Live Work Achieve

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Monday, July 8, 2013

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

Live.WORK.Achieve

A Listserv for the Mississippi Partnerships for Employment

for Youth and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities

Including Intellectual Disabilities Project

July 2013

Inside this edition:

1) Mississippi Partnerships for Employment Awareness Sessions – July 9, 16, 23

2) Free Webinar: Promoting Employment – July 31, 3 p.m.

3) New Study Finds that Volunteering Increases the Likelihood of Finding a Job

4) Trends in Employment Outcomes of Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities

5) Employee Disability Survey Findings Released

6) ADA 23^rd Anniversary – July 26

7) July Employment Data Show Difficult Month for People with Disabilities

1) Mississippi Partnerships for Employment Awareness Sessions – July 9, 16, 23

Awareness sessions will be held in the following locations:

· Greenville - July 9 - William Alexander Percy Memorial Library, 341 Main Street - 5:30–6:30 p.m.,

· Long Beach - July 16 - Technology Learning Center on The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park campus, 730 East Beach Boulevard – 5:30-6:30 p.m., and

· Starkville - July 23 - Greater Starkville Development Partnership offices, 203 East Main Street – 5:30-6:30 p.m.

For more information about the awareness sessions and Employment First, email Dr. Jerry R. Alliston at jerry.alliston@usm.edu.

2) Free Webinar: Promoting Employment – July 31, 3 p.m.

The free webinar “Promoting Employment – Discovering Your Potential: Using Discovery to Identify Your Employment Goals” will provide information on how to use discovery, an alternative assessment tool proven to identify the strengths of job seekers with and without disabilities. Discovery also helps jobseekers identify personal employment goals. Webinar participants will gain an understanding of discovery, how to use discovery components individually or in preparation from group discovery and the potential outcomes. The webinar targets individuals with disabilities, workforce development professionals and related stakeholders. To register, visit https://leadcenter.webex.com/mw0307l/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&siteurl=leadcenter&service=6&rnd=0.6559371449554158&main_url=https%3A%2F%2Fleadcenter.webex.com%2Fec0606l%2Feventcenter%2Fevent%2FeventAction.do%3FtheAction%3Ddetail%26confViewID%3D1003969449%26%26%26%26siteurl%3Dleadcenter.

3) New Study Finds Volunteering Increases Likelihood of Finding a Job

A groundbreaking new report from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) provides the most compelling evidence to date establishing an association between volunteering and employment. The study, “Volunteering as a Pathway to Employment: Does Volunteering Increase Odds of Finding a Job for the Out of Work?” finds that unemployed individuals who volunteer have 27% higher odds of finding a job than non-volunteers. The relationship between volunteering and employment holds stable regardless of a person’s gender, age, ethnicity, geographical area, or job market conditions. To view the article, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov/impact-our-nation/research-and-reports/volunteering-pathway-employment-report.

To find volunteer opportunities in your area, visit http://www.serve.gov/.

4) Trends in Employment Outcomes of Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities

A new research report, “Trends in Employment Outcomes of Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, in Eight States, 2004-2011,” has been prepared by the Institute for Community Inclusion in association with the State Data Info and Partnerships in Employment Transition Systems Change projects. The report provides project and state agency leaders with an in-depth understanding of the patterns of employment of youth over the past several years. It is also a tool for communicating the transition and employment message with other important stakeholders such as youth and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, family members and legislators. This report is featured on the MSPE website on the Working Documents page. To obtain a copy of the report, visit http://www.mspeidd.org/docs/Sulewski2013.pdf.

5) Employee Disability Survey Findings Released

The results of a five-year survey of nearly 850,000 employees were released by the National Organization on Disability (NOD) and Sirota Consulting. The survey was developed to better understand the experiences of employees with disabilities by capturing, assessing, and understanding their workplace experiences compared to the experiences of their colleagues without disabilities. The largest differences were found in the strength of the relationship between the employee and the company, and in the amount of encouragement and opportunity employees received to achieve in their position. For more information, visit https://disability.workforce3one.org/command/view.aspx?look=National_Organization_on_Disability_NOD_and_Sirota

6) ADA 23^rd Anniversary – July 26

Celebrate the 23rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26 and the progress made through implementation of the ADA in your workplaces, schools and communities. The ADA Anniversary 2013 Toolkit was released July 3. Explore and share information by visiting the Southeast ADA Center at http://adasoutheast.org/solutions.php.

