Disability Law Commons^™

'New Conversations About Integrated Employment' Webinars Shine A Fresh Light On Issues In Our Field, Melanie Jordan, Allison Cohen Hall, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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This poster session highlights creative thinking about employment supports. The RRTC on Advancing Employment for Individuals with IDD has launched an interactive and dynamic webinar series with a twist ? to expose participants to new ideas, provoke reactions, and inspire them to think differently about such topics as Employment Professionals as Leaders for Change; the Real Meaning of Informed Choice; and Reframing the Benefits Conversation Around Financial Well-Being.

Provider Transformation And Integrated Employment, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Allison Hall, Tom Heinz

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No abstract provided.

Hidden From View: Disability, Segregation And Work, Elizabeth Pendo

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The employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 were intended to bring working-age people with disabilities into the workplace by providing options for them to seek and gain meaningful, integrated employment. Although the ADA has made significant gains, the rate of progress in employment has been disappointing. While the lack of progress of people with disabilities in the traditional workplace has received attention, the work done by many, especially those with severe disabilities in segregated workplaces, remains hidden in sheltered workshops. This chapter explores the intersection of the concepts of disability, invisibility, and work and identifies the …

Organizational Transformation: Guiding Principles For Community Providers (Bringing Employment First To Scale, Issue No. 6), Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Amie Lulinski, Cindy Thomas, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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A key area of focus for our Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) is organizational transformation, leading to improved employment outcomes for those served by community provider organizations. Community provider organizations and their staff are the primary source of day and employment supports for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). Among this large provider community, variation of services and employment philosophies exists. Many believe that facility-based programs are essential for individuals with disabilities who are having difficulty getting or maintaining competitive work in the labor force, and have limited plans to expand competitive integrated employment. Others believe that all …

Achieving Best Practice In Employment Supports: Defining Measures Of Effectiveness (Bringing Employment First To Scale, Issue No. 4), Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are among the most likely Americans to be unemployed, live in poverty, or rely on public programs. In 2013, only 23% of working-age people with cognitive disabilities—a broad demographic category that includes individuals with IDD—were employed, compared to 72% of people without disabilities. While over 30 states have adopted an Employment First policy (a declaration that employment is the priority outcome for people with disabilities), a key challenge is ensuring that supports meet the standards for best practice. Employment supports are delivered by what we refer to as “employment consultants.” We use this …

Policy And State-Level Strategies To Promote Employment (Bringing Employment First To Scale, Issue No. 3), Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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At the national level, integrated employment has become an important policy priority. Greater expectations are being placed on those charged with delivering employment supports, and disability systems are responding. However, the promise of integrated employment has yet to be realized for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The number of individuals supported in integrated employment by state IDD agencies has remained the same since 2000, participation in non-work services has grown rapidly, and promising practices for employment supports identified in the research are not widely implemented. What are the state-level strategies that can change this trajectory?

This brief: Describes …

Knowledge Translation And Support For Individuals And Families (Bringing Employment First To Scale, Issue No. 5), Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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With the persistently low competitive employment rate for working-age people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), a main focus area for the field of disability research has been on the interaction between the individual and the service system. Yet we know much less about the interaction between systems and families around employment. Family engagement is key to successful employment and life planning, often leading individuals with disabilities on the path to employment when family members serve as role models for work ethic and behavior. Family members may also provide logistical support, including coaching and advice, help with planning and organizing …

High-Quality Community Life Engagement Supports: Four Guideposts For Success (Engage: A Brief Look At Community Engagement, Issue No. 3, 2016), Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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Community Life Engagement refers to supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to access and participate in their communities outside of employment as part of a meaningful day. States and providers report growing numbers of individuals with IDD in Community Life Engagement, yet the role of services related to engagement and participation in community life has to date been largely undefined.

Furthermore, the Department of Justice’s guidance around the provision of day and employment supports in integrated settings (U.S. Department of Justice, 2014; United States v. State of Rhode Island, 2014) has illustrated the need to define and provide …

Who Are Employment Consultants? Characteristics Of The Workforce That Connects Job Seekers With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities To Employment (Bringing Employment First To Scale, Issue No. 7), Oliver Lyons, Alberto Migliore, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Derek Nord, John Butterworth, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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In 1987, the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at the University of Massachusetts Boston began a series of surveys aimed at providing a longitudinal description of the characteristics and service delivery provided by Community Rehabilitation Providers (CRPs)(Domin & Butterworth, 2012). Despite direct support staff comprising one of the nation’s largest labor market segments, there has been very little research into the wages and stability of that workforce (Bogenschutz, Hewitt, Nord, & Hepperlen, 2014). Additionally, most of the literature regarding employment consultants has focused on service outcomes of the individuals served. However, according to Luecking, Fabian, and Tilson (2004), “…Regardless of …

Partnerships In Employment National Transition Systems Change Project: Building A Transition-To-Employment Agenda, Institute For Community Inclusion, University Of Massachusetts Boston

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The national Partnerships in Employment (PIE) National Transition Systems Change Project was established in 2011 by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. This five-year project focuses on improving, developing, and implementing policies and practices that raise community expectations and overall employment outcomes for youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD). Now in the last phase of the funding cycle, the eight state projects involved in the PIE initiative (Alaska, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Tennessee, and Wisconsin) are uniquely positioned to provide youth employment recommendations to federal, state, and local agencies. In this document, we share several of the findings …

Increasing Organizational Accountability And Performance: Activity Tracking For Employment Consultants, Alberto Migliore, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Jeanine Pavlak, Steve Aalto, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

ThinkWork! Publications

No abstract provided.

