Have you, your loved one, or your client with IDD ever applied for a job at a “big box” store? Were you asked to take a complicated employment test? We are interested in learning more about these tests and how they impact job seekers with disabilities. Please complete our very short survey and contact Shira Wakschlag with any questions.
Today, The Arc came out in opposition to Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the United States Supreme Court. This opposition is based on Judge Kavanaugh’s record on cases relating to disability and civil rights.
Of particular concern are his decisions on cases involving self-determination of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), education, employment, and his stances on the Affordable Care Act and school choice.
“We did not take lightly the decision to oppose Judge Kavanaugh’s appointment to the US Supreme Court, but after a thorough analysis of his record, we cannot idly sit by knowing that he has demonstrated a disregard for the impact of his judicial philosophy on the lives of people with disabilities and their families time and time again. Judge Kavanaugh has written several troubling opinions and dissents on cases related to disability rights and The Arc’s constituents, including those pertaining to education, affordable health care, and self-determination.
“Particularly concerning is his opinion in Doe. V. Tarlow, a case where women with intellectual disability who resided in the District of Columbia’s Forest Haven institution brought a class action lawsuit against the District for violating their due process rights. The District, through its developmental disabilities agency, consented to subject them to non-emergency surgical procedures, including abortions and eye surgeries, without even talking to them and their family members. Judge Kavanaugh’s ruling is disturbing in his apparent lack of appreciation for the humanity of individuals with intellectual disability, their basic human rights, and their ability and right to participate in important life decisions even when found legally unable to make decisions by themselves.
“The Arc urges Senators to not confirm Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to our highest court. The Senate should not confirm a Justice to the Supreme Court whose judicial philosophy threatens the autonomy and well-being of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said Peter V. Berns, Chief Executive Officer of The Arc.
The start of a new school year can bring both excitement and anxiety for students and parents, especially for families of students receiving special education supports. Students with disabilities who struggle with change may need extra help making the transition to a new school or teacher.
To help families start the new school year off right, The Arc@School offers the following tips:
If you have any concerns about your child’s services or supports, you can visit The Arc@School to learn more about your rights and where you can find help.
The request for proposals for the Coleman Institute’s Declaration Implementation Grants (DIGs) is out! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2018-2019DIGS.
Chapters of The Arc have been in receipt of grants in the past. A video with additional information: even features some familiar faces from The Arc of Philadelphia & The Arc of Westchester!
Technology is a ubiquitous and valuable tool for billions of people worldwide, yet many people with cognitive disabilities have limited access to these tools for everyday living. As a means to address this inequality, The Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities along with a coalition of disability organizations and individuals have asserted The Rights of People with Cognitive Disabilities to Technology and Information Access. This statement of principles, commonly referred to as the “Declaration,” outlines what it means for the estimated 30 million Americans with cognitive disabilities to be meaningfully included in our technologically-driven society. To date, over 2,541 individuals and organizations have endorsed the Declaration. Colorado and Maine have also enacted state legislative initiatives supporting the principles outlined in the Declaration.
The purpose of the Request for Proposals is to further advance the Declaration through local and statewide implementation grants. Specifically through creative and effective approaches to increase awareness and demonstrate effective implementation of the principles outlined in the Declaration, as well as proposals that focus on applied cognitive technologies as a vehicle for accomplishing real-life practices. In the context of this proposal request, applied cognitive technologies are defined as “Technology supports that enable people with cognitive disabilities to successfully function in inclusive environments, to increase participation in tasks and activities in inclusive environments, and to promote social inclusion, self-determination, and quality of life.”
If you have any questions relating to DIGs, please email Genevieve Berry at genevieve.berry@cu.edu.
Getting ready for the new school year? Don’t forget our most valuable resource, chapter staff, and their thirst for increasing their knowledge and skills. The Arc and Relias Learning (RL) partnership offers over 200 on-line courses on a variety of topics relevant to our work. Our collaboration entitles chapters to discounted rates and access to the RL Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Training Library. Many chapters successfully use RL to meet state training requirements for their personnel. Don’t miss out on these important back-to-school supplies.
Tell us about your chapter’s school-to-work transition initiative!
The Arc Prince George’s County provides transition and school to work services that include Project SEARCH, Ready@21 and our Youth Job Prep programs.
