2015 TASH Conference

Presenters will discuss the many supports /services that are available from formal and informal sources to support employment outcomes for youth/adults with disabilities. LEAD Center staff work to improve competitive integrated employment and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. They will describe the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), requiring programmatic access and equal opportunity for youth and adults with disabilities within the workforce system. This session will focus on building personal networks, explore the varied pathways and approaches youth/adults can take to employment, and discuss advocacy strategies for individual and collective impact. People with disabilities will share their experiences.. OBJECTIVES:1. Identify services available through various formal and informal public and private systems, and how to find them in their local communities. 2. Identify resources and partners who are available to support job seekers with disabilities (e.g., American Job Centers, vocational rehabilitation, community colleges, community job training programs, employers, personal networks, faith communities, community groups, and more). 3. Hear success stories from people with disabilities and their partners who have forged a pathway to employment. 4. Take charge of your employment future and advocate, individually and for collective impact, for opportunities, services, accommodations and supports leading to employment and a more full life.