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Learning Opportunities: Montana and Online
Virginia Commonwealth University is offering a number of webcourses this fall. Visit the WorkSupport website for topics and registration information.
The archived webinar Promoting Employment - Discovering Your Potential: Using Discovery to Identify Your Employment Goals is now available from the LEAD Center.
Ticket to Work: Free Support Services for Young Adults in Transition
September 12, 2013
1:00-2:30 PM MT
This informative session is ideal for young people (18 years or older) who receive disability benefits and are interested in tips, tools and resources that will help make the transition to employment a smoother one.
Home Sweet Home: Housing Options for Young Adults with Disabilities
September 17, 2013
1:00-2:30 PM MT
As a young person with a developmental disability transitioning from high school to your adult life, you've probably been thinking about where you want to live after you graduate. (In an apartment with friends? In a college dorm? In your own condo or house?) You can start planning NOW to create the future living situation you want. Learn about Montana options and resources that can help you achieve your housing goals, whatever they might be.
Technology and Health: Aging Safely and More Independently
September 17, 2013
11:00-12:00 PM MT
Learn how technology is being designed and tested to help older adults remain healthy and live independently. (Although the focus of this webcast is on seniors, many of the technologies discussed will likely be of benefit to younger adults with disabilities.)
Marketing and Job Development
October 2-15, 2013
Cost: $159
Join this two-week course covering the key principles and hands-on tools for finding jobs for people with disabilities and other high-unemployment groups.
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Learning Opportunities: Other States
September 30 - October 3, 2013
Los Angeles, California
Plan to attend the U.S. Business Leadership Network's 16th Annual Conference, where you will gain actionable knowledge to build a business case for your disability inclusion initiatives and develop robust strategies that align with your organization's goals to create culturally competent workplaces.
October 9-11, 2013
Minneapolis, Minnesota
This year's conference builds on a tradition of providing a comprehensive examination of the most current uses of technology by persons with disabilities and the professionals who work with them. Topics will cover a broad spectrum of technology as it is being applied to all disabilities and age groups in education, rehabilitation, vocation, and independent living.
14th Annual Chronic Illness and Disability Conference: Transition from Pediatric to Adult-based Care
October 16-18, 2013
Houston, Texas
This conference provides a state-of-the-art update on issues involved in health care transition for youth and young adults with chronic illness and disability and their families from pediatric to adult- based services. It brings together internationally, nationally and locally-recognized clinical, policy, legal, research, youth and family experts, making it a unique conference in the breadth and depth of topics addressing all aspects of transition planning.
A Time for Change... Sheltered Workshop Conversion
October 22-23, 2013
Burlington, Vermont
Cost: $350 registration fee
Continue the dialogue in partnership with the National Organizational Change Forum to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities. We'll examine the issues of policy change, training, and culture-shift needed to foster the conversion of sheltered workshops to community-based employment services. State policy makers, Developmental Services, Vocational Rehabilitation, Advocates, and Families are encouraged to attend. State teams are strongly encouraged!
Innovative Research on Employer Practices: Improving Employment for People with Disabilities
October 22-23, 2013
Washington, DC
This state-of-the-science conference is hosted by the NIDRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employer Practices Related to Employment Outcomes among Individuals with Disabilities (EP-RRTC).
DCDT International Conference
November 14-16, 2013
Williamsburg, Virginia
The Division on Career Development and Transition will host its 17th International Conference. This year's theme will be "Leaders for Life, No Limits...No Boundaries."
Inclusive Higher Education: Moving from Good Ideas to Great Outcomes
November 16-17, 2013
Washington, DC
Cost: $190
This event will feature both general and concurrent sessions on topics such as Current Strategies, Lessons Learned, Policy and Legislation, Funding, and more. Come, learn, share, and stay to network with colleagues from across the country at the Inclusive Higher Education Reception.
