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
18 April 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 Resource of Interest is located under the section heading "Resources of Interest."]
The New England ADA Center and No Limits Media have released informative videos featuring students with disabilities sharing their strategies for successfully staying in school, graduating and getting jobs. Students reveal their struggles with self-reporting their disability, and negotiating accommodations in school and at work. Navigators, these videos can be used as part of trainings (each video is 7-9 minutes) and shared with students and other professionals. DVDs are available upon request. The videos are open captioned and can be viewed by accessing the URL.
Born with one arm, Danielle always wanted to be a nurse. While in college, Danielle is told by the Dean of Nursing she cannot be a nurse. Watch Danielle find ways to succeed in nursing school, graduate and land a job as a pediatric nurse ( 9:42).
Now an engineer at Mathworks, he developed a visual impairment while an infant. Alexander tells all-how he covered up his disability all the way to junior high. His cover up was discovered by his teacher and it changed his life. While in high school, Alexander decides on going to college. He shares his strategies for deciding on going to the university with the most supportive disability services. ( 7:12)
At age three, Valeska’s parents were told she would never graduate from college. Valeska struggled in school all her life. After many years of dropping in and out of school, Valeska, now an older student with a learning disability finds ways to succeed in college. ( 9:34)
A college student with Spina bifida and Borderline Personality explains the process of negotiating classroom accommodations that make the difference in her academic success at school ( 7:48)
DATES: Deadline is May 14, 2008
BACKGROUND: Urban or Non-Urban Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP) grants are intended to address two objectives:
U.S. Department of Labor, Veterans' Employment Training Service announces a grant competition, which provides that "the Secretary of Labor shall conduct, directly or through grant or contract, such programs as the Secretary determines appropriate to provide job training, counseling, and placement services (including job readiness and literacy and skill training) to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force.
ELIGIBILITY: Applications for funds will be accepted from State and Local Workforce Investment Boards, local public agencies, for profit/commercial entities, and non-profit organizations, including faith-based and community organizations. For more information regarding grant eligibility, please go to www.grants.gov
Eight community organizations have been selected to receive grants from the National Center on Senior Transportation. The grants are for demonstration projects that will work creatively to meet the transportation needs of older adults living in the community. The grants range from $35,000 to $90,000. The sites will also receive 24 months of tailored technical assistance.
More than 300 public, private and faith-based aging/human services and transportation organizations from 46 states plus the District of Columbia applied. “Based upon the recommendations of our reviewers, we believe the group of eight projects that have been selected for funding will lead the way in addressing the transportation needs of older adults through the use of highly creative approaches,” said Virginia Dize, NCST’s assistant director. “These projects offer tremendous opportunities for learning and innovation that will further transportation services for older adults,” added Mary Leary, senior director for transportation initiatives at Easter Seals.
Dize noted that the sites are geographically diverse and include a mix of rural, urban and suburban populations. “Given the number of responses to last fall’s request for proposals, it is also clear that there is a tremendous need for information and technical assistance to support innovations in organizations striving to help older people live independent lives,” she added.
The NCST is completing additional analysis of the proposals to help address the many needs described by applicants. The Center will post periodic updates on the demonstration projects and will continue to communicate the latest developments in transportation policy and funding opportunities via the web site (http://www.seniortransportation.net/).
Established in 2006, the National Center on Senior Transportation is co-administered by Easter Seals and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration and the U.S. Administration on Aging. The Center’s mission is to provide technical assistance and training and support innovations that enhance transportation for older adults at the community level.
As a member of the design, development, disability and/or aging communities, you are invited to attend the inaugural meeting of the Global Universal Design Commission, Inc., and join with other hosts to organize a consensus voluntary standard development process that accelerates the consistent, knowledge-driven translation and use of Universal Design (UD) across commercial development and the built environment.
PURPOSE. The purpose of this meeting, which is being hosted by Global Universal Design Commission, Inc.; Burton Blatt Institute, Syracuse University; Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA); and National Council for Independent Living (NCIL), is to organize and initiate the process to develop a consensus guidance standard for UD in commercial development. UD is the design of the built environment and products to be useable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.
