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
25 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 Social Security Administration (SSA) and CESSI, the Program Manager for Recruitment and Outreach on the Ticket to Work program, are pleased to announce the availability of the Employment Network (EN) Revenue Estimator. This is an exciting new online tool for existing ENs and others who are considering whether to sign up as an EN.
The online tool allows the user to estimate potential revenue under the New Ticket to Work Program. A simple two-step process includes input of the number of SSA disability beneficiaries expected to be placed in employment each month along with estimates of the percentage of those beneficiaries expected to achieve various levels of employment outcomes. With those inputs, the estimator will produce the expected EN revenue generated under the New Ticket Program using the proposed changes from the soon-to-be-final regulations and the 2008 earnings and payment amounts.
As you access the website, and before you enter requested information, you will note the following:
Welcome. I am going to help you estimate five years of revenue from the Ticket-to-Work program.
Before we start, you will need to do some projections about the future.
Number of people starting work: As an EN think of the number of people likely to start work in an average month. For instance, if you think 15 people will start work each year, you may enter 1 per month and know that the Estimator is under- reporting your revenue. If you think 20 or so people will begin each year, you could enter 2 per month and know that the Estimator is over- estimating, just a little. The number of people that start per month must be a whole number; no fractions allowed.
How long they work: You know that a number of people will begin work but not sustain it for very long. Some will do a lot better and may work for a long time. I will ask you to parcel out all of your workers into six categories explained later. The estimator will ask for these figures in terms of the percent of the total. We have given you a little calculator below to help you figure the percentages.
It is a simple/short calculator that will not take a lot of your time but could generate some great results that you can share with your local, regional and/or state to help them determine the benefits to becoming an Employment Network. Developed for CESSI by Susan M. Daniels, PhD, of Daniels and Associates, the estimator is meant to help potential ENs get an idea of the impact the New Ticket to Work Program can have on the EN's bottom line. Daniels said, "The beauty of the Ticket Program is that it can truly help the ENs grow their businesses while assisting Social Security's disability beneficiaries attain their employment goals."
The U.S. Department of Education has made a number of funding opportunity announcements.
Neil Romano graduated from high school, but because he has a learning disability, dyslexia, and struggled with reading and writing assignments, some assumed that college would be too challenging for him. A guidance counselor suggested that his parents not waste their money on the application fees, encouraging them to consider vocational school instead.
Thankfully, neither Neil nor his parents listened to that advice. He set out to prove – and did – that, given the chance, a person’s ability and determination will trump his or her disability. He was accepted to a small, private college that did not require standardized testing for entrance. After a very successful freshman year, he transferred to New York University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude and was admitted into The Phi Beta Kappa Society. He went on to Brown University to pursue graduate studies.
Neil has since dedicated his career to the marketing of ideas and messages to help save lives and promote public policy. He founded Romano & Associates Inc., which produced highly visible and effective public awareness programs, as well as America’s Strength, through which he worked with industry to promote the importance to them of hiring individuals with disabilities.
Neil’s extensive professional background includes tenure as director of communications for the White House Office of Drug Abuse Policy. In that role, he worked on campaigns such as “Just Say No” and “America Responds to AIDS.” He has been a member of the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. He also has served a number of diverse boards of directors, including those of the United Cerebral Palsy of Central Maryland, Oral Health America and the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society. Additionally, he has advised the Association for People in Supported Employment and the U.S. Business Leadership Network, which uses a “business to business” approach promoting the imperative of hiring people with disabilities.
During the last week of March, Neil was sworn in as assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. Already immersed in a lengthy “must do” list, he has let his staff know that, because of his disability, he works best with verbal briefings, rather than written material. Neil’s dynamic presence and boundless energy are contagious. He has hit the ground running, excited about this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Americans with disabilities and committed to helping employers fully understand the value of people with disabilities in their workforces.
