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Promoting Equitable Employment for People with Developmental Disabilities Through Innovation, Training and Technical Assistance
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Washington Initiative for Supported Employment Insights Newsletter
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February 2009
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Developing Talent, an Interview with Temple Grandin, Ph.D.
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the person is fascinated with is where you start. If someone is fixated on something, explore that.”
Much of her work focuses on finding people’s strengths and building on those strengths. She encourages people to try new things because “talent and skills need to be developed.” She also believes social interaction can be taught through shared interests and that students should join clubs at school, and find mentors, who match their interests.
“You must structure the school or job tasks to make it successful for the person. Different kinds of minds need different kinds of structures.” For example, in a workshop she gave (see link below), she talked about students with autism-related visual problems. A few very simple environmental modifications can prove to be highly effective, including using incandescent lamps on student’s desks, blocking fluorescent lights with hats, printing reading materials on gray, tan, or pastel paper (white paper with black type can be difficult to read), using laptop computers which have screens which do not flicker, and using colored glasses. She stresses that what works for one individual does not necessarily work for another. The modifications must be highly individualized.
“What you then have to do to get people into jobs is to find the right employers. That’s what Marcia Datlow-Smith does. She finds certain employers who are open. Like the Walgreens people. I had dinner with one of Walgreens’ managers. They went so far as to change all the computers in their warehouses with visual symbols for people with intellectual disabilities to understand. I believe it gets down to the attitudes at the management level. Might as well hit your head against a wall with the wrong managers. Some managers - you can shift their thinking. Some you can’t. Don’t waste your time on those you can’t. Find the right employers, get people into jobs, do it, document it, present it at meetings and in the media, and get it into print in articles and books. That’s the way to do it.”
Dr. Grandin also advocates for slowly transitioning from school to work through short periods of work while in school, always exploring new things, watching closely, building on strengths, and making short portfolios to show peoples’ skills to sell themselves to potential employers. “You want to avoid Human Resources and find a way in the back door to show people who really understand the skills what the person can do.”
Watch a fascinating hour-long presentation on this subject: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgEAhMEgGOQ
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Save the Date!
32nd Ellensburg Employment Conference:
"It's a Jungle Out There!"
June 17-19, 2009
Preconference June 17: Basic Job Development
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Dr. Temple Grandin is a designer of
livestock handling facilities and a
Professor of Animal Science at
Colorado State University. She
pioneered methods and facilities, now
used throughout the world, to more
humanely treat livestock. She also
experiences an autism spectrum
disorder and has spent a considerable amount of time speaking and writing about designing environments for successful learning and employment for people experiencing autism. She has appeared on numerous national television shows, been featured in People Magazine, the New York Times, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, Time Magazine, the New York Times book review, and Discover magazine. She has also authored over 300 articles in scientific journals and is a best selling author on the New York Time’s best seller list. W.i.S.e. caught up with Dr. Grandin on a recent book tour passing through Seattle.
“Dr. Grandin, can you give us your thoughts about what it takes for people with significant disabilities to be successful in the transition from school to work?”
“Don’t be abstract,” she said. “You can’t be abstract when you are talking about these things. My book Developing Talent, published by the Autism Asperger Publishing Company, is all about employment. Different kinds of jobs for different kinds of minds. There is the visual mind which is good at design and visual tasks, there’s the math mind which is good at calculations and music, and then there’s the verbal mind which is good at things like journalism and writing. It is important to look at the type of mind the person has.” In Developing Talent, Dr. Grandin lists possible strategies, environmental modifications, and jobs for the different types of minds to stimulate ideas in her readers.
“I’ve been doing a lot of talks about employment. For autism and Asperger syndrome, employment is at many different levels, from the brilliant people working in Silicon Valley doing software design to people who can do more simple jobs like stocking shelves. Developing Talent is more about employment for the people on the higher level of functioning, and The Way I see It (another of her books) is more for people on the other end.”
“One of the most important things is motivation – you have to be motivated. If there is no motivation, you won’t get anywhere. Second thing is family problems. If personal lives are a mess, that’s a problem. Get those things figured out. Also, we must have expectations of good behavior in public.”
