Disability and Employment
Helping workforce professionals support job seekers with disabilities.
About
Disability and Employment
The Disability and Employment Community is an online learning one-stop destination for the American Job Center network, people with disabilities, and employers. In addition, a resource for all key stakeholders who partner with the workforce system to provide services and programs to people with disabilities and/or other barriers to employment.
We hope you join our community as we collectively work together to support the national effort to increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities. By joining, you will be able to:
- Find Information: There are several key ways to find information. Check out the Trending resources or our Featured Content. You can also enter what you are searching for at the top of any page.
- Get Announcements: Under the Announcements tab, you can be in the loop of latest announcements surrounding disability and employment issues.
- Find Upcoming and Archived Events: Find and register for upcoming training events listed in the Events tab. You can also access archived events.
- Network with Peers in your State or Local Area: Under the Member Directory tab for disability employment, you can bridge connections with peers also interested in addressing disability and employment issues.
If you have questions about how to navigate this site, visit our Help page for step-by-step tutorials and videos.
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Event Summary
External Event hosted by National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD Center).
Contact info@leadcenter.org for event questions or issues.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires memorandums of understanding (MOUs) between workforce boards and the statutory partners in the one-stop delivery system. Join this webinar to hear from workforce leaders about strategies for crafting/implementing effective MOUs.
Moderator(s)
Sarah Loizeaux, LEAD Center Ben Cheriyan, Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of LaborPresenter(s)
LaMia Chapman, Office of Workforce Investment, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
Yvonne Wright, Co-Project Director, LEAD Center
Drew Thomason, Senior Consulting Manager, Kerber, Eck & Braeckel LLP
Mike Baker, Manager of Strategic Planning and Innovation, Office of Employment and Training, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Ronesha Love, Operations Manager, American Job Center for Lancaster and Saunders Counties, Nebraska
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Event Summary
External Event: This event hosted by the LEAD Center.
This webinar focuses on current trends and strategies for improving employment outcomes for individuals served by the public mental health care system. The session will explore how and why mental health employment services are evolving and how existing or emerging policy and funding trends will impact states, providers, and partners moving forward.
Moderator(s)
Julie Hocker, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) Assistant Secretary of Labor
Presenter(s)
Virginia Selleck, Ph.D., National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network (NEON) Subject Matter Expert
Other speakers are slated to present as well.
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Event Summary
External Event: Hosted by the LEAD Center.
Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) provide critical support to individuals with disabilities, helping them build skills for independent living, community participation, and employment. This webinar will introduce a new DSP Career Exploration infographic that may entice new individuals to the DSP field and encourage retention of current DSPs by describing the role of DSPs and illustrating possible career pathways for DSPs to advance.
Moderator(s)
Sarah Loizeaux, LEAD Center, National Disability Institute (NDI)
Presenter(s)
Shelley Hendren, Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor
Leah Cadena-Igdalsky, LEAD Center SME, Social Policy Research Associates
Kris Palmer, LEAD Center SME, Social Policy Research Associates
Dr. Carol Britton Laws, Institute on Human Development and Disabilities, University of Georgia
Jack Teters, New Jersey Department of Human Services
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Event Summary
The AoD Disability Employment TA Center’s National Community of Practice (CoP) webinar, “Strategies to Support People with Developmental Disabilities and Brain Injury to Achieve Employment Goals Through Small Business Ownership”.
Presenter(s)
Maria Crowley, MA, CRC, Director of Professional Development, NASHIA
Jill Ferrington, MC, CRC, CBIS, Technical Assistance Advisor, NASHIA
Aarti Sahgal, Founder and CEO, Synergies Work
Angad Sahgal, Entrepreneur, Founder of Let Me Do IT
Kymberlee Baker, Entrepreneur, Founder of Kimmie's Heart Cards
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Event Summary
Access to quality data makes good policy possible and workforce services accessible for everyone. Join the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Policy Development and Research and the Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD) Center to discuss strategies for improving the quality of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) disability-related reporting elements.
