Real Economic Impact
National Disability Institute
http://realeconomicimpact.org/
American Job Center Toolkit Resources of the Week E-Mail listserv
October 9, 2015
Good morning everyone!
The National Disability Institute (NDI) is happy to bring you the American Job Center
Toolkit Resources of the Week. The Resources of the Week includes weekly
information on websites of interest, funding opportunities, policy development,
resources of interest, publications, and articles that are relevant to increasing the
employment opportunities of individuals with disabilities that we hope will be useful as
you work on systems change activities to help improve employment opportunities for
persons with disabilities.
To subscribe or unsubscribe to the Resources of the Week, please email lgleneck@ndiinc.org with the subject of either ‘subscribe’ or 'unsubscribe'.
Laura Gleneck
Program Manager
DEI Technical Assistance Team
P: 781-899-0139
F: 781-642-0895
lgleneck@ndi-inc.org
****************************************************************************************************
AMERICAN JOB CENTER TOOLKIT TABLE OF CONTENTS
10-09-15
For Your Information
 Training and Employment Notices of Interest:
o Save the Date: Strategies for Monitoring, Accountability,
Risk-mitigation, and Transparency Financial Training for
ETA Grantees
o Process for Nomination and Selection of Workforce Information
Advisory Council Members
Disability and Employment Discussion Forums: What is on your mind?
 October theme: Disability employment resources for business
Upcoming Events of Interest
 Webinar: Supporting Sector Strategies-Peer Learning Call Kickoff
 Webinar: Enhancing Employment and Financial Capability Program
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Outcomes: An Introduction to American Job Centers
Webinar: Workforce Investment and Opportunities Act (WIOA):
Translate, Innovate and Collaborate
Webinar: Empowering Prosperity: Integrating Asset Building within
Human Services
Webinar: Disability Employment Initiative Lessons Learned for WIOA:
The Integrated Resource Team Approach for Populations with Multiple
Challenges to Employment
Webinar: Disability, Employment and Lane v. Brown
Webinar: Workforce Employment Networks Supporting Career Pathways
for People with Disabilities
Webinar Archive: Section 188, the Nondiscrimination Provisions of
WIOA - Part 4 of a 4-part Series on WIOA
Resources of Interest
 FDIC Updates its Money Smart Financial Education Program for Individuals
with Visual Disabilities
 LEAD Center’s Policy Update – Employment, Health Care and Disability
National Disability Institute / September 2015
Real Economic Impact
 Resources for Real Economic Impact
 Partnerships for Financial Capability: Diagnostic Frameworks for
Financial Institutions and Partners
Websites of Interest
 National Employment First Policy and Data Platform
 Office of Disability Employment Policy
Publications of the Week
 One Size Does Not Fit All: A New Look at the Labor Force Participation
of People with Disabilities
 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: Performance Reporting and
Related Challenges
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FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Training and Employment Notices (TEN) of Interest
US Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration
Save the Date: Strategies for Monitoring, Accountability, Risk-mitigation, and
Transparency (SMART) Financial Training for ETA Grantees
Training and Employment Notice Number 12-15 / October 1, 2015
http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEN/TEN_12-15_Acc.pdf
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The purpose of this training and employment notice is to announce the upcoming
SMART Financial Training for ETA Grantees and ETA stakeholders between
November 2015 and April 2016. This technical assistance (TA) initiative is a
continuation of the ETA SMART financial and grants management training that began in
2014. ETA proposes to hold six in-person training sessions between November 2015
and April 2016. This TA initiative is driven by ETA’s continuous quality improvement
efforts to provide fiscal and administrative training in order to assist grantees (nonFederal entities) in measuring key financial grant management and performance
indicators that will improve the effectiveness of their program operations. This training
will present information on key changes in the Uniform Administrative Requirements,
Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements Final Rule also known as the Uniform
Guidance at 2 CFR Part 200 and OMB’s approved exceptions for DOL at 2 CFR Part
2900.
Process for Nomination and Selection of Workforce Information Advisory Council
Members
Training and Employment Notice Number 11-15 / September 30, 2015
http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=5217
The purpose of this training and employment notice is to notify workforce system
leaders and stakeholders of the process for nomination and appointment to the
Workforce Information Advisory Council (WIAC).
