Introduction 

Are You Accessing the Portals?

The Portals for the TACE MSD Network are open! To start using this exciting new resource, visit the TACE MSD Network web site. In the "Portal For" section on the left-hand side of your screen, select "Counselor" or "Coordinator." This will take you to the "Login to MyTACE Account." You will use your MyTACE Account to register for available events, seek applicable credit, and access your specialized portal (Counselor or Coordinator). 

Attended a TACE Webinar? You may already have created a MyTACE Account. If you have a MyTACE Account and want to access the Portal, email tacesoutheast@law.syr.edu and request to join the TACE Most Significant Disabilities Network. If you don't already have a MyTACE account, follow the instructions to "Create a New MyTACE Account" and also apply for Portal access. 

The Representational Portfolio is a job development and representational tool used to negotiate on behalf of an individual in need of customization. It translates the information gathered during Discovery, captured in the Vocational Profile, and summarized in the Employment Planning Meeting into a presentation format for an employer. The Portfolio is used to assist job developers in explaining Customized Employment; represents individual job seekers in a respectful, positive manner; shares positive images of people with a variety of disabilities working; portrays a variety of job tasks and job environments; describes the role of the employment agency; and enables the employer to envision a person with a disability working in their business.

The first half of the Portfolio introduces the concept of Customized Employment to the employer and describes the role of the employment agency. The second half of the Portfolio uses narrative and pictures to introduce the job seeker and to share information about his or her potential contributions (Condon, 2007).

When developing the individual job seeker's section of the Portfolio, both the text and the photographs, it is helpful to clarify what you want to show and tell the employer:

1.  Who is the job seeker? (Connect them to their community)

·high school

·sports teams

·family connections

·community activities they participate in

·churches

·volunteer activities

·recreational pursuits

What do you want to communicate about him/her?

What specific pictures should be included in the Portfolio?

2.  What are the job seeker's contributions?

·personality traits

·skills

·work behaviors

List the job seeker's contributions.

What pictures do you want to include to communicate these contributions to employers?

3.  What work experiences has the job seeker had that you want to share?

List specific experiences and areas in which the job seeker excelled.

What pictures will you want to include?

4.  Are there supports which assist the job seeker to perform the job?

·picture checklists

·piece of technology

·color-coded labels

·coworker demonstrations of task

List the strategies that have worked in the past.

What specific pictures do you want to include in the Portfolio?

5.  What job tasks is the job seeker looking to perform?

(Take information directly from Profile)

List the job tasks.

What pictures are you going to include to demonstrate the job seeker's ability to perform these tasks?

6.  Other areas to include?

Other helpful hints to keep in mind when creating a Portfolio:

• Convey competence
• Use employment language
• Minimize verbiage
• Make sure text matches photos
• Be very specific
• Use descriptive verbs
• End with tasks so the employer will think about how person fits into business

Pictures should portray:

• Contributions
• Connections to the community
• Skills and abilities
• Job tasks
• Preferences and interests

Start with a portrait-quality photo...this will be the employer's first impression of the job seeker. Include action photos. Make sure to capture competence and performance. And naturally, include the job seeker in their Portfolio development to the greatest extent possible.

features testimony about strategies to improve the rate of federal employment of individuals with disabilities. Forum participants identified the most significant barrier keeping people with disabilities from the workplace as attitudinal (biases against people with disabilities and low expectations because of a focus on disability instead of ability). 

The official theme of the October 2011 National Disability Employment Awareness Month will be Profit by Investing in Workers with Disabilities. This theme promotes the contributions of workers with disabilities and serves to inform the public that these workers represent a highly skilled talent pool that can help employers compete in a global economy.

Upcoming TACE Topics:  

Self-Employment as a Viable Option for Individuals with the Most Significant Disabilities

June 9, 2011

2:00-3:00 PM EST

The webinar will highlight self-employment as a viable option for individuals with the most significant disabilities.  The expected outcome of the webinar is that supervisors will understand when self-employment might be a good match for an individual with the most significant disability.

The World of iPads, iPods Touches, and Apps

A December 2010 post to Rural Transportation.org shares Promising Practices from the Joblinks Employment Transportation Program . Visit the site for a sampling of strategies workforce development professionals are using to make affordable, reliable and accessible transportation available to those they serve.

The Mathematica Policy Research Center for Studying Disability Policy  provides a weekly summary of selected disability news from around the world on their web site.

USAJOBS is the US government's official one-stop source for Federal jobs and employment information. People with disabilities may check for jobs on a dedicated page and apply either competitively, non-competitively (where a qualified individual may be selected based on a special appointing authority), or through "Schedule A." People with intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities who have medical documentation can apply directly to agencies' Selective Placement Program Coordinators (SPPC) to receive placement assistance.