In this Issue:

TASH News ◆ Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center News ◆ Policy News ◆ Spotlight on Research ◆ Community News
◆ Employment Opportunities ◆ Upcoming Events ◆ Thank You to Our Donors

Message from the Executive Director

This month marks the 25^th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1999 landmark decision in Olmstead v. L.C. (Olmstead) that found the unjustified segregation of people with disabilities is a form of unlawful discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. TASH was pleased to be invited to the White House Olmstead 25^th Anniversary Observance. Following a screening of Take Me Home by Liz Sargent, disability advocates and senior Biden-Harris Administration officials from the U.S. Department of Justice and Rehabilitative Services Administration reflected on the significance of the Olmstead decision.

Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez and former Congressman Tony Coelho, principal author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, provided opening remarks. And we heard from a number of policy advocates as well as sisters Anna Sargent, who acted in Take Me Home, and Liz Sargent, the Director of Take Me Home. The event recording is here: https://youtube.com/live/EYsDx5ogzLc.

While we celebrate the landmark Olmstead decision, we remain steadfast in our pursuit of community inclusion and integration. Olmstead is a powerful reminder of how disability law and policy can transform lives. With that in mind, please consider attending TASH’s next event, our Outstanding Leadership in Disability Law Symposium and Award Celebration on September 11, 2024. To learn more and to register visit the event webpage.

With appreciation,

Michael Brogioli

TASH News

The 2024 TASH Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 5 – 7.

Awards Nominations Open Now

Each year, TASH honors those whose contributions have advanced equity, opportunity and inclusion for people with disabilities. Nominations for one of TASH’s nine award categories are open now and must be submitted by Monday, August 5, 2024. Award recipients will be acknowledged during the membership luncheon at the 2024 TASH Conference. Visit TASH’s Awards Recognition Program page for details and nomination forms.

Planning Your New Orleans Trip

New Orleans is one of America’s most unique cities. The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau has put together a website for 2024 TASH Conference attendees to help you find the best city has to offer. Give it a look and start getting excited about the 2024 TASH Conference!

Join TASH as we celebrate the contributions and leadership of attorneys who practice disability law to further the human and civil rights of individuals with disabilities at our eighth annual Outstanding Leadership in Disability Law Symposium and Award Celebration on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at the American University Washington College of Law, Washington, DC. This year we will be honoring Steven J. Schwartz, JD, with Samuel Bagenstos delivering the keynote address at the evening Award Celebration. The symposium schedule, presenter bios, Continuing Legal Education credits, virtual and in-person attendance options and hotel discount are all available now at the event webpage.

Tell Your Representative to Remove the Rider that Reverses the Ban on Electric Shock

We need to take URGENT action to #StopTheShock! As we wait for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make a decision on its proposed rule to ban electric skin shock devices, some members of Congress are trying to take away the FDA’s power to make that rule. Contact your representation to let them know you oppose this bill by visiting TASH’s Action Center.

If Punishment Worked, We Wouldn’t Be Having this Conversation: Let’s Talk About Positive Behavior Support

Two-Part Webinar Series, 1:00-2:30 PM Eastern, Wednesday, July 17 & July 24, 2024.

These webinars are designed for family members, direct support staff, and school personnel including paraeducators to enhance participants’ skills in responding to challenging behaviors. They are also intended for other professionals who want to learn more about evidence-based practices for supporting individuals throughout the life span whose behaviors can challenge us. For complete session descriptions, presenter bios, how to participate and registration, visit the webinar series webpage.

Presenters

	Dina Traniello Visiting Professor, Fitchburg State University
	Linda Rammler University of Connecticut UCEDD

Job Accommodations Make a Difference: Data Points and Implications
3:00-4:00 PM Eastern, Tuesday, July 9, 2024

During the month of July, we celebrate the 34^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It is often said that good data provides indisputable evidence. A panel of researchers from the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Employment for People with Physical Disabilities will share insightful data on how providing job accommodations for people with disabilities does make a difference to perform their job duties and enjoy equal employment opportunities. Presenters will highlight their current research projects and latest observations that will support grantees, federal and state policymakers, job seekers with disabilities, and employers to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities.

