NTAC e.News — November 15, 2005

Hawaiian Words of Wisdom

“Mai ho‘oni i ka wai lana mālie.”

Translation: Do not disturb the water that is tranquil. (Let the peaceful enjoy their peace.)

Announcements: Local

NEW! New Online Course

Registration for the new and improved version of our free online AAPI culture course is planned to commence December 1, 2005 with the course beginning January 9th. More of the readings are online for this version and professors Paul Leung and Nan Zhang Hampton are ready. This class will also be worth 10 Continuing Education Units provided by the CRCC and is a great opportunity to improve your abilities as a service provider. Send an email to james.brightman@cds.hawaii.edu to reserve your spot.

NEW! CSAVR Presentation

Dr. Robert Stodden, Principal Investigator for the National Technical Assistance Center for the Employment of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities represented the NTAC at the 2005 Fall Conference of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation in San Diego, California, during the week of November 6-9, 2005. Dr. Stodden presented a one and half hour breakout session to CSAVR members on the activities and products available within the NTAC. The session was attended by numerous persons of culture working within the Vocational Rehabilitation system, including persons representing Asian American and Pacific Islanders from the outer Pacific Basin. An excellent discussion of issues faced by AAPI’s with disabilities followed the session with good questions and examples of culturally sensitive VR services that may be offered by counselors.

NEW! Kajiyama Publishes in TASH Connections

Brian Kajiyama, an NTAC Youth Leadership Candidate, published an article in TASH Connections, a journal promoting equity, opportunity and inclusion for people with disabilities. The article covers the importance of self-determination and self-advocacy as well as the benefits of empowerment and a strong support system. For more information, please see:

Kajiyama, B. (2005). Dream it, see it, do it! TASH connections: Equity, opportunity and inclusion for people with disabilities since 1975, 31,(11/12) 8-11.

Fun and Interactive—Another Online Course in Development

Do you want to learn how to create a peaceful and productive work environment in Asian or Pacific Islander ways? In addition to the AAPI culture and disability online course currently being offered, we are in the process of developing a series of online courses designed to build cultural competences through fun, as well as the experiential learning of yoga, hula, and other AAPI methods to reduce stress and enhance productivity at work. The course is planned to be a web-based, continuing education credit course offered through the Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii. We would like to assess the demand for this type of course offering. If you or members of your organization are interested in this prospective course, please email your contact information to Richard.chea@cds.hawaii.edu. If you would like to be involved in the development of or have interest in co-teaching a specific technique, please send your interest and resume to Dr. Kim-Rupnow at kimrupno@hawaii.edu. Thank you!

API Disability Conference

Dr. Kim-Rupnow will be a panel member for a presentation entitled, “Employment Options for People with Disabilities,” at the 2005 Asian and Pacific Islander Disability Conference: The Branching Out and Becoming One conference to be held at Embassy Suites Hotel Anaheim-South in Garden Grove, California, on November 18th and 19th. The conference is devoted to community networking; educational and resource empowerment; and professional development. We encourage all Leadership Candidates and rehabilitation service providers to attend. For more information about the conference or network meeting at the conference, please contact Dr. Kim-Rupnow at kimrupno@hawaii.edu.

Employer Network: “Dahn Yoga”

Dahn Yoga now has 137 centers throughout the US, with over 600 centers worldwide. New centers are opening up as we speak! Check out center locations to find a center near you (http://www.dahnyoga.com/center/add_search.asp). In celebration of a partnership work with NTAC since 2003, we would like to offer the following commemoration event: visit your local Dahn Center with a printed copy of this newsletter during the month of November, 2005, and you can receive a FREE initial energy screening as a NTAC member. For more information about our work, please visit http://www.dahnyoga.com/.

Announcements: National and International

A Veterans Day Message from W. Roy Grizzard, Jr., Ed.D., Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor

The Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) recognizes the distinguished service of veterans to our country.

ODEP’s Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network (EARN) is a free service that connects employers looking for qualified employees with skilled job candidates. Our Job Accommodation Network (JAN) facilitates the employment and retention of workers with disabilities by providing employers, people with disabilities and their family members with the information they need on job accommodations, self-employment and small business opportunities. ODEP is also working with the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) on a program called REALifelines.

• Office of Disability Employment Policy: http://www.dol.gov/odep/
• Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network: http://www.earnworks.com/
• Job Accommodation Network: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/
• REALifelines: http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/Real-life/main.htm

Positions Available

Research Associate Position Opening

Full-time, temporary Research Associate (Ph.D., ABD, or Master’s Degree) needed for national and local research and evaluation of innovative substance abuse prevention and treatment programs. One-year position with possible longer-term options (funding permitting). NPC Research is a private company located in Portland, OR. NPC Research offers a progressive, family-friendly work environment with flexible benefits and work schedules. Potential applicants are encouraged to visit our Web site at: http://www.npcresearch.com.

Internship opportunities for students with disabilities

1. Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation/American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) - Congressional Internship Program (national)
   CLOSING DATE: December 12, 2005. AMOUNT: Stipends of $1,500 (eight week program), Transportation and housing, Eight awards.
   For detailed information go to: http://www.aapd.com/internships/congress/MEAF06/MEAFinternInfo06.htm
2. Microsoft/American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)—Expanding Tomorrow’s I.T. Workforce: Summer Federal Information Technology Internship Program for College Students with Disabilities (national)
   CLOSING DATE: December 12, 2005. AMOUNT: Stipends of $2,500 (eleven week program), Transportation and housing, Ten awards.
   For detailed information go to: http://www.aapd.com/internships/federal/federal06/MS-AAPDinternInfo06.htm

Recent Products

Latest issue of the Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal available for FREE online for a limited time only!

An international disability studies journal. Articles from noted scholars in the field AND new voices. Representing a rich diversity of perspectives and disciplines. Available in print, online and other accessible formats. Published by the Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. We welcome new subscribers and manuscript submissions. http://www.rds.hawaii.edu

For a complete list of NTAC products, please visit the Products section of our Web site.

Resources

Funding Opportunities from Various Government Agencies

• (November 21) NIH Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers 2006. For detailed information, go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/
  RFA-HD-05-030.html
• (November 28) US Department of Transportation - Grants to States under the United We Ride Initiative. For detailed information, go to http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/
  edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/05-18274.htm
• (December 29) HHS Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (In the Health Professions) Closing date: December 29, 2005. For complete information. Learn more about HHS scholarships.
• (February 27) NIH Clinical and Translational Science Grants Letters of Intent: February 27, 2006. URL: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/
  RFA-RM-06-001.html

Funding Opportunities from Foundations and Other Agencies

• (November 30) Easter Seals Program Evaluation Funding Opportunity One 12-month award of $80,000 is anticipated. Proposals due: November 30, 2005. For more information, go to http://projectaction.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?
  pagename=ESPA_requests_for_proposals.
• (December 1) Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships On-line Application Deadline: December 1, 2005. Full announcement located at http://www7.nationalacademies.org/fellowships/.
• (December 23) Yes I Can! International Awards from the Foundation for Exceptional Children Nomination deadline: December 23, 2005. Details, qualifications, and the online application are available at http://yesican.sped.org/.
• (January 6) William Diaz Impact Award Nominations are due January 6, 2006. Nominees are not required to be members of the Disability Funders Network. Self-nominations will not be accepted. Nomination forms are available at http://www.disabilityfunders.org.
• (February 3) Villers Fellowship for Health Care Justice Applications are due February 3, 2005. For complete details, go to http://www.familiesusa.org/about/the-villers-fellowship.html.
• (March 14) Post-Doctoral Fellowships in Language and Autism Research Deadline: March 14, 2006 (letters of intent). For complete information, access http://www.naar.org/research/rfps/Fellowship%20L-C%20Final%2005%20RFP.pdf.

Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health (NIH), (http://www.nih.gov)

Institutes / Conferences

For a complete list of conferences, please visit the Conferences section of our Web site.

National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conference® and Expo

Chicago, Illinois: Nov. 15 - 17, 2005

The National Workers’ Compensation & Disability Conference® and Expo is the must attend conference for anyone involved in the disability or workers’ comp industries. And the 2005 event will be no exception! Make plans now to join us Nov. 15 - 17, 2005 when the 14th annual event takes place at Lakeside Center at McCormick Place in Chicago. http://www.wcconference.com/wcdis/confover.html

World Congress and Exposition on Disabilities Pennsylvania Convention Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Dec 1-3, 2005
http://www.wcdexpo.com

White House Conference on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

Thursday, December 8, 2005, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, 2100 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203

The conference is free, but pre-registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit www.fbci.gov to register online. We strongly encourage you to register online. If you are unable to register online, print the registration form attached to this email. Complete the form and fax it to 703-299-4589 or 703-706-0476. Please register by Friday, December 2.

Attend the National Conference on Disability Inclusion and National Service

December 8 - 10, 2005. Get the latest information at http://www.serviceandinclusion.org/index.php?page=nat_conf. Online registration is available now! Registration link: http://www.regonline.com/27105.

