National Technical Assistance Center (NTAC-AAPI)
Òto increase
employment opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with
DisabilitiesÓ - FUNDED BY: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, REHABILITATION
SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Semi-Monthly
e.News Ð July 15, 2003
You can find this and previous issues of e.News online at http://www.ntac.hawaii.edu
~ Announcements
~ Resources
~ Institutes / Conferences
~ Research / Publications
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The NTAC-APPI staff has started the discussion forum topic
"Share your Story: Trials, Tribulations, and Successes on the Path to
Employment". To join in (or just to read) use your web browser to go to: http://www.ntac.hawaii.edu and click
ÔDiscussion ForumÕ. You don't have to register or sign in, and you can choose
to receive email for newly posted messages -- just click the Subscribe button
when you get there.
Private/Public Partnerships
Webcast - July 21st, 2-2:45 PM, ET
This webcast will highlight a
model business development program that is designed to increase the hiring,
advancement and retention of people with disabilities. The model was developed
by the collaboration of business representatives, rehabilitation providers,
local corporate leaders, and state vocational rehabilitation professionals. The
goal of this private - public partnership model is to provide a business
development program that can be replicated in other regions across the country.
http://www.vcu.edu/rrtcweb/cyberu/webcast/webcast.htm
The Asian & Pacific Health
Forum http://www.apiahf.org is a national advocacy organization dedicated to promoting
policy, program and research efforts to improve the health and well-being of
Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. APIHF
is looking for a development
director who will be based in San Francisco to plan, implement and manage
fundraising, oversee communications and marketing functions, publication of the
annual report, fundraising materials, media interactions and the external
website. Send email applications
or queries to spadua@apiahf.org.
ÒAmerica Works Best When All
Americans WorkÓ - October's National Disability Employment Awareness Month
Theme
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has selected ÒAmerica Works Best When All Americans WorkÓ as the official theme for October's National Disability Employment Awareness Month. http://www.wcdfoundation.org/index3.htm
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Wist Annex 123A&B /COE; Thursday, 1:00 Ð 2:30 pm
The National Technical Assistance Center (NTAC-APPI) would like to invite you hear Urban Miyares, one of the Transpac crewmembers. He is a nationally recognized blinded Vietnam veteran with diabetes, entrepreneur, lecturer and educator, author/writer, inventor and patent holder, television/film personality, winner of numerous prestigious awards, world-class athlete, and president of Disabled Businessperson Association Ð See Honolulu Star Bulletin to read about the Transpacific Yacht Race:
http://starbulletin.com/2003/07/15/news/story7.html. Please RSVP: Diane Hino at dhino@hawaii.edu.
Transportation Grants Available
The Community Transportation Association
of America and Easter Seals Project ACTION will provide grants for the purpose
of establishing community-based plans to expand transportation services for
persons with disabilities. Proposals are due July 25.
http://www.ctaa.org/ntrc/atj/joblinks/FTA6_DisabilityPlanningGrants.asp
ÒLIVE IT UP, LIVE, HAWAIÔIÓ -
August 15, 2003
BeethovenÕs Nightmare and other
Musicians, Hard Rock CafŽ, Honolulu, HI
HawaiiÕs musicians, singers and songwriters and chanters with disabilities will perform with BeethovenÕs Nightmare, America's only All-Deaf Professional Rock and Roll Band. VSA arts of Hawaii-Pacific www.vsarts.hawaii.edu, a nationally linked organization launches its ÒArtists UnlimitedÓ project promoting professional career opportunities in the arts for people with disabilities. Advanced tickets go on sale Tuesday, May 27 for $25 each (include dinner pupu and beverage) To reserve your tickets, call Hawaii Services on Deafness in Honolulu at 808-926-4763.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) announces the availability of $1.8 million to award up to eight competitive grants in the amount of approximately $225,000 to assist states in implementing the High School/High Tech (HS/HT) program on a statewide basis. http://www.dol.gov/odep/regs/hsht.htm
Youth Anthology Call
for Submissions - October 15, 2003
Poetry and Artwork by Asian American
Youth published by The Asian American
Writers' Workshop. An editorial committee consisting of five Asian American
teenagers and AAWW's Arts-in-Education
Director will review your poetry and
artwork. http://www.aaww.org/youth
Working for Freedom, Opportunity and Real Choice Through
Community Employment (WorkFORCE) Action Grant Initiative
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of Disability Employment Policy
(ODEP) announces the availability of $2.5 million to award up to 6 competitive
Working for Freedom, Opportunity and Real Choice through Community Employment
(WorkFORCE) Action Grant Initiative grants ranging from approximately $400,000
to $625,000 to continue its support for increasing and improving employment
opportunities for individuals with disabilities. http://www.dol.gov/odep/regs/workforce.htm
Leading to a
Professional Degree, National Certification and State License Graduate Studies
Leading to Master of Science Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling with
specialization in Rehabilitation of Ethnic Minorities (REM) Vocational
Evaluation and Work Adjustment.
Funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration for enhancing the
professional preparation and participation of students, especially those from
minority backgrounds, women, and individuals with disabilities to addressÐ
Section 21 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998. Qualified Students will receive
Scholarships of $14,875 per year (including Graduate Assistantship of $5,500)
covering: tuition fees, stipend, and book allowance. For additional information and application materials,
contact: Madan Kundu, Coordinator and Professor/Project DirectorÐ
Rehabilitation Counseling, Phone: 225 771 2990, Fax: 225 771 2293, kundusubr@aol.com. http://www.subr.edu/academic/science/rehabcounsel
RESOURCES
HHS EXPANDS ONLINE HEALTH
INFORMATION FOR ASIAN AMERICANS,
NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND PACIFIC
ISLANDERS
In recognition of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today launched two new online health resources of special interest to Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. The new Web sites expand on the department's Steps to a Healthier US initiative, which underscores the President's call to action for healthy lifestyles through public awareness of disease prevention efforts. http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2003pres/20030513.html
CD Title: Facilitating Competitive Employment of
Individuals with Disabilities
During 2002, the RRTC on Workplace
Supports introduced a live webcast series. The series featured six nationally
known individuals speaking on topics related to the employment of individuals
with disabilities. Each webcast also included a lecture, PowerPoint
presentation, handouts, and other valuable resources. Now, you can purchase the
series on CD. http://www.vcu.edu/rrtcweb/cyberu/webcast/webcast02.htm
The One-Stop program connects
employment, education, and training services into a coherent network of
resources at the local, state, and national level. http://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/onestop
First and only national
organization of Asian Pacific American union members. http://www.apalanet.org
The Ethel Louise Armstrong Foundation, Inc. (ELA)
The vision of the Ethel Louise
Armstrong Foundation, Inc. (ELA) is to change the face of disability on the
planet. In order to accomplish this vision, ELAÕs mission is to promote,
through grants and scholarships, the inclusion of people with disabilities in
the areas of arts, advocacy and education. http://www.ela.org/about_us/index_about_us.html
INSTITUTES /
CONFERENCES
CAST: Universal Design for Learning Institutes
Training Opportunities: Universal
Design, Access to the General Curriculum, and Technology, Mon-Tues-Wed, July 21- 23 or August 18-20, 2003. Address
the challenge of meeting the needs of diverse learners by making curriculum and
course materials accessible for ALL! Professionals are invited to attend 3-day
hands-on workshops that highlight Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an
instructional approach to teaching through flexible applications of technology
tools, networks, and digital content. Call
Leslie O'Callaghan at 888-858-9994, ext. 273, mailto:pd@cast.org, or register online http://www.cast.org/udl/index.cfm?i=2377.
US National Conference on Supported Employment Ð July
20-23, 2003
The Association for Persons in Supported
EmploymentÕs Annual conference will be held in San Diego on July 20-23. Titled
Taking Charge in Turbulent Times, it will feature survival strategies for
employment organizations facing programmatic and funding cuts, budget crisis,
new competition, and tough economies.
http://www.apse.org/caconference/camain.html
1:00 to 3:00 pm Eastern Time, noon to 2:00 pm Central Time, 11:00
am to1:00 pm Mountain Time, 10:00 am to noon Pacific Time
This session is FREE through the
RILLMI project, but there is a small cost* for long distance. During this
telephone conference call, Cary Griffin will demonstrate how the wealth of
community and collaborative efforts (driven by individual leadership!) are the
antidote to hard times. Cary Griffin is the Director of Special Projects at the
Rural Institute's Adult Community Services and Supports Department. Registration
deadline: Thursday, July 24. For more information,
contact: Nancy Maxson at maxson@ruralinstitute.umt.edu or 406-243-2458. *The National Technical Assistance
Center (NTAC-AAPI) will pay for a
long-distance call fee if AAPI persons with disabilities want to participate in
this training Ð call 808-956-5048 or email kimrupno@hawaii.edu.
