October
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Disability Connection
| In This Issue: | October 2009 |
During National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2009, Kathleen Martinez, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy stated that, "At the Department of Labor, our goal is good jobs for everyone, and we mean people with disabilities too." This issue of Disability Connection, the newsletter of Disability.gov, looks at the many efforts underway that support this month’s theme—"Expectation + Opportunity = Full Participation".
This year Disability.gov was redesigned to better serve the nearly three million visitors who come to the Web site every year. We encourage you to take advantage of the many new features the site now offers, including Disability.gov’s Twitter feed and “Bookmark & Share” capability. In the coming days and weeks you will also be able to create personalized, saved searches, and register to vote on how useful you find the resources on the site. Every day new information is added to Disability.gov, and you can become a part of the process through the site’s “Suggest a Resource”. Check back frequently to stay informed about important programs and initiatives of the 22 federal agencies that are partners to this Web site.
News & Events
"Expectation + Opportunity = Full Participation"—Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2009
In 1988 Congress designated each October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). But this effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment actually began in 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year as National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.
President Barack Obama has issued a National Disability Employment Awareness Month proclamation, and used the occasion to announce several new initiatives, including a hiring fair to promote the employment of people with disabilities in the federal workforce. The fair, to be held in the spring, will bring together a number of federal agencies that have immediate hiring needs and that will hire "on-the-spot."
Find out more about NDEAM events and celebrations that will take place throughout the month of October. Also be sure to visit the Campaign for Disability Employment Web site to learn more about the value and talent people with disabilities bring to the workplace and to view and share the new “I Can” video public service announcement (PSA) and other videos.
OPM to Train Hiring Officials to Level the Playing Field for Job Seekers with Disabilities
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has joined President Barack Obama in underscoring his administration's commitment to ensuring that every worker in America has equal access to opportunity, including the 54 million people across the nation living with disabilities. To "level the playing field" for people with disabilities, OPM announced it will launch on-line training opportunities for federal hiring officials. The training, which will be available in November, is designed to educate federal managers, supervisors and human resources managers on ways to use the Schedule A Hiring Authority to recruit and hire talented individuals with disabilities.
For more information about jobs with the federal government visit the Federal Employment section of Disability.gov.
United We Ride National Dialogue Wants Your Ideas on Accessible Transportation
United We Ride will hold a National Dialogue from November 2-13, 2009 to provide an opportunity for participants to discuss ideas to improve transportation services for people with disabilities, older adults and individuals with limited incomes in communities across the country. The Web-based interactive dialogue is designed to influence future transportation policies. United We Ride works to promote universal access to transportation for people with disabilities through training and technical assistance and offers many practical publications, including the Transit Operator's Pocket Guide.
For more information about transportation issues visit Disability.gov’s Transportation section.
First National Study on Crime Against Persons with Disabilities
On October 1, 2009 the first national study on crime against persons with disabilities was released by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), Office of Justice Programs. The report showed that in 2007, persons age 12 or older with disabilities experienced about 716,000 nonfatal violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault (47,000), robbery (79,000), aggravated assaults (114,000) and simple assaults (476,000). They also experienced about 2.3 million property crimes. The National Crime Victimization Survey—Crime Against People with Disabilities, 2007 can be downloaded in PDF or Text format.
For more information about crimes against people with disabilities visit Disability.gov’s Civil Rights section.
The Current State of Health Care for People with Disabilities
The National Council on Disability (NCD) has released a report that provides information and recommendations to help eliminate health care inequities for people with disabilities. The Current State of Health Care for People with Disabilities proposes recommendations for reforms that address some of the most significant obstacles to health, health care, disease prevention and health promotion for people with disabilities. Eliminating these obstacles will improve the quality of life, productivity and well-being of greater numbers of Americans as the population ages.
For more information about health insurance and health care visit Disability.gov’s Health section.
