Serving youth with disabilities

Accessible letter PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2011/TEGL31-10ACC.pdf

                                                   CLASSIFICATION
  EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION           Training
              ADVISORY SYSTEM                      CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
         U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                  OWI
            Washington, D.C. 20210                 DATE
                                                   June 13, 2011


ADVISORY:        TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 31-10

TO:              STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
                 STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS
                 STATE WORKFORCE ADMINISTRATORS
                 STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD CHAIRS
                 AND DIRECTORS
                 STATE LABOR COMMISSIONERS
                 STATE APPRENTICESHIP AGENCY DIRECTORS
                 INDIAN AND NATIVE AMERICAN GRANTEES
                 MIGRANT AND SEASONAL FARMWORKER GRANTEES

FROM:            JANE OATES /s/
                 Assistant Secretary
                 Employment and Training Administration

                 KATHLEEN MARTINEZ /s/
                 Assistant Secretary
                 Office of Disability Employment Policy

SUBJECT:         Increasing Enrollment and Improving Services to Youth with
                 Disabilities

1. Purpose. To provide information and resources on promising practices and
   successful strategies that promote the enrollment, education, training and
   employment outcomes of youth with disabilities.

2. References.

      Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998, as amended (29 United States Code
       2801 et seq.)
      WIA Regulations, 20 Code of Federal Regulations parts 652 and 660-669
      Training and Employment Guidance Letter No. 13-09, “Contracting Strategies
       That Facilitate Serving The Youth Most In Need”
      Training and Employment Notice No. 10-09, “Toolkit and White Paper on
       Improving Transition Outcomes of Youth with Disabilities through
       Apprenticeship”


RESCISSIONS                                      EXPIRATION DATE
None                                             Continuing
                                             2

3. Background. The U.S. Department of Labor (the Department) is committed to
   helping all workers obtain “good jobs.” This includes helping to eliminate multiple
   challenges to employment that youth with disabilities face. In support of this vision,
   the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) and the Office of Disability
   Employment Policy (ODEP) believe it is critical to promote improved services to
   youth with disabilities in the public workforce system.

   Given the current economic situation, the public workforce system is focusing its
   resources to meet the extremely high national demand for employment and training
   services. Although dedicated resources are limited, particularly in these tough
   economic times, the Department is encouraging the public workforce system to
   enhance services to youth with disabilities. While the Department acknowledges
   that the public workforce system currently serves a number of youth with
   disabilities, the resources and successful strategies included in this guidance can
   further assist the public workforce system to expand capacity and adopt practices
   for effectively serving this population.

   According to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Longitudinal Transition
    Study, youth with disabilities are less likely to complete high school and are only
   half as likely to attend post-secondary education as their non-disabled peers. In
   2005-2006, the percentage of youth with disabilities exiting school with a regular
   high school diploma was 57 percent, compared to 87.6 percent of the general student
   population. During the same time period, 46 percent of youth with disabilities
   enrolled in post-secondary schools, compared to 63 percent of the general
   population. Youth with disabilities that are not easily recognized through
   observation, or that have not been identified through traditional testing within the
   educational system, may experience difficulty with traditional educational settings
   or may drop out of school. Included in this group are youth with learning
   disabilities, attention deficit disorders, and emotional or behavioral disabilities, such
   as depression, anxiety disorders, or conduct disorders.

   Youth with disabilities experience particularly poor employment and education
   outcomes. The December 2010 employment rate for all youth, ages 16 to 19, was 25
   percent compared to an employment rate of 11.9 percent for youth with disabilities.
   For youth ages 20 to 24, the employment rate was 60.6 percent for youth without
   disabilities and 32.7 percent for youth with disabilities (Labor Force Statistics,
   Current Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, December 2010). Research
   shows that at least one-third of dropouts with disabilities spend one or more nights
   in jail; this rate is three times that of students with disabilities who complete high
   school. Three to five years after dropping out, the cumulative arrest record for
   youth with “serious emotional disturbances” was 73 percent. According to the U.S.
   Department of Justice, more than 30 percent of youth in the juvenile justice system
   have a learning disability. Many of these same youth then represent a
   disproportionate number of unemployed or underemployed adults in the future.

   In the most recent completed program year (PY 2009), the percentage of exiters in
   the WIA Youth program who self-identified as having a disability was 12.9 percent.
                                            3

   This rate is a six-year low, decreasing each of the last six years from a high of 15.9
   percent in both PY 2003 and PY 2004, and down from 13.6 percent in the previous
   year. This represents a 19 percent drop in the percentage of youth with identified
   disabilities in the WIA Youth program over the past six years.

   The Department recently implemented the Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) to
  improve coordination and collaboration among employment and training programs
  at state and local levels and to build effective partnerships that leverage public and
  private resources to better identify and serve individuals with disabilities. In
  September 2010, the Department awarded the first round of funds, $21,276,575, to
  nine states (Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, New Jersey, New
  York, and Virginia) for three years to improve education, training, and employment
  opportunities and outcomes of youth and adults who are unemployed,
  underemployed, and/or receiving Social Security disability benefits. Arkansas,
  Delaware, and New Jersey have a primary focus on serving youth with disabilities.
  These investments will allow the Department to identify and replicate promising
  practices when serving adult and youth with disabilities.

4. Program Emphasis. Given the research and data that shows that youth with
   disabilities are less likely to have positive labor market outcomes and that there has
   been a decline in the number of these youth served by the WIA system over the past
   few years, it is critical that WIA Youth programs increase their focus on youth with
   disabilities. ETA encourages providers of WIA youth services to increase both their
   capacity to serve and the number of youth with disabilities that they serve. In order
   to accomplish this, the WIA Youth program needs to increase its knowledge base
   regarding how to provide quality services to this population. The ultimate goal is to
   better assist youth with disabilities and enable them to become economically self-
   sufficient through training, educational opportunities, and jobs with career
   pathways that will lead to success in the labor market.

   This guidance is intended to offer specific strategies and tools to states, workforce
   investment boards, youth councils, and youth providers within the workforce
   system to increase the number of youth with disabilities they serve and support
   positive outcomes. For the purpose of this guidance, the term “youth provider “
   includes those providing WIA services to youth within One-Stop Career Centers,
   community-based organizations, educational institutions, or other appropriate
   settings where youth are being served within the public workforce system.