Youth Leadership Forums:
Developing Leadership Skills in Youth with
This teleconference highlights the Youth Leadership Forum (YLF) sponsored by
the Office of Disability Employment
Policy. The presenters will share an overview and history of YLF and how
national efforts can impact and influence the further development of YLFs to
continue on an annual basis. To join the call, dial 703-871-3092 and refer to
the "NCSET Teleconference Call" if asked by the operator. http://www.ncset.org/teleconferences
APALA National Convention - August 7-10, 2003
Los Angeles, California
The National Executive Board of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO issued a call to the Seventh Biennial National Convention, to be held August 7 to 10 in Los Angeles, California. The theme of this year's convention will be, "Strengthening Our Voices for Worker Rights, Immigrant Rights, and Civil Rights." http://www.apalanet.org/pr_050703.html
This webcourse provides an
extensive overview of supported employment and how to facilitate competitive
jobs for individuals with significant disabilities. Certificates will be
awarded to participants who complete all course work assignments (CEUs and CRCs
will be available for those who complete the coursework. The next section of
the course will begin August 11, 2003 (14 weeks to complete 6 sessions). http://www.vcu.edu/rrtcweb/cyberu/webcourse/secourse.html
The latest e-Learning technologies and practices will be used in this
conference to make this event accessible to more people from around the world
than a traditional face-to-face conference could be. For more information visit
http://elearn.ucalgary.ca/conference/ or
contact Rod Corbett at
403-220-6199 or Rod.Corbett@ucalgary.ca
Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida
The World Congress & Exposition on Disabilities (WCD), a precedent-setting annual international conference and trade event, is intended to educate, inform and provide a useful exchange of ideas for persons with disabilities and special healthcare needs and those involved in their care and development. http://www.wcdexpo.com
RESEARCH / PUBLICATIONS
ANNOUNCING A NEW NATIONAL
JOURNAL: AAPI Nexus - Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Policy, Practice
and Community
The UCLA Asian American Studies Center is pleased to announce the launching of a new journal focused on applied social science research for and on the diverse and growing Asian Pacific American community. http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/aasc/apa
ASIAN AMERICAN POLITICS: LAW, PARTICIPATION & POLICY
EDITED BY DON T. NAKANISHI AND JAMES S. LAI.
Asian American politics transcend simple questions of
voting behavior and elective office, going all the way back to early
immigration laws and all the way forward to ethnic targeting. For the first time, this book brings
together original sources on key topics influencing Asian American politics,
knit together by expert scholars who introduce each subject and place it in
context with political events and the greater emerging literature. http://www.fetchbook.info/search_James_S._Lai/searchBy_Author.html
Factors that Influence Employer
Decisions in Hiring and Retaining an Employee with a Disability
Graffam, Shinkfield, Smith, &
Polzin (2002) investigated factors that influence employer decisions when
hiring or retaining persons with disabilities. Employers in Australia
completed a questionnaire that ranked 38 different factors. Employers
participating in the study had employed a person with a disability through a
funded disability employment service during the preceding three years (1996 Ð
1998). http://www.iospress.nl
A Behavioral Intervention to
Improve Work Performance in Schizophrenia: Work Behavior Inventory Feedback
Most people with schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses want to work and evidence is mounting that they can gain competitive employment with sufficient accommodations and supports. After two decades of research, supported employment can now be regarded as evidence based practice that is referred in most cases to what Bond has described as gradualistic approaches to rehabilitation. http://www.worksupport.com/Topics/workplace.asp
THE NEW FACE OF ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICA: NUMBERS, DIVERSITY
AND CHANGE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
The most comprehensive, up-to-date analysis of demographic
and cultural changes in the Asian Pacific America and includes the latest
census information. The book includes the first analysis of census
socioeconomic data on the Asian Pacific American population and the first
demographic analysis of the fast-growing mixed race/ethnicity population in the
Asian-American community. http://www.asianweek.com
Wage Outcomes Compared in Sheltered Work Versus Supported
Employment
In a recent study reported by InfoLines,
two groups of individuals with disabilities, those in community employment, and
those in sheltered work, controlling for various conditions and
characteristics, were compared. Mean cumulative earnings of the SE group across
a seven-year post-closure were 2.27 times those in sheltered employment.
http://www.trninc.com/infolines.htm
Longitudinal Outcomes in
VermontÕs Consumer Choice Demonstration Project (1993 Ð 1999)
Hartnett, Collins, & Tremblay (2002) examined strategies, which provided Òincreased choiceÓ to service recipients in the Vermont state vocational rehabilitation process from 1993 - 1999. The study compared costs, services received as well as employment outcomes for people served in the Vermont Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) or Section 110 and its Consumer Choice Demonstration Project. http://www.iospress.nl
Employment Rates of People with Disabilities
Since the primary employment market is considered to be those aged 18-64, this age range is used to measure employment rates. Of those aged 18-64, people with disabilities are much less likely to be employed (either full-time or part-time) than people without disabilities (32% versus 81% respectively). This gap of 49 percentage points is the largest of all the gaps, and may help to explain the persistence of other gaps in income, entertainment, and health care. http://www.nod.org/content.cfm?id=134
Supported employment for people
who are deaf: An overview of the unique needs and challenges
Hansen (1999) reviews the specialized needs of deaf individuals in supported employment. The primary focus will be the discussion of common challenges and strategies for effectively providing services to deaf people; both those with disabilities, and those who have immigrated to the United States from developing countries. Inclusion into the workplace, successful assessment, job placement, and ongoing support strategies will also be discussed. http://www.iospress.nl/site/html/10522263.html
NTAC-AAPI maintains an email list
of persons in the disability-related fields that will
remain private. This information has been sent as a courtesy. If you would like to make news contributions to the next issue (deadline Ð July 25th) of if you wish to stop receiving these messages, please contact M.E. Lake Conway at: melake.conway@cds.hawaii.edu