DISABILITY AND EMPLOYMENT DISCUSSION FORUMS: WHAT IS ON YOUR
MIND?
Are you part of the discussion? Workforce3 One Disability and Employment
Community of Practice: Discussion Forum on Disability and Workforce
https://disability.workforce3one.org/page/discussions
The discussion forum is a place where workforce professionals can share ideas,
communicate with peers across the country, and read what others are saying and
thinking around disability and workforce issues. Each month, the forum will post a new
topic for discussion. This is your forum – a place to comment on important issues, learn
about best practices, and find out what others have to say.
Current Discussions: Disability employment resources for business
Click on the link to a discussion forum and let us know what you think and/or start a
discussion of your own….
Employment and Disability 30-Second Training Series
As part of ongoing technical assistance, the DOL Employment and Training
Administration's DEI Technical Assistance Team created the Employment and
Disability 30-Second Training Series and complementary Business Resource
Guide with a business focus designed to educate businesses, hiring managers
and supervisors about proven strategies and easy-to-use resources that can
assist in retaining and accommodating existing employees who experience onset
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of a disability. These tools (e.g. 30-Second Trainings and Resource Guide) will
also provide valuable information and sources of support to business in hiring
qualified employees who experience a disability, including strategies and
resources that can assist in effectively accommodating all employees in
achieving their maximum potential and productivity level.
Employment and Disability 30-Second Training Series Categories:
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Basics
• Compliance Benefits
• Employment Basics
• Recruitment and Hiring Strategies
• Section 503 Final Rule
If you have never experienced a 30-second training, then you are in for a treat!
UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST
Webinar: Supporting Sector Strategies-Peer Learning Call Kickoff
Workforce3One
October 13, 2015 / 4:00 – 5:00 PM Eastern Time
https://www.workforce3one.org/view/5001526847231090863/info
Presenter:
o Diane Walton, Project Lead, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and
Training Administration, Region 6
o Wendy Havenstrite, Workforce Analyst, U.S. Department of Labor,
Employment and Training Administration
o Todd Cohen, Director, Strategic Initiatives, Maher & Maher
o Patricia Maguire, Sr. Program Manager, Jobs For the Future
o Jeremy Kelley, Sr. Program Manager, Jobs For the Future
o Martin Simon, Program Director, National Governor’s Association
Moderator: Diane Walton, Project Lead, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment
and Training Administration, Region 6
In 2014-2015, ETA’s Sector Strategies Technical Assistance project held “Peer
Learning” calls that attracted more than 500 workforce practitioners. These calls served
a simple purpose: for you to have meaningful conversations with model sector strategy
experts (working in the field), getting your biggest sector questions answered. These
calls are back!
This year, the four Peer Learning Groups will include:
 Data-Based Decision-Making (how do you use data to identify and
communicate target sector workforce needs?)
 Organizational Capacity & Sustainability (how should your workforce system
be organized to carry out sector approaches?)
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State-Level Engagement (what’s a state’s role in seeding sector partnerships?)
Industry & Partner Engagement (how do you convene and sustain industry
members in sector approaches?)
Join this webinar to learn more about these groups, what you can expect to get out of
them, and how to sign up!
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR REGISTERING
1. Click here.
2. Click the "Login Now" button and type in your email and password. Then click
the “Reserve Seat Now” button. If you haven't updated your password within the
past 90 days, you will be prompted to do so. If you do not have a Workforce3
One account yet, you must create and activate an account before you can
register for the webinar. Click here to create your free account. Once
you’ve created and subsequently activated your Workforce3 One account,
please refer back to this email so that you may register for the free webinar.
3. Once you have registered for the webinar event, you will receive an email with
detailed instructions for accessing the webinar. We ask that you listen to the
audio portion of the live webinar via Internet Telephony (through your computer
speakers). You will also be supplied with a teleconference number and access
code if you must join using a telephone. If possible, we encourage you to use
Internet Telephony, as we are limited in the number of teleconference lines and
the more people that use Internet Telephony, the more capacity we have for
those that must join using a telephone. If anything changes and you no longer
wish to attend, please go to your dashboard on https://www.workforce3one.org/
and remove your registration.