TARGET AUDIENCE. Stakeholders in the design, development, finance, disability, and aging communities are invited to attend and participate in the standard development process. Your participation will bring multiple perspectives to the process, inform decisions to be made in the development of consensus voluntary standards, and provide the marketplace a new level of clarity about the value of universal design.
For more information and/or to RSVP (by May 7th), contact James Schmeling at E–mail jschmeli@law.syr.edu.
On April 10th, Workforce3 One hosted a webinar on the Ticket to Work Program and One-Stop Career Centers. The webinar highlighted two One-Stop Career Center models for becoming Employment Networks (ENs) in the state of Iowa and in Jacksonville, FL. States had an opportunity to hear first-hand from Iowa and Florida: how their One-Stop Career Centers/Local Workforce Investment Boards (LWIBs) became ENs; the challenges; milestones of progress; and potential return on investment. Participants had the opportunity to engage in a highly interactive discussion of their individual state situations and benefit from the experiences and perspectives of their colleagues in the workforce investment system.
One-Stop Career Centers and LWIBS should consider becoming ENs because this program is a potential funding source for any entity that provides return-to work services to Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities. It is likely that you are already providing such services to your customers with disabilities. This makes good business sense and will enable you to leverage funding to maximize services to your customers and better respond to the needs of your business customers. The U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration has been working with the Social Security Administration to promote the Ticket Program to One-Stop Career Centers and LWIBs. The Disability Program Navigators (DPNs) are playing a leadership role in this process.
Access the URL to download the Power Point presentation.
You will need to be a registered user to access this information.
You may also send an e-mail to E–mail laura-farah@uiowa.edu and request an electronic copy of the Power Point be sent to you via e-mail.
[ Get Microsoft Office C.D., free trial, S / H applies ]
[Special thanks to Glenn Olsen, Project Lead, Wisconsin Disability Program Navigator (DPN) Initiative, for sharing this resource.]
This section of the state of Wisconsin website includes the following information for and about Older Workers. While some of it is specific to Wisconsin, much of the information is general and can be used by any area looking to access this untapped pool of workers.
Older workers are a growing pool of untapped resources for solving your labor shortage problems. Learn more about hiring older workers, how to attract and retain older workers, and assess your business older worker climate.
The New England ADA Center and No Limits Media have released informative videos featuring students with disabilities sharing their strategies for successfully staying in school, graduating and getting jobs. Students reveal their struggles with self-reporting their disability, and negotiating accommodations in school and at work. These videos can be used as part of trainings (each video is 7-9 minutes) and shared with students and other professionals.
In the videos, students with disabilities share strategies to successfully stay in school, graduate and get jobs. Students reveal their struggles with self-reporting their disability, and negotiating accommodations in school and at work. DVDs are available upon request. The videos are open captioned and can be viewed by accessing the URL.
In FY2004, the average expenditure per person for integrated employment as reported by state Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MR/DD) agencies was $6,251 (Table 1). This figure has increased steadily since the mid-1990s indicating that states have slowly begun allocating additional resources towards integrated employment. However, growth in expenditures is likely a result of changes in federal law as opposed to changes in the amount of state dollars available to fund integrated employment. The Balanced Budget Act Amendments of 1997 expanded the eligibility for integrated employment services to all people served under the Medicaid Title XIX Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver. Between FY1996 and FY2004 state, county, or local MR/DD agency expenditures remained constant, while Title XIX waiver expenditures per person for integrated employment increased nearly 250%. It is expected that more recently enacted federal policies such as the New Freedom Initiative (2001) will continue to encourage states to make use of federal Medicaid dollars to fund integrated employment, and likely perpetuate these trends.
