Webinars

Families of students and young adults with disabilities are critical partners throughout the transition process. School staff and employment service providers must form effective working relationships with families to in order to realize and obtain improved employment outcomes for students and young adults with disabilities.

This series is beneficial for all stakeholders during the transition process, and is particularly useful for school staff, employment service providers, community partners, and families themselves. Our experts will provide essential information that summarizes recent research. They will share best practices, strategies, and tools, that attendees can put to use immediately.

Continuing Education Hours Available!

Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) clock hours are available for this 3 part webinar series, Including Families in School to WorkTransition which begins on Thursday, April 9, 2020. The series subject matter aligns with the Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP) Content Outline. A general certificate of participation is available as well.

Cost: $100 for all 3 webinars, $35 per individual webinar

Webinar 1: Understanding and Partnering with Families: Concepts, Strategies, and Action Steps
Thursday, April 9, 2020, 2:00 – 3:30pm ET
Presenters: Sean Roy, Ruth Allison, Jacque Hyatt

Research supports family engagement as a key strategy for improving post-school employment outcomes. Yet, many school staff and community partners may require assistance in establishing effective working relationships with families. This webinar will provide practical tips and tools that can use used by professionals. Families should be seen as an essential partner, and this webinar will provide the information necessary to help make those partnerships a reality.

Webinar 2: We Can Do Better: Examining the Impact of Expectations on Families and Students
Tuesday, May 26, 2020, 3:30 – 5:00pm ET
Presenters: Sean Roy, Judith Gross

Understanding the impact of expectations on professional practice, family decision-making, and student outcomes is fundamental during the transition process for youth with disabilities. What shapes expectations in families, youth, and professionals? Are there common practices that may inadvertently cause expectations to be lowered? What can be done to raise expectations, especially for students with high support needs? This interactive webinar will explore the impact of low expectations on students and offer strategies for all partners to raise expectations for student achievement.

Webinar 3: Embracing Competitive Employment: Helping Families Work through Apprehension
Tuesday, June 30, 2020, 2:00 – 3:30pm ET
Presenter: Sean Roy

Family members may be a bit apprehensive about envisioning a child with high support needs working in a real job. These feelings are real and should be considered in a respectful and constructive manner. This webinar will benefit employment services providers and school staff and will offer strategies for better understanding the experience of families and tips for turning families into your most important partner in the job search and support process

A Whole New World:
Supporting Transition to Post Secondary Life with the ADA

Every student with a disability who has received special education services needs to plan and prepare for transition to life after high school, no matter where they’re headed – college, vocational school, apprenticeship program, or employment. As vocational rehabilitation professionals, school counselors, transition specialists, and other service providers work to help students and families prepare, it is important to understand the significant changes that lie ahead. No longer will teachers, parents, or other adults assume responsibility for identifying disability related needs; the young adult with a disability must be ready to speak up, initiate requests for accommodations in the classroom or the workplace, and be a full and active participant in ensuring their needs are met.

TransCen’s Mid-Atlantic ADA Center will host a three-part webinar series designed to help professionals inform, assist, and support youth with disabilities and their families as they prepare for transition. Sessions will focus on how the ADA differs from special education law and the importance of understanding these differences in order to ensure a more effective transition to adult life

Continuing Education Hours
Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) clock hours have been submitted for approval for this 3 part webinar series. The series subject matter aligns with the Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP) Content Outline. A general certificate of participation is available as well.

Cost: $35 per webinar, $70 for 2 webinars, $100 for all three.

Special pricing for groups of 10 or more! 
40% off for 3 session packages
30% off for 2 session packages
20% off for 1 session packages

Please contact bvandyke@transcen.org to register your group

The Sessions

Session 1: Good-Bye IDEA, Hello ADA: From Special Education to Civil Rights
Tuesday, June 23, 2020 – 2-3pm ET

As students with disabilities get ready to transition to life after high school, they leave behind the world of special education and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and enter the world of civil rights and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All too often, lack of awareness about the ADA leads to inadequate preparation for transition to life after high school for youth with disabilities, which in turn can lead to frustration and disappointment. This session will provide an overview of the ADA as it relates to post-secondary education and employment, with an emphasis on how young adults with disabilities can plan and prepare for successful outcomes. Presenters will unpack our ADA erector set and put together the framework for the rights and responsibilities every adult with a disability needs to understand.

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to identify the fundamental differences between the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the ADA.
2. Participants will know which employers and post-secondary education organizations are covered by the ADA.
3. Participants will understand how to distinguish between requirements that are discriminatory and should be eliminated, those that should be adjusted to accommodate individuals with disabilities, and those that are “non-negotiable.”
4. Participants will know key rights and responsibilities of covered employers, post-secondary education organizations, and individuals with disabilities.

