Welcome to the second issue of the e-newsletter of the NTAR Leadership Center. In this month's newsletter, we will focus on aligning disability employment efforts with state and regional economic development, hear about efforts in the State of Virginia, and discuss our newest issue brief on leveraging state economic development resources. We hope that you enjoy our newsletter and will check out the new features on our website. Thank you for your interest in the NTAR Leadership Center!
 Blog: Seeding Change
The NTAR Leadership Center's blog, Seeding Change, features national experts and state leaders offering commentary on innovative practices, research, and trends that improve connections of adults with disabilities to work. Read recent contributors to the blog such as Elaine Katz, Vice President of Grant Programs and Special Initiatives at the Kessler Foundation; Maria Heidkamp, Director of the NTAR Leadership Center's State Leaders Innovation Institute; and Ed Turner, Special Advisor to Virginia Governor Tim Kaine.
 Recent Webinar on Asset Development
On October 28, 2009, the NTAR Leadership Center hosted a webinar entitled "Asset Development: State Strategies for People with Disabilities." This webinar presented asset development concepts, tools, and activities that can be used by states as a framework for developing comprehensive, integrated state asset development strategies for people with disabilities and their families. The webinar also highlighted asset development activities for people with disabilities taking place in Alaska and Iowa. You can view and listen to the webinar, or download the presentation in Microsoft PowerPoint, PDF, or Rich Text Format.
State Spotlight: Virginia
Virginia has been working to increase the effectiveness of its current workforce development, disability employment, and economic development systems in an effort to create jobs and career pathways for Virginians with disabilities. Under the leadership of Ed Turner, the Governor's Special Advisor on Disability Issues, the high-level, high-energy Virginia team has been working on a series of activities designed to build stronger relationships between state vocational rehabilitation agencies, local One-Stops, its postsecondary education system, regional economic development officials, and employers looking to locate and hire in Virginia. On September 15 and 16, 2009, the Virginia team, with support from the NTAR Leadership Center, held a Governor's Forum on Disability and Economic Development in Roanoke, Virginia. This forum, the first of its kind and held in conjunction with the state's annual meeting of regional economic development officials, brought together from across the state a diverse group of policymakers to jointly develop strategies that will result in a recommended blueprint for change and action for the new incoming Governor. This blueprint, to be published in the fall, will outline collaborative activities to increase access to employment services and supports, improve the quality of existing Virginia-based 'to-work' services, look to change community perceptions about work and disability, and identify important policy changes that could be made in the Commonwealth of Virginia to improve employment opportunities and prospects for Virginians with disabilites.
- Read about the forum and Virginia's effort from Guest Blogger and Virginia team leader Ed Turner, Special Advisor to Governor Kaine on Disability Issues
- Listen to the audio podcast interview with Virginia team member Daniel LeBlanc, Special Advisor to Governor Kaine on Workforce. Or read the transcript of the podcast interview.
- View the forum introduction from Virginia Governor Tim Kaine
- View the Virginia Employment Leadership Team's 2009 Action Plan
Research Spotlight: New Issue Brief on Leveraging State Economic Development Resources to Create Job Opportunities for People with Disabilities
This brief, authored by Allison Kopicki, Kathy Krepcio, and Carl Van Horn from the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University, examines how state and local economic development agencies are a largely untapped resource for increasing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. This brief highlights existing state, regional, and local economic development resource tools and discusses ways in which states and localities can leverage traditional loan and financing programs that enhance job creation, provide access to local economic opportunities, or help support employment for residents, including those with disabilities.
- Read the issue brief
- Listen to an audio podcast with Carl Van Horn, Director and Professor at the Heldrich Center
- Read a transcript of the interview
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Issue 2: October 29, 2009
Research Spotlight:
The U.S. Department of Labor's Workforce3 One Unveils a New Disability Employment Resource
Web Page In connection with National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Workforce3 One unveiled a new Disability and Employment Resource web page to provide employment-related resources for the workforce system. The purposes of this page are to disseminate promising practices to promote the positive employment outcomes of people with disabilities and expand the capacity of the One-Stop Career Center system to serve customers with disabilities.
- Visit the new disability and employment resource page
Employment and Disability Institute (EDI) at Cornell University Receives ODEP Grant to Establish Technical Assistance Center for Employers on People with Disabilities
The NTAR Leadership Center congratulates EDI on obtaining a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) to lead a consortium that will include the AFL-CIO Center for Green Jobs, the Altarum Institute, the Conference Board, the Institute of Educational Leadership, the National Business and Disability Council, Rutgers University's John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, and the U.S. Business Leadership Network.
- Read the news release.
It's On Our SiteThese and many other resources are available via the NTAR website.
Resources & Tools For in-depth information, resources, and tools for workforce professionals, visit: Workforce3 One
Office of Disability Employment Policy/U.S. Department of Labor
Disability.gov
Are you on LinkedIn? If so, then why not join the NTAR Leadership Center's LinkedIn group? LinkedIn is a free, online professional networking site that has over 20 million members across the globe. Join LinkedIn to connect with your peers working to improve the employment of people with disabilities. If you're interested, visit LinkedIn.
The NTAR Leadership Center is now on Twitter, a free service where individuals stay in contact via frequent, short messages. If you're on Twitter, be sure to follow us. Click Twitter's "Find People" button and then search for "NTAR". If you're not on Twitter, join today.
Did you know that the NTAR Leadership Center is on Facebook, a social networking tool that enables you to share information and connect with those who are in your life. Facebook members can join the NTAR Center's page. Or if you're not on Facebook, why not join today?
Tell us about your state's progress. Share new activities and products. Send us research suggestions, questions, and comments.
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Copyright (C) 2009 NTAR Leadership Center All rights reserved.
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