Wyoming’s Largest Untapped Talent Pool: The Opportunity in Employing

People with Disabilities

Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

Employment First Consultant ~My Role~

Develop partnerships with employers/business

Education & training

Hiring & retention of people with disabilities

Work accommodations

Assistive technology

Role of DVR

Philosophy and key definitions (competitive &

integrated)

Transition Consultant ~My Role~

Partnerships: Dept. of Ed. & 48 school districts, employers, service providers Increase opportunities for youth with disabilities Develop programs Training Ensure compliance & understanding of WIOA

Eastern Half of State: Gillette, Casper, Cheyenne, Torrington, Laramie, Douglas, Rawlins

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The Value of Work Health & Well Being

Independence Contribution to Society

Diversity & Awareness

Self-Esteem & Self-Worth Achieve financial & Social Goals/Quality of Life

Purpose & Meaning

In 2016, 17.9% of people with a disability were employed. In contrast, the employment-population ratio for those without a disability was 65.3%

-US Bureau of Statistics, 2017

What is DVR? What do we do?

FEDERAL/STATE Program

Serve Individuals with a DISABILITY

16 Field Offices in WY

20 Satellite Offices in WY

Shifting Our Thinking

No more asking “Do you want to work?” but instead “Where do you want to work?”

Working is the expectation – not the exception

All people with disabilities are presumed capable of community employment

No more asking “Can you work?” but instead “What

are you good at?”

Youth & Adults with Disabilities

Vocational Guidance and Counseling (core service), Job Coaching (Supported Employment)

Assistive Technology (ie. keyboard with large keys or software that reads text on a screen)

Specific services related to the needs of the job (ie. work clothing, tools of the trade, help with transportation), Training, Occupational licenses

Employers & Businesses

ADA Consultations

Resources/materials

work experiences/internships/placements

Training

Evaluations

AT

Accommodations

Much More

Much More

Dual Customer Approach

Health & Human Services

LABOR

EDUCATION

Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)

Department of Labor Youth and Adult Employment & Training programs Job Corps Unemployment Reintegration of Offenders programs U.S. Department of Education

Vocational Rehabilitation Education and Training programs (post-secondary) Technical training programs Adult Education programs (HISET, GED) IDEA secondary schools

Agriculture, Housing & Urban Development

Employment & Training Activities programs

Health and Human Services TANF Community Services Block Grant

Passed July 22, 2014 amends and reauthorizes the Workforce Investment Act of 1998; it reauthorizes and enhances the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, amends the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933 and amends & reauthorizes certain provisions in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Key Pieces

DVR Focus: In-School Youth (14-21), Early Work Experiences, Career Counseling, post-secondary options, Self-Advocacy

WHY WIOA?????? BABY BOOMERS (1946-64) Make up the largest percentage of the population. As they leave the workforce we do not have enough young people to replace them & they do not have the skills. Agingstats.gov

Industry and Demand STEM, Information Technology, skilled trades, farming

Disability & Employment Individuals with disabilities make up a large and historically under used pool of talent.

Millennials Lack skills, employment experience, are not being properly prepared and have been misinformed.

Silo Effect Decades of working in silos and refusing to take responsibility has contributed to our crisis.

Employers The key to successful outcomes. Early involvement equals less work later and promotes the ability to sustain business growth.

*We must begin cultivating the employees of tomorrow today!!!

U.S. Aging Population is the fastest growing & will make up the largest

proportion of the Population

We have never been older than we are today!!!

• 180 Day Program (4 phases)

• 1st Time Male Offenders

• 56 youth inmates (up to age 25)

Youth Offender Program

Served by the Gillette Office

Newcastle, WY

• Facility houses a total of 238 minimum security inmates

• Provides training and education GED/HISET

• Schedule is from 4am to 9pm

Facility Facts

MARCH 2018

• Facility offers dog training program

• Wyoming State Forestry Division supervises work crews

Facility Facts

• Dan Gettinger –contracts with DVR

• Groups are held in the evening

DVR PROGRAM

• Integrated setting (not isolating students with disabilities)

• Offers opportunities for DVR to build rapport with students and strengthen school & employer relationships and collaboration

• Can help counselor’s identify students who fall through the cracks that are not on an IEP or 504

February 2018 Blazer Pathways

Torrington, WY TJ Mechem – VR Counselor

First of each month during homeroom time in the auditorium

Skills Trainers Tribal VR & WY VR Wyoming Indian High School

Riverton, WY PATHWAYS

Learn More

Callie Davis, DVR Counselor

PROJECT SEARCH AT IVINSON HOSPITAL

Gifts and Foundation Dietary Materials Management

A nine month total workplace immersion job training program with classroom instruction, career exploration and hands on training through three worksite

rotations.

C R E A T I V E

Opportunity Collaboration Skill Building Learning Contribute

The Benefits of Workplace Inclusion • “Employer of Choice” • Increases disclosure, employee satisfaction, morale, engagement, and

retention • Reduces turnover and absenteeism • Improves accessibility for employees and customers • 57% of employers stated accommodations given to a person with a

disability cost employers nothing • Employers who made accommodations for employees with disabilities

reported multiple benefits as a result: – The accommodation allowed the company to retain a qualified

employee – The accommodation increased the employee's productivity – The accommodation eliminated the costs of training a new employee

Source: The Employer Assistance & Resource Network-askearn.org

Accommodation: Let’s Put This To Work…

ADHD Case Example

– A manufacturing manager with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) was having performance problems. He continued to rush to submit his reports and missed common errors.

Proposed Solution • Purchased a white board and

created a checklist of important elements that needed reviewed prior to submitting.

• Include a list of problems to look

for with appropriate solutions to review before finishing reports

• Employer reporet:

accommodation was extremely effective

• Cost = $20 Source: The Job Accommodation Network-askjan.org

Example: Accommodating A Psychological Disability

• Providing flexible scheduling • Reducing distractions in the work

area • Dividing large assignments into

smaller tasks • Written job instructions

www.askjan.org

Example: Accommodating An Employee With Diabetes

• Allow for storage of medications, such as insulin and/or food • Provide an area to test blood sugar levels • Provide an area to administer medications (insulin) • Allow frequent breaks for food as needed www.askjan.org

2016 National Survey The Marketing Anthropology Project (MAP), a program of the National Business &

Disability Council (NBDC) at The Viscardi Center, commissioned Cygnal to conduct a national survey about consumer attitudes on disability

• Telephone survey

• Conducted September 12-17, 2016

• 866 U.S. consumers whose buying

decisions were mostly likely to be

influenced by a business’ practices

toward individuals with disabilities

KEY FINDINGS: • 73% of consumers will purchase goods and/or services from

a business if they knew the business employs individuals with disabilities

• 66% of consumers will purchase goods and/or services from a business that features individuals with disabilities in their advertising

• 78% of consumers will purchase goods and/or services from a business that takes steps to ensure easy access for individuals with disabilities at their physical locations

• 70% of consumers will purchase goods and/or services from a business that takes steps to ensure easy access for individuals with disabilities on their website, kiosk, or mobile app

• Most consumers (62%) believe that businesses didn’t do enough to market to consumers with disabilities

Please take a moment and fill out the worksheets and place in pile at end of table.

*Post Presentation Questions *Fill out Employer Interest Sheets

300K Ut wisi enim ad

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RESOURCES • askjan.org • thinkbeyondthelabel.com • askearn.org • disability.gov • leadcenter.org • dol.gov/odep/topics/Employers.ht

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Any Questions?