PLEASE NOTE: If multiple participants from the same location are joining the live
event, we encourage you to join at one location. This will allow for a larger number of
participants to attend.
System Check: Please click the following link to perform a simple system diagnostic
before you attempt to join the live Webinar: Test Your System
Accessibility: If you are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or have speech disabilities and
captioning would facilitate your participation in this Webinar, you can register for
captioning service through the Federal Relay Conference Captioning. Please note the
Federal Relay Service requires at least 48 hours notice (2 working days) to guarantee
coverage. Click here for more information.
Webinar: Enhancing Employment and Financial Capability Program Outcomes:
An Introduction to American Job Centers
National Disability Institute Real Economic Impact Network
October 14, 2015 / 3:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern Time
https://ndiwebinars.webex.com/ndiwebinars/onstage/g.php?MTID=e0e37e133cb8e048532afa3fe05884911
Join the Real Economic Impact Network for an introduction of American Job Centers
(AJCs), which provide free help to job seekers for a variety of career and employment5
related needs. Nearly 2,500 AJCs, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Employment and Training Administration, are located throughout the United States. This
webinar will introduce participants to the services provided by the AJCs and identify
strategies on how to partner with AJCs in your local community to enhance employment
and financial capability program outcomes.
Objectives:
 Define American Job Centers
 Identify how to locate an American Job Center in my area
 Identify key programs offered by American Job Centers
 Strategies on how to collaborate with American Job Centers
REGISTRATION AND REQUEST FOR ACCOMMODATION
Click here to access online registration. Please note that real time captioning will be
provided for this webinar. For other accommodation requests, questions about the
webinar or the registration process, please contact James Thayer at jthayer@ndiinc.org.
Webinar: Workforce Investment and Opportunities Act (WIOA): Translate,
Innovate and Collaborate
Corporation for Supportive Housing
October 14, 2015 / 2:00 – 3:30 PM Eastern Time
http://www.csh.org/
Recent provisions of the Workforce Innovations and Opportunities Act (WIOA) have
gone into effect, providing an unprecedented opportunity for human service providers to
engage the workforce development system. Come learn about WIOA, the changes it
requires, and how to engage your workforce development system to improve the quality
of services available to people who are low-income, homeless, physically disabled,
living with mental illness, or experiencing other barriers to employment success.
Targeted to homeless service providers, employment services program specialists,
social service program managers and directors, anyone working with potentially high
barrier clients will benefit from understanding the new and improved workforce
development system.
This free Corporation for Supportive Housing Webinar includes a panel of experts from
the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), the Center for
Postsecondary Education & Economic Success (CLASP), and Heartland Alliance and
Workforce Solutions in Texas, providing both the high-level overview as well as
experience from the front lines. This webinar will provide an interactive learning
experience, enabling you to:
1. Gain a broader understanding of WIOA, the opportunities it presents for
homeless service providers to increase employment outcomes for jobseekers;
2. Identify at least one action you can take to impact your state’s WIOA planning
process; and
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3. Outline strategies for collaborating with your local workforce investment board.
REGISTRATION
Click here to access online registration.
Webinar: Empowering Prosperity: Integrating Asset Building within Human
Services
Institute on Assets and Social Policy, Brandeis University
National Human Services Assembly
October 16, 2015 / 2:00 PM Eastern Time
http://iasp.brandeis.edu/
Speakers will include:
o National Human Services Assembly: Tonya Wiley-Robinson, Vice President,
Programs & Membership
o Institute on Assets and Social Policy: Janet Boguslaw, Associate Director
o Institute on Assets and Social Policy: Becca Loya, Senior Research Associate
o Innovative Changes: Nancy Yuill, Executive Director
o National Disability Institute: Michael Roush, Director, Real Economic Impact
Network
o Aurora Family Service: Kathryn Crumpton, Manager, Center for Financial
Wellness
o Kresge Foundation: Christine Robinson, Senior Program Officer
As human service providers learn about the interdependence of issues facing their
clients, organizations are motivated to work together to solve long-term social
problems. Today, providers and policy makers are growing asset-building networks and
programs to strategically leverage the resources of governments, private businesses,
nonprofit and philanthropic institutions, and individuals seeking opportunity.
