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National Disability Employment Awareness Month
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Greetings:
Each October, the nation observes National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in the hope that issues around fair hiring practices for disabled persons can be brought to the forefront. This year promises to have even greater impact, as new federal regulations and recent judicial rulings have helped bring these issues to a wider audience.
WorkforceUSA’s October newsletter gathers news articles and library resources focused on America’s disabled workforce. Several items cover new federal regulations designed to reverse the declining number of employees with severe disabilities who work in federal agencies. These resources will be useful to anyone fighting for additional policy changes among government, public and private businesses.
Thank you for your interest and support,
The WorkforceUSA Team |
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WorkforceUSA's funding section has grown tremendously over the last month. The WorkforceUSA team wants to provide you with the latest funding information on grants, contracts and technical assistance funds.
We encourage users to sign up for funding email alerts to notify you within 24 hours of a new item being posted. We also encourage our members to suggest funding opportunities as you come across them. |
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Special Notice: Workforce Benchmarking Project
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You know your workforce program’s results – but do you know how they compare?
Public/Private Ventures’ Performance Benchmarking Project is piloting a framework to allow organizations to compare their workforce development outcomes to others serving similar populations. Programs that serve TANF participants are invited to submit service information and aggregate placement and retention results from a recent program year, using a Web-based survey. Participating organizations will later receive confidential reports and will be eligible to attend upcoming Working Ventures workshops free of charge. Informational conference calls are happening now! To learn more, click here. |
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For Wounded U.S. Veterans, Job Prospects Brighter
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More than 6 percent of U.S. troops who've been wounded in Iraq have lost a limb, a figure that is double that of previous wars, highlighting the need to place disabled vets into meaningful jobs after their military service. Ron Scherer of The Christian Science Monitor reports on efforts by groups such as HireVetsFirst and Return to Work Inc. as they help wounded troops make the transition to the workplace. Veterans can offer employers a strong work ethic and leadership qualities that can often land them a position beyond a desk job. |
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EEOC Moves to Stem Decline in Disabled Workforce
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| A new initiative within the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission aims to reverse a decline in the federal government's employment of persons with disabilities, as reported in the Washington Post. An initiative called Leadership for the Employment of Americans with Disabilities (LEAD) will try to increase awareness among federal hiring officials and potential employees about the special hiring rules in place. |
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Court Says UPS Discriminated Against Deaf Drivers
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Hearing-impaired drivers for United Parcel Service (UPS) have won a class-action suit that challenged their employer's discriminatory hiring practices. A federal appeals court ruled that UPS' policy of denying driving jobs to these employees violated the Americans With Disabilities Act, according to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle. As a result, such workers could be given priority for promotions as well as back pay and other damages. |
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Protection and Advocacy Systems - The Nation's Disability Rights Network
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| This site provides information and linkages to the Protection and Advocacy (P&A) System and Client Assistance Program (CAP). These agencies comprise the nationwide network of congressionally mandated, legally based disability rights agencies. P&A agencies have the authority to provide legal representation and other advocacy services, under all federal and state laws, to all people with disabilities (based on a system of priorities for services). All P&As maintain a presence in facilities that care for people with disabilities, where they monitor, investigate and attempt to remedy adverse conditions. These agencies also devote considerable resources to ensuring full access to inclusive educational programs, financial entitlements, health care, accessible housing and productive employment opportunities. |
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National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth Website
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| The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, created in late 2001, brings together partners with expertise in disability, education, employment and workforce development issues. This project is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and housed at the Institute for Educational Leadership. The website is a good resource for those working with or trying to improve services to youth with disabilities. The site is organized by different categories of interest (employer, policymaker, etc.) and has information on best practices, examples of success stories, publications and links, etc. |
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One-Stop Toolkit
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The One-Stop toolkit website is a technical assistance product developed by DTI Associates, Inc., on behalf of Work Incentive and Disability Program Navigator Grantees. This website provides tools and information to grantees who provide services that help individuals with disabilities find and keep good jobs. The resources on the website are designed to help grantees widen the array of services available to individuals with disabilities at One-Stop Centers and integrate those services seamlessly into One-Stop operations.
This website is targeted toward state and local One-Stop service providers, but it contains resources that will be useful to a broader audience as well. Individuals with disabilities, advocates, parents, counselors and other professionals should find a rich source of information here. |
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Paving the Way to Work: A Guide to Career-Focused Mentoring
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Developed by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth), this guide specifically addresses the needs of youth with disabilities during their transition from school to work. In 2004 the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, launched an initiative to promote mentoring for youth with disabilities. Some of its findings are included, with topics presented in these categories: Overview of Career-Focused Mentoring Programs; Operating Mentoring Programs; Useful Program Evaluation; Marketing a Mentoring Program and more. |
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Location |
Date |
Office Manager/Membership Director
New York City Employment and Training Coalition |
New York, NY |
September 26, 2006 |
Executive Director
Washington Workforce Training & Education Coordinating Board |
Olympia, WA |
October 4, 2006 |
Program Associate - EarnFair® Alliance
Seedco |
New York, NY |
October 6, 2006 |
Director, Area E
Phoenix Job Corps Center |
Phoenix, AZ |
October 10, 2006 |
WT Team Leader
ResCare/Arbor E&T |
Seminole County, FL |
October 16, 2006 |
Project Director
WIA Youth Services |
Kern County, CA |
October 16, 2006 |
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