Monday, November 4, 2013

[Mspe] MSPE Live.WORK.Achieve Listserv - November 2013

Live.WORK.Achieve

A Listserv for the Mississippi Partnerships for Employment

for Youth and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities

Including Intellectual Disabilities Project

 

November 2013

 

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 edition:

 

1) MSPE Facebook Page

2) “High Expectations – Transforming the American Workforce as the ADA Generation Comes of Age”

3) Resource Highlight: Employment After Spinal Cord Injury - How Do You Get There?

4) Effective Employment Candidate Selection

5) New PSA from the AAPD Challenges Traditional Views of Disability

6) Quandary of Hidden Disabilities: Conceal or Reveal?

7) “Hiring Americans with Disabilities” Video on CNBC

8) Disability Equality Index Launched

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1) MSPE Facebook Page

 

The Mississippi Partnerships for Employment (MSPE) project now has a Facebook page. MSPE is the employment systems change initiative of the Mississippi Developmental Disabilities Network. MSPE has a vision that all young people, including those with developmental and intellectual disabilities have an opportunity for competitive, meaningful employment and productive lives as Mississippi citizens. MSPE has made Employment First a priority in the state. Employment First is a philosophy requiring that competitive employment in integrated settings be the first option considered in providing services to working age individuals with disabilities. It’s time for Employment First in Mississippi. Please view and like the MSPE Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mspeidd.

 

2) “High Expectations – Transforming the American Workforce as the ADA Generation Comes of Age”

 

The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released a report, “High Expectations: Transforming the American Workforce as the ADA Generation Comes of Age.” The report offers steps to improve the employment of the "ADA Generation" - young men and women who have come of age since the ADA was enacted in 1990, and who are now seeking competitive employment. For a copy of this report, visit http://www.harkin.senate.gov/documents/pdf/52446704c3501.pdf.

 

3)  Resource Highlight: “Employment After Spinal Cord Injury - How Do You Get There?”

 

The Northwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury System Center (NWRSCIS) offers “Employment After Spinal Cord Injury: How Do You Get There?,” the latest in the SCI Forum video series. Several individuals with SCI share their experiences of finding employment after their injuries and how they navigated hurdles of accessibility, health issues, insurance considerations, and other financial and practical concerns. Plus, a vocational counselor provides information to help employees with SCI meet their goals. NWRSCIS is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). For more information or to watch the video, visit http://sci.washington.edu/info/forums/reports/employment.asp.

 

4) Effective Employment Candidate Selection

When selecting candidates for employment, employers should ensure that supervisors understand and receive training on selection tools and how those processes could present issues and challenges to individuals with disabilities. The Employer Assistance and Resource Network’s (EARN) latest resources on candidate selection can help employers effectively choose candidates and enhance the diversity of their workforce. For more information, visit EARN’s resource page at http://askearn.org/refdesk/Recruitment/Candidate_Selection.

5) New PSA from the AAPD Challenges Traditional Views of Disability

 

The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) has issued a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) entitled Redefine Disability that is currently airing nationwide on cable networks carried by Comcast’s Xfinity TV service. Featuring four young adults with various disabilities, the PSA challenges Americans to appreciate the positive aspects of disability. In addition, the PSA encourages viewers to join with AAPD in breaking down the outdated stereotypes confronting many people with disabilities.  Through the personal testimony of these four young adults, the PSA offers insight into the reality that most people with disabilities embrace disability as a positive part of their identity, rather than something that needs to be overcome, cured, or fixed.  To view the PSA, visit http://www.aapd.com/redefinedisability.html.

 

6) “Quandary of Hidden Disabilities: Conceal or Reveal?”

 

This article from the New York Times provides an interesting look at the issue of an individual’s decision to conceal or reveal their hidden disability as it pertains to employment. The author, Katherine Bouton, provides information and personal stories on why people with disabilities might or might not reveal their disability when applying for a job. To read the article, visit http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/business/quandary-of-hidden-disabilities-conceal-or-reveal.html?partner=socialflow&smid=tw-nytimesbusiness&pagewanted=all&_r=2&.

 

7) “Hiring Americans with Disabilities” Video on CNBC

 

Walgreens employees more than 1,000 people with disabilities at its distribution centers. This video interview of the CEOs of Walgreens Company and the Kessler Foundation highlights Walgreens’ commitment to hiring people with disabilities and the benefits to the company. To view the video interview, go to http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000193204&play=1

 

8) Disability Equality Index Launched

The Disability Equality Index (DEI), recently launched in a pilot phase by the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN) and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), is a national, transparent benchmarking tool that will offer major employers the opportunity to receive an objective score on their disability inclusion policies and practices and identify avenues for improvement. The index is also intended to help companies build their reputations as employers of choice.  To read more about the DEI, visit http://www.usbln.org/programs-dei.html

***PLEASE NOTE: If you are unable to access any of the links in Live.WORK.Achieve, please make sure the entire link is highlighted.  If a link is not highlighted, please copy and paste the entire link into your Web browser.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Live.WORK.Achieve~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Live.WORK.Achieve is sponsored by the Mississippi Partnerships for Employment (MSPE) for Youth and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities, Including Intellectual Disabilities project. MSPE is funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is managed by the Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities (MS CDD), Disability Rights Mississippi (DRMS) and The University of Southern Mississippi Institute for Disability Studies (IDS).   

 

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Questions may be addressed to

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OR

Jerry.Alliston@usm.edu

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