Dr. Grandin writes about ‘problem behavior’ in her books and says we must rule out medical problems causing pain first, look at and address sensory overload and fear of possible sensory overload, and then look at proper behavior. She believes in being very firm on what behavior is acceptable and not, and in having consistent expectations about behavior between home and school.
“It is important to find out what people like to do. I was very impressed by the work of Marcia Datlow-Smith – she had a person who, for example, liked messy things and found him a job recycling. Finding those odd things
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The first graduating class
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W.i.S.e. is expanding our
GroupMail list of emails - if you know anyone who has not been getting our emails or would like to receive this
newsletter and other notices, please have them contact:
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Highline Community College's Employment Professional Certificate Programs in
Clark, King, and Spokane Counties
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TREVOR and the Longview School District/DVR Project
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“We’re having a blast,” says Joyce Duran of O’Neill and Associates, the program coordinator for the Employment Professional Certificate Program.
Three programs are up and running, one each in King, Clark, and Spokane Counties. The programs are nine months long with weekly classes. Students earn 15 transferrable credits, and the curriculum includes values, history, systems, marketing, job development, coaching and job support, coworker support, and other best practices in supported employment. Registration is limited to job coaches currently working in the field and school paraeducators.
“It is a very rigorous college program which includes a practicum,” Duran says. “We started this to increase the quality of services and skills of employment professionals. Several of the students said they were ready to leave the field, but now feel rejuvenated, are building great relationships, see their places in history as part of something bigger, and are developing leadership skills. This is great for up and coming leaders. Students’ confidence in their skills is way up according to the pre and post surveys.”
Teri Johnson, one of the primary instructors for the program, noted that they revise the curriculum every quarter, based on student feedback, current issues, and what students feel is important. “We’ve also found it is a great opportunity for more focused and long-term learning together. New partnerships are forming, and even friendships.”
Last year, the pilot project started at Highline Community College (HCC) in King County with 21 students. This fall, the second King County program began with 23 students as did the Clark County class with 21, half of them from Oregon. The Vancouver program is run by HCC out of Educational Service District 112. The Spokane program, with 17 students, started this winter, and is also run by HCC out of Spokane College’s Extended Learning Center.
“We try very hard to find local instructors and teaching assistants to build capacity in local areas,” says Duran. “Some of the students from the first class are now teaching assistants. Their dedication is amazing. One woman, Angela, traveled from Colville in eastern Washington to Seattle weekly and never missed a class. She is now a teaching assistant in Spokane.”
The program came about as a collaboration between Washington State’s Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), county developmental disability programs, and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) which funds all the coordination costs. “DVR has been fabulous - Lynnae the director has come to our events and classes. The county developmental disability programs are the big players – they recruit the students, support us, and help fund the tuition. WISE manages the finances. O’Neill coordinates the program, HCC runs it, and the employment agencies provide many of the instructors and all the students. We even were nominated for a Governor’s award for innovative projects,” says Duran.
Recently Thurston and Yakima Counties have expressed interest in starting programs in Olympia and the Tri-Cities. “We’re getting inquiries from other states too which is nice.”
One of the students summed it up: “I highly recommend the program to increase staff retention. There is a lot of training, and it was organized and methodical. It’s an absolute must. I’m totally amazed how much I took in.”
For more information, please visit…
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Trevor is currently working at Greg’s Gardens in Longview, Washington. Because he enjoys working with his hands, this job has been a great match for Trevor. Among his many duties, Trevor keeps busy by replanting vegetable and herbs which need larger pots and packaging the “play dirt” that the store sells to the public for their personal gardens.
Trevor’s previous job was at Applied Industries where he worked as a sawyer’s assistant. He operated a nail gun as well as stacked and graded lumber. The staff was so impressed with Trevor’s hard work he was chosen as “Worker of the Month” for March 2007.
When Trevor was 13 years old he was involved in a horrible fire accident. He spent months doing physical therapy at the burn unit and only now, several years later, is he comfortable discussing this part of his life.
