| Volume 08 | Issue 6 | February 11, 2008 |
Welcome to Monday Morning in Washington, D.C., published weekly by The Arc of the United States. We will bring to you news of interest to self advocates and their families, volunteers, professionals, and supporters of the disability movement. Please send any comments to mmwdc@thearc.org. You are welcome to reproduce and distribute items from Monday Morning in Washington, D.C., but please credit Monday Morning in Washington, D.C. (The Arc of the United States, 2007).
The Arc of the United States advocates for the rights and full participation of all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Together with our network of members and affiliated chapters, we improve systems of supports and services; connect families; inspire communities; and influence public policy.
[NOTE: Having trouble reading this newsletter? Read it online.] [Past Issues]
The New Look and Feel of the National Center on Severe and Sensory Disabilities (NCSSD)
--formerly The National Center on Low-Incidence Disabilities (NCLID)
NCSSD recognizes that over 1 million children in the United States have severe and/or sensory disabilities. For over 6 years, NCSSD has embraced the mission of improving the nation's capacity to teach children with severe and sensory disabilities so that these children can realize productive and fulfilling adult lives. The distinction of NCSSD is that we embrace the practice of facilitating and promoting collaboration between the severe and sensory disability fields, hence our motto:
"Together we can do more!" To build on our motto, the National Center's logo is composed of two opposing sets of waves, representing sound and light waves, and signifying synergy and collaboration.
Why the Name Change?
The term low-incidence disabilities is found within federal law and refers to children with: (a) visual impairments, (b) hearing impairments, (c) concomitant visual and hearing impairments or deaf-blindness, (d) significant cognitive impairments, or (e) any impairment for which few personnel have highly specialized skills and knowledge to provide children with the impairment early intervention or a free appropriate public education (Title I (D)(662)(c)(3]). The term low-incidence emphasizes the small number of children who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, or deaf-blind, or who have severe or multiple disabilities. Critical to NCSSD is the emphasis on the needs of children with severe and/or sensory disabilities and the strategies to address those needs; to reflect this value; we removed the term low-incidence from our name.
Visit our Newly Designed Web-Site!
A second goal of NCSSD is to maintain a website that is accessible and user-friendly, modeling our beliefs and values of utilizing current technological innovations. Please visit NCSSD's new website at http://www.unco.edu/ncssd. Check back often, as we are adding new content daily.
NCSSD Highlights
Research at NCSSD
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB, 2002) defines scientifically based research as "the application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge" [(Title I (B) (1208)]. Spooner and Browder (2003) have argued that the NCLB definition fails to acknowledge the challenges of conducting research in the area of low-incidence disabilities. NCSSD recognizes the challenges for conducting research on children with low-incidence disabilities, including deficits in scientifically based research and isolation of researchers. One of the goals of NCSSD is to address these challenges by contributing to the research base, facilitating research-to-practice, and promoting collaborative research between the fields of visual impairment, deaf and hard of hearing, and severe disabilities. Please visit http://www.unco.edu/ncssd/research/research.shtml to learn more!
Scheduled Online University Courses for 2008
Summer Semester 2008, The University of Northern Colorado will host the following graduate level courses:
Don't Forget the Classics!
You can still find some of your favorite information and products on the NCSSD website! Just a few are highlighted here:
The first site was developed by an organization in the UK www.youthhealthtalk.org
The second is a US site, focuses on Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease that includes discussions about talking with physicians, dealing with day-to-day hassles associated with a chronic condition, was of taking charge, and issue of privacy. While some of the discussions are specific to these two conditions, most is relevant to any chronic health condition or disability. http://www.ucandcrohns.org/
The Transition list is open to all with an interest in the issue of health care transition. If you know of others who would like to subscribe, let then know that they can sign-up for the list themselves. They can join by going to the list sign-up Web page: http://hctransitions.ichp.ufl.edu/listserv.htmlThey enter their e-mail address and name and hit the subscribe button. When their subscription is approved, they get a set of instructions on how to use the list and access archived messages. (Members need to be approved in order to prevent spammers from joining the list, and from posting unwanted messages. Also, all postings are reviewed by a moderator before being included in a digest.
FVND Share the Wealth Week of February 4th
Bright Futures/Family Matters-Resource for your child’s good health Winter 2008 issues focus is on children’s weight and good nutrition.
