United Spinal's Action Online Magazine » Employment

Order of Selection: Who Comes First?

Ziggi — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:30:47 +0000

| WORKING WORLD

By Tamar Asedo Sherman

New York State and many others are considering the possibility of facing an Order of Selection federal ruling that requires its vocational rehabilitation departments to assist those individuals with the most significant disabilities first.

That is a requirement that must be met when a state cannot provide sufficient services to all who are eligible, either due to lack of staff or lack of financial or other resources. New York State—and presumably others as well—is on the brink, and many professionals and advocates alike want to avoid that situation.

It poses quite a dilemma. Do [...]

Are You Job Ready?

Ziggi — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:23:59 +0000

| WORKING WORLD

By Tamar Asedo Sherman

If it’s been a while since your last job interview, and you’re thinking maybe you should try to get back into the work force, then your first step might be to dust off your résumé and update it.

When did your last job end? And what have you been doing since? You can’t very well document sitting in front of the tube and watching soap operas or spending your days at the computer, social networking on Facebook.

That might be the first barrier you have to get over: filling in the blanks since your last employment. Résumés [...]

Kessler Event: Empowering People with SCI to Compete in Today’s Workforce

Ziggi — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:05:53 +0000

Here’s an even at Kessler Foundation that should be of interest to United Spinal members in the Greater New York City area:

May 14, 2010

Click here to register… The job market is tough. For people with disabilities, the workforce presents a whole other set of challenges. The next chapter of the Life after Spinal Cord Injury conference series, entitled “Empowering People with SCI to Compete in Today’s Workforce,” will be held on Friday, June 18, 2010, at 10 am in the Kessler Conference Center —1199 Pleasant Valley Way in West Orange, New Jersey. Mingle at [...]

DOL Launches Online Tool to Promote Nondiscrimination of Employees with Disabilities

Ziggi — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:25:38 +0000

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today unveiled a new tool to help America’s employers ensure their employment policies and practices do not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities.

“Today, we made it easier for employers of all sizes to access the talents of the 36 million Americans with disabilities,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez. “By providing this interactive and easy-to-use online tool, both workers and employers can readily access and understand their rights and responsibilities under our federal disability nondiscrimination laws.”

The online Disability Nondiscrimination Law Advisor, available [...]

Is She Really Ready for Work?

Ziggi — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:54:24 +0000

| WORKING WORLD

By Tamar Asedo Sherman

Patty brought her Ticket to Work to the agency where I work several months before I started working with her. She had good skills: a recent certificate in phlebotomy and an earlier certificate as a medical assistant. Health care is the one field where there is always a demand for workers, and medical assistant is one of the top jobs, since they are replacing RNs in many doctors’ offices. There should be no problem finding a position for her, I thought. Why then, was she still looking for a job?

Patty’s disability is of a physical nature, with [...]

Intractable Unemployment: Why Don’t the Numbers Change?

Ziggi — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 17:11:17 +0000

| ADA at 20

If the ADA can’t change the employment picture for people with disabilities, can anything?

By Tamar Asedo Sherman

It’s been nearly 20 years since passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which promised an end to discrimination in hiring people with disabilities, yet statistics show that the unemployment rate has not improved. If anything, despite the proliferation of policies, programs and personnel all aimed at helping people with disabilities get back to work, it’s gotten worse.

Statistics abound, but a simple way to look at the problem is to consider the rate of labor force participation of people [...]