Increasing Employment Options Through Collaborations with Economic Developers: A New Approach Ed Turner, Governor Kaine’s Special Advisor on Disability Issues Dr. Joe Ashley, Department of Rehabilitative Services Jack Quigley, Department of Medical Assistance Services Layout By: Takeisha Henley November 9 th 2009

State Leaders Institute to Expand Employment for Adults with Disabilities National Technical Assistance and Research Center to Promote Leadership for Increasing the Employment and Economic Independence of Adults with Disabilities (NTAR) J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

State Leaders Institute to Expand Employment for Adults with Disabilities Ed Turner, Team Leader Joe Ashley, VA Department of Rehabilitative Services Bob Burton, VA Department of Blind & Visually Impaired Jack Quigley, VA Department of Medical Assistance Services Vicki Tanner, Disability Program Navigator Howard Green, Virginia Commonwealth University Deborah Ruh, TechAccess Joanne Ellis, Career Support Services Kathy Thompson, Governor’s office for Workforce Expanded Team Members: Daniel LeBlanc, Governor’s Office for Workforce David Smith, Secretary of Commerce and Trade Office Elizabeth Povar, VA Economic Development Partnership

State Leaders Institute to Expand Employment for Adults with Disabilities Goals: 1.To determine how to create a demand-side focus for training individuals with disabilities to meet the needs of employers; 2.To determine how to be more competitive; 3.To determine how to partner with economic development organizations and understand their process to align the disability and generic employment needs with business needs; 4.To learn how to use economic development and their process to create employment opportunities for persons with disabilities; 5.To determine how to tap into entrepreneurial opportunities to prepare persons with disabilities to be skilled to meet the employment needs of existing industries and emerging industry clusters; and 6.To determine how to be a catalyst for meeting the demands of employers.

Virginia State Peer Leaders Network NTAR Technical Assistance:  Established the first State-Level Leadership Team focused on the employment issues for individuals with disabilities;  Established the first Round Table Discussion titled, “Expanding Employment for Adults with Disabilities;” and  Established the first Forum in collaboration with the Virginia Economic Developers Association to develop a blueprint to address unemployment among Virginians with disabilities.

Virginia State Peer Leaders Network Round Table Discussions Three (3) discussions were held between November 2008 and March 2009 focused on creating entrepreneurial opportunities and developing collaborations with local and state economic development organizations for persons with disabilities. -Development of a Work Plan -NTAR Grant

Virginia State Peer Leaders Network Sample of Work Plan Activities -Develop a public service announcement by Governor to be shown in movie theaters Summer Foster stronger connections between workforce networks and local economic development officials

Virginia State Peer Leaders Network NTAR Grant In March 2009, NTAR awarded the Virginia State Peer Leaders Network a grant in the amount of $50,000. The grant was used to host a statewide Forum to develop a blueprint to address unemployment among Virginians with disabilities.

Governor’s Forum on Disability and Economic Development September 15 and 16, 2009 Held in collaboration with the Virginia Economic Developers Association Conference September 16 – 18, 2009 The Hotel Roanoke

Governor’s Forum on Disability and Economic Development Goals of Forum 1.To determine how to tap into and create opportunities to prepare persons with disabilities to be skilled to meet the employment needs of existing and emerging industry clusters; and 2.To determine how to be a catalyst for creating employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Governor’s Forum on Disability and Economic Development Creating the Blueprint to Address Unemployment Among Virginians with Disabilities Breakout Sessions: 1.Building the case for Economic Development and Disability Services Integration 2.Action Plan Dissemination and Implementation 3.Build Skill Sets Through Career Pathways 4.Building and Sustaining Relationships

Blueprint to Address Unemployment Among Virginians with Disabilities Help us to: Build a case for Economic Development and Disability Services Integration Your thoughts?

Blueprint to Address Unemployment Among Virginians with Disabilities Help us to: Develop an Action Plan Dissemination and Implementation Your thoughts ?

Blueprint to Address Unemployment Among Virginians with Disabilities Help us to: Build Skill Sets Through Career Pathways Your thoughts?

Blueprint to Address Unemployment Among Virginians with Disabilities Help us to: Build and Sustain Relationships Your thoughts?

Next Steps Virginia State Peer Leader Network 1.State team will review the blueprint 2.Decide how to disseminate the blueprint 3.Deliver the blueprint to the Governor 4.Decide how to introduce the blueprint to the incoming Administration 5.Monitor implementation of the blueprint