Session 2: Preparing Students with Disabilities for Success: Accommodations in Higher Education and Employment
Thursday, July 30, 2020 – 2-3pm ET

This session will outline the accommodation process in higher education and employment. Presenters will define the roles and responsibilities of individuals with disabilities, employers, and institutions of higher education. Presenters will also share strategies that youth service professionals can use to help young adults with disabilities navigate this process successfully. Real world examples will be used to explore the dos and don’ts of making accommodation requests, documenting disability and related needs, considering options, and implementing accommodations.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to explain what reasonable accommodation is in employment and higher education.
2. Participants will be able to identify the roles and responsibilities of individuals with disabilities, employers, and institutions of higher education in the reasonable accommodation process.
3. Participants will understand when documentation may be required to support a request for an accommodation.
4. Participants will identify at least one strategy that can be used to help youth with disabilities gain understanding and increase comfort levels with requesting accommodation.

Session 3: To Disclose or Not to Disclose: Preparing Youth to Talk about Disability
Thursday, August 13, 2020 – 2-3pm ET

This session is all about talking to employers or higher education organizations about disability. The presenters will offer resources and activities that vocational rehabilitation and youth service professionals can use to help young people become more effective self-advocates.

What are the risks and benefits of disclosure? Must a person disclose disability in order to request an accommodation? Understanding the who, what, where, when, why, and how of disclosure is often a first step for young adults with disabilities on the path to achieving successful outcomes.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will learn about the options involved in disclosing disability.
2. Participants will be able to identify risks and benefits of disclosure.
3. Participants will learn strategies to help youth disclose disability in a positive manner.
4. Participants will learn strategies to help youth with disabilities ask for what they need, whether they chose to disclose or not.

This webinar took place on May 12th, but you can still register to view the archive and receive CRCCs and/or a certificate of completion!

Transforming Students into the Workers of Tomorrow 
No Hugs or Superhero Backpacks Allowed!

Tuesday, May 12th, 3:00pm – 4:30 pm ET

Now more than ever it is important to prepare all students with disabilities (SWDs) for employment after high school. This interactive webinar is designed to provide practical strategies for teachers and other education professionals to support SWD’s employment experiences and raise everyone’s expectation for community inclusion and employment. Participants will learn how they can infuse employability skills into daily school experiences and make critical linkages to ensure a seamless transition into a meaningful adult life.

Learning Objectives

Continuing Education Hours

• Application has been submitted for approval to the Commission for Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC).
• The subject matter aligns with the Certified Employment Support Professional (CESP) Content Outline.
• A general certificate of participation is available as well.
• Real-time captions is available for this webinar.

Cost:

$35 to access archived webinar, $10 certificate of completion, $20 CRCC

To view the webinar and receive CEUs and / or a Certificate of Completion

This 3-part webinar series will provide methodologies, strategies, and tools for Employment Consultants to manage the employer engagement process to achieve stronger employer relationships. This workshop is intended to promote coordination among Employment Consultants who work with local employers to offer consistent, quality employment services. The information in this webinar series is based on the U.S. Dept. of Labor Office on Disability and Employment Policy’s (ODEP) Employer Economic Impact Study. This national study provided employers’ perspectives on the benefits and economic impact of employment services including customized employment when hiring job candidates with disabilities.

Cost: $35 per registration for each webinar access.
For those who want a certificate of participation and/or 1.5 credit hour for Commission for Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) an additional $35 applies (**please note that it has been submitted to CRCC for review and approval).

Part 1: How Employment Programs Economically Benefit Employers 
June 4^th, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm eastern

This webinar shares employer perspectives on how employment programs that support job seekers with disabilities economically benefit businesses. Employers describe how customized employment has had a direct economic impact on their overall operation. Specific, measurable benefits that Employment Consultants can use to describe their services will also be presented.

Part 2: Approaching Employers and Developing Long Term Partnerships
July 9^th, 2 pm to 3:30 pm eastern

This webinar will provide employer perspectives on how employment programs and their staff can effectively develop rapport that can lead to long term partnerships. Employers recommended specific strategies for developing an on-going relationship including the cultivation of an ‘internal champion.’ Employment Consultants can use this information to address employer concerns and cultivate long-term partnerships with employers in their community.

Part 3: Assessing the Economic Impact and Benefit of Your Employment Programs
August 6^th, 2 pm to 3:30 pm eastern

This webinar will provide tools and strategies to assess the economic impact that an employment program has on its employer customer base. The information gathered from employers can be used to strengthen the relationship and foster new customers. Employment Consultants will be given the tools to replicate a national study with employers in their community and better define the value of their employment services.