The webinar will review and discuss a new guidebook* that can support human service
agencies’ efforts to incorporate asset building into their practices by:
 Understanding the complex economic challenges faced by diverse populations.
 Comprehensively addressing barriers so that long term strategies and solutions
“stick.”
 Cultivating a prosperity grid for stability, opportunity and mobility.
 Increasing opportunity and well-being by focusing on and eliminating structural
barriers shaped by race, ethnicity, and culture.
REGISTRATION
Click here to access online registration.
Webinar: Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) Lessons Learned for WIOA: The
Integrated Resource Team Approach for Populations with Multiple Challenges to
Employment
Workforce3 One
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October 22, 2015 / 3:30 – 5:00 PM Eastern Time
https://www.workforce3one.org/view/5001527131330271455/info
Presenters:
o Danielle (DJ) Ralston, Workforce and IRT Subject Matter Expert, National
Disability Institute,
o Brian Ingram, Workforce and IRT Subject Matter Expert, National Disability
Institute
Moderators:
o Kimberly Vitelli, Division Chief, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and
Training Administration
o Miranda Kennedy, Director of Training and Technical Assistance, National
Disability Institute
This webinar is targeted to public workforce system staff responsible for delivering
services under the Workforce Investment Act/Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(WIA/WIOA). It will cover the Integrated Resource Team (IRT) approach and how it
assisted WIA program staff in serving and achieving employment outcomes and
performance measures for populations that experience multiple challenges to
employment. Implications for this practice under WIOA will be discussed.
This webinar includes:
 An overview of the IRT approach
 Examples of IRT outcomes for populations with significant barriers to
employment
 Implications of the IRT strategy for WIOA
 Strengthening partnership collaboration through IRT implementation
INSTRUCTIONS FOR REGISTERING
1. Click here.
2. Click the "Login Now" button and type in your email and password. Then click
the “Reserve Seat Now” button. If you haven't updated your password within the
past 90 days, you will be prompted to do so. If you do not have a Workforce3
One account yet, you must create and activate an account before you can
register for the webinar. Click here to create your free account. Once
you’ve created and subsequently activated your Workforce3 One account,
please refer back to this email so that you may register for the free webinar.
3. Once you have registered for the webinar event, you will receive an email with
detailed instructions for accessing the webinar. We ask that you listen to the
audio portion of the live webinar via Internet Telephony (through your computer
speakers). You will also be supplied with a teleconference number and access
code if you must join using a telephone. If possible, we encourage you to use
Internet Telephony, as we are limited in the number of teleconference lines and
the more people that use Internet Telephony, the more capacity we have for
those that must join using a telephone. If anything changes and you no longer
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wish to attend, please go to your dashboard on https://www.workforce3one.org/
and remove your registration.
PLEASE NOTE: If multiple participants from the same location are joining the live
event, we encourage you to join at one location. This will allow for a larger number of
participants to attend.
System Check: Please click the following link to perform a simple system diagnostic
before you attempt to join the live Webinar: Test Your System
Accessibility: If you are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or have speech disabilities and
captioning would facilitate your participation in this Webinar, you can register for
captioning service through the Federal Relay Conference Captioning. Please note the
Federal Relay Service requires at least 48 hours notice (2 working days) to guarantee
coverage. Click here for more information.
Webinar: Disability, Employment and Lane v. Brown
National LEAD Center
October 22, 2015 / 3:00 – 4:30 PM Eastern Time
http://www.leadcenter.org/webinars
Speakers:
 U.S. Department of Justice: Eve Hill, Max Lapertosa, Regina Kline, Sheila
Foran
 United Cerebral Palsy Association of Oregon: Ann Coffey
 Other Speakers – to be determined
On September 8, 2015, the United States entered into a proposed settlement
agreement with the State of Oregon to vindicate the civil rights of individuals with
intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) who are unnecessarily segregated in
sheltered workshops, or at risk of such unnecessary segregation. The settlement
agreement with Oregon resolves a class action lawsuit by private plaintiffs in which the
Department of Justice moved to intervene in May 2013. The lawsuit alleged that the
State's employment service system over-relied on segregated sheltered workshops to
the exclusion of integrated alternatives, such as supported employment services, and
placed individuals, including youth, at risk of entering sheltered workshops.