Project SEARCH: Our program is one of only two sites on an air force base. Located at Joint Base Andrews, our program supports 7 to 10 students from Prince George’s County Public School System who experience a variety of work settings through three 10-week rotations throughout the school year. We partnered with Department of Rehabilitation Services, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland Developmental Disability Administration and Prince George’s County Public Schools. We had our first graduation in May 2018 and 75% of the students have obtained employment – one on base.
Ready@21 is a program that is preparing youth and their families for the transition process. Educational workshops are offered for parents and caregivers as well as the students on a monthly basis. The program for the students includes work readiness and skill building that covers appropriate work behavior, resume/portfolio development, job search, and interviewing.
Youth Prep Program provides supports to youth between the ages of 16-24 that have exited school and are not eligible for waiver funding. The program provides six months of work readiness and skill building training. It is open entry programs meaning that student can enter at any point and the supports are individualized and person-centered – based on functioning levels, interest, and employment and career goals.
Once a youth is ready for placement, our job developers work with them to obtain employment and employment specialist provide on the job coaching supports that diminishes over time and transitions to drop-in support. Once a youth is on the job for 90 consecutive days we discharge them but continue follow-up for one year to measure progress.
How is this initiative unique from other school-to-work initiatives?
Our school to work programs was developed in response to 1) the youth employment rate for individuals with disabilities and the request for services for youth that exited school with a diploma and were not eligible for support funding until they were 21, 2) the need for job training and transition readiness as students prepare to move from entitlement services to eligibility supports and the need to provide students with transferable work experiences/exposure and relevant social skill development, 3) increasing future opportunities for competitive employment while in school or after exiting school, and 4) the need for real world, hands-on training through a unique opportunity to explore a number of different career paths. Our program is customized to fit the needs and preferences of those participating and is person-centered and geared toward supporting at the pace and needs of the youth/young adults participating in the programs.
Our programs are flexible and we are willing and eager to work with any employer that wants to partner with us to offer a wide variety of work exposure (e.g. shadowing) and experiences. In order to help youth make informed choices, we conduct a career assessment with youth that includes, but is not limited to, interest inventories and informal written and electronic vocational assessments.
Why do you think building employment skills while students are still in school is important?
It is clear that youth and young adults need exposure to a range of work-based experiences such as job visits, community service, job shadowing, and paid and unpaid internships. We found it helpful to offer opportunities for students to integrate into the workforce before or shortly after exiting school. This results in a faster and seamless transition from school to stable employment and the adult life. Our program also helps students/young adults have a better understanding and exposure to work opportunities that guide them toward what future careers they wish to pursue.
The program is very beneficial to young adult and employers. The students learn how to work in the workforce and how to be a successful contributing member of their community. The businesses benefit by having a lower cost in recruitment and training for new employees, more diversity in the work place, and a reliable dedicated workforce with employment supports to decrease likelihood of lower turnover.
How do you prepare your staff to take on a new project like this, and to be prepared to support these students? How does it differ working with students on a school-to-work transition compared to long-term adult placement support?
We offer our staff the opportunity to participate in activities and trainings with a focus on youth and youth employment services. Our placement team has all been certified through the national ACRE certification program. The staff developed skills in discovery, customization, and placement in order to provide person-centered supports.
Supporting youth is a little different than our adult population as they have a very limited work history and we have the opportunity to assist them to develop appropriate work-related and social skills before they develop some of the bad habits that prevent them from obtaining and/or retaining employment the leads toward careers in the future. Also, supports may be short-term and can be phased out more quickly. Natural supports are more easily developed in the business environment.
How do you anticipate this project benefitting your chapter’s sustainability and your ties to the community? What does success for this program look like to you?
We are educating the community and local businesses about persons with disabilities and the skills they may bring. In addition, our chapter can be the go-to organization for qualified trained candidates to meet employers’ employment needs. It also opens additional opportunities to seek grants and other funding options for youth services, employment training, and placement. As a result of offering youth and young adult school-to-work services, we have increased service options for families at an earlier phase in their loved one’s life that will guide them to a smoother transition in the adult world of work. The addition to these services has also resulted in an increase in our census and funding as when they are eligible for adult services they are more likely to select The Arc for long-term supports and services.
