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Wisconsin Disability Program Navigator Newsletter

Issue 7, Vol 2, May 2008

This newsletter highlights navigator news and happenings as well as offering tools, information and resources on navigating employment programs and services for people with disabilities. Contact Theresa Kulow at kulow@eri-wi.org with your ideas, articles, comments or suggestions. Or Join Our Mailing List.


2008 DPN Calendar:


Mark Your Calendars for 2008 Navapaloosa!

Navapaloosa 2008

Our annual Navigator exchange called Navapaloosa is scheduled for June 3 and 4 in Prairie Du Chien. The event provides opportunities to share products, services, events that have proven successful among Navigator peers. This year we will have presentations about the State of the DPN and Employment Network National Perspective under Ticket to Work. We will also have one interactive event and the remaining time for "brag & steal" – actual exchange of a products among Navigators.

This year we will feature a Blues Brothers theme, so grab your hat, sunglasses and jacket and join us.


Glenn's Update: Brain Droppings from the Overlord...Musings, Thoughts and Notes of Interest

Finally the snow of winter is behind us! In Madison records were set for snowfall. I work right off the square from the Capitol. I watched the snow crews diligently removing the mess from the street, followed by clearing the sidewalks; finally the last area cleared was the curb cuts. I had to wonder that hopefully chair users have 4-wheel drive to navigate around the downtown area.

Let's learn a lesson! In times of dwindling resources, it is easy for the focus on people with disabilities to be shoved to the back. The potential for closing job centers, shrinking staff, additional duties that Job Center staff that might lose that focus.

As Navigators this will be one of your priorities! In order for this to happen, you will need to have a methodical and well thought out plan for the year that addresses empowering your local job center and educating employers. You must not just sit in your cube and wait to be invited to events and planning sessions. One of our Navigators shared that sometimes you have to go "gangster"! I know it is a PC world, but to explain his meaning, he ran into many barriers to be included and at times was patronized. Instead of sitting back and bemoaning that he is not included he invited himself to meetings, became a part of email exchanges and is now an integral and welcome partner.

Please take some time out to think "what is my plan for the year?" Take yourself out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to find a new partner every month. Take some time to work with others and ask "What If" and turn that into "Lets Do". At the state level we will be offering you employer training events and mental health events. We plan to grow more for you, but want to hear from you at the local level.

Our curb cuts may not be cleared, but we need to be the leaders to make sure they are a priority. As we empower the system, we must demonstrate that Navigators are not a nice to have, but rather, a must have. As Walt Disney stated "It's kind of fun to do the impossible!"

Focus: May is Mental Health Month

FocusNavigators should be looking for creative ways to spotlight information and resources to customers with disabilities and One-Stop staff. May is Mental Health Month and presents a great opportunity to offer practical tips that all people can use to help balance everyday stresses, increase their awareness of mental health issues, and improve their overall health. Visit the National Mental Health of America's website and get activity guides and fact sheets that you can use to promote mental health awareness throughout your community and in the workforce system.

Mental Health America founded May is Mental Health Month 50 years ago to raise awareness about mental health conditions and the importance of mental health for all. This year's theme, "Get Connected" is focused on the important role social connectedness plays in maintaining and protecting mental health and wellness. More information.

Focus on Mental Health: Upcoming Events

Focus on Mental Health: Resources

Navigator Highlights

Navigators Out and About

Milwaukee Navigator Recognized

Danna Rhinehart, Milwaukee Area Navigator, recently received a "Dedication Award" from the Milwaukee Asset Building Coalition (MBAC), for her commitment in getting them involved with bringing attention to the disability community. This Coalition is a public private partnership that through education, planning and income, assists low-income Milwaukee County residents achieve financial independence. The Social Development Commission (SDC) is the lead agency for MBAC. The coalition focuses on three facets: education/awareness, free tax filing services and asset development and outcome evaluation. Since Danna's involvement, they have had training from Independence First on disability awareness for the agency as a whole and the tax preparers. Danna also assisted them in getting free tax preparation venues at Independence First and Goodwill Industries of South Eastern Wisconsin. More information on the Milwaukee Asset Building Coalition.