See it at - http://www.brightfuturesforfamilies.org/pdf/FamilyMattersWinter2008.pdf
To see this information - http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6298
Third Quarter 2007 OSERS Policy Documents on the Education of Infants, Toddlers, Children, and Youth with Disabilities
Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Correspondence from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) on the education of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities from July 1, 2007 through September 30, 2007 is now available online at http://www.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/letters/2007-3/index.html A subset of letters of clarification that specifically address Part C and Section 619 of the IDEA can be accessed via the NECTAC Web site at http://www.nectac.org/idea/clarfctnltrs.asp
The 2008 Fact Sheet on Health Care Access and Utilization:
Adolescents and Young Adults contains the most recent available data on health insurance coverage, preventive and other health services, and unmet need among adolescents and young adults ages 12-24, including those with special health care needs. The fact sheet, produced by the National Adolescent Health Information Center at the University of California, San Francisco, with support from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, highlights trends and presents data by age, gender, income level, and race and ethnicity. Information on trends and data sources is included. The fact sheet is available at
http://nahic.ucsf.edu/download.php?f=/downloads/HCAU2008.pdf. A list of other NAHIC-produced briefs and fact sheets is available at
http://nahic.ucsf.edu/index.php/data/article/briefs_fact_sheets.
Institute for Community Inclusion National E-News 02/05/08
APSE 2008: The Winner's Circle ... Everybody Works! Everybody Wins!
Are you interested in sharing your knowledge and promoting discussion regarding employment of people with disabilities at a national forum? The 19th Annual APSE Conference being held in Louisville, KY from July 9th-11th, 2008, provides a great opportunity to do so. If you are a professional, individual, family member, or businessperson with information and ideas to share, please submit your conference session proposal(s) by the February 15th deadline.
To submit a proposal, go to the APSE website. APSE: The Network on Employment is a membership organization focused on improving and expanding integrated employment for persons experiencing disabilities. If you have any questions please contact Celane McWhorter at celanem@yahoo.com, or David Hoff at 617-287-4308; david.hoff@umb.edu - APSE website - http://www.apse.org/
Empowering people with disabilities around the world to achieve their human rights through international exchange and international development.
New Look to the NCDE Forum - http://www.miusa.org/ncde/aboutncde/mailinglistVisit www.aaidd.org/FYI/ to access current and past issues of this monthly newsletter. Subscribe at http://www.responsetrack.net/aaidd/sign_up
DisabilityInfo.gov
Employers Update: Workplace Ergonomics Quick Reference Guide
This guide provides quick reference illustrations of proper workstation ergonomics. Ensuring proper ergonomics in the workplace is a smart business decision because it increases employee productivity and satisfaction. If you would like to download the entire guide click on this link. http://www.tricare.mil/cap/Ergo_Guide/CAP_Ergo_Guide.pdf
This information has recently been updated, and can be accessed by visiting this link: http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=5064.
[nectac-enotes] NECTAC Web Updates - February 6, 2008
What's new at www.nectac.org!The following new resources are now available on the NECTAC Web site:
[nectac-enotes] NECTAC eNotes - February 8, 2008
Current and past issues of eNotes can be viewed online at http://www.nectac.org/enotes/enotes.asp
Wrightslaw WebEx Training Center - http://www.wrightslaw.com/webex/index.htmHere is a fact about your child's test scores.
All important educational decisions - eligibility, services in your child's IEP, educational progress - are based on test scores. Not grades, not subjective observations - test scores.
There's no way around it. To be an effective advocate, you need to know what tests measure and what test scores mean.http://www.wrightslaw.com/webex/test.scores.index.htm
REFERENCE POINTS is an activity of TATRA, a project of PACER Center
REFERENCE POINTS: Federal Employment Resources
The EEOC recently issued a comprehensive report addressing strategies to reverse the declining participation rate of federal employees with targeted disabilities. The report, "Improving the Participation Rate of People with Targeted Disabilities in the Federal Workforce" reiterates the call for the federal government to be the nation's model employer, providing equal opportunity to all Americans, including those with disabilities. The report can be found on the EEOC's website at www.eeoc.gov/federal/report/pwtd.html l.