“Hi my name is Trevor. This summer I went to burn camp and made a lot of friends. Last winter I went Steam Boat Springs, Colorado and learned to ski. Last summer also in 2008 I went to Minnesota on a condor trip and spend ten days in Minnesota and eight days on the river (canoeing over 200 miles!). I am 20 years old. I have 4 dogs and one of my dogs is an English mastiff he is 180 pounds and he eats lot.”
Trevor got his job through a unique partnership between the Longview School District (LVSD), the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), Cowlitz County Community Rehabilitation Programs (CRPs), and Cowlitz County Developmental Disabilities (DD). Last year the Kelso DVR office opened its doors to six LVSD students who were ready for paid jobs in the community. DVR assisted Trevor with assessments, counseling and guidance, referrals, an Individual Plan for Employment, and CRP vendor interviews during which Trevor selected the CRP of his choice.
Teachers and paraeducators work closely with the CRPs to develop jobs and, once jobs are found, LVSD provides on the job support. After graduation, the CRPs and Cowlitz County DD provide support as needed. The intent of the project is to allow students to seamlessly enter the adult service system with paid jobs. Trevor is supported by LVSD and Vocations Unlimited/Longview Goodwill.
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Jefferson County Launches New
Project SEARCH - a 'Tipping Point'
Jefferson County Developmental Disabilities (DD) is pleased to announce that in December 2008 it started a small Project SEARCH program initially serving four transition students at Jefferson Healthcare Hospital. Skookum, a local employment service provider, is overseeing the program.
The county formed a team to create the project as a way to enhance vocational opportunities for students with developmental disabilities. Partners include the hospital, Washington State Division of Developmental Disabilities’ Jobs by 21 Partnership Project, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, O’Neill and Associates, Jefferson County School Districts, and Skookum. Paula Johnson of O’Neill and Associates is developing the internships at the hospital and Skookum is providing job analysis, job development, and coaching. All involved see this project as a catalyst for change.
The project combines classroom instruction, career exploration and on-the-job-training and support. Its main goal is to provide real life work experience combined with training in employability and independent living skills. The desired outcome is successful transition from school to adult life.
Students and Skookum staff attended the hospital orientation, safety, and other training. They started their first internship rotations including work in Human Resources, Environmental Services, and Dietary. Skookum with Paula Johnson is developing an informational binder describing the project for all department managers, and looking for other internship and job opportunities.
“We have tried to model all jobs in the hospital on skills that would transfer easily to the community,” says Stephanie Dickey of Skookum. “The project has also included transportation training in our rural environment. The hospital has been very supportive and welcoming to the students!”
Anna Mc Enery, Coordinator of Jefferson County DD, compares Malcolm Gladwell's definition of a tipping point to the impact of Project SEARCH in the county. “Gladwell defines a tipping point as ‘the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point, or levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable,’” she says. “The sociological definition of a tipping point is ‘the moment when something previously unique becomes common.’ I believe that Project SEARCH is creating a tipping point that will lead to an evolution of irreversible change.”
“Jefferson County is a ‘show me’ community,” she continues. “Show me what is possible. If you show me then I’ll believe. For many, that leap of faith only comes after they actually see the visible bridge. Project SEARCH is another bridge of possibility for the students, the community, parents, the schools and the system to see what is achievable, a positive virus of change for Jefferson County."
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Excerpts from “Ruralfacts: Rural Supported Employment”
This RTC: Rural Factsheet was prepared by Cary Griffin,
© The Rural Institute,
Roughly 40% of the nation's 3,700 supported employment vendors provide services in rural areas of the United States.
Key Rural Supported Employment Issues:
- A perceived lack of jobs and career advancement opportunities
- A lack of adequate funding or funding incentives to increase supported employment
- A paucity of staff and consumer training and technical assistance in job development, situational/functional assessment, worksite instructional strategies, natural supports, non-aversive behavioral supports, Social Security Work Incentives, and self-determination
- A lack of management and leadership training and technical assistance to support and guide community employment expansion and sheltered program downsizing
- A lack of transportation options
Rural Best Practices of Promise:
While facing a multitude of economic, programmatic, and policy obstacles, the rural tradition of pragmatism and inventiveness fosters rapid advances in quality community employment for individuals with the most severe disabilities.