Presenters

	Allen Heinemann, PhD Director, Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab; Professor, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
	Deborah Crown, MS, CRC, LCPC Manager, Research Operations, Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
	Heather D. Evans, PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington

Ensuring Equal Access to Benefits Counseling and Debunking Myths about Working and the Loss of Benefits

This year marks the 25^th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Olmstead decision. The Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center celebrated the Olmstead anniversary milestone with a webinar focused on ensuring equal access to financial education resources and benefits counseling for people with disabilities searching for employment. The panel discussed how people with disabilities and their families can access tools for financial education through Centers for Independent Living (CIL). The panel also shared how state agencies, Hispanic and Latino community organizations, and the local Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) chapter in Colorado partnered on benefits counseling outreach to help maximize community inclusion and independent living for people with disabilities. Watch the webinar as a recording here.

Strategies for Employer Engagement and Outreach: A DD Council Perspective

Prior to joining the staff and then becoming Executive Director of the Arkansas Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, Jonathan Taylor was a retail field manager with a decade of successful experience in competitive, integrated employment. In this podcast, Jon recounts his experiences and offers practical tips for how State Councils on Developmental Disabilities (DD Councils) and other stakeholders can engage with employers to advance competitive, integrated employment, economic outcomes, and community inclusion for people with disabilities. Listen to the podcast here.

This podcast is released to coincide with the brief Jon Taylor wrote for the Disability Employment Technical Assistance Center, titled Employer Engagement and Outreach: How State Councils on Developmental Disabilities Can Open the Glass Door to Employment.

Follow DETAC on social media for news and resources:

Spotlight on Research

American Institutes for Research / Center on Knowledge Translation for Disability and Rehabilitation Research Survey

The American Institutes for Research and the Center on Knowledge Translation for Disability and Rehabilitation Research are conducting a survey to learn about how people with disabilities find and use information in their daily lives. Our goal is to better understand what disability information is most needed and how researchers can share this information in more accessible and meaningful ways.

But we need your help! Please take about 10 minutes to share your experiences and ideas. Five survey participants will be randomly selected for a $100 gift card.

• Click here to begin the survey in English.
• Click here to begin the survey in Spanish.
• Or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser:
  https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7556446/DisabilityCommunitySurvey

Questions? Please contact Jennifer Bumble at jbumble@air.org.

Community News

Two New LEAD Center Webinars
(And One New DOJ Financial Toolkit)

Improving Employment Outcomes: The Critical Role of Financial Education

“We know that a critical component of being able to live independently and to access a good job requires financial empowerment.” ~ Taryn Williams, Assistant Secretary, Office of Disability Employment Policy. The U.S. Department of Labor’s “Secure Your Financial Future: A Toolkit for Individuals with Disabilities” is a valuable resource for workforce professionals serving jobseekers with disabilities. Access the recording, materials, and resources from the LEAD Center webinar, “Improving Employment Outcomes: The Critical Role of Financial Education” to hear from workforce professionals about how they support jobseekers with disabilities through financial education.

Building Infrastructure for Good Jobs: Creating Opportunities for People with Disabilities in the Construction Industry

The LEAD Center webinar, “Building Infrastructure for Good Jobs: Creating Opportunities for People with Disabilities in the Construction Industry” is available as a recording now. Learn how inclusive hiring practices in the construction industry – including equitable workforce development pathways like pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs, as well as labor-management partnerships – have benefited employees with disabilities and their employers.

U.S. Department of Labor: Balancing Big Dreams and Financial Security

Read the new U.S. Department of Labor blog post, “Balancing Big Dreams and Financial Security“, by Vander Cherry, discussing “Secure Your Financial Future: A Toolkit for Individuals with Disabilities” and other tools and resources to support people with disabilities on their employment journey.

The Ride Ahead Festival Trailer

There are numerous screenings of Dan and Samuel Habib’s new film, The Ride Ahead in upcoming months throughout the country. Find out where you can see the film as their screening schedule. If you don’t see a date and location near you, contact them to arrange for one in your area.

Reinventing Quality 2024
Early-bird Registration Available
Through August 6^th

Reinventing Quality is consistently one of the most far-reaching, practical and well-attended events. The Reinventing Quality Conference this year will be held September 15-17, 2024, at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. Learn more and register now at the Reinventing Quality website.

Upcoming Events

Thank You to Our Donors!

We would like to thank everyone who donated to TASH in May 2024. We are grateful to all of our supporters who help us achieve equity, opportunity, and inclusion for people with disabilities. Thank you!

TASH advances equity, opportunity and inclusion for people with disabilities, with a focus on those with the most significant support needs, in the areas of education, employment and community living through advocacy, research and practice. More information about TASH can be found at www.tash.org.

TASH
1825 K Street NW, Suite 1250, Washington, D.C. 20006 | (202) 808-8148 | info@tash.org

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