Moderator: Randee Chafkin, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
Maintaining global leadership in science and technology continues to be a top priority for America. This priority is a focus of the President's recent American Competitiveness Initiative (ACI), which seeks to advance the growth of the country's economy and national security through investments and policies that increase our capacity for scientific, engineering, and technological innovation. To achieve the ACI's goals, all Americans must have the opportunity to be educated and trained in STEM-especially untapped potential STEM talent. Individuals with disabilities, as well as women and underrepresented minorities, constitute the largest untapped pool of potential American scientists, engineers, technologist, mathematicians, and technicians.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) reports that people with disabilities are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) studies and careers. NSF and others report evidence-based practices to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM to include: technology access; hands-on STEM activities; self-determination skill building; college and career preparation activities; bridges between academic levels and careers; work-based experiences; peer and mentor support; tutoring; and preparing educators and employers to work with individuals who have disabilities.
There are several existing programs that have an excellent track record for broadening STEM participation by including people with disabilities. This Webinar will highlight several of these programs:
Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a highly interactive discussion with the staff from these programs to learn about their effective practices, innovative strategies, and successful outcomes for increasing STEM participation in education and employment of individuals with disabilities.
Registration for this Webinar is limited and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please access the URL to login to Workforce3 One and register today! Please note, you must be (or become) a registered user of the Workforce3 One website.
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.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) and CESSI, the Program Manager for Recruitment and Outreach on the Ticket to Work program, are pleased to announce the availability of the Employment Network (EN) Revenue Estimator. This is an exciting new online tool for existing ENs and others who are considering whether to sign up as an EN.
The online tool allows the user to estimate potential revenue under the New Ticket to Work Program. A simple two-step process includes input of the number of SSA disability beneficiaries expected to be placed in employment each month along with estimates of the percentage of those beneficiaries expected to achieve various levels of employment outcomes. With those inputs, the estimator will produce the expected EN revenue generated under the New Ticket Program using the proposed changes from the soon-to-be-final regulations and the 2008 earnings and payment amounts.
Developed for CESSI by Susan M. Daniels, PhD, of Daniels and Associates, the estimator is meant to help potential ENs get an idea of the impact the New Ticket to Work Program can have on the EN's bottom line. Daniels said, "The beauty of the Ticket Program is that it can truly help the ENs grow their businesses while assisting Social Security's disability beneficiaries attain their employment goals."
The Real Economic Impact Tour is sponsoring this opportunity for individuals with disabilities to share their unique story about their financial situation and goals.
Six individuals with disabilities, three adults and three youths, are the official REI Tour Bloggers and will blog over the course of six months (January to June 2008). The adults will share their personal stories and advance their views on personal finance, planning a better economic future, and their daily aspirations to be part of the American Dream that begins with working and preserving income and building assets. Possible posting topics include but are not limited to difficulties and successes with asset development, savings and budget. The bloggers are required to write multiple postings per week, and at the end of June, a winner and runner up will be chosen.
Once a month for six months the youth will write a blog about their dreams to become more financially independent, to manage a budget, to open a savings account and other thoughts about working, saving money, and building assets.
Now it is up to you to comment on the blogs and begin a dialog with any or all of the REI Tour Bloggers. To register, go to one of the blogs and click on “comments” at the bottom of the page. Click on “You must be logged in to post a comment.” Click on “register” and follow the direction. After a one-time registration you will just have to log in to post a comment.
The Real Economic Impact Tour is attracting media attention across the country. The focus in 62 cities in 2008 is to build expectations about the possibilities of a better economic future for individuals with disabilities. For too long, individuals with disabilities have not been part of the American Dream. Today, more individuals with disabilities are working and saving to buy a home or start a business someday.
The Real Economic Impact Tour is about to begin its fourth year of activities in 62 cities nationwide. Last year we touched 1 million individuals with disabilities with information and special events and assisted over 36,000 individuals with free tax preparation with over $32 million in returns and EITC.
The National Disability Institute is creating through its Real Economic Impact Tour and other work in asset development a social network to advance a better economic future for persons with disabilities nationwide. NDI’s message is that individuals with disability can work, save, build assets, and reduce dependence on government benefits. Our vision is that all persons with disabilities become valued members of the mainstream economy.
