National Summit focused upon Increasing Employment Opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities

STRATEGIC PLANNING: 2003 and BeyondSeptember 16, 2003

Opening Remarks by: Dr. Robert A. Stodden, Principal Investigator, National Technical Assistance Center for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with

DisabilitiesKeynote Speakers: Dr. Roy Grizzard (ODEP/DOL), Commissioner Joanne Wilson (RSA/DOE), Dr. Robert Pasternack (OSERS/DOE), Erik Wang (The

White House Initiative on AAPI), and John Yeh (Viable Technologies).

Sponsored by theNational Technical Assistance Center for Asian Americans and Pacific

Islanders with Disabilities (NTAC-AAPI)

Based at the

Center on Disability Studies, University ofHawaii at Manoa

Through Networks of AAPI Persons with Disabilities

Vocational Rehabilitation Personnel Community, Cultural, Business /Employer/Industry Organizations

AAPI Youth with Disabilities and other Professionals

Funded byRehabilitation Services Administration,

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,United States

Department of Education

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Welcome Letter

Main conference Room, 1st Floor, NWAmerican Association of Home and Services for the Aging2519 Connecticut AvenueWashington, D.C.

Welcome: It is my pleasure to welcome you to the National Summit focused upon Increasing Employment Opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with Disabilities. The faculty and staff of the National Technical Assistance Center for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with disabilities (NTAC-AAPI) have prepared an exciting and informative summit agenda. We look forward to your active participation and input during the day.

Purpose: The purpose of the National Summit is to gain input from key national representatives for strategic planning to increase employment opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with disabilities for the coming year and beyond. Also, the group will participate in a discussion on the purpose and current work-scope of NTAC. Participants will contribute to forward thinking goal areas and innovative ways to reach those goals.

Intended Outcomes

Documentation of recommendations for policy makers to increase employment opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with disabilities nationwide, in both rural and urban areas.

Greater commitment through subcontracts with participants and their networks for increasing employment outcomes of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with disabilities.

Stronger and broader networks for nationwide collaboration, to respond quickly to the changing needs for technical assistance by the population being served.

Thank you for your input and participation.

Aloha,

Robert A. Stodden, Ph.D., DirectorNational Technical Assistance Center for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with DisabilitiesUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa

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KEY ISSUES FROM THE NATIONAL SUMMIT

Introduction

The Summit of the National Technical Assistance Center, held on September 16, 2003 in Washington, D.C., concluded with some critical issues. The purpose of the summit was to increase employment opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. A number of key national representatives including Assistant Secretary, Dr. Roy Grizzard from the United States Department of Labor; and spoke on important issues related to disabilities and employment Assistant Secretary Dr. Robert Pasternack and Commissioner Joanne Wilson from the United States Department of Education. In addition, key national representatives from employer, consumer, and vocational rehabilitation groups offered their insight and experience on how to improve employment opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with disabilities. More than 50 people attended the summit from various government agencies (Dept. of Defense, Dept. of Education, Dept. of Labor, CSVR, Workforce Investment, RSA, White House Initiative on AAPI, EEO, and Dept. of Veteran Affairs), non-profit organizations (American Association of People with Disabilities, Federal Asian & Pacific American Council, Center for Workforce Preparation, Tawainese Association of America, ENDependence Center of N. Virginia, Solutions Linx, Protection and Advocacy, Inc.), employers (Viable Technologies, National Business & Disability Council, Maximus, McDonald’s Corporation), and university professors/specialists. Key issues that emerged from this summit include: attitudinal barriers from the mainstream community on disability, consumer empowerment with a focus on self-confidence, and networks of businesses talking about disabilities to other businesses. There was a strong emphasis on the primary role of rehabilitation to empower people with disabilities by providing them with education, training, services, and competence. The summit also focused on solutions to barriers facing people with disabilities such as providing employment, fostering independent living, and increasing culturally sensitive and appropriate services.

Opening Remark

NTAC’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Robert Stodden provided the opening remark with the purpose of the summit and a brief description of the Center. The Center is a collaborative arrangement with the Centers for Independent Living and the Hawaii Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, and the National Association of State VR Directors. The Center currently has four National Networks. The first network focuses on AAPI Persons with disabilities and includes working with Centers for Independent Living, and parent information groups for parents who have young people with disabilities looking to transition into employment. The second network focuses on State Vocational Rehabilitation Services. The Center is targeting the 15 states that have the highest prevalence of AAPI people, so that VR personnel can better respond to the needs of AAPI persons with disabilities. The focus is on training, technical assistance and information dissemination that impact this group at the national level, state VR directors and local VR services. The third network is looking at persons who employ AAPI persons with disabilities. This group consists of cultural community networks and employer networks that can assist with employment matching. The fourth network is focused on lack of leadership in the coming generation. The objective is to develop youth leadership activities with the hope of

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identifying, encouraging, and fostering the growth of leaders from the next generation. Training is provided across all four networks. Dissemination of information and outreach to AAPIs occurs through various organizations. The focus on all NTACs (funded out of RSA) includes outreach and evaluation. This also includes supporting the CIL system to be responsive to AAPI persons with disabilities and working directly with AAPIs, employers, agencies, VRs, VR directors,6 other agencies, and youth leadership development. The overall objective is to build and sustain capacity for AAPIs with disabilities to access and retain employment.

