Maine's CHOICES CEO Project
Working Together News
A newsletter about Maine's efforts to increase work opportunities for people with disabilities
In Focus
Actress and Comedienne, Geri Jewell, Speaks to Mainers about Disability
Geri Jewell in Abromson Hall
Images by Susan Gatti
Photography
Click on photo for larger view.
Geri Jewell, gifted actress, comedienne, and powerful motivational speaker and trainer, appeared at the University of Southern Maine’s Abromson Center on October 19. Ms. Jewell was the first person with a visible disability to have a regular role on a national primetime television series, the sitcom “The Facts of Life.” She also recently starred in HBO’s “Deadwood.”
At this event, which was held during National Disability Employment Awareness
Month, Ms. Jewell spoke about her experience as a person with a disability,
both as a young adult finding her path, and later as a professional actress.
She spoke of personal experiences with “special education” and
teasing from non-disabled classmates. A key turning point came while watching “The
Carol Burnett Show.” It was in this moment that Ms. Jewell began
to see laughter in a whole new light. “I noticed that the people
were laughing with Carol, not at her,” she said.
A reception at the USM Abromson Center followed. Several disability service
and advocacy organizations had informational tables and attendees were
able to meet Ms. Jewell and get her autograph.
Geri Jewell greeting people at the reception & Geri
Jewell with an attendee
Images by Susan Gatti Photography
Click on photo for larger view.
View more photographs of this event.
Working Together Hold Its First Symposium: Three Maine Businesses Recognized
Working Together, a coalition of Maine businesses seeking to increase the employment of people with disabilities, held its inaugural symposium on October 19 at the Maple Hill Farm Conference Center in Hallowell. The symposium focused on the benefits to employers who provide opportunities to workers with disabilities.
The event was attended by Maine businesses and Governor John Baldacci. Awards for excellence in furthering the employment of people with disabilities were given to Stonewall Kitchen (Workforce Achievement), Wild Oats Bakery & Café (Small Business Leadership), and MEMIC (Business Leadership). The awards are intended to recognize good business practices, while also encouraging businesses to do more in this area.
“We are extremely pleased with the support we’re receiving from the business community,” says Merritt Carey of GraffamSolutions, business partner liaison for Working Together. “The symposium was a great opening event and we look forward to getting more businesses to join us.”
A number of employers signed the Working Together Pledge at the symposium. By signing the pledge, businesses commit to support the recruitment and hiring of workers with disabilities, and the creation of a corporate environment that is disability friendly.
In his opening remarks, the Governor focused on Maine’s high unemployment rate for workers with disabilities, its aging work force, and the many veterans with disabilities who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and looking for jobs. “I want to commend the businesses that are being recognized today, and the individuals who are here today representing their businesses and organizations,” remarked the Governor. “This is very important to the state.”
Working Together is recruiting additional businesses to participate in its network. Working Together’s message is simple: Employing people with disabilities makes good business sense! More information can be found at: www.ExpandingMainesWorkforce.com.
View photographs of this event.State Affairs
The State Takes the Pledge!
On October 15, Governor Baldacci, the “Chief Executive Officer” of
Maine’s largest employer, the Maine state government, signed the
Working Together Pledge:
“I certify that the Maine State Government commits to the following
best employment practices to further the employment of people with disabilities:
- A commitment to employ individuals with disabilities
- A commitment to creating an environment that is disability friendly
- A commitment to a recruiting and hiring process that encourages people with disabilities to apply for posted positions”
He signed the pledge at a small ceremony in the Cabinet Room, with other business members of the Working Together network looking on. Also present at the signing was Mel Clarrage, representing Maine’s Commission on Disability and Employment, and Garrett Oswald of the Maine Jobs Council. Both of these groups have been leaders in encouraging the state to 1) become a model employer of workers with disabilities, and 2) join private businesses as they celebrate the successful employment of workers with disabilities and share best practices for addressing challenges.
View more photographs of this event.
“Employment - Making it Work for ME!” Conferences held
Over 160 people attended the “Emploment – Making it Work for
ME”
conference, which was held both in Bangor and South Portland
in early November. People who work in the service field, families,
caseworker supervisors, advocacy groups, school personnel, provider agencies
and other state employees came together to discuss the most successful
approaches to furthering employment for people with disabilities.
The keynote speaker was David Hagner, Ph.D. from the University of New Hampshire.
He shared what research is telling us about evidence-based employment practices. – that
is, what has been proven to work in creating work opportunities for workers with
disabilities. Also, people from Maine spoke at each location and shared their
employment story with the group.
Afternoon breakout sessions provided participants with information on:
- New “Disability Navigators” who work out of Career Centers and help people with disabilities “navigate” through the different systems that impact their ability to find and obtain a job;
- Community Work Incentives Coordinators (benefits counselors) at Maine Medical Center;
- The Maine Employment Curriculum training for service providers who help consumers get ready for and find employment;
- the new Support Waiver that increases employment service options for people with developmental disabilities; and
- Data about how much people with developmental disabilities are
working now, in order to help understand the impact of
the new Support Waiver.
The event was planned by the following organizations and state agencies: the Office of Adults with Cognitive and Physical Disabilities; the Office of Adult Mental Health Services; the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services; the New England Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program from U-Mass Boston; and the CHOICES CEO project.
