TASH is supporting a congressional briefing this Friday, March 4, hosted by the Collaboration to Promote Self Determination. CPSD is a network of national disability organizations committed to public policy reforms for the economic advancement and empowerment of citizens with significant disabilities. The briefing will feature several TASH members as panelists.
Taking a TEAM Approach to Effective Transition Policy for Youth with Significant Disabilities: Using Data, Promising Practices and Sound Policies to Promote Transitioning towards Excellence, Achievement & Mobility (TEAM)
Friday, March 4, 2011
12-1:30 p.m. ET
Longworth House Office Building
Room 1309
About this briefing:
This briefing will include a series of presentations from several of the nation’s leading experts in transition policy about key recommendation recently introduced as a package of legislation known as the Transition towards Excellence in Achievement and Mobility (TEAM) Act. This trio of bill includes the TEAM-Education Act of 2011 (H.R. 602), the TEAM-Empowerment Act of 2011 (H.R. 603) and the TEAM-Employment Act of 2011 (H.R. 603).
The TEAM legislation’s focus is on streamlining systems, coordinating resources and holding federal agencies more accountable for stronger outcomes. The additional investments that all three bills provide to further strengthen the infrastructure and will go a long way toward ensuring youth get a real chance at pursuing post-secondary education, securing integrated employment, and advancing economically into contributing members of society.
The CPSD and its partners, including TASH, look forward to a new era, where people with significant disabilities are supported in the community to work at real jobs with real wages and live as contributing members of society while maximizing their economic independence and self-sufficiency. We firmly believe that the realignment of goals in this package of legislation are key to ensuring that all citizens with significant disabilities are afforded the same economic and social freedoms that we all enjoy.
If you are in the Washington, D.C., area and would like to attend this briefing please RSVP to Hannah Cary of the Autism Society of America at hcary.asa@gmail.com.
Speakers:
What the Data Tells Us:
Data on the Benefits of Post-Secondary Education & Integrated Employment among Youth with Significant Disabilities
Bill Kiernan, Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Boston
The Cost-Benefits of Supporting Integrated Employment Outcomes for Young Adults with Significant Disabilities
Rob Cimera, Kent State University
Transition & Education: The Role of the Education System as a Critical Preparatory Chapter into Adulthood
Why Transition Must Start Early and Aggressively
Curtis Richards, Institute for Education Leadership and the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth)
Starting with Schools — Building Bridges with Schools and Communities to Align Transition Strategies
Rich Luecking, CEO, Transcen (Maryland)
Transition & Empowerment: Promoting Systemic Change to Help Support Self-Advocates & Families
How State I/DD Authorities Could Play a Valuable Role in Effective Transition
Mary Lee Fay, Oregon State Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Agency
Transition & Employment: Integrated Employment is Achievable for Youth with Significant Disabilities
A Look at Innovative Practices and Policy Barriers preventing these Practices from Coming to Scale
Ellen Condon, Rural Institute on Disabilities (Montana)
Complexities in State Systems that Discourage Integrated Employment Outcomes (A State Perspective)
Pat Rogan, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, University of Indiana
Impact of the TEAM Legislation in the 112th Congress
Ari Ne’eman, Executive Director, Autistic Self-Advocacy Network
Other Self-Advocates will speak from across the country