Planning the First Conference of Proyecto Visión
Planning the first "Bridges to Employment" conference was both challenging and rewarding. Project staff were put to the test of how to develop a conference which provided information, skills and the opportunity to network and have fun, without completely exhausting the participants.

Proyecto Visión: Bridges to Employment for Latinos with Disabilities: An Overview of the August 2002 Conference
The first National Training Conference of Proyecto Visión, held August 21-24 in Anaheim, California, enabled participants to network and learn from each other's experiences with Latinos who have disabilities, receive practical information and training on topics related to employment and see demonstrations of assistive technology. [read the overview]

We, Too, Have A Voice: A Personal Story
My name is Alma Almanza and I am 43 years old. I am the oldest of 7 children of farm labor workers. I was born in Mexico and came to live in the United States when I was 16 years old. I worked alongside my parents in the fields during summers and some weekends, while in high school, in order to help them financially. I was fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to attend college and in 1983 I obtained a BA in Psychology from the University of the Pacific.

Latino and Blind: Up against the Mythical Melting Pot and Low Expectations
I was born in Peru and, when I was a baby, I was adopted and came to live in New Mexico with my parents. One of the things that I count as a real tragedy in my life is growing up in Albuquerque, and not learning Spanish, and if you could grow up anywhere in the US and learn Spanish it would sure be in New Mexico where there is a large Hispanic population! But I ran into the "cultural melting pot" of the US upon arriving...

Say It Loud and Clear: Latinos with Disabilities Deserve Employment
The keynote message Dr. Robert Pasternack left behind with conference participants was clear and emphatic: Latinos with disabilities deserve more opportunities for employment.

Freedom From Shame
I'm from New Mexico. I grew up in a community in northern New Mexico on a small country farm. With five boys, you can imagine what grief my mother went through! Two of us brothers had severe myopia that became full blindness. I had some sight when I was younger and I could read with glasses. [full story]

Triply Invisible but Determined to be Remembered
With her blunt, no-nonsense, but humorous persona, Christina Curry made her presence felt at the Building Bridges conference. The delivery of her speech was so energetic and forceful it was almost difficult to imagine that she could ever be invisible. But according to Curry, she frequently is. In fact, she is triply invisible.

Independent Living Centers and Other Successful Projects Serving Latinos: Outreach & Programs
Challenges and solutions involving independent living centers and outreach to Latino communities were discussed at a breakout session during the Proyecto Visión: Bridges to Employment conference last August in Anaheim, California.

Benefits and Transitions to Work, Bridges to Employment
One of the Workshops conducted both in English and Spanish during the Proyecto Visión Conference was on "Transitions from Benefits to Work". This workshop provided an overview of work incentive programs offered by the Social Security Administration (SSA), focusing on the Plan for Achieving Self-Sufficiency (PASS), the new Ticket to Work Act, and Benefits Planning Assistance and Outreach (BPAO) programs...

What Can the Department of Rehabilitation Do for Me?
People with disabilities can use the Department of Rehabilitation in California, or in other states, for services that can help them improve their ability to get a job...

A Class in Self-Assessment for Employment
This class was conducted in both Spanish and English. Swart is an Employment Consultant, and Ortega a Rehabilitation Supervisor, at the California Department of Rehabilitation, and both have in-depth knowledge of the California Department of Rehabilitation and the services it provides to people with disabilities. Their seminar provided information on how one can conduct his or her own Self Assessment for Employment.

Broadening Horizons and Shaping Careers through International Experience
International travel can help people with disabilities develop skills that they can use in their future employment, said representatives from Mobility International USA (MIUSA), during a workshop on the topic, held during the Proyecto Visión: Bridges to Employment conference last August in Anaheim, California.

Young, Disabled, and Latino: Planning our Futures and Developing Confidence to Join the World of Work
As part of the agenda of the Proyecto Visión: Bridges to Employment conference last August in Anaheim, CA, an informal round table discussion facilitated by Nila Salgado enabled participants to share experiences, ideas, and resources related to encouraging young Latinos with disabilities to enter the working world. Salgado represents the Harlem Independent Living Center.

Recruiting Reporters for Proyecto Visión
According to its project, Visión will be paying reporters from all the different regions of the country to cover topics related to employment of Latinos with disabilities, best practices, success stories, services and resources.

What is the Role of Parents and Family in the Independent Living Process?
Session participants were invited to discuss the question, "What does independence mean to me?" Some of the responses included: "Doing what you want and achieving the goal," "Interdependence-there's no such thing as independence," "Not having someone dictate the boundaries of my life," and "Informed choice, informed consent." [read the story]

Life Experience and Self Confidence Can Break Down Barriers
I was born and raised in a town called Upland, near Ontario, Canada. My mother is still living in the same house where I was born and all my relatives are still in that area. This was in the late 40s and as the Polio epidemic made its way into California I was part of it.

New Grant to Improve One-Stop Services for Job Seekers
People with disabilities in California, including Latinos, may now find it easier to obtain the services they need to find employment. A two-year demonstration grant from the Department of Labor is helping eliminate barriers experienced by disabled job seekers who want to use the One Stop Service Centers...

Employment Opportunities with Government Agencies
One of the Workshops included in the agenda of the Proyecto Visión Conference was about Employment Opportunities with Government Agencies. This session provided an opportunity for participants to learn about internships and job opportunities at the Department of Labor, Veterans Administration, Department of Defense and other government agencies.

Knowing Your Rights in the Employment Process: The Americans With Disabilities Act in the Work Place
The American with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a Civil Rights Law that prohibits discrimination toward, and segregation of, qualified individuals with disabilities. Title I of the ADA covers employers, and is relevant for people with disabilities who are working or who are looking for a job.

Funding Sources for Assistive Technology ("AT") Equipment and Services
Sources of Funding for Assistive Technology.

Using the Internet to Find Employment
Internet Job Sources on the world wide web and other internet sources.

Building Bridges Between Latino and Disability Communities
During the Proyecto Visión Conference, held in August, in Anaheim, California participants were able to exchange experience and advice on improving relationships between the Latino and disability communities during one of the informal round table discussions.

The Importance of Bilingual Education for Better Employment Opportunities
We take as a truism in mainstream America that education is a path to employment. People talk about that all the time in mainstream America. We haven't always made a good connection for the Hispanic community that education is a path to employment. And we haven't made it well at all in the Hispanic disability community.

Recruiting Latino personal attendants to work with Latinos with disabilities: Interview with Esperanza Díaz-Alvarez, Center for Independent Living, Berkeley, California
Latino people with disabilities looking for personal attendants in Berkeley, California, can now find one who speaks their language--in more ways than one. Esperanza Díaz-Alvarez, who recently took over as Coordinator of the Attendant Care Department in the Berkeley Center for Independent Living, has been actively recruiting and training Spanish-speaking Latinos to serve as personal attendants.