September 2, 2003 - Approximately 225 Latinos, disability rights specialists, service providers and an impressive array of leaders drawn from the government and business communities participated in the second annual "Bridges to Employment" conference to explore opportunities for Latinos with disabilities. The conference - organized by Proyecto Visi?, National Technical Assistance Center - was held August 6-9 in Manhattan.

Dr. Robert Pasternack, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, opened the conference with a motivational speech on the virtues of workers with disabilities, and how to raise awareness among employers about the benefits of hiring disabled people. Overviews of federal initiatives to increase employment of Latinos with disabilities were presented by Dr. Roy Grizzard of the Department of Labor, Dinah Cohen of the Department of Defense and William Haig of the Department of Agriculture, among others.   Leading companies Booz Allen Hamilton, DHL Worldwide Express, IBM and OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. gave reports about the successful solutions they are employing to incorporate Latinos with disabilities into their workforces.

In his keynote address, Dr. Grizzard commented, "With the increasing Latino population, many of whom have significant disabilities, I felt it was important to communicate that the Office of Disability Employment Policy supports the employment of all Americans with disabilities."   He added, " This message is important enough to be delivered in person."

The three-day event also featured popular sessions focusing on initiatives meeting the needs of disabled Latinos in the US, disability employment rights and employment and internship opportunities led by disability advocates, and internship and employment specialists.

The conference was developed as one of the main activities of Proyecto Visi?, administered through the World Institute on Disability, based in Oakland, CA, funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration. The event was greatly enriched by the collaboration of the National Business & Disability Council at Abilities, Inc., a division of the National Center for Disability Services, the Harlem Independent Living Center, a grassroots organization serving mainly Latinos and African Americans, and Rehabilitation International. A full report on the conference will be published in September on the project's website, www.proyectovision.net.

Other project activities include a bilingual toll-free hotline [(866) 367-5361], website, newsletter and listserv for information, referrals and news about Latinos with disabilities and employment. Proyecto Visi? has partners located around the country including the Central Coast Center for Independent Living in Salinas, CA, the Disability Law Resource Project of Independent Living Research Utilization at TIRR in Houston, TX, the Harlem Independent Living Center in Harlem, NY and Rehabilitation International in New York City, NY.

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