appropriately measure the achievement of certain students with disabilities. These regulations allow states to develop modified academic achievement standards that are challenging for eligible students and measure a student’s mastery of grade-level content, but are less difficult than grade-level achievement standards. The new regulations are part of an ongoing effort to ensure that all students, including those with disabilities, fully participate in a state’s accountability system and are assessed in an appropriate and accurate manner.
The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), in collaboration with the Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives (CFBCI) and the Civil Rights Center (CRC) of the Department of Labor has developed a new brochure to help faith-based and community organizations (FBCOs) better understand the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The publication is titled “Demystifying Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.”
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requires recipients of Federal financial assistance, including FBCOs, to take certain positive actions to make their facilities and services accessible and available to persons with disabilities.
A responsive resource for workforce professionals is the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). If you are a workforce professional and have never accessed JAN, then please take a few minutes to access the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section of the website to learn more about JAN, the “free” services they offer, and how it can help you. Links to the following FAQs can be found on this website:
The U.S. Department of Labor, Civil Rights Center (CRC) in cooperation with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Disability and Employment Policy (ODEP), has developed this "WIA Section 188 Disability Checklist" (http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/crc/section188.htm). The Checklist is designed to ensure meaningful participation of people with disabilities in programs and activities operated by recipients of financial assistance under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA), including those that are part of the One-Stop delivery system. Section 188 of WIA (WIA Section 188) ensures non–discrimination and equal opportunity for various categories of persons, including persons with disabilities, who apply for and participate in programs and activities operated by recipients of WIA Title I financial assistance.
This resource provides links to individual Power Point (PPT) presentations to be used to provide Section 188 Disability Checklist training. It begins with a PPT presentation that can be used as an introduction to the purpose of the checklist and its elements. Links to each element is included as separate PPTs.
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. JAN's mission is to facilitate the employment and retention of workers with disabilities by providing employers, employment providers, people with disabilities, their family members and other interested parties with information on job accommodations, self-employment and small business opportunities and related subjects. JAN's efforts are in support of the employment, including self-employment and small business ownership, of people with disabilities. JAN represents the most comprehensive resource for job accommodations available.
The Disability Employment Institute empowers individuals with disabilities to fulfill their potential and dramatically improve their lives. At the same time, the Institute's NBSA-certified employees with disabilities fill critical vacancies and expand diversity in the workplace. In addition to empowering people with disabilities, the Institute's service offerings benefit several key parties:
This report details state efforts to reform health care and specifies a variety of factors motivating states to address this problem, including the continued rise in the number of uninsured and steep declines in employer-sponsored health insurance.
State Coverage Initiatives (SCI) is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) administered by AcademyHealth. SCI works with states to plan, execute, and maintain health insurance expansions, as well as to approve the availability and affordability of health care coverage. SCI’s website is: www.statecoverage.net ([ Get free Word Viewer ]).