Live Work Achieve: June 2015

Live.WORK.Achieve

A Listserv for the Mississippi Partnerships for Employment

for Youth and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities

Including Intellectual Disabilities Project

Special Edition – June 16, 2015

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.

Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities State Plan Survey

The Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities (MSCDD) is seeking public input relating to current disability services and supports. The results of the survey will assist in development of a Five-Year State Plan.

This survey can be accessed online via the MSCDD website: www.mscdd.org. The deadline is September 30, 2015.

MSCDD is a federally mandated body of advocates, appointed by the Governor, who promote quality of life for people with developmental disabilities, their families, and the community at large. Improvement in quality of life is provided through initiatives that promote advocacy, systems change, and capacity building.

***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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Questions may be addressed to

Alma.Ellis@usm.edu

Jerry.Alliston@usm.edu

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Live.WORK.Achieve

A Listserv for the Mississippi Partnerships for Employment

for Youth and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities

Including Intellectual Disabilities Project

June 2015

Inside this edition:

1) What the Ever-Broadening Definition of “Disability” Under the ADA May Mean to Employers

2) National Employment Survey

3) “Do Ask, Do Tell” - New Report Explores Disability Disclosure in the Workplace

4) NCSL Develops Brief on State Disability Employment Policies

5) Theme Announced for 2015 National Disability Employment Awareness Month

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1) What the Ever-Broadening Definition of “Disability” Under the ADA May Mean to Employers

A recent decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (the federal appeals court that covers Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina) reconfirms that almost all physical and mental impairments will meet the definition of “disability” under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as the law was amended in 2008. With the broader definition of disability, employers may be required to provide reasonable accommodations to a larger number of employees. To learn more, read the article posted at the following link http://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/the-ever-broadening-definition-of-63980/.

2) National Employment Survey

The Kessler Foundation in partnership with the University of New Hampshire is conducting a national survey focusing on employment issues for working-age adults with disabilities. This survey is open to individuals or family members of individuals who are employed or seeking employment. To take the survey, visit http://www.researchondisability.org/kesslersurvey?utm_source=RRTC&utm_campaign=5bab5012c7-EPM_RRTC_WebcastConfirmation_04_21_154_21_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_44d29866e8-5bab5012c7-209148493.

3) “Do Ask, Do Tell” - New Report Explores Disability Disclosure in the Workplace

The Conference Board, a global independent business and research association, recently released a report on challenges to and strategies for encouraging disability disclosure based on a survey of 98 companies. Titled "Do Ask, Do Tell," the report was developed with support from the Office of Disability Employment’s (ODEP) National Employer Policy, Research and Technical Assistance Center for Employers on the Employment of People with Disabilities (Employer TA Center). For a copy of the report, visit http://www.conference-board.org/publications/publicationdetail.cfm?publicationid=2915.

4) NCSL Develops Brief on State Disability Employment Policies

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) recently drafted and disseminated a brief that outlines policies states can use to encourage and support the hiring, retention and promotion of people with disabilities. The publication identifies states that have successfully implemented such policies and encourages states to become model employers of individuals with disabilities. Three policy approaches are profiled: Employment First, States as Model Employers and Encouraging the Private Sector to Employ People with Disabilities. For more information, visit the NCSL website for a copy of the brief http://www.askearn.org/docs/Employment%20for%20People%20with%20Disabilities%20Reed.PDF.

5) Theme Announced for 2015 National Disability Employment Awareness Month

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the theme of this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) – “My Disability Is One Part of Who I Am.” The theme echoes the campaign for Disability Employment’s “Who I Am” public service announcement. NDEAM is a nationwide campaign that takes place every October to raise awareness about disability employment issues and celebrate the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. Review the latest NDEAM press release at http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/ODEP20150853.htm.

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TO SUBSCRIBE

If this mailing was forwarded to you and you are not already subscribed to the Live.WORK.Achieve listserv, here’s how you can become a subscriber:

TO UNSUBSCRIBE

****************************************

Please visit the IDS Calendar of Events at http://www.usm.edu/ids/calevents/.

Questions may be addressed to

Alma.Ellis@usm.edu

Jerry.Alliston@usm.edu