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KEYNOTE ADDRESSES

Important Issues Emerged from the Summit

The main issues that emerged from the summit raised by key representatives, groups of consumers, employers, specialists, and university professionals include: attitudinal barriers, cultural barriers, lack of self-confidence, empowerment of consumers, and key personnel within Vocational Rehabilitation. In addition, some important examples were provided to demonstrate the importance of collaboration across federal, state, and local agencies as well as faith-based and community-based organizations and technical centers. Emphases were on solutions and barriers to employment for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with disabilities.

Keynote Address by Dr. Roy Grizzard

At the office of Disability Employment Policy, the goal is to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities, and to have a focus on AAPIs and the cultural aspects they face in terms of having a disability and seeking employment. We are working very closely with other agencies and organizations such as the other speakers that you will hear today. And what you hear might be redundant, but that is good, because we are working with a common goal to improve employment for people with disabilities, including those who are AAPI.

These are important opportunities to probe their minds. I think it is great that you have someone like Kevin Bradley, from the McDonald’s corporation. Government cannot do it alone. There are corporations that make positive business by hiring people with disabilities. Not only because people with disabilities are going to spend their money at a place that has a friendly atmosphere, but also because they make good working, loyal employees. People with disabilities bring far more abilities to the job site than they do disabilities. And once accommodations are made, which are usually very cheap, and then the corporation can have a good worker who is loyal to the corporation. I do not tell corporations that they should hire people with disabilities because they will feel good about themselves. Now I hope they do feel good about themselves. You hire people with disabilities because it is good for your corporation. That is the bottom line.

One of my responsibilities in human resources was hiring teachers. It made me feel good at the end of the day when I offered a contract to teachers, that they left my office smiling, excited to have a job, able to take care of their families, and ready to contribute to young people. But I did not hire them because it made me feel good. I hired them because they were able to teach. And that same attitude must be placed into the minds of employers, that the persons with disabilities they hire will help them to do good business.

ODEP’s mission in DOL is to reduce barriers for people with disabilities to become employed and to act with other agencies in federal government to help streamline services. We work with other agencies such as SSA, DOJ, and DOE. I met with the department of commerce about how technology has helped to level the playing field. But it is so important that as technology grows and changes, that accessibility be built into technology, and not an afterthought. We need to make sure people with disabilities are not the caboose on the train, but somewhere close to the engine.

We have put out several grants targeted to demonstration and best practices projects that are targeted to particular audiences. These grants are specifically directed to getting people with

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disabilities employed. High school high tech grants, for example, are to get young people with disabilities to consider technical careers. We have grants focused on customized employment working through our one-stop systems, leading to negotiated job description and job requirements between the employer and potential employee with a disability. One of the biggest barriers is getting to work. Now-a-days, with modern technology, you can take the work to the person. Telework, not telemarketing, should be emphasized. We are not advocating people with disabilities calling people at 6am to sell aluminum siding. Last year I was in Hawaii, and once you get out of the Honolulu area, or out to some of the islands, you’re getting into rural areas. What better place for people with disabilities in rural areas, than telework. Because all you have to do is run the wires up to the house.

What are these grants for? They serve 2 purposes: To bring success and to have people go to work. ODEP monitors grants very closely, and if the grants are not accomplishing the targeted purpose, then they are not going to be refunded. We want to see positive results. If we can see positive results in those grants, then we believe that whatever is done can be replicated. We are doing activities with the EU and UK that can be replicated across the world. We do live in a global economy and global employment atmosphere. We use those grants, secondly, as a research vehicle. Discarding those things that do not work, and replicating those things that do work, and through the vehicle of the grant, developing positive policy agendas that we actually make and give away to other agencies, private and nonprofits.

We offer some direct services through the Job Accommodations Network. Check out the website. This website provides accommodations information to corporations all over the country. Last year resulted in 30,000 accommodations. The website is already paid for, use it. It can look at a work situation, the essential elements of the job, and then provide expert information on how to accommodate the particular individual in the particular situation, where to find accommodations, how much they cost, and the best deal. ODEP also runs EarnWorks website. It is the employee assistance referral network. It is a matchmaker. Through this comprehensive website, we take resumes and job profiles, and we match them. There are thousands of individuals in this system.