Overall, states have increased per-person integrated employment expenditures; however, there is significant variation across states and funding sources (Table 2). The per-person expenditure for integrated employment, considering funds from all available sources2, ranged from $90 in Kentucky to $14,541 in Connecticut. The per-person expenditure for integrated employment using Title XIX Waiver funds ranged from $5 in Washington state to $12,429 in Arkansas. The per-person expenditure for integrated employment using state, county, or local MR/DD funds ranged from $256 in Missouri to $14,364 in Connecticut. The differences in per-person expenditure for integrated employment are important to note but are not necessarily an indication of the quantity or quality of integrated employment services in the state. Washington state and Connecticut both consistently support a high percentage of service recipients in integrated employment; however the state’s per-person expenditures are significantly different. The differences in per-person expenditures are more likely due to variations within each state’s economy than the quantity or quality of integrated employment services.
For more information on per-person integrated expenditure across states and funding sources, access the URL to read Data Note 16.
Visit CareerOneStop’s Regional Economic Development site for a blueprint to Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED). This ongoing initiative is the U.S. Department of Labor’s groundbreaking approach to integrate workforce and economic development. Through the WIRED model, regions integrate economic and workforce development activities and demonstrate that talent development can drive economic transformation in regional economies.
CareerOneStop’s Regional Economic Development Web site offers free and reliable labor market, economic, and workforce data and information in one convenient location. Economic developers, workforce developers, and business and education leaders can select information unique to their region and compare it with other areas. Also, there are helpful planning models such as WIRED and Six Steps to Regional Success. These models integrate economic and workforce development activities and demonstrate how talent development can drive economic transformation in regional economies across the United States.
Career Voyages, a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education, provides information on high-growth, in-demand occupations and identifies the skills and education needed for those jobs. Find basic labor market information such as wage and employment trends as well as occupation descriptions and career videos for in-demand occupations. In addition, Career Voyages works directly with industry associations, providing direct access to their career exploration information, videos, education opportunities, scholarships, and other industry-specific resources.
[The following is excerpted from the Executive Summary of the report.]
The Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG) program supports state efforts to foster the competitive employment of people with disabilities. Administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the grants can be used to develop infrastructure and programs that make it easier for people with disabilities to work by expanding their access to health insurance and employment supports. This report examines the performance of MIGs funded during calendar year 2006, the sixth year of the program.
The analysis uses quantitative data including trends in enrollment in the Medicaid Buy-In program, the earnings of Buy-In participants, and personal assistance services (PAS) provided through states’ Medicaid State Plans to gauge the effect of MIGs on working-age adults with disabilities.
Congress succeeded in designing the MIG program to be attractive to states, as evidenced by the fact that virtually every state has obtained MIG funds for at least one year since the program’s inception in 2001. Specifically, the number of awarded MIGs increased from 25 in 2001 to 43 in 2006, and only two states did not have a MIG for at least one year between 2001 and 2006. MIG funding totaled over $130 million during this time.
Available quantitative data demonstrate that MIGs have had a meaningful impact on certain programs and services that make it easier for people with disabilities to work.
The available data, however, are likely to understate the actual impact of the MIGs. This report focuses only on data that all MIG states can provide, regardless of the duration or complexity of their MIG program efforts. Because most states initially used MIG funds to develop Medicaid Buy-In programs, CMS focused its attention on data reporting mechanisms related to this program. These mechanisms now provide accurate and comprehensive quantitative data that show the positive impact of the Buy-In program. However, as Congress intended, states that have had MIGs for several years typically use their funding to establish a variety of different types of programs and efforts that build on existing resources in the state. As a result, states with more mature programs have extended and diversified their infrastructure-building efforts well beyond those of states that have had a MIG for only a year or two. On the one hand, this trend represents another success of the MIG program (building a state-specific infrastructure); on the other, it presents difficult measurement and reporting challenges.
CMS has made the collection of high-quality quantitative data on these more complex and differentiated efforts a high priority, and the agency is working aggressively to improve the breadth and depth of available data. A particular emphasis has been placed on standardizing the outcome measures of MIG performance across states and time. Some measures of MIG performance are now reliable and accurate, but additional data will be necessary to capture the impact of the extensive and varied changes in infrastructure that states have made through MIG support. In the next several years, CMS’s commitment to collecting the best possible data will improve the agency’s ability to more accurately measure MIG performance.