Contact Information
106 East College Avenue
Suite 820
Tallahassee, FL 32301
888-838-ABLE
(toll-free in Florida)
850-224-4493 Voice or TDD
850-224-4496 Fax
Email:info@abletrust.org
Questions or Comments?
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The Able Trust is now accepting nominations for the 1999 Ability Awards, which are designed to recognize individuals and organizations for making outstanding contributions toward the employment of Florida citizens with disabilities.
Nominations are being accepted for: the Beverly Chapman Award, which recognizes a nonprofit agency for developing an outstanding employment placement program for persons with disabilities; The Able Trust Award for Outstanding Entrepreneur, which recognizes an individual with a disability who has demonstrated achievements in developing a successful business venture; Employer of the Year, which awards three employers (1-49, 50-99, 100+ employees) for making extraordinary efforts toward employing persons with disabilities; and the Media Award, which recognizes an individual and an organization for promoting persons with disabilities in a positive manner.
Winners will be announced at the 1999 Ability Awards Banquet on Thursday, September 30 at the Clarion Plaza Hotel in Orlando.
Nomination forms are available at The Able Trust/FGA, 888-838-2253 or on the website at www.abletrust.org
The Able Trust/FGA will host the third annual Symposium on Disabilities from Tuesday, September 28 through Friday, October 1, 1999 at the Clarion Plaza Hotel in Orlando Florida. The theme for this year's event is "Windows of Opportunity." The Symposium will provide information and assistance on disability-related issues to employers, agency representatives, service providers and vocational rehabilitation professionals.
Workshop tracks will cover topics on employment, technology, development, policy, and services. Presentations will focus on Employing Persons with Disabilities: A Business Perspective, Self Employment Opportunities, Assistive Technology in the Workplace, The Able Trust Grants Program, National Service Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, and more. Attendees are eligible for Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and Certified Vocational Evaluator (CVE) credits.
Social events include a welcome reception, keynote luncheon and the Ability Awards Banquet. Special guests include Fred Grandy, former actor on television's "The Love Boat", and current President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, John Lancaster of the PCEPD, Ken McGill of the Social Security Administration and J.R. Harding, Executive Director of the Occupational Access and Opportunity Commission.
Registration costs are $25 per day or $50 all inclusive of all social events, workshops, information breaks and exhibits.
Sponsors for the event include Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Henter Joyce, Inc., SunTrust Bank, Abilities of Florida, Goodwill Industries of Central Florida and Division of Blind Services, providing employment opportunities for persons with visual disabilities. For registration materials or information on exhibiting, call 888-838-2253 V/TDD or visit the website at www.abletrust.org
A Louis Harris Associates survey released in April by the National Organization on Disability showed strong and sustained public endorsement for national civil rights protections for Americans with disabilities. This survey of 1,008 U.S. adults sought to unearth attitudes and perceptions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Among the findings: 87% of adults are aware of the ADA support and approve of it; 67% of all adult Americans have read or heard about the ADA; 75% of all adults polled think that the benefits to people with disabilities are worth the additional costs to government and businesses.
On specific areas of discrimination, the support was overwhelming: 83% of those surveyed felt that creating job opportunities for people with disabilities will decrease welfare rolls and increase employment opportunities; 94% believe employers should not discriminate against any qualified job candidate with a disability; 85% agree that employers with more than 15 workers should make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities; 91% want to see public transportation made accessible to people with disabilities; 95% agree that public places must not discriminate against visitors with disabilities; and 86% believe that government must offer home care services that allow more people with disabilities to live at home instead of in nursing homes.
For more information, call Mary Dolan, NOD at 202-293-5960/V.
Source: PCEPD Washington Fax
A recent telephone survey, titled Implementation of the Employment Provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, asked 1,402 human resource managers who are members of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) about various issues related to ADA implementation. A collaborative effort of SHRM, Cornell University, the Washington Business Group on Health (WBGH) and the Lewin Group, the survey is part of a NIDRR-supported grant for a four-year research and demonstration project at Cornell University.
Among the findings: Many organizations make accommodations for their employees with disabilities. 82% have modified facilities to make them accessible; 79% have been flexible in applying human resource policies; and 79% have restructured jobs or modified work hours. Approximately eight out of ten organizations have changed the questions they ask during an interview and have made interview locations and restrooms accessible. Nearly nine out of ten said their interview staffs are knowledgeable about asking questions related to abilities to perform specific job tasks, rather than about disabilities. The area in which staff need more information is how to accommodate persons with visual or auditory disabilities.
The two most frequently cited barriers to employment and advancement for people with disabilities were lack of related experience (51%) and lack of requisite skills and training (40%). Of the relatively few organizations that reported ADA claims, the most common were claims of wrongful discharge and failure to provide reasonable accommodations. The majority of organizations reported they offer training to employees on ADA issues. Copies of the full report are available for a fee from SHRM. Call 800-283-SHRM.
Source: PCEPD Washington Fax
On June 16, the U.S. Senate approved bill 99-0 without dissent to help Americans with disabilities join the workforce by allowing them to keep government-financed health benefits when they take jobs. The House Commerce Committee approved a similar bill.
The Congress estimates that there are about 7.5 million adults who receive disability assistance who could work, but less than one-half of 1 percent ever do so, mainly because they would lose their Medicaid or Medicare benefits.
The Senate bill would permit, but not force, states to allow those who take relatively low-paid jobs to retain their Medicaid benefits and permit higher-paid people to buy into the program, with their premiums rising higher as their pay rises. A time-limited demonstration project would allow Medicaid payments to people who have a disability that is not advanced enough to qualify for benefits - but would become so without health care, which includes persons infected with the AIDS virus.
Medicare coverage would continue for a six-year trial period and disability payments would be phased out gradually rather than cut off abruptly, as happens now.
For more information, contact your local congressmen.
The Able Trust, in conjunction with VOLT Directory Marketing, LTD. has developed a hard copy directory of its information and referral database. The directory contains more than 4,000 listings of service providers, nonprofit agencies, for-profit vendors and other disability resources throughout Florida.
The directory is $49.95 plus $4.50 handling and can be purchased by calling Volt at 800-825-7635.
Visit The Boulevard at http://www.blvd.com for your FREE video of "People with Disabilities and Computers," produced by Enable Productions-Microsoft.
"People with Disabilities and Computers" is a documentary video that profiles a diverse array of individuals using technology in their lives. Read biographies of the participants and order your own copy of the video free.
The 1999 Education Kit, sponsored by the President's Committee, provides information and resources that foster employment of people with disabilities. The kit contains ideas on celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month (October) and disability hiring information that you can share with local employers. This year's theme: "Think Ability."
For your FREE copy, call The Able Trust/FGA at 888-838-2253 voice or TDD or email kristen@abletrust.org.