THE ABC'S OF SCHEDULE A
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently published three helpful brochures that describe the Schedule A hiring process, the special appointing or hiring authority that can be used to facilitate hiring individuals with disabilities into federal jobs. The publications can be found at http://www.earnworks.com/employers/tools/index.asp by scrolling down to "Hiring Authorities for Federal Employers"
LEADERSHIP FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES
For information about EEOC's LEAD initiative visit the following link: http://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/lead/index.html
FEDERAL DISABILITY WORKFORCE CONSORTIUM (FDWC)
FDWC's mission is to improve the current landscape of employment for people with targeted disabilities within the Federal workforce. The Consortium seeks to expand the current pool of talent within the Federal workforce through improving recruiting, hiring, retention, and advancement of employees with disabilities, especially those with targeted or more severe disabilities. For more information go to http://www.fdwc.info/
STRATEGIC CONNECTIONS: RECRUITING CANDIDATES WITH DISABILITIES
Additional resources on recruiting qualified job candidates with disabilities are available here: http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/connect.htm.
INCREASING THE EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE FEDERAL WORK FORCE
This comprehensive report addresses strategies to reverse the declining participation rate of federal employees with targeted disabilities. The report may be found at http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/report/pwtd.pdf
FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Information on hiring and retaining students with disabilities for employment in the federal government. http://www.opm.gov/disability/hrpro_3-05.asp
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR APPLICANTS AND EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR CO-WORKERS
Information from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management regarding the hiring process for people with disabilities, from locating job openings to requesting a reasonable accommodation. http://www.opm.gov/disability/appempl_4-08.asp
ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS REGARDING FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Information from the Office of Personnel Management includes links to organizations and publications related to the employment of people with disabilities. http://www.opm.gov/disability/appempl_4-02.asp
ADVANCING OPPORTUNITIES: ACCOMMODATIONS RESOURCES FOR FEDERAL MANAGERS AND EMPLOYEES
Fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) regarding resources to help federal government managers make necessary accommodations for employees with disabilities. http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/misc/advance.htm
COMPUTER/ELECTRONIC ACCOMMODATIONS PROGRAM (CAP) U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) program that assists federal agencies by purchasing for them assistive technology and services, providing training on using assistive technology, advising on creating accessible electronic environments and assisting in accommodating workers with disabilities. For more information go to http://www.tricare.mil/cap/
APPOINTMENT OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN FEDERAL JOBS
Information on rules regarding the excepted service appointments of persons with mental retardation, severe physical disabilities and psychiatric disabilities. This regulation improves the Federal Government's ability to hire people with disabilities. http://www.opm.gov/fedregis/2006/71-072606-42246-a.htm
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITES IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: AN EMPLOYMENT GUIDE
Provides information about employment of people with disabilities in the federal government, including the roles and responsibilities of various organizations, a glossary of terms, a discussion of hiring issues and authorities, information about reasonable accommodation and tips for working with people with disabilities and integrating them into the workforce. http://www.opm.gov/disability/appempl_8-03.asp
DisabilityInfo.gov
Medicare Update: Your Medicare Card
If your Medicare card is lost, stolen or damaged, you can ask for a new one by phone or online. This information has recently been updated, and can be accessed by visiting this link: http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=142
Medicaid Update: What is the Difference Between Medicare and Medicaid?
Medicare is an insurance program that serves people over 65 regardless of their income, younger people with disabilities and dialysis patients. Medicaid is a medical assistance program. Under Medicaid medical bills are paid from federal, state and local tax funds. This program serves low-income people of every age. This information has recently been updated, and can be accessed by visiting this link: http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=143.
New England ADA Center - adainfo@newenglandada.org
Disability, Aging and Older Workers - A National Audio-Conference
Tuesday February 19 -
2 - 3:30 pm EST
Speaker:
Michael Williams, Ph.D., Rehabilitation Planning Specialist, Department of Veterans Affairs, Blind Rehabilitation Service National Program Office, Rehabilitation Strategic Health Care Group
Overall, 15% of Americans ages 65 and older are currently working or actively seeking work. From 2000-2015 the U.S. labor force of workers over age 54 is anticipated to grow to four times the labor force. As people age, they can experience changes in functional abilities such as vision, hearing, and mobility. Workplace accommodations can be used to facilitate job task performance, particularly for people who experience functional difficulties. While workplace accommodations are often considered for persons with disabilities, older workers who have slowly developed functional difficulties over time may not consider workplace accommodations. As the numbers of older adults in the U.S. continues to rise, coupled with the well documented increased prevalence of disability associated with aging, the growth in the need and deployment of assistive technology (AT) will be undeniable. This 90-minute presentation will discuss issues associated with employment among older adults, as well as ramifications related to disability, aging and employment.
