Bridges
to Employment for Latinos with Disabilities (Puentes para el Empleo)
|
August 21-24, 2002, Anaheim, California
First National Training Conference of Proyecto Visión
Organized by the World Institute on Disability,
National Technical Assistance Center for Latinos with Disabilities,
and the Central Coast Center for Independent Living
Success Stories and Best Practices: The first national training
conference of Proyecto Visión: National Technical Assistance
Center for Latinos with Disabilities will feature sessions highlighting
Latinos and persons with disabilities who have successfully developed
their careers as well as exemplary practices and projects in the
areas of education, training and employment for Latinos with disabilities.
Networking Opportunities: Participants can network with a wide range
of representatives from government agencies, national Latino business
and civic organizations, non-profit organizations and agencies offering
training and internship opportunities as well as.
Assistive Technology Demonstration and Resource Center and Internet
Café: This demonstration and evaluation area will allow hands-on
assessment of technologies and accommodations to improve workplace
accessibility. Both high-tech and low-tech solutions and strategies
will be featured.
Resource Room: Publications and resources for Latinos with disabilities
and service providers will be available for free in the Resource
Room.
The conference will:
- Focus on building practical skills, sharing work
experiences and exchanging strategies and tips for obtaining employment
and career advancement;
- Facilitate developing relationships between Latinos
with disabilities and potential mentors, employment specialists
and providers of employment related services and assistive technology
in their region; and
- Provide entertainment by performance artists and
current disability videos.
Preliminary Program
August 21 (Wednesday):
10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Advisory Board meeting of Proyecto Visión,
including working buffet lunch (invited only)
3-4:30 p.m. Meeting of Proyecto Visión partner organizations
and consultants (invited only)
2-6 p.m. Conference Registration
6-8 p.m. Conference Reception
August 22 and 23: Internet Café will be open from 10:45am-6pm
and provide classes and opportunities to job search on and get familiar
with the internet, including use of adapted software.
August 22 (Thursday):
9-10:30 a.m. Welcome and Opening Plenary Session
Leaders from the Latino/Hispanic and disability communities, including
success stories in the world of work.
10:30-11:00 a.m. break
11 -12:30 Three (3) parallel Workshops to choose from:
- 1A: Independent Living Centers and other Successful
Projects Serving Latinos-Outreach & Programs, featuring strategies
& techniques used by centers and projects from throughout
USA.
- 1B: Self-Assessment for Employment, a workshop
explaining how to identify and take inventory of your skills,
abilities and interests and then, to set employment goals.
- 1C: What Can the Department of Rehabilitation
Do For Me? Presentations by State Agency staff on what services
are offered and how to apply for them in your state.
- 1D: ¿Qué puede hacer el Departamento
de la Rehabilitación por mí? (en Español)
El personal de la Agencia Estatal hará presentaciones sobre
los servicios que ofrece y cómo solicitarlos en su estado.
12:30-2:00 lunch
2-3:30 p.m. Three (3) parallel Workshops to choose from:
- 2A: Broadening Horizons & Shaping Careers
through International Experience, examples of travel opportunities
open to disabled persons that can develop skills and lead to employment,
organized by Mobility International, USA.
- 2B: Transitions from Benefits to Work, providing
an overview of work incentive programs offered by the Social Security
Administration, focusing on the Plan for Achieving Self-Sufficiency
(PASS) and the new Ticket to Work Act. Programs enable disabled
persons to retain benefits while working for trial periods.
- 2C: Self-Employment and Small Business Development,
explaining available loans to start a small business and providing
examples of successful disabled persons who are self-employed.
- 2D: Transiciones de Beneficios al Trabajo (en
Español) Se ofrecerá una descripción de los
programas de incentivos de trabajo ofrecidos por la Administración
del Seguro Social, enfocado en el plan conicido como "Plan
for Achieving Self-Sufficiency" (PASS) y la nueva acta del
boleto de trabajo "Ticket to Work Act". Los programas
permiten a personas con discapacidades a conservar sus beneficios
del Seguro Social mientras trabaja por periodos de prueba.
