Live.WORK.Achieve
A Listserv for the Mississippi Partnerships for Employment
for Youth and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities
Including Intellectual Disabilities Project
July 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.
Inside this edition:
1) The Power of ME! Conference – July 14-15, Brandon
2) Work Incentives Webinar – July 28, 1 p.m.
3) Recording of Discussion on WIOA Regulations Available
4) Key “Soft Skills” that Foster Youth Workforce Success
5) DOL Launches Historical Disability Timeline for ADA 25th Anniversary
6) Disability Equality Index Survey Results Released
7) Apple Spotlights Accessibility, Featuring Apps Using VoiceOver Technology
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1) The Power of ME! Conference – July 14-15, Brandon
The Power of ME! Unlocking the Power Within Conference will be held July 14–15, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Brandon High School in Brandon. Sponsored by the Rankin County School District’s Special Education Department and parents together with the Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center (MSPTI), the conference is open to all parents, educators and advocates of special education throughout the state. The conference is offering exciting sessions covering a wide-range of topics. Dr. Jeri LaVigne of Atlanta, creator of The Efficient Brain Series, is the keynote speaker. CEUs will be offered. For more information, visit http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event;jsessionid=D7A21F5A59684246D58805F5EAC587DE.worker_registrant?llr=julfnscab&oeidk=a07eb1a8bmp4e4cbcd4 or call Holladay Burnham with the Rankin County School District at 601.825.5590. To register for the free conference, visit https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07eb1a8bmp4e4cbcd4&oseq=&c=069f6b80-20b4-11e3-a14a-d4ae5275dbc8&ch=06ed3d60-20b4-11e3-a196-d4ae5275dbc8.
2) Work Incentives Webinar – July 28, 1 p.m.
The Mississippi Partners for Informed Choice Program is a Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) project which is 100% federally funded by the Social Security Administration (SSA). This project serves beneficiaries with disabilities between the ages of 14 to 64 with an employment goal. There are nine Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWICs) and one Project Coordinator that provides direct benefits counseling and assistance to eligible beneficiaries receiving SSDI and/or SSI throughout Mississippi. The CWICs help beneficiaries understand how work may affect their benefits and understand the work incentives that are available for those beneficiaries wanting to transition to work. During this webinar, participants will learn about Age 18 Redetermination, how work may or may not impact SSDI or SSI benefits, and what work incentives are available. This webinar is cosponsored by the Mississippi Partnerships for Employment (MSPE) project at the Institute for Disability Studies at The University of Southern Mississippi and the Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center (MSPTI). To register, visit https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8021752430103030018.
3) Recording of Discussion on WIOA Regulations Available
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) regulations were the topic of a Partnerships in Employment (PIE) topical meeting discussion with David Huff, program director of the Institute for Community Inclusion, on May 14. This recording provides a good overview for people interested in more information on the Act. To listen to the recording, visit https://connectpro97884399.adobeconnect.com/_a839220836/p39dixzox7d/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal.
4) Key “Soft Skills” that Foster Youth Workforce Success
Soft skills are skills, competencies, behaviors, attitudes and personal qualities that enable youth to navigate their environment, work with others, perform well and achieve their goals. Child Trends has identified five key soft skills that, according to researchers, employers, youth and program implementers, most enable youth and young adults ages 15 to 29 worldwide to be successful in the workplace. To read or download a copy of the 56-page publication, visit http://www.childtrends.org/?publications=key-soft-skills-that-foster-youth-workforce-success-toward-a-consensus-across-fields.
5) DOL Launches Historical Disability Timeline for ADA 25th Anniversary
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has unveiled a historical disability timeline called "Advancing Equal Access to Opportunity" as a start to its celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The timeline highlights the laws related to disability employment from 1920 to the present. DOL is also featuring personal stories submitted by workers with disabilities who have been affected by the ADA in their lives and careers. Meredith Ausenbaugh, a DOL intern, has written a blog on "3 Things You Can Do to Celebrate 25 Years of the ADA," which can include your own submitted story. To view the timeline, read personal stories or submit your story, visit http://www.dol.gov/featured/ada/.
6) Disability Equality Index Survey Results Released
The American Association of People with Disabilities and the U.S. Business Leadership Network recently announced the results of the first-ever Disability Equality Index (DEI) survey sponsored by both organizations. This survey assesses inclusion across the workplace, marketplace and supply chain, awarding points in four major categories. This first year, 80 Fortune 1000 companies participated, 19 of which received 100 out of 100 and thus were named “DEI Best Places to Work.” A further 43 companies scored 80 or above. For more information and to view the complete survey results, visit https://www.disabilityequalityindex.org/top_companies.aspx.
7) Apple Spotlights Accessibility, Featuring Apps Using VoiceOver Technology
In celebration of its receipt of the Helen Keller Achievement Award from the American Foundation for the Blind for it efforts in making products accessible to everyone, Apple is featuring popular iOS App Store titles that make use of the company’s VoiceOver screen reader technology. To learn more about the apps, read this article from the Apple Insider: http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/06/19/apple-spotlights-accessibility-featuring-ios-apps-using-its-award-winning-voiceover-technology.
***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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Please visit the IDS Calendar of Events at http://www.usm.edu/ids/calevents/.
Questions may be addressed to
Alma.Ellis@usm.edu
OR
Jerry.Alliston@usm.edu
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