As a result of the proposed settlement, over the next seven years, 1,115 working-age
individuals with I/DD, who are currently being served in segregated sheltered
workshops, will have opportunities to work in real jobs at competitive wages.
Additionally, at least 4,900 youth ages 14 - 24 will receive supported employment
services designed to assist them to choose, prepare for, get, and keep work in a typical
work setting. Half of the youth served will receive, at a minimum, an Individual Plan for
Employment through the State's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
Correspondingly, the State will reduce its reliance on sheltered workshops and
implement policies and capacity-building strategies to improve the employment system
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to increase access to competitive integrated employment and the opportunity for people
with I/DD to work the maximum number of hours consistent with their abilities and
preferences.
Join this webinar to hear directly from representatives from the U.S. Department of
Justice about the elements of the settlement agreement, as well as from stakeholders in
the state of Oregon who will be positively impacted by these developments.
REGISTRATION AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS
Click here to access online registration. This webinar will be captioned and a link to
download the presentation will be sent to registrants prior to the webinar. To request
any other reasonable accommodations, please contact Brittany Taylor at btaylor@ndiinc.org at least 48 hours prior to the webinar.
Webinar: Workforce Employment Networks Supporting Career Pathways for
People with Disabilities
Workforce3 One
November 12, 2015 / 3:00 – 4:15 PM Eastern Time
https://www.workforce3one.org/view/5001525843863519923/info
Presenter:
o Doug Keast, Ticket to Work Coordinator, National Disability Institute
Moderators:
o Kimberly Vitelli, Division Chief, U.S. Department of Labor Employment and
Training Administration
o Miranda Kennedy, Director of Training, Disability Employment Initiative,
National Disability Institute
This webinar will cover promising practices from the Workforce Employment Networks
(ENs) operating within the workforce system under the Disability Employment Initiative.
The focus will be on how the activities, resources, and strategies being utilized by the
Workforce EN can strengthen the access and outcomes related to Career Pathways for
people with disabilities.
This training is targeted to members of state-level partnerships, local workforce
investment boards, and local agency partners, Employment Network (EN) leads and
Disability Resource Coordinators. Participants will come away with:
 Knowledge of how your Workforce EN activity strengthens access to Career
Pathways.
 Information on how you can use the flexible resources generated by your
Workforce EN to address gaps in your service system
 Understanding the importance of benefits planning and asset development in
Career Pathways
INSTRUCTIONS FOR REGISTERING
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1. Click here.
2. Click the "Login Now" button and type in your email and password. Then click
the “Reserve Seat Now” button. If you haven't updated your password within the
past 90 days, you will be prompted to do so. If you do not have a Workforce3
One account yet, you must create and activate an account before you can
register for the webinar. Click here to create your free account. Once
you’ve created and subsequently activated your Workforce3 One account,
please refer back to this email so that you may register for the free webinar.
3. Once you have registered for the webinar event, you will receive an email with
detailed instructions for accessing the webinar. We ask that you listen to the
audio portion of the live webinar via Internet Telephony (through your computer
speakers). You will also be supplied with a teleconference number and access
code if you must join using a telephone. If possible, we encourage you to use
Internet Telephony, as we are limited in the number of teleconference lines and
the more people that use Internet Telephony, the more capacity we have for
those that must join using a telephone. If anything changes and you no longer
wish to attend, please go to your dashboard on https://www.workforce3one.org/
and remove your registration.
PLEASE NOTE: If multiple participants from the same location are joining the live
event, we encourage you to join at one location. This will allow for a larger number of
participants to attend.