In South Dakota, the Vocational Rehabilitation agency has been instrumental in increasing the use of vouchers and micro-vendors for supported employment. This approach allows individuals in small communities to remain in those areas and call upon local friends, family, or service providers for assistance (S.D. Vocational Rehabilitation, 1997).
In Montana, transportation vouchers are proving to be an effective and efficient means of addressing social isolation (Bernier & Seekins, 1996). In various communities, utilizing co-worker car pools, using Social Security Work Incentives such as PASS Plans to underwrite transportation costs, and matching people to jobs of choice within walking distance of their homes are all successful strategies.
In small rural communities, supported employment is being expanded with the use of Social Security Work Incentives. These are being used to provide co-worker support; underwrite community-based training to identify vocational likes and dislikes; provide behavioral change support; pay for tools, transportation, and training; and to purchase employer-valued resources. Such resources might include tools or training or inventory that allows a business to expand or improve. The rationale for this approach is that typical workers come to the job market with exploitable resources: a truck driver owns a truck, a mechanic owns hand tools, a manager owns a college education. People with disabilities need exploitable resources as well, and PASS Plans help equalize competition (Hammis, Maxson & Griffin, 1997).
Situational Assessment and Person-Centered Career Planning use is increasing. Situational assessment and worker profiling, as part of a systematic job match, has environmental validity and allows people the opportunity to explore a variety of possible work options and to personally guide the employment process of their choosing (Condon & Hammis, 1997; Callahan & Nisbet, 1997; Griffin & Hammis, 1996).
"Supported Self-Employment" is being tested and expanded in some of the most remote communities in the West. Relying on the belief that employment can be developed for anyone, anywhere, at anytime, sole proprietorships (e.g. small engine repair) and limited partnerships (e.g. retail sales; stud horse ranching) are being developed in towns as small as 1,200 population. Again, the use of Social Security PASS Plans, and the networking of professionals, friends and families are proving to be vital ingredients to success (Hammis & Griffin, 1998).
Active Business Councils (ABCs) are also being utilized to increase business and consumer networking. The basic model involves establishing a small council of employers, consumers, and rehabilitation professionals who meet monthly with a highly structured agenda. Here, the business people meet a couple job seekers monthly and individually agree to use their influence and networks to promote employment. In Greeley, Colorado, this approach produced over 50 jobs in one year (Griffin & Sherron, 1996).
There are many more opportunities than barriers to supported employment expansion in rural areas. As Rural Institute Organizational Consultant Roger Shelley says, "there may be fewer jobs in rural areas, but there is still a great deal of work." Three key factors influence the increase in quality supported employment. These include: an organizational philosophy that emphasizes community integration; flexible state funding policies; and strong family support and advocacy (McGaughey, et al., 1994
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A Helping Hand
(a recent show on CBS)
"A special program has been created that helps people cope with unemployment in tough economic times and fosters pride and self-respect. Dr. Jon LaPook reports. January 5, 2009"
Check it out at...
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Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
Although we recognize that people are hired for their skills and abilities, not because of a tax credit, here is information on the WOTC
which some employers might find helpful and interesting:
The WOTC is one tool in a diverse toolbox of flexible strategies designed to help move people from welfare into gainful employment and obtain on-the-job experience. It joins other tax credits, education, and workforce training programs that help American workers with barriers to employment prepare for good jobs; ease their transition from job to job; benefit from the creation of effective regional economic development strategies; and create high performance workplaces.
President Bush signed into law the Small Business and Work Opportunity Tax Act of 2007 which extends the WOTC Program through August 31, 2011. The consolidated WOTC for hiring most target group members can now be as much as:
$2,400 for each new adult hire;
$1,200 for each new summer youth hire,
$4,800 for each new disabled veteran hire, and
$9,000 for each new long-term family assistance recipient hired over a two-year period.