Cost per site (regardless of the number of participants at each site)
$25 for nonprofits, individuals and government agencies;
$40 for businesses
Sessions are 90 minutes and delivered by telephone (call in to a toll free phone number that you can access after you register). Participants are in a "listen-only" mode until the question and answer period. The sessions are offered real-time captioned on the web.
Audio conferences are a great way to get information without traveling. You sit in your office or home or at any telephone and call in. If you have a speaker phone invite your colleagues to participate.www.ada-audio.org
If you have problems/questions with registration: the Great Lakes ADA Center at 312-413-1407 voice/tty or email gldbtac@uic.edu.
CEU Credits: CRC
You are welcome to come to our office at 200 Portland Street in Boston to participate at no cost, we've already registered. Please call or send us an email.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
Vocational Rehabilitation Services Projects for American Indians with Disabilities; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 23 / Monday, February 4, 2008
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-1982.htm
DATES: Applications Available: February 11, 2008. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 5, 2008.
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: The governing bodies of Indian tribes (and consortia of those governing bodies) located on Federal and State reservations.
AWARD INFORMATION:
SUMMARY: The purpose of this program is to provide vocational rehabilitation (VR) services to American Indians with disabilities who reside on or near Federal or State reservations, consistent with their individual strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, and informed choice, so that they may prepare for and engage in gainful employment, including self-employment, telecommuting, or business ownership.
Access the URL to read the full notice, which includes application and submission information.
One-Stop Toolkit Resources of the Week Technical Assistance Project
Reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program; Final Rule
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Administration for Children and Families
[Federal Register: February 5, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 24)]
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/08-455.htm
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2008
SUMMARY: This final rule implements changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program required by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) (Pub. L. 109-171). The DRA reauthorized the TANF program through fiscal year (FY) 2010 with a renewed focus on work, program integrity, and strengthening families through healthy marriage promotion and responsible fatherhood. On June 29, 2006, ACF published an interim final rule implementing the required statutory changes with a 60-day comment period that ended on August 28, 2006. We have considered all comments received during this period and made necessary changes as reflected in this final rule.
A discussed in more detail throughout this preamble, the final rule includes a number of important changes to address these policy concerns. These include: Allowing time spent in a bachelor's degree program to count as vocational educational training; allowing up to an hour of unsupervised homework time for each hour of class time in all educational activities; expanding State flexibility by converting the six-week limit on job search and job readiness assistance to an hourly equivalent; adding the flexibility for a State to exclude a parent who is a recipient of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits from the definition of a work-eligible individual, as is the case with a recipient of Supplemental Security Income (SSI); clarifying that excused holidays are limited to 10 days in a year; and enhancing State flexibility by allowing a State to account for ``excused hours'' rather than an ``excused day.'' We have summarized the public comments and our response to them throughout sections III through VIII of this final rule.
Access the URL to read the full announcement.
The Shared Youth Vision: A Collaborative Approach to Prepare Youth for Success in a Global, Demand-Driven Economy
U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration
Training and Employment Notice No. 28-07
January 31, 2008
http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?docn=2584
The purpose of this Training and Employment Notice (TEN), which was sent out on January 31st to all State Workforce Agencies, State Workforce Liaisons and One-Stop Center System leads, is two-fold: a) to inform states and local workforce systems of the Shared Youth Federal Partnership’s current activities to implement its Shared Youth Vision; and b) provide information on available tools designed to implement the Shared Youth Vision at the state and local level.
BACKGROUND: In 2003, recommendations from The White House Task Force Report on Disadvantaged Youth charged all Federal youth serving agencies with developing more effective interagency collaborations to better serve targeted youth populations, with priority given to serving the neediest youth: a) children of incarcerated parents; b) court-involved youth; c) youth at-risk of court involvement; d) homeless and runaway youth; e) Indian and Native American Youth; f) migrant youth; g) out-of-school youth; h) youth in or aging out of foster care; and i) youth with disabilities.