About the Trainer: Dale Verstegen

A Senior Research Associate at TransCen, Mr. Verstegen is assigned to a range of research, training, and technical assistance projects related to transition and employment services. Mr. Verstegen provides consultation and training in the areas of program development, performance management, marketing, and job development. Mr. Verstegen has developed curricula and provided training on supported and customized employment for a wide range of universities and state agencies. He has also provided field-based technical assistance to hundreds of Employment Consultants and Transition Specialists throughout the country in the area of job development and employer partnerships. Given his business background and having been an employer, Mr. Verstegen has focused his research, writing, and trainings on the provision of employment services to the employer community. Mr. Verstegen has his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and is currently the President of the Board of Directors of the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE).

Through funding provided by the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), TransCen, Inc. (TCI) is offering an Introduction to Customized Employment (CE) training for DVR service providers. TransCen staff will provide interactive instruction on CE concepts and methods, including examples and strategies specific to service delivery in rural, suburban, and urban service regions, and travel-related issues, through a combination of online webinar instruction, in-person follow-up training, and TA.

TCI will provide a three part webinar series and follow-up with an in-person training session for those who complete the field assignments. The webinars will highlight how CE differs from Supported Employment and will look at three aspects of the process:

1. Discovery/Assessment –
   June 24, 2019, 11:30am – 1:30pm
2. Job Development & Employer Engagement –
   July 15, 2019, 11:30am – 1:30pm
3. Post-placement Supports and Systematic Instruction –
   August 12, 2019, 11:30am – 1:30pm 

After each webinar, participant will be given a field-based assignment focused on the webinar topic. TCI staff will review the assignments and provide feedback. After the webinar series, TCI will offer an in-person, day-long training for participants who complete the 3 field assignments. This face-to-face training will provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions, discuss challenges and share successes with service providers from across the state.

Expanding Employment Opportunities for Youth Using Customized Employment – Webinar Archive

Expanding Employment Opportunities for Youth Using Customized Employment – Transcript

This webinar is designed to advance the belief that competitive integrated employment for people with significant disabilities is achievable. Work is a central part of adult life, often consuming as much as half of one’s waking hours. Having a job contributes to meaningful, productive lives, especially for people with disabilities. Today, students with disabilities are more likely to experience unemployment or underemployment, lower pay, and job dissatisfaction, compared to their nondisabled peers. It is critical to provide young adults with disabilities employment experiences while they are still in school so they may be exposed to job opportunities as early as possible, increasing their likelihood of obtaining employment after leaving high school. As teachers, family members, and adult service providers, we must develop and implement a flexible process designed to individualize employment relationships between a job seeker and an employer in a way that meets the needs of both. This presentation will discuss ways identifying the interests and strengths of a job seeker is as critical as identifying the needs of a business and will provide examples of successful individuals with disabilities who are successfully employed in competitive integrated employment.

Presenter: Laura Owens, President – TransCen, Inc.

Handouts 

• Expanding Employment Opportunities for Youth Using Customized Employment – One slide per page – Handout
• Expanding Employment Opportunities for Youth Using Customized Employment – Two slides per page – Handout
• Expanding Employment Opportunities for Youth Using Customized Employment – Three slides per page – Handout
• Expanding Employment Opportunities for Youth Using Customized Employment – Outline – Handout

No Need to Be Awkward: Disability Etiquette for Everyone – Webinar Archive

No Need to Be Awkward: Disability Etiquette for Everyone – Transcript

In this 30 minute webinar session, experts offered direct answers to the questions you want to ask, but haven’t found the right environment to do so. It’s more basic than you think!

Helpful Hints for Communicating with People with Disabilities*:

• ​Speak directly to the person rather than through a companion or sign language interpreter who might be present.
• If you offer assistance, wait until the offer is accepted. Then listen or ask for instructions.
• Treat adults as adults. Address people with disabilities by their first names only when expending that same familiarity to all others. Never patronize people in wheelchairs by patting them on the head or shoulders.
• Don’t be embarrassed if you happen to use common expressions as “see you later” or “did you hear about this?” that seem to relate to a person’s disability.​

Handouts 

• No Neet to Be Awkward: Disability Etiquette for Everyone – One slide per page – Handout
• No Neet to Be Awkward: Disability Etiquette for Everyone – Two slides per page – Handout
• No Neet to Be Awkward: Disability Etiquette for Everyone – Three slides per page – Handout
• No Neet to Be Awkward: Disability Etiquette for Everyone – Outline – Handout