A Movement United - 2013 TASH Conference
December 11-14, 2013
Chicago, Illinois
For more than 37 years, the TASH Conference has impacted the disability field by connecting attendees to innovative information and resources, facilitating connections between stakeholders in the disability movement, and helping attendees reignite their passion for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of community life.
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Greetings!
Welcome to the latest edition of Transition Tidbits. We hope you find the news and resources in this issue useful as you support young Montanans with disabilities in their transition to adult lives.
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Montana News
Two Rural Institute Consumer Advisory Council members made the news recently! Mathalia Stroethoff was featured in a Missoulian newspaper article. Sierra Lode is profiled in New Technology: The Eyes Have It, an article in the August 2013 issue of New Mobility magazine (subscription required).
Moving On and Moving Up: Resources for Young Adults in Transition [PDF] was compiled by the Montana Region II Youth Transition Committee to assist transition-age youth receiving mental health services.
Staff from the Montana Autism Education Project (MAEP) are available across Montana to provide on-site trainings, classroom-level consultations or consultations on individual students. There is no charge for these services. Please contact Doug Doty at ddoty@mt.gov if you are interested in scheduling a consultation visit or training.
Apostrophe Magazine is written by, for, and about people with disabilities. Apostrophe promotes the inclusion of people with disabilities in every aspect of life.
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Announcements
The Youth Action Council on Transition (Youth ACT) seeks youth, age 12-25, who want to develop leadership and advocacy skills, and professionals or organizations who want to increase youth voice, leadership, and youth-adult partnerships. Youth ACT is a national project to get more youth involved as leaders and partners with adults and youth-serving organizations to improve youth transition outcomes. NCWD/Youth will select four teams consisting of two emerging youth leaders (youth, ages 12-25, who have disabilities or are allies of the disability community), one adult partner, and a sponsoring organization to participate in this four-year initiative. Applications are due by September 13, 2013. For more information, contactNCWD/Youth at farrj@iel.org or by calling 202-822-8405, Extension 145.
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Employment
Case Studies of Emerging/Innovative Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Practices in Improving Employment Outcomes for Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities summarizes four promising VR employment practices for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.
The U.S. Business Leadership Network� and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce held a disability employment summit in July. Prior to the summit, business leaders were asked to share their successful disability inclusion practices and those practices were captured in the report Leading Practices on Disability Inclusion.
Understanding the Competencies Needed to Customize Jobs: A Competency Model for Customized Employment by Harvey, Szoc, Dela Rosa, Pohl, and Jenkins (Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, Volume 38(2), Pgs. 77-89) describes the development of a customized employment competency model. The verified model contains 31 tasks grouped into four Customized Employment components, and 83 KSAOs (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics) grouped into nine competencies. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
Dale DILeo's latest blog post, Mixed Marketing: How Job Development Can Be Hindered by Typical Agency Communications, offers marketing tips for job development agencies.
Flex-Time & Contract Work Are Very Accommodating explains what flex-time is and which industries are most likely to offer it. The blog post also talks about contract work and how both this and flex-time can be options for people with disabilities or health issues that are difficult to accommodate in the traditional workplace.
Services and Supports People with Disabilities Need to Stay Employed [PDF] explores the services, supports, and accommodations workers with disabilities use and how they obtain these services and supports.
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Health
The National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health has received funding to operate the new Center for Health Care Transition Improvement. The center's purpose is to expand the availability of effective health care transition supports. To learn more about the center, visit the Got Transition? website.
Transitioning Adolescents and Young Adults with a Chronic Health Condition to Adult Healthcare - An Exemplar Program by Rauen, Sawin, Bartelt, Waring, Orr, and O'Connor (Rehabilitation Nursing, 38(2), 63-72) describes the Spina Bifida Transition Program, an effective partnership between pediatric and adult healthcare providers. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
Healthcare.gov provides information about state Health Insurance Marketplaces. CuidadoDeSalud.gov provides the same information in Spanish. |
National News
In late August, the U.S. Department of Labor announced two new rules that will be published shortly in the Federal Register and will take effect 180 days later. The Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) rule requires federal contractors to establish an annual hiring benchmark. The Section 503 (of the Rehabilitation Act) rule establishes a hiring goal for federal contractors and subcontractors that 7 percent of each job group in their workforce be qualified individuals with disabilities.
