Maine's CHOICES CEO Project
Working Together News
A newsletter about Maine's efforts to increase work opportunities for people with disabilities
In Focus
One Man Looks Back on 20 Years of Disability Rights
Ben Mattlin, who has spinal muscular atrophy, did a segment on National Public Radio commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He recollected what it was like when he was growing up—before the ADA. Despite having encouraging parents, he encountered misconceptions and discrimination. Through this he persevered and, in 1980, entered Harvard University.
“The ancient cobblestone campus proved challenging,” he recalled. “But what really bothered me was the administration's refusal to grant me roommates. I might impair their experience, one dean explained.”
Issues of discrimination worsened after graduation when Ben found that no one would hire him. “Once, an editor invited me to interview for a staff opening,” remembered Ben. "But upon seeing me, she asked, ‘How would you make photocopies? I mean, you'd be here to help us, not for us to help you.’”
When Ben was 27, on July 26, 1990, the ADA became law. “It didn't get me a job,” said Ben. “But it addressed the differences between essential and nonessential job tasks. It identified a ‘reasonable accommodation’ from an ‘undue hardship’—a critical distinction for employers and public places alike. If I encountered a restaurant or store with a six-inch threshold and no ramp, I had constructive language to use, beyond cursing or crying. Most of all, by recognizing the injustices millions of us were confronting, it provided not just legal recourse, but validation and hope.”
Ben lives in Los Angeles, where he's working on a memoir. He blogs at benmattlin.blogspot.com.
Sam's Club® Awards $350,000 to the National Organization on Disability
Sam's Club, a division of Walmart, has awarded $350,000 to the National Organization on Disability (NOD) to support the organization's Bridges to Business initiative, which is identifying the gaps limiting the employment of people with disabilities.
As a result of the funding, NOD and Sam's Club will create an employment consortium in Arkansas to engage employers and service providers to increase the number of people with disabilities who are employed.
"We are pleased we can support this program and we are excited about its potential impact," said Todd Harbaugh, senior vice president and chief integration officer for Sam's Club. "We expect this program to become a model for other employers and cities across the country, and we look forward to sharing what we learn with other companies, our suppliers, service providers and the disability community."
Bridges to Business is a national initiative to help employers effectively recruit, hire, train, and retain jobseekers with disabilities. It also helps agencies that provide employment services to jobseekers with disabilities to work more effectively with businesses.
Federal Data on the Employment of People with Disabilities Released
New information on the employment of people with disabilities was released by the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The information in this release was obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey of about 60,000 households that provides statistics on employment.
Starting in 2008, questions were added to the CPS to identify people with a disability; 2009 is the first calendar year for which annual averages are available.
The employment experience of those with disabilities was compared to similar experiences of people without disabilities. In 2009, 19.2 percent of those with a disability were employed, whereas 64.5 percent of those without a disability were employed.
Some other employment-related highlights from the 2009 data are:
- For all age groups, the percent of people employed was much lower for people with a disability than for those with no disability.
- Nearly one-third of workers with a disability were employed part-time, compared with about one-fifth of those with no disability.
- People with a disability who have completed higher levels of education were more likely to be employed than those with less education. However, at all levels of education, people with a disability were less than half as likely to be employed than were their counterparts with no disability.
- In 2009, 16 percent of workers with a disability were employed in federal, state, and local government, about the same percentage as those with no disability (15 percent). A larger proportion of workers with a disability were self-employed than were those with no disability (11 and 7 percent, respectively).
View the full press release and corresponding data tables in html and PDF format.
Effective Youth Leadership Programs are Key to Successful Employment
After a beautiful summer, it’s time to start thinking about school-year activities, specifically youth leadership activities. Leadership activities are not just an ‘extra,’ but a necessity for young people with disabilities.
Supporting these skills will increase the chances that students will be better able to achieve their goals and will require less support in the future.
All young people learn and grow in five basic developmental areas: Learning, Connecting, Thriving, Working, and Leading. Of these, youth leadership programs emphasize leading and connecting, which are especially important for youth with disabilities.
Research has shown that effective programs:
- Prepare and encourage youth to participate in, and eventually lead, their Individual Education Plan meetings.
- Encourage youth to participate in activities that require problem solving, responsibility, and working as a team member.
- Provide opportunities for youth to plan and lead activities that will build self confidence. (This is best achieved by allowing youth to practice leading activities in small groups and then increasing the difficulty as skills are mastered.)
- Support youth in becoming a member of a team. Being part of a team or club can offer young people opportunities to learn from one another, develop a sense of belonging and pride, and share skills with other youth—hopefully developing new supportive friendships in the process.
- Encourage youth to volunteer in areas that they are interested in.
