Physical Disabilities

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.

How is the state of Maryland providing necessary information on Medicaid waiver programs to consumers, families, and professionals? Attached find a presentation from a 2010 training presentation as well as a case study. May be replicable by other states wanting to disseminate similar information.

How is the state of Maryland helping to keep individuals with disabilities up to date on important changes in health care policies and law? On December 8, 2010, the Maryland Department of Disabilities held a summit in order to provide information on important changes regarding “Newly Eligible” Medicaid, Medicaid Buy-In, and Medicare. Reivew the the presentation.

How is the state of Louisiana disseminating important information to individuals with disabilities who are employed or seeking employment? Attached are several examples of tip sheets developed by Louisiana’s Medicaid Infrastructure Grant project with funds from the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Services Medicaid Infrastructure Grant. Included is information on jobs, benefits, support, taxes, and more. May be replicable by other states hoping to provide similar outreach.

On November 15, 2010, the CHOICES CEO Project sponsored an “Employment for ME Summit” to introduce Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ new employment policy. A resource page with extensive information about the summit, and links to technical resource materials disseminated at the conference, was put on a web page for those who couldn’t attend, and for ongoing reference for those who did attend. In addition, 14 important segments were put on YouTube.

How is the state of Kansas working to ensure that consumers can both work and receive the SSDI benefits that they are entitled to? Attached are several examples of studies done in the state of Kansas where individuals with disabilities were surveyed on important information such as why they delayed applying for disabilities benefits and barriers to finding employment. These findings may be beneficial for consumers as well as employers.

This study found that Americans living with disabilities were less likely to use the Internet than other adults, with only 44 percent of those with a disability using the Internet. In comparison, 81 percent of adults without a disability used the Internet on a regular basis. The primary reasons responders cited for low Internet use were lack of accessibility and proper accommodations to meet their needs.

A growing number of individuals with disabilities are leaving the workforce and obtaining SSDI. Statistics show that the household incomes of these workers are falling behind those of workers without disabilities. This brief lays out a two-pronged approach for bending these curves—increasing the employment rate for people with disabilities, reducing their reliance on federal support, and increasing their household incomes—while preserving benefits for those who are unable to work.