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February 29, 2008

2008 Workshop Series: MIND YOUR HEALTH -- NYC

The NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, Office of Consumer Affairs and community partners present the first of six workshops on Health, Wellness and Recovery.

Double Whammy!

(It’s Not Just About Mental Health Anymore)

Your physical health is as important as your mental health.

Come hear a primary care doctor talk about how to self-advocate for routine medical care.

THIS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!

WHEN: Thursday, March 20th, 1 to 3 PM

WHERE: 125 Worth Street (side entrance), 2nd floor, Auditorium (between Lafayette & Centre St.)

PRESENTERS:

Note:

I.D. Required.

Light refreshments will be served.

Attendance is free; no pre-registration required.

For further information please call (212) 219-5393.

Partners: New York City Peer Network Group; William F. Ryan Community Health Center; NAMI-NYC Metro; NAMI-NYS; Mental Health Empowerment Project; Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Vocational Services; Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service; Project Renewal; Baltic Street Mental Health Board; The Geriatric Mental Health Alliance of New York; Venture House; The Bridge; Association of Hispanic Mental Health Professionals; Bellevue Hospital Latino Psychiatric Program; New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services and American Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation.

Posted by Nancy at 06:33 PM | Comments (0)

February 27, 2008

EMPLOYMENT & SUPPORT SERVICES DAY: March 18th, 2008 - Kew Gardens, N.Y.

Queens Borough President Helen M. Marshall's Advisory Council for Persons with Disabilities cordially invites you to its second annual EMPLOYMENT & SUPPORT SERVICES DAY

Date: Tuesday, March 18th, 2008

Time: 10 am - 1 pm

Location: Kew Gardens Community Center
80-02 Kew Gardens Road, Kew Gardens, N.Y. 11415

Come & Speak To Knowledgeable Professionals in the fields of...

Get Information on . . .

Special Presentations by . . .

Participating Organizations:

For additional information, please call:
718-286-2680

Posted by Nancy at 03:30 PM | Comments (0)

Wired For Business! Strategies for incorporating Wireless Braille into your Technological Journey!

Tek Talk Monday, March 3, 2008

You will not want to miss the upcoming Accessible World online Tek Talk training event as Larry Lewis, President of Flying Blind LLC, will be showcasing the entire line of wireless Braille displays manufactured by Baum Retek, a European-based manufacturer with decades of experience developing products for persons who are vision impaired.

The virtual audience will be taken on a tour of the hardware of these displays and will hear a demonstration of methods for efficiently using these displays to wirelessly access a PC as well as Mobilespeak-equipped PDAs and Smartphones.

Additionally, Lewis will discuss how these displays have complimented his abilities to perform a variety of employment-related tasks in a number of settings and will be available to offer suggestions and guidance to participants as to how to incorporate the use of wireless, refreshable Braille into their own technological experiences.

Date: Monday, March 3, 2008

Time: 5:00 p.m. Pacific, 6:00 p.m. Mountain, 7:00 p.m. Central, 8:00 p.m. Eastern and elsewhere in the world Tuesday 1:00 GMT.

Where: Tek Talk Conference Room at: http://www.accessibleworld.org or use the Direct Link: http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

All Tech Talk training events are recorded so if you are unable to participate live at the above times then you may download the presentation or podcast from the Tech Talk archives on our website at http://www.accessibleworld.org.

All online interactive programs require no password, are free of charge, and open to anyone world wide having an Internet connection, a computer, speakers, and a sound card. Those with microphones can interact audibly with the presenters and others in the virtual audience.

If you are a first-time user of the Talking Communities online conferencing software, there is a small, safe software program that you need to download and then run. A link to the software is available on every entry screen to the Accessible World online rooms.

Sign up information for all Accessible World News Wires and discussion lists are also available at our website: http://www.accessibleworld.org.

Media Contacts:

Robert Acosta, Chair, Planning Committee
818-998-0044
Email: boacosta@pacbell.net

http://www.helpinghands4theblind.com

Pat Price, Events Coordinator
The Accessible World Symposiums
Vision Worldwide, Inc.
317-254-1185
Skype: patprice1
Email: pat@patprice.org

http://www.accessibleworld.org


Posted by Nancy at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)

MS Office Skills Training: Carroll Center - Newton, MA

Over 70% of the consumers who completed the Carroll Center's MS Office Skills Training Program are employed or returned to college. Although many persons think this training is reserved for those seeking jobs in an office, being computer literate and confident is critical for any job seeker or self-employed individual.

As one graduate said:

"A person can learn all the basic things about the software in a few weeks of training, but the intensity of the Office Skills program - every day for 10 weeks - was what was I needed to really hone my skills."

