A Round Up of Resources to Support the Employment Needs of People with Disabilities

This article is from DiscoverAbility NJ, a tremendous resource for people with disabilities and employers throughout NJ.



As reported by Cornell University's Employment and Disability Institute, the 2008 population survey showed that only 17.6% of men and women who have a condition that limits their ability to work are in fact employed. In an already difficult labor market, this puts individuals with disabilities at an even greater disadvantage when they seek employment. In addition, as the population ages, the number of people with a disability in the workforce is expected to rise substantially.

Fortunately, there are a number of online resources available to help meet the employment needs of people with disabilities. Many of these are for human services and One Stop Career Center staff. There are also several that are useful to employers and to people with disabilities. Here's a round-up of great links:

* NTAR Leadership Center--This site is packed with podcasts, webinars and other resources and tools.

* NCWD Youth--Devoted to the special needs of youth with disabilities. Be sure to check out the Professional Development area.

* Disability and Employment Community of Practice--This site is relatively new, but aims to provide connections to best practices and other materials that have resulted from the Disability Program Navigators program.

* START UP USA--Resources for individuals with disabilities to pursue self-employment.

* Online Disability Awareness Training--Learn about basic disability facts, barriers and accessibility, strategies for inclusion, insights from the disability community and ways to take action through this series of 5 self-paced modules. An excellent tool for orienting WIB Disabilities Issues Committee members and One Stop staff to the basic issues facing individuals with disabilities in employment. Also check out the Employer Resources section for information on the ADA and tax credits.

* Diversity World's Employment Resources for Specific Disabilities--Resources for everything from ADD to Traumatic Brain Injury.

* Webcasts from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN)--Archived webcasts on a variety of issues, including accommodations for people with hidden disabilities, such as learning and mental health issues.

* Issue Lab: Close-up on Disability and Employment--An excellent collection of tools and information, including a podcast with Kathy Krepcio, executive director at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University about communicating research most effectively; Lucy Baker, executive director at the Oregon Business Leadership Network about connecting businesses with research and resources about people with disabilities; and, Lisa Dworkin, Director of Vocational and Training services at Little City Foundation about how research figures into the day-to-day work of someone who connects people with disabilities with employment.

* Disability 411: The Podcast for Disability Information--an excellent repository of over 60 podcasts.

* Heath Resource Center--The HEATH Resource Center is an online clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities. The Clearinghouse has information for students with disabilities on educational disability support services, policies, procedures, adaptations, accessing college or university campuses, career-technical schools, and other postsecondary training entities.

* Nondiscriminatory Job Interview and Job Analysis Training--Free online modules for conducting job interviews and job analysis in accordance with the ADA. Good info for employers and for One Stop staff.

* Reaching Out to Customers with Disabilities--an online course for business that is also applicable to One Stops.

* Access for All: A Resource for Meeting the Needs of One Stop Customers with Disabilities--This manual by the Institute for Community Inclusion serves as a training and staff development tool for enhancing the ability of One-Stop Systems to meet the needs of customers with disabilities, and also as a reference work for ongoing use in serving people with disabilities.

* Identifying and Serving Customers with Hidden Disabilities in Our One Stop Centers--Many disabilities, such as cognitive functions and chronic disease, are “hidden” that is they are not readily apparent. Counselors need to know what these disabilities and how to relate to these individuals. This presentation by CLM Connection in Ocala FL provides an overview of the issues and practical advice on how to identify and serve these individuals.

* Serving Workers with Disabilities--Learn about specific techniques implemented in the State of Massachusetts to encourage One-Stop Career Centers to assist people with disabilities, including people with psychiatric disabilities, obtain and retain quality employment opportunities. Also hear about a variety of effective and practical practices under the disability program navigator program, where partnerships are enabling leveraged resources and providing quality services to business and to customers with disabilities.

* Webinar on Serving Veterans with Disabilities in the One Stop Center--good info in this recorded webinar.

* Disclosure of Disability Information at a One Stop Career Center: Tips and Guidelines--a fact sheet for job seekers that would be appropriate to share during Orientation and in Resource areas.