These activities will not only help youth develop leadership skills, but they will also support youth in developing self-determination and self-advocacy skills. These skills are especially important in determining and achieving future career goals.
For more information about youth development, leadership or advocacy, read Youth with Disabilities: A Maine Workforce Development Review, a paper that summarizes key elements of workforce development for youth with disabilities.
Get Involved! Disability Mentoring Day Coming October 20th!
October, National Disability Awareness Month, is right around the corner and Disability Mentoring Day activities are planned in locations across the state.
Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) promotes career development for students with disabilities through job shadowing and hands-on career exploration at workplaces. Communities around the state have organized activities that best suit the interests and abilities of their students, job-seekers and local employers. Although the core experience is one-on-one job shadowing, event planners may offer workshops or other activities for students and employers.
DMD is a national program that is coordinated by the American Association of People with Disabilities. Each year, states organize their own activities to bring youth with disabilities and employers together. In Maine, the event continues to grow as more employers and students get involved.
For more information about activities planned in your area, contact Debbie Bechard at Jobs for Maine’s Graduates at (207) 620-7180, ext. 212, or by e-mail at: dbechard@jmg.org. More information can also be found at CHOICES CEO’s DMD webpage. For national information, visit www.disabilitymentor.net.
State Affairs
Newly Revised Special Appointment Program Provides Path to State Jobs
[Note – the article below is excerpted from the June NoQ4U newsletter produced by the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. This achievement is part of Priority #2 of Maine’s 2006 Strategic Plan: Maine State Government as a Model Employer]
The path to state employment for people with disabilities was recently improved, when, through the partnership of many state agencies, the Special Appointment Program was strengthened.
The State of Maine’s Special Appointment Program places people with appropriate job qualifications into State jobs, by-passing the civil testing requirement for these jobs. Applicants are placed in acting-capacity status for up to a year. The supervisor performs monthly reviews of job performance. When the employee is performing without support, he or she is placed into the job and enters the standard six-month probation for all state employees.
The recently revised Special Appointment placement procedures identify two paths to placement. A person can be placed directly into a position that has been posted for the required 10 days; or a person can be “certified” for a job classification through a Situational Assessment. Once certified, the job seeker and a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor will be notified by a Special Appointment representative when a vacancy occurs in the specific job classification.
NoQ4U: Maine Continues its Progress toward Eliminating the Waitlist!
Maine's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) has continued to make significant progress on a major initiative to eliminate its waitlist and to provide the "right service at the right time" to its consumers.
The June report from DVR documents the progress being made in reducing the wait for DVR services. The chart below, reproduced from the newsletter, compares the number of people of the waitlist during the first five months of this year with the number on the list during the same time in 2009:
Visit the archive of past NoQ4U newsletters for more information.
Disability Program Navigators Revived Under a New Name
The Maine Department of Labor is pleased to announce that its Disability Program Navigator Initiative has received supplemental funding for one additional year. With this funding, the initiative will continue statewide, on a smaller scale, and build on its successes by implementing promising practices.
The program’s name will change to the Disability Resource Coordinator (DRC) Program and staffing will include one full-time and one part-time Resource Coordinator statewide.
The two staff members will continue to provide technical assistance to CareerCenters during the next year. Their focus will be on supporting staff who have been identified as leads on Assistive Technology issues in each of the Centers. The project will train CareerCenter staff on disability-related topics via distance learning where possible, so as to cost-effectively reach more staff.
DRCs will continue to partner with the CHOICES CEO project on systems change initiatives, and will focus on partnerships with Maine’s Aging Worker Initiative, veteran’s initiatives and Work Incentive Planning and Assistance (WIPA) grant.
The DRC program has contracted with Eastern Maine Development Corporation and Goodwill Industries of Northern New England for staff support to continue this important work. While the Disability Resource Coordinators are physically located in Regions 2 and 4, they are available to field questions and provide limited support statewide.
Mark Your Calendar
Mark Your Calendars! A New Season Begins for Breakfast Series
The fall brings colorful leaves, crisp air, and... a continuation of the bi-monthly networking breakfast for service providers and businesses! The breakfasts are great way for employers and organizations that provide employment services to people with disabilities to connect.
The next breakfast is Thursday, September 16, and will be hosted by a business, Custom Disability Solutions in South Portland.
Recap and Videos from the Previous Breakfast
The most recent breakfast—held in June—looked at the issues of accommodations for workers with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations might be needed at the time someone applies for a job or much later in their career. Participants and speakers discussed how applicants, employees, managers, employment specialists, and human resource personnel work together to address accommodations in the easiest and most cost effective way possible.
Session presenters included: Jennifer Simpson, Director of Human Resources, Custom Disability Solutions, and Marc Rodrique, Disability Program Navigator, Western Maine Community Action, Lewiston Career Center.
