Disability Awareness and Mentoring Day

Hi there. Below, there are some interesting websites and resources that have come across our desks over the past month. I hope that, among them, you will find something that will enhance your own efforts to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

For our U.S. Readers, a little reminder that October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. It is not too early to start planning an event or activity that you can launch in October to add to the collective efforts that will take place across the country. Particularly consider how you can participate in National Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) on October 17!! For details on how you can get involved in DMD, please see: http://www.dmd-aapd.org

~ Rob McInnes 

COURSE: Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities

The Program in Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises at the Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University, is offering "The Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV)."  This program is designed to offer cutting edge, experiential training in entrepreneurship to veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with disabilities. Building upon key elements of Syracuse University's nationally ranked entrepreneurship curriculum, the bootcamp consists of a series modules designed to assist veterans in creating and growing a profitable venture. A team of nationally recognized faculty and distinguished entrepreneurs will work with each delegate personally to assist in the many steps and stages of business creation. This course is offered without charge.

See: http://whitman.syr.edu/eee/veterans/index.html

JOB FAIR - Virtual Job Fair for Disabled College Students in California

On October 24th 2007, disABLEDperson Inc. will be hosting a Virtual Online Job Fair for Disabled College Students making the transition from school to work in the State of California. Career Centers and Disability Student Services from approximately 20 colleges have already confirmed their participation. The fair will be limited to 50 employers.

See: http://www.disabledperson.com/articles/jobfairemployers.asp

ONLINE BRIEF: Networking for Job Developers

Much of the responsibility for helping people with disabilities secure employment falls on the shoulders of job developers. Typically, job developers act as the bridge between employment services, job seekers, and businesses seeking qualified employees. Good job developers need knowledge, persistence, creativity, and a superior ability to build relationships. One strategy increasing in popularity involves networking with fellow placement professionals working at other provider agencies or for the state. Referred to as an employment networking group, this model offers job developers the opportunity to significantly increase their networking base and thus their own efficiency. Whether you already belong to an employment networking group or would like to start one of your own, this brief from the Institute for Community Inclusion will provide you with important information about how to make an employment networking group work best for you.

See: http://communityinclusion.org/article.php?article_id=209&staff_id=123

ONLINE COMMUNITY: Disaboom

A new online community for people with disabilities has just been launched. It features discussion lists, classified ads, etc. While it is just beginning, there are already some postings on employment-related topics that could be helpful.

See: www.disaboom.com

RESEARCH: Mental Illness and Supported Employment

“Long-Term Employment Trajectories among Participants with Severe Mental Illness in Supported Employment,” describes an exploratory study on long-term employment trajectories among adults with psychiatric disabilities. The study followed up with participants with severe mental illness who enrolled 8-12 years ago in supported employment services in an urban mental health center in New England. Of the 38 participants who participated in the follow-up study, 85 percent held competitive jobs, and 71 percent worked for more than half of the follow-up years. 

See: http://psychservices.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/58/7/922

WEBSITE: Local Employment Resources

DisabilityInfo.gov has developed a state-by-state online guide to finding local-area employment resources related to employment for people with disabilities. Follow the ““Find State and Local Resources” link from this page.

See: http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=9

WEBSITE: Disability Maps

The National Center on Workforce and Disability/Adult has developed a website that users can use to locate projects across the US that have received grants to test new strategies to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. It is an interesting idea – although it doesn’t provide any information on the innovations that are being tested by any of the projects listed.

See: http://www.disabilitymaps.org

WEBSITE: Canadian Employment-Related Organizations

In Canada, EnableLink has developed an online directory of over 5000 disability-related organizations. Simply select “Employment” as the subject area for your search of this data base.

See: http://www.enablelink.org/resources/doic_bodbottom1.html

DiversityShop

Resources on Disability and Employment

READER REQUESTS: Do you have a question?

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Diversity Training for Employers

I work with several Transition Coordinators in the school districts in Southern Wisconsin.  This year we have decided we are going to work on developing a diversity training workshop and present it to as many employers as possible in this area.  Are you aware of any grants that may assist us with this training?  Any materials you would recommend? Any agenda's or advice if you have completed a similar task?

Pam Jenson, Transition Consultant Send Email Response

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Job Coaching Resources

We have formed a local committee to address the issue of supported employment and are looking for best practices and/or resources to develop a program to train job coaches for our area.  Wondering if anyone has any resources available.  Diversity World has available the Handbook for Supported Employment, has anyone used this tool and would it be a good tool to utilize?

Janine Doucette, Employment Support Services Send Email Response

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Employment Assessment Tools

I am wondering if your company or any of your network contacts provide or know of any existing Employment Assessment tools available that are specific to person's with intellectual disabilities?  I am interested in a Functional Assessment that has been utilized and proved to be valuable in the marketplace.  I work for an agency that is currently seeking to start a pilot program with vocational rehabilitation for a community employment enclave and they want us to perform functional assessments.  Having an existing tool would be most helpful.

Bob Wyatt, Residential Coordinator Send Email Response

EVENT LISTINGS

EVENT: Nationwide Webcast on Self-Employment of Disabled Veterans

"Facilitating Self-Employment for Disabled Veterans”

Thursday, September 19, 2007

Urban Miyares, a disabled veteran, has forty years of entrepreneurial experience since returning from Vietnam as a disabled veteran. Urban has facilitated the challenges many disabled veterans have in re-entering the workplace through self-employment. He will share the unique options, opportunities and benefits that self-employment can offer disabled veterans in today's highly competitive and ever-changing world of business.

More Information Here

EVENT: National ADA Symposium & Expo

“Conference on the ADA and Disability Law”

St. Louis, MO May 12 – 14, 2008

The National ADA Symposium is the most comprehensive conference available on the Americans with Disabilities Act and related disability laws.

 More Information Here