Wages and Benefits

This Power Point presentation was put out by Utah's Work Ability for the fall Employer Workshop. The presentation educates consumers, families, and professionals on the Americans with Disabilities Act, available technology, agency services and supports, and more and how they can all be used as valuable resources to help the deaf and hard of hearing.

How does the state of South Dakota provide outreach, including personal testimonials, important suggestions, and resources to individuals with disabilities seeking to maintain their benefits while also working? This July 2010 newsletter is one example of MIG outreach work being done in the state in order to provide these services. May be replicable by other states seeking to reach out to similar demographics.

On September 1 & 2 2010, over 50 stakeholders representing service providers, families, advocates and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities came together at Oregon's Silver Falls Conference Center for the Employment First Summit, the kick-off event for the Employment First Outreach Project. Employment First's goal is full employment for working age adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Oregon. To learn more, explore this paper with recommendations.

New Jersey's DiscoverAbility operates with the mission of providing resources, networking opportunities and ongoing professional development to staff working in the field of disability employment. To access webinars, articles, and other important resources, explore their website. Also attached is an example of outreach work - a staff scholarship opportunity, providing five employees with the ability to attend a training conference. May be replicable by other MIG states.

Serving as a single point of entry, the Project SEARCH program provides a comprehensive approach to employment, retention, and career advancement for individuals with disabilities transitioning from high school. New Hampshires' goal is to begin training the first Project SEARCH group of 12 student interns for the full school year starting in September 2011 and graduating that group in June 2012.

The state of New Hampshire's Granite State Employment Project presents Employment Leadership Award to employers who demonstrate leadership in their commitment to employing workers with disabilities in order to provide them with earned recognition as well as to share their success stories to raise awareness among other employers. May be replicable by other states seeking to provide MIG outreach and recognition.

How is the state of Nevada preparing its youth to enter the job market or the world of post secondary education as they transition out of high school? Attached are two presentations on the subject. One presentation explains post high school options, such as post-secondary education and available job training and the second presentation provides education on creating a resume.

Find two examples of quarterly newsletters produced by the state of Minnesota and directed at consumers with disabilities. Within the newsletters are personal stories from individuals with disabilities regarding employment, rehabilitation, finances and more as well as important information and resources for consumers. May be replicable by other states seeking to provide similar MIG outreach materials.

Unemployment rates among people with disabilities is historically high. In Massachusetts, a Disability Task Force on Employment was formed in May 2008 to take a critical look at the Executive Branch’s current policies and practices and search for best practices in the public and private sector that pertain to recruiting, hiring, accommodating, promoting and retaining people with disabilities in the workplace. This report presents a summary of the focus group findings.

How does the state of Massachusetts disseminate important disability related information? Attached are four examples of issue briefs put out by Work Without Limits, a Massachusetts Disability Employment Initiative, that aims to educate consumers with disabilities as well as policy makers on relevant news and statistics. Some topics covered are disability prevalence, employment, income and poverty statistics, and more.