Eight short videos from the June 10 session can be viewed here.
WISE (Work Incentive Seminar Events) in Maine
WISE are events that provide Social Security beneficiaries and their family members with the opportunity to learn how to take advantage of Social Security Work Incentives, including Ticket to Work.
The three WISE dates shown below are scheduled. Registration is required - go to CESSI's website to register and get more information.
Lewiston: Thursday, October 21 from 1:00 - 3:00 at the Lewiston CareerCenter
Portland: Friday, October 22 from 1:30 - 3:30 at the Portland CareerCenter
Lincoln: Wednesday, November 3 from 1 - 3 pm at the Ballard Hill Community Center
There is also a free live WISE Webinar scheduled for September 29 from 3 - 4:30 pm (EDT) - go here to register.
WISE in both Springvale and Augusta are currently being planned for late November or early December.
GO HERE FOR MORE CALENDAR ITEMS
Employment for ME Summit to Unveil Newly Updated DHHS Employment Policy
Join Brenda Harvey, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Health & Human Services, and Laura Fortman, Commissioner of Labor, as they celebrate accomplishments related to the employment of people with disabilities in Maine and discuss the course for the next decade.
The summit will be held on November 15 at the Augusta Civic Center. It is being sponsored by the Maine Department of Health & Human Services, Maine Department of Labor, and the CHOICES CEO Project. The day will be broken into two sessions, targeting different audiences, though people can register for both sessions.
Morning Session, 8:30-noon
The first session is targeted to the leadership of provider agencies and advocacy organizations. DHHS Office Directors will talk about the updated Employment Policy.
Afternoon Session, 12:30–4:30
The afternoon session is for case managers, community integration workers, and supervisors. It will touch on some of the topics in the earlier session, while offering practical ideas for working with people to support their employment goals. Workshop topics will include: the role of the case worker in supporting employment; working with Vocational Rehabilitation to increase employment outcomes; and how employment goals interface with MaineCare; among other topics.
Information tables related to employment resources will also be available.
Coffee, cold drinks and snacks will be provided. The registration link for this Summit will be available soon here.
Reimbursement for On-line Training
A $100 Cost Reimbursement is available to Maine service provider staff who complete an on-line ACRE-Certified Employment Specialists Services or Work Supports Services Training course (these are provided by both Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Georgia). Find more information here - time is limited, though - the completed application form MUST be received no later than December 1, 2010. If you have any questions about this, please contact Leslie Pohl.
Employment First and For All—Welcome to the Big Tent
Maine ASPE is hosting an event to define an “Employment First and For All” vision that engages Maine’s disability, advocacy, service, and business communities. Organizers are looking for diverse participation from state agencies, service providers, advocacy organizations, schools, family members and people with disabilities. The event will be held October 27 at the Augusta Civic Center.
Employment First is a growing national initiative in support of integrated employment for people with disabilities, particularly in situations where public resources are used to further employment goals. The Employment First strategy is to ensure that state policies, laws, and directives identify integrated employment in local businesses as the priority for funding services.
This July, Massachusetts enacted an Employment First policy. This policy states: “for working age adults served by the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services, integrated, individual employment is the preferred service option and optimal outcome,” and goes on to say that it will be a priority in all service plans and service delivery. Other examples of state policies and information about activities and resources in other states can be found on the Maine APSE web site.
The October event will feature a keynote speech and conversation with Laura Owens, Executive Director of APSE, resource materials, and facilitated discussions among participating groups. Stories of Employment First activities and successes in other states will be shared.
More information is available here. A registration link will be active soon.
The event is sponsored by the CHOICES CEO project. It is co-sponsored by Aroostook Mental Health Center, Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies, Maine Commission on Disability and Employment, Maine Department of Education, KFI, Maine Disability Rights Center, Maine Parent Federation, Inc., Speaking Up for Us of Maine, Syntiro, and Wabanaki Vocational Rehabilitation.
If you are interested in co-sponsoring the event, please contact Debbie Gilmer. An updated listing of sponsor names and logos can be viewed here.
Updates
Upcoming Conference: Workplace Diversity & Innovation in the New Economy
Join Working Together, the Diversity Hiring Coalition, and Maine Businesses for Sustainability for a conference that will explore how a diverse workforce can help businesses get ahead in a post-recession economy. Immigrants, refugees, people with disabilities, and older workers all bring unique perspectives to the workplace. Learn from employers how businesses can draw on these perspectives to expand their bottom lines.
This conference is aimed at business leaders and decisions makers, as well as the human resource community. Romy Riddick, VP with TD Bank, will offer the keynote address. Sponsors include Mainebiz, Custom Disability Solutions Group Insurance, HRTimes, TD Bank, Norway Savings Bank, and L.L.Bean. Interested in sponsorship? Find out how!
