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
19 October 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) 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 ]
Navigators, there are a lot of great resources out there and sometimes it is difficult to decide which ones to highlight over others. So, take your pick. For those of you who are looking for copies of the 2007 SSA Redbook it is available online on the SSA website (see under For Your Information / Action); however, you can request hard copies of the 2006 version and download a one-pager that includes updates for 2007.
We are in the midst of National Disability Employment Awareness Month and you are all pretty busy. This issue of the Toolkit includes some more resources that might be of interest to you…first, are you checking out the profiles on the ODEP website of workers with disabilities (under Resources of Interest)? These are actual examples that you can highlight to employers and other providers on how workers with disabilities can make a contribution to their talent pool. Under Websites of Interest, you will find listings of websites that connect you to more information for employers on hiring individuals with disabilities. Finally, under Publications of Interest, did you ever wonder what Social Security disability beneficiaries really want and need, then check out the report of the Beneficiary Summit that was hosted by the Ticket to Work Advisory Panel and held earlier this year in Atlanta, GA.
Also, check out the California Employment Development Department website, it highlights five of the California Navigators for NDEAM who share what it is like to be a Navigator.
http://www.edd.ca.gov/deam2007/deamprofiles1.htm
The 2007 Social Security Administration Redbook has been posted online and can be accessed at: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/redbook/eng/main.htm. The Redbook represents a summary guide to employment support for individuals with disabilities under the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. There were no policy changes in the 2007 version and the following represents the amount adjustments for 2007:
Office of Supply and Warehouse Management Social Security Administration
239 Supply Building
6301 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21236
FAX 410-966-2037
The U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) monitored 23 state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies funded under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. These agencies, their stakeholders, and RSA identified promising practices that provide useful samples of programs and services that promote youth with disabilities transitioning from school to employment. One state agency recognized is the Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitation Services which is a partner in the Department of Labor’s systems change grant entitled “Shared Youth Vision Federal Collaborative Partnership”. The purpose of the Shared Youth Vision grant is to create state teams that will undertake strategic planning activities to develop a system that will improve services to youths by leveraging resources, aligning policy, and other activities.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a federally funded program that provides cash assistance for basic needs. Individuals with a low-income who are over the age of 65, blind, or have a disability are eligible for assistance. SSI beneficiaries typically also receive health insurance coverage through Medicaid. Losing Medicaid benefits can be of concern for SSI recipients with disabilities who desire to work, or are currently working.
Section 1619b of the Social Security Act allows individuals to work and continue to receive Medicaid assistance when their earnings are too high to qualify for SSI cash payments as long as they meet other eligibility requirements for the SSI program and continue to need Medicaid in order to work. Researchers explored how many SSI recipients with disabilities work and how many participate in 1619b. Access the URL to see the results displayed in chart format by state.
Throughout October, the Office of Disability Employment Policy will profile on its website individuals who have personally benefited from agency-sponsored programs aimed at eliminating the chronic underemployment of people with disabilities, as well as employers and organizations that have successfully implemented strategies to hire, support, empower and otherwise value employees with disabilities.
Make sure you access the website frequently to see the featured
profiles. Available at:
http://www.dol.gov/odep/talent/index.htm
The employers section provides information about employing people with disabilities. Employers will find information about how to become an Employment Network, the Americans with Disabilities Act, tax incentives, referral services, and helpful links to the Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy.
ForEmployers.com uses technology and flexible design strategies (or universal design) to bridge the needs of the business community and the employment needs of people with disabilities. The site provides straightforward solutions and information that address everyday human resource issues, especially as they relate to current or future employees with disabilities.
This section of the website includes information and resources on disability basics and interviewing, recruitment strategies, financial and tax information, and other resources of interest.
Job accommodation means modifying a job, job site, or way in which a job is done so that a person with a disability can have equal access to all aspects of work. Assistive technology is an item or piece of equipment that enables a person with a disability to perform an activity or improve their performance on a task.
Looking for more career information? This tool links you to other websites and reading materials you can use to find answers. Begin by entering a keyword in the Keyword Search or selecting a topic under Browse by Topic. You may also filter the resources by specific audiences (using the drop down menu at the bottom of the page) including workers with disabilities.
The EEOC has jurisdiction over employment discrimination issues for the Federal Government’s role as an employer and also for private employers, state and local agencies, employment services, and labor organizations. The EEOC receives, reviews, investigates, and processes charges of employment discrimination, and files discrimination suits. It also provides guidance and information to both employers and employees concerning their rights and responsibilities under the laws it enforces.
The website includes a wealth of information and is available in multiple languages including Spanish. It includes information such as:
It also has a website for youth in the workforce, Youth at
Work, which can be found at:
http://youth.eeoc.gov/.
[The following is excerpted from the Executive Summary.]
While trying to address the causes of the low employment rate of individuals with disabilities, service providers, government agencies, advocates, and other professionals have been asked their theories. However, few have asked for solutions directly from the individuals using the programs. Voices for Change: Beneficiaries Paving the Way to Work, a summit planned by and for Social Security disability beneficiaries, was conducted in Atlanta, Georgia on February 6 and 7, 2007. The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel (the Panel) hosted the summit in direct support of Goal 1 of the Panel’s strategic plan, to elevate and incorporate the beneficiary perspective. The summit gave the Panel an opportunity to obtain direct, unfiltered feedback from beneficiaries about Social Security programs and how they could be improved.
The Panel selected a planning committee of seven current and recent disability beneficiaries who were also disability advocates and leaders; these individuals played a major role in the planning of the summit. Delegates to the summit were selected from a pool of over 300 applicants to represent all 50 U. S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. Summit planners and delegates were selected to achieve the broadest possible diversity in disability, culture, age, race, and gender.
The overarching focus of the summit was to elevate and incorporate the beneficiary perspective into policy discussions and program improvements. Summit workgroup sessions were conducted on three planned theme areas. Recommendations from each workgroup were then presented to the entire delegation, prioritized, and organized. At the end of the summit, the delegates signed their names in support of the resulting recommendations.
Following the summit, a session was conducted to brief representatives from the Panel, the White House, Social Security Administration (SSA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Labor, the National Council on Disability, and the Social Security Advisory Board.
The Panel will use the results of the summit to formulate recommendations for inclusion in its final report to the President, Congress, and the Commissioner of SSA. The delegates plan to establish a sustainable beneficiary-led organization that can work in partnership with SSA and Congress to increase employment among people with disabilities.