Graduates typically do internships after completing the program while job searching. All attendees indicated that the training directly impacted their confidence and ability to secure employment. Here is a sampling of some of their jobs:

The next class is scheduled to begin on March 24th. Do you have a client/consumer who needs the skills to get ahead? Ensure your consumers have the skills to be successfully employed. Refer them today!

Orientation for MS Office Skills Training March 11, 1:30 pm To attend contact: Dina Rosenbaum at 800-852-3131.

Carroll Center for the Blind 770 Centre St Newton, MA 02459

Posted by Nancy at 12:14 PM | Comments (0)

Web Cast--Serving Vets Returning with Disabilities

One of the most demanding issues today: understanding how to assist service men and women returning from Iraq and Afganistan with disabilities.

A day-long conference will be held this Friday, February 29, to examine this and other critical factors in"Working on the Front: Ethics in Rehabilitation of Veterans."

Join the Web cast to sit in on the whole conference or selected portions of it. (Below is the agenda. Note that it starts at 8:15 and goes until 4:30. CT.)

This important conference is hosted by Southern University's Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

AGENDA

8:20 AM - 8:40 AM
Welcoming Remarks

8:45 AM - 10:15 AM
Ms. Dinah Cohen, U.S. Dept. of Defense
Leading the Way with Accommodations

10:20 AM - 11:45 AM
Dr. Darlyne Nemeth, Delegate to the United Nations
Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation for Returning Veterans with Head Injury: Ethical vs Moral Issues

11:50 AM - 12:50 PM
LUNCH BREAK

1:00 PM - 1:15 PM
CSI Inititiative Ceremony

1:25 PM - 2:50 PM
Dr. James Malec, Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana
Evidence-Based and Ethical Practice in Rehabilitation for TBI and Polytrauma

3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
Mr. Olligario Cantos, VII, U.S. Dept. of Justice
Civil Rights and Veterans with Disabilities: Rights and Responsibilities

3:55 PM - 4:30 PM
Mr. Roger Otzenberger and Ms. LaShunda Dudley, Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program: Eligibility Criteria, and
Services for Veterans with Service-Connected Disabilities

Sponsors
Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies,
National Council on Rehabilitation Education,
Louisiana Rehabilitation Services,
Rehabilitation Research Institute for Underrepresented Populations,
Project Rehabilitation of Ethnic Minorities,
Project Vocational Evaluation and Work Adjustment


Get instructions on how to access a webcast.

Please visit this site ahead of time to test and ensure your computer is configured and updated to participate in the webcast.

For technical assistance, please check out our FAQs (frequently asked questions) or contact a webcast team member at webcast@ilru.org
or 713.520.0232 (v/tty).

This Web cast is a collaboration of ILRU with the Rehabilitation Research Institute for Underrepresented Populations, headquartered at the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies of Southern University-Baton Rouge, one of the country's historically black universities. For more information, go to http://www.subr.edu/science/rehabcounsel/RRIUP/Goal.htm

Support is received from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The opinions and views expressed are those of the presenters and no endorsement by the funding agency should be inferred.

Posted by Nancy at 09:20 AM | Comments (0)

February 26, 2008

Social Security Takes Key Step to Reduce Backlog of Disability Cases

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced that the agency has begun making offers to 144 of the 175 new Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) it will hire this fiscal year. Due to litigation and budget cuts, the agency has about ten percent fewer ALJs than it did a decade ago. During that same time, the number of cases waiting for a hearing decision has more than doubled.

"The hiring of these new ALJs is a critical step in our plan to reduce the backlog of disability cases," Commissioner Astrue said. "They represent one of the largest investments in ALJs this agency has ever made. When these ALJs are fully-trained, and combined with the other steps we are taking, we will be able for the first time in this decade to reduce the number of cases waiting for a disability hearing. I can hardly wait for them to start."

The new ALJs will be brought on board in phases with the first hires reporting for duty in April, when they will begin an intensive orientation and training program. While initially handling a reduced docket, newly hired ALJs should be scheduling a full docket of cases by the end of the year.

"I have been very impressed with the caliber of the candidates eager to take on the challenging role of a Social Security ALJ," Commissioner Astrue noted. "These new ALJs are top-notch legally and comfortable working in an electronic environment, which is of utmost importance as we strive to increase the efficiency and productivity of our ALJ corps."

Hiring of additional ALJs is only one component of the plan the agency has put in place to reduce the backlog of disability cases. The agency also continues to make progress in many other areas including opening the National Hearing Center, completing the nationwide roll-out of the Quick Disability Determination process, implementing compassionate allowances and eliminating aged cases. More information about Social Security's plan is available at www.socialsecurity.gov/disability under the heading What's New.

