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
3 November 2006
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."
]
This online brochure (also available in P.D.F. format) can be a good resource for Disability Program Navigators (DPNs) to share with appropriate One-Stop Career Center staff and community partners. It is designed to help people in the workplace who have a mental illness. It reviews the potential risks and benefits of disclosing to an employer and provides some useful tips. It also offers links to resources that provide information on mental health problems within the context of work.
If you would like to receive a two-page P.D.F. file that outlines the Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment and Other Automatic Increases for 2007, send an e-mail to laura-farah@uiowa.edu.
[Excerpted from the News Release.]
Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 53 million Americans will increase 3.3 percent in 2007, the Social Security Administration announced today.
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits increase automatically each year based on the rise in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (C.P.I.-W.), from the third quarter of the prior year to the corresponding period of the current year. This year's increase in the C.P.I.-W. was 3.3 percent.
The 3.3 percent Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that nearly 49 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2007. Increased payments to more than 7 million Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries will begin on December 29.
Some other changes that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $97,500 from $94,200. Of the estimated 163 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2007, about 11 million will pay higher taxes as a result of the increase in the taxable maximum in 2007.
This year marks the 5th anniversary of the Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award, which annually recognizes non-profits, small businesses, corporations and individuals from a cross-section of industries that have demonstrated exemplary and innovative efforts to enhance the employment of people with disabilities. The event also provides an opportunity for the honorees to share best practices and experiences that will inspire their colleagues and peers to actively recruit and hire the more than 49.7 million Americans with disabilities. This year’s N.F.I. Award ceremony was held on October 26, 2006. Access the U.R.L. to view the recipients.
Remarks delivered during the award ceremony by D.O.L. Secretary Elaine L. Chao can be viewed at: http://www.dol.gov/_sec/media/speeches/20061026_NFI.htm.
The event also marked the first presentation of the Secretary’s Spirit Award. The Secretary of Labor’s Spirit Award is given to an individual with a disability who has demonstrated leadership and an unyielding commitment to achieving success. Award recipients are recognized for their qualities to inspire and enhance the ability of Americans with disabilities to enter and participate fully in the 21st century workforce.
On October 26, 2006, Secretary Elaine L. Chao presented the first award to Dave Dravecky of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Access the following website to learn more about Mr. Dravecky: http://www.dol.gov/odep/newfreedom/Spiritaward.htm.
ACTION: Interim guidance for F.Y. 2007 implementation
DATES: This clarification is effective on October 31, 2006.
SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (F.T.A.) published a Federal Register notice on September 6, 2006 (71 F.R. 52610) announcing proposed guidance in the form of circulars to assist grantees in implementing the Elderly Individuals and Individuals with Disabilities (Section 5310), JARC, and New Freedom programs. By this notice, F.T.A. clarifies interim guidance for F.Y. 2007 included in the notice published on September 6, 2006, and provides additional interim guidance for F.Y. 2007.
Access the U.R.L. to read the full announcement.
[The following is excerpted from the News Release.]
On October 26th, U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced that eight states have volunteered to test $3,000 personal accounts that workers can use to get needed education and training. These Career Advancement Accounts (C.A.As) can be used by displaced or current workers to pay for expenses directly related to improving their job skills, such as tuition, books and fees.
Under the Career Advancement Account demonstration project, three states (Indiana, Pennsylvania and Wyoming) will conduct pilot tests for statewide use. Another five states (Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Ohio) will use C.A.As to help workers impacted by layoffs in the automobile industry. In addition, a competition will be held shortly to conduct a random assignment study of C.A.As.
Career Advancement Accounts were first announced as an element of President Bush’s American Competitiveness Initiative and are part of a broader effort to reform the workforce investment system and the billions of dollars spent on worker training. It is estimated that nationwide implementation of C.A.As would more than triple the number of American workers who could access post-secondary education and training.
Under this demonstration, individual workers will be eligible for accounts worth $3,000, renewable for one year, for a total of $6,000. Between 2,500 and 4,000 automotive workers could potentially take advantage of C.A.As. States will be eligible for grants of $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Labor, provided they come up with $1.5 million in matching funds.
“Education is America’s great equalizer, and Career Advancement Accounts are like Pell Grants for workers – opening opportunities to increase their skills and equipping them for the competitive global economy,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco.
For more information on Career Advancement Accounts, please visit www.doleta.gov/.