5. Strategies for Increasing Effective Services to Youth with Disabilities.

   A. Enhancing Staff Capacity to Serve Youth with Disabilities.

      1. Design and Implement Front-Line Staff Training on Working with Youth
          with Disabilities. The goals for youth with disabilities and the types of
         opportunities they need are no different from other youth; they need help in
         career exploration, accessing further education and training, and gaining work
         experience. Services to youth with disabilities should be integrated into all the
                                  4

programs and services the workforce investment system is providing to
youth. Front-line workforce investment staff can benefit from training that
increases their ability to identify and serve youth with disabilities.

Ongoing professional staff development addressing youth with disabilities can
be an integral part of the WIA youth service provider capacity building.
Training can include basic information on the following topics: Disability 101
(disability etiquette, awareness of variety of disabilities, accommodations);
universal design; disability disclosure; and community-based resources.
Additional training may be provided on: recruitment and outreach; self-
advocacy for youth, community-based services; strength-based assessment;
and identification of possible learning disabilities and other non-visible
disabilities through records review or utilizing other training tools.

Increased awareness of the broad spectrum of disabilities can assist youth
providers in identifying support and service needs when serving youth who
may or may not have been previously formally diagnosed with a disability.
This information can increase the likelihood of providing improved services
and may help a young person with accessing additional services.

Among the tools available to assist youth providers with these issues are the
following resources:

      PACER Center’s “Project Swift”: “Building Program Capacity to Serve
       Youth with Disabilities” is an easy to implement tool for increasing an
       organization's capacity to serve youth with disabilities and to work in
       partnership with their families.
       http://www.pacer.org/c3/curriculum/

      In addition to the curriculum, PACER Center has a variety of
       resources to assist professionals to expand educational and
       employment opportunities for youth with disabilities available on its
       Web site.
       http://www.pacer.org

      Project C3: Connecting Youth to Communities and Careers is a
       partnership between PACER Center, Pathways to Employment, the
       Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development,
       and Minnesota Department of Education, and other state and local
       organizations. Other PACER Projects include the Dropout Prevention
       Project Exploring Interest Technology and Engineering (E.X.I.T.E.) for
       middle and high school girls, Simon Technology Center.
       http://www.c3online.org/employment.htm

      “Advising Youth with Disabilities on Disclosure”: Disclosure is a very
       personal decision and youth service professionals can assist youth in
                                     5

         exploring disclosure options. Both young people with visible
         disabilities and those with non-visible disabilities benefit from accurate
         information on disclosure.
         http://www.ncwd-youth.info/topic/disability-disclosure

  In addition to the resources listed above, the following local, state, or national
  agencies and organizations may be available to provide technical assistance
  and training: Social Security Work Incentives Planning and Projects,
  Community Work Incentive Coordinators, Area Work Incentive Coordinators
  http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work/wipafactsheet.html, state vocational
  rehabilitation agencies, mental health, intellectual/developmental disabilities
  agencies, Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers, centers of
  independent living, private, non-profit disability advocacy organizations, and
  community-based providers.

  The Department funds two technical assistance (TA) centers: 1) National
  Disability Institute Consulting, Inc. (NDI), which is the TA center for the
  Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) http://www.dei-ideas.org/ ; and 2)
  National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
  (NCWD/Youth) which is the TA center for ODEP’s Youth Policy Team
  http://www.ncwd-youth.info/.

2. Designate a Staff Person/Systems Coordinator. A staff person/systems
   coordinator, including an existing and/or new staff member with expertise in
   disability and workforce issues, can improve access to programs and services
   to youth with disabilities and assist in the development of partnerships within
   and outside the workforce system. This position can coordinate services and
   leverage resources; and facilitate integrated, seamless, and comprehensive
   services and supports that are individualized to meet the needs of youth with
   disabilities. This person can train staff on issues pertaining to disability,
   including recruitment, identification, assessment, and resources. Additional
   duties could also include conducting outreach to youth with disabilities and
   agencies and organizations serving them, and conducting outreach and
   marketing to employers.

  Examples illustrating the usefulness of expert, staff persons to better
  coordinate services to youth with disabilities are the Disability Program
  Navigators (DPNs) and the Disability Resource Coordinators (DRCs), located
  within One-Stop Career Centers. Although national funding for the DPN
  initiative ended, several states continue to fund Navigators and DEI builds
  upon the DPN initiative by hiring dedicated staff with expertise in disability
  and workforce development to serve as DRCs. Both Florida and Texas
  provide funding for DPNs:
  http://www.floridajobs.org/workforce/dis_Nav.html; and
  http://www.twc.state.tx.us/boards/disnav.html. For additional information
  on the DPNs and DRCs and related strategies for serving youth with
                                        6

     disabilities and a list of state contacts, visit
     http://disability.workforce3one.org or http://www.doleta.gov/disability.

     In addition to Regional Disability Coordinators (RDCs), the Job Corps
     program also designates a dedicated staff person with disability expertise at
     each of the 124 Job Corps Centers. RDCs are responsible for ensuring that all
     students with disabilities are provided appropriate services and to assist in the
     management of any accommodations.

B. Implement a Universal Design Approach and Universal Learning Strategies.
   WIA youth providers should ensure that their program is universally accessible
   and that physical, programmatic, and communications access is available to
   everyone, including persons with disabilities. Many youth have multiple
   challenges to employment and may need a variety of supports and services.
   “Universal design” refers to the use of common strategies that reinforce the
   concept of an inclusive setting that welcomes diversity. It means products and
   environments that are accessible to and useable by all. The use of universal
   design strategies enables workforce staff to provide easier access, a welcoming
   atmosphere, and better customer service. Universal design strengthens practices
   to better serve youth with a wide range of learning styles, languages, educational
   levels, intelligence, and abilities. It provides multiple and flexible methods to
   ensure that the learners acquire the information and knowledge they need.
   Service providers need to consider the individual learning styles and preferences
   of youth with disabilities to increase effective service delivery.
   The following “Principles and Guidelines for Universal Design” were developed
   by the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University:
            Equitable Use - The design is useful and marketable to people with
             diverse abilities;
            Flexibility in Use - The design accommodates a wide range of
             individual preferences and abilities;
            Simple and Intuitive - The design is easy to understand, regardless of
             the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current
             concentration levels;
            Perceptible Information - The design communicates necessary
             information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or
             the user’s sensory abilities;
            Tolerance for Error - The design minimizes hazards and the adverse
             consequences of accidental or unintended actions;
            Low Physical Effort - The design can be used efficiently and
             comfortably, with a minimum of fatigue; and
            Size and Space for Approach and Use - Appropriate size and spaces are
             provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of the
                                        7

            user’s body size, posture, or mobility.
            http://www.communityinclusion.org/article.php?article_id=268

