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
14 December 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 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 full announcement is located under the section heading "Resources of Interest."]
The Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network (EARN), a free service that connects employers looking for quality employees with skilled job candidates, can serve as a great resource for disability employment information that Disability Program Navigators can use and also highlight (in a weekly factoid, for your information, resource of the week….) and share with appropriate One-Stop Career Center staff and community partners. EARNworks.com includes information for employers, employment service providers and job seekers on recruiting services, tools and resources, employer success stories, and business case for hiring people with disabilities.
The tools for job seekers available on this site are designed to help job seekers prepare for employment and represent themselves to employers. The tools include Resume and Cover Letter Writing, Resume Writing, Interviewing Tips and other valuable resources such as Disclosing a Disability and Online Learning.
While on the EARNworks website, you should also check out the Tools for Employers, which include useful information to understand employers’ needs and interests available to assist human resources and business managers to make informed decisions regarding disability employment (http://www.earnworks.com/employers/tools/index.asp | Get free Adobe Reader | Get free Word Viewer | Get Microsoft Office C.D., free trial, S / H applies ). As well as the tools and resources for employment service providers available to help them better serve the jobseekers they represent and successfully engage employers in placement efforts (http://www.earnworks.com/providers/tools/index.asp | Get free Adobe Reader | Get free Word Viewer | Get Microsoft Office C.D., free trial, S / H applies )
On December 12th, a Training and Employment Notice (TEN) was sent from Gay Gilbert, Administrator, Office of Workforce Investment System with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration to all State Workforce Agencies, Workforce Liaisons and One-Stop Career Center Leads. The purpose of this TEN is to provide information on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) proposed Ticket to Work Program regulations.
The TEN provides background on the Ticket to Work Program and the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) changes for the program, which were issued by SSA on August 13, 2007 in the Federal Register. According to the TEN, SSA estimates that the NPRM will be final by spring of 2008. The NPRM can be found at: www.doleta.gov/disability.
The TEN goes on to discuss that the comprehensive nature of the One-Stop Career Center makes it a natural service provider as an Employment Network (EN). “ One-Stop Career Centers and LWIBs [Local Workforce Investment Boards] should consider becoming ENs because this program provides 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 for your customers with disabilities and better respond to the needs of your business customers. Participation as an EN also provides an additional revenue source to the One-Stop delivery system since outcome or outcome-milestone payments are not considered program income and will not replace existing funding sources.
The TEN then goes on to provide guidance on how One-Stop Career Centers and LWIBs can become ENs stating that the most effective way is to work with the “Disability Program Navigators.” Access the URL to read the full announcement.
The National ADA Symposium is the most comprehensive conference available on the Americans with Disabilities Act and related disability laws. This premiere event offers: a session schedule offering a wide range of topics. Customize your schedule to meet your individual needs and interests. Presenters who are key representatives from the agencies involved with the ADA including the U.S. Dept of Justice, EEOC, U.S. Access Board, U.S. Dept. of Labor and the U.S. Dept. of Education.
| Registration: | On-line registration will begin January 7, 2008. |
|---|---|
| Fees: | $400.00 prior to April 15, 2008 and $475.00 after April 15, 2008. |
The Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network (EARN) is a free service that connects employers looking for quality employees with skilled job candidates. This web site (http://www.earnworks.com/) is your one-stop source for disability employment information including: recruiting services, tools and resources, employer success stories, and business case for hiring people with disabilities.
EARN’s tools are designed to help job seekers prepare for employment and represent themselves to employers. The tools are divided among topic areas, a few examples are included below. Access the URL and check out the valuable resources for job seekers on this web page.
For useful information in understanding employers’ needs and interests to assist human resources and business managers to make informed decisions regarding disability employment, please visit the employer (http://www.earnworks.com/employers/tools/index.asp | Get free Adobe Reader | Get free Word Viewer | Get Microsoft Office C.D., free trial, S / H applies) and employment service providers (http://www.earnworks.com/providers/tools/index.asp | Get free Adobe Reader | Get free Word Viewer | Get Microsoft Office C.D., free trial, S / H applies ) tools section.
Many employees with significant disabilities know the importance of balancing Assistive Technology (AT) and Workplace Personal Assistance Services (WPAS) when needed as an employment accommodation. Unfortunately, employees who need both accommodations are fearful that potential employers will consider the request for both accommodations unreasonable. Employers who do not fully understand the need for these employees to have both accommodations would probably agree. It is important for the employee to explain why both supports are needed to maximize their efficiency. In order to justify the need for both accommodations, the employee should become very knowledgeable about workplace AT and workplace PAS.
