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October Is National Disability Employment Month
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Along with enjoying the changing of the seasons that October brings we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month, (NDEAM).
Workplaces welcoming of the talents of all people, including people with disabilities, are a critical part of our efforts to build an inclusive community and a healthy economy. In this spirit, The Arc of Rensselaer County is recognizing National Disability Employment Awareness Month this October to raise awareness about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of people with disabilities.
The Arc of Rensselaer County promotes employment both externally in the broader community and internally as part of our community.
Since July 1
st
we have hired seven individuals with a disability as employees into our workforce. Also, Riverside Enterprises had six former sheltered workshop participants cross over to become employees in our new small business model of wire products, powder products, and scouring pads. We are excited about the potential they bring as employees to help us further our mission. I thank the Riverside Production team Jamie, John, Joe, and Tony for their support in getting this initiative moving.
We also started our new Coffee Cart which allows us to offer discount coffee to our employees in the Main Office, particularly staff in training. The greater benefit was to be able to provide a long time Arc participant a job giving him something to look forward to doing a few days per week. I want to thank Alisa, John, and Rachel for their help in this off the ground. We are continuing to explore options for additional employment programs and will hopefully be able to get them operational soon.
As far as external community goes, I am honored to be presenting our partner eBizDocs with an award at the Capital Region NDEAM 2018 Luncheon on October 18
th
. Howard Gross of eBizDocs is a fantastic partner, employing almost sixty percent of their workforce with people who have a disability. The employees are given an opportunity to earn competitive wages and a community of peers to interact with on a daily basis. The result is social inclusion. As individuals are part of a team, the team hosts various events such as luncheons, ice cream socials, holiday parties, and a benefits festival to help integrate the workforce. The employees build connections in the environment and gain lasting relationships. The fact that individuals are working breaks them out of the traditional long-term support models and get them into the workforce to be productive members of society. Paychecks lead the person toward self-sufficiency and away from dependency on a caregiver to provide them with a meaningful day. So, kudos to Howard and his team at eBizDocs! P.S., if you need a scanner solution or document retention solution contact Chad Binney (518) 456-1011at eBizDocs and he will set you up with a cost-effective plan to meet your needs.
Also on October 24
th
Jim Blessing will lead us in our annual Community Partners Breakfast, which celebrates connections from the community that help integrate individuals in various arrangements. We will feature the winners in the November newsletter as we do not want to give away the surprise of this year's good stories. For more information about the Community Partners Breakfast call; Jim at 518-274-9232.
Hiring people with a disability is not only to provide increased opportunity for social reasons, but the Institute for a Corporate Productivity a Seattle based research firm also speaks to the benefits of hiring people with a disability (see their website at
www.i4cp.com
for more information.) The study reports that more than ¾ of those surveyed ranked their employees with intellectual developmental disabilities as excellent or very good as workers finding high motivation, engagement, integration with coworkers, and dependability. Anthony Kennedy Shriver, founder and chairman of Best Buddies International, and author of the study's forward, heralds the findings of Employing People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities as powerful. "People with IDD are enormously talented, loyal, hard-working, and driven individuals who can contribute to the workplace," Shriver noted. "I challenge corporations worldwide to hire people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. With outstanding resources and proper support, it is an ideal time to invest in this incredible group of people to assist in growing revenue, improving customer relations, and effectively managing your operations."
Please consider hiring a person we support and if you have a lead on a job give me an email
dmullin@renarc.org
and I will make sure we get this to the wonderful Supported Employment Counselors we have here at the Arc.
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National Disability Awareness Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is a national campaign held in October that raises awareness about employment issues for disabled people, and celebrates the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities.
NDEAM's roots go back to 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year "National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week." In 1962, the word "physically" was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to "National Disability Employment Awareness Month."