Community Collaboration Is Key

One of the key Navigator roles is promoting community partnerships. Fox Valley based Navigator, Alex Annoye, partnered with other not-for-profit companies in his area who focus on finding jobs for individuals with disabilities. The partnership created the Community Employment Opportunities Association (CEOA), which is a collaboration of agencies that provide job development and vocational support for individuals with disabilities. The group's mission is "Creating employment partnerships for the betterment of our communities, by promoting an inclusive workplace." It is a grassroots effort to provide information to employers on questions they may have regarding employing individuals with disabilities. Some examples might be work opportunity tax credits, labor market information, Americans with Disabilities Act and accommodations.

Alex describes some of CEO's biggest accomplishments as creating marketing materials for visibility including brochures and a video. The group also coordinated employer outreach at local job fairs such as the UWO Job Fair which usually has over 200 booths. Alex states, "As CEO, we are able to promote the hiring of people with disabilities to all the employers by coordinating our efforts; we have presented directly to employers and community leaders represented in groups such as Kiwanis groups and Lions Clubs."

Currently, CEO is undertaking a project modeled after an event in Sheboygan that would inform employers about the untapped resource of people with disabilities.  The group is planning an employer appreciation dinner involving some key employers that have had success in hiring people with disabilities.  They also plan to invite other employers from similar fields and local government officials. 

Creating Accessible Documents

What does it mean for a document to be accessible? Some people need to use assistive technology to read because their disability affects their ability to either see or process print information. These individuals will typically employ the use of a screen reader or other adaptive technology to manage written material. The formatting of these documents is critical to the success of the conversion from text to speech or to allow other adaptive technologies to be more effective. Following are some resources, strategies, and suggestions to create files that are accessible through several common programs.

Best Practice for Creating Accessible Microsoft WORD and Powerpoint Documents:

Best Practices refer to a collection of how to's and what to avoid when preparing Microsoft Office files for conversion. Best Practices help users utilize their software efficiently and maximize the most of their Wizard experience. You should get in the habit of always using Best Practices. Since Best Practices show how to create table, charts, layout, etc., without using outside sources most of the time, you will actually save time while preparing a more quality document. Though the Wizard will make your content as accessible as possible, the more structure that is added while making an office document before conversion the more accessible it will be after conversion. More information.

More WORD Resources:

Creating Accessible PDFs

Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format developed by Adobe® Systems. PDF makes it possible to send documents with original formatting intact. PDF files are created by scanning an original print document or by using a variety of popular software applications. In order to read PDF files, the user must have Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®, a free application distributed by Adobe Systems.

The growing popularity of PDF has created concerns about accessibility, particularly for users of screen readers. With the release of Adobe®Acrobat® 5.0, Adobe® took significant steps toward improving PDF accessibility. With more recent releases and other improvements, PDF is now able to communicate more effectively with screen readers, and PDF text can reflow when magnified or when viewed on a handheld computing device. More Information.

The following web resources provide additional information on making PDF files accessible.

A Guide to Making Documents Accessible to People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

by American Council for the Blind
This document contains a comprehensive discussion about how to make print and electronic information available to people with visual impairments in a variety of accessible formats. Consumers who have limited vision or are totally blind have unique access needs. These needs depend on the amount of vision each person has for reading. Some people have usable vision, allowing them to read large print. Others choose to read braille on paper, while a third group prefers to use a computer with synthetic speech, or refreshable braille display, to read electronic documents.

What is adaptive technology?

Adaptive technology is software and hardware designed to assist people with disability using computers to create, access, process or present information. Examples of adaptive technology includes:

Adaptive Software

Adaptive Hardware

CAPTEC's Assistive Technology Demonstration Videos

For many people, an explanation of how assistive technology applications can provide access to the electronic and information environments is helpful, but experiencing how the technology actually works enhances the learning experience. For this reason the Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) has developed closed-captioned video demonstrations of voice recognition software, screen magnification software and refreshable Braille technology.

The following videos require the use of Windows Media Player.

For more information, visit Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program or contact CAP at 703-681-8813, 703-681-0881 (TTY), CAP@tma.osd.mil.

Training & Education Events


Save the Date: Wisconsin Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) ADRC Conference 2008

October 13 to 15, at the Paper Valley in Appleton.