The National Disability Institute has started a movement with the REI Tour unlike anything else in the disability world. For the first time in history, reports are going to Congress about the needs of taxpayers with disabilities; new bills are circulating in Congress about tax advantaged savings for persons with disabilities and their families, and people with disabilities are receiving real economic impact through receipt of refundable credits and other tax provisions previously not claimed.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) awards and administers some disability benefits provided to veterans, while the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) governs others. A successful return-to-work or community reintegration initiative focused on veterans with disabilities must include an analysis of the impact of paid employment or self-employment on DoD and VA disability benefits, as well as any other public benefits veterans may receive based upon disability. To the extent that earnings from employment may jeopardize a veteran’s program eligibility or cash benefit amount, it will make it far less likely that an individual will choose to pursue employment. If veterans with disabilities perceive employment as risky, in terms of its adverse impact on essential cash benefits, rental assistance, health insurance, or other special programs, they may elect to protect their benefits instead of pursuing employment.
Access the URL to read and download the Fact Sheet.
The Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network provides peer-to-peer technical assistance to public agencies and private organizations operating the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. Technical assistance is provided through a variety of mechanisms: peer-to-peer site visits, workshops, moderated teleconferences and interactive Q&A sessions. The Web site also highlights policy relevant research, innovative programs, related links and upcoming events. The objective of the Peer TA Network is to facilitate the sharing of information between and among states and to establish linkages between organizations serving the needs of welfare recipients.
To view the most recent postings. Categories on this page include new Research and Resources, Technical Assistance Summaries, Legislation and Policy, Funding Announcements, and Upcoming Events.
To join the rich facilitated dialogue between States. You can answer questions posted by other States and post questions of your own!
Under the TA Summaries section, you'll find reports on a variety of topics that describe past technical assistance interventions that were sponsored by Welfare Peer TA.
To read about promising practices and program interventions that have been submitted by other States. Plus, you can submit and post Innovative Programs of your own!
Fill out a TA Request form, which allows you to solicit Welfare Peer TA for a technical assistance intervention in your State.
According to an April 21st National Council on Disability (NCD) news release, this report is the result of a year-long effort. It describes what is known about the status of people with disabilities in the United States, and examines current data to assess the extent to which they meaningfully measure the well-being of people with disabilities.
According to NCD Chairperson John R. Vaughn, “There is much we do not know about the lives of people with disabilities. Currently, the statistics informing the policy debate are predominantly economic, such as employment and household income. Such statistics are helpful, but paint only part of the picture. Other quality of life dimensions are substantially overlooked. Although some surveys cover topics that are related to some aspects of well-being, such as income, assets, or health insurance status, they do not necessarily reflect other aspects of well-being as they would be defined by the target population.”
“During the past 30 years, advocates, policymakers, and a variety of public and private organizations have undertaken significant efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities, culminating in the passage or improvement of legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), various sections of the Rehabilitation Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act, and others. Notwithstanding these various policies, little effort and progress has been made to measure and reflect upon the overall effectiveness and performance of these laws and policies, and their impacts on the quality of life for people with disabilities,” Vaughn concluded.
NCD’s previous 2004 research also reported that the incidence of disability is rising in the under Age 65 population. And, while it has decreased slightly for seniors, it will begin to rise sharply as the current senior population of 34 million doubles over the next 20 years.
In 2005, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted a review of 200 federal programs that served people with disabilities located in 20 agencies. It identified the need to transform many of the programs it reviewed to keep pace with the changing expectations and challenges of the 21st century. In addition, most participants at a 2007 GAO forum on modernizing disability programs agreed that multiple indicators were needed to measure the success of disability programs and that these measures should include not only economic measures such as income and employment, but quality of life measures as well.
Keeping Track: National Disability Status and Program Performance Indicators includes a set of statistical social indicators that NCD believes are currently able to measure the progress of people with disabilities in important areas of their life, over time. The report includes 18 indicators determined by stakeholders to measure “quality of life” using both objective and subjective measures. The indicators span a variety of life domains, including employment, education, health status and health care, financial status and security, leisure and recreation, personal relationships, and crime and safety. Collectively they will create a holistic representation of the lives of people with disabilities.
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 guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability; and empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.