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
15 June 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 ]
Are you a GREEN Navigator? GREEN Navigators reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Reduce - Review and reduce detailed information before forwarding to staff, so they can digest it quickly. Make is user friendly.
Reuse - Reinforce information provided in an article, training, or information session. Use interactive checks for understanding and recall (quizzes such as True & False, Matching items, Fill-in-the-Blank).
Recycle - Use ideas & existing resources to create new ones to fit your need.
Save valuable time and energy. Build from a foundation others started. Reminder: UPLOAD to One Stop Tool Kit resources and Review what others have done.
Commit to be GREEN!
Great advice, Janice. As a reminder to Navigators, part of the private grantee collaborative workspace of the One-Stop Toolkit website includes a Library. On the Navigation bar, which is found on the right hand side of the home page (www.onestoptoolkit.org), click on the link to “Grantee Resources,” and enter your username and password to enter the grantee collaborative workspace. If you have not yet received a username and password (or do not remember it), please send an e-mail request to Laura Farah at E-mail laura-farah@uiowa.edu.
The Library, found on the grantee collaborative workspace, represents a document repository of sorts, similar to a document manager. It includes different categories of posted materials. You can either link to a specific category or scroll down through the list to review the different types of materials that have been posted. All grantees can download the documents that are stored herein. Posting materials. Grantees also have the ability to post documents/materials that they have created to share with other grantees by using the “Upload a Resource” function found at the beginning of the Library section. Any document that is uploaded will be placed in the administrative box for approval before it is added to the system. Accessing the Library section. Once you have successfully logged onto the grantee collaborative workspace, the link to the Library, along with the other complement of tools, can be found on the left hand side of the page.
If you would like to receive an outline of the One-Stop Toolkit website, send an e-mail to Laura.
[The following has been excerpted from the website.]
“What you are doing here shows that Project SEARCH is portable, and can be transported to other businesses across the country,” Assistant Secretary W. Roy Grizzard told executives at the Fifth Third Bank in Cincinnati, OH. “And, I know you are doing this to hire employees with the talents you need to positively impact your business,” he added.
The Assistant Secretary was referring to the bank’s adoption of Project SEARCH, a New Freedom Initiative (NFI) Award-winning program headquartered at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The project provides meaningful employment for individuals with significant barriers to employment. It has been replicated in 10 hospitals in six different states and has expanded to new industry sectors. The Fifth Third Bank is one of the first banks to adopt Project SEARCH as a business model for hiring employees with disabilities.
To learn more about Project SEARCH as well as the other recipients of the President’s NFI award, go to: http://odep.devis.com/odep/newfreedom/nfi04.htm#ps_.
On June 11th, ICW was proud to host the Booz Allen Hamilton Emerging Leaders Awards Ceremony. Emerging Leaders is a highly competitive program that places college students with disabilities in summer internships and provides them with leadership development opportunities. Emerging Leaders partners with businesses to help employers find outstanding young talent while also considering diversity and inclusion in their hiring practices.
The ceremony was attended by 100+ people including the distinguished Dr. Roy Gizzard Jr., the Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy and John Hagar, Assistant Secretary to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. The students made presentations detailing their experiences at their respective internships. Their presentations also focused on four elements related to employment for persons with disabilities including: Education, Transitions, Resources, and Networking. Panel commentary on the student's presentations was provided by Richard Gatward and ICW's Director of Strategic Partnerships, Jan Magill.
For more information about the Emerging Leaders Program or if your business is interested in becoming a host site for an Emerging Leader intern please contact Meredith DeDona at E-mail dedona_meredith@bah.com or visit the website.
The ICW Education and Workforce Summit brings together more than 400 leaders in business, education, and workforce development to discuss issues which are vital to America's competitiveness. The Summit is part of a national effort to promote effective and sustainable business and education partnerships. Now, more than ever, the future of business in the United States depends on our education and training systems and their ability to adapt to changes in technology, demographics, globalization, and other forces affecting our society and our economy.
Access the website for more information including the agenda and registration.
A series of new factsheets for youth with disabilities addressing subjects including workplace accommodations and when to share information about your disability with an employer.
The JAN Presentation Library provides training resources for JAN's users. These materials may be used in group training or by individuals. They may easily be incorporated into larger training events. Some resources are for general audiences, some are quite specific. The resources found on this page include:
This DOL website provides a shortcut to information and services the Department of Labor (DOL) offers job seekers including disability resources.
In the labor market, employers strive to stay competitive by attracting and maintaining a diverse workforce. While a diverse workforce brings a wealth of experience and stability to the workplace, at the same time, a diverse workforce means different and unique needs among employees. One way employers can meet these needs is by using equipment that includes universal design (UD) features. UD is the process of creating products that are usable by as wide a range of people as possible. UD features are integrated into devices, environments, processes, and systems such as architecture, kiosks, telecommunications, restrooms, and workplace elements. Specific examples include door handles, keyboards, telephones, and transportation features that are more inclusive.
Equipment that has UD features can help employers attract and maintain a diverse workforce that includes employees with disabilities. Such equipment, by its nature, is going to be useful for a larger number of employees and often has built in accessibility features, which can reduce the need to purchase additional equipment for employees with disabilities. In addition, many product manufacturers have begun to integrate principles of UD into the newest available technologies and using the newest technologies can give employers an advantage over competitors.
Although employers may see the advantages of purchasing equipment with UD features, some may not know how to find it. In addition, even with UD built in, some equipment may not be usable by employees with disabilities and employers may need to consider purchasing assistive technology (AT) as an accommodation. AT is any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
A key consideration in purchasing any type of equipment, especially electronic and information systems, with UD features is the concept of interoperability. Interoperability means that the system is compatible with other technologies and has features that support the integration of AT. Without interoperability, it may be very difficult and time consuming to make changes, increase accessibility, or integrate AT. Working to make interoperability a part of the initial purchasing phase can help eliminate these problems.
This publication provides helpful tips for choosing equipment that includes UD features, a process for choosing AT for employees with disabilities, and resources for additional information.
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) has updated publications now available as part of its Accommodation and Compliance Series. Visit JAN by Disability: A to Z for high quality information regarding accommodation ideas.
Programs providing employment supports are a valuable resource for people with severe mental illness seeking competitive employment. Employment is a key component of recovery. Individuals with severe mental illness who hold competitive jobs for an extended period of time frequently experience a number of benefits, including improvements in their self-esteem and symptom control.
Effective employment programs targeting individuals with severe mental illness emphasize encouraging interest and building confidence in working, getting a job consistent with individual work goals, and retaining employment. Employment services that follow seven evidenced-based practices have proven successful in assisting people with severe mental illness in achieving and sustaining employment outcomes. This publication summarizes these seven key practices and provides additional resources on effective employment supports for individuals experiencing severe mental illness.