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
~ Announcements
~ Resources
~ Institutes / Conferences
~ Research
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Facts for Features from the Census
Asian Pacific American Heritage
Month: May 2003
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-ff05.html
In 1978, a joint congressional
resolution established Asian Pacific American Heritage Week. The first 10 days
of May were chosen to coincide with two key anniversaries: the arrival in the
United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and the completion
of the transcontinental railroad (May 10, 1869). In 1992, Congress expanded the
week to a month-long celebration.
12.5 million - Estimated number of U.S. residents as of July 1, 2001, who
say they are Asian or Asian in combination with one or more other races. This
group comprises 4.4 percent of the total population. During the preceding 15
months, the number of people who were part of this group increased 3.8 percent,
more than triple the growth rate of the entire U.S. population. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-16.html>
935,600 - Estimated number of U.S. residents as of July 1, 2001, who
say they are native Hawaiian and other Pacific islander or native Hawaiian and
other Pacific islander in combination with one or more other races. This group
comprises 0.3 percent of the total population. During the preceding 15 months,
the number of people who were part of this group increased 3.2 percent. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-16.html>
$53,635 - The annual median income of Asian and Pacific islander
households, the highest of any racial group. Their annual income is just under
the level reached in 2000 ($57,313 in 2001 dollars), which matched an all-time
high. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-124.html>
$24,277 - Annual per capita income
for Asians and Pacific islanders, after adjusting for inflation, unchanged from
2000. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-124.html>
10.2 - Poverty rate for Asians and Pacific islanders, which
remains at an all-time low.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2002/cb02-124.html>
47 - Percentage of Asians and
Pacific islanders age 25 and over with a bachelor's degree or higher. Asians
and Pacific islanders had the highest proportion of college graduates of any
race or ethnic group. The corresponding rate for all adults in this age group
is 27 percent. <http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-51.html>
87 - Percentage of Asians and
Pacific islanders 25 and over who are high school graduates. The corresponding
rate for all adults in this age group is 84 percent.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-51.html>
16 Ð Percentage of Asians and Pacific islanders 25 and over with an advanced degree (e.g., master's, Ph.D., M.D. or J.D.). This percentage represented 1.3 million Asians and Pacific islanders. The corresponding rate for all adults in this age group was 9 percent.
<http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-51.html>
The Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) Scholarship
Deadline Ð May 15, 2003
The
Organization of Chinese Americans recognizes the lack of access to quality
education and resources for underserved communities, including the Asian
Pacific American (APA) community. Therefore, OCA currently administers three
different scholarship programs for Asian Pacific American students and an
annual essay contest.
The
deadline for all three scholarships and essay contest has been extended to May
15, 2003. The applications are available at OCA's website at
<http://www.ocanatl.org>. Click on the Programs Section and then the
Scholarships Section on the side Navigation Bar. OCA encourages applicants to
submit their applications online. Eligible for: Û1000-first place, Û500-second
place, and Û300-third place.
RESOURCES
There are three tax incentives
available to help employers cover the cost of accommodations for employees with
disabilities and to make their places of business accessible for employees
and/or customers with disabilities. See url:
<http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/ek97/tax.htm> for more information.
Ask a Pro - A resource for vocational rehabilitation counselors
serving people with disabilities who desire self-employment. See url:
<http://rtc.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/askapro/index.htm>
T-TAP: Training and Technical
Assistance for Providers - Virginia
Commonwealth University (VCU) in partnership with the Institute for Community
Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston, has been awarded a
cooperative agreement from The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Office of
Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). This cooperative agreement will provide
funds for the implementation of a national technical assistance and training
effort designed to increase the capacity of Community Rehabilitation Programs
(CRPs) and other community-based service providers that currently operate programs
that result in segregated work outcomes and non-work options for people with
disabilities in the "Special Minimum Wage" program established under
section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. 214(c).
See url: <http://www.t-tap.org/> for more information.
RealChoices: Access for all,
more choice for you - Web site designed to
empower people of all ages and abilities giving them the opportunity to make
self-determined choices to participate in their communities in ways meaningful
to them. Employment section with links to learning about employment,
frequently asked questions, self-employment and starting your own business,
supported employment, information about jobs and careers, publicly funded
programs providing employment services, legal rights and legal issues related
to employment, one-stop toolkit for serving people with disabilities,
employment and social security, career assessment and career counseling, how to
find a job, job accommodations and assistive technology. See url:
<http://www.realchoices.org/Learn%20More/Employment/>
Audiblox - Audiblox
develops a variety of cognitive skills such as concentration, perception,
memory and logical thinking. The program is effective in preventing and
addressing difficulties in reading, spelling and writing, and a resource for
dyslexia and dysgraphia. See url: http://www.audiblox2000.com
Workforce Recruitment Program
(WRP)
The U.S. Labor department's Office
of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), in cooperation with the Department of
Defense, now offers a database of more than 1,600 job seekers with disabilities
through its Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP). Through WRP's complimentary
CD-ROM database, employers can search for potential applicants by field of
study, state or school, in disciplines ranging from computer sciences and
business, to communications engineering and office administration. Searches
generate candidate profiles, academic and demographic data, and contact
information from applications recruited by the program from more than 180
colleges and universities in over 40 states and territories. The CD-ROM and
additional information are available from http://www.wrpjobs.com, or by contacting ODEP at (202) 693-7880.
Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
JAN is a toll-free information and
referral service on job accommodations for people with disabilities. It can be
reached at 1-800-526-7234 or at http://www.jan.wvu.edu.
Employer Assistance and
Referral Network (EARN)
EARN, a national toll-free
telephone and electronic information referral service, helps employers in
locate and recruit qualified workers with disabilities. EARN can be
reached at 1-866-Earn Now
(1-866-327-6669) or at http://www.earnworks.com.
INSTITUTES /
CONFERENCES
Self-Employment for People with Disabilities Conference -
May 6, 2003
Provo, Utah
The conference will feature speakers who are experts in the areas of self-employment, entrepreneurship, Social Security work incentives, and vocational rehabilitation. For more information contact Tina Anderson, RISE Inc., (801) 373-1197
Twenty-Ninth Institute on
Rehabilitation Issues (IRI) - May 5-6
Washington, DC
Sponsored by the Rehabilitation Services Administration located in the U.S. Department of Education. Participants will review and comment on draft documents on topics related to consumer empowerment and teaching orientation and mobility skills. IRI publications are used in training vocational rehabilitation counselors. Registration is $150. For registration and other information contact Dr. Donald Dew (telephone (202) 972-1550 or email dondew@gwu.edu or see <http://www.gwu.edu/~rrcep/National.htm>.
Milestones in Microenterprise: Responding to a Changing
Economy - May 16-19, 2003
Denver Marriott City Center, Denver, CO
This conference will offer a number of sessions on essential topics in microenterprise development. There will also be a session on best practices for serving entrepreneurs with disabilities. For more information visit <http://www.microenterpriseworks.org>.
ADA Symposium and EXPO 2003 - June 3-5
Hyatt Regency Crown Center, Kansas City, Missouri
Learning tracks include: Employment and the ADA, Accessible Design, State and Local Governments, Community Issues, Accessible Information Techology. Registration: $295 before May 2, 2003; $345 after May 2. For more information, telephone 800-949-4232, email ada@missouri.edu or see <http://www.adaproject.org/Symposium2003Info.html>.
Postsecondary Disability Training Institute - June 3-7, 2003
Mystic, Connecticut
Sponsored by the Center on Postsecondary Education and
Disability, University of Connecticut. The objective of this Training
Institute is to assist concerned professionals to meet the unique needs of
college students with disabilities. For more information, see
<http://vm.uconn.edu/~wwwcped/pti03.htm>.
The institute begins with a five-day self-employment
conclave at the University of Hawaii-Manoa College of Business Pacific Business
and PACE centers. Staff, consumers and others from across the state will attend
the institute on self-employment topics. The five-day institute will be led by
Dave Hammis and will include guest speakers from local small business
development agencies, and local Hawaii rehabilitation experts. It will be based
on the native Hawaiian Business principles and guidelines developed by Alu Like
Business Development Center in partnership with former employment specialist
Wailani Bell who will served as one of the coordinator of the Institute.
E-mail Shannon Simonelli at simonelli@hawaii.edu
for more information.
Topics to be covered are: Individualized Self Employment
Profiles/Person-Centered Business Planning, Creating a local Self Employment
Team using Local Resources and Funding Opportunities, Developing and Testing
the Business Idea (Feasibility Studies), Writing the Business Plan (includes
personal budget development), Financial Planning and Record Keeping (Cash Flow
Analysis, Pricing, Taxes, et al.), Alternative Forms of Business Support,
Marketing, Sales, Distribution and Promotion, and Social Security Work
Incentives & Ticket to Work in Self Employment.
RESEARCH
Cornell University currently is providing web availability of data from the Longitudinal Study of Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program (LSVRSP) online at www.lsvrsp.org <http://www.lsvrsp.org/> ; this study was conducted by Research Triangle Institute and the data is being made available to a wider audience through these efforts. This effort is is funded by the U.S. Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. This data set can be of assistance to researchers and program evaluators wanting to examine the outcomes of state Vocational Rehabilitation Services and better understand the factors that contribute to successful employment. Cornell is also offering a distance learning seminar to accompany the use of this data which is two to three hours in length. Attached is a flyer which describes the features of this seminar and how to get more information, or contact Susanne Bruyere at e-mail smb23@cocrnell.edu or call 607-255-9536.
Data Sets for Rehabilitation
Counseling Graduate Research [pdf attached]
Longitudinal Study of the
Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program - Data Sets for State VR Program Evaluation [pdf attached]
NTAC-AAPI
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