Emerging Practices, Transition: Interagency Collaboration (Issue Number 1 Of 8), Jean Winsor, Cady Landa, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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In October 2011, the Administration on Developmental Disabilities awarded grants to lead agencies in six states: California, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, and Wisconsin. Two additional states, Alaska and Tennessee, received grants in October 2012. These states proposed activities to spur improved employment and post-secondary outcomes for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The Institute for Community Inclusion and the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services are providing training and technical assistance (TA) to the eight state projects through the Partnerships in Employment (PIE) Training and TA Center.

Partnerships project work is framed by the High …

Emerging Practices, Transition: Leadership (Issue Number 2 Of 8), Karen Flippo, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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In October 2011, the Administration on Developmental Disabilities awarded grants to lead agencies in six states: California, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, and Wisconsin. Two additional states, Alaska and Tennessee, received grants in October 2012. These states proposed activities to spur improved employment and post-secondary outcomes for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The Institute for Community Inclusion and the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services are providing training and technical assistance (TA) to the eight state projects through the Partnerships in Employment (PIE) Training and TA Center.

Partnerships project work is framed by the High …

Increasing Community Engagement For Individuals With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, Jennifer Bose, Jennifer Sulewski

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

These three projects highlight various aspects of the Institute for Community Inclusion's efforts to increase community engagement of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, both locally and nationally. The Transitions to Work project, for which ICI provides evaluation assistance, partners with Boston-area employers to increase engagement of adults with disabilities in the regional workforce. The Community Life Engagement initiative complements the employment focus by looking at other aspects of community life, such as volunteerism and participation in community events and resources. On the national level, Real People Real Jobs is a website and publication series highlighting the employment successes of …

Introduction To Community Life Engagement (Engage: A Brief Look At Community Engagement, Issue No. 1, 2015), Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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As national disability policy prioritizes greater support for community-based integrated employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), the level of participation in services for other daytime activities continues to grow (Winsor & Butterworth, 2012). The role of services related to engagement and participation in community life has to date been largely undefined. The purpose of this brief is to offer a definition of Community Life Engagement, share reasons for its relevance and timeliness, and present results from a Community of Practice with administrators and personnel from seven state IDD agencies hosted by the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) …

The Truth Comes From Us: Supporting Workers With Developmental Disabilities, Max Barrows, Jason Billehus, John Britton, Allison Cohen Hall, Juliana Huereña, Nicole Leblanc, Eric Mcvay, Karen Topper, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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Employment professionals play a powerful role in the pursuit of true inclusion. This paper by self-advocates outlines key steps on how allies can move people with developmental disabilities out of poverty and into the heart of our communities.

Community Life Engagement: Data Sources, Definitions, And Measurement (Engage: A Brief Look At Community Engagement, Issue No. 2, 2015), Oliver Lyons, Allison Hall, Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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As state and federal policy makers and Community Service Providers work to refine the concept of Community Life Engagement, they are able to draw upon multiple, public, national data sources. These include: Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI)’s National Survey on Day and Employment Outcomes, National Core Indicators (NCI), ICI’s National Survey of Community Rehabilitation Providers.

This brief provides an introduction to these data sources. It examines emerging Community Life Engagement trends shown in each source, as well as the implications for developing a better understanding of Community Life Engagement based on how it is currently being classified and measured.

Crp Organizational Change (Bringing Employment First To Scale, Issue No. 2), Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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Federal and state policy shifts have opened the doors to meaningful community employment for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD). Progress is apparent across the country: creative outcomes for individuals with significant support needs through customized jobs and self-employment, innovative practices at the provider level, and state investment in an Employment First philosophy. Despite these achievements, the number of individuals supported in integrated employment by state agencies that serve individuals with IDD has remained the same since 2000. While some community rehabilitation providers (CRPs) across the country have transformed their services to focus on integrated employment, including closing facility-based programs, most …

Integrating Research, Training, And Knowledge Translation (Bringing Employment First To Scale, Issue No. 1), Thinkwork! At The Institute For Community Inclusion At Umass Boston

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What our new center is about: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) can work and want to work--yet the majority don’t have jobs. State and national policies exist to increase employment, but systems have not aligned to make integrated employment a priority. To meet this need, the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at UMass Boston is hosting a new rehabilitation research and training center, or RRTC. It’s called the RRTC on Advancing Employment for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Because change is critical at multiple levels, the RRTC integrates four focus areas:

1. individual and family knowledge and engagement, …

Disparate Impact And Pregnancy: Title Vii's Other Accommodation Requirement, Camille Hébert

American University Journal of Gender, Social Policy & the Law

No abstract provided.

