Governor’s Committee on Employment of People With Disabilities
(GCEPD) FULL COMMITTEE MEETING
MINUTES
CT DOL Room 217 Executive Wing
Thursday, October 9, 2014
9:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Attendance:
Jon Slifka, Anna Barry, Brian Sigman, Deborah Bradley, Donald J. DeFronzo- designee (Jeffrey
Beckham), Donald Shubert, Dr. Michael Gargano, Dr. Patricia Anderson, James C. Amis, Jessica
Cabinillas, Jessica Rival, Jill Watson, Jody Santoro representing John Curtain, Joe Wendover,
Julia Wilcox, Lisa Roland, Mark Henry, Mary Silverberg, Morna Murray, Patricia Rehmer,
Astread Ferron-Poole, Sam McKnight, Jr., Sharon M. Palmer, Terence Brennan, Terrence W.
Macy, Ph.D., Tom Stefanko, William Villano
Excused:
Richard Lawrence
************************************************************************
Mr. Johnathan Slifka, Chairperson, opened the meeting at 9:15 a.m.
Welcome:
General Overview of Committee – Mr. Jonathan Slifka
 Expectation of this being an ongoing committee
 Notable items: individuals with disabilities represent 20% of our population and 70% of
this population is unemployed
Review of Meeting Notes from August 15, 2014 Meeting
Introduction of Mr. Sam McKnight

Mr. McKnight delivered background information on the GCEPD. (See attached
document)
Introductions of Committee Members and Guests
1
New Business and Vision for Future Projects – Mr. Jonathan Slifka:
Mr. Slifka posed the following questions to the members to guide the Committee in developing
strategic initiatives.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What are other agencies doing now?
What are other states doing now?
NGA “Better Bottom Line” document should be reviewed (see attachment)
503 Rehabilitation Act (http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/section503.htm)
a. Help companies find these individuals
b. Help individuals self-identify
5. Sub minimum wage contracts & Sheltered workshops become thing of the past
-Find other employment for these individuals
Mr. Slifka opened discussions by asking the membership to share their thoughts on what barriers
they can identify in employing individuals with disabilities.
Open Discussion Remarks by Committee Members:











Veterans, especially disabled veterans, have job services resources through the Jobs for
Veterans Act including Priority of Service
Veterans specifically have issues with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) as well as PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Approximately 250,000 veterans are in CT. The biggest population have difficulty
securing work is that of disabled veterans’ ages 19-35. Veterans Affairs in CT is
currently working on getting certification credentials for military experience. Governor
Malloy is streamlining the crosswalk with technical schools, Community Colleges, etc.
Transportation is a major barrier for individuals with disabilities. This was heard from
many committee members with disabilities as well as those serving individuals with
disabilities.
Sharing information with employers to shift focus to what people can do and look at the
abilities of the individual
Jobs offered to individuals with a disability are often far below the ability level of the
individual
Individuals with disabilities are “pigeon holed” into employment roles that they may not
want
Individuals with disabilities have to work 2 or 3 times harder than those without
disabilities to prove that they belong in that position. This was heard from several
committee members
Individuals with disabilities want to be valued members of society and are looking for
opportunities to do so
Businesses do not have an incentive to hire individual with disabilities
There is no central access web portal to find these individuals
2



























Statistics show that people with disabilities are loyal and have less attendance issues than
other populations in the workforce
Committee members agree that successes should be highlighted in the business
community to inform their business decisions
Show statistics of companies that have had successes in hiring individuals with
disabilities
For students with disabilities, 9th grade apprenticeship programs, mentoring programs,
establishing a special state designation after completion would help transition students
into the working world. Support and benefits should be maintained along the way
It is difficult to do an employment search on academic credentials alone. Most search
engines are keyword or job title based
Private sector services that assist individuals with disabilities are expensive and not
everyone has access to them
Multiple layers of services are sometimes required
Businesses need information on how they could support employees with disabilities or
potential employees with disabilities
Employers may not be aware of alternatives in assisting individuals with disabilities to
become employees
Employers may not be aware of the many creative approaches employers can take in
hiring individuals with disabilities
Self-advocacy needs to be encouraged
Individuals with disabilities focus their high school work on graduating. They cannot
concentrate on the transition to working world
Mindset (for teachers/employers) has to change from transition to work
What happens after the “protection” of school is gone?
How do we take away the stigma of mental illness?
$10 million state-funded annual amount in DMHAS’ budget for mental health
employment services, using the evidence-based supported employment model
Individuals in recovery find it difficult to find employment
Individuals in recovery are often in a spectrum of employment readiness and commitment
to work
CT is considered a leader in employing individuals with disabilities
Sheltered workshops are already transitioning out of CT
Entrepreneurship could be explored by individuals with disabilities
There are transportation tools to use directly and indirectly
Bus service is expensive
Some flexible transportation options may be available
Job retention for those who become disabled is also a topic to discuss
More communication to employers to let them know about accommodations and
adaptions for employees with disabilities
“Schedule A” Information on authority for Federal Agencies as model for State of CT
3








http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/initiatives/lead/abc applicants with disabilities.cfm
http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/scheduleA/abc_job_applicants_ODEP_508%20compliant.
pdf
How are other states using Affirmative Action Plans as incentives to hire individuals with
disabilities
Current state employees with disabilities may not be accommodated fully or utilized to
full capacity
There are many services to individuals with disabilities from many agencies that overlap
Homeless individuals may be individuals with disabilities that may have additional
barriers and need overlapping services
20% of all homeless men are veterans
Departments of Corrections and Housing should be invited to participate in subcommittee groups
It would be beneficial if committee members share what their agencies offer
Next Steps:

Each agency or community based organization share information on what they are
currently doing to serve individuals with disabilities. This information will be used as a
baseline for mapping out services. (A short overview of a page or less to be emailed to
Bernice Zampano at bernice.zampano@ct.gov by December 1, 2014. Please follow
format below. She will compile and distribute a list at our next meeting.)
Please submit:
Agency, Company or Organization Name:
Contact Person:
Title:
Email:
Telephone #:
Please provide 1 page or less of how you serve/assist individuals with disabilities
Our next meeting is scheduled for December 10th, 2014. 9am to 11:30am at the CT
Department of Labor, 200 Folly Brook Blvd, Wethersfield, CT 06109 in Rooms A & B
Meeting was adjourned at 11:00 a.m.
4
5