Moderator(s)
Christina Eckenroth, Workforce Analyst, U.S. DOL Employment and Training Administration, Office of Policy Development and Research
Presenter(s)
Jessie Oettinger, Senior Associate, Social Policy Research Associates
Rose Warner, Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. DOL Office of Disability Employment Policy
Marian Negoita, Senior Associate, Social Policy Research Associates
Laura Thomas, Senior Research Programmer, Social Policy Research Associates
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Event Summary
This webinar is a presentation of the best practices, resources and technology available at the American Job Centers for job seekers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Moderator(s)
LaMia Chapman, Supervisor-Workforce Analyst, U.S. Department of Labor
Presenter(s)
Kim Vitelli, Administrator, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor
Patricia O’Sullivan, Federal Project Officer, U.S. Department of Labor
Kathy Olsen, CWDP, CBSP, Quality Assurance Coordinator/Project Coordinator/WDB Liaison, Michigan Works! Southwest, a division of the Upjohn Institute’s Center for Workforce Innovation and Solutions
John Fiore, District Manager, Southwest District, Michigan Rehabilitation Services, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity & Co-Chair of the Disability Awareness Resource Team (DART), a committee of the Michigan Works! Southwest Workforce Development Board
Laura Gleneck, Project Director, LEAD Center
Jennifer Cheyer, Program Manager, NOVAworks
Nathaniel Muncie, Public Policy SME, Government Affairs, Source America
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Event Summary
The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA), along with the Office of Disability Employment Policy and the Social Security Administration (SSA), developed an Employment Network (EN) technical guide for American Job Centers. This session will provide highlights from the technical guide, which is specifically designed to help workforce entities navigate the process of becoming and operating as a Workforce EN.
Moderator(s)
Steven Rietzke, Division Chief of National Programs, Tools, and Technical Assistance, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
Presenter(s)
Laura Gleneck, Division Director, Employment Projects, National Disability Institute
Doug Keast, Project Manager and Ticket SME, National Disability Institute
Brian Dennis, Workforce Program Coordinator – Disability Services, Iowa Workforce Development
Michelle O’Camb, Workforce Development Manager, Sacramento Employment and Training Agency
Charlotte Hirte, Ticket to Work Coordinator, Rural MN Concentrated Employment Program
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Event Summary
Learn from peers in states who participated in the Workforce Innovation Cohort on Disability and Employment. Cohort members will highlight the barriers and solutions to disability employment service delivery within the American Job Center network. In the spirit of moving forward, the cohort will outline their capstone products in three key topic areas.
Moderator(s)
David Jones, Workforce Analyst, Office of Workforce Investment, U.S, Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration
Laura Gleneck, Project Manager, DEI Technical Assistance Team, National Disability Institute
Presenter(s)
Lance Kaldor, Workforce Consultant Senior, Meridian Local Office, Idaho Department of Labor
Jodi Yanda M.S., CRC, Disability Services Integration Manager, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
Keri Osterhaus, M.S., CRC, Vocational Rehabilitation Program Administrator, Iowa Department for the Blind
Ashley D. Clark, State Disability Resource Coordinator, California Employment Development Department
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Event Summary
The Ticket to Work program provides individuals with disabilities receiving disability benefits opportunities to return to work, stay employed and increase earnings. As a result, beneficiaries with disabilities may reduce their dependency on public benefits and become more economically self-sufficient. This webinar focuses on how Ticket to Work operates and the different partnership models now available consistent with the goals of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).Moderator(s)
David Jones, Workforce Analyst, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
Presenter(s)
Brandi Brooks, Program Coordinator, Ticket to Work Program, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce
Patrick Mannix, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy
Ana Morales, Employment Network Development / Ticket to Work Program Manager for Social Security Administration, Maximus
Kevin Nickerson, Ticket to Work Program Coordinator Consultant and ADEN Co-Director, National Disability Institute
Lauren Parker, Senior Director, Ticket to Work Program, The SkillSource Group, Inc.
Robert Pfaff, Deputy Associate Commissioner, U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Research, Demonstration, and Employment Support
Nancy Stensgard, Disability Resource Coordinator, Rural Minnesota CEP / Workforce Center
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Event Summary
Disability statistics can be a powerful tool to increase our collective understanding of the barriers faced by the disability population in the workforce. This webinar provides an overview of current and historical disability employment trends and highlights how front-line practitioners have successfully applied existing data resources to serve customers.
Moderator(s)
David Jones, Workforce Analyst, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration
Presenter(s)
Debra Brucker, Research Assistant Professor, Institute on Disability, University of New Hampshire
Susan Dooha, Executive Director, Center for Independence of the Disabled in New York (CIDNY)
William Erickson, Research Specialist, Yang-Tan Institute, Cornell University
Joseph Hampton, Research Specialist, West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services (WVDRS)