    When developing a fully inclusive, integrated, comprehensive, person-centered
    workforce investment system based on universal design features, youth
    providers can reference the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability
    for Youth’s publication entitled “Universal Design for the Workforce
    Development System”, http://www.ncwd-
    youth.info/assets/guides/quick_reference_guides/universal_design_matrix.pd
    f. This resource provides an innovative collection of tools and resources,
    designed to assist workforce development professionals in creating services to
    meet the diverse needs of all customers. The National Center on Workforce and
    Disability (NCWD) is an additional resource that provides a wealth of other
    tools pertaining to accessibility. http://www.onestops.info/

C. Incorporate Strength-Based Assessment and Career Development Plan
   Strategies. Strength-based assessments identify the strengths, competencies,
   resources, preferences, and supportive services needs of youth with disabilities.
   Multiple assessment tools are required since there is no standard approach that
   will work for all youth, including youth with disabilities. Assessments need to
   incorporate and focus on employment, continuing education, and training to
   determine the interests and strengths of the youth. It is important that staff
   presume all youth with disabilities can work. Career assessments help youth
   with disabilities to understand how a variety of their personal attributes (e.g.,
   interests, values, preferences, motivations, aptitudes, and skills) impact their
   potential success and satisfaction with different career options and work
   environments. To connect with better workforce development opportunities, all
   youth, including youth with disabilities, can benefit from participation in
   focused career assessment activities, including, but not limited to, structured
   goal-setting, interest inventories, abilities and aptitudes assessments, formal and
   informal academic and vocational assessments. Youth need access to reliable
   information about career opportunities (based on labor market information) that
   provides a living wage, including information about education, entry
   requirements, and income potential. Youth with disabilities may also need
   information on benefits planning, work place supports (e.g., assistive
   technology), and accommodations. This may occur directly through WIA-
   funded staff and/or through referrals to national and community-based
   partners and resources.

    One useful career resource is “My Next Move”,
    http://www.mynextmove.org/, an interactive on-line tool designed especially
    for students, young adults, and others new to the workforce. Through this
    electronic tool, users can explore occupations and find related information
    including job openings, job outlook information, salaries, apprenticeship
    opportunities, and other related education and training programs based on their
    interests. “My Next Move” complements the Department’s “my Skills my
                                        8

    Future” http: //www.mySkillsmyFuture.org, which is designed to help persons
    with previous work experience match their existing skills to new occupations.

    Another effective tool is “Career Planning Begins with Assessment: A Guide for
    Professionals Serving Youth with Educational and Career Development
    Challenges”. This guide serves as a resource for multiple audiences within the
    workforce system. Youth providers will find information on selecting career-
    related assessments, determining when to refer youth for additional
    assessments, and additional issues such as accommodations, legal issues, and
    ethical considerations.
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/career-planning-begins-with-assessment

    In addition to appropriate assessments, youth need the necessary employability
    skills to succeed in the workplace. The “Guideposts for Success” is a framework
    that can be used to assist young people in developing needed workplace skills
    and can expand the knowledge gained from career assessments. The
    “Guideposts” delineate what all youth, including youth with disabilities, need
    to succeed and there is also “Guideposts” that focus on the needs of youth
    within specific at-risk populations, including youth in the foster care system,
    juvenile justice system, those with learning disabilities, and youth with mental
    health needs.
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/topic/guideposts

    One strategy that several workforce programs successfully use in connection
    with mental health association is having a local mental health provider train the
    workforce system staff and/or assist with assessing the customer’s needs. The
    following provides some successful examples:

             Baltimore City Office of Employment Development
              (http://www.oedworks.com/) provides mental health assessments for
              youth using local mental health providers and partners with
              organizations in the city to provide direct services to youth with
              mental health needs;

             MontgomeryWorks One-Stop
              (http://www.montgomeryworks.com/index.asp) partnership with
               St. Luke’s House, whereby St. Luke’s provides a staff person to work
               at the One-Stop Career Center to help serve customers, including
               youth with mental health disabilities.

D. Provide Work Experience Opportunities. Internships, work-based learning,
   on-the- job training, apprenticeships, mentoring programs, cooperative work-
   education programs, and summer employment are effective ways that youth
   with disabilities can gain employment experience, confidence, and demonstrate
   to potential employers their ability to perform the job. In addition to being an
   outcome, work experience can be used as an assessment tool and can expose
   youth to a variety of environments. According to “Work-based Learning and
                                    9

Future Employment for Youth: A Guide for Parents and Guardians”
http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=1222, paid work
experience is one of the strongest indicators of future employment success by
youth with disabilities and can represent a specific goal in a youth's Individual
Service Strategy. Employability skills training needs to be part of this plan in
order to enhance the overall performance of a youth placed within a work
experience activity.

Below are several model programs, many of which have the potential for
replication. These programs offer internships, apprenticeships, mentoring, job
shadowing, and other work experience for youth with disabilities.