In 2004, ETA adopted and announced its new strategic vision to serve out-of-school and at-risk youth under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) (TEGL No. 3-04) highlighting and implementing activities in four priority areas: a) ETA’s Strategic Vision for Youth; b) Increasing Business Engagement; c) Developing and Investing in Multiple Educational Pathway Strategies: Re-connecting out-of-school youth with high quality educational opportunities; and d) Aligning Discretionary Funding Streams and Investments to Overarching Goals: Implementing pilot and demonstration projects that employ new approaches for serving highly at-risk youth. Recognizing the need to involve other federal agencies in this collaborative initiative, ETA’s outreach and recruitment strategy led to the creation of a national cross agency group which evolved into the Shared Youth Vision Federal Partnership.
The ADA Portal - National Network of ADA Centers
http://www.dbtac.vcu.edu/adaportal/
The ADA Collection consists of more than 7,400 documents. Use the search box to enter keywords and search the entire ADA Collection. You can choose to search "Everything" or to search an ADA category, such as "Only Employment". Use the drop-down list to see your choices!
You can also browse any of the 9 ADA categories shown in the left column. Use the links in the left column to browse to the individual categories and documents in the collection.
The site also includes several additional collections (over 15,000 documents) shown in the right column. By selecting the collection of your choice you can search just the documents in that particular collection.
ADA Training Resource Center - National Network of ADA Centers
Your One-Stop for courses, events and tools on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Find a wealth of ADA training materials including audio conferences, case law updates, case studies, courses, handouts, statistics & quotes, tips, and solutions pages for targeted audiences.
U.S. Department of Justice
Reaching Out to Customers with Disabilities Webcourse
http://www.ada.gov/reachingout/intro1.htm
This represents an online course developed by the U.S. Department of Justice that explains how the ADA applies to businesses.
Federal Disability Workforce Consortium
http://www.fdwc.info/
The Federal Disability Workforce Consortium’s (FDWC) mission is to improve the current landscape of employment for people with targeted disabilities within the Federal workforce. The Consortium seeks to expand the current pool of talent within the Federal workforce through improving recruiting, hiring, retention, and advancement of employees with disabilities, especially those with targeted or more severe disabilities.
In order to make a broader impact across our various agencies and organizations, the FDWC includes many stakeholders supporting disability employment within the Federal Government. These stakeholders include senior leaders, disability program managers, selective placement coordinators, HR recruitment specialists, and federal employees with disabilities. The FDWC membership includes over 300 individuals representing 70 Federal Departments and Military Organizations.
The “Resources” section of the website (http://www.fdwc.info/links) includes links to federal and non-federal agencies or government sponsored programs that focus on the needs of individuals with disabilities. This section also includes links to recruitment resources, conferences and trainings, and magazines and newsletters.
Exploring the Bottom Line: A Study of the Costs and Benefits of Workers with Disabilities
http://www.disabilityworks.org/ (find links to the study, as well as the press release, under the heading “Groundbreaking study….)
In a first-of-its-kind study unveiled to Chicago-region business leaders on January 28, a team of researchers at DePaul University discussed research results that found employees with disabilities from the healthcare, retail and hospitality sectors in the region were just as dependable and productive as employees without disabilities. In addition, researchers also discussed research results that showed accommodation costs associated with workers with disabilities were often minimal and well worth the expense.
These groundbreaking study results contradict many perceptions held by employers about employing persons with disabilities, and show that this pool of workers has much to give to employers to meet current and future workforce demands.
This study was commissioned by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce's disabilityworks initiative, and made possible through a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. A subsequent financial contribution was made by the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.
According to the Executive Summary, in the United States, one of the greatest challenges experienced by individuals with disabilities is employment. Research indicates that employer attitudes contribute to this pervasive problem. Specifically, some employers have misperceptions about the abilities of individuals with disabilities and the costs associated with the provision of accommodations. Understandably, employers are concerned with the bottom line. The purpose of the Economic Impact Study was to examine the economic costs and benefits of workers with disabilities within three sectors (healthcare, retail, and hospitality). This project included two phases of research: (1) focus groups and (2) cost-benefit surveys.
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Until Next week
The Arc of the United States,1010 Wayne Avenue, Ste. 650,Silver Spring, MD 20910, Phone: 301-565-3842, Fax: 301-565-3843, Email: mmwdc@info.thearc.org, Web: www.thearc.org
Disclaimer: MMWDC publishes information about issues and events that we believe to be important and likely to be of interest to advocates and others interested in inclusion of persons with disabilities in all parts of society. However, MMWDC and The Arc of the United States and TheArcLink Incorporated do not necessarily endorse all events, sponsoring organizations and reports which appear.