The Presidential Proclamation of 2015 states: “America is at its strongest when we harness the talents and celebrate the distinct gifts of all our people. This October, as we observe the 70th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, let us pay tribute to all who fought for better laws, demanded better treatment, and overcame ignorance and indifference to make our Nation more perfect. In their honor, and for the betterment of generations of Americans to come, let us continue the work of removing obstacles to employment so every American has the chance to develop their skills and make their unique mark on the world we share.”
During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the National Consortium on Racial and Ethnic Fairness in the Courts recognizes the indispensable contributions people with disabilities have made and will continue to make in our economy, and we salute their efforts. Employment opportunities and legal rights should be made available to all people, regardless of disability, race, creed, color, national origin or gender.
Article By:
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Partnering For A
Promising Tomorrow
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The Arc of Rensselaer
Has Taken The Pledge!
New Yorkers come from a variety of backgrounds, cultures and abilities that businesses and organizations strive to reflect in their hiring practices and day-to-day operations.
One way to achieve a more inclusive business is to be accessible and embrace employment for people with disabilities. According to Office of People With Developmental Disabilities, New York State’s economy is effectively at full employment, yet 70 % of people with disabilities are unemployed? This pool of candidates represents a tremendous untapped resource of qualified employees. We are among the first in the state to embrace people of all abilities in your workplace. We have taken the EmployAbility Pledge to demonstrate that our organization is committed to the spirit of inclusivity by employing qualified individuals with disabilities and providing all individuals with full opportunities. For more information go to www.opwdd.ny.gov.
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Thank You To Our Sponsors for our Community Partners Breakfast!
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99 Troy Rd, East Greenbush, NY 12061
P - 518-244-4245 F - 518-244-4262
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Our Direct Support Staff Fundraising Initiative Continues On!
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Direct Support Professional Fund. Any fundraised dollars from now thru December 15th will be given to the Direct Support Professionals, in the form of a lump sum payment. We will not take any dollars out for administrative costs. The more we raise, the more impact we can have on the Direct Support Professional’s life. We ask you to join us and donate to the Direct Support Professional Fund. Follow the link on our webpage
www.renarc.org
, or send donations to the DSP Fund at The Arc of Rensselaer County c/o DSP Fund 79 102nd St Troy NY 12180, or call us at 518-274-3110 x3028.
We thank you in advance for your help!
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The Writing Corner
Of Stephan Roberts
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Article by Stephan Roberts October, 2018
Welcome aboard John Larose! John’s first day was on Monday October 1. He is selling coffee for a dollar, walking door to door around the office floors. You will see him rolling around the Ross Park Offices, wearing his apron and pushing his cart, on Mondays and Tuesdays so far.
John has been a self-advocate for with The Arc for over 20 years, and likes to keep himself busy. He has had several other jobs over the years. He worked at Menands Work Shop in Menands, NY for some years. He also worked at Hess Gas Station in Troy for 8 years. His next job was at the Ross Tech Park Café at the 79-102
nd
Street building where he helped to prepare food, do dishes, etc. His boss said he was the best worker she had ever had! Currently, John also works at his sister’s restaurant in Wynantskill, NY one day a week.
Even though John is in his 70s, he loves to work. This job means more to him than an apron and a cart. He likes the feeling of being around people and likes to feel needed. On John’s second day on the job he sold 32 cup of Coffee for $1.00 and handed out endless treats of smiles and joy for free. It’s a win- win for everyone. There is no way there could be a cloudy day when John is on the job!
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Article By Stephan Roberts, October 2018
Meet Sara Richards, one of The Arc’s Employment Services Manager. Sara has been helping people with
disabilities for 25 years. Her first job was at a day treatment program at a different agency. One day there was a job listing for the Arc of Rensselaer County. Sara did the interview for the job and was hired. She became a part of this agency and that got her started as the School to Work Program Manager.
When I was in high school in 2006, Sara was the person I worked with in the School to Work Transitions Services Program. She worked with me and two others at AC Moore. She would take us from school and drive us to Latham. Then she would help us learn the skills needed, such as scanning merchandise tags and stocking shelves. I thought then that this would be a lifelong job and it made me happy. When I interviewed Sara she told me that she loved that job!!! She loved watching students learn and be excited about new things. “It was the best”!