What Were the Top Outcomes of State Medicaid Infrastructure (MIG) Grants? [PDF] reports the findings of a 2012 Mathematica survey of 44 states that received MIG funding in 2011.
The National Governors Association released A Better Bottom Line: Employing People with Disabilities - Blueprint for Governors [PDF]. According to Delaware Governor Markell, NGA Chair, "This blueprint focuses on the employment of people with disabilities and the role of states in assisting businesses." The report discusses five key areas policymakers should consider when determining how to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities:
- Make disability employment part of the state workforce development strategy.
- Support businesses in their efforts to employ people with disabilities.
- Increase the number of people with disabilities working in state government.
- Prepare youth with disabilities for careers that use their full potential, providing employers with a pipeline of skilled workers.
- Make the best use of limited resources to advance employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
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Post-Secondary Education
Profiles and Promising Practices in Higher Education for Students with Intellectual Disability identifies and describes promising postsecondary education programs serving students with ID. The Transition Activity Calendar is an online transition tool created to help students with visual impairments prepare for postsecondary education. The tool covers middle school through the summer before college. Navigating College: A Handbook on Self Advocacy Written for Autistic Students from Autistic Adults is now available for online purchase. The Think College website features a series of personal College Stories related to postsecondary education for students with intellectual disabilities. How Studying Abroad Boosts Employability of Students with Disabilities on the Global Career Compass Blog suggests that study abroad may be one way to reduce the education and employment gap between people with and without disabilities. |
Social Security
The Social Security Administration recently published a final rule [PDF] announcing it will start using the term "intellectual disability" instead of "mental retardation."
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Technology
The Fall 2013: Assistive Technology (AT) for Learning -Success Story Smackdown! features articles about dyslexia and AT, classroom teachers learning and implementing AT, eye-friendly text-to-speech software, and more.
Tablet-based Video Modeling and Prompting in the Workplace for Individuals with Autism by Burke, Allen, Howard, Downey, Matz, and Bowen (Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 38(1), 1-14) reports the findings of a study conducting worksite testing of computer video modeling and prompting software for individuals with autism. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
Visual Supports for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders by Newton, Eren, and Ben-Avie (Journal of Special Education Technology (JSET), 28(2), 53-56) reports the findings of a pilot study in which the iPrompts v.t.2.1 software app was used to create customizable visual supports for participants. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
In her August 9, 2013 Disability Is Natural online newsletter, Kathie Snow features "Ordinary Needs," a thought-provoking article about assistive technology.
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Transition
The Soft Skills to Pay the Bills video series and discussion guide are now available on DVD. The Soft Skills to Pay the Bills curriculum focuses on teaching workforce readiness skills to youth.
Project SEARCH for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Increasing Competitive Employment on Transition from High School by Wehman, Schall, McDonough, Molinelli, Riehle, Ham, and Thiss (Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 15(3), 144-155), uses case studies to describe and illustrate how Project SEARCH was used to support youth with autism spectrum disorder become competitively employed. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)
State Differences in the Vocational Rehabilitation Experiences of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities [PDF] reports the findings of a study of transition-age youth with disabilities who applied for VR services from 2004 through 2006. Researchers sought to answer three questions:
- "To what extent does each state's population of transition-age youth with disabilities apply for VR services?
- Among those who apply, how likely is it that a transition-age youth will receive services?
- What proportion of youth who receive VR services have their cases closed with an employment outcome, and how does that compare with the employment rate for the state's entire population of transition-age youth with disabilities?"
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