Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG)

It’s not just a matter of semantics or being “politically correct”. The language we use reflects how we feel about disability. The words you use can create either a positive view of people with disabilities or it can reinforce common myths. In this training document developed as part of Florida’s MIG grant program, communicating with people with disabilities is discussed in-depth and could be applicable to employers and service providers alike.

An individuals’ transition to an employment pilot project can involve a tracking system outlining the different programs and the particular enrollment status. The District of Columbia created a data spreadsheet for NCC Conversion to their Employment Pilot Project, financed by the MIG grant. This information is a “snapshot” of a client's status at the first of the month. A draft of this form is attached, which could be helpful to other states looking to start a similar program.

How is the District of Columbia marketing their disabled population to employers? The DC Metro Business Leadership Network (DC Metro BLN) promotes the best practices in hiring retaining, and marketing to people with disabilities in the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia, and Suburban Maryland. Their website and newsletter highlight the program and offers resources aimed at employers, including survey questions. It‘s a marketing approach that could be useful to other states.

Explore the website for an initiative designed to make the business case for employers to hire people with disabilities by providing them with information, tools to integrate people with disabilities into the workforce, and local resources to help them access this segment of the labor pool. The site includes individual state pages to connect interested businesses to each state’s resources for recruiting and hiring people with disabilities, and tools such as a Tax Incentives Tip Sheet.

How can states address the employment of youth with disabilities? One approach Connecticut is taking is through workshops that provide mentor program professionals with an overview of the ways in which consciously including youth with disabilities positively impacts programming. Parts one and two of the training curriculum are available for download, and are a good resource for other states planning programs such as these.

The City of New Haven’s Department of Services for Persons with Disabilities along with Metro Taxi, the state’s largest, full-service taxi company, jointly launched Connecticut’s first wheelchair-accessible cab, MetroAccess. To find out more see the attached Press Release.

Providing regular and current information about the various programs funded by the MIG program is essential to keeping this community informed, up to date and active. Connecticut’s "connect-ability" newsletter spotlights new programs, events and legislation in a bright and engaging way. A sample of their Fall 2009 issue, covering employment for youth with disabilities workshops, transportation funding and more, is available for download here and a good example for other states.

Connect-Ability is searching for a group of Connecticut employers of all types, all across the state, to join their Employer Designation Pilot. This Pilot is a collaborative effort that will provide employers in the public and private sector an opportunity to share ideas and learn how they can increase their organization’s recruitment effectiveness by reaching a virtually untapped employment pool – people with disabilities. Review information, including participant resources.

How can states facilitate business and disabled employee connections? In Connecticut, AAPD and Connect-Ability sponsored Disability Mentoring Day: Career Development for the 21st Century. Designed to assist employers and job seekers in finding the “perfect match” in employment, it’s part of a commitment to making mentoring a year-round effort to raise awareness and promote the training and hiring workers with disabilities. A sample of the employers guide that was distributed is attached below.

Personal stories of successful employment speaks volumes of a MIG program’s success and is a great marketing tool. Arkansas created a YouTube channel called ArkWrkDisabilities where it showcases inspiring video clips of Arkansans with disabilities who are successfully employed. This approach could be useful to other states trying to find ways to get the word out about their MIG programs.