On December 13 - 14, N.O.D.'s Emergency Preparedness Initiative and Homeland Defense Journal are presenting a conference on emergency preparedness and response for people with disabilities and other special needs populations. The Emergency Preparedness and Response Conference will cover all aspects of emergency management planning and response for people with disabilities, the elderly, pediatric populations, and animal issues. Recent disasters have made us aware of plans and operational procedures related to response and recovery to these populations in any natural or non-natural disaster. This conference will bring together national experts to discuss changes in policies, legislation, response protocols, workplace safety, and disaster management. You will learn new concepts for addressing disability planning in their jurisdictions and “best practices” that can be integrated into all levels of government responsibility and how to incorporate special needs into your emergency management plan.
Access the U.R.L. to view the conference speakers and agenda.
For registration information, contact Katie Smith at ksmith@marketaccess.org or (703) 807-2758
Mental Health: It's Part of Our Lives at Work is an online brochure that offers information about mental health in the workplace. It reviews the potential risks and benefits of telling your employer that you have a mental illness, and offers links to resources that provide information on mental health problems within the context of work. The brochure is available online from The SAMHSA Resource Center to Address Discrimination and Stigma Associated with Mental Illness (ADS Center) at http://www.stopstigma.samhsa.gov/action/livesatwork.htm. The ADS Center works to counter stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness.
Resources and information from the Small Business Administration to assist veterans who are self-employed or small business owners. Includes information on the Service-Disabled Veterans-Owned Small Business Concern Program and the Getting Veterans Back to Business Guide.
This fact sheet provides information on how to use a diversified array of funding resources to support community-integrated employment outcomes. Ms. Nancy Brooks-Lane, Director of Developmental Disabilities Services Cobb-Douglas Counties Community Services Boards in Georgia, provides detailed examples on how to target and use a variety of funding opportunities for this purpose.
Supporting individuals with significant disabilities to start their own businesses may seem like uncharted territory to Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs). Until recently, self-employment was viewed as an employment goal only for people with disabilities who had a business background and/or were thought capable of designing and implementing a business plan. For many individuals, particularly those who had cognitive disabilities, self-employment was not viewed as an attainable goal.
Access the U.R.L. to read the questions and answers along with links to additional resources.
The “Media” section of the Job Accommodation Network’s website includes a lot of great resources for workforce development professionals. The site currently includes links to the following resources.
JAN Handouts. Are you looking for a handout to distribute about JAN? Download or view JAN's Fact Sheet or a JAN Poster (text description) to learn more about JAN's available services. Alternative format is available upon request.
JAN's Presentation Library. 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.
Accommodation Ideas. JAN consultants have years of experience providing information on accommodation ideas. Share their experiences and download one of their publications for free. These are great communication tools to help perpetuate accommodation discussions. For additional accommodation information, visit JAN's Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR).
"Fact Sheet Series" JAN offers accommodation ideas with consultant-generated accommodation ideas for job and educational settings. These are available in Microsoft Word format. Alternative format is provided on request.
The Coming Home to Work Initiative is a part of V.R. & E's early outreach efforts. Through this Initiative, civilian work experience is made available to V.R. & E-eligible service members pending medical separation from active duty at major Military Treatment Facilities, with a special emphasis on O.E.F. / O.I.F. service members. Participants work with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor to obtain un-paid work experience in a Government facility. The intent of this program is for V.R. & E- eligible service members facing medical separation to gain or sharpen civilian job skills at a point in their recovery when they are deemed “work-ready” by a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. This program does not replace or conflict in any way with medical treatment or military requirements.
The Rehabilitation Research & Training Center at Virginia Commonwealth University announce the new website TeleWorkUSA.net! This website is the hub for 3 telework projects funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, Department of Labor. The website includes information about the Telework Initiative, an overview of ODEP’s projects, their Telework research as well as resources for building a competitive edge - including recent preliminary research findings.
On the homepage, you may enter the site as a “Job Seeker” or an “Employer.” Both paths provide information about telework, resources, success stories, and a link to the “Resume Bank.” This is where job seekers and employers can merge to seek one another out and make telecommuting a reality!
This publication, developed by the Chronic Homeless Employment Technical Assistance Center, details how the Departments of Labor and Housing and Urban Development are demonstrating how communities can develop partnerships to end chronic homelessness through employment and housing and developing the tools to help the workforce development and homeless assistance systems achieve their goals.