         The Home Builders Institute’s (HBI) Trades Training for Youth
          Programs. Several of HBI's trades training programs target at-risk
          sectors of the American population, including youth with disabilities.
          These programs such as, Project CRAFT for adjudicated youth, share
          the goals of helping young people develop the skills needed to attain
          and keep employment, while also addressing the home building
          industry's shortage of entry-level workers. These target programs
          combine education, employability skills, on-site work experience,
          workplace skills assessment, apprenticeship, and career opportunities
          in the residential construction industry. http://www.hbi.org

         The American Association of Advancement of the Sciences’ (AAAS)
          ENTRY POINT! Program. This program provides youth with
          disabilities paid internships with employers in Science, Technology,
          Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.
          http://ehrweb.aaas.org/entrypoint/about.htm

         The University of Washington’s Project DO-IT (Disabilities,
          Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) promotes
          programs for pre-college and college students with disabilities,
          including mentoring, job shadowing, and internships.
          http://www.washington.edu/doit/

         Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s Project Search’s
          “High School Transition Program.” Project Search is a one-year
          internship program for students with disabilities in their last year of
          high school. The program takes place in a business setting where total
          immersion in the workplace facilitates the teaching and learning
          process through continuous feedback and acquisition of employability
          and competitive work skills.
          http://www.projectsearch.us/index.php?option=com_content&view=
          article&id=52&Item&id=57
                                  10

      The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth’s
       (NCWD/Youth) High School/High Tech (HS/HT) Program. A
       national network of state and locally operated programs, HS/HT
       equips young people with all types of disabilities the opportunity to
       explore jobs or further education leading to technology-related careers.
       http://www.ncwd-youth.info/hsht

1. Develop an Outreach, Education, and Relationship Building Plan for
   Employers. It is important to establish and maintain good relationships
   with employers who are vital to expanding opportunities for youth with
   disabilities. Staff can be trained to effectively market the business case on
   why employers should consider hiring youth, including youth with
   disabilities. As with all youth, staff should be prepared to highlight a
   youth’s strengths and interests. Customized employment, taking tasks
   from existing job descriptions and assigning duties based on the youth’s
   particular interests, strengths, skills, needs and attributes, is something
   employers may consider exploring along with the creation of job sharing
   opportunities. Information and resources on workplace accommodations
   and assistive technology, and incentives for hiring youth with disabilities
   should be provided as needed.

   One example pertains to tax credits offered under Work Opportunity Tax
   Credit (WOTC), which are applicable to certain youth with disabilities,
   http://www.doleta.gov/business/incentives/opptax/. Employers can
   receive WOTC for hiring youth, including youth with disabilities; the
   following are three examples of WOTC eligibility categories:

           a) 16-17 year-old summer youth - individual who works for the
              employer between May 1 and September 15, is at least age 16,
              but not yet 18 on the hiring date (or if later, on May 1); never
              worked for the employer before; and lives in an Empowerment
              Zone, Enterprise or Renewal Community.

           b) Vocational rehabilitation referral - person with a disability
              referred to the employer upon completion of (or while
              receiving) rehabilitation services approved by the state, an
              Employment Network under the Ticket-to-Work Program, or
              the Department of Veterans Affairs.

           c) Social Security Income (SSI) recipient – individual who is
              receiving SSI.
              http://www.doleta.gov/business/incentives/opptax/

   Detailed information about other tax incentives for hiring persons with
   disabilities, including youth, may be found in Internal Revenue Service
   publications located at
   http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=185704,00.html
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It is important to develop collaborative relationships or partnerships with
business and professional organizations, such as local chapters of the
Business Leadership Network, Society for Human Resource Management,
Chamber of Commerce, and/or registered apprenticeship programs.
These organizations can assist youth providers in identifying employers
who are “disability friendly” and who might serve as mentors, speak with
other employers about their positive experiences, and hire youth with
disabilities.

One useful resource is a toolkit developed by Corporate Voices for
Working Families, United Way Worldwide, and the Workforce Strategy
Center to assist organizations in creating beneficial and sustainable
partnerships with business. The toolkit, “Supporting the Education
Pipeline: A Business Engagement Toolkit for Community-Based
Organizations”, provides lessons on how community leaders can identify
potential business partners, set realistic goals, and create partnerships for
long-term success to ensure that all youth are ready for college, work, and
life. The toolkit is organized around the four essentials of business
engagement: 1) identify business leaders who will support your efforts; 2)
educate business leaders; 3) persuade business leaders to become
involved; and 4) activate business leaders in your efforts.
http://www.corporatevoices.org/businessengagement

The Disabilityworks program is designed to increase economic and
employment opportunities of people with disabilities while meeting the
workforce needs of Illinois businesses by promoting a collaborative
partnership between the private and public sectors. Disabilityworks was
launched in 2002 to develop a coordinated and aggressive regional plan to
bring more people with disabilities into the workforce. The result is a
direct interaction between employers interested in hiring people with
disabilities and people with disabilities who are trained and equipped
with valuable job skills. The Illinois Department of Commerce and
Economic Opportunity (DCEO) entered into a partnership with the City of
Chicago and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce to implement this
initiative and bring resources to businesses, people with disabilities, and
service providers throughout Illinois. DCEO, the Chamber, and the City
operate the Disabilityworks initiative with links to the Virtual One-Stop
System, which is designed to expand employment opportunities for all
Illinois residents with and without disabilities. This initiative
implemented the Department-funded DPN and Disability Employment
Initiative programs. Disabilityworks is a successful model, with the
potential for replication, of business engagement that promotes the hiring
of persons with disabilities.
http://www.disabilityworks.org/default.asp?contentID=1
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   The “Guideposts for Employers’ Success” were designed to better address
   employers’ needs and supply providers of workforce development
   services information on how to restructure their policies, practices, and
   resource allocation strategies. The framework provides details on what
   youth providers can do to address employers’ needs with regard to hiring
   any job applicant, as well as additional needs employers may have in
   hiring and retaining employees with disabilities.
   http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/employers

2. Provide Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities to Engage in Service
   Opportunities. The Corporation for National and Community Services
   (CNCS) has several programs (AmeriCorps, VISTA, Youth Corps models),
   which provide opportunities for youth with disabilities to gain work
   experience, give back to their communities, learn soft skills, and skills relating
   specifically to service activities, increase their confidence and self-esteem, and
   earn money. This includes the integration of work and community service
   into learning and employment plans for youth with disabilities. The CNCS’
   Technical Assistance Center, the National Service Inclusion Project, provides
   resources, including a list of state disability coordinators, to ensure
   meaningful participation in all of its service programs of persons with
   disabilities.
   http://www.serviceandinclusion.org

   The materials developed ensure service and volunteer programs are inclusive
   of individuals with disabilities. Specific issues include inclusive language,
   outreach, and recruitment; legislation and legal responsibilities; reasonable
   accommodations; the definition of people with disabilities; management and
   retention of people with disabilities; universal design; and creating an
   inclusive service environment. For a list of national service contacts by state,
   refer to http://www.nationalservice.gov.