System Check: please click the following link to perform a simple system diagnostic
before you attempt to join the live Webinar: Test Your System
Accessibility: Closed captioning is provided for all Workforce3One webinars. In
addition, a complete transcript of the audio portion of the event will be made available
within 2-3 business days after the live event. If you are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or have
speech disabilities and have any other concerns about accessing this event, please
contact us at webinars@workforce3one.org.
Webinar Archive: Section 188, the Nondiscrimination Provisions of WIOA - Part 4
of a 4-part Series on WIOA
LEAD Center
http://www.leadcenter.org/webinars/section-188-nondiscrimination-provisions-wioa-part-4-4-part-series-wioa
As part of the LEAD Center’s webinar series on the WIOA from a Disability Perspective,
this webinar focuses on Section 188 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(WIOA), which prohibits discrimination against people who apply to, participate in, work
for, or come into contact with programs and activities of the workforce development
system. Specifically, Section 188 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion,
sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or political affiliation or beliefs.
(Section 188 of WIOA contains provisions identical to those in Section 188 of WIA.)
WIOA requires that American Job Centers be fully accessible and offer necessary
accommodations to provide job seekers with disabilities effective and meaningful
participation in the use of skills training and career pathways for 21st century jobs.
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The U.S. Department of Labor issued Promising Practices in Achieving Universal
Access and Equal Opportunity: A Section 188 Disability Reference Guide on July 6,
2015. This 188 Guide provides updated information and technical assistance to help
American Job Centers/One-Stops meet the nondiscrimination and accessibility
requirements for individuals with disabilities in Section 188 of the Workforce Investment
Act and its implementing regulations. The 188 Guide, which was discussed during the
webinar, was developed to provide AJCs with promising practices that correlate with
specific nondiscrimination requirements in Section 188 and includes examples of
promising practices that can help promote equal access for individuals with disabilities
to the American Job Center system and services.
RESOURCES OF INTEREST
FDIC Updates its Money Smart Financial Education Program for Individuals with
Visual Disabilities
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/moneysmart/
[The following is excerpted from the FDIC October 5 news release.]
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) announced two new resources
tailored to meet the financial education needs of individuals with visual disabilities. The
FDIC's 11-module instructor-led Money Smart curriculum for adults is available in Braille
and Large Print. Its format permits an instructor to use the printed version of the
Instructor Guide, while the students can follow along with either the Large Print or
Braille Student Guide. In addition, the latest version of the Money Smart Podcast
Network—the audio version of Money Smart—now is available in Spanish. These
products expand the FDIC's existing suite of financial education resources, which
includes the Your Insured Deposit brochure that is available in a large-print edition.
More than three million consumers have had the opportunity to learn how to better
manage their finances and more effectively use mainstream banking services through
the Money Smart curriculum. It can be easily reproduced and has no copyright
restrictions.
LEAD Center’s Policy Update – Employment, Health Care and Disability
National Disability Institute / September 2015
http://www.leadcenter.org/resource-center/publication/policy-update-employmenthealth-care-and-disability-september-25-2015
The LEAD Center’s Policy Update is a monthly update focusing on the intersection of
disability, employment and health care policy. It provides policymakers, disability
service professionals, individuals with disabilities and their families with information
about relevant policy developments regarding Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and
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related topics, with a focus on improving employment outcomes for individuals with
disabilities.
The September 2015 update features stories on the IRS’ proposed regulations for
implementing the ABLE Act, the launch of the National Employment First Online Policy
and Data Platform, the U.S. Department of Justice’s proposed settlement agreement
with Oregon to phase out sheltered workshops, and more.
REAL ECONOMIC IMPACT
Resources for Real Economic Impact
National Disability Institute (NDI) Real Economic Impact Network News
Issue 19 / September 2015
http://www.realeconomicimpact.org/REI-Network.aspx
Public Benefits and Work Supports -- Expedited Reinstatements of Benefits
Concerned about losing your connection to Social Security disability benefits if you
return to work? If you are, and you think the only way to get benefits back is by
reapplying, you need to know about Expedited Reinstatement of Benefits (EXR). This
allows former beneficiaries who become ineligible for benefits due to work activity, to
request reinstatement of benefits if certain eligibility criteria are met. To learn more,
please visit: https://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/wi/exr.htm.
