For more information, go to www.dol.gov/odep.

JAN Announces New Accommodation Information by Limitation Website Feature

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) recently launched a new section on its website called “Accommodation Information by Limitation A-Z.” The new section allows JAN website users to find workplace accommodation ideas by the type of limitation an employee is experiencing, regardless of the underlying disability. This feature joins the current A-Z options to search by disability and by topic.

LEAD Center Webinar on Understanding Changes Regarding Youth Services – Part 3 of a 4-Part Series on WIOA — June 24, 3:00-4:30 PM EDT

Join the LEAD Center on Wednesday, June 24, 3:00-4:30 PM EDT, for the third webinar in a four-part series, “WIOA from a Disability Perspective.” This month’s webinar, “Understanding Changes Regarding Youth Services,” will address cross-system collaboration and WIOA opportunities to support career counseling, skills training, job exploration, leadership development and financial literacy education for youth with and without disabilities. All LEAD Center webinars are captioned and presentation materials are sent to participants in advance of the webinar. For any other reasonable accommodation requests, please contact Brittany Taylor at btaylor@ndi-inc.org.

LEAD Center Releases May 2015 Issue of Policy Update — Employment, Health Care and Disability

The LEAD Center’s Policy Update — Employment, Health Care and Disability provides policymakers, disability service professionals, individuals with disabilities and their families with information about relevant policy developments regarding Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and related topics, with a focus on improving employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. The May 2015 update features stories on a newly proposed Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) rule related to offering financial incentives for workplace wellness participation, Virginia’s passing of the ABLE Act, a new study of the type of health care used by people with intellectual disabilities and more.

Discussing a Trauma-Informed Policy Framework

Adopting a trauma-informed framework was the topic of an article, “Creating a Trauma-informed Policy Agenda,” published on May 15, 2015 in “Stress Points,” the quarterly eNewsletter of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. The article discussed the federal inter-agency group called the “Federal Partners Committee on Women and Trauma,” and examined policy advances made at both the federal and state levels. “The growth and success of these federal and state initiatives suggest that it is time to elevate the conversation about violence and trauma to a national policy discussion,” asserted the authors, Carol Boyer, MA, from the Office of Disability Employment Policy, and Andrea Blanch, PhD, and Mary Blake, CRE, both from SAMHSA.

New LEAD Center Guest Blog Post on Transition to Employment for Young Adults with Disabilities

Mary Hartley, lead consultant for 21 and Able, recently penned a guest post at the LEAD Center Blog titled “Transition to Employment for Young Adults with Disabilities: What We (as Parents and Community Supporters) Can Do to Ensure Success.” Hartley discussed how parents and supporters of young adults with disabilities can assist in the process of transition to employment. She stressed that parents and supporters themselves should make a transition — from educating themselves on issues for children to learning about issues for adults with disabilities — and should encourage community inclusion and work experience for the transition-age youth they support.

Disability and Employment Symposium: Research Informing Practice — June 24, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM EDT

The Interagency Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) is hosting the Disability and Employment Symposium: Research Informing Practice on June 24, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM EDT, at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. The symposium will examine the state of the science and interactions among employment research, practice and policy in terms of how research-based knowledge can affect practice and policy, and how practice and policy can influence research. Federal government representatives, researchers, individuals with disabilities and their representatives, employers and workforce professionals are welcome to attend. Registration deadline is June 16.

Smithsonian Institution Prepares to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the ADA

In a post on Disability.Blog, Krista Flores, Program Specialist for the Smithsonian Institution Accessibility Program, outlines activities planned at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to honor the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the 40th anniversary of VSA. The Smithsonian events will take place July 24-26 with exhibits, workshops, hands-on activities, films and an ADA birthday party, among other festivities. From July 16-26, the Kennedy Center will celebrate the anniversaries of the ADA and VSA with 11 days of free programming highlighting the history, art and culture of the disability community.

USBLN® and Wells Fargo Officially Launch America’s First Disability Rights Museum on Wheels

The US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN®) and Wells Fargo & Company have announced the launch of America’s Disability Rights Museum on Wheels (DRMW), the country’s first disability rights mobile museum. America’s Disability Rights Museum on Wheels is an accessible self-contained motor vehicle that features interactive learning opportunities and emerging technologies. The DRMW provides a unique opportunity to learn the fascinating history of the disability rights movement. The museum will also be joined by the ADA Legacy Tour, a national bus tour that has traveled more than 14,000 miles commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. To commemorate the launch, Wells Fargo and USBLN® will host a two-day event that will kick off in Charlotte, NC on June 8. The tour will continue through November 8.