The Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania will hold its conference on June 21-22, 2010 at the Lancaster Marriot & Convention Center. The opening keynote session will feature Lee Woodruff, co-author of In an Instant and author of Perfectly Imperfect: A Life in Progress, will be the keynote speaker. Lee Woodruff, along with her husband, ABC news anchor Bob Woodruff, have worked to put a face on the serious issue of traumatic brain injury among returning Iraq war veterans and millions of Americans who live with brain injury. Other keynote and plenary sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, June 22. PA Representative Tim Briggs will review efforts to gain approval of state legislation on concussions in youth sports and Dr. Dave Meaney will present on Football Helmets: Lessons from the Past & Looking to the Future. Twenty five breakout sessions will be offered during the conference. These sessions will offer various continuing education credits for professional disciplines, CBIS, and others. FMI: Contact Kara Dohrman at 1-866-635-7097 or info@biapa.org.
A statewide conference on higher education for student with disabilities Transition, Independence and Empowerment – A Conference for Those Serving Students with Disabilities will be held August 5-6, 2010, with a pre-conference panel discussion and activities on August 4. The first ever disability conference held on the campus of Edinboro University will focus on ensuring the educational achievement of students who are striving to academically achieve in the midst of their disabilities. Conference registration, housing accommodations and a full schedule of conference presentations are available at www.edinboro.edu/empowerment. For inquiries regarding program content, contact Jacqueline Conforti Barnett at (717) 720-4010 or Jacqui.Barnett@edinboro.edu. For inquiries regarding conference logistics, contact Cyndi Peterson, 814-732-2711 or peterson@edinboro.edu. Sponsors are being sought to help underwrite the expense of the conference. Among those asked to consider sponsorship are corporations, service providers, and educational institutions interested in reaching the decision makers, educators and service organizations of those who serve individuals with disabilities. K-12 educators, post-secondary educators, agency and community service providers and parents, families, friends and allies of students with disabilities. For additional information call 814-732-2996. Kimberly A. Fabrizio, Office of the President Edinboro University, Reeder Hall, 219 Meadville Street, Edinboro, PA 16444 (814) 732-1387 / Fax (814) 732-2880. Contact kfabrizio@edinboro.edu.
The Pennsylvania Community on Transition is pleased to announce the 2010 PA Community on Transition Conference – Empowerment in Action: A Unified Approach to be held on July 21 – 23, 2010 at the Penn Stater Conference Center, State College, PA. The conference aims to expand the capacity of schools and communities, in partnership with youth, young adults and families, to promote the successful transition of youth/young adults with disabilities to post-school outcomes of employment, post-secondary education and training, community participation and healthy lifestyles. The conference will feature three keynote and nine feature presentations, 86 breakout sessions, sessions and activities designed for youth and young adults by the PA Youth Leadership Network, family engaging sessions and networking opportunities, and an accommodations and supports expo. The registration fee is $125. Only cash or checks are accepted. Checks are to be made payable to: Intermediate Unit 1. They should be sent to Mary Gordon at PaTTAN Pittsburgh at 3190 William Pitt Way, Pittsburgh, PA before arriving at the conference. Youth, Young Adult and Family Scholarships are available by contacting Mary Gordon at PaTTAN Pittsburgh at mgordon@pattan.net or by calling 412-826-6871. To register, see www.pattan.net and enter the Registration On-line page. FMI: For content related information and questions, contact Michael Stoehr at PaTTAN-Pittsburgh, 412-826-6864 – mstoehr@pattan.net. For general registration information and questions, contact Mary Gordon at PaTTAN-Pittsburgh, 412-826-6871 or mgordon@pattan.net
A growing number of states have created Employment First initiatives which are intended to promote integrated employment as the preferred and first option for individuals with disabilities. Employment first initiatives implement a variety of strategies to promote this goal. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) has developed a Sustainability Toolkit to support high growth and community-based job training grantees. The toolkit may be valuable for state or local initiatives addressing sustainability issues. NTAR Center’s State Peer Leaders Network has been invited to complete by June 18 a member survey focusing on state “employment first” initiatives. The toolkit is available at http://ntarcenter.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bfc927d38ac8ba6e8171562e&id=c9beae7d80&e=1f1fdcbd11.
The short survey is available online at http://ntarcenter.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3bfc927d38ac8ba6e8171562e&id=4d47ed877c&e=1f1fdcbd11.
FMI: Nanette Relave, NTAR Leadership Center, Director, Center for Workers with Disabilities, APHSA.
On May 20, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (DOL) published a final rule in the Federal Register, updating its long-standing regulations. Effective on July 19, 2010, the new rules are intended to enhance the safety of workers ages 14 through 17 and provide this age group with additional opportunities to develop skills. Under the new regulations there is an expansion of work opportunities for minors ages 14 and 15 in new permitted industries for employment. According to the DOL, it next intends to focus on updating its child-labor regulations for agricultural employment. FMI: See http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/. See also http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-11434.pdf.
On June 3 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the availability of $60 million in Affordable Care Act grants to states and communities to help individuals and their caregivers better understand and navigate their health and long-term care options. Through this opportunity made possible by the Affordable Care Act HHS’ Administration on Aging (AoA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will work collaboratively to award funds for an integrated approach that focuses on the unique needs of seniors, disabled Americans and their caregivers as they seek health care and long-term care. The purpose of this new grant program authorized by the Affordable Care Act is to create streamlined, coordinated statewide systems of information, counseling, and access that will help people find consumer-friendly answers they seek to meet their health and long-term care needs. AoA and CMS will administer the funding through separate announcements but will coordinate implementation and monitoring through a single process. Funds will be available to states, area agencies on aging, State Health Insurance Assistance Programs and Aging and Disability Resource Centers. The deadline for applications is Monday, July 30, 2010. Grants will be awarded in September 2010. For more information about this grant opportunity, please visit http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Grants/Funding/index.aspx or www.grants.gov.