Mark your calendar for this rewarding event, which will be help on September 28 from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wyndham Portland Airport Hotel in South Portland, Maine.
Conference fees are $40 for regular registration and $20 for members of Working Together, the Diversity Hiring Coalition, and Maine Businesses for Sustainability (there is no charge to join Working Together). Register now!
Choose Work Tour Comes to Boston!
The Social Security Administration’s Ticket to Work program is promoting collaboration among providers of employment support services, state and local agencies, and people with disabilities. The program offers support for Americans with disabilities who want to work by funding providers who help them find a path to self-sufficiency through employment.
To further collaboration among different groups involved in the program, learning sessions will be held across the country. These sessions are called “Helping Social Security Beneficiaries with Disabilities Choose Work.”
Join other professionals and job-seekers for a day of collaboration and education about how you or your organization can benefit from this valuable program. The tour will visit Boston on September 15 and 16.
Learn more here:
Free seminar for job seekers
If you are between 18 and 64, receiving SSI or SSDI, and would like to work, sign up for a free Work Incentive Seminar Event (WISE) to learn about support services that allow you work without giving up your benefits. Visit www.choosework.net to watch an online seminar, or www.CESSI.net/WISE to sign up for a seminar about the Ticket program. Go here to find dates in your local area.
Talent Has No Boundaries: Workforce Diversity INCLUDES Workers with Disabilities
"Talent Has No Boundaries: Workforce Diversity INCLUDES Workers with Disabilities" is the theme for October's National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Download the poster here!
Join Maine APSE
APSE is a national organization that focuses exclusively on integrated employment and career advancement opportunities for people with disabilities.
The Maine APSE chapter is growing and becoming active in a variety of issues and events. Its revitalized board of directors has been meeting through the spring and summer. It is also the primary host for the “Employment First and For All” event (see separate story) that will be held October 27 at the Augusta Civic Center. For more information on joining Maine APSE or becoming a board member, please contact board president Debbie Gilmer at gilmer@maine.edu.
JAN Serves Businesses of All Sizes
For 25 years, the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) has been helping employers capitalize on the talents of people with disabilities by providing confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and the Americans with Disabilities Act and related legislation—all free of charge. JAN is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.
JAN’s customers include employers of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to entrepreneurs. Its services can be helpful to small businesses that don’t have a dedicated in-house human resource manager.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, an accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a job or work environment that enables a qualified person with a disability to apply for or perform a job.
Accommodations are cost effective, with most incurring little or no expense. Data collected by JAN over the years reveals that more than half of accommodations cost employers nothing. Of those that do cost, the typical one-time expenditure is $600—an outlay that most employers report pays for itself in the form of reduced insurance and training costs and increased productivity.
JAN’s live phone service is available 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.at (800) 526-7234 or (877) 781-9403 (TTY). Its website, AskJAN.org, is always available. Assistance is also available in Spanish, both via phone and the JAN en Español Webpage.
New Toolkit for Youth in Transition
A recently issued guide called Making the Move to Managing Your Own Personal Assistance Services: A Toolkit for Youth Transitioning to Adulthood helps young people strengthen some of the most fundamental skills needed to manage personal assistant services and enhance independence.
Worksheets, questions, and charts provide clear, helpful examples of issues to consider. And, actual stories from youth and their families offer guidance for youth with disabilities who want to manage their own personal assistant services.
The guide was created by the Youth Technical Assistance Center, which is part of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. For additional information, please contact ePolicyWorksHealthCare@dol.gov or (866) 633-7365, TTY (877) 889-5627.
Ticket to Work System Update
As reported in the June newsletter, a Ticket to Work Training Institute was held in Augusta on June 2. Technical training was provided to organizations that offer job preparation and placement services under the Ticket to Work program.
In follow-up to that training, a series of monthly phone calls are being scheduled. These calls are for Employment Networks (ENs) in Maine. Service providers who are interested in becoming registered as an EN with the Social Security Administration are also invited to participate.
The calls will give participants an opportunity to:
- Share information with other service providers about Ticket to Work successes, ongoing challenges, and helpful resources.
- Connect with new information, resources and technical assistance related to the Ticket to Work system. Speakers will be invited to participate in the calls. (Peter Mead and Susan Webb of the National Employment Network, two trainers who were at the June 2 training, participated in the August call.)
- Discuss joint activities or products that ENs and other service providers in Maine might work or collaborate on, either regionally or at the state level.
- Discuss ways in which ENs can contribute toward overall Ticket to Work system development in Maine.
The next call is scheduled for the afternoon of Wednesday, September 29. Contact Larry Glantz at glantz@usm.maine.edu if you would like to participate in this call.