3. Provide Summer Employment Opportunities. One of ten program elements
   provided to youth under WIA includes summer employment opportunities.
   Following are some examples of successful models, funded by the American
   Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Successful strategies from these models can
   be incorporated into service delivery to youth with disabilities.

           The WorkPlace, Inc., Southwestern Connecticut’s Regional Workforce
            Boards’ "2009 Summer Youth Earn And Learn Program” matched 170
            youth with disabilities to work experiences in the Southwestern
            Connecticut region. For some, this was their first meaningful and paid
            work experience.

           In Greenwood, Colorado, as part of the Arapahoe/Douglas Works
            Program, the Recovery Act provided summer work experiences for
            youth with disabilities in a variety of settings: jobs assisting with
                                        13

                  event set-up and break-down; gardening; working on grounds, and
                  general maintenance.

                 Job Service North Dakota provided employment opportunities for
                  over 70 youth and the program was geared towards participants with
                  the most severe disabilities (including intellectual disabilities and
                  severe mental health needs) to develop stable support systems.

E. Building Connections to the One-Stop Career Centers and Developing/
   Strengthening their Capacity to Serve Youth with Disabilities. It is important
   for One-Stop Career Centers to have the capacity to serve youth with disabilities.
   In order to accomplish this, One-Stop Career Centers can provide an inclusive
   culture that welcomes young people, including youth with disabilities. Youth
   service providers, if not co-located with One-Stop Career Centers, can take steps
   to enhance their connections. This can be accomplished by implementing
   activities, such as inviting youth and educators to tour the One-Stops, promoting
   use of the resource rooms, conducting workshops (either in school settings or the
   One-Stop Career Centers) targeted to youth employment, and hosting youth-
   focused job fairs. Additional strategies include working with local high schools,
   community colleges, and transition teams, which are comprised of different
   partners that plan for the youth’s transition out of the educational system. A
   student with a diagnosed disability may have an Individualized Education Plan
   (IEP) to guide his/her education and transition out of the education service
   delivery system. An IEP transition team is generally comprised of
   parents/guardians, youth, school personnel, representatives from vocational
   rehabilitation agencies, postsecondary programs, community-based providers,
   the workforce system, and mental health agencies.
   Additional strategies include:

        Conducting outreach targeted to youth (including the development of
         marketing materials), students, and educators informing them about the
         resources available through the One-Stop Career Center system, as well as
         how to access and effectively use these services.

        Developing a list of the type of services (including WIA Youth, Adult, and
         Dislocated Worker services) available at the One-Stop Career Centers and
         distributing it to students, educators, and disability service providers.

   If resources are available, One-Stops can develop and implement a
   comprehensive approach to serving youth, including youth with disabilities. For
   example: Massachusetts’ North Shore One-Stop Career Center developed a
   Youth Career Center (http://nscareers.org//youth_career_center.html) to serve
   young people, including those with disabilities; and several of Minnesota’s
   Workforce Centers established the Zone for Youth to serve youth and young
   adults, including those with disabilities, ages 14-21.
   http://www.positivelyminnesota.com/zones
                                        14



F. Expand Partnerships to Increase Services to Youth with Disabilities.
   The development of broad youth partnerships can assist in the creation of a
   seamless array of services to meet the needs of participants for comprehensive,
    intensive, and long-term services. In the Training Employment Guidance Letter
    (TEGL) 13-09 (http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm?DOCN=2854),
    ETA encourages the use of interagency collaboration to further the goals of
    serving youth most in need and achieving successful youth outcomes. To
    ensure systems integration and increase the likelihood of successful outcomes,
    WIA youth providers can benefit from communicating and working with a
    broad array of partners, including: vocational rehabilitation agencies,
    community-based providers, mental health service providers, transportation
    providers, service organizations, and Social Security offices. Developing and
    sustaining partnerships with community colleges and public and private
    universities is important if the workforce system is to successfully promote
    positive education and employment outcomes of youth with disabilities.
    Partnerships, both formal (Memorandum of Understanding or MOU) and
    informal, are essential to serving youth with disabilities, includes agreements
    for cross-staff training, sharing data, coordinating resources, and serving on
    committees and teams.

        1. Establish Integrated Resource Teams (IRT’s). IRT’s bring together
           multiple partners at the community level across service systems, public
           and private, helping to build teams who work together to combine
           resources and help job seekers reach employment. This approach
           improves communication and collaboration that results in enhanced
           coordination of services and supports for youth with disabilities.
           Members of an IRT work together to identify and strategize how their
           combined services and resources will benefit and support a young
           person’s training and employment goals, with the youth also assuming
           responsibilities to contribute to reaching his/her goals.

           An IRT represents one of many options that a local area may be able to
           use to provide an increased level of support for a youth with a disability.
           It coordinates resources, helping to facilitate blending and braiding of
           resources and funds for an individual’s needs. To access a promising
           practice video on IRT strategy, visit
           https://disability.workforce3one.org/view/4200927376315461065/info.

           To access a promising practice brief, with how-to strategies for
           establishing an IRT and contact information, refer to
           https://disability.workforce3one.org/view/2000927554771398150/info.

        2. Establish a Disability Action (Advisory) Committee (DAC). A DAC
           may be an intra-agency or inter-agency entity. It serves as a means to
           regularly communicate, problem solve, and work together to improve
           employment outcomes of youth with disabilities. A DAC’s focus is to
                                           15

              build a support system at the local, regional, or One-Stop Career Center
              level. A DAC model is also effective for expanding the capacity of the
              service delivery system to serve youth with disabilities. To access
              frequently asked questions on establishing inter-agency committees,
              including resources, a checklist, Webinar, and Power Point presentation
              refer to
              http://www.dpnavigator.net/pages/faq_nav_p25.html.

6. Inquiries. Questions regarding this guidance should be directed to the appropriate
   ETA Regional Office, the Office of Workforce Investment, or the Office of Disability
   Employment Policy.