Last year, the president asked us to develop and manage a website for the entire government. Disabilityinfo.gov. It is a comprehensive website including HHS, DOJ, DOE, DOL, and SSA. This website provides information related to anything related to disabilities, even down to emergency preparedness. Finally, we have the workforce recruitment program. The Program identified 1,500 people with disabilities graduating from college, and helped them find jobs. Over 300 of them found jobs [not sure about figures here]. It gives an opportunity for individuals to learn the soft skills of employment, how to get along, how to understand punctuality and work ethics, working in a team. Then it gives an opportunity to develop a resume. In closing, we have a number of grants at the DOL. One of the grants, directed to AAPI activities at the University of Hawaii. The first thing I did when I was appointed was to travel to Hawaii and visit this project. When presented with the lei today, it brought back fond memories. Neil Sherman, the director of VR in Hawaii, his hobby is to make leis, and he presented a beautiful one. This makes me want to go back to Hawaii again. We had a delightful day in Chinatown, where my wife expressed her love for AAPI by spending a lot of money that day.

Some of the results of that particular project include involving 221 youth who attended self-advocacy and leadership training workshops; 40 were AAPI, and all but eleven were minority youth. Some of the outcomes: 38 of them were employed, 28 are continuing with postsecondary education, 15 are entering another training program. We see that as positive

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results of what we are doing at ODEP. Crossing cultural lines is very important, and fusing cooperation that ultimately will result in all Americans being able to benefit from being an American, and one of the greatest benefits is employment. Employment defines who we are, what we do, and defines our spirit. We need to leave here and turn preachment into practice. So that we see AAPI individuals with disabilities get work and say “yes, I earn a pay check, and I do a good job.”

Keynote Address by Commissioner Joanne Wilson

“You can’t throw away a whole life just because it’s been banged around a little bit.” This is a line from Sea Biscuit. As a colt Sea Biscuit ate a lot and slept all day, and he was trained to lose races so that other horses knew how to win. But a trainer and jockey came along who saw something in Sea Biscuit. From their efforts, Sea Biscuit became one of the most famous racehorses of all time. This is a true story during the Great Depression. This story gave hope to our country. This movie reflects the work that we do every day in the rehabilitation process. We are working with people with disabilities and minorities who are the Sea Biscuits in our society. Our task is to reach out and help them become Sea Biscuits.

The motto in education is No Child Left Behind, and I want to add No Person with a Disability Left Behind. I met with group after group in our office about what we need to do.

People with disabilities can lead independent lives and achieve meaningful competitive employment. I believe that is true whether of Asian descent or off on a pacific island. I really believe one of the major problems is not the disability itself, but the misconceptions that exist within friends, family, employers, and sometimes ourselves as vocational rehabilitation workers. My husband is from India, and he did a very courageous thing. First of all, he decided to marry me—a white woman from America. Strike two was that he was going against arranged marriage. And strike three was that he married a blind person. We spent a lot of time together. At first he wanted to hide my blindness, but we couldn’t keep that up for long. Ultimately, we broke through a lot of barriers. As I worked with other blind people there, I learned about the barriers embedded in the culture there. Mostly what I found was that a lot of the barriers were exactly the same. We have universal issues that we face as people with disabilities. The major barrier with all people was attitude.

People with disabilities have a right to choose what they want to do in their lives. That is why choice is such an important part of the rehabilitation process. A lot of times, the opportunity for choice is taken away from us. Sometimes we might choose the wrong thing, but we have the right to fail. We have a right to choose, and to take responsibility for the results. The primary thing you need to do as you work for the rehabilitation system, is to empower people with disabilities, to give them the services, the confidence, the expectations, to get to the heart of people with disabilities and empower them. How do we empower people? We should work in partnership with federal, state, private, but mostly other folks with disabilities. We can start working and infuse into our system the expertise of people with disabilities. One of the main things I got from people with disabilities is that the rehabilitation system does not believe in them and they want to be more of a part of the system. We have 1.2 million people in our system, and less than 12,000 rehabilitation counselors. It is big caseload.

RSA initiatives: we are reviewing some grant applications at this very day, where state agencies can apply for and use funds to work with people with disabilities, who will work with transition-age kids and serve as role models and counselors. It is a means to show them that they

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can advocate for themselves and live a better life. You are doing that at NTAC. So in the mentoring program, we are trying to encourage people with disabilities to reach back and bring up the Sea Biscuits who need them. We also are trying to improve literacy. Dr. Robert Pasternack and I work together as a team, and he keeps telling me that we need to work with employers so that they want to hire people with disabilities. And I am always saying that we need to get the people ready to work, so that employers want to hire them, so we are working on both ends. Now we’re giving Martin Seligman a grant to train people to work with people and teach them how to be more optimistic, to help them believe in themselves and develop the tools to achieve. We are putting out a tool on empowerment. We are really emphasizing in the Rehabilitation System to go to conferences of people with disabilities and observe and hang around large groups of people with various disabilities, and to really understand what the disability rights movement is telling us. So that it influences the policies we develop and the practical initiatives we do. We need to be immersed in the lives of the people we serve. A lot of counselors tell me, we want to empower people with disabilities, but we are not empowered ourselves. As a result, we have started new empowerment initiatives that go in and work with agencies, look at their system and determine how to remove barriers.