3:30-4:00 p.m. break
4:00-5:30 p.m. Three (3) Parallel Informal Discussion Roundtables
to choose from:
- 3A: Developing Confidence to Join the World of
Work
- 3B: Young, Disabled & Latino-Planning our
Futures
- 3C: What is the Role of Parents and Family in
the Independent Living
Process?
5:30- 6:00 p.m. Feedback Session: what’s
going well or not about this conference.
6:00- 8:30 p.m. Dinner on your own
8:30- 10:00 p.m. Videos & popcorn
August 23 (Friday):
9:00-10:30 a.m. Second Plenary Session focusing on success stories
and employment opportunities with federal government agencies.
10:30-11:00 a.m. break
11:00- 12:30 Three (3) Parallel Workshops to choose from:
- 4A: Knowing your Rights in the Employment Process,
providing an overview of Title I of the Americans with Disabilities
Act, focused on legal and illegal questions about disability during
the application and interview process, strategies for discussing
or disclosing your disability with prospective employers and when
and how to request reasonable accommodation.
- 4B: Funding Assistive Technology for Education
&Work, providing examples of where to find financial support
for technical aids, equipment and various types of technology
for disabled pupils, students and workers.
- 4C: Employment Opportunities with Government Agencies,
an opportunity to meet with government representatives from Department
of Labor, Veterans Administration, Department of Defense and others
to learn about available internships and job openings.
- 4D: Desarrollo de Auto-Empleo y de la Pequeña
Empresa (en Español) Obtendrá información
sobre préstamos disponibles para comenzar una pequeña
Empresa y ejemplos de personas con discapacidades que han tenido
éxito en sus propios negocios.
12:30-2:00 lunch
2:00-3:30 p.m. Three (3) Parallel Workshops on:
- 5A: Rehabilitation & Service Programs for
Agricultural & Migrant Workers with Disabilities, offering
an overview of what is available and how to apply for services.
- 5B: Using the Internet to Find Employment, featuring
hands-on opportunities to try out the Internet to find job banks,
job leads, training opportunities, support groups, and how to
place your resume online with registries of available workers.
- 5C: Finding Financial Support aimed at Latinos
for Education & Work, discussing foundations and other sources
of financial support, designed to support Latino individuals and
for non-profit organizations expanding their Latino services,
ranging from scholarships to grants.
August 23 (Friday) continued:
- 5D: Conozca sus Derechos en el Proceso de Empleo
(en Español) Se proporcionará una descripción
del Título I del ADA, enfocado en las preguntas legales
e ilegales sobre discapacidad durante el proceso de la solicitación
y entrevista de empleo; estrategias para discutir o hablar sobre
su discapacidad con empleadores prospectos; y cuando y como solicitar
acomodación razonable.
3:30-4:00 p.m. break
4:00-5:30 Three (3) Parallel informal discussion roundtables on:
- 6A: Building Bridges between the Latino &
Disability Communities
- 6B: Recruiting Reporters for Proyecto Visión
-this project needs a few paid reporters to contribute to the
website. (www.proyectovision.net) and the editors will be there
to interview you and discuss the possibilities.
- 6C: How to define independence and success in
the U.S. Latino community-an open discussion of cultural differences
5:30-6:00 Conference feedback session-how are
we doing?
6:00-8:30 closing dinner & celebration
8:30-10:30 Performing Arts and Talent Night
August 24 (Saturday):
9:00-10:30 a.m. Third Plenary Session focusing on Education Strategies
promoting success for disabled Latinos, and featuring role models
and mentors from Latino community.
10:30-11:00 a.m. break & fill out conference evaluation forms
11:30-12:30 Closing Plenary Session on the future:
- Proyecto Visión -what have we learned our
first year?
- Next Steps-Training Conference 2003
- Creating a national support network
- Lottery/prizes
Conference Information
Conference Venue
The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency Orange County. The
address is: 11999 Harbor Boulevard, Garden Grove, California 92840.
