NTAC e.News — December 1, 2006

Asian/Pacific Islander Words of Wisdom

“Don’t notice the tiny flea in the other person’s hair and overlook the lumbering yak on your own nose.”
Explanation: Judgmental words and self-righteous tones fail to help any situation.
Source: Das, Surya (1998). Awakening the Buddha Within: Eight Steps to Enlightenment

Announcements: Local

NEW! Invitation to the Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities

All of us at the NTAC-AAPI hope to meet many of our network members at the 23rd Annual Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities on March 12-13, 2007. The conference will be at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel & Resort in Honolulu. Early Bird Rates end Dec. 31 2006! Please go to: http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu for more information or to register and plan your trip.

Online Course—Free Continuing Education

Planning has begun for the fifth NTAC-AAPI online course: “Introduction to Disability/Rehabilitation with Asian/Pacific Islander Americans.” The NTAC-AAPI will again facilitate this free course, worth ten Continuing Education Units (CEUs), which may be applied to your CRC. Returning to teach the course are Paul Leung, Professor and Director of the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work, and Addictions at the University of North Texas, and Nan Zhang Hampton, Associate Professor of the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education at San Diego State University. The course is a wonderful opportunity to further your cultural competence, and enhance your counseling abilities, while earning CEUs in the process. The three-week course will begin in January 16th 2007. For more information, to preview the required readings, and to register for this course, please go to the following Web site: http://www.ntac.hawaii.edu/AAPIcourse/. To reserve your space and get on the mailing list, send an email to James D. Brightman, NTAC-AAPI Vocational Rehabilitation Coordinator, at jamesdb@hawaii.edu.

Announcements: National and International

Workers with Disabilities have less than 1% of US Federal Jobs

The latest numbers from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission show that workers with disabilities make up less than 1% of the federal work force, despite the Bush administration’s efforts to reverse the trend. In 2005, federal agencies employed 25,142 workers who were deaf, blind or had mental illness or an intellectual disability, according to an annual EEOC report. That was a 16% decrease from 29,930 workers in fiscal 1996. For more information, please see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/05/AR2006100501902.html.

U.S. Department of Labor Forms Alliance with SHRM to Promote Employment of Workers with Disabilities

November 13, 2006, news release from the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) describing a recently formed alliance with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to encourage and promote the employment of people with disabilities. http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/odep/odep20061963.htm

Positions Available

U.S. Navy Seeking Applications

The U.S. Navy in Hawaii is eager to locate people with disabilities seeking employment. To boost its employment of people with disabilities, the Navy has a policy that allows them to enter certain positions through a noncompetitive process (for example, working in an office position which involves a lot of data entry or tasks like mail delivery). For more information, please contact Carolyn Denney at (808) 473-8000, extension 3374 or by email at carolyn.denney@navy.mil.

Civilian Coast Guard Job in Honolulu Available

The United States Coast Guard based in Honolulu has an opening for a Purchasing Agent, GS-1105-6/7. For more information, please see https://jobs1.quickhire.com/scripts/uscg.exe (click on Search Jobs in the upper left corner; under location, highlight Honolulu and then click Submit). Applications can be completed online and must be received by November 17, 2006.

2007 Summer Congressional Internship for College Students with Disabilities

Administered by AAPD and sponsored by the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, second-semester sophomores through first-semester seniors interested in working on Capitol Hill are encouraged to apply. Accepted candidates will work in congressional offices in Washington, DC. Roundtrip travel and housing will be provided to interns, and each student will receive a stipend. Applications will be available in August 2006 from http://www.AAPD.com/. Apply by: December 1, 2006 (5:00pm, eastern). Questions and submissions for Congressional program to: aapdcongintern@aol.com.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Mini-Grants

The National Association of Service and Conservation Corps (NASCC), in cooperation with the Corporation for National and Community Service, is offering mini-grants to support service projects carried out by NASCC members and other organizations on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 15, 2007. These mini-grants of $1,000-$5,000 will support service activities designed to alleviate conditions of poverty in communities and engage disadvantaged youth. To inquire or submit a completed application, contact Matt Ferris at mferris@nascc.org. Application deadline: December 8, 2006. Visit http://www.nascc.org/MLKServiceDay.htm for more information.

2007 Summer Information Technology (I.T.) Internship for College Students with Disabilities

Administered by AAPD and sponsored by Microsoft Corporation, undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers in information technology are encouraged to apply. Accepted candidates will work in various agencies in the executive branch of the federal government. Roundtrip travel and housing will be provided to interns, and each student will receive a stipend. Applications will be available in August 2006 from www.AAPD.com. Apply by: DECEMBER 1, 2006 (5:00pm, eastern). Questions and submissions for I.T. program to: aapdmsintern@aol.com.

Recent Products

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

Resources

Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS)

The deadline of January 12, 2007, 11:59 pm EST for the 2007-2008 Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Nomination Process is fast approaching! For more information about GMS and/or to start the online nomination process, visit www.gmsp.org. You can also download the nomination materials from the Web site. Materials may be submitted either on-line by January 12, 2007, 11:59 p.m. EST or postmarked on or before January 12, 2007.

[CBPR] Youth Purpose Research Grants—Deadline: January 17, 2007

The Stanford Center on Adolescence is pleased to announce that it will be awarding up to $10,000 to graduate students and post doctoral researchers conducting empirical research on a broad range of topics that shed light on purpose in life among young people. Researchers from all disciplines are encouraged to apply for the awards, and applications are due on January 17, 2007. Applicants must be affiliated with an accredited college or university and should be U.S citizens or permanent residents. Postdoctoral applicants must have received their Ph.D. within the past five years. More information and application materials can be found at http://coagrants.stanford.edu.

FY 2006-2007 Discretionary Grant Application Packages

Visit this site, from the Department of Education, which provides information on grant competitions that are currently open. http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html

American Educational Research Association Research Grants

With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the American Educational Research Association announces its Research Grants. The program’s goals are to stimulate research on issues related to U.S. education policy and practice using NCES and NSF data sets; improve the educational research community’s firsthand knowledge of the range of data available at the two agencies and how to use them; and increase the number of educational researchers using the data sets. Grants of up to $20,000 for 1-year projects and $35,000 for 2-year projects will be awarded. Application deadline: January 5, 2007. Visit http://www.aera.net/grantsprogram/res_training/res_grants/RGFly.html for more details.

Resource and Fund Development Online Courses

The CNCS Resource Center provides online courses on a wide variety of topics designed specifically to help strengthen national service programs. The following courses are currently available—free of charge—from the Online Learning Center: Build Fundraising Volunteer Champions, Corporate Motivation and Response, Individuals Writing to Individuals, Funding Challenges Can Work for You, Writing Proposals. Log in to access this course now!

Institutes / Conferences

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

The Nuts and Bolts of Telework—Increasing Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities

Date: December 7, 2006, Time: 2:00 - 2:45pm ET, Presenters: Richard Horne, Jane Anderson, Richard Salnick
In this webcast, the presenters will discuss the basics of telework. Not to be confused with telemarketing, telework can be used as a strategy for return-to-work for people with disabilities and for increasing competitive employment for disabled Veterans. The webcast includes an overview of Federal interest in telework, given by Richard Horne, an in depth review of exactly what telework consists of, given by Jane Anderson, and an exploration of the success of Expediter, given by Richard Salnick. In addition, the presenters will give an overview of the resources and services that are available for employers and job-seekers on the new DOL-ODEP TeleworkUSA.net Web site. Please join in as they take employers through the steps needed to build a successful telework environment, enjoy the many perks of holding telework positions in their companies, and the rewards of engaging job-seekers that need to work remotely. Register for this webcast.

Ticket to Work Advisory Panel Beneficiary Summit Announcement

The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel (the Panel) will be having a Beneficiary Summit in Atlanta, Georgia on February 6-7, 2007, for individuals who receive (or recently received) a Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and/or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit and/or their health insurance from Medicare or Medicaid (beneficiaries). Beneficiaries will be invited to the Summit to give us their thoughts and ideas on the way that Social Security disability and other programs operate now and how they can be made better for people who want to go to work. Also, beneficiaries attending the Summit will propose an ongoing process for beneficiary involvement in the work of the Social Security Administration (SSA).

The Summit will be a meeting of about 50 beneficiaries to discuss the disability programs as they are now and what could be changed to make them work better for people with disabilities. Recommendations will focus on work and what SSA and its partners can do to encourage work for more beneficiaries. It costs nothing to attend the Summit. The beneficiaries who are selected to attend will have their travel, meal, lodging, transportation, and incidental costs paid by the Panel. In addition, if a beneficiary requires a personal assistant or support person in order to participate, those costs will be paid by the Panel as well.

Applications can be sent via e-mail to Jenn Rigger with the Panel to TWWIIAPanel@ssa.gov or faxed to: 202-358-6440. They can also be mailed to the: Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel, 400 Virginia Avenue, SW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20024, Attn: BENEFICIARY SUMMIT.

If there are questions about the application, call Jenn Rigger at 202-358-6425. REMINDER: The deadline for applications is October 6, 2006.

Consortia of Administrators for Native American Rehabilitation, Inc. (CANAR, Inc.): “Making Life Better, One Individual at a Time”

February 18 - 21, 2007: Washington, DC
Annual CANAR Conference, Hyatt-Regency on Capital Hill, 400 New Jersey Avenue, 202-737-1234 or 800-233-1234
The Annual 2007 National Conference on Native American Rehabilitation is scheduled for February 18 - 21, 2007 in Washington, D. C. and will be co-sponsored by the Consortia of Administrators for Native American Rehabilitation, Inc. (CANAR, Inc.), Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), and other rehabilitation agencies. Download the registration form in Microsoft Word format.

23rd Annual Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities

Registration is open for the 2007 Pac Rim Conference. Be sure to take advantage of the special Early Registration Rate. Mark Your Calendar! March 12-14, 2007, Sheraton Waikiki Hotel & Resort Honolulu, Hawaii. Visit http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu/ for more details.

Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion, and Disability

April 3 & 4, 2007
As a modern land grant university an important part of Ohio State University’s mission is serving the community. Since 2001 The Ohio State University’s ADA Coordinator’s Office has hosted Multiple Perspectives On Access Inclusion & Disability. The conference offers a unique opportunities for approximately 300 professionals, scholars, advocates. Workshops and presentations are designed to bring a diverse audience together to discuss the full spectrum of disability issues and experiences. The annual gathering provides a forum for individuals and organizations to share their knowledge; broaden their perspectives, and increase community resources through the synergy of collaboration.

For the call for presentations and conference updates visit: http://ada.osu.edu/conferences. For more information on this years program visit: http://ada.osu.edu/conferences Or e-mail ada-osu@osu.edu.

RESNA 2007

Instructional Courses: June 15-16, 2007; Conference Workshop: June 17-19, 2007
RESNA’s Annual Conference will be held in Phoenix, June 15-19, 2007. RESNA 2007 will feature assistive technology’s leading researchers, renowned clinicians and policy experts creating a conference program with unmatched levels of knowledge and expertise. RESNA presenters and attendees will experience a surprisingly intimate conference environment. RESNA 2007 will offer an exciting Exhibit Hall featuring product demonstrations and training sessions, two days of Pre-Conference Instructional Courses, and 3 full-days of Workshops, Interactive Poster Sessions, Themed Paper Sessions and distinguished speakers.
For the latest information and details visit their Web site: http://www.resna.org/.

National Federation of the Blind Youth Slam 2007 A STEM Leadership Academy

July 30 - August 4, 2007: Baltimore, MD
Who:Two hundred blind high school students will be selected to participate in this program. Students who would like to be considered must complete the attached application and return it to the Jernigan Institute by April 1, 2007. Students will be selected based on their ability to participate actively in the activities.

What: This four-day academy will engage and inspire the next generation of blind youth to consider careers falsely believed to be impossible for the blind. While staying at Johns Hopkins University, students will be mentored by blind role models during fun and challenging activities meant to build confidence and increase science literacy.

Cost: There is no cost to apply for the program. Students who apply and are accepted to the Youth Slam will be expected to pay a $200 registration fee by May 31, 2007.

To send questions or comments via email, please write to youthslam@nfb.org, or visit http://www.blindscience.org/ncbys/Youth_Slam.asp

Research / Publications

The Health Status of Young Adults in the U.S. (July 2006)

This article from the Journal of Adolescent Health synthesizes national data to present a health profile of young adults, reviewing social indicators that describe the context of young adulthood and presenting measures of health status. It examines mortality, morbidity, risky behaviors, and health care access and utilization, identifying the most significant gender and racial/ethnic disparities. It concludes with a discussion of current efforts to address the health and wellbeing of young adults and argue for creating a national health agenda for young adults that includes research, programs, and policies to address health issues during this period of the lifespan. http://www.jahonline.org/article/PIIS1054139X06001431/fulltext.