Employment -- Get Ready for NDEAM
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is celebrating its 70th year
promoting the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities. The
theme for this year is "My Disability is One Part of Who I Am." The Department of
Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy provides an online toolkit with a range of
integrated materials to help you or your organization support the message of the “Who I
Am” PSA. The discussion guide and posters can be used to facilitate staff training and
create workplace diversity displays. A Spanish-language poster is also available, as is a
Spanish-language version of the PSA. Additional information on this year’s NDEAM,
including the nationwide on-air PSA, is available at:
http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/ndeam/.
Taxes and Tax Preparation -- Unresolved Tax Issues? Questions About your
Rights?
Did you know there are independent representatives at the IRS capable of providing
immediate tax assistance to you? TAS, the Taxpayer Advocate Services, is your voice
at the IRS. TAS is an independent organization, within the IRS, dedicated to helping
individuals, businesses and exempt organizations unable to resolve their tax problems
on their own. The service is always free and TAS can help you if:
 Your problem is causing financial difficulty for you, your family, or your business.
 You, your business or your organization is facing an immediate threat of adverse
action.
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You have tried repeatedly to contact the IRS but no one has responded and/or by
the date promised.
Learn more about by visiting TAS’ website.
Financial Education -- Helping Clients Tackle Student Loan Debt
Reports show student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt in the United States.
Thirty-seven million Americans have student loan debt, with 14 percent of those
affected having at least one past due student loan account. If you have clients that are
struggling with student loan debt, access CFPB’s Employer’s Guide to Assisting
Employees with Student Loan Repayment: a toolkit for School Districts, Non-Profit
Organizations, and other Public Service Employers. The toolkit provides information on
loan forgiveness programs and other helpful information. Get your hands on the CFPB’s
toolkit now.
Asset Development -- Children's Saving Accounts
Asking children to help pitch in and complete chores reaps numerous benefits. When
children complete chores, they learn stewardship – a skill that is valued in school and
on the job. At age 14, youth can begin employment by applying for a work permit
(contact your state workforce agency for details). For college-age youth, work-studies
are available to help students earn income while attending school. When youth receive
money for work or as gifts, the opportunity for them to learn wise spending and saving
habits is created. Children’s Savings Accounts (CSAs) allow children to save a portion
of their income for the future. Research indicates that when children regularly save
money towards a goal they are more likely to reach that goal. A plan to discuss savings
goals helps children form a community network that supports a vision of hope for their
future. Learn more about Children Savings Accounts.
Partnerships for Financial Capability: Diagnostic Frameworks for Financial
Institutions and Partners
National Federation of Community Development Credit Unions and
Center for Financial Services Innovation
http://www.cdcu.coop/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Partnerships-for-Fin-Cap-Sept-2015.pdf
Increasing financial capability in financially underserved communities requires more
than just high-quality products. Like any new skill financial capability requires guidance
and hands-on experience. The National Federation of Community Development Credit
Unions and the Center for Financial Services Innovation launched The Financial
Capability Partnership Initiative in 2013 to promote financial capability in low-income
communities through partnerships between credit unions and nonprofit service
organizations. Learn the keys to a successful partnership, including: Convergent
Vision, Complementary Capacities, Commitment, Confidence and Coordination.
WEBSITES OF THE WEEK
National Employment First Policy and Data Platform
LEAD Center
http://employmentfirst.leadcenter.org/
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This platform, funded by the US Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment
Policy and housed on the National LEAD Center’s website, provides a unique
comprehensive resource for policy-makers, researchers, and external stakeholders to
learn about national trends and activities in Employment First, including but not limited
to:
 Downloading outcome data across respective Federally-funded systems
(education, Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) adult services, mental
health, vocational rehabilitation, workforce investment, and others) at an
individual state level as well as the ability to compare data from up to three states
at a time;
 Reviewing comprehensive profiles for each individual state with respect to
relevant legislation, policies, gubernatorial actions, funding initiatives, pilots, and
strategic partnerships going on in each state as it relates to increasing
competitive, integrated employment options for individuals with disabilities; and
 Conducting queries to ascertain all policies/actions around a specific topic based
on a customized search process.