Access the URL to view/download this fact sheet, which provides guidance on understanding and using AT and WPAS in the workplace including scenarios on how to request both as employment accommodations.
The Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) reports that annually 1.5 million people will sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) with 80,000 people experiencing the onset of long-term disabilities. Currently, an estimated 5.3 million Americans live with disabilities resulting from a TBI. Every 23 seconds one person in America will sustain a traumatic brain injury (BIAA, 2007).
Traumatic brain injury is caused by trauma to the brain, which might occur when the head strikes a hard surface such as a windshield during an automobile during an automobile accident. This type of "closed" head injury typically results in damage to the entire brain. Trauma also may result from a penetrating injury such as a gunshot wound. This type of injury is called an "open" head injury and may only damage a specific area of the brain. After an injury, the person may be in a prolonged period of unconsciousness or coma, which may result in severe damage to the brain.
Not very long ago, many people who sustained a TBI died. Today, due to advances in medical care, the vast majority of individuals live. Because some degree of healing does occur to the brain post injury, a person may recover various skills and abilities during the first six months to two years post injury. However, many individuals with TBI will experience life-long difficulties as noted in the statistics from the BIAA.
How well the person does post injury will depend on a number of factors. Some of these factors are related to the individual's skills, abilities, and age before the injury. Other factors are related to the severity of the injury; personal, emotional, and social adjustment after the injury; and the level of support received from family members and others.
Access the URL to read the full fact sheet.
Leonard Cheshire Disability (UK) has launched a new advertising campaign to change the way people think about, and respond to, disability. The campaign entitled, “Creature Discomforts,” modeled after Aardman Animation’s “Creature Comfort” series, features six animated characters, each of whom has a disability. All of the six characters are voiced by a person with a disability. The ads debuted on the radio, in newspapers, and magazine, and on bus stops on November 15.
Employer Innovations Online, facilitating practical applications at the workplace, helps employers take action to address mental health at the workplace by providing case examples of successful corporate approaches. The website includes a search engine, which allows users to search for actual practices of leading employers in key areas, such as screening and education, Employee Assistance Programs, and disability management.
The Partnership for Workplace Mental Health advances effective employer approaches to mental health by combining the knowledge and experience of the American Psychiatric Association and its employer partners. The partnership delivers educational materials and provides a forum to explore mental health issues and share innovative solutions. It promotes the business case for quality mental health care, including early recognition, access to care and effective treatment.
Disability Benefits 101 at the World Institute on Disability has upgraded and launched a new 2.0 version of its Benefits to Work Calculator. The Benefits-to-Work Calculator shows how benefits might change when taking a job, changing jobs or starting a business. The improved online calculator tool allows workers and job seekers to plan ahead with new features for more personal and real-life planning. Users can now compare new job offers and their impact on benefits and health coverage.
DB101 also launched a newsletter Employment Matters, news and views from DB101, to share related information on changing times, topics, programs and resources. DB101 visitors can use the subscription link to subscribe directly to the email newsletter.
The revamped website revised its sections on the Earned Income Tax Credit, Individual Development Accounts, and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Important to many, all these new features are in English and Spanish.
Recently DB101 launched the Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS) Calculator. Social Security’s PASS program that can help set aside money to fund a career goal. DB101s PASS Calculator provides estimates on how setting up a PASS might affect finances, and can help individuals decide if the PASS program is something they may be interested in exploring further. Other calculators include the Medi-Cal for the Working Disabled Calculator in California, and DB101s School and Work Calculator helps youth aged 14 to 18 navigate and plan for important benefit changes that may occur at age 18. DB101s Job-to-Job Calculator shows individuals the impact on income and health coverage during transitions/changes in jobs. Work and Benefits Calculators are easy to use, screen reader accessible and in plain language (English and Spanish). They are completely confidential. The DB101 team designed these calculator tools for and with people with disabilities and their families, as well as service providers and the employers who work with them. In developing the new tools, the design team received and used input from benefits planners and beneficiaries using public and private benefits.
Mathematica Policy Research recently released an evaluation of the Ticket to Work Program (TTW). The report examines experiences of Beneficiaries, state vocational rehabilitation agencies (SVRAs), Employment Networks (ENs), and the Social Security Administration (SSA) during the TTW rollout period from 2002-2004. Overall, Mathematica found that the Ticket to Work Program did not have a significant impact on the way VR does business or on the practices of ENs in the community. TTW did, however, begin a fundamental shift within SSA toward focusing on improving the earnings of beneficiaries. Other major findings include: