NTAC e.News — July 1, 2007

Asian/Pacific Islander Words of Wisdom

Ryooyaku kuchi ni nigashi
Literally: Good medicine tastes bitter in the mouth.
A Japanese proverb meaning: Good advice is often unpleasant and difficult to accept; however, the bitter truth is sometimes the best medicine.
Source: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/5623/kotowjis.html.

Announcements: Local

NEW! Dr. Kim-Rupnow Presenting Again

Dr. Kim-Rupnow, NTAC-AAPI Project Director, will be presenting at the 18th Annual APSE Conference, July 16, 17 and 18, 2007. The conference will be at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center in Kansas City, MO. APSE, the Network on Employment, is known for hosting the most informative and stimulating conferences on disability and employment in the United States. It is the only national annual meeting that focuses exclusively on cutting edge employment practices for individuals with more-challenging disabilities. All NTAC network members are cordially invited to attend. If you would like to arrange a personal meeting with Dr. Kim-Rupnow while she is in the Kansas City area, you can send an email her at kimrupno@hawaii.edu.

Call for Papers—Come to Hawai‘i in 2008

Attention Network members and others—the call for papers for the 24th Annual Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities is now open. You are invited to submit papers for the 2008 PacRim Conference to be held March 24 and 25 at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel and Resort in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. For more information about Pac Rim, please see http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu/.

Online Course—Seventh Offering

The seventh online course facilitated by the National Technical Assistance Center for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (NTAC-AAPI) with Disabilities is slated to begin September 4, 2007. The course, “Introduction to Disability/Rehabilitation with Asian/Pacific Islander Americans” costs $20 tuition and earns you 10 Continuing Education Units that may be applied to your CRC. The course is a wonderful opportunity to further your cultural competence and enhance your counseling abilities.

The seventh offering is again taught by 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.

For more information or to preview the required readings before the seventh offering begins, please go to the following Web site: http://www.ntac.hawaii.edu/AAPIcourse/. To receive reminders about the course, reserve your space, or to learn where to send your $20 tuition payment, please contact James D. Brightman, NTAC-AAPI Vocational Rehabilitation Coordinator/Teaching Assistant at jamesdb@hawaii.edu. Thank you, and see you online.

Announcements: National and International

Justices say home healthcare aides not entitled to minimum wage, overtime

The nation’s home healthcare aides are not entitled to minimum wages or overtime pay under federal law, even if they work for private employers, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. With an estimated 1 million workers assisting the elderly and the disabled in their homes, unions and civil rights groups had urged the justices to scrap the rule. Read the news release.

Disabilities center marks 35th at USU

The Center for Persons with Disabilities (UCEDD/LEND) at Utah State University is celebrating its 35th year of operation. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,665193506,00.html

Positions Available

Macy’s in Kailua is Recruiting

Macyy’s Department store is seeking full-time, as well as part-time, Sales Associates for its store in Kailua on the island of O‘ahu. Interested job-seekers should call Val Chang at (808) 945-5300 or send an email to her at Valerie.Chang@macys.com.

Clerical Positions With The Navy in Hawaii

The Navy is looking for quality candidates, students, and non-students for clerical positions for hire under the Special Hiring Authorities for the Severely Disabled. The Navy is interested in recruiting the severely disabled under the special hiring authority 5CFR 213.3102(u)(2) in which they will need a Doctor’s diagnosis and statement of job readiness. Severely disabled are: Deafness, Blindness, Missing Extremities, Partial Paralysis, Complete Paralysis, Convulsive Disorders, Mental Retardation, Mental Illness, and Distortion of Limb and/or Spine.

The positions are in the Pearl Harbor area accessible by car or bus (although there is a bit of walk). Shipyard locations frequently have express city buses access. A security check is required.

For more information contact: Colleen Martineau, Equal Employment Manager, (808) 473-8000, ext. 5727, Fax: (808) 471-0665, colleen.martineau@navy.mil

Recent Products

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

Resources

Predoctoral Training at the Interface of the Behavioral and Biomedical Sciences (T32)

The National Institutes of Health anticipates issuing 5–10 awards. Deadline is September 25th, 2007. Because the nature and scope of the proposed research training will vary from application to application, it is anticipated that the size of each award will also vary. The goal of the program is to develop basic behavioral scientists with rigorous broad-based training in biology and biomedical science. These programs must provide an interdisciplinary research training experience and curriculum for predoctoral trainees that integrate both behavioral and biomedical perspectives, approaches and methodologies. http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-06-503.html

CareerOneStop.org

Careeronestop.org (formerly know as CareerVoyages.gov) is a Web site that enables users to explore career options. Offering information about high-demand, high growth jobs, this Web site gives the user useful information about what education and training would be required to pursue certain careers. CareerOneStop.org helps the job-seeker by offering a list of hot jobs that can be searched for by state, by degree, or the top 50 in-demand occupations. Visit CareerOneStop and experience a new way to plan your career.