Thank you for what you are doing. Together, we can make winners.

Keynote address by Mr. Erik Wang

Traveling around is one way to get out in the field and experience how it is. I visited a vocational center that taught individual job skills and arts, including helping individuals with disabilities. The Center helped them find work. Some issues affecting AAPI population: health, mental health and language. There are over 100 languages and dialects spoken. There is no infrastructure to deal with these issues. We at the White House Initiative try to establish types of infrastructure to serve AAPIs. There is an Executive order to improve their quality of life. There are cultural barriers that needed to be addressed such as employment, culturally appropriate services, employment training, and independent living.

Some recommendations include how the Federal Government can service the AAPI population. We need more community and cultural assistants. We need to look at mainstreaming alternatives to medicine and therapy and how to integrate modern medicine with alternative therapy.

How do we transmit these issues into policy making? We need an Interagency working group to be involved in the following areas:

1. Federal capacity – ability of the federal Government to reach out to the AAPI communityHaving material translated into local languages, and disseminated into the various means – ethnic media – all intensive purposes – reach out by having ethnic mediaAppropriate languages that reach out for these population – front line – Social Security, medi-care

2. Around technical assistance – taking out these services to the people to use them. Bring together all these agencies into one umbrella - to create linkages at the local level

3. Economy Development – how to bring minority into the full economic Department of Labor – next week Thursday at Marriot –opportunities.com2 workshop – how to work with disable community, how to hire disable

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community AAPI – opportunity conferences

Thank you.

Keynote address by Dr. Robert Pasternack

I want to start out by telling you how disturbed I was by an article in the Washington Post. A single dad put his 20 something year old child with CP in a nursing home, because he couldn’t find any employment for him. What is wrong with our system that we see stories like this? This young man wants to do PR for sports teams. The young man himself said, “What happened to my transition plan?”

The largest minority group in our country is people with disabilities. I used a line from Martin Luther King’s speech. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” How incredibly unjust is it that this man had to put his son into a nursing home? And I am appalled to stand before any group today. I want to go over the New Freedom Initiative with you. This president recognizes people with disabilities. One out of five Americans has a disability. I am looking forward to coming to your part of the world and visit. I’d love to go right now, but I’ve got a lot to do.

Unprecedented economic growth: why didn’t people with disabilities participate? Because what we have done is try to play on people’s compassion, instead of going to businesses and telling them the facts about hiring people with disabilities:

1. Low turnover rate2. Low absentee rate3. Higher productivity4. Better morale

We are trying to make a case that it is a good business decision. The partnership between the DOE and the US Chamber of Commerce is a good example. What we have been doing in the last 15 years did not work. So it is time to talk to business. Most businesses do not trust government, so we are trying to find businesses to talk to businesses. This year, 50 million people with disabilities are going to control 180 billion dollars of disposable income. This president understands that and is telling government agencies to work together like they never did before. 300 billion dollars of SSI and SSDI are going out to people with disabilities. SSA has some incredibly disturbing statistics. Only 2/10 of 1 % who get on SSI or SSDI get off. What we’ve got to do is to keep them off of those programs by getting them meaningful competitive employment so that they are paying into the system rather than taking out of the system. We have talked about people with disabilities as needing a handout. We need to start talking about people with disabilities having a range of disabilities and working very hard to be successful.

We talk about cultural competence, and I think it is ridiculous to think that I could be competent in AAPI, but I can be knowledgeable. One of the reasons the mental health system is not working is because we do not understand the cultural issues involved.

Why is it that we continue to stigmatize psychiatric disabilities, while other medical conditions are covered? The second issue in the NFI, is homeownership. Homeownership for adults without disabilities is 68%, while it is very low for adults with disabilities. Why is that?

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Because they cannot find a job. We as a country have never even thought about people with disabilities accumulating wealth. SSI program trains people to be dependent, not to live independently. Rather than perpetuating this mythology that people with disabilities cannot do the same work that other people do, we should encourage interdependence and independent living. We still have not changed the attitudes of the people doing the hiring. Spread the message that disability is not inability. People with disabilities can do the work.

Transportation systems are an important issue. If you cannot get to work, how can you keep a job? The president is a problem solver. It is easy to talk about the problems; it is harder to fix them. We’ve got to continue investing in emerging and assistive technology. It can totally transform the life of a person with a disability. The President understands those issues and cares deeply about those issues. That is why he released the NFI in his first month of office. One of our challenges is to make that document a reality. Everything I have told you so far is not a republican or democratic issue; it is an American issue.

One of my responsibilities is overseeing the Randolph Shepherd Act, which applies to people who are blind and entrepreneurship. People within the AAPI community understand entrepreneurship. One of the things that is happening is that people with disabilities are getting involved in running the food services on bases. Last year, the snowstorm shut everything down, and only essential employees had to go to work. We were visiting a base, and a disabled employee named Joe had somehow made it to work. We asked why he came, and he said he heard that essential personnel have to go to work.

We can make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities in this country.

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Noted Speech by Mr. John Yeh

As a member of the National Asian Deaf Group, we always talk about the issues that we’d be able to work with AAPI. As an employer, I’ve been in business for a long time, and it gave me the opportunity to be an employer and to make opportunities for people with disabilities. I came here to America in the 60’s from Taiwan. I lived two blocks from here, so it feels really good to be here.

When I went to Gallaudet University, I got funding from VR, and I was very thankful. A lot of friends offered me a job as a teacher or supervisor. I was upset that I was not able to get a job in the field that I wanted. So I went home to my family. My parents had sent my sister and I, who are both deaf, to get an education and competitive employment. I did fairly well. When I took Computer Science that was a new area, a new career. I really depended on note takers, library assistance, and help from the professors. My brothers were able to get jobs. I must have sent out several hundred resumes. But most employers did not understand what to do about a deaf employee. So I got a job at Gallaudet. The opportunities there were limited. I went back to my family and said that working for a company all my life would be stunting, and I wanted to start my own business. My parents thought that I was crazy.

In 1980, I started IMS with my brothers. We were mainly looking for an interpreter, opportunities, services and developing program and software for microcomputer, pc computers, several thousand contracts, etc. The business started to grow and started to hire more people. The federal government began to buy software programs. As a disabled person, I understand the issue with disabilities. We started to hire people with disabilities. The company grew to 500 employees with million dollars contract. By 1985, as a result of restructuring and competition, this med-size company was sold, but the people who worked remained working there. It was one of the agreements made that people would remain there for as long as they wanted to be employed there. After we sold the company, we were semi-retired. But that ended quickly. In about two years, I started another company called Viable Technologies. The software we are developing is using voice recognition for people to see. This concept is called voice transcriber-train to enter the computer to recognize and send voice transcriber to central call center and send that out to real time. The pilot program is underway to test if this process will work. This is a real opportunity for people with disabilities to work at own site to work with vocational rehabilitation. This past summer we had 8 individuals who were in the pilot program they were trained to become voice transcribers. We will also help with language problem to meet the demand.

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An Overview of Panel Sessions

The National Technical Assistance Center’s (NTAC) Project Director, Dr. Woel Soon Kim-Rupnow, provided an overview of panel sessions with three stakeholder groups: (1) Consumers, (2) Vocational Rehabilitators, and (3) Employers. The first session , a Consumer Panel featured Ms. Jean Lin, Mr. John Yeh, and Ms. Wendy Hsu. Each consumer speaker presented their perspective on disability and how it affected and still affects their employment opportunities. Mr. John Yeh decided to become an employer in order to be able to choose a career that he wanted. Ms. Jean Lin became an advocate to spread messages about cultural sensitivity and disabilities. Ms. Wendy Hsu is struggling with employment because of her disability. She feels that most employers perceived her disability as an inability to perform job duties required of her. The second panel focused on Vocational Rehabilitation. Three speakers from state and CSVAR discussed the importance of Vocational Rehabilitation: Elizabeth Parker, Sallie Rhodes and Rita Martin. The last session, the Employers’ Panel, was structured differently than the first two sessions utilizing a question & answer format. Each employer speaker was asked questions concerning employment and disabilities and what employers can do to increase employment opportunities for the population. The summit concluded with participants breaking into small groups to discuss and offer recommendations for NTAC strategic planning for next year and beyond.

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CONSUMER PANEL

Jean Lin’s Speech

Hi, my name is Jean Lin. I work for Protection and Advocacy in California. I am sure that many of us in this room are familiar with the Protection and Advocacy system. It is a federally funded organization that provides free legal services and advocacy throughout the state. Therefore, each state has its own PA services.

Well, I was asked to share my story with everybody today. I work for PA as a multicultural affairs advocate. I feel very honored and privileged to have this position because it allows me to work with my passion area, which is to outreach and educate our multicultural communities with regards to disability rights issues. As you can tell from my brief biography, I identify myself as a Chinese American with Cerebral Palsy. My family immigrated to this country back in the late 70’s from Taiwan. I came here when I was about 12 years old; therefore I had the opportunities to go through the education system. But it was a maze for my parents. They had no knowledge, or a word of English. My parents really had to fight for their child with a disability to get through the maze of the educational system. At that time translation services were not available. Everything that my parents had to deal with was hit and miss. My mom says she could only understand what…that’s how she dealt with teachers through my educational years. Through my primary education, she had the only special education service that I received was the adaptive PE classes and resource teachers that helped me through my daily class assignment. Just to show you the impact of language barriers that affect many immigrant families is that my mom, when she had to go to my IEP meetings, often, she had to ask a friend to accompany her, or simply go in alone. I remember one time she was trying to tell my special education teacher that she needed a swimming class. But she cannot get the message across. Therefore, she literally dragged my special education teacher to the pool to tell her that “she needs this.” That is just one of the challenges that I feel immigrant families have to deal with.

I want to briefly talk about independence for many culturally interdependent services. As for me, I feel very fortunate that I was introduced into the independent living philosophy and services when I was young. So I had the opportunity to experience it. Also, I was a recipient of the independent living center program. But while I was experiencing it, I felt there was something missing. There was something that just didn’t feel right. Then later on, I realized that missing link was my culture. My culture did not play a role in the independent living movement. I remember when I was receiving services in the local ILCs, I feel that the providers did not provide me my cultural perspective, independence to the community, and to me. I feel that in working with our multicultural community, especially the AAPI communities, we emphasize, we value interdependence. As I always try to share with people, you know the phrase teaching people how to fish? “You give a person a fish, they can eat for the day, but if you teach a person how to fish, they can eat for a life time.” Well, the ILC meant to me: here’s the fish, now go fish. But what I try to share with community members is that when you, a service provider, train to work with the AAPI communities, you may want to just give them the fish and send them away. But I always want to say, “Please, I know that you have a pile high of caseloads on your desk, but you need to sit there and accompany the individuals as they catch their first fish before you say bye bye to them. Maybe you need to sit there until they catch their third or fourth fish, because that is how my culture is. My culture needs a lot of practice; needs a lot of community.”

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You as a service provider cannot just come to my community and make a brief presentation and say, “Here are the services. I hope you will call us.”

The second thing I want to briefly talk about is entitlement to services. I worked with many immigrant families who don't feel that they have a right to services. Many families feel that it is a privilege to have the services that they receive. Many parents call me and share with me their issues in receiving services. And they feel that they know that something is wrong, but they do not want to rock the boat. They do not want the case worker to take away the existing services. That is why I try to share the advocacy skills with them.

That is another point. Advocacy—what is that? Many of our AAPI culture, we don’t believe in advocacy. Advocacy to us means protest, making trouble. It is not the belief in us or our community. That is not our culture. That is not our forte. But we need to somehow bridge and breakdown the barrier to our own community and show that services are not a handout. It is not a negative thing. It is a positive thing. So you as an individual can live as boldly as your life can take you. This morning, many of the speakers have touched the benefits and services that we have in this unique place that we call America. People with disabilities should receive SSI and be happy with it. People with disabilities are not expected to get gainful employment. Why is that? Why do we have this mentality that I have a disability, therefore I am useless. I feel that is a barrier that we as a community need to get over. And I think we still have a long way to go. AAPI’s with disabilities have the work skills that are demanded in the community. I still have friends who are sitting on their butt at home doing nothing because they don’t feel comfortable being out in the community. They’ve said that they are happy. They are content on SSI. I have a friend who is very knowledgeable with computers. But what is he doing? He is sitting at home doing nothing. I cannot explain it. He is happy with his monthly SSI money because he does not want to take the next step. He feels his independence in his own way. He feels very small if he needs to ask a service provider how to get a job, or ask to be a work rehab consumer. He does not feel like it is worth his time to go through the program. I’d better stop.

Wendy Hsu’s Speech

Today, I am going to talk about a few issues that affected me as a disabled person. Being disabled and Chinese American whose primary language is not English, I am faced with many problems such as how to study in college, how to get employment, how to get hired, and how to keep the job. My barriers are not limited to my physical disability. I have to deal with language, cultural issues, and job skills.

First, I have difficulty in getting a job because of my physical appearance. I believe that physical appearance is important to some employers. I often do not make a good initial impression with interviewers because of my disability. Even when I present myself professionally, my physical appearance is still a major obstacle. For example, I feel very nervous when an interviewer looks at my deformed face. I often feel as if that is all an interviewer sees of me. Most of the time, I feel like interviewers judge my work performance based on initial impression; my physical disability, not my ability. Perhaps they do not believe that a disabled person can work hard and learn quickly too. My job interview experiences have been mostly negative. I felt a major part of it is because I am a disabled person. I have friends and counselors who help me to deal with these issues. But in the real world, when you face with a potential employer, you have to behave certain ways. You have to work extra hard to prove that you are capable of functioning normally like other people.

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The second barrier is language. I was born in Taiwan. When I first came to the United States, I did not know a word of English. During the early part of learning English, my vocabulary was limited to slang. This hindered my ability to seek a job. Later on when I attended school and learned to speak proper English, I was still faced with other problems; I had to overcome the physical disabilities. I have mild hearing loss where I cannot hear well if an interviewer speaks too fast. In addition, my speech impairment is another obstacle for me when I go for a job interview. I feel very frustrated that I cannot express my idea clearly during the interview. Also, I move slowly and cannot respond to a question quickly. I can feel that an interviewer gets frustrated with me.

Getting the right training can also be difficult. For example, I had to take a typing test when I sought employment at a local temporary agency. Since I could only type 25 words per minute, which was too slow for most office clerical jobs, I was never called back for an interview. They need people who could type 40 words per minute. I practiced my typing many times, but I could not reach their standard.

Sometimes I think life is not fair to a disabled person like me. I get upset easily because of these problems. I am also lucky because I have the support of friends, college counselor and career advisors. They encourage me to have confidence in myself. Self- confidence is a big issue for me. In college, I struggled with this problem. To give an example, I was so afraid that I would not do well that I did not want to take a requirement course. It was a speech class. My fear was that no one could understand my English. I speak English with a thick accent. But I finally overcame that fear and passed the speech class.

While my employment experiences were mostly negative, one employer made a difference. He was a personnel specialist at Montgomery College where I worked for four years. He saw beyond my disability and allowed me the opportunity to prove myself. He understood about my disability and was willing to take the time to explain the work. At the end of my contract, I was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding and dedicated service by the office.

I believe that most disabled persons like me are willing to work. What we need is a chance to learn and grow in a company so we can achieve our fullest potential.

John Yeh’s Speech

I am a person with just a few words. I always like being a doer and not a talker. A lot of my friends, they talk, and come up with ideas, but never do anything. There have been a lot of changes recently. Let me talk about individuals with disabilities, not just AAPI, but the interesting thing that I’ve learned about how to get funding. I was very fortunate that I got to go to Gallaudet University.

My first job was in a hot shop. I didn’t have to talk to anybody, so I worked there all through college. A lot of things happen in people’s lives. Rarely did I get called for an interview. I talk to my friends and find out for them that most employers would not call a deaf person back for an interview. But that is changing. More and more employers are starting to hire people with disabilities.

Individuals who are deaf tend to see a lot of barriers because they do not know their rights. They are locked at home because they got a green card and they think they won’t get services. Lack of information causes those problems. So we’ve set up the National Asian Deaf Group. The first conference had 500 people, from counselors to parents; all Asian individuals.

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I’ve learned so much from them. The issue was that they weren’t able to get access to services because of language. Today, I see that people are still finding those kinds of barriers. I have people come up and say they need a job. I tell them to contact their VR counselor, yet they never heard about it.

When we really talk about barriers, to me deafness is the biggest barrier because everyday life requires communication. When I talk to employers, they say their first reaction to people with disabilities is seeing their physical limitations. Suppose you bring in five individuals, a deaf person, a person in a chair, etc., and you have to hire one. I think the first person they would pick is the one they can communicate with, so I think the deaf person would be the last. When you talk about the language barriers, we go through the same thing. We all have similar experiences and views. I’m an unemployed person here. I went to SSA to find out, and they said that I was qualified to get SSI, and I realized that when you say it is not an incentive to get a job. So we should improve the system.

I believe that a lot of people with disabilities, especially Asian individuals, we have problems too. It’s really sad. I really hope that AAPI will be able to find ways for all of us to move and have the ability to get jobs.

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VR PANEL

Rita Martin

With me today is Elizabeth Parker, who runs the state VR agency in the DC area, and Sally Rhodes. My daughter just graduated last year from UH, and is now department head of special education on Oahu.

Elizabeth Parker: In September 2000, Mayor Anthony Williams’ outreach activities to AAPI communities include:

1. Translating materials2. Diversifying the workforce3. Cultural competence training4. Developing partnerships5. Community Outreach

An AAPI coordinator meets regularly with AAPI community and other service providers such as RSA, Family Services, Youth Services, etc.

The Rehab Act mandates that services be individualized and provided in the mode of communication of the individual. There is a unique non-English diverse population in DC. If our RSA clients cannot communicate, they cannot get a job. In our administration, we have a special populations unit, which provides translation and interpreter services. The staff has done extensive outreach to AAPI community. We work to increase the numbers of AAPI employees in our agency. Office of quality assurance and federal compliance will conduct evaluation to identify barriers. We were among the first agencies to translate brochures into AAPI languages (simplified and traditional Chinese and Vietnamese). We hired 3 AAPI VR specialists in the past five years. One AAPI worker assigned to the Office of Disability Determination, one working direct service and one working specialized services to AAPI community. Many qualified AAPI applicants have been discouraged by our DC pay scale and have decided to work for federal agencies or private organizations. Also, there are stricter immigration requirements. Collaborating with DHS, we are having a one-day cultural awareness training that will focus on the special needs of AAPI clients.

Randolph Shepherd program was visited by a Japanese specialist. Our staff participates in events identified as specific to AAPI. Japan, Bangladesh, India and Vietnam sent delegates to learn how to prevent barriers to people with disabilities.

In 2002, a 21 year old deaf immigrant from China was recognized for her progress. Working with an AA VR counselor, the client became fluent in ASL and got a job as a part time library aid at Gallaudet University. Less than 1% has been identified as AAPI. But with increased outreach, we expect the number to grow.

There are many barriers: Language, educational requirements, security requirements, language skills, cultural differences.Vision: More orientation about VR, increase AAPI employees and AAPI clients, and more dialogue with AAPI residents.

