NTAC e.News — May 1, 2008

Asian/Pacific Islander Words of Wisdom

“He that will not reflect is a ruined man.” - Asian proverb.

Source: http://www.inspirational-quotes.info/growth.html

Announcements: NTAC

NEW! Earn 10 CEUs Online

We are in the middle of the ninth offering of the online course, "Introduction to Disability/Rehabilitation with Asian/Pacific Islander Americans." However, a tenth offering is planned to commence in August. 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.

NTAC-AAPI has facilitated each offering of this month-long course, 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) as professors.

For more information, or to preview the required readings before the next course begins, please go to the following Web site: 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.

Announcements: National and International

Neil Romano: Taking the helm as ODEP's assistant secretary

Neil Romano graduated summa cum laude from New York University and was admitted into The Phi Beta Kappa Society, but because he has a learning disability, dyslexia, and struggled with reading and writing assignments, a high school guidance counselor suggested that his parents not waste their money on college application fees.

Recent Products

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

Resources

Grant Opportunity to Assist in the Placement and Retention of Women in Apprenticeships in the Non-Traditional Occupations

The Women Apprenticeship in Non Traditional Occupations(WANTO) Act of 1992 authorizes DOL to disburse technical assistance grants to promote the recruitment, training, and retention of women in apprenticeship and nontraditional occupations. One of the means of providing technical assistance is through competitive grants which focus on conducting innovative projects to improve the recruitment, selection, training, employment, and retention of women in apprenticeships in the construction industry. Solicitation Is Available on www.grants.gov and http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-8651.pdf

VETS announces competition for Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program

The U.S. Department of Labor, Veterans' Employment Training Service annouces a grant competition to provide job training, counseling, and placement services(including job readiness and literacy and skill training) to expedite the reintegration of homeless veterans into the labor force. Urban or Non-Urban HVRP grants are intended to address two objectives: (1) to provide services to assist in reintegrating homless veterans into meaningful employment within the labor force, and (2) to stimulate the development of effective service delivery systems that will address the complex problems facing homeless veterans as well as addressing the universal and the local or regional problems that have had a negative impact on homeless veterans reentering the workforce. For more information regarding grant eligibility, please go to www.grants.gov, the deadline is May 14, 2008

Institutes / Conferences

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

THE AAIDD ANNUAL MEETING THIS MAY FEATURES SEVEN PROFESSIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOPS, FROM COMMUNICATING ABOUT END-OF-LIFE WISHES TO IDENTIFYING JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) has organized seven professional training workshops on key issues in the intellectual disabilities field as part of its 2008 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. On Friday, May 30, you can spend half a day with experts learning about such topics as: Life and financial planning; communicating about end-of-life wishes through person-centered planning; evidence-based practices in teaching social skills; community support skills standards in the direct support profession; and supported employment. Learn more and register at http://www.aaidd.org/Events/DC/workshops.shtml. To download a preliminary program of the 132nd AAIDD Annual Meeting, visit http://www.aaidd.org/Events/pdf/PreliminaryProgram08.pdf. The theme for this year's Annual Meeting is "The New Professional: Leadership in Science, Practice, Policy and Advocacy". Learn more about AAIDD at www.aaidd.org.

Sabe 2008 Indianapolis - Call for presentations

This is your chance to share what you know with others. So don't delay. The deadline is Thursday May 15th. Don't miss out on the opportunity to participate in the largest gathering of self advocates in the country. You have the opportunity to lead one of over 70 workshops at the National Self Advocacy Conference on September 4 - 7, 2008 in Indianapolis, Indiana. All workshops are led by self-advocates, on topics that they choose to present. There is no limit to the number of presentations you can submit, so gather up your friends and come up with a topic, or two, three!

Free Dinner in New Orleans!

Workforce Innovations 2008 is pleased to announce the return of Tell-a-Colleague- a strategy that puts conference information into the hands of those who would be most interested, and gives us the opportunity to say "thank you" for your referral. Take a minute to check feature on the Workforce Innovations Web site . For each name you submit, you will be automatically entered into a drawing to receive dinner for two at a popular New Orleans restaurant.