Conference Objectives:

Participants: Those involved in planning new resource centers such as county and tribal officials, local aging and human service agency staff, Independent Living Centers, Area Agencies on Aging, aging unit directors, advocates and consumers; Those involved in overseeing and providing ADRC services, including, ADRC directors, staff and board members, AIRS exam takers, and benefit specialists.

Nonprofits Summit

June 10, 2008
Madison, Wisconsin.

Nonprofit leaders from across Wisconsin will rally at the state's capital to speak as one voice. The Wisconsin Nonprofits Association, of which SDC CEO Deborah Blanks is President, will meet June 10 at the Madison Sheraton Hotel to attend workshops, network and, most of all, establish common ground for common good. For registration information on the Nonprofits Summit, visit www.wisconsinnonprofits.org.

2008 Accessible Technology On-line Seminar Series: Accessible Computer Applications in Employment

May 19, 2008 1 to 2 pm

Many jobs now require interaction with various computer applications, such as record keeping and database systems. Inaccessibility of these applications can seriously hinder job performance for individuals with disabilities. This seminar will discuss accessibility issues with common workplace computer applications and how to make them accessible. To register please contact Janet Peters on-line or call (312) 413-5931.

Rehabilitation, Engineering, and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA)

June 26 to 30, 2008 Arlington, VA

RESNA 2008 is an interdisciplinary gathering of individuals and companies who share a common interest in technology and disability. For more information: www.resna.org/Conference/Conference.php

Using Google Transit as a Planning and Customer Information Tool

Tuesday, May 13 2:00-3:15 pm EST

Google Transit (www.google.com/transit) is a powerful tool that gives customers access to travel routes, schedules, and travel times on participating urban and rural transportation services. Learn how your community could use Google Transit to provide trip planning services to your customers. Google Transit's features can also be used in conjunction with other applications for many other purposes, such as providing real-time travel information, being used in planning services, and reducing duplication of existing services.

Register for Using Google Transit as a Planning and Customer Information Tool. To learn about other learning opportunities, visit the Events page on the Community Transportation Association website. Also visit the National Transit Institute's website for more courses.

New Internet Video Course: Ready, Willing, & Able Assisting People with Disabilities during Disasters

Ready, Willing & Able is now available as a free, professional, 2 hour, introductory, online training course offered for independent study and for continuing education. It is designed for public health and hospital staff, health professionals, disaster preparedness managers, emergency response workers, and personnel working with people with disabilities.

Specific training covers disability etiquette, terminology, communications and assistance techniques during disasters for assisting people with disabilities. Course participants become familiar with various disaster assistance needs of persons with sight, mobility, hearing, and cognitive disabilities. Instruction is given in the video by professional educators, and one of the educators is a person with a disability.

To get on board the TRAIN, for persons living outside of Kansas, first create an account at www.train.org and for those in Kansas go to http://ks.train.org. The course name Ready, Willing, & Able and course number 1010882 are necessary to get to the course to register. A certificate of completion is offered once the pre-and post tests and course evaluation have been completed by individual course participants.

For more information regarding the course contact: Cathy "Cat" Rooney, Research and Training Center on Independent Living, University of Kansas, mailto: catr@ku.edu>catr@ku.edu, (785) 864-4095 (phone).

National ADA Symposium and Expo

Date: May 12–14, 2008
Place: St. Louis, MO

For more information check out the website at: http://www.adasymposium.org

The National ADA Symposium is the most comprehensive conference available on the Americans with Disabilities Act and related disability laws. This premiere event offers a session schedule offering a wide range of topics. You can customize your schedule to meet your individual needs and interests.

Presenters at this conference are key representatives from agencies involved with the ADA and those agencies include: U.S. Dept. of Justice, EEOC, U.S. Access Board, U.S. Dept. of Labor and the U.S. Dept. of Education.

NEW! 2008 Legal Issues Webinar: Employment and the ADA

DBTAC Great Lakes A D A Center This webinar series will use an accessible online conferencing tool. The Online Conferencing System is a fully accessible integrated data and voice medium that enables users to conduct workshops over the internet from just about any computer with a network connection and web browser. Participation is enhanced with use of a personal microphone. Visit the ADA Legal Issues Webinar schedule page to learn more or register now.