7) July Employment Data Show Difficult Month for People with Disabilities

Bureau of Labor Statistics indicators released July 5, suggest June 2013, was a difficult month for people with disabilities in comparison with June 2012. The labor force participation rate for people with disabilities decreased from 31.9% in June 2012 to 31.4% in June 2013 (down 1.6%). The labor force participation rate is the percentage of people who are working or actively looking for work. The labor force participation rate among people without disabilities in June 2013 was 77.1%, down only 0.1% from 77.2% in June 2012. These latest statistics indicate weak employment results for people with disabilities across the board according to the Trends in Disability Employment-National Update (TIDE) released by the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability (IOD) and the Kessler Foundation. “This is evidence that people with disabilities are less engaged in the labor force,” said John O’Neill, PhD, Kessler Foundation’s Director of Employment and Disability Research. For more information, visit http://iod.unh.edu/About/News/13-07-08/July_Employment_Data_Show_Difficult_Month_for_People_with_Disabilities.aspx.

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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

[Mspe] Special Edition - MSPE Awareness Session, June 20, Jackson

The Mississippi Partnerships for Employment (MSPE) project 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 citizens of Mississippi. The public is welcome to attend an awareness session to review MSPE activities in the state with a focus on Employment First. Employment First is a philosophy/policy which requires all entities that provide services to individuals with disabilities of working age to ensure that competitive employment in integrated settings is always the first priority option considered in providing services. The awareness session, the first of four across the state, will be held on June 20, at 5:30 p.m. in Churchill I and II at the Marriott Jackson at 200 East Amite Street in Jackson.

Three additional awareness sessions will be held across the state in July:

· Greenville - July 9 - William Alexander Percy Memorial Library, 341 Main Street - 5:30–6:30 p.m.

· Long Beach - July 16 - Technology Learning Center on The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park campus, 730 East Beach Boulevard – 5:30-6:30 p.m.

· Starkville - July 23 - Greater Starkville Development Partnership offices, 203 East Main Street – 5:30-6:30 p.m.

For more information about these awareness sessions, email Dr. Jerry Alliston at jerry.alliston@usm.edu.

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http://www.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=97070.

Monday, June 17, 2013

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

Live.WORK.Achieve

A Listserv for the Mississippi Partnerships for Employment

for Youth and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities

Including Intellectual Disabilities Project

June 2013

Inside this edition:

1) MSPE Employment First Awareness Session – June 20, Jackson

2) 2013 Mississippi disAbility MegaConference – June 20-21, Jackson

3) EEOC Issues Revised Documents on Rights of Employees with Specific Disabilities

4) iPads Covered by Insurance?

5) New Research Shows "Disability Divide" Between Employee and Employer Perceptions

1) MSPE Employment First Awareness Session – June 20, Jackson

The Mississippi Partnerships for Employment (MSPE) project 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 citizens of Mississippi. The public is welcome to attend an awareness session to review MSPE activities in the state with a focus on Employment First. The awareness session, the first of four across the state, will be held on June 20, at 5:30 p.m. in Churchill I and II at the Marriott Jackson at 200 East Amite Street in Jackson. Employment First is a philosophy/policy which requires all entities that provide services to individuals with disabilities of working age to ensure that competitive employment is integrated settings is always the first priority option considered in providing services. For more information about the awareness session, email Dr. Jerry Alliston at jerry.alliston@usm.edu.

2) 2013 Mississippi disAbility MegaConference – June 20-21, Jackson

Mark your calendars now for the second annual Mississippi disAbility MegaConference scheduled for June 20-21, at the Marriott Jackson. Keynote speakers are Christine Ha and Serena Lowe. Christine Ha is winner of Season 3 of MasterChef, the first ever contestant who is blind. Ha is the author of an upcoming cookbook. Serena Lowe is senior policy advisor for the Office of Disability Employment at the U.S. Department of Labor. She will address employment trends in her session “Rising to the Occasion—Thinking Big About Employment and Socioeconomic Advancement of Citizens with Disabilities.” Interested in attending? Expect informative breakout session speakers, exhibits of products and services, opportunities for networking plus fun and friends. Family stipends are available. For more information or to register, visit http://msmegaconference.org/.

3) EEOC Issues Revised Documents on Rights of Employees with Specific Disabilities

On May 15, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued four revised documents on protections against disability discrimination, explaining how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended, applies to individuals with cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, and intellectual disabilities. The revised documents reflect changes to the definition of disability made by the ADA Amendments Act, which took effect Jan. 1, 2009. Among other things, the act made it easier to conclude individuals with a wide range of impairments, including cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, and intellectual disabilities, are protected by the ADA, the EEOC said. Each revised document answers questions such as: when an employer may obtain medical information from employees and applicants, what types of reasonable accommodations individuals with these particular disabilities might need, how an employer should handle safety concerns, and what an employer should do to prevent and correct disability-based harassment. For more information, visit http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/disability.cfm.

4) iPads Covered by Insurance?