EEOC Approves Proposed ADA Regulations for Public Comment
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is proposing to revise its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations and guidance in order to implement the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. EEOC is responsible for enforcement of Title I of the ADA, as amended, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of disability. The ADA Amendments Act keeps the basic definition of “disability” as an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a record of such an impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment. However, it changes the way these statutory terms should be interpreted in several ways, therefore requiring a revision of the existing regulations and interpretive guidance. Written comments on this rulemaking must be submitted on or before November 23, 2009.
On October 20, 2009 the National Network of ADA Centers will hold a conference call entitled ADA Amendments Act Proposed Rules—Q&A with EEOC.
For more information about the ADA and other laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities visit Disability.gov’s Civil Rights section and “Learn About Disability Laws.”
Disability.gov’s New Emergency Preparedness Section
The recently redesigned Disability.gov has a new section on Emergency Preparedness. This area of the site has information about emergency preparedness, response and recovery plans that take into account the needs of people with disabilities, as well as practical tips on how individuals, schools and businesses can prepare for emergencies.
Federal Agency in Focus
U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development
The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) manages several programs that respond to the housing needs of people with disabilities. HUD’s Section 811 program provides funding to nonprofit organizations to develop rental housing with supportive services for very low-income adults with disabilities and provides rent subsidies. HUD also offers housing choice vouchers so that very low-income families, the elderly and people with disabilities can afford decent, safe housing. HUD’s Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) program addresses the housing needs of persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families. Find a HOPWA program near you. The Department also plays a central role in protecting the housing rights of people with disabilities and others by investigating complaints filed under the Fair Housing Act.
For more information about housing assistance programs visit “Find Housing” on Disability.gov.
State Program in Focus
Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
The sign said: “FOOD LION COMING SOON!” To some people in Wilmington, Delaware, that meant more local traffic, especially during rush hour. To others it was exciting to hear that a new supermarket was opening. To the counselors and employment specialists at the Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), it meant more jobs. DVR’s mission is to provide opportunities to eligible individuals with disabilities that lead to employment success and independent living.
Food Lion had three weeks to recruit staff and requested DVR's assistance. Realizing this task would call for more help than anticipated, DVR met with the Division of Employment and Training staff and invited them to partner in an employment fair. Due to great advertising, Food Lion received an abundance of applications. Approximately 600 people from diverse backgrounds were interviewed, and when Food Lion in Wilmington opened its doors on August 26, 2009, 25 of the 60 new employees hired were DVR consumers.
Find information and resources in your state by using the “Information by State” drop-down menu on Disability.gov’s homepage.
Hot Topics in Employment
Workforce3 One Unveils New Disability & Employment Resource
Workforce3 One has released a new disability and employment resource page to make employment-related information and promising practices available to the workforce system. This new disability and employment community of practice will help promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities and expand the capacity of the One-Stop Career Center system to serve customers with disabilities. The new resource also has information to help employers understand disability employment-related topics such as tax incentives and recruiting and accommodating employees with disabilities.
More information for workforce professionals is available in Disability.gov’s Employment section.
Youth with Disabilities Entering the Workplace Through Apprenticeship
The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has awarded cooperative agreements to develop innovative models for providing inclusive registered apprenticeship training to youth and young adults with disabilities. ODEP has also developed a tool kit on registered apprenticeship. The intended audiences for this tool kit are service providers who work with young people, including young people with disabilities. For more information and to access the tool kit, visit ODEP’s Apprenticeship Web page.
For more information about apprenticeships and other job and career planning resources visit the Employment and “Find a Job” sections of Disability.gov.
U.S. Labor Department to Establish National Technical Assistance Center for Employers on People with Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) has awarded a cooperative agreement to Cornell University's Employment and Disability Institute, School of Industrial and Labor Relations in Ithaca, New York. The purpose of the agreement is to establish a national technical assistance center that will conduct research, assist ODEP in developing demand-side policy, and share best practices with employers on the recruitment, hiring, retention and advancement of people with disabilities.
For information on other employment-related research projects visit ODEP’s Web site.