7. Attachment. Resources for Working with Youth with Disabilities.

Official attachment PDF: https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/TEGL/2011/TEGL31-10ATT.pdf

ATTACHMENT: Resources for Working with Youth with Disabilities

Resources are listed alphabetically:

Association for Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
http://www.ahead.org/

AHEAD is a professional membership organization for individuals involved in the
development of policy and the provision of quality services to meet the needs of
persons with disabilities involved all areas of higher education.

Disability and Employment Workforce3One Web Site
https://disability.workforce3one.org

(Workforce3 One requires a username and password to access the site. It is free, easy to
register, and the access to workforce-related resources and information will be a great
benefit to workforce professionals). The purpose of the Disability and Employment
Community of Practice is to disseminate promising practices to promote the positive
employment outcomes of people with disabilities and expand the capacity of the One-
Stop Career Center system to serve customers with disabilities. There is a great deal of
information (videos, briefs, promising practices, and other resources) related to the
employment of youth with disabilities. This site compiles information related to
disability and employment in one location on Workforce3 One, and, along with the
addition of a new “Disability” super search category, will make it easier for users to
find this information.

The disability and employment resources are divided into four main categories.

      Promising Practices
       https://disability.workforce3one.org/page/tag/promising_practices
       This section includes examples of promising practices to expand the capacity of
       the One-Stop Career Center system to serve customers with disabilities and
       promote positive employment outcomes of people with disabilities.

      Access and Accommodations
       https://disability.workforce3one.org/page/tag/access___accommodations
       This section provides information and resources on: how to ensure physical,
       programmatic, and communication access to people with disabilities; the
       purposes and uses of assistive technology; and how to provide reasonable
       accommodations.
      Employer Resources
       https://disability.workforce3one.org/page/tag/employer_resources -
       This section provides resources and information to assist the business
       community on disability employment-related issues, including: recruiting
       employees with disabilities, accommodating employees with disabilities in the
       workplace, and referral to employment services, national technical assistance
       resources, and tax incentives and credits for employers; as well as employer
       outreach strategies for the One-Stop Career Center staff to market the business
       case for hiring people with disabilities.

      Front Line Staff Training
       https://disability.workforce3one.org/page/tag/front_line_staff_training -
       This section provides resources to help educate and train One-Stop Career
       Center and partner staff on working with job seekers with disabilities; and
       community-based agencies/organizations on working with job seekers with
       disabilities and the One-Stop Career Center system.

Two resources specific to youth are:

      Making Employment Connections for Youth with Disabilities
       https://disability.workforce3one.org/view/4201028759106516004/info
       The video highlights how Minnesota's WorkForce Centers established Youth
       Zones to serve youth and young adults, including those with disabilities, ages
       14-21. Youth Zones were established to provide a physical and virtual space for
       all youth and young adults to gain the knowledge and skills to conduct a
       successful job search and select a career path. This model is very effective for
       serving youth and young adults with disabilities. The video, which is a
       companion to the Promising Practice Brief, "Maximizing the Self-Sufficiency of
       Youth with Disabilities in the One-Stop Career Center System," features two
       youth with learning disabilities who used Minnesota Workforce Centers' Youth
       Zone.

      Maximizing the Self-Sufficiency of Youth with Disabilities in the One-Stop
       Career Center System
       https://disability.workforce3one.org/view/2001014232377995799/info
       In order to begin to gain equal momentum in school, work, and independent
       living, youth service providers need a greater awareness of the experiences of
       youth with disabilities and more substantial training on available resources. This
       information brief highlights how Navigators with the Disability Program
       Navigator initiative are helping One-Stop Career Centers, schools, and local
       youth programs across the country gain this level of awareness and support to
       help advance youth with disabilities and/or address other challenges in
       education and employment.


                                            2
General Disability Information
http://www.Disability.gov

Disability.gov provides an interactive, community-driven information network of
disability-related programs, services, laws, and benefits. Through the site, Americans
with disabilities, their families, veterans, educators, employers and many others are
connected to thousands of resources from Federal, state and local government agencies,
educational institutions and non-profit organizations. New resources are added daily
across ten main subject areas – benefits, civil rights, community life, education,
emergency preparedness, employment, health, housing, technology, and transportation.

Government Benefits
http://www.govbenefits.gov

Govbenefits.gov provides a gateway to Federal and state benefits information on
disability assistance and much more. Browse benefits by category and specific
government agency, and search at the Federal or state level, by population or interests.

Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI)
http://www.communityinclusion.org/

ICI, now based at the University of Massachusetts Boston and Children's Hospital
Boston, is involved with a wide range of initiatives including: training, research,
consultation, community outreach, and clinical and employment services. ICI projects
and programs involve local, state, and national agencies, schools, institutes of higher
education, national service programs, rehabilitation providers, multicultural
organizations, employers, and many others. All of these partnerships work to further
goals of independence and inclusion of adults and youth with disabilities. ICI has
many resources on employment, the One-Stop Career Centers, and youth with
disabilities.

Job Accommodation Network: Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR)
http://askjan.org/soar/

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a leading source of free, expert, and
confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues.
JAN’s Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR) system lets users explore
various accommodation options for adults and youth with disabilities in work and
educational settings. These accommodation ideas are not all inclusive.
The SOAR index includes topic areas listed below. Once you select a topic area, it will
take you to another screen in which you will learn more about the topic and then be
able to select the challenge(s) that corresponds with the individual needing an
accommodation. Next it will take you to a screen in which you will be able to select the



                                            3
job function for the selected challenge, which will take you to a final screen that allows
you to view and select an accommodation.

          Arthritis
          Back Conditions
          Cancer
          Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
          Cumulative Trauma Disorders (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis)
          Deaf or Hard of Hearing
          Heart Conditions
          Learning Disabilities
          Lupus
          Intellectual or Cognitive Impairment
          Mental Health Impairments
          Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
          Multiple Sclerosis
          Vision Impairments
          Wheelchair Use

JAN’s consultants offer one-on-one guidance on workplace accommodations, the
Americans with Disabilities Act, and related legislation, self-employment, and
entrepreneurship options for people with disabilities. Assistance is available by phone
(800) 526-7234 (Voice) or (877) 781-9403 (TTY), and on-line at
http://askjan.org/index.html.