We see success of our youth/young adults that we support in our school to work programs to obtain good work ethics and skills that will assist them on obtaining and retaining employment and develop goals that lead to future careers. We also will work to increase the number of business partnerships to increase the variety of opportunities for work experiences and potential employers for the youth in our school to work and transition programs. We would like the youth to be prepared to exit school with all the tools they need to be successful on a job and the ultimate would be to exit with a job of their choosing that matches their desires, interest and will lead to a career. It is very common for staff, employers and persons with disabilities to underestimate their skills. It may take more time and effort for everyone involved but it can be accomplished. There is always a leading contingent, and for us that includes partner organizations like Giant Food, TJ Maxx, University of Maryland, Safeway, FCC, Thompson Creek and many more.
How is this transferable to other chapters and organizations? Do you have any advice for other chapters looking to implement similar initiatives?
Employment is all about relationship building. In some sense, we are a staffing and sales organization. I would suggest that chapters develop a good working partnership with your local school systems and vocational rehabilitation programs. Also become active in your chamber of commerce or other related business groups to connect with potential business partners. Another important factor is to have good job developers and support staff that can provide person-centered job matching, coaching, and retention supports. Moreover, they must be good at business development and community outreach to many employers to share the case for hiring people with disabilities.
Don’t forget parent engagement. Another important component to the success of any youth or school-to-work program involves including the parents and caregivers as the youth/young adults are going to need their support as well. Parents also need education in the transition process and the earlier, the better as the transition is not only a challenge for the youth but the parents as well. Parents play an important role in providing invaluable career guidance and support to their loved ones. They can help prepare their loved ones for adult work by providing appropriate adult models to follow, assisting to connect with contacts and networks in the community.
A note from Carrie Hobbs Guiden, NCE Chair, Executive Director, The Arc of Tennessee:
Carrie Hobbs-Guiden
It is hard to believe that another NCE SLI has come and gone! With over 50 speakers, 30 sessions, and over 25 topics, it was hard to choose who and what to attend. We had so many amazing sessions this year and over 100 new attendees joined us to experience this wonderful program. Our conference was opened with the story of how SAP is tapping into the often unrecognized talent of people on the autism spectrum by Jose Velasco, head of SAP’s Autism@Work and closed with a thought-provoking address on how to look beyond inclusion to foster a sense of belonging for people with I/DD in their communities drew many questions from the audience. In between, we were captivated and emotional by Chris and Nicole Jorwic’s story of Chris finding his voice; intrigued by Alonzo Kelly’s many insights into building effective relationships by examining the intersection of emotional intelligence, book smarts and life experience (especially his “pause two–seconds” rule before responding); explored ways to engage our DSP workforce with insights from both The Arc of Prince George’s County and John Dickerson from Quillo; identified ways to maximize legal advocacy with state leaders from Connecticut, Delaware, and Pennsylvania; and amazed by the magic of Michael Karl and his ability to have us look at our environments in new ways. And so much more.
Though the weather was less than ideal, we learned that it takes more than a few clouds to dampen our spirits! Between the raindrops, over 80 attendees took on the Great SLI Instagram Scavenger Hunt and took Penn’s Landing by storm. Please check out the fun on Instagram with the #NCESLI2018 (My team did come in 2nd). Of course, the Phillies and Dodgers decided to go to extra innings (16!?!?!) and an intrepid few even made it to inning 13!
We laughed, we talked, we engaged, we networked, we pondered, we explored, we learned, and we’ve come home with experiences and connections that can help us continue to grow and be strong.
If you just came back from SLI 2018, don’t forget to give us your feedback with the online attendee questionnaire. And if you missed 2018, don’t worry, we’ll be doing it all again in 2019!
And, we heard from first-time attendee and speaker Dante Martin from The Arc of Prince George’s County:
As a first time attendee and speaker at the NCE SLI conference, I was extremely impressed with how well organized the entire event was, in particular, the concise and very informative presentations of each speaker as well as the ability to access each sessions notes using the NCE website. Furthermore, the breakout session provided greater opportunities for interaction with the audience who were more apt to engage on topics of interest and relevance to their area of service.