Upcoming Webinars:
– June 3,2008: Qualified as related to Reasonable Accommodations such as Leave, Reassignment and Job Modifications
– July 22,2008: ADA Coverage Beyond Actual Disability: Regarded As, Record OF and Association Disability
– September 23rd, 2008: Direct Threat/Safety in the Workplace

2008 ADA Audio Series

The ADA Audio Conference Series provides in-depth information on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Accessible Information Technology and other related topics. This program is designed as a springboard to enhance an individual's existing knowledge base or facilitate continued learning regarding regulations and trends under the ADA. Visit the ADA Audio Series Schedule page to learn more.

Upcoming Audio Conferences:
– May 20th, 2008: Employer Best Practices: Recruitment and Hiring of People with Disabilities
– June 17th, 2008: Accommodating Employees with Psychiatric Disabilities in the Workplace
– July 15th, 2008: ADA Update: 18 Years Later
– August 19th, 2008: Serving Customers with Disabilities: Implications for the Hospitality Industry
– September 16th, 2008: Latino Immigrants with Disabilities: Challenges in Employment

MN APSE's 15th Annual Conference – Join the Revolution: Employment First! Employment Now!

May 19, 2008
Bloomington, MN

For more information visit www.mnapse.org or contact Jolene Boyd at jolenet@cipmn.org.

MARO Spring Leadership Conference

June 4-6, 2008
Park Place Hotel, Traverse City

For more information please visit www.maro.org or contact Harry Smith at hsmith2@maro.org.

Michigan Rehabilitation Conference: The Knowledge Economy: Where do we fit?

Call for Presentations – May 9 Deadline
November 5-7, 2008
Grand Traverse Resort

For more information please visit www.maro.org or contact Harry Smith at hsmith2@maro.org.

Ticket 101 Training – Conference Call

This call will provide an overview of the Ticket to Work legislation and the pending changes to the legislation. You will also receive a review of a New Ticket tool, the EN Estimator.

Dates:

Registration: To register: please email listserv@onestoptoolkit.org and include the names and emails of those who will be participating. You will receive confirmation and logistics from Elizabeth Jennings.

Application Walk-Thru

CESSI provides an Employment Network Application Walk-thru Conference Call designed to simplify the EN application process by walking you through it step by step. This call is open to all individuals completing the application with Social Security to become an Employment Network under the Ticket to Work Program.

Dates:

Registration: To register: please call 877-743-8237 or, email CESSI at application@cessi.net and they will send you the call in number and pass code.

Ticket Training Tuesday

Maximus provides Ticket Training every Tuesday on a variety of Ticket issues. With the new regulations on the brink of release, Maximus is revising their schedule for trainings after May 6, 2008. To receive updates from Maximus on scheduled Ticket Training Tuesdays, please email enoperations@yourtickettowork.com, subject: "Please add me to the Ticket Training Tuesday email announcements".

Dates:

Registration: There is no need to pre-register. To join the calls, simply dial into the toll-free number below and provide the participant code and your name and contact information to the operator. Note: The call number and participant code will be the same for each call. Check our website at www.yourtickettowork.com to download teleconference materials. For more information on Ticket Training Tuesdays, please contact Felix Stump, 1-866-968-7842 ext 3405 or TDD, 1-866-TDD2-WORK, or www.yourtickettowork.com.

Call-in Number: 1-800-480-6924

Participant Code: Ticket to Work

Over 1,000 EN and VR representatives have participated in the Ticket Training Tuesday's series! Recordings of select sessions are now available on CD-ROM. If you are an Employment Network or are considering becoming an Employment Network and would like a copy of this free CD, please email your request to enoperations@yourtickettowork.com, subject: "Ticket Training Tuesday CD".

Kennedy Center's Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability Conference And Training (LEAD)

The Kennedy Center's Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability conference and training (LEAD) will be held August 21-24, 2008 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. More details, including pre-conference sessions and hotel information are now all available.

Once again the conference and training sessions will touch on a variety of topical issues ranging from:


Ongoing Training:



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