Webinar Archive: National Employment First Website Launch – Click here to
access the webinar archive of the launch of the policy and data platform.
Office of Disability Employment Policy
US Department of Labor
http://www.dol.gov/odep/
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and to kick off
the celebration, the Office of Disability Employment Policy has unveiled its new home
page! Come visit us to see our updated look and to access our resources and
information, including NDEAM posters and ideas for ways to commemorate the month.
PUBLICATIONS OF THE WEEK
One Size Does Not Fit All: A New Look at the Labor Force Participation of People
with Disabilities
American Institutes for Research Workforce and Lifelong Living Program
September 2015
http://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/Labor-Force-Participation-Peoplewith-Disabilities-Yin-Sept-2015.pdf
Although overall U.S. unemployment rates are nearly back to normal after the Great
Recession that began in 2007, millions of working-age adults with disabilities are willing
to work but do not have jobs and do not count as unemployed. Disability remains a
primary reason Americans are not in the workforce—32% of people not looking for a job
reported that they are disabled; this figure continues to rise. This paper examines labor
market outcomes for this population by disability type at both the national and state
levels.
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Since at least the mid-1970s, policymakers have shifted their attention from income
support for people with disabilities to policies designed to promote labor participation
and employment. Despite the array of federal policies, executive orders, and incentive
programs intended to increase employment and employability of people with disabilities,
labor market outcomes have not improved for this population in more than 40 years.
Current policy typically addresses people with disabilities as one homogeneous group.
However, people with disabilities require different types and levels of accommodations
and the cost of providing vocational rehabilitation and employment-specific services
varies by disability type as well.
The researchers' analysis reveals that the labor participation choices and employment
experiences of people with disabilities vary substantially by disability type. These
patterns remain similar even after controlling for individual characteristics, suggesting a
need to account for this diversity if policymakers aim to improve the labor market
outcomes for this population.
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act: Performance Reporting and Related
Challenges
US General Accountability Office (GAO-15-764R) / September 23, 2015
http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-15-764R
In July 2014, WIOA (Pub. L. No. 113-128) brought changes to the programs that create
a foundation for the nation’s employment and job training system. WIOA requires that
DOL and Education collaborate to implement a common performance accountability
system for six core programs, which the agencies note is an historic opportunity to align
definitions, streamline performance indicators, and integrate reporting across programs.
These core programs, which DOL and Education administer through grants to state
agencies, are: Title I Adult, Title I Dislocated Worker, Title I Youth, Wagner-Peyser
Employment Services, Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, and State Vocational
Rehabilitation Services programs. WIOA establishes six performance indicators on
which states must report for the core programs, such as those related to employment
status, earnings, and skills gains in education or training programs, starting in July
2016. This represents a noticeable change from the prior law, the Workforce Investment
Act of 1998 (WIA), under which performance indicators varied considerably across
several of the core programs, though all of the six programs have already been
reporting on performance related to employment and most have been reporting on
earnings.
Section 505 of WIOA includes a provision for GAO to issue an interim and final report
on federal and state databases and data exchange agreements containing job training
information relevant to WIOA, and opportunities to enhance the quality of these data.
This interim report focuses on the current state of performance reporting for the core
programs at the federal level. Specifically, the following issues are addressed in this
report: (1) how federal and state agencies currently report on WIA performance
measures for core job training programs; and (2) challenges to performance reporting
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previously identified by federal auditors and anticipated challenges. The final report will
address databases and exchanges in selected states and protection of personal data
shared across agencies, and is expected to be issued in 2016.
To address these objectives, GAO reviewed DOL and Education documentation on
relevant data systems and data exchange agreements and interviewed officials from
these agencies who oversee performance reporting for the core programs. GAO
reviewed its past reports and federal IG reports and interviewed IG officials about
challenges with performance reporting and data systems. GAO also interviewed officials
from five national associations representing state agencies to obtain information on
states’ experiences with performance reporting, including current and anticipated
challenges. GAO purposefully selected these national associations to gain perspectives
on each of the programs WIOA designated as core. Finally, GAO reviewed relevant
federal laws and regulations.
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