NTAC e.News — January 1, 2009

Asian/Pacific Islander Words of Wisdom


“Happy New Year from NTAC!”
Explanation: The staff here at NTAC wishes you and your loved ones a happy new year.

Announcements: National and International


54.4 Million Americans Report Some Level of Disability

In a report issued in the December 2008 Current Population Reports the U.S. Census Bureau reported that of the 291.1 million people in the 2005 population of the United States, 54.4 million, or 18.7 percent, reported some level of disability, and 35 million (12.0 percent of all people) reported a severe disability. This link opens a PDF document of the full article.

UCLA Anderson Executive Education Forges Alliance with U.S. Department of Labor

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the Regents of the University of California, on behalf of UCLA Anderson School of Management Executive Education Programs (EEP), have announced an Alliance Agreement to help advance employment opportunities for managers with disabilities. Click here to read more.

President-elect Barack Obama's Disability Agenda

President-elect Barack Obama has released an agenda to empower individuals with disabilities. In addition to reclaiming America's global leadership on this issue by becoming a signatory to -- and having the Senate ratify -- the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the plan has four parts, designed to provide lifelong supports and resources to Americans with disabilities. To read the entire fact sheet click here.


Positions Available


Floral Sales Consultant Needed

PKF, Inc. seeks an entrepreneurial sales consultant for floral sales. This position offers a 30% commission on all sales profits that you generate if you work from your home office and a 20% commission if you require office space at our location. PKF, Inc. has been in business for 10 years employing adults with disabilities and strives to increase meaningful opportunities for this segment of the population. The ideal candidate will have wholesale/ retail sales experience, an excellent grasp of English, superior customer service skills and a drive to succeed. This is a one-year position with an opportunity to extend based upon actual sales performance. Work from home option requires reliable phone, internet and fax. For more information, please contact Brian @ (808) 982-8322 and or email brian@punakamaliiflowers.com.


Recent Products


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


Resources


Department of Education Notice Inviting Applications: Disability & Rehabilitation Research Field Initiated Projects

The purpose of this program is to develop methods, procedures and rehabilitation technology that maximize the full inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living, family support and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities, especially those with the most severe disabilities. Application deadline is January 27, 2009. To read the full announcement, click here.

2009 College Scholarships for Students with Parents with Disabilities Announcement

Through the Looking Glass and its National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families are pleased to announce new scholarships specifically for high school seniors and college students who have parents with disabilities. Please note that these are new awards and have different application procedures than in the past. There are two separate scholarship awards, and each has separate eligibility requirements. All application materials must be completed and postmarked by Monday March 16, 2009. To learn more about them, please visit their website.

LD OnLine

LD OnLine helps children and adults reach their full potential by providing accurate and up-to-date information and advice about learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Includes resources on preparing for college and transitioning from school to work.

Institutes / Conferences


21st Annual Postsecondary Disability Training Institute

The objective of this Training Institute is to assist concerned professionals to meet the unique needs of college students with disabilities. Participants can select from a variety of Strands, a Mini-Strand, and Single Sessions taught by experts in the field that provide participants with in-depth information and adequate time for questions and follow-up activities. Participants also have opportunities to share information and network with each other at various activities throughout the week. For more information, please visit their website.

Customized Employment Training Course

This course provides an overview of customized employment, a process for individualizing the employment relationship between a job seeker and an employer in ways that meet the needs of both. Register by February 1, 2009 for the introductory registration fee.

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) National Parent Center Conference

This conference will be held from January 28 - 30, 2009 in Crystal City, VA, and will focus on the theme, High Expectations, Endless Possibilities. Parent Center leaders and colleagues will come together to learn about current topics and reflect on their work, united by the common goal of improving outcomes for children with disabilities. Registration can be done online for this conference.

CUSTOMIZED EMPLOYMENT: A NEW SHORT ONLINE COURSE

This course is offered by Virginia Commonwealth University's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Workplace Supports and Job Retention. It starts February 16th and ends a month later. The cost is $60 if you register before February 1st, and $100 thereafter. For taking this course, you will earn CRC or CEU credits. You can register online here.


Research / Publications


The 411 on Your Job Rights

Fact sheet from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) which explains to teens and young people their employment rights. This link opens the english PDF document; it is also available in Spanish.

Memo to President-elect Obama's Transition Team: Re-tooling Our Workforce to Meet the Nation's Economic PrioritiesInvesting in Our Greatest National Asset

President-elect Obama's solutions to the economic crisis involve investing in green industries and infrastructure improvements. These efforts require large numbers of semi-skilled and highly-skilled workers. In this report, recently shared with the Obama Transition Team, CAEL offers specific strategies for making some of the most urgent economic priorities a reality.

Innovation Strategies for a New System of Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning: The Challenge of Today and the Vision of Tomorrow

Innovation Network for Communities (INC) asked CAEL to be a strategic partner in exploring the idea of developing a "sector innovation hub" in workforce development. In the first stage of this partnership, CAEL conducted a scan of innovations that currently exist in workforce development and lifelong learning. This report presents an overview of the scan.

W3C Web Standard Defines Accessibility for Next Generation Web

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 defines how to make Web content more accessible to people with disabilities, and older people with changing abilities due to ageing. For quick answers go to the FAQ page; to read the full press release, go here.

NTAC-AAPI maintains an email list of persons in the disability-related fields that will remain private. This information has been sent as a courtesy. If you would like to make news contributions to the next issue (deadline: January 20, 2009), please contact the editor at david.baker@hawaii.edu. If you wish to stop receiving these messages, you may send an email to listserv@hawaii.edu with the subject line blank and signoff ntac-l@hawaii.edu in the body of your message.

Copyright 2008. National Technical Assistance Center (NTAC-AAPI).

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