"In May of last year, I presented Congress with a detailed plan to reduce the backlog of disability cases," Commissioner Astrue said. "I am pleased to report that, with the strong support of the President and Members of Congress from both parties, we have been able to move forward with that plan. I urge Congress to continue its support with timely action on the President's fiscal year 2009 budget request for Social Security. A delay in fully funding the President's request will undermine the many positive steps we have taken this year."

Posted by Nancy at 07:43 PM | Comments (0)

Employment & Visual Impairment: Policy and Practice: NYC -- April 2, 2008

The Computer Center for Visually Impaired People, the School of Public Affairs, and the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities at Baruch College cordially invite you to attend a FREE day-long conference sponsored by AIG International.

Keynote Speaker: New York City Council Member, Gale A. Brewer

When: Wednesday, April 2, 2008
8:15am to 4:30pm, reception to follow.

Where: Baruch College, City University of New York
One Bernard Baruch Way, on the corner of 24th Street and Lexington Avenue.

Cost: FREE: includes breakfast, lunch, and reception.

Who: This conference is intended for policy makers, blind and visually impaired persons, practitioners in the vision impairment field, and interested faculty and students.

For more information: Go to CCVIP (Computer Center For Visually Impaired People)

Registration is open now through Monday, March 24th.

Register by Monday, March 24th to ensure that special accommodations such as alternative text format, sign language interpretation, on-site mobility assistance, and dietary restrictions are met.

4 quick ways to register:

  1. Phone:
    Call us at 646-312-5000 to register with our Enrollment Staff

  2. Fax:
    Send a completed registration form by fax to 646-312-5101

  3. Email:
    Send an email with your name, contact information, and choice of morning and afternoon workshops with "CCVIP Conference" in the subject line to caps@baruch.cuny.edu

  4. In Person:
    Baruch College
    Newman Vertical Campus Building
    55 Lexington Avenue and East 25th Street
    (between Lexington and 3rd Avenues)
    Room 1-116 on the 1st floor
    Office Hours: Monday - Thursday 9am to 7pm; Friday 9am to 5pm; closed weekends


Posted by Nancy at 02:51 PM | Comments (0)

February 19, 2008

Jobs in Pods: the Audio Job Board

Penn State seeks Web Developer.

Listen to interview with Penn State's Mark Parfitt where he discusses this newly created Web Developer position inside PSU's human resources department.


Posted by Nancy at 01:52 PM | Comments (0)

February 13, 2008

Disabilities Network Appoints Alberta Orr Executive Director

The Disabilities Network has hired a new executive director, Alberta L. Orr. Alberta brings with her nearly 30 years of experience in aging and disabilities, primarily in the vision rehabilitation field -- most recently 20 years at the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) where she worked with individuals with multiple disabilities. Prior to her work at AFB, Alberta served as the Executive Director of the East Bronx Council on Aging, where she doubled the agency budget in two years.

Alberta's career has focused on collaboration, creating partnerships and coalition building at the national level. She formed the National Aging and Vision Network and carried out a seven year project, the National Agenda on Vision and Aging involving 141 professionals and consumers from across the country. She is also an effective advocate and lobbyist for issues at the forefront of the disability arena.

Alberta is known nationally and internationally for her five books and nearly 30 articles and book chapters and presentations related to aging, vision loss and rehabilitation.

Alberta serves as adjunct faculty with Hunter College since 1994 and most recently is providing distance education courses in rehabilitation at Florida State University and the Pennsylvania College of Optometry.

She has served as a two-time delegate to the White House Conference on Aging. She represents North America on the Committee on the Elderly of the World Blind Union.

She will begin work on February 25th.

Posted by Nancy at 01:34 PM | Comments (0)

February 11, 2008

Verbal Imaging and Touch Tours at Rubin Museum of Art: NYC

The Rubin Museum of Art, a cultural and educational institution dedicated to the art of the Himalayas, is now offering Verbal Imaging and Touch tours for partially sighted and blind audiences. Free with museum admission, tours are one hour in length and take visitors on a journey that weaves the culture, history, religion, and arts of the Himalayas.

Group and individual tours offered. Please book two weeks in advance by calling Emilie Dufour for reservations at (212) 620-5000 ext. 345.

Contact: Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17 Street, NY, NY
Phone: (212) 620-5000 ext. 344
http://www.rmanyc.org

Posted by Nancy at 04:12 PM | Comments (0)

February 08, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor proposes rules to modernize H-2A program

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and Employment Standards Administration (ESA) today jointly proposed rules to modernize the H - 2A program for employing foreign workers in temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs.