Today, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced legislation to provide new parents with a partially-paid leave benefit, funded by cutting their future Social Security retirement benefits. Representative Ann Wagner (R-MO) has indicated that she plans to introduce similar legislation in September.
“While we appreciate Senator Rubio and Representative Wagner turning their attention to paid leave, this legislation completely misses the mark. It is unconscionable to make workers choose between time with their family after the birth or adoption of a child and a secure retirement.
“In addition, this legislation offers a very limited benefit that won’t meet the needs of many families, such as parents who need extended leave to care for an infant born with multiple disabilities. Furthermore, this plan doesn’t address the most common reason workers take leave – namely, to address a serious illness of their own or of a family member.
“It is shocking that the authors of this bill think that asking people to sacrifice their future financial security for time with their family is appropriate or a solution. Our nation can and should put in place an inclusive and fiscally responsible paid leave policy that reflects the full range of workers’ leave needs, including people with disabilities and their families. The Arc calls on Congress to reject the Rubio/Wagner plan and the harmful trade-offs that it promotes,” said Peter V. Berns, CEO of The Arc.
A 2017 research paper by The Arc and the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality found that workers with disabilities and working family members of people with disabilities face significant barriers to economic security and stability. On average, lower incomes and added disability-related costs leave many people with disabilities and their families disproportionately living in or near poverty, including in old age. These findings highlight the importance of paid family and medical leave and Social Security to the financial well-being of people with disabilities and their families.
The Arc recently released the Family & Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) Community Report 2017. The FINDS Survey results highlight the challenges faced by caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in our nation. With respondents reporting an average of 57 hours of support provided to their loved one each week, 95% of caregivers reported being stressed and nearly 50% reporting being very or extremely stressed. Nearly 90% of caregivers reported that partial paid leave would be helpful to them as they support their loved one with I/DD.
Today, the Department of Health and Human Services released the final “short-term plan” rule. These “short-term plans” can provide hollow coverage with hidden gaps for those who sign up. Expanding short-term plans will raise premiums and reduce plan choices for individuals and employers in the regular insurance market.
The proposal expands availability of a group of products that may implement discriminatory practices. This will likely draw healthier individuals off the Marketplace by offering them skinnier, medically-underwritten products, which will inflate prices and out-of-pocket costs on the Marketplace. The Arc believes that insurance coverage must ensure access to timely, affordable, high quality, and comprehensive health care that meets the needs of individuals with disabilities and chronic conditions.
Expanding access to short-term plans will move us even further away from achieving these goals. Short-term plans are not subject to consumer protections that have tremendous value for individuals with disabilities and chronic conditions, such as mandated essential health benefits, protections for people with pre-existing conditions, prohibitions on use of lifetime or annual caps, and other non-discrimination provisions. For these reasons, The Arc, in partnership with a coalition of other disability rights organizations known as the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, released comments earlier this year opposing this rule.
“The Affordable Care Act ended the practice of discriminatory health insurance practices; this rule allows insurance companies to once again set higher premiums based on health conditions. This limits access to comprehensive coverage and that will have a dire impact on people with significant health issues, like individuals with chronic illness and disabilities.
“Make no mistake, today’s final rule undermines current law and puts Americans with pre-existing conditions at risk. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protect the Affordable Care Act and the benefits it provides for people with disabilities,” said Julie Ward, Deputy Executive Officer for Public Policy, The Arc.
This was part of a series called #HandsOff, where we featured calls to action and stories from families across The Arc’s network about how key policy issues impact their day-to-day lives.
Written by: The Arc’s Advocacy Team
Meet Samera! Samera is 27 years old, a poet, and likes to read books, go to concerts, and spend time with her friends and family. She lives in a home in her community, supported by The Arc of Baltimore.
This month America celebrates its independence, but for Samera and many people with disabilities across the country, programs like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) mean independence.
Samera says, “SSI and Medicaid help me to live in the community with independence. SSI helps to pay for my transportation to run daily errands, go to church, and cover the costs of medications and personal items that Medicaid doesn’t cover. Medicaid covers my wheelchair, and because it covers my wheelchair, I’m able to get around and go out, meet new friends, and do all of the things that everyone enjoys doing.”
Check out the video below to learn more about Samera:
Will you pledge to vote this November?