43rd Annual International Conference of the Learning Disabilities Association of America

New Orleans, USA: March 1-4, 2006

http://www.ldanatl.org/conference/esubmission2006.cfm

California State University Northridge’s 21st Annual International Conference “Technology and Persons with Disabilities”

March 20-25, 2006: Los Angeles, CA

This is a comprehensive, international conference, where all technologies across all ages; disabilities; levels of education and training; employment; and independent living are addressed. It is the largest conference of its kind! http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/

2006 Geographic Solutions User Conference Early Bird Registration

Schedule: General sessions will be held on May 23rd. Parallel workshops will be held May 24 - 25. There will be pre-conference training sessions offered on May 22nd, and guests will have an opportunity to visit with Geographic Solutions’ staff on May 26th.

Call for Presenters: If you are interested in presenting, or would like to suggest a topic, please contact Deane Toler at 831-757-4400 or dtoler@geosolinc.com.

Early Bird Registration: If you plan on attending this event but have not yet registered, you can do so on the Web at http://www.geographicsolutions.com. Registration before December 31, 2005 is just $395, a savings of $50 off the standard registration fee of $445.00.

2006 Society for Disability Studies Conference Call for Papers

Society for Disability Studies 19th Annual Conference
Disability Goes Public: Re-Imagining Policy/Protest/Possibilities June 14th – 17th, 2006
Washington Plaza Hotel, Washington, DC

The deadline for proposals is December 1, 2005. Participants will be notified of their acceptance by February 15, 2005. All abstracts will be fully reviewed and scheduled by the 2005 SDS Program Committee: Because SDS cannot accept all of the many excellent submissions it receives, we ask those whose applications are chosen to commit to registering for the conference. Cancellations, particularly at the last minute, deny others the chance to share in their work. Please submit proposals electronically using the form on the SDS website, emailing to: Susan Magasi at 20jholst@uic.edu or smagas1@uic.edu, and Joy Hammel at 20cg16@uic.edu or hammel@uic.edu.

The full Call for Papers & Submission Forms are Available at the Society for Disability Studies Web Site: http://www.uic.edu/orgs/sds/annualmeetings.html

AHEAD 2006 Conference: Charting the Course for Change

San Diego, California: July 18-22, 2006

The annual international AHEAD conference brings together professionals in the fields of higher education and disability for a week of information-sharing, networking and theoretical and practical training. http://www.ahead.org/training/conference/index.htm

Research / Publications

NEW! Leake and Black Publish Transition Article

David W. Leake and Rhonda S. Black published an article in TASH Connections about the implications of individualism and collectivism for the transition from youth to adulthood for individuals from diverse backgrounds with severe disabilities. The article discusses, among other things, how some mainstream American values may not easily adopted by all cultural groups. The article also includes some questions for helpers to ask to determine a family’s particular cultural norms. For more information, please see:

Leake, D. W. & Black, R. S. (2005). Implications of individualism and collectivism for the transition of youth with significant disabilities. TASH connections: Equity, opportunity and inclusion for people with disabilities since 1975, 31,(11/12) 12-16.

United States Department of Labor Publications Update

We have added two new fact sheets: Employment Laws: Medical and Disability-Related Leave and Employment Laws: Overview & Resources for Employers. This information has recently been updated, and is now available at: http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/publicat.htm.

The fall edition of the “Workplace Accommodations Policy Highlights” has been posted to the Work RERC website. Link here for the full document: http://www.workrerc.org/News/Highlights1005.php or http://www.workrerc.org/News/Highlights1005.pdf.

Special Issue of the International Journal of Disability, Development and Education (IJDDE)

Topic: “Illuminating the Black Box of School Reform to Improve Outcomes for All Students”
To be published: Volume 54, Issue 1, March 2007
Guest Editors: Dennis McDougall and Claude Goldenberg

Guidelines for Submission: Authors should submit manuscripts via mail or e-mail. Each manuscript should be between 5,000 and 7,000 words, word- processed in English, and conform to guidelines of the 5th Edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001). The Guest Editors welcome queries from potential authors prior to manuscript submission. IJDDE is a peer-reviewed journal and thus every article included in this special issue will go through the customary peer review process before publication.

Submission Deadline for Manuscripts: 15 May, 2006. Please send manuscripts via mail or e-mail, or request of further details to: Dennis McDougall, Guest Editor, 124 Wist Hall, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA, mcdougal@hawaii.edu.