Featured Tools & Resources
UCP’s My Child Without Limits
MyChildWithoutLimits.org is a new early intervention resource with a social networking element for families of young children ages 0-5 with developmental delays or disabilities. The Web site also offers professionals comprehensive information that relates to their needs and interests and includes a national Resource Locator through which visitors can find local service providers, community organizations and government agencies.
More resources on developmental disabilities are available in Disability.gov’s Health section.
New Employment-Related Issue Briefs
The National Technical Assistance and Research (NTAR) Leadership Center has three new issue briefs addressing entrepreneurship, economic development and collaborating with employers.
Entrepreneurship for Veterans with Disabilities: Lessons Learned from the Field looks at entrepreneurship as a viable option for veterans with disabilities, particularly those returning from present-day conflicts. This brief examines the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp (EBV) introduced at Syracuse University's Walt Whitman School of Management.
Leveraging State Economic Development Resources to Create Job Opportunities for People with Disabilities highlights state, regional and local economic development resource tools. This document also looks at ways states and localities can leverage traditional loan and financing programs that enhance job creation, provide access to local employment opportunities, or help support employment for residents, with and without disabilities.
Collaborating and Coordinating with Employers examines the relationship between disability employment initiatives and employers, and uses case illustrations of collaborations to demonstrate the importance of partnerships between disability employment programs and employers, including implications for effectively formulating broad-scale promotion of disability workforce investment initiatives.
For more employment related research findings visit Disability.gov’s Employment section.
2009 H1N1 Flu & You
This new brochure from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) describes flu symptoms, emergency warning signs and provides information for people with chronic health conditions or disabilities such as cancer, blood disorders (including sickle cell disease), chronic lung disease, neuromuscular disorders (including muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis) and weakened immune systems (including people with HIV/AIDS). For more about the flu visit FLU.gov.
For more health-related resources visit Disability.gov’s Health section.
Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace & the ADA
The EEOC has information about Titles I and V of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as they relate to pandemic planning in the workplace. It identifies established ADA principles that are relevant to questions frequently asked about workplace pandemic planning such as “How much information may an employer request from an employee who calls in sick, in order to protect the rest of its workforce when an influenza pandemic appears imminent?”; “When may an ADA-covered employer take the body temperature of employees during a pandemic?”; and “Does the ADA allow employers to require employees to stay home if they have symptoms of the pandemic influenza virus?”
For more information about employment-related laws visit Disability.gov’s Civil Rights section.
Meeting on a Level Playing Field
For business meetings to be successful everyone involved must have an equal opportunity to participate. Three components are key to presenting meetings that are accessible to people with disabilities—where the meeting is held, how the meeting room furniture is arranged and how the meeting information is communicated. Event organizers will find that when these elements are accessible, they better serve not only the participants with disabilities, but also many others, including older adults and people with temporary disabilities.
More information on accessibility is available in Disability.gov’s Employment section.
Think College
The Think College Web site focuses on three primary areas in postsecondary education for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities—research, training, and technical assistance and dissemination. Doors to colleges all over the country are opening for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities in many different ways. Intended for transition-age students as well as adults attending or planning for college, the site provides resources and information about training events and offers strategies for talking to others.
More information for parents, teachers and students is available in Disability.gov’s Education section.
Guideposts for Success in Spanish
The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability/Youth (NCWD/Youth) has published Spanish versions of its Guideposts publications: Guia para el Exito, Empleador Guia--Estandard para el Exito, Consultas sobre Discapacidades en el Systema de Desarrollo de la Fuerza and El Sistema de Desarrollo de la Fuerza Laboral y el Desarrollo Profesional de los Practicantes de Servicios para Jóvenes: ¿Porqué el Desarrollo Profesional? These publications are also available in English and in Text format on NCWD/Youth’s site.
For more resources on transition of youth to adulthood and employment visit Disability.gov’s Employment and “Learn About Transition Services for Youth” sections.
