Welcome to Live.WORK.Achieve, a monthly e-newsletter targeting anyone interested in and supportive of employment for youth and young adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities. Live.WORK.Achieve is offered through the Institute for Disability Studies in collaboration with the Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities and Disability Rights Mississippi and includes resources and information on employment and career development.
Inside this issue:
1) ODEP and AIDD Join Forces
2) Working to Reach Employees with Disabilities
3) DOL Publishes “Plain Language” Guidebook for the Family and Medical Leave Act
4) Creating an Inclusive Workplace: Integrating Employees with Disabilities into a Distribution Center Environment
5) 2012 National Disability Employment Awareness Toolkit is Now Available
6) Delaware’s Governor Signs Employment First Bill into Law
7) "Telling Your Story" with Apple iTunes
1) ODEP and AIDD Join Forces
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Community Living, completed a memorandum of agreement in July to create a partnership that will work to expand and promote integrated employment as the first option for individuals with significant, including intellectual and developmental, disabilities. This partnership between the two federal agencies will further their coordination of resources and efforts so the concept of “Employment First” is more broadly embraced. Many states have already resolved to implement policies that promote integrated employment as the first option of services for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities through the establishment of Employment First initiatives. Both ODEP and AIDD support these initiatives and other efforts to change states’ employment systems by providing technical assistance, training and capacity building support. For more information, visit http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/EmploymentFirst.htm .
2) Working to Reach Employees with Disabilities
This article from the Baltimore Sun details the complexities of the federal government’s commitment to hiring more employees with disabilities. Read the entire article at http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/federal/bs-md-federal-disabilities-20120713,0,1553346.story .
3) DOL Publishes “Plain Language” Guidebook for the Family and Medical Leave Act
The complexity of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) process can be confusing to employers as well as employees. In an attempt to clarify the FMLA application and implementation process, the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) has issued a 16-page summary entitled “Need Time? The Employer’s Guide to the Family and Medical Leave Act.” The booklet is directed primarily to employees, but it also provides a roadmap for employers detailing obligations for successfully navigating the FMLA application process, and explains how the DOL believes the FMLA process should be implemented. For a copy of the guide, visit http://www.dol.gov/whd/fmla/employeeguide.htm .
4) Creating an Inclusive Workplace: Integrating Employees with Disabilities into a Distribution Center Environment
An article in the June issue of Professional Safety by individuals affiliated with the Walgreens Distribution Center in Anderson, SC, shares specific performance statistics, as well as management policies, techniques and strategies used by the national retail pharmacy chain in employing people with disabilities. To read the article, visit http://insurancenewsnet.com/article.aspx?id=346155&type=newswires
5) 2012 National Disability Employment Awareness Toolkit is Now Available
Prepare for 2012 National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) activities and observances. Held each October, NDEAM is a national campaign that raises awareness about disability employment issues and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. This year's theme is "A Strong Workforce is an Inclusive Workforce: What Can YOU Do?" Posters are free and are available for order in English and Spanish. For more information, visit http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/ndeam/ .
6) Delaware’s Governor Signs Employment First Bill into Law
On Monday, July 16, Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed the state’s first Employment First bill into law. As the newly elected chair of the National Governors Association, he has also made the employment of people with disabilities a priority of his term as chair. For more information, visit http://news.delaware.gov/2012/07/16/governor-signs-employment-first-bill-into-law/ .
7) "Telling Your Story" with Apple iTunes
"Telling Your Story" is a free application (app) that can be downloaded through Apple iTunes to help people with disabilities and others, to compose and practice their personal story to share with elected officials and policymakers. The app guides users through the steps of developing a testimonial, from introducing yourself, identifying the specific issue, to the best methods for presenting a compelling personal story. The app allows the user to enter the text of their story and use an audio recording feature to rehearse their story. Learn more about this tool at http://itunes.apple.com/app/telling-your-story/id541403749?mt=8