National and Community Service Opportunities
http://www.nationalservice.gov/

The Corporation for National and Community Service is the nation’s largest grant
maker supporting service and volunteering. Through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps,
and Learn and Serve America programs, it provides opportunities for Americans of all
ages and backgrounds to express their patriotism while addressing critical community
needs.

Effective practices for working with Individuals with disabilities include:

      Recruiting members with disabilities and using an inclusive application
       process
       http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/node/17127
       This tip sheet outlines ways to reach, interview, and provide access to
       individuals with disabilities, and lists appropriate and inappropriate interview
       questions, sample accommodation and non-discrimination statements, and ways
       to ensure accessibility during the recruitment process.


                                             4
      Assessing the accessibility of your organization
       http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/node/17276
       This effective practice outlines a strategy for assessing the accessibility of your
       organization, including tools to gauge staff sensitivity, perform task analysis, and
       determine the physical accessibility of your site.

      Employing ten outreach strategies when recruiting individuals with
       disabilities
       http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/practices/17584
       Developing a strategy to recruit individuals with disabilities is important to the
       success of any service program aiming for inclusion. This effective practice
       outlines outreach strategies for individuals with disabilities.

Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
http://www.dol.gov/odep/
http://www.dol.gov/odep/categories/youth/

ODEP advises and assists in the development of policies and practices that increase
employment opportunities of people with disabilities, including youth. ODEP curricula
and materials designed to be used with all youth with specific attention to serving
youth with disabilities includes:

      Guideposts for Success
       http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts
       The transition from youth to adulthood is challenging for almost every young
       person. This is particularly true for young people with disabilities. The National
       Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth's “Guideposts” is broken
       down into the following five areas of specific need designed to help youth with
       the transition processes. Guideposts is a framework to assist the multiple
       organizations that need to be involved to meet the needs and improve the
       transition outcomes of youth, including youth with disabilities, and to create
       necessary community webs of support.

          1. School-Based Preparatory Experiences
             http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/school
          2. Career Preparation and Work-Based Learning Experiences
             http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/career
          3. Youth Development and Leadership
             http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/youth
          4. Connecting Activities…Programs, Services and Supports
             http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/connecting
          5. Family Involvement and Supports
             http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/family


                                            5
   Guideposts for Employer Success
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/employers
    Organized with the explicit purpose of helping workforce investment policy
    makers and program providers reduce identified barriers, there are two
    categories within this framework. The first focuses on what system designers
    (state and local) need to do. The second looks at what individual programs,
    which include a wide array of education and training institutions, such as
    community rehabilitation centers, secondary and post secondary institutions,
    apprenticeship programs, and One-Stop Career Centers need to do.

   Guideposts for Success for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Corrections System
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/juvenile-justice
    This Guidepost highlights relevant experiences, supports, and services that are
    improving transition outcomes for youth, with and without disabilities,
    involved, or at risk of becoming involved, in the juvenile justice system.

   Guideposts for Success for Youth with Mental Health Needs
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/mental-health
    Helpful for youth service practitioners serving youth with mental health needs,
    this provides guidance on supports that are intentional, integrated and well-
    coordinated to increase the likelihood of economic stability and success.

   Guideposts for Success for Youth in Foster Care
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/guideposts/foster-care
    Highlights specific experiences, supports, and services relevant to providing
    comprehensive transition services to all foster care youth, including those with
    disabilities.

   National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD)
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/
    NCWD assists state and local workforce development systems to better serve all
    youth, including youth with disabilities. Funded by a grant from ODEP, NCWD
    is composed of partners with expertise in education, youth development,
    disability, employment, workforce development and family issues. NCWD’s
    materials provide information on policies and strategies to ensure that transition-
    age youth are provided full access to high quality services in integrated settings
    to gain education, employment, and independent living. The following are
    Information Briefs on critical issues and challenges facing the workforce
    investment system in serving youth:

          Blending and Braiding Funds and Resources: The Intermediary as
           Facilitator
           http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-18


                                         6
           Focuses on how intermediary organizations can facilitate the blending and
           braiding of funds and resources to encourage cross-systems collaboration
           and, in turn, improve the educational and employment outcomes.
           Strategies that states can use to support local communities and outlines of
           how cross-systems collaboration and alternative funding strategies can be
           facilitated by intermediary organizations are provided.

          Disability Inquiries in the Workforce Investment System
           http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-09
           For those working in One-Stop Career Centers, as well as youth and adult
           service providers who interact with individuals with disabilities. It is
           designed to help clarify what you can, and cannot, ask about someone's
           disability.

          Facilitating Employer Engagement Among WIB Partners: A Role for
           Intermediaries
            http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-17
           Focuses on how workforce investment boards (WIBs) can ensure strong
           business leadership roles in their state and local workforce systems by
           creating and fostering intermediaries that effectively link employers with
           One-Stop Career Centers and their partners. Strategies and examples are
           shared that illustrate how intermediaries can facilitate, coordinate, and
           streamline employer engagement responsibilities among WIB partners.

   Helping Youth with Mental Health Needs Avoid Transition Cliffs: Lessons
    from Pioneering Transition Programs
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-24
    Discusses challenges faced by youth and young adults with mental health needs
    during their transition to adulthood and describes strategies used by youth
    service professionals to avoid age-related transition cliffs and prevent service
    interruptions during this critical stage of development. This Brief is based on
    research about transition-age youth with mental health needs published in four
    separate reports in the last two years, including two produced by the National
    Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth.

   How Young People can Benefit from One-Stop Centers
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-03
    Provides information about One-Stop Centers and how the services at One-Stop
    Centers can help youth enter the workforce.




                                         7
   Improving Transition Outcomes for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice
    System: Practical Considerations
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-25
    Describes the characteristics of and issues faced by youth involved with the
    juvenile justice system, including those with disabilities. It provides a
    framework for youth service professionals to help these youth avoid or transition
    out of the juvenile justice system, promotes cross-systems collaboration, and
    highlights promising practices currently being implemented around the country.
    This Brief is based on “Making the Right Turn: A Guide about Improving
    Transition Outcomes for Youth Involved in the Juvenile Corrections System”,
    available at http://www.ncwd-youth.info/juvenile-justice-guide.

   Personal Assistance Services on the Job
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-06
    For anyone who interacts with youth with disabilities and would like to know
    about the programs under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and covers
    service to youth so that youth, families, and service providers can better connect
    to the workforce investment system.