The new employee must belong to one of the following nine WOTC target groups: 1) Long-term TANF Recipient, Other TANF Recipient, 2) Qualified Food Stamp Recipient, 3) Designated Community Resident - an 18-39 year old resident of one of the federally designated Empowerment Zones (EZs), Enterprise Communities (ECs), and Renewal Communities (RCs), 4) Summer Youth Employee - a 16-17 year old EZ/EC or RC resident hired between May 1 and September 15, 5) Qualified Veteran, 6) Vocational Rehabilitation Referral - an individual who completed or is completing rehabilitative services from a State certified agency, 7) an Employment Network, or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 8) Qualified Ex-Felon, or 9) Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Recipient.
MINIMUM EMPLOYMENT OR RETENTION PERIOD. All new adult employees must work a minimum of 120 or 400 hours. Individuals hired as Summer Youth employees must work at least 90 days, between May 1 and September 15, before an employer is eligible to claim the tax credit. The WOTC amount an employer may claim depends on the hours the employee works. The credit is 25% of qualified first-year wages for those employed at least 120 hours but fewer than 400 hours and 40% for those employed 400 hours or more.
HOW CAN EMPLOYERS PARTICIPATE IN THE WOTC? To receive certification that a new employee qualifies the employer for this tax credit, the employer must:
1) Complete page one of IRS Form 8850 by the day the job offer is made.
2) Complete page 2 of IRS Form 8850 after the individual is hire.
3) Complete either the one page ETA Form 9061 or Form 9062 as appropriate.
4) Mail the completed and signed IRS and ETA forms to the employer's state workforce agency within 28 days after the employee's employment-start date for all individuals who begin work for an employer on or after January 1, 2007.
In Washington State: Brian Roper, WA State Employment Security, P.O. BOX 9046, OLYMPIA, WA 98507-9046, 360-438-4024, broper@esd.wa.gov
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___________________________________________________________________________
 I am Noah Gomes and I have cerebral palsy. I live in Spokane. I graduated from ITT TECH in 2006 with a BA in Digital Entertainment and Game Design. I started
a business in 2007. I design websites and games. I can model almost anything
with 3D Studio Max. I can edit videos and make a DVD or put it on the internet. I
also have a hosting service at www.opengatehosting.net. I’m looking to put
together a team to help me with a game that I want to make. I use a game
engine (Torque) from GarageGames. If you are interested in my services or want
to join my team, you can e-mail me at Noah@opengatestudios.com.
My web address is www.opengatestudios.com. Email communication is preferred.
Thank you, Noah
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U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment PolicySurvey of Employer Perspectives on the Employment of People with Disabilities
Technical Report, November 2008
The objective of this nationally representative survey was to inform the development and promotion of policy and practice by comparing employer perspectives across various industries and within companies of varying sizes. This survey emphasized current attitudes and practices of employers in 12 industry sectors, including some high growth industries as projected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
ODEP conducted a 15-minute telephone survey of a representative sample of senior executives representing 12 industries by company size: small (5-14 employees), medium (15-249 employees), and large companies (250 or more employees).
Key findings:
Employing people with disabilities
§ Among companies in the United States, 471,562 companies (19.1 percent) report employing people with disabilities.
§ Among small companies (employing 5 to 14 people), 10.7 percent report employing people with disabilities, while 22.6 percent of medium-sized companies (employing 15 to 249 employees) and 53.1 percent of large companies (employing 250 or more employees) report employing people with disabilities.
Recruiting people with disabilities
§ 326,721 companies (13.6 percent) report that they actively recruit people with disabilities.
§ Larger companies are more likely to actively recruit people with disabilities (33.8 percent) than smaller companies (7.8 percent).
§ In absolute numbers, there are more mid-sized companies (164,460) recruiting people with disabilities than small (96,052) and large companies (66,209).
§ Public administration organizations are more likely to actively recruit than their private sector counterparts.
