Live.WORK.Achieve
A Listserv for the Mississippi Partnerships for Employment
for Youth and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities
Including Intellectual Disabilities Project
March 2014
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) Employment First Legislation Update
2) Details of President’s Executive Order on Minimum Wage and How It Impact Workers with Disabilities
3) New Training Guide - Disability and Rural Communities: Making a Difference in Small Towns
4) EmployAble , a Virtual Employment Support Center
5) Disability Advocacy Through Media Training Course
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1) Employment First Legislation Update
House Bill 132 remains active as it passed in the House. It was referred to the Senate and was last referred to Public Health and Welfare; Appropriations. You can check the latest status of this bill and others at http://www.legislature.ms.gov/Pages/default.aspx. Also, stay updated on Employment First in Mississippi by liking the MSPE Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mspeidd.
2) Details of President’s Executive Order on Minimum Wage and How It Impact Workers with Disabilities
The Collaboration to Promote Self-Determination shared information recently about the Executive Order on minimum wage for federal contractors established on Feb. 12, by President Obama. Under the Federal Labor Standards Act Section 14 (c), employees with disabilities can be paid a pro-rated wage based on productivity. Effective January 1, 2015, new federal contracts/subcontracts for services, such as food service, concessions and janitorial, and construction are required to pay all employees at least $10.10 per hour. This Executive Order does not change the productivity rating, but it does establish $10.10 as the lowest available hourly wage. If, for example, the prevailing wage on a contract is $20.20 an hour and a person with a disability under a 14c certificate would normally be paid at 30% of the prevailing wage ($6.06), he or she will now be paid $10.10 an hour. If the worker is normally paid 60% of the prevailing wage ($12.12), he or she will still be paid $12.12. The Executive Order does not affect the vast majority of people receiving subminimum wage, but is considered a great first step toward ensuring people with disabilities receive a fair wage. For more information, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/02/12/executive-order-minimum-wage-contractors.
3) New Training Guide - Disability and Rural Communities: Making a Difference in Small Towns
People with disabilities are a rich part of the rural fabric of America. But why do families remain in a rural community when faced with hardships such as lack of Internet access and technology, lack of reliable transportation, and lack of needed supports and services? Why not just move? People with disabilities can create or obtain services, as well as take part in their rural communities. The National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) is now sharing, Disability and Rural Communities: Making a Difference in Small Towns, a training guide for people with disabilities who live in rural areas. To learn more about the importance of advocacy, inclusion, interdependence, resources, networking and community involvement, supportive relationships, leadership, and other relevant topics, visit http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1102658847710-80/DisabilityandRuralCommunitiesGuide.pdf.
4) EmployAble , a Virtual Employment Support Center
EmployAble is a model Virtual Employment Orientation and Support Center funded by the Kessler Foundation and developed by the Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawai‘i. Using interactive online tools including the virtual environment Second Life as a platform, EmployAble facilitates employment skills training, networking, mentoring, and employment resources for persons with disabilities. EmployAble is the first such center of its kind, and will serve as a model for future centers aimed at increasing the employment rate of persons with disabilities. EmployAble is designed to meet the needs of people with diverse disabilities, with a particular emphasis on Veterans and those with Traumatic Brain Injuries. EmployAble also has resources for employers looking for ways to connect with potential employees with disabilities and ways to support and retain their existing employees. For more information, visit http://www.cds.hawaii.edu/employable/.
5) Disability Advocacy Through Media Training Course
This online course introduces advocates to using traditional and online media advocacy techniques to build awareness of disability issues. The course covers the use of social media, videos, websites and blogs. It includes e-lectures, self-teaching assignments and online readings and resources. The course is a collaborative project between the College of Fine Arts and Communication and the Hussman Center for Adults with Autism at Towson University in Towson, Maryland. Learn more about the course, which was designed to be used and shared, by visiting http://disabilitymediaadvocacy.wordpress.com/.
***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.
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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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