"This issue must be addressed now, or our country will see eroding competitiveness in its agricultural sector, crops being left to rot in the fields, and increasing shifting of domestic food production to overseas," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "These proposed changes to the H - 2A program will provide farmers with an orderly and timely flow of legal workers and increase protections for both U.S. and foreign workers."

This package of proposed changes follows the administration's announcement that the Labor Department would review the program's current regulations, most of which have not been updated in more than 20 years, and propose changes to provide the nation's farmers with an orderly and timely flow of legal workers while protecting the rights of both U.S. and H - 2A workers.

During this review, the department identified a number of practices that have contributed to making the program difficult to use. Currently, only a little more than 75,000 workers participate in the H - 2A program, while there are an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 illegal immigrant workers on America's farms.

The proposed changes will modernize the broken H - 2A program so that it can serve its intended purpose of providing farm employers with a legal means to hire agricultural workers when no U.S. workers can be found. The methodology for calculating wages for H - 2A workers would be revised to better reflect wages by locality, occupation and skill level. More precisely tailoring H - 2A wages to the condition of local labor markets will better protect the wages and working conditions of U.S. workers.

The proposed changes build, in part, upon the successful re - engineering of the permanent labor certification program, which was modernized in March 2005. The updates in the current effort include reducing duplication of government effort by requiring employers to file H - 2A applications directly with the department's Employment and Training Administration rather than file with state agencies. The proposal also mentions plans to build out an Internet - based system in the future.

To improve protections for domestic workers, changes are proposed that would increase the length of time employers would be required to recruit for domestic workers before they are permitted to apply for H - 2A workers. Additionally, new tools and enhanced penalties to ensure employer compliance with the H - 2A program are being proposed. Those enhanced tools would include audits, revocation of certifications, increased debarment authority and substantial increases in fines, up to $100,000 for violations resulting in serious injury or death of a worker.

The proposed rule is available on the department's www.doleta.gov Web site and will be officially published in the Federal Register soon.

Contact Name: Jennifer Coxe or Terry Shawn
Phone Number: (202) 693-4676
Release Number: 08-0181-NAT

Posted by Nancy at 06:25 PM | Comments (0)

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao calls for 2008 New Freedom Initiative Award nominations

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has called upon nonprofit organizations, small businesses, corporations and individuals that have demonstrated exemplary and innovative efforts in advancing the employment and workplace environment of people with disabilities to submit entries for the 2008 Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award.

"The New Freedom Initiative Award celebrates innovative efforts to advance accessibility to the workplace for Americans with disabilities," said Secretary Chao. "The New Freedom Initiative Awards ceremony is an opportunity to showcase worthy organizations that are welcoming Americans with disabilities into the workplace."

The annual award recognizes public - private partnerships and programs that have had a positive impact on the employment of people with disabilities through access to assistive technologies, the use of innovative training, and hiring and retention techniques. It also recognizes organizations, businesses and individuals that develop comprehensive strategies to enhance the ability of Americans with disabilities to enter and advance within the workforce of the 21st century.

Additional information on the award and specific nomination criteria are available in the Jan. 29, 2008, edition of the Federal Register and at www.dol.gov/odep. Questions may be addressed to the Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Division of Policy Communication and Outreach, at 202 - 693 - 7880. The deadline for receipt of nominations is May 30, 2008.

President Bush introduced the New Freedom Initiative on Feb. 1, 2001. The initiative contains a comprehensive set of proposals designed to ensure that Americans with disabilities have the opportunity to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work, make choices about their daily lives, participate fully in their communities and realize their full potential as citizens.

ODEP is leading a 21st century federal response to the historic underemployment of people with disabilities. In collaboration with other government agencies, public and private employers, and additional stakeholders, ODEP facilitates the development and implementation of innovative policies and practices necessary to achieve a fully inclusive workplace. ODEP's work primarily falls into three categories: employers and the workplace; workforce systems; and employment - related supports, which include education and training, health care, reliable transportation, affordable housing and assistive technology.

Contact Name: Bennett Gamble or Rick Manning
Phone Number: (202) 693-4667 or x4676
Release Number: 08-0103-NAT

Posted by Nancy at 06:09 PM | Comments (0)

February 06, 2008

Columbia University Lectures in Disability Studies

Graduate Center City-University of New York Presents Three Lectures in Disability Studies:

For accommodation, please contact:

Osmin.Sullivan-Hewitt@mail.cuny.edu

or 646.344.7313.

Posted by Nancy at 12:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 05, 2008

Carroll Center Summer 2008 Youth Programs: Newton, MA

Information and applications are now available for the Carroll Center Summer 2008 Youth Programs: