News Items
What's Next Boomer Business Summit Scores a Bulls Eye!
By John M. Williams
Washington, DC -- The fifth annual What’s Next Boomer Business Summit gave the attendees a dynamic vision of the future, It brought together in the aging field thoughtful leaders, authors, researchers, caregivers, media, corporate and entrepreneurial innovators interested in advancing their understanding of this market and raising the bar in developing products and services to address the needs of the aging baby boomers.
For the hundreds of attendees, the conference highlighted five major areas:
- Research and data provided insight and direction about the boomer market. In addition, the attendees learned about living healthy, financial services, reducing stress, mobile marketing and housing challenges for the boomer generation.
- Innovation segments focused on how businesses large and small are creating new products and services in technology, healthcare, cognitive areas and mobile marketing.
- Entrepreneurship provided insight to launch and grow a business.
- Digital and mobile media strategy demonstrated how businesses will create new media and marketing strategies to build a customer base.
- Brand and cause related marketing for good centered on brand leaders’ developing programs that build business while they give back to their communities.
Performance of workers with disabilities as good as co-workers
| TRIBUNE REPORTER
January 28, 2008
A DePaul University study found workers with disabilities performed as well as other workers while requiring about the same amount of supervision and minimal accommodations.
The three-year study, scheduled for release Monday, was commissioned by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce's Disabilityworks initiative with state and city money.
Researchers collected information about 314 employees, including 95 with disabilities, working in service, administrative support, professional and managerial jobs at companies in three growing industries: health care, retail and hospitality. They also conducted focus groups with administrators.
5th National Organizational Change Forum
5th National Organizational Change Forum
September 24-25 2008 • Kansas City
Marriott - Kansas City Airport
Forum goal:
Support the development of system change and individual supports that expand community– based employment opportunities and focus resources on integrated customized employment.
Areas of focus:
• Management and leadership for community providers
• State and federal policy and strategy
• Supporting individuals with significant barriers to employment
• Transition from school to career
Who should attend:
Advocates, persons with disabilities who receive services, employment support providers, state agency personnel and others committed to integrated employment as a primary outcome for individuals receiving government funded support.
Disabled learn about changing prospects in work, life sharing
Area residents with developmental disabilities and their loved ones gathered Tuesday evening in Oil City to learn about the changing opportunities in employment and in life sharing.Posted by Teri Blankenship on March 19, 2008A packed dining hall at the Knights of Columbus was treated to the informational forum organized by the Venango County Mental Health/Mental Retardation administration.
“We know 60 to 70 percent of people with disabilities are unemployed — the data says that they want to work,” said Dr. Valerie Brooke of Virginia Commonwealth University. “There is a whole untapped labor force. We really have a service to sell.”
Brooke, the night’s first featured speaker, stressed the importance of making competitive employment the goal for disabled people.
“The idea is that it’s not about going into a day center and getting ready and getting ready for employment,” she said. “The people have to be looked at in terms of what they can do — what they can deliver — and should be considered for employment first. That’s not happening — here or around the county.”
While some progress has been made, Brooke said it is important to encourage communities to continue to push for more change.
“We’ve got to keep motivating,” she said. “We are doing some good stuff, but who are the next five people going into competitive employment? That’s the goal.”
Brooke shared some of the latest ideas for helping more disabled people enter the job market.
“For a lot of folks, they graduate high school and then sit at home because the transition (into the job market) is difficult,” Brooke said.
She added that new legislation may make it possible for some disabled people to qualify for paid employment before they leave high school.
This may lead to more prepared workers leaving the structure of school and heading into the job market.
“We see (the improvements) as an evolution of change,” she said. “It’s important to keep it moving forward.”
The goal for Brooke is an “assumption of employability” for disabled people.
“We’re all community,” she said. “We’re not separate and segregated.”
One audience member may have exemplified that better than anything Brooke could have expressed with words.
Dolly Bechtel, of Oil City, received an award at the forum from the MH/MR for her 10 years of competitive employment at the Oil City Presbyterian Home.
Bechtel’s supervisor, Christina Barrow, was on hand to praise her long-time employee.
“Everybody lovers her,” Barrow said. “She comes to work everyday with a smile on her face.”
Barrow recalled that once a fire occurred at the home and Bechtel remained calm, used the training she was given and helped alert the staff, residents and fire department.
“Thank you very much,” Bechtel said emotionally as she received the award.
Also at the meeting, Dana Olsen, of the Pennsylvania Office of Developmental Programs, delivered a speech highlighting recent advances with the life-sharing program.
Life-sharing hosts live with — and provide support in their homes — for disabled people, said Olson, who compared the program to foster care.
He said $10 million have been put into an initiative this year to help increase the amount of life-sharing homes throughout the state.
“Life sharing costs considerably less than community homes,” Olsen said. “But more importantly, satisfaction (for the residents) is higher.”
He indicated that these living situations are becoming more common, but that many families are still wary.
“It doesn’t mean that someone is taking your family member away,” he said. “(The families) can be the driving force in this whole thing.”
Olson added that families can be instrumental in picking a living-arraignment for their loved ones.
“The best thing is to talk to the people who really do it,” he said. “They don’t do it for the money — it isn’t that good folks. There may be someone out there who really wants to share their life with your loved one — and that’s OK.”
Announcement for APSE Exec Search
The APSE Board of Directors Search Committee announces the search for a new Executive Director. Please see the attachments for information and circulate this widely. We are looking for the perfect person to take us into the future!
Executive Director
APSE: The Network on Employment, a grassroots membership organization, is searching for a visionary, enthusiastic leader to guide us as we continue to expand and improve the integrated employment opportunities, services, and outcomes for people with disabilities. The extensive network includes local service providers, individuals with disabilities, their families, state and federal government entities, other similar nonprofit organizations, universities, and businesses.
The successful candidate must have:
- Strong passion and commitment to the mission and values of APSE.
- Master’s degree in related field.
- At least 8-10 years experience in leadership and managerial skills
- Demonstrated communication and public relations skills and the ability to communicate the APSE vision and mission.
- Demonstrated business and leadership experience including planning and development, operations, fiscal administration, with a preference toward management experience of a nonprofit organization.
Salary is commensurate with ability. Please send your resume and three letters of recommendation to Teresa Grossi, tgrossi@indiana.edu. Review of applicants will begin March 17 and continue until a successful search has been completed.
Equal Opportunity Employer
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