Disability Program Navigator Year One: Challenges and Opportunities

1
Disability Program Navigator Year One Challenges
and Opportunities

• Venessa Fairbairn, DPN
• WorkSource
• First Coast Workforce Development

2
Opportunities in the One Stops

• Modification of the work registration form to
  include a section asking about barriers to
  employment has helped with earlier identification
  of customers with hidden disabilities.
• The Disability Program Navigator Flyer placed in
  the One stop resource rooms helped to inform
  people about the services that are available
• Adaptive and assistive software added to at least
  one computer per Center affords job seekers with
  visual impairments more independence in the one
  stop resource room

3
Opportunities in the One Stop

• Utilizing the Web course, At Your Service
  Welcoming Customers with Disabilities was a great
  way to begin our all staff training
  (www.wiawebcourse.org)
• By the Navigator providing each Center with
  training (over 300 staff members) on disability
  sensitivity and awareness, ADA, relay use etc.,
  we saved our staff members were able to get to
  know the Navigator and thus we began developing
  positive relationships

4
Opportunities in The One Stops

• By becoming an Employment Network, we have access
  to reach out to all of the SSI/SSDI beneficiaries
  region.
• Each Center (8 Centers in 6 counties) designated
  an ADA Coordinator who participates in on going
  disability related training with the Navigator.
  This individual is available for on the spot
  questions and support.

5
Opportunities at the One-Stops

• Each Center has a copy of the Access for All
  Training manual for One stops.
• Each ADA Coordinator is being trained on
  assigning and maintaining Tickets to Work, as
  well how to operate JAWS and Zoom Text.

6
Opportunities in the One Stops

• Job seekers with disabilities are welcomed and
  encouraged to participate in our resume and
  interview classes, as well as WIA orientation and
  general use of the one stop resource room
• Job fairs are accessible and ASL interpreters are
  hired, thus increasing awareness of our services
  in the disability communities.

7
Opportunities in the Business Community

• Our job announcement form now includes a section
  to ask businesses if they would like information
  regarding hiring qualified applicants with
  disabilities, reasonable accommodations and ADA
  information
• This information is repeated in our follow up
  thank you letter when business list their jobs
  with us.

8
Opportunities in the Business Community

• We are hosting accessible Job fairs in each our
  centers. Included with this service is a working
  luncheon for the businesses to attend where the
  Navigator presents information on ADA, Reasonable
  accommodations, tax incentives, and more. We
  also invite an agency to co present at these
  working luncheons to educate the businesses about
  their services and the populations they serve.

9
Opportunities in the Business Community

• The Navigator offers a 4 hour training for
  businesses, customized to their needs. So far we
  have trained HR staff
• At Home Depot, Vystar (a large credit union) and
  Citi Bank.
• The Navigator has also presented to the First
  Coast Diversity Council. This is made up of
  mostly large businesses in our area. We
  partnered with The Florida Alliance for Assistive
  Services and Technology for this presentation.

10
Opportunities for the Business Community

• We hosted a breakfast for National Disability
  Mentoring day, inviting the participating
  businesses as well as the
• Students and job seekers.
• Together with the Jobs Opportunity Consortium and
  SHRM we have created a power point on Job
  Carving. This is utilized in the training events
  for business

11
Opportunities for Collaboration

• Presentations on The Navigator Initiative
  include
• The case managers for adult and children services
• The Mayors Council on Disabilities
• Vocational Teachers at the Florida School for the
  Deaf and the Blind
• Area 2 VR Counselors
• The Job Opportunities Consortium
• The WIB Executive Board
• High School/Hi Tech Kick off event
• The annual SE training retreat
• The Florida Council for the Blind
• Division of Blind Services

12
Up Coming Presentations

• Business Service Team
• Project Connect Transition Teams
• The Florida Council on Disabilities
• The full WIB board
• The Chambers of Commerce
• Service Clubs (Rotary, Lions, ETC)
• The Jacksonville Association for Mental Health
• NAMI
• Mental Health Drop in Centers

13
Whom Have We Partnered With?

• The Jacksonville Transit Authority
• The Epilepsy Foundation
• The local CILs
• VR and DBS
• The Chambers
• Several local Service Providers of Supported
  Employment

14
Challenges

• Information Exchange
• Need for more technological accommodations
• Lack of co-located SE agencies
• VR process not standard in each Centers
• 6 Counties means 6 school systems
• Some Courtesy barrier removal still needed in the
  centers (lowered Counters, automatic doors)

15
Challenges

• We still need to create a web based orientation,
  Navigator page on our web site, and we need to
  have our web site in a more adaptable format
• We need more media outreach
• Our software programs have not been made
  adaptable as of yet and we do not have TTYs in
  our centers.
• We do not have accommodations in place for
• Intensive services assessments.

16
Challenges

• Our region is large and spread out
• Rural communities have transportation
  difficulties and higher unemployment rates
• Job Corp has proven to be very difficult for job
  seekers with disabilities to access.