Parent Dawn Sconfienza Gaita shares strategies she learned through personal experience in requesting insurance assistance to pay for an iPads for her child with special needs. “Five Steps to Getting an iPad Covered by Insurance: a Mom’s Story of Success” is featured in the January/February 2012 issue of Parenting Special Needs magazine. View the magazine online at

5) New Research Shows "Disability Divide" Between Employee and Employer Perceptions

Despite some common ground, there are also clear divides between employer and employee perceptions around the likelihood and impact of an income-threatening disability, according to findings released today by the Council for Disability Awareness (CDA). The Disability Divide: Employer Study compares human resource professionals’ answers to employee responses about income-threatening illnesses and injuries, illustrating distinct divides surrounding key disability issues about disabilities. To read the report, visit http://www.disabilitycanhappen.org/research/employer/.

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Monday, May 13, 2013

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

Live.WORK.Achieve

A Listserv for the Mississippi Partnerships for Employment

for Youth and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities

Including Intellectual Disabilities Project

May 2013

Inside this edition:

1) NCWD/Youth Releases Youth in Action! Tip Sheets for Young People

2) “Finding Meaningful Employment a Challenge for Those with Developmental Disabilities”

3) “Lowe's Ramps Up Disability Inclusion”

4) Census Releases Publications on Employment/Government Assistance for People with Disabilities

5) Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics Releases Data on People with Disabilities

6) Mississippi disAbility MegaConference – June 20-21, Jackson

1) NCWD/Youth Releases Youth in Action! Tip Sheets for Young People

There are a variety of actions that youth can take to promote their personal growth and develop personal and leadership skills needed in today’s workplace. In conjunction with the Office of Disability Employment Policy at the U.S. Department of Labor, NCWD/Youth has developed a series of Youth in Action! Tip Sheets identifying some activities that can help youth learn and think about important transition issues including: Becoming a Stronger Self-Advocate; Leading Your Transition Planning; Learning Disability History; Getting Involved in Volunteering; Serving on Decision-Making Boards; and Participating in Internships and Work-Based Experiences. While these tip sheets are designed for youth to read and use, they are also helpful tools for family members, educators, and youth service professionals to use in discussions with youth. See a list of all the Youth in Action! Tip Sheets on NCWD/Youth's Youth Development webpage under Publications at http://www.ncwd-youth.info/youth-development.

2) “Finding Meaningful Employment a Challenge for Those with Developmental Disabilities”

While many individuals with developmental disabilities find sub-minimum wage work in very structured workshop settings, that shouldn't be the goal. The focus should be on employment in a job setting where those with developmental disabilities work alongside those without disabilities. This April 29 article by Shaun Hittle from the Lawrence Journal-World in Lawrence, Kansas, tells of one individual, who with his family’s support, has owned and operated his own business for more than 10 years. To read this interesting article, visit http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2013/apr/29/finding-meaningful-employment-challenge-those-deve/.

3) “Lowe's Ramps Up Disability Inclusion”

This web-based article from Forbes written by staffing company owner Judy Owen on Apr. 22, 2013, discusses employment in the community and commends Lowe’s North Carolina Regional Distribution Center for following Walgreen’s initiative to include people with disabilities in the workplace. Owen is the mother of a son with Down syndrome who started Opportunity Works, a full service staffing and recruiting company focused on recruiting people with disabilities into the community workforce. “Kudos to Lowe’s for putting this effort into your distribution operation. And, thank you, for sharing the efforts with me. Efforts like this will improve companies’ bottom lines, but more importantly, will change the world,” writes Owen. To read the article, go to http://www.forbes.com/sites/judyowen/2013/04/22/lowes-ramps-up-disability-inclusion/.

4) Census Releases Publications on Employment/Government Assistance for People with Disabilities

Two recently released publications from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey give greater insight into characteristics of people with disabilities in America. Disability Characteristics of Income-Based Government Assistance Recipients in the United States: 2011 examines the disability characteristics of the 46 million adults in the United States receiving government assistance, such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI), SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) or Medicaid. In addition, the Disability Employment Tabulation, a joint effort with the U.S. Department of Labor, provides a detailed look at the labor market characteristics for people by disability status, sex, race and Hispanic origin. Both use data from the American Community Survey, which is one of the only sources for estimates about the disability status of people in the United States. The survey defines disability using six questions about difficulty hearing, seeing, walking/climbing stairs, remembering/concentrating/making decisions, dressing/bathing or doing errands. For more information, visit https://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2013/04/22/census-bureau/.

5) Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics Releases Data on People with Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics released a report entitled "Persons with a Disability: Barriers to Employment, Types of Assistance, and Other Labor-Related Issues — May 2012," which indicates that in May 2012, half of all individuals with a disability who were not working reported some type of barrier to employment. Lack of education or training, lack of transportation, the need for special features at the job, and a person's own disability were among the barriers reported. Among individuals with a disability who were employed, over half had some difficulty completing their work duties because of their disability. These findings were obtained from a supplement to the May 2012 Current Population Survey (CPS), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy. The CPS is a monthly survey of about 60,000 households that obtains information on national employment and unemployment for the civilian no institutional population age 16 and over, including information on persons with a disability. For more information, read the accompanying press release with links to tables at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/dissup.nr0.htm

6) Mississippi disAbility MegaConference – June 20-21, Jackson

Mark your calendars now for the second annual Mississippi disAbility MegaConference scheduled for June 20-21, at the Marriott Jackson. Keynote speakers are Christine Ha and Serena Lowe. Christine Ha is winner of Season 3 of MasterChef, the first ever contestant who is blind, and the author of an upcoming cookbook. Serena Lowe is senior policy advisor for the Office of Disability Employment at the U.S. Department of Labor. She will address employment trends in her session “Rising to the Occasion—Thinking Big About Employment and Socioeconomic Advancement of Citizens with Disabilities.” Interested in attending? Expect informative breakout session speakers, exhibits of products and services, opportunities for networking plus fun and friends. Family stipends are available. For more information or to register, visit http://msmegaconference.org/.

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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

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

Live.WORK.Achieve

A Listserv for the Mississippi Partnerships for Employment

for Youth and Young Adults with Developmental Disabilities

Including Intellectual Disabilities Project

April 2013

Inside this edition:

1) Governors Pushed to Implement Jobs Programs for People with Disabilities

2) Lieutenant Governors Adopt Resolution

3) Hiring Requirements Eased for People with Disabilities

4) Executive Order from Oregon Governor on Implementation of Employment First

5) GoTasks App

6) The K-Fund Microloan Initiative

1) Governors Pushed to Implement Jobs Programs for People with Disabilities

An article in the Huffington Post reports on discussions at the National Governors Association (NGA) meeting in February that focused on the employment of people with disabilities. Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, chairman of the NGA, has designated the issue at this year’s platform. Markell told governors the NGA will continue to explore ways states can work to develop programs for employing people with disabilities. The association is planning two institutes in May for governors and their staffs to meet with business leaders to share findings and to develop a list of best practices. To read the article, visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/24/jobs-for-people-with-disabilities_n_2754163.html.

2) Lieutenant Governors Adopt Resolution

“Now, therefore let it be resolved, the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association calls on each Lieutenant Governor to review their policies regarding Americans with disabilities in an effort to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities.” These are the closing lines of a policy resolution regarding the employment of people with disabilities approved at the National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) 2013 Federal State Relations Meeting. To read the full resolution, visit http://www.nlga.us/web-content/Conferences/FedState2013/4%20NLGA%20Resolution%20Supporting%20the%20Employment%20of%20People%20with%20Disabilties%20FINAL.pdf.

3) Hiring Requirements Eased for People with Disabilities

In the past, people with disabilities might have been required to prove their job readiness to be hired by the U.S. Government. Under a new rule issued in late February, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management said that people with intellectual, psychiatric and severe physical disabilities will no longer be required to provide certification that they are ready to work when applying for jobs with the federal government. For more complete information, read this article by Disability Scoop http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2013/02/25/hiring-requirements-eased/17363/.

4) Executive Order from Oregon Governor on Implementation of Employment First

Governor John Kitzhaber of Oregon has issued an Executive Order as the next step for his state in promoting their ongoing commitment to integrated employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This Executive Order aligns with work already underway to implement Oregon’s Employment First policy. View the Executive Order online at http://www.oregon.gov/gov/docs/executive_orders/eo_13-04.pdf.

5) GoTasks App

GoTasks (Google Tasks™ Client) is an app that works on all mobile devices for on-the-go task management and list prioritization. And it’s free. Check out additional information on the Think College website where it was featured as an App of the Month. Visit http://www.thinkcollege.net/march-2013/app-of-the-month-gotasks.

6) The K-Fund Microloan Initiative

The Center for Social Capital (CSC) and the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation (JPKF) are pleased to announce the establishment of The K-Fund, a unique microloan program designed to assist working-age individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) interested in starting a business or enhancing their current job through the acquisition of job-related tools, training, and technology. This collaboration expands the low-interest loan program designed and tested by CSC in several states utilizing local community banks. Currently, loans average $5,000 at 5% interest and are used to supplement other limited resources. The K-Fund design streamlines the loan process, requires no collateral, no bank loan committee review, and is extremely low risk. The start-up phase of the K-Fund is restricted to individuals served by organizations affiliated with CSC and its parent organization, Griffin-Hammis Associates (GHA), both of which have assisted hundreds of individuals in starting their own microenterprises. For examples of inventive employment, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifrS3YqCjOY .

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