Promoting Equal Opportunity and Cultural Diversity for APAs in Government

The Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) would like to invite you to attend in FAPAC's 23rd Annual National Leadership Training Conference from June 23-27, 2008, at the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, 333 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. The theme for this year's conference is "Leadership, Diversity and Harmony - Gateway to Success" The conference is a great opportunity for professional and personal development through workshops and plenary sessions, including FAPAC's Annual Congressional Seminar, and exhibits. Please visit the web site at www.fapac.org for further information on the conference as well as our other activities.

5th National Organizational Change Forum

Support the development of system change and individual supports that expand community-based employment opportunities and focus resources on integrated customized employment. See the announcement here

Research / Publications

Review of Disability Studies: Special Issue on Disability and Inclusive Economic Development

The Review of Disability Studies is requesting papers for an upcoming special issue on Disability and Inclusive Development, to be edited by Rosangela Berman Bieler of the Inter-American Institute on Disability and Inclusive Development and Daniel Mont of The World Bank. This issue is intended to highlight recent research on the links between disability and socio-economic outcomes in developing countries, as well as evaluate attempts to move towards a more inclusive model of development. Please send electronic copies of a 1-2 page abstract to both Daniel Mont at dmont@worldbank.org and Rosangela Berman Bieler at RBBieler@aol.com by August 1st. Submissions from authors from developing countries and submissions across all disciplines, as long as they are aimed at helping to build more effective inclusive policies, are encouraged.

EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES ARE JUST AS PRODUCTIVE AS THOSE WITHOUT DISABILITIES, WITH ACCOMMODATION COSTS OFTEN BEING MINIMAL, NEW STUDY SHOWS

A recent study of 314 employees with and without disabilities conducted by researchers at DePaul University found that employees with disabilities from the healthcare, retail, and hospitality sectors were just as dependable and productive as employees without disabilities. In addition, participating employees with disabilities had nearly identical job performance ratings; the amount of supervision required was similar for both groups; participants with disabilities from the retail and hospitality sectors stayed on the job longer than their counterparts; and very few special accommodations were provided to participating employees with disabilities and averaging only $313.
To read Exploring the Bottom Line: A Study of the Costs and Benefits of Workers with Disabilities, visi:t http://bbi.syr.edu/_assets/staff_bio_publications/McDonald_Exploring_the_Bottom_Line_2007.pdf

NCD Report: Keeping Track: National Disability Status and Program Performance Indicators

The National Council on Disability (NCD) is pleased to present you with Keeping Track: National Disability Status and Program Performance Indicators. This report is the result of a year-long effort by NCD to identify valid federal data and to describe the status of the U.S. population of Americans with disabilities. Click here to read more.

NEW U.S. FEDERAL REPORT PROPOSES 18 STATISTICAL INDICATORS TO ANNUALLY MEASURE THE STATUS OF WORKING-AGE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN AMERICA

The National Council on Disability (NCD) released a report titled, Keeping Track: National Disability Status and Program Performance Indicators, describing what is currently known about the status of people with disabilities in the United States. The report also examines current data to assess the extent to which they meaningfully measure the well-being of people with disabilities. The report includes a set of 18 statistical social indicators that NCD believes will measure the progress of people with disabilities in important areas of their life over time. The indicators span a variety of life domains, including employment, education, health status and health care, financial status and security, leisure and recreation, personal relationships, and crime and safety.

REGISTER FOR ONLINE ISSUE ALERTS FOR THE AMERICAN JOURNAL ON MENTAL RETARDATION AND INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

The American Journal on Mental Retardation (AJMR) and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) are both leading journals in special education and rehabilitation, according to industry impact factor rankings. Now you can register to receive an e-mail alert every time a new issue of AJMR or IDD is posted online. To sign up to receive an alert, click here. The alert will include a full table of contents of the current issue with a provision to access the articles online. Subscribers can read the entire issue online and download PDFs of articles at no cost. Non-subscribers can read abstracts of articles for free or purchase the full text of the article online for a fee. To learn more about AJMR and IDD, click here. AJMR and IDD are published by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD).

ODEP's Universal Design and Universal Strategies explained

Good customer service means providing a welcoming environment, respectful treatment and needed information. Universal Design provides an important toolset for companies seeking to provide these advantages for their customers and for their employees, who also want to feel welcome and respected, and who require adequate and timely information to do their jobs. Click here to read more.