U.S. rep Gregg Harper (R-MS) has reintroduced this legislative package. Are the readers of this forum familiar with it?

I have an idea... for those of us who don't qualify for SSI because we make just a bit to much.( we make 75.00 to much) We also have our insurance through work.

I think that if a family doesn't qualify they shouldn't have to pay a deductible at all for the child/person with a disability. This would help the family who need care not have to worry about dishing out money before a procedure or surgery. just a thought..

Until the federal and state government mandates hiring a certain percentage (30%) of persons diagnosed with a mental illness or developmental disability there will be no changes made at meaningful level for this disadvantaged population of students. It is nice to dream but in the United States we even had to make laws to protect children and adults because people need laws to govern behavior. Even with the law children... View full idea »

At the federal level, there is coordination within HHS (NIAAA, CDC, HRSA, CMS, SAMHSA, OJJDP, ACF for example). Even though these efforts are informal, they are productive and have yield important outcomes. We would benefit from having Education and Labor more involved. Perhaps a strategic plan across appropriate agencies addressing the transition needs of youth and young adults with disability would facilitate greater... View full idea »

Flight simulators and similar virtual environments have been used for decades for technical training. Let's develop comparable technologies for CWDs. Children interact with simulated environments all the time in their gaming experiences. These should be applied to fundamental job skills as well as to work-related social/emotional on-the-job experiences. Example: Working in a supermarket, what to do when there is a spill?... View full idea »

Many SSA employees, teachers, parents, guardians, and recipients do not know that Social Security benefits may continue despite medical improvement when one is participating in a vocational rehabilitation program (VR) or American Indian 121 project. This is the "Section 301" exception. At an age 18 redetermination, students may lose SSI benefits even though they are participating in an IEP or IPE and making progress... View full idea »

There are too many definitions of disability, as previously noted; they conflate eligibility requirements with support needs, with financial factors complicating disability eligibility. It's a mess.

Right now, "disability" (as an eligibility requirement) is defined as the inability to achieve substantial gainful activity (SGA), rather than being defined as the presence of an impairment that would be regarded as a disability... View full idea »

I still think there needs to be more flexibility in transitioning from benefits to work and back again if necessary. Especially for more severely physically disabled folk, one's ability to accomplish tasks can be fluid. One can be able to work for years at something until their disability changes and that task becomes more difficult or impossible. It would be great if benefits counselors or advocates had more ability... View full idea »

Many school work experience/transition programs operate as a one size fits all program disregarding student's individual needs and interests. Many district run programs pay students menial stipends to avoid certification requirements under FLSA. The priority is SED compliance rather than student outcomes priorities. The students are exited from these programs without necessary skills and dumped into adult services. How... View full idea »

I spent the first half of my career assisting individuals with disabilities obtain employment and become Self Advocates. I am now an early childhood special education teacher, and the parent of a young man with disabilities.
There are many issues that need to be looked at. In the Education system you have a thrust toward academics and getting students college ready. The Common Core Learning Standards being used were... View full idea »

Paper on Special Education Due Process a must read.

 

 

http://www.aasa.org/headlinecontent.aspx?id=27966

1. We need ETA and the Wage Hour Division to come together, develop and publish the Proposed Rule to fulfill Section 14(d) of the FLSA to define when a student/trainee with disabilities becomes an employee in work experience exploration, training and transition. Thirty-nine years is long enough to wait for the regulation. The proposed rule needs to address the options that have developed since 1974, such as customized... View full idea »

Most would agree with the observation that youth with disabilities too often lack the opportunities develop the important social and emotional skills that are increasingly being recognized as essential to be successful in the work place as well as in pursuit of higher education. There are multiple ways for youth to learn such skills including growing youth advocacy groups seeking voice in program decision making. Yet,... View full idea »

I am Ada Juan Sheng, a woman with disability. I always want to work and I hope that my work is akin the work of person without disability .
Unfortunately, at 04/11 / 2008, my employer terminated me. After that, I applied a ton jobs, but never got any company to hire me. When I deep illness, I had to apply the benefits of SSA on 2010. I DID NOT GET THE RESULT. I discover some error in the procedure of application of... View full idea »

AYP should be broken down by disability category. SWD are diverse and outcomes for groups should be better tracked. With IEP's computerized, common codes could easily be disaggregated. TARGETED DATA, YIELDS TARGETED RESPONSE. Cost effective approaches require precision.