   Successful Transition Models for Youth with Mental Health Needs: A Guide
    for Workforce Professionals
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-23
    Describes the system’s service barriers faced by youth with mental health needs
    as they reach adulthood, while highlighting new models and strategies designed
    to break down those barriers and help them to transition successfully into the
    workplace.

   Vocational Assessment and Its Role in Career Planning
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-20
    Discusses career planning and vocational assessment for transition-age youth.

   Youth and Disability Disclosure: The Role of Families and Advocates
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/information-brief-21
    Highlights NCWD-Youth’s “The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for
    Youth with Disabilities”, and explores the role families and advocates play in
    helping youth understand the importance of appropriate disability disclosure.

   Charting the Course: Supporting the Career Development of Youth with
    Learning Disabilities
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/ld-guide
    Developed by the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
    to help youth service professionals better understand issues related to learning
    disabilities so that they can help youth with learning disabilities develop


                                         8
    individual strategies that will enable them to succeed in the workplace. It
    includes numerous quick reference charts, tables, and tools for counselors, career
    advisors, and other professionals who work directly with youth.

   Cyber Disclosure Workbook for Youth with Disabilities
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/cyber-disclosure
    The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
    (NCWD/Youth) and ODEP released Cyber Disclosure for Youth with Disabilities, a
    supplement to "The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with
    Disabilities", which helps youth learn about disability disclosure and what it
    means for them. The goal of this document is to provide youth suggestions on
    how to make informed decisions about their own disability disclosure and to
    manage their disclosures on-line.

   Innovative Strategies for Serving Youth with Disabilities
    http://www.ncwd-youth.info/innovative-strategies
    The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth's Innovative
    Strategies features a searchable database of workforce investment programs and
    practices that serve youth with disabilities, either as a target population or as
    part of other youth populations. Its purpose is to improve services to youth with
    disabilities throughout the workforce system by making available information on
    quality workforce investment programs and practices. The programs and
    practices are organized around three broad categories:

          1. State and local programs funded by ODEP;
          2. Exemplary programs that provide workforce preparatory experiences;
             youth development and leadership opportunities; tailor services
             to individuals; demonstrate awareness and attention to serving youth
             with disabilities; have quantitative or qualitative outcome data; and
             effectiveness has been validated by an outside source within the past
             five years; and
          3. Promising state and local practices.

   Strengthening Transition Partnerships: Building Federal Technical Assistance
    Center Capacity a Transition Resource Directory
    http://www.ncwd-
    youth.info/sites/default/files/Transition_Resource_Directory_02-26-10.doc
    This directory includes descriptions submitted by Federally supported projects
    and centers with work that focuses on youth transition. The references in this
    directory are not intended to be exhaustive of the investments in transition made
    by Federal, state, or local entities.




                                         9
      Teaching Soft Skills Through Workplace Simulations in Classroom Settings
       http://www.dol.gov/odep/documents/TeachingSoftSkills.pdf
       Soft skills, the employability skills that speak to a worker’s interpersonal skills
       and character, include skills such as teamwork, problem-solving, critical
       thinking, effective use of resources, and effective communication. This brief
       discusses three common methods for creating opportunities for experiential
       learning of soft skills.

      Transition Services for Youth
       https://www.disability.gov/home/i_want_to/transition_planning/resources_o
       n_transition_for_young_adults
       Transition characterizes the process of planning to help youth develop life skills
       and have real life experiences so they can become successful, contributing
       members of society. Transition planning relates not only to post high school
       goals, but includes the many years of planning and working toward meaningful
       goals including employment. There are many government agencies and
       organizations that can help young people plan for the transition from school to
       postsecondary education or work, as well as resources for parents and educators.

Ticket to Work
http://www.yourtickettowork.com/index
The Ticket to Work Program is funded by the U.S. Social Security Administration to
assist Social Security beneficiaries with disabilities in finding and keeping employment.
The Ticket Program is part of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act
of 1999, designed to remove many of the disincentives that previously influenced
people’s decisions about going to work because of the concerns over losing health care
coverage. The goal of the Ticket Program is to increase opportunities and choices for
Social Security disability beneficiaries to obtain employment, vocational rehabilitation,
and other support services from public and private providers, employers, and other
organizations.

TRIO
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html
TRIO, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is an outreach and student services
program designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged
backgrounds, including individuals with disabilities. The goal of the program is to
assist youth in progressing through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-
baccalaureate programs.

US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN)
http://www.usbln.org
USBLN is the national disability organization that serves as the collective voice of over
60 Business Leadership Network affiliates across North America, representing over


                                             10
5,000 employers. The BLN’s TOWER Initiative produced three toolkits to provide
guidance to employers on creating or expanding quality internship and mentoring
programs, as well as student advisory councils to provide direct career development to
the next generation of employees. All three toolkits provide comprehensive
information on the tools on work and employment readiness needed by both students
with disabilities and employers. These toolkits can be found
at https://disability.workforce3one.org; and http://www.usbln.org/

      Guide to Business-Branded Mentoring

       This toolkit aims to help USBLN® affiliates and employers create and expand
       existing mentoring programs to include students with disabilities from the local
       community. USBLN® created this toolkit to provide a level of synergy across
       affiliate-based mentoring programs and assist employment-focused mentoring
       programs. Mentoring programs that are age and stage appropriate help students
       with disabilities gain the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for their desired
       career field and broaden their employer-focused network. Mentoring programs
       assist employers by providing staff mentors with the direct experience of
       working with a person with a disability. Through mentoring programs,
       employers are also able to establish relationships with students with disabilities,
       which is beneficial when recruiting for full-time positions.

      Guide to Business-Branded Internships

       This toolkit assists USBLN® affiliates and employer members include students
       with disabilities in new or existing internship programs. It also goes a step
       farther to provide internship programs with ideas and strategies designed to
       strengthen learning opportunities for students in the internship program, which
       will provide a higher return on investment for the employer.

      Guide to Creating Student Advisory Councils

       Provides guidance to USBLN® affiliates and employer members to understand
       uses for and create Student Advisory Councils (SACs) and to increase the
       involvement between affiliates, employers, and students with disabilities.




                                            11