The Region VI CRP-RCEP e-News Bulletin is published monthly through a grant awarded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration to the Department of Rehabilitation, Social Work & Addictions at the University of North Texas.
Editor
Martha Garber
Project Director
Contributing Authors
Yvonne Raffini
Zach Sneed
Jim Humes
Marcy Haag
Principal Investigator
Linda Holloway
Any comments about the content or design of this e-Newsletter should be directed to Martha Garber
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From the desk of: Martha Garber
I was born with a disability 57 years ago when people with disabilities were not seen in public. My grandmother prayed that I would die because she could not imagine that a person with a disability would ever have a life worth living. Although she was a kind and thoughtful woman, she could only see a life of isolation with no opportunity to be active and accepted in the community, to achieve employment, much less a meaningful career, or marry and raise three beautiful children. Fortunately, she was wrong. Today, people with disabilities are seen in public, work in good jobs, and maintain active community and family lives; and yet, not all of us with a disability have had these opportunities. We've come a long way and we still have far to go. During National Disability Employment Awareness Month I urge you to celebrate the accomplishments of our past; honor our brave advocates who have made their mark on this movement; encourage and support our current and
future advocates; and individually pledge to work another year toward a fully integrated society where employment opportunities are available to all persons who want to work.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month!
US Secretary of Labor, Elaine L. Chao, has designated "Workers with Disabilities: 
Talent for a Winning Team" as the October 2007 theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).
During this month every year, the Labor Department's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), produces materials to increase the public's awareness of the contributions made by this underutilized segment of the American workforce. In the press release announcing this year's theme, Assistant Secretary of Labor for ODEP, Roy Grizzard, said, "A winning team will include people with disabilities." We think the poster above says it all!
While all states in Region VI celebrate NDEAM in different ways, the State of Texas has made an art of NDEAM -- literally. The Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities voted in 1999 to produce a state-wide poster of its own to celebrate this important month. The group raises private funds and solicits donations to produce colorful posters that are displayed on the committee's website so visitors can request a free poster via email.
The poster for 2007 features the artwork of Cassie Langdon. Called "First Day of Spring", it depicts a colorful Spring day in Texas. Click the link above to see the poster, or visit the committee's publications website to see all the NDEAM posters produced by the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities.
Dr. Marcy Haag Leading Initiatives for the CRP-RCEP
Most of you know Marcy but you may not know this: while Marcy kept the CRP-RCEP running smoothly, she was also pursuing her doctorate at UNT. Now that she has completed her work, Dr. Haag has agreed to remain with the project as an organizational consultant and share her expertise in other domains including leadership, communication and self determination/independent living.
Dr. Haag was a key staff member instrumental in our initial state Leadership Project. She and Martha will present the outcomes of this successful Texas pilot project in October to the National Council of Rehabilitation Educators. (See e-news article in this edition on Joyner/Shoemaker accomplishment in Houston.)
We will be drawing on her resources for Communication; she is a Master Trainer in Say It Straight™, a nationally-recognized evidence-based program that results in developing empowering communication skills and behaviors, a subject on which she has also published. Dr. Haag serves as an Adjunct Professor in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service at UNT. You may contact her at mhaag@unt.edu
Housing and Employment Resources Expo Makes Debut in Houston
The first annual Housing and Employment Resources Expo (H.E.R.E.) was 
held Sept. 22, 2007, in Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center and served nearly 700 people, most with disabilities. The initial idea for the expo was created through the collaboration between a CRP employment specialist and a DARS counselor who were brought together through the Emerging Leaders Project, a UNT Region VI CRP-RCEP initiative. The outcome project grew by leaps and bounds as other partners and sponsors came onboard.
H.E.R.E. set the stage for persons with disabilities to meet with prospective employers, numerous housing related entities, and a variety of resource agencies. The Houston pair, Tyrone Shoemaker of Career and Recovery Resources (CRR) and Sandra Joyner of the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), lead the coalition of over 100 participating agencies, including employers ready to hire, housing officials and a variety of other resource agencies. Sponsorship included the pairs' agencies, CRR and DARS, the City of Houston , Houston Chronicle, Jobing.com, and 14 other agencies. See the event website for the complete list http://www.cohdisabilitiesexpo.com and hear Mayor Bill White's endorsement of the event. Joyner and Shoemaker were also featured on FOX News.
As this collaboration was a resounding success, its sponsors intend to make it an annual affair. Shoemaker and Joyner commented that the vision they held in planning the event was patterned after the message they gained in their Leadership Project participation--one of partnership, inspiration, networking, and employment.
Our hats off to Tyrone Shoemaker and Sandra Joyner! Congratulations!!!
Next Month: Wages
Training Schedule
October 19 & 26, 2007: Employment Services & Ethics: The Basics, Online
October 30-31, 2007: Supported Employment: Basic Skills Clinic, Hot Springs, Arkansas
November 8-9, 2007: Supported Employment: Basic Skills Clinic, Dallas, Texas
December 1, 2007: Job Coaching Strategies, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Upcoming Conferences
Louisiana Rehabilitation Association 2007 Annual Training Conference, October 9-12, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
NCRE/RSA/CSAVR National Training Conference, October 13-16, 2007, Arlington, VA.
CSAVR 2007 Fall Conference, October 28-31, 2007, San Antonio, TX
TRAN 2007 11th Annual Conference, November 4-6, 2007, San Antonio, TX.
National ADA Symposium & Expo, May 12-14, 2008, St. Louis, Missouri
JAN Webcast Series
On Tuesday, October 9, 2007, Deb Russell with the Walgreen Company will be presenting a webcast on Best Employer Practices as part of the JAN / US Business Leadership Network 2007 - 2008 Accommodation and Compliance Webcast Series.
As you read in our last issue, Walgreens is committed to hiring individuals with disabilities for up to 30% of the workforce at their new distribution centers. Ms. Russell's presentation addresses the early outcomes of this effort and the lessons learned along the way.
The webcast costs $35.00 and has been approved for 1 hour of continuing education credit.
Click here to go to the registration page for this webcast and to see other upcoming webcasts in this series.
Click here to learn more about JAN (Job Accommodations Network).
What Would You Like to Hear About in Future Issues of e-News?
Send your comments and story ideas to e-News Bulletin Project Director & Editor, Martha Garber.
This project is in part supported under a grant from the Department of Education. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education and endorsement by the Federal Government should not be assumed.