Commission on Disability and Employment Annual Meeting
The Commission on Disability and Employment (CDE) held its annual meeting on October 19 at the University of Southern Maine, Portland. The purpose of the meeting was to get public comment on the eight priorities outlined in the Commission’s Annual Report, and to get input about whether new priority areas should be included in the CDE work plan for the coming year. The priority areas under discussion were:
- Employer Outreach and Education
- Employment Services for People with Disabilities (including Vocational Rehabilitation Services and One-Stop Career Centers)
- Benefits Counseling
- MaineCare Incentives
- Maine State Government as Model Employer
- Transitioning Youth and Post-Secondary Education
- Transportation Supports
- Data Collection and Outcome Measures
Seven guests joined the Commission chair, Mel Clarrage, and six other members of the CDE in the discussions. One common theme that emerged was the importance of good data to success in all of the priority areas.
The CDE will take up this issue and review other comments raised at the Annual Meeting during its upcoming monthly meetings which are usually the third Thursday of each month, from 9-11 am, and are held in Augusta. All meetings are open to the public. The next meeting will be held Thursday, December 20, 2007 at the Dept of Labor Offices - Frances Perkins Conference Room A, 45 Commerce Drive, Augusta.
Legislative Report
In a previous newsletter, we reported that LD 1032: An Act to Improve Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities in Maine did not pass in 2007, but instead was one of 170 bills “held over” for possible consideration by the Legislature in 2008. A key element of this bill is funding for a Disability Employment Services Coordinator, a position that had been previously discontinued.
Recent CHOICES CEO project activities with the state government, including the completion of the State Employee Survey on Disability (Word Document), have increased interest in finding funds for the Disability Employment Services Coordinator. A new bill, LR 3336: An Act to Ensure that State Government is a Model Employer of People with Disabilities, has been introduced by Representative Sawin Millett. Only 148 of the almost 600 new bills proposed for the session have been accepted for consideration; LR 3336 is one of those.Updates
Disability Disclosure Demonstration Project
It’s essential for people, especially youth, to know that it is their choice to disclose, or not to disclose, a disability. And, it is especially important to understand this choice in the context of different situations. For instance, a person may need to disclose a disability to a potential employer, but may decide to not disclose a disability to his or her classmates.
Addressing fears about when to disclose a disability, how to make decisions about disclosure, and how to ask for accommodations, is something the Maine Transition Network focused on this past year with support from the CHOICES CEO project. The group developed a curriculum and student workbook for educators and for youth with disabilities that address disclosure issues. Young people were included in the development of the curriculum, and they co-facilitated workshops in which the curriculum was used in five regions across Maine. Over 100 young people participated in these sessions. Go here for more information about the project and the materials developed.
This effort built on a publication of the National Collaborative on Workplace and Disability, titled, "411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities."
Disability Mentoring Day 2007
People participating in this year’s Disability Mentoring Day (October 17) got to spend time with their mentors at a variety of local workplaces, including LL Bean, Verizon, DuVall’s Automotive, Little Dolphin, Navigator Publishing, Gorham House, and an organic farm.
Earlier in the day, a Portland event was sponsored by the city’s office of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and Coastal Enterprises, Inc. A “Breakfast of Champions” was held at the Portland CareerCenter and attended by 18 mentees who were participating in Disability Mentoring Day. They heard from representatives of service organizations and Verizon, and learned about assistive devices, computerized self assessment tests, and job listings available at the Portland CareerCenter. A citywide Proclamation of Disability Mentoring Day was signed by the mayor of Portland on October 15. This year was the eighth Annual DMD nationwide and the fourth for Maine.
Snapshot 2007 Released
The CHOICES CEO project announces the release of Snapshot 2007, a document that provides the latest data on employment among people with disabilities in Maine. It estimates employment participation, economic well-being, and the use of employment services and supports. Examples include:
- In 2006, there were about 131,000 working-age adults with a disability living in Maine; of these, 52,000 (40 percent) were employed. This is compared to an employment rate of 81 percent for people without a disability.
- Generally, employment participation is highest among adults with sensory disabilities and lowest among those with self-care, go-outside-the-home, and employment disabilities.
- In 2006, one quarter of working-age adults with a disability were living below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Almost half were “near-poor,” meaning they had incomes below 200 percent of the FPL.
- 7.1 percent of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients in Maine were working in 2006. The percent of SSI recipients who work has fallen every year since 2001.
The full report is available in several formats at:
http://www.choicesceo.org/new/datasnapshot.html
Maine Rehabilitation Services Provider Directory Under Development
The CHOICES CEO project is working on an initiative to create a Rehabilitation
Services Provider Directory that will offer timely and accurate information
to people with disabilities, family members, agencies, and employers.
The first edition of the directory, which will be posted in early December,
will include a listing of service providers and contact information
that has been collected from state agency directories. Future editions
may include more specific service descriptions, testimonials, search options,
and other elements designed to help users find the best provider for their
needs. The directory will also serve as an information outlet for agencies
that have not yet developed an Internet presence. For more information,
or to share ideas, please contact Larry Glantz at larryg@usm.maine.edu.
New on the Web
Making Employment Work for ME
A web site for adults with developmental disabilities working on their Pathways to Employment.
Ideas for Stories
Please help us… we are seeking stories! Do you know of a worker or employer that we can feature in our newsletter? Please contact Leslie Pohl.
