Square Pegs and Round Holes? Vocational Evaluation, Career Assessment and Assistive Technology Louisiana Rehabilitation Association Pre-conference Training Janelle Ellis Anthony Langton Erika Peterson Shawn Zimmerman

2010 National Issues Forum2 Humor slides I will drop in a few humor slides here and there that we can make use of

2010 National Issues Forum3 Introductions Presenters Sponsors Goals and Objectives

2010 National Issues Forum4 Do you need a technology specialist to use assistive technology in evaluation/assessment activities? Yes No It depends

2010 National Issues Forum5 Assistive Technology: Leveling the Playing Field “For Americans without disabilities, technology makes things easier. For Americans with disabilities, technology makes things possible.” Mary Pat Radabaugh, 1990

2010 National Issues Forum6 Technology is often literally the interface between person and environment. The ability to access and use technology is likely to play a pivotal role in functionally redefining disability, and in bridging the wide gulf between what “significant disability” means to the disability community, and what it means today in the business/employer community. Alexandra Enders, 2004

2010 National Issues Forum7 Work in progress... For over twenty years efforts have been underway to integrate assistive technology (AT) in vocational evaluation

2010 National Issues Forum8 Our Shared Vision - AT and VE Strengthen the field of vocational evaluation Contribute to improved rehabilitation outcomes Concept of disability is changing Desire to maximize potential of persons served AT should be an integral part Impact of Universal Design

2010 National Issues Forum9 Assistive Technology (AT) and Vocational Evaluation: In order to remain relevant and to address the barriers to employment faced by people with significant disabilities, vocational evaluation and career assessment practitioners must integrate assistive technology into the evaluation and assessment process to increase employment opportunities; to aid in the removal of barriers; and, to enhance the capability of individuals to accomplish essential skills and functions.

2010 National Issues Forum10 To accomplish this, vocational evaluation and career assessment professionals must work to ensure that participants have appropriate technology available and have a level of proficiency with the devices to ensure maximum performance within the assessment and evaluation process.

2010 National Issues Forum11 Technology-Related Services: What VE Programs Could Offer AT Information Preliminary Technology Assessment Specialized Technology Assessment Technical Assistance Comprehensive Evaluation Services Rehabilitation Engineering/Job Accommodation Services 1991

2010 National Issues Forum12 AT and Vocational Evaluation Expands choices and vocational options Essential for persons with most severe disabilities Not a Panacea - but AT is a key resource to have available for many persons AT can integrate and fit well within comprehensive VE process

2010 National Issues Forum13 VE and AT: Which comes first?

2010 National Issues Forum14 Background Vocational Evaluation Assistive Technology Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 General AT Assessment Specialized Assessments Rehabilitation Engineering Multi-disciplinary

2010 National Issues Forum15 “Tech Points” in Comprehensive Vocational Evaluation/Assessments Pre-Evaluation Preparation Initial Interview Evaluation Planning Administering assessment tasks and activities Conducting career exploration Developing Recommendations

2010 National Issues Forum16 OPTION I have a set of slides that show AT being inserted in the VE process. We can toggle and use this if we want

2010 National Issues Forum17 VE and AT: Options Available 1. Maintain traditional service delivery boundaries 2. VE programs can infuse AT into existing service delivery 3. AT programs could add vocational assessment into existing service delivery 4. VE and AT can be combined to form fully integrated, hybrid service delivery option 5. Other options?

2010 National Issues Forum18 VE/AT Programs: Profile and Analysis Career Assessment Program – Fairfax County Schools Intensive Evaluation – Stout Virginia DRS VE - Northern Region RE – Northern Region WWRC – Statewide Center

2010 National Issues Forum19 BREAK - Part 2 Probably need a break here before we get into the three approaches? Would be good to spend minutes presenting overview on each of these We can use a flip chart to make notes/observations as each present It would be good if we can try and hold questions until the three have been covered

2010 National Issues Forum20 Assistive Technology Services Fairfax County Public Schools Janelle Ellis

2010 National Issues Forum21 Intensive Vocational Evaluation Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute Erika Peterson

2010 National Issues Forum22 Vocational Evaluation Services Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services Shawn Zimmerman

2010 National Issues Forum23 VE/AT Programs: Analysis and Discussion Career Assessment Program – Fairfax County Schools Intensive Evaluation – Stout Virginia DRS VE - Northern Region RE – Northern Region WWRC – Statewide Center

2010 National Issues Forum24 VE and AT Services: Survey Findings Awareness Issues Cost/Funding Concerns Access to information and Resources Logistical Issues Impact on Standardization Limited Time for AT Need for Technical Support Training Needs VE Process Restraints

2010 National Issues Forum25 BREAK

2010 National Issues Forum26 NOTE The actual survey material is something that we can use if needed but I’d rather not make it an automatic We can remove these slides and have them, along with others to toggle to if we need to

2010 National Issues Forum27 Length of Evaluation Less than 1 day (19%) 1-2 days(33%) 3-5 days(24%) 1-2 weeks(10%) More the 2 weeks(5%)

2010 National Issues Forum28 AT Specialist immediately available yes (34%) no(43%)

2010 National Issues Forum29 Program/School offers AT services yes (57%) no(26%)

2010 National Issues Forum30 Number of cases where AT specialist was used - 24%

2010 National Issues Forum31 Part 3: Practices, Strategies and Resources This is the wrap-up segment We can use the challenges barriers that have been identified We can also add to these with anything from the part 2 segment If we can make this interactive between the four of us we should able to draw in the audience

2010 National Issues Forum32 Challenges and Barriers Perceptions/Limited Awareness Lack of Knowledge of AT Time Available Cost/Funding Staff/Training Issues Logistics and Coordination Lack of Clear Directives Connections to outcomes unclear

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies Lack of AT Knowledge AT specialist allied with or assigned to VE program Ongoing in-service training such as monthly “lunch and learn”

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies Time constraints: Limited time available Option to extend eval for persons w/AT needs

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies Limited availability AT resources/services Establish cooperative agreements w/programs that have AT

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies Impact of Standardization: Are we assessing ability to use AT or work aptitudes?

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies Staff training

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies VE staff fail to consider AT possibilities

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies Attitudes of employers/ educators: Reluctance to consider AT or accommodation options

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies Logistical Issues/Multiple Locations

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies Budget and Cost Considerations Create line item in budget for AT (annually) Develop list of needed AT to have ready

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies Impact on standardization: Use of AT invalidates assessment instruments?

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies Staff Training on AT

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies VE staff fail to consider AT

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies Where to go for info on AT?

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies Reluctance to consider AT or accommodations Attitudes of Employers/ Educators

Challenges, Issues and Strategies Issue/ChallengeApproaches/Strategies Logistics in providing AT to multiple locations

2010 National Issues Forum48 Technology in the VE Process All VE programs should incorporate AT information Comprehensive VE should include opportunity to use/tryout AT Programs the market AT services need staff with specialized expertise 1991

2010 National Issues Forum49 Strategic Partnerships and Alliances Implementing assistive technology services requires resources and technical expertise Establishing partnerships and cooperative agreements should be one consideration

2010 National Issues Forum50 Role for Professional Associations and Organizations National Rehabilitation Association Louisiana Rehabilitation Association VEWAA VECAP RESNA LATAN Other professional organizations or associations?

2010 National Issues Forum51 Questions or follow-up: Pathfinder Associates Suite Woodcreek Ct. Columbia, SC