NTAC e.News — March 1, 2008

Asian/Pacific Islander Words of Wisdom

“Make your life count; and the world will be a better place because you tried.”
Ellison Onizuka, Asian-American Astronaut, Message to Konawaena High School, 1980.
Source: http://onizukamemorial.org/his-message

Announcements: NTAC

NEW! Earn 10 CEUs online

Although the eighth offering of the online course, "Introduction to Disability/Rehabilitation with Asian/Pacific Islander Americans" just ended, the ninth and tenth offerings are planned for later this year. For a nominal tuition payment of $20, you can complete this popular course while earning 10 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) to apply to your CRC.

Each offering of this month-long course has been facilitated by NTAC-AAPI, with 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) serving as professors.

For more information, or to preview the required readings before the next course begins--the ninth will probably begin early in April, and the tenth, early in August-please go to the following website: http://www.ntac.hawaii.edu/AAPIcourse/. To get on the mailing list for the course, please send an email to James D. Brightman, NTAC-AAPI Vocational Rehabilitation Coordinator, at jamesdb@hawaii.edu.

Register for PacRim 2008

Register now to join us for the 24th Annual Pacific Rim Conference on Disabilities to be held April 14th and 15th of this year at the spectacular Sheraton Waikiki in Honolulu, Hawai'i. Please go to http://www.pacrim.hawaii.edu/registration/ to register.

Announcements: National and International

U.S. Government Has Record Low Employees With Disability In 20 Years

Despite initiatives and efforts by numerous administrations and federal agencies, there has been no appreciable improvement in the hiring and advancement of people with disabilities, including intellectual disability, in the U.S. government workforce, says a new report by the U.S. EEOC. The percentage of federal employees with disabilities has declined each year since reaching a peak of 1.24% in 1993 and 1994. In 2006, this rate fell to 0.94% of the federal government's total work force, the lowest participation rate in over 20 years. The EEOC report has 10 recommendations on boosting the employment rates of people with disabilities in the federal workforce which can be read here: http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/reports/pwtd.html#SecII.

Positions Available

Autism Clinical Research Project - 2 Fellowship Opportunities

Fellows in this project will spend half their time participating in an interdisciplinary research collaborative. Current projects involve studying robot- and computer-assisted assessments and interventions with children with autism spectrum disorders. Fellows' research roles may include conducting baseline assessments of children with autism, providing experimental and control interventions for children with autism, participating in research discussions, data analysis, and write-up of research findings for presentation and publication.

The other half of the fellowship will be spent in clinical activities in each specialty area, are described in the USC UCEDD Fellowship Brochure. See www.uscuceddtraining.net for a full description of the USC UCEDD fellowship.

Teaching Ambassador Fellowship Positions

Secretary Spellings has announced the creation of Teaching Ambassador Fellowship positions for currently practicing, K-12 public school teachers at the U.S. Department of Education for the 2008-2009 school year. These positions will offer highly motivated, innovative teachers the opportunity to contribute their knowledge and experience to the national dialogue on public education. Up to five Washington Fellows will be chosen to become full-time, paid federal employees in Washington, D.C. for the school year, working on education programs and participating in policy discussions.

Teaching Ambassador Fellows will be selected based upon their record of leadership, impact on student achievement, and potential for contribution to the field. Highly qualified K-12 public school teachers who have spent at least three years in the classroom are eligible to apply. Teachers must be currently practicing in and employed by a public school district to be eligible. To ensure collaboration at the school and district levels, teacher applicants must have the full support of their school principals.

Applications are due by April 7, 2008. Teaching Ambassador Fellows will be named by early summer for the 2008-2009 school year. Please read the detailed information found at http://www.ed.gov/programs/teacherfellowship to learn more.

Recent Products

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

Resources

Difficult Behaviors in Angelman Syndrome

The Angelman Syndrome Foundation announces the availability of up to $200,000 to be awarded in support of research aimed at identifying causative factors of difficult behaviors in individuals with Angelman Syndrome and identifying effective therapeutic interventions for difficult behaviors in individuals with Angelman syndrome. Angelman syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by deficiency of the ubiquitin protein ligase UBE3A in the brain. Highest priority will be given to pilot projects to test new ideas about effective therapy and causative factors of behaviors in individuals with Angelman syndrome. Researchers from all countries are encouraged to apply.

One-year grants will be awarded for amounts of up to $80,000. The application deadline is April 1, 2008. 17 complete copies of the proposals, including cover letters, should be submitted to the

Angelman Syndrome Foundation
4255 Westbrook Drive, Suite 216
Aurora, IL 60504

Questions about this announcement should be directed to Joseph Wagstaff, M.D., Ph.D. via ASF at:info@angelman.org.

$1.2 Million Available For Community- Based Drug Prevention Coalitions

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), in partnership with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), announced the availability of $1.2 million for new Drug-Free Communities Support Mentoring Program (DFC Mentoring) grants. An estimated 15 new Mentoring grants will be awarded (averaging $75,000 per grant, per year) to drug and alcohol prevention community coalitions representing a cross-section of rural, urban, suburban, and tribal communities.

To review the grant application or its requirements, or to learn more about the Drug Free Communities Support Program, please visit, http://www.ondcp.gov/dfc. DFC Mentoring grants are awarded through a competitive peer review process.

The deadline to submit a DFC Mentoring grant application is Friday, April 18, 2008.

Institutes / Conferences

Job Development Web Course March 25 - April 7

TRN, Inc. is offering a 2-week, 20-hour web training which covers key principles and hands-on tools for job development for youth and adults with disabilities. The course includes applying marketing principles, creating various job seeking tools, and developing business partnerships.

Registration is $149 US. Participants can log on at any time during the course period and participate in the training. Registration is limited and all previous courses have filled to capacity. To learn more about the training, and to register, go to: http://www.trn-store.com/catalog/web-courses-0.

National Symposium on Strengthening the HCBS Direct Service Workforce

This event will take place from May 8-9, 2008 in Baltimore, MD. The meeting will showcase best practices in home- and community-based direct service workforce development, and highlight Federal and state workforce initiatives. A primary theme of the event will be the importance of addressing workforce issues across age and disability consumer populations. For more information, visit here.

March 18th, 2008 - The Nature and Scope of Discrimination in Hiring Under ADA Title I

Over 20,000 allegations of workplace discrimination specific to hiring have been investigated and closed by the EEOC through 2005. Researchers at VCU have uncovered some surprising facts about the nature and scope of hiring discrimination related to characteristics of the charging parties, employers, and outcomes. These findings and their ramifications for the implementation and future of ADA will be discussed.

The cost for the session is $25 for nonprofits and $40 for other entities for each location, regardless of the number of participants at each location (multiple people can attend at one location for the same flat fee). Sessions are 90 minutes long and delivered via audio. Participants are in a "listen-only" mode until the question and answer period. If you wish to attend, please go to web site ada-audio.org to register.

NAJA= National Association of Job Training Assistance

The 25th Annual NAJA Conference held in beautiful Sacramento California, March 17 - 21, 2008. Sharing the Path: Changing World of Workforce Development for Employment and Training will be held at the Sheraton Grand in Sacramento, California.

The Eighth Annual Multiple Perspectives On Access, Inclusion & Disability: Looking Back & Thinking Ahead

The Eighth Annual Multiple Perspectives conference continues the university's efforts to bring together a diverse audience to explore disability as both an individual experience and social reality that cuts across typical divisions of education & employment; scholarship & service; business & government; race, gender & ethnicity. This year's theme "Looking Back and Thinking Ahead" is meant to encourage presenters and participants to consider topics, methods and programs from fresh perspectives. For more information about the conference visit http://mpconference.osu.edu/.

Research / Publications

New Social Inclusion At Work Teaches Job Coaches And Vocational Specialists, Strategies To Integrate People With Intellectual Disabilities Into Work Settings

It is well-known that being included in social groups at work increases job security and the quality of life of people with or without disabilities. A new book titled, More than a Paycheck: Social Inclusion at Work by Janis Chadsey, contains step-by-step intervention strategies for teachers, vocational specialists, job coaches, and other professionals on how to socially integrate people with intellectual disabilities into employment settings. Social Inclusion at Work is published by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and is available for review and purchase at http://bookstore.aaidd.org.

Workers with Disabilities: Talent for a Winning Team - Tim

Tim A. had been employed at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) for seven years when automation eliminated the need for his position. At the same time, another department had an opening. Since Tim had been placed in his original job through Project SEARCH, which originated at the CCHMC to provide employment and education opportunities for individuals with significant disabilities, he again turned to that avenue for assistance.

New High School/High Tech Guide Reflects Nationwide Programs

A new High School/High Tech (HS/HT) Program Guide, produced by ODEP and the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability, reflects effective practices nationwide. The guide includes information on lessons learned as HS/HT has evolved from a locally-administered to a state-administered national program model based upon the Guidepost to Success. It also includes information and materials used by HS/HT programs throughout the United States.