In Your Community
2009 Autism State Profiles
This state-by-state report highlights the number of children with autism who have received the state’s special education services, state insurance coverage for autism, if available, Medicaid services specific for individuals with autism, educational programs provided to students with autism or training that focused on autism, special education criteria, other state-led resources, and sponsors of autism legislation.
Find more information and resources in your state by using the “Information by State” drop-down menu on Disability.gov’s homepage.
Find an Assistive Technology Resource Center in Your State
State Assistive Technology (AT) Act programs work to improve access to assistive technology for individuals with disabilities through comprehensive statewide programs. These programs include device loans, AT reuse, device demonstrations and state financing activities. For examples of how some states have helped people with disabilities get assistive technology visit the Web site of the Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs (ATAP). For a listing of AT manufacturers and distributors in your state visit ABLEDATA.
For more information about assistive technology and its role in increasing the independence of people with disabilities visit Disability.gov’s Technology section.
Free Work Incentive Seminar Events Near You
Are you receiving disability benefits and thinking about work? Do you want to learn how work will affect your Social Security Benefits? If you are interested in learning about the Ticket to Work Program or other work incentives, you can attend a free Work Incentive Seminar Event (WISE). These are community events held by local organizations for beneficiaries to learn more about available work incentives through accessible, informal learning opportunities.
For more information about work incentives visit Disability.gov’s Employment section.
EEOC Town-Hall Meetings & Workshops
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division will hold four town hall meetings (in Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco and New Orleans) to share information and gather comments about proposed regulations in the recently enacted Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act. Each town hall meeting will consist of two sessions, one for disability advocates and one for employers, and will take place no later than November 20, 2009.
For more information about the ADA and other laws that protect the employment rights of people with disabilities visit Disability.gov’s Civil Rights section.
Grants & Funding
Personnel Development to Improve Services to Children with Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) is inviting applications for new awards for FY 2010 to improve preservice programs for paraprofessionals who serve children ages 0-5 and in grades K-12. Grant recipients will enhance or redesign curricula to adequately train these paraprofessionals to address the needs of children with disabilities. There are two focus areas under this priority. Under focus area A, the Department intends to support improvement grants for Early Intervention (EI), early childhood special education (ECSE), and early childhood education (ECE) paraprofessional preservice programs. Under focus area B, the Department intends to support improvement grants for K-12 paraprofessional preservice programs. Eligible applicants are institutions of higher education as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The application deadline is November 3, 2009.
Housing Service Coordinator Program
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is offering $20 million in grants to help elderly residents and non-elderly residents with disabilities access the services they need to continue to live independently in their own homes. HUD is making these grants available through its Service Coordinator Program that will support the hiring of service coordinators to help frail and at-risk elderly individuals and persons with disabilities receive health care, meals and other critical support services. The application deadline is November 5, 2009.
Reeve Foundation Quality of Life Grants
The Reeve Foundation Quality of Life Grants Program, started by the late Dana Reeve, helps non-profit organizations support programs or projects that improve the daily lives of people with paralysis, with some emphasis on, but not limited to, paralysis caused by spinal cord injuries. Dana Reeve started the Quality of Life Grants Program to recognize and award organizations that help individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers increase their independence, day-to-day happiness and improve accessibility. Grants are awarded in two cycles per year. Grants are awarded in two cycles per year. The 1st cycle opens on or about January 2nd and the second cycle opens on or about July 1st. The application deadlines are March 1st and September 1st, respectively.
Home Modification Grants for Veterans
Veterans or Service Members who have certain service-connected disabilities may be entitled to a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to construct an adapted home or modify an existing home to meet their adaptive needs. The goal of the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) Grant Program is to provide a barrier-free living environment that allows the Veteran or Service Member to live independently. An application form can be downloaded from the VA’s Web site.
Section 811 Supportive Housing for Persons with Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced funding for its Section 811 program. This program provides funding for the development and operation of supportive housing for very low-income persons who are at least 18 years old. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations with a section 501(c)(3) tax exemption from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The application package and instructions can be downloaded from Grants.gov. The application deadline is November 16, 2009.
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