Now Sara has been
with the Arc for 2 decades. She did the School to Work Program for 16 years, before becoming the Employment Services Manager in 2015. She explained that she came from Riverside South to the Ross Tech Park Main Offices so that the Supportive Employment Department Offices could be together.
Sara supports her staff, self-advocates and their families educating them on how supports work.
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Sara is happy to do it so people are aware.
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Calling All Poets
We will be collecting poems with the theme of Christmas. We will then be including these in our December Newsletter . All poems should be submitted to Stephan Roberts, sroberts@renarc.org. no later than December 5, 2018. If possible, please include a picture of yourself along with the poem
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Join Us
Fun, Food, Laughter and
A Little Bit of Friendly Competition
For A Worthwhile Cause!
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The Arc of Rensselaer County Awarded Grants from NYSARC Trust Services
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The NYSARC Trustee Management Board awarded the Arc of Rensselaer County $68,500 in grant money to support guardianship and new recreational opportunities for people with disabilities.
NYSARC Trust Services administers supplemental needs trusts (SNT) that can make dramatic improvements to the lives of people with disabilities while enabling individuals to maintain eligibility for public benefits programs, such as Medicaid and SSI. For 2018, NYSARC Trust Services proudly fulfilled its commitment to enhancing the lives of people with disabilities by awarding a total of $2,793,500 in grants to NYSARC Chapters statewide.
This year, The Arc of Rensselaer County received $53,500 to provide guardianship services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities that would not otherwise have a legal guardian or advocate. Supported by Chapter staff and community volunteers, The Arc of Rensselaer County’s Guardianship Program currently provides guardianship supports and services to over 12 people and is assisting 2 more as a Standby or Alternate Standby guardian.
NYSARC Trust Services also awarded The Arc of Rensselaer County $15,000 to develop new recreational opportunities to enrich the lives of the more than the 100 members it serves. The Arc of Rensselaer County plans to use the recreation grant funds to let a significant amount of adults and children attend different events and places they may have never been able to experience. This year members were able to participate in various activities like Howe Caverns; Dave and Busters for a day of fun and games; Laser Tag; bowling; movies; Adirondack Animal Land, where participants were able to pet and feed animals. Participants were also able to attend a the “Real Story of Little Red Riding Hood”, a play at the Mac- Haydn Theater; the Mi-Sci museum; Liberty Ridge farms for blueberry picking; the VIA Aquarium in Schenectady; and everyone’s favorite The Great Escape!
The Arc works to influence societal attitudes and governmental policy so that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities will have access to the services, assistance, and opportunities they need for personal growth and development, and participation in the community. NYSARC Trust Services has administered supplemental needs trusts since 1972, helping more than 16,000 people with disabilities protect their eligibility for government benefits and improve their quality of life. Our trust programs give people with disabilities the opportunity to remain in their communities with greater comfort and independence while providing peace of mind to their family and loved ones.
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October Is Cyber Safety Month
Read on for some helpful tips
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When In Doubt Don't Give Out!
(NBC News) According to a recent report, nearly half of all phone calls will come from scammers by next year.
The latest scheme involves fraudsters claiming to be from the Social Security Administration.
"The scams we've been seeing lately are that your Social Security number has been deactivated. The Social Security Administration does not deactivate accounts," says Jennifer Walker, the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations with the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General.
They're robocalls in some cases, providing a phony call-back number or website to steal your personal and financial information.
Others are human callers, using a fake name and government affiliation to ask for your Social Security number, address or date of birth.
"It is on very very rare occasions that someone from the Social Security Administration would call an individual and ask for this sort of information," Walker says.
Those consumers would likely be expecting the call and have ongoing business with the SSA.
If you have questions about any communication that claims to be from the Social Security Administration or the Office of the Inspector General call 1-800-269-0271, and you can get more information about these scams or fill out a fraud report online at this link:
http://bit.ly/2RRCEgl
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