Partnerships In Employment Brief: Engaging Families Of Youth With Intellectual Disabilities In Systems Change Efforts, Sean Roy

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This brief will highlight the reasons why parents and families are essential partners in any systems change effort. It will describe the importance of the family’s perspective, and how their experiences should be used to shape policy recommendations. It will offer strategies on how to engage parents and families in systems change efforts, and how to promote family involvement to state-level partners.

Identifying (With) Disability: Using Film To Teach Employment Discrimination, Elizabeth Pendo

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Building on a prior article about using film to teach health law, this Essay is intended to share my experience using the film Philadelphia as a method of enhancing coverage and discussion of the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and to provide an opportunity for recognition of, and identification with, the experiences of people with disabilities.

Data Note: State Trends In The Vocational Rehabilitation Engagement Of Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: 2002-2011, Alberto Migliore, Jean E. Winsor

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Experiencing paid employment during and immediately after high school is a critical step on the path toward economic self-sufficiency in adulthood. Young adults with disabilities interested in gaining employment experiences may seek support from vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs. In this Data Note, we examine the extent to which young adults with intellectual disabilities engage with their state VR programs.

One way for assessing young adult engagement is to look at the number of them who exit the program, which implies that they either applied or were referred to the program. Specifically, we examined the average number of young adults 16 …

Indicators For Improving Educational, Employment, And Economic Outcomes For Youth And Young Adults With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: A National Report On Existing Data Sources, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Agnieszka Zalewska, John Butterworth

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The following report summarizes available national data on educational, employment and economic outcomes for youth and young adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) over the years 2000-2010. These data can be used to benchmark progress in improving these outcomes for young adult population across the country and within individual states. Data is reported separately for two age groups of young adults (16-21 and 22-30) in order to capture possible differences between youth likely to still be receiving school services (through age 21) and those who have moved on from the education system.

Medicating The Ada - Sutton V. United Airlines, Inc.: Considering Mitigating Measures To Define Disability, Ian D. Thompson

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Aclu And The Propriety Of Dispute Resolution In Civil Rights Controversies, Amber Mckinney

Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal

Section I examines the history, purpose, and methodology of the American Civil Liberties Union. Section II discusses the historical development and use of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Section III, Part A provides examples of its use in environmental controversies, Americans with Disabilities Act disputes, and employment conflicts. Section III, Part B explains the arguments for and against the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution in Civil Rights Controversies. Section IV, Part A looks at examples of the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution by the American Civil Liberties Union, while Part B provides insight into the interplay of Alternative Dispute Resolution and the …

Data Note: Ssi Recipients Who Work, Daria Domin, Frank A. Smith

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a means-tested income-support program administered by the Social Security Administration. Eligibility is contingent upon proving that one has a limited ability to work due to disability. However, the program offers several work incentives aimed at encouraging SSI recipients to enter the workforce while maintaining their benefits. Despite the promotion of employment through Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) and other programs, a very small percentage of SSI recipients actually work. This Data Note examines the number of SSI recipients working by state in 2010.

Data Note: Vocational Rehabilitation Employment Outcomes For Transition-Age Youth With Autism And Other Disabilities, Frank A. Smith, Jaime Lugas

Data Note Series, Institute for Community Inclusion

Youth with autism, like youth from other disability subgroups, often participate in state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) programs to obtain employment. While youth with autism represent a small percentage of all VR closures, the number with autism who closed out of VR more than tripled between 2003 and 2008 (see figure). In this Data Note, we compare employment outcomes for two subgroups of youth who exited VR in FY 2008, those with autism and those with all other disabilities.

Spreading A Positive Message About Work, Earnings And Benefits Through Peer Networking: Findings From The Peer Employment Benefits Network, Jennifer Sullivan Sulewski, Rick Kugler, John Kramer

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Misunderstanding and fears about the impact of earnings on benefits represent a significant barrier in the return-to-work efforts of people with disabilities. This pilot project evaluated an approach to spreading a positive message about work and dispelling myths about the effects of work on Social Security benefits through outreach and networking in the disability community. A peer leadership project was developed by enlisting 33 people with disabilities, mainly through disability advocacy organizations, who had experience with disability benefits. They received several days of basic training about work incentives, networking strategies, and community resources that support employment. These peer leaders then …

Race, Sex And Genes At Work: Uncovering The Lessons Of Norman-Bloodsaw, Elizabeth Pendo

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The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (“GINA”) is the first federal, uniform protection against the use of genetic information in both the workplace and health insurance. Signed into law on May 21, 2008, GINA prohibits an employer or health insurer from acquiring or using an individual’s genetic information, with some exceptions. One of the goals of GINA is to eradicate actual, or perceived, discrimination based on genetic information in the workplace and in health insurance. Although the threat of genetic discrimination is often discussed in universal terms - as something that could happen to any of us - the …