The Disability
Issues Committee was established in April 2001 as a
permanent Committee within the State Employment and Training
Commission (SETC).
The
mission of the Disability Issues Committee is to improve
access for individuals with disabilities to New Jersey’s
workforce programs and services. In carrying out this
work, the Committee develops policies and program strategies
that focus on identifying the training needs and resources
specific to individuals with disabilities, ensuring the
needs of the disabled are integrated into the One-Stop
system and that workplace education addresses the needs of
the disabled community. The Disability Issues Committee
also serves as the Leadership Council for a national grant
to the New Jersey Department of Human Services in the
implementation of its DiscoverAbility Strategic Plan.
Nicholas Gacos, SETC member and President of Colorado Café
Associates, Chairs this Committee.
Key Action
Items
Required
Local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) to establish a
Disability Issues Committee: Provided education and
guidance on the mission and responsibilities of the newly
formed committee to local WIBs and local Department of
Vocational Rehabilitation managers.
Autism
Subcommittee: Examined critical issues related to this
disability. Provided training on Autism to all vocational
counselors for the first time.
Increasing
accessibility in One-Stop Career Centers: Created
criteria for identifying and assessing accessibility in
One-Stop Career Centers for individuals who have
disabilities, providing recommendations for purchasing new
equipment, as well as upgrading present equipment and
facilities.
One-Stop
Career Center Integration: Work continues on improving
services through the One-Stop Career Centers. Issues
to be addressed include an analysis of barriers that limit
participation of people with disabilities in One Stop Career
Center services, developing staff training and guidance for
better referrals, integration and treatment of individuals
with disabilities, lack of assessment tools, lack of
widespread communication on services, limited staff
resources, increasing outreach and services, and improving
the collection of data on the number and types of services
accessed by individuals who have disabilities.
DiscoverAbility: In partnership with the New Jersey
Department of Human Services, the SETC and the Heldrich
Center, the Disability Issues Committee is overseeing
implementation of the goals of New Jersey’s DiscoverAbility
Plan. Goals include:
-
Increase public
understanding and awareness of the employment-related
assets of people with disabilities and their ability to
work.
-
Improve information and
communication to, about and for people with
disabilities.
-
Engage, educate and assist
the employer community.
-
Provide people with
disabilities with better preparation for work and offer
more effective connections to jobs.
-
Offer supports for working
to people with disabilities.
-
Increase the state’s
leadership, management and coordination efforts in the
employment of people with disabilities.
-
Strengthen disability and
employment research, evaluation, performance
measurement, data collection and data analysis.
In its
first round of funding in 2009, the following key activities
were accomplished:
Performance & Accountability: A dashboard was created
that provides monthly and quarterly updates on the status of
individuals with disabilities who are enrolled in training
and the rate of placement.
DiscoverAbility Employment Conference: 270
individuals with disabilities and their family members
attended a conference which provided attendees with
information on employment in New Jersey, including available
supports, career and educational options, assistive
technologies, and tips and techniques for job searching.
DiscoverAbility website: Planning is underway to
develop an interactive website that will support the
employment-related needs and issues of individuals with
disabilities, their family members, employers and service
providers. It will be designed to provide information on
employment in New Jersey and the supports available to
individuals with disabilities and employers and to link
individuals with disabilities to various opportunities and
education and training programs. It will also serve as an
information portal and professional development resource for
service providers.
DiscoverAbility
– Phase II: In December, 2009, DHS was notified their
grant submission for $1.7 million was approved which will
expand upon and continue the implementation of
DiscoverAbility. Specific goals for this second round in
2010 include:
-
Create and implement a
co-branding and marketing strategy with the New Jersey
Chamber of Commerce’s Business Leadership Network.
-
Develop stronger employer
communication and feedback loops and improve capacity of
service providers to deliver marketable skills to
clients.
-
Work with the Business
Leadership Network to deploy the Disability Supplier
Diversity Program.
-
Develop and implement a
DiscoverAbility NJ Innovations Fund.
-
Build the Capacity of
Workforce System Service providers, both staff that work
exclusively with individuals with disabilities, as well
as staff that work in the One-Stop Career Center system.
-
Support an Entrepreneurial
Mentoring Program for Individuals with Disabilities.
-
Develop and Implement a
Conference for Consumers on Job Search and Career
Planning.
-
Conduct a Transportation
Funding Study to Determine Potential Alternative Funding
Sources.
-
Implement Disability
Benefits 101 v. 4.0 and provide 4 Train-the-Trainer
sessions.
-
Increase knowledge of SSI &
SSDI Work Incentives Training Program.
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