Kentucky Office for the Blind's Experience with the Career Centers Webinar

October 1, 2014

2:00-3:00 PM ET

Since May 2010, the Kentucky Department for Workforce Investment, which is comprised of the Office for the Blind, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Office of Employment and Training, have been working towards a more unified and collaborative approach to the delivery of workforce development services. Kentucky Office for the Blind has had to adapt to the new business services framework. This presentation will describe where we have been, where we are now, and where we hope to go as a result of the RTAC project.

On Friday, October 10th NCTASH will host a two-part meeting on the Western Carolina University campus open to all persons who are interested in discussing current issues in North Carolina related to the lives of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The NIDRR-funded project on Defining Success: Web-Based Transition Training for Students with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is seeking parents of children with TBI to participate in a study assessing the effectiveness of a web-based intervention for youth with TBI transitioning from school. Qualifying participants will take a short online survey before and after visiting the Transition Web website over two months, after which they will receive $75 in compensation. For more information, email transitionweb@cbirt.org.

Public VR: The Go-To Organization for Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities is the first part of a discussion around vocational rehabilitation and transition services to youth and young adults.

Employment Social Skills: What Skills Are Really Valued? by M. Agran, C. Hughes, C.A. Thoma, and L.A. Scott (Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals) reports the findings of study that asked a national sample of secondary teachers to rate the importance of social skills in employment settings and the extent to which these skills were being taught. Skills rated as most important included:

• Seeking clarification for unclear instructions
• Arriving at work on time
• Refraining from inappropriate touching of others
• Carrying out instructions needing immediate attention
• Notifying a supervisor when assistance is needed
• Responding appropriately to critical feedback
• Interacting well with customers/clients

(Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)

Effect of Supported Employment on Vocational Rehabilitation Outcomes of Transition-Age Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Case Control Study by P. Wehman, F. Chan, N. Ditchman, and H.J. Kang (Survey Methodology) reports study findings suggesting that supported employment services enhance the vocational rehabilitation outcomes of young adults. (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? [PDF] guides young adults through the process of researching a suitable career field.

An Empowerment Model of Entrepreneurship for People with Disabilities in the United States by F.E. Balcazar, J. Kuchak, S. Dimpfl, V. Sariepella, and F. Alvarado (Psychosocial Intervention/Intervencion Psicosocial, 23(2), 145-150) uses case studies to describe the impact of an entrepreneurship program on the lives of the entrepreneurs who have participated thus far.

A special issue of the Journal of Vocation Rehabilitation has been made available online. The issue contains the European Union of Supported Employment (EUSE) 2013 Conference Proceedings. Learn about current practices from Europe and around the world to assist people with disabilities to find and maintain employment.

Getting the Most out of Vocational Rehabilitation [PDF] is an easy-to-understand guide for young adults.

Evidence-based Best Practices in the Public Vocational Rehabilitation Program that Lead to Employment Outcomes, a special issue of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, is available online at no cost.

Multiple Case Studies on Effective Vocational Rehabilitation Service Delivery Practices provides an analysis of the best practice policies, procedures, practices, and structural elements that lead to successful employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

Separation from Supported Employment: A Retrospective Chart Review Study (Disability and Rehabilitation) reports that in this study, the largest number of separations from supported employment were due to termination, resignation, and mutual consent of the employer and employee. Common issues leading to separation included "poor work performance, attendance and punctuality problems, conflicts with the supervisor, and social and behavioral issues." (Article abstract is free; the full text version may require a subscription or purchase.)

Are You Employable?, a guest post on Disability.blog, summarizes a number of qualities and attributes employers need from their employees, including desire, commitment, reliability and more.

The U.S. Small Business Administration has launched The Young Entrepreneurs Essential Guide to Starting a Business, an online course which introduces young entrepreneurs to the basics of creating and financing a successful business.

The Employer Assistance and Resource Network recently published a resource for employers on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The brief WIOA overview includes links to additional information on the Department of Labor and Department of Education websites.

WIA is Now WIOA: What the New Bill Means for People with Disabilities [PDF] provides a brief overview of the disability-related provisions of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act for policymakers, federal and state agency personnel, service providers, and educators.

Two new videos have been posted to the ADA.gov website. The Promise of Olmstead:  15 Years Later features images and live interviews from disability rights advocates, including Sue Jamieson, the lead attorney in the Olmstead case, and people with disabilities who live independently and fully participate in their communities. Voices from the Olmstead Decision features video clips submitted by individuals with disabilities, their family members, and other stakeholders from across the nation whose lives have been positively impacted by Olmstead's promise of community integration.

The College & Career Readiness and Success Organizer provides a consolidated visual representation of the elements that impact a learner's ability to succeed in college and careers.

The National Disability Institute has produced the Wage Reporting Fact Sheet for SSA Disability Beneficiaries [PDF]. The two-page fact sheet describes when and how to report wages, and how the wages are counted.

As part of the agency's long-range planning process, the Social Security Administration seeks ideas, opinions and feedback about how SSA should serve America in 2025. To submit comments for "Vision 2025", visit ideascale.com and click "Submit New Idea" on the left side of the page. If you haven't used Ideascale.com before, you will have to register a new account. The deadline for comments is October 1, 2014.

Mobile Technology for Special Education: It's More Than Apps discusses mobile devices such as iPads, iPods and iPhones, as well as educational apps that can be used with the devices. The article includes rubrics for evaluating specific apps.

Apple's iPhone Is at the Center of Another Major Revolution describes several innovative uses of the iPhone as an assistive device for people with disabilities.

Have you accessed your Portal today?

Visit the TACE Transition Services web site. In the "Login For" section on the left-hand side of your screen, select "Counselor" or "Coordinator." This will take you to the "Login to MyTACE Account" page. You will use your MyTACE Account to register for available events, seek applicable credit, and access your specialized portal - Transition Services Counselor or Coordinator. 

Attended a TACE Webinar? You may already have created a MyTACE Account. If you have a MyTACE Account, email tacesoutheast@law.syr.edu and request to join the TACE Transition 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.