New Customized Employment Resources

ODEP has funded pilot demonstration programs across the United States to build the capacity and change the workforce development system to better serve adults and youths with disabilities. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of these demonstration programs, ODEP contracted with the private research firm Westat to conduct an independent evaluation of these programs. Summary of findings, conclusions, and recommendations to date | Customized Employment Resources.

APHA Public Health Fellowship in Government

APHA is looking for candidates with strong public health credentials who wish to spend one year in Washington, DC, working in a congressional office on legislative and policy issues related to health and the environment. The fellowship will run from January to December 2008. The fellowship is designed to provide a unique public policy learning experience, to demonstrate the value of science-government interaction and to make practical contributions to enhancing public health science and practical knowledge in government. Candidates must have an masters of public health or a doctorate in a public health discipline. Applications are due to APHA by July 20, 2007 and the committee will make its decision by Sept. 30. Contact Susan Polan, PhD, with questions at susan.polan@apha.org.

The Next Step (video)

The 19-minute video, “The Next Step,” from the Texas DD Council presents personal stories of five Texans with disabilities who enrolled in colleges, universities or technical schools. Next Step Higher Ed Video; videos can also be ordered in DVD and VHS format.

Institutes / Conferences

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

Future of Pediatrics Conference: Community Pediatrics, The Medical Home and Beyond

June 29-July 1, 2007: Orlando, Florida
Designed for the practicing pediatrician, this American Academy of Pediatrics conference will provide current information on clinical and practice management topics, with special offerings for the community pediatrician, including resources and strategies to enhance community involvement and partnerships, as well as opportunities to present and discuss successful projects and ideas. More than 100 medical home and community practitioners and advocates will share their successful projects through posters at a reception and poster session. http://www.medicalhomeinfo.org/

18th Annual National APSE Conference

The 18th Annual National APSE Conference will take place from July 16-18, 2007 in Kansas City, Missouri. This year’s conference challenges you to join in shaping the future of supported employment! Register Online for the APSE Conference

Smooth as SILC: An Introduction to Statewide Independent Living Councils

Course Dates: July 23 - August 10, 2007; Registration Deadline: July 9, 2007; Orientation teleconference for students: July 19, 2007; Target audience: SILC executives, staff, and members. This is a beginning to intermediate level course.

This three-week distance learning course orients members of SILCs to the laws and regulations that guide their daily activities. In addition, it applies the principles and philosophy of independent living to situations commonly encountered by statewide independent living councils.

2007 Collaborative Conference on Autism with Low Incidence Disabilities

The Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI), Ohio School for the Deaf (OSD), the Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB), and the Ohio Center for Deafblind Education (OCDBE) present the 2007 Collaborative Conference on Autism with Low Incidence Disabilities, July 30 – August 1, 2007, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Columbus North in Columbus, OH.

This first-of-its-kind conference will focus on students who are autistic and blind, autistic and deaf, autistic and deafblind, or students with other multiple disabilities.

Featured topics include overviews of the disabilities, assessments, interventions, methods and best practices, and the Ziggurat Model—a process model for team problem solving and interventions. National presenters include Teresa Pawletko, Jay and Marilyn Gense, Ruth Aspy, Barry Grossman, and Karen Ewing.

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

Research / Publications

Computer Training Found to Help Those with ADHD

June 6, 2007, EdWeek: Recent studies have shown that a computer-based training program developed in Sweden helps sharpen the “working memory” skills of children and teenagers with ADHD. Read the complete story.

Hire Abilities—Medicaid Work Incentive Coverage (MWIC)—DRAFT V.5.7.1

The Hawaii Medicaid Infrastructure Grant produced a 2 page brief describing the need for Medicaid Work Incentive Coverage (MWIC) in Hawaii. The brief also identifies coverage groups and individual eligibility. http://nasuad.org/sites/nasuad/files/hcbs/files/111/5518/BRIEF.pdf

Customized Employment Q&A: Assisting Adults with Intellectual Disabilities and Their Families to Pursue Their Employment Goals

Federal and state policies have promoted a shift away from segregated day programs for people with disabilities towards employment in integrated settings. This fact sheet explores why adults with disabilities choose to attend sheltered workshops and how this situation can be changed. http://www.worksupport.com/research/viewContent.cfm/622

Fact Sheets for Medicaid Infrastructure Grants

Hire Abilities Hawaii, Hawaii’s MIG program, produced multiple fact sheets in 2007, informing consumers with disabilities of the services available to them through State programs. The fact sheets address topics such as One-Stop Career Centers, Career Development, Working While Maintaining Benefits, Tips for Filing and Free Tax Preparation, and Information for People with Disabilities entering the job market. The fact sheets also identify resources like the Hawaii Disability Rights Center. http://www.hcbs.org/moreInfo.php/nb/doc/1915