§ Among private sector companies, those in service-producing industries are more likely to actively recruit than those in goods-producing industries. Service-producing industries have the largest number of employers that actively recruit.
Persuading companies to recruit people with disabilities
§ When asked about the type of information that would persuade them to recruit people with a disability, companies that do not actively recruit cited information about performance, productivity, and how hiring people with disabilities can benefit a company’s bottom line as the most persuasive information, while information about cost is the least persuasive.
§ Information on satisfactory job performance and how hiring people with disabilities can increase a company’s productivity are cited by small and medium-sized company as most persuasive.
§ Large companies are more likely to be persuaded by information that is supported by statistics or research.
Hiring people with disabilities
§ 215,344 companies (8.7 percent) report having hired people with disabilities in the past 12 months.
§ Large companies are more likely to report having hired a person with disabilities in the past 12 months (32.6 percent) compared to medium-sized companies at 8 percent.
§ The nature of the work being such that it cannot be effectively performed by a person with a disability is cited as a hiring challenge by 72.6 percent of all companies. Attitudes of co-workers or supervisors are the least frequently cited challenges. Health care costs, workers compensation costs and fear of litigation are more challenging for small and medium companies than for large companies.
§ The cost of employing people with disabilities and the belief that workers with disabilities lack the skills and experience necessary are the most often cited concerns for small and mid-sized companies, while supervisor uncertainty about how to take disciplinary action is cited most often for large companies.
Advancing Employees with Disabilities
§ For companies that currently employ people with disabilities, the cost of accommodation and lack of advancement potential are the top two challenges to advancing employees with disabilities, regardless of company size, far surpassing attitudes of customers, co-workers or supervisors.
Retaining Employees with Disabilities
§ For companies that currently employ people with disabilities, finding ways to return employees to work after the onset of a disability is the number one challenge for medium and large companies.
§ For companies that currently employ people with disabilities, visible commitment from top management is an important strategy in retaining people with disabilities. Small and mid-sized companies are more likely to cite employer tax credits as a retention strategy than are large companies. Large companies most often cite mentoring as the top strategy for retention.
Knowledge of One-Stop Career Centers
§ One-Stop Career Centers are designed to provide a full range of assistance to job seekers and employers in one location. Established under the Workforce Investment Act, the centers offer training referrals, career counseling, job listings, and other employment-related services. Twenty-five percent of employers are aware of local One-Stop Career Centers. Large companies (42.6 percent) and employers in public administration (38.1 percent) are more likely to know of local One-Stop Career Centers. Within the private sector, the proportion of employers in goods-producing industries aware of One-Stop services (25.5 percent) is roughly the same as the proportion of employers in service-producing industries (24.6 percent).
§ When companies were asked if they used One-Stop services, 15.3 percent said they did. The use of One-Stop services increases with company size: small companies (7 percent), medium-sized companies (14.9 percent), and large companies (43.6 percent). Public administration employers are much more likely to use One-Stop services (41.5 percent) than service-producing and goods-producing employers (14.6 percent and 14.3 percent, respectively).
Job Accommodation Network
§ The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a service that provides information on job accommodations, entrepreneurship, and related subjects. The services of JAN are familiar to 7.4 percent of companies. Large companies are much more likely to be familiar with JAN services than are small and medium-sized companies (21.6 percent compared to 6 percent and 5.9 percent, respectively). Public administration employers are more likely to be familiar with JAN (19.2 percent) than are employers in service (7.3 percent) or goods-producing industries (6.2 percent).
§ Of the 7.4 percent of companies that are familiar with JAN services, 27.7 percent report using the services.
Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network
§ The Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network (EARN) is a service of ODEP that assists employers in locating and recruiting qualified workers with disabilities and provides technical assistance on disability employment-related issues. Eight percent of employers are familiar with EARN services. Large companies are more likely to be familiar with EARN services than small and medium-sized companies (14.3 percent compared to 6.8 percent and 6 percent, respectively). However, there was no difference among industries types with regard to familiarity with EARN.
§ Of the 8 percent of companies that are familiar with EARN services, 12.4 percent use the services.
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