The Hotel is very accessible and located four blocks south of Disneyland.
The Hotel also has a pool, spa, tennis court and health club and is
a 30 minute drive from the ocean.
Registration Fee
The Registration Fee for the Conference until August 1, 2002 is $250.
After August 1, the fee is $300. The fee includes participation in
Plenary Sessions and Workshops, conference materials, bag, name badge,
and welcome reception, breakfasts, coffee breaks and a banquet dinner
in the Hotel.
Please make checks payable to: World Institute on Disability.
Please put Project Visión Conference on the memo line. Mail
checks to:
World Institute on Disability
Women’s Employment Conference
510 16th Street, Suite 100
Oakland, CA 94612
Lodging
For room reservations, please contact the hotel directly:
Hyatt Regency Orange County Near Disneyland Resort
11999 Harbor Boulevard
Garden Grove, CA 92840 USA
Telephone & TTY: 1.714.750.1234
Fax: 1.714.740.0465
Room rate: $99.00
To ensure receiving special convention rates, attendees must identify
the name of the event when making reservations. Also, please specify
any special needs. The "cut-off date" is August 1, 2002.
Reservation requests received after the cut-off date will be accepted
on a space and rate availability basis up to the Group block. If the
group rate is not available after the cut-off date, prevailing rates
will apply for any reservations confirmed.
Workshops
The Conference will offer several concurrent workshops related to
employment including job readiness skills, knowing your rights, reasonable
accommodation and assistive technology in the workplace, training
and internship opportunities, employment related services and resources
for persons with disabilities, entrepreneurship and small business
development. One of the concurrent workshops during each time block
will be conducted in Spanish.
Resource Rooms
The organizers of the Conference are collecting a wide variety of
resources related to the issues that will be addressed during the
Conference. The Conference will feature an Assistive Technology Center
and Internet Café and a Resource Room where participants can
obtain information on accessing technology and resources, and access
employment information and resources from a wide variety of businesses
and corporations, government agencies, and non-profits, as well as
organizations and agencies offering training and internship opportunities.
This will allow participants to leave with practical information to
assist them in their employment search and career advancement. Participants
are also encouraged to bring their resource materials to share with
each other.
Cultural Programs
During the evening, the Conference will have a welcome reception,
a video night and an evening of entertainment highlighting the talents
of Latinos with disabilities. For those who wish to participate in
the talent event, please be prepared to present short videos, songs,
dances, theatrical pieces, comedy routines, etc.
Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodations
The Conference will provide accessible communication resources such
as sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices upon request,
venue orientation, selected text on computer disk, selected text in
Braille, selected text in large print. Be sure to indicate any reasonable
accommodations that you may need on the registration form.
Personal Assistance
The Conference will not provide personal assistance services. Those
who require this type of service must travel with their own attendants.
Transportation
The nearest airport to the Hyatt Regency Orange County is the John
Wayne/ Orange County Airport. The John Wayne Airport is a 20 minute
drive from the Hotel. Also, Los Angeles International Airport is approximately
45 minutes from the Hotel. The Hyatt Regency Orange County does not
provide shuttle service between the Hotel and airport. Super Shuttle
runs from the John Wayne Airport to the Hotel and costs $10.50 per
person each way, and from Los Angeles International Airport to the
Hotel, Super Shuttle is $13.50 per person each way. Participants requiring
a wheelchair lift should contact Super Shuttle directly in advance
at (800) 200-6655 to request that a shuttle equipped with a lift is
sent. Taxi fare from the John Wayne Airport to the Hotel is approximately
$27 one way and from Los Angeles International, approximately $65
one way.
Scholarship Information
Partial scholarships are available to qualified applicants. Partial
scholarships cover the registration fee and will be awarded based
on the applicant's financial needs, the strength of his/her application,
and recommendation letters. The highest priority will be given to
participants who can apply the information and experience gained from
the conference. To apply for a scholarship, please contact Daniel
Gutierrez at (510) 251-4327 or daniel@wid.org.
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