What can VR and NTAC do to help? They can assist us by allowing us to post job vacancies on the websites and plan workshops on cultural sensitivity. NTAC can recommend

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names that promote employment of people with disabilities and educate people about our services. Also, NTAC can assist with outreach.

Jay Pan

I work as an AAPI coordinator for Department of Human Services in Washington, D.C. If you walk down to Chinatown, you can see many seniors. They are my clients. If you refer to President Clinton’s executive order, the first step is translation of vital documents. Sometimes it’s hard to translate so that it makes sense. There are a lot of terms that don’t have equivalents in Chinese.

We go out and talk to people, give presentations and answer questions. Second, face-to-face sharing is important. In DC, it is hard to recruit bilingual staff because most Asians like to go to business and technology. Human services are low pay. This past spring we had a student from University of Oklahoma, who came to DHS as an intern. We built up the workforce. The intern performed very well, now we intend to hire him. Many American born Asians do not speak the language. So there is the challenge. Third, cultural sensitivity or cultural competence training is really important. We want to train the community at large to understand AAPI, and vice versa. Many AAPI ask why they do not understand me. Why don't you try to understand them? I work for greater Washington. I learn a lot. Before, my impression was that African Americans are criminals. But when I came here, I learned that I was wrong. They are just like me. The fourth objective is community partnership. The federal government is supposed to show the state how to work together. In the same way, the state government is supposed to show the community how to work together. We proposed to work with DOE, as well. I really focus on partnership. We partner with the universities. I’m really happy with the University of Hawaii, because they can work on research. We go out into the community to talk face-to-face. We have three ways to talk with our clients. Thank you for your time.

Ms. Rita Martin introducing Ms. Sallie Rhodes

We’re very fortunate to have someone from Sallie’s caliber arguing for us on the hill.

Ms. Sallie Rhodes

Same for Rita, she has been a wonderful addition to CSAVR staff. I was going to cover the proposed amendments to the rehabilitation act.

Legislation 101: A bill is introduced in House or Senate. It then goes to committee. After that, they come out onto the floor. Then they hammer out the language difference. Then back to house and senate to be passed. The House is finished, passed their bill. The Senate will get to the point of introduction of the bill, probably tomorrow. Then it will be sent to committee for mark up, then on the floor sometime before the legislative year. Things on the hill change every hour.

Quick overview of some of the recommended changes:Title 1: Literacy. Assessing literacy needs to be included in what Vocational Rehabilitation offers. There are new references to mentoring services like an assessment of need for mentoring. Strengthened choice language, the individual will be given information about community programs that can assist the individual. Proposed and passed in house: demoting of

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commissioner position of RSA. Some opposed to this demotion because as a president appointee, the current position gets more access to secretary of education. If anything, looks like a demotion of disability issues. Relation to Olmstead decision is getting people out of institutions into community settings. Few other issues include regulatory definition of post-employment services and language authorizing federal VR to provide technical assistance to state VR to improve relationships with employers, language about VR hiring more people with disabilities.

A lot of these are very small things. I would call them refinements because Rehab Act is probably one of best pieces of law out there. There is some cross-listing with recent implementation of Ticket to Work program. It provides information about new programs under TW, particularly for people who do not meet order of selection, but need services. Maximus is responsible for Ticket to Work Program.

There is some refinement to language around transition planning. The last year and a half, transition has been most talked about. Talks about better coordination, working together, having VR more involved in IEP planning. There is a need for more impact on language in IDEA to connect special education services and transition services into VR. The problem is that there is no money for anything right now, so whether this happens or not is unclear, but congress sees it as important.

American Indian rehabilitation program can go up to 1.5% of VR appropriations. It is now less than 1%. It would allow successful projects to stabilize funding. Again, there is not enough money to go around funding this project.

Improvements in performance. 2003 allowed 30 million dollars for incentive grants that have not been distributed yet.

VR appropriations have a consumer price or cost of living index. Some states fall out at less than CPI increase. We want to make sure every state gets the CPI increase. Counselors should be getting increases, and services increase in cost.

Rita Martin talked about: Changes to the Workforce Investment Act. Four major changes affecting VR include:

1. Right now, only the state directors can sit on state boards. More access to WIA state boards.

2. Greatest concern with WIA is infrastructure funding. What that provision does is allow the governor to require certain percentages from agencies. 1.5% to us, $40 mil. That would be in addition to monies that state VRs are already paying. We continue to try and advocate that if there has to be funds taken, how can we minimize it?

3. Until that system is fully accessible to our population, it is counterproductive to take resources from people with disabilities. We should be a participating partner, but we want our people to access the system.

4. Seats on the state board, seats on local boards. Need some representation from the disability community should be a part of the WIA decision making at the local level.

Question from Susan Dua, Exec Director of Center for Independence of Disabled in New York. I was really delighted to hear what is happening in DC. I want to invite you to bring your expertise to Manhattan. Right now our VR agency in NY has identified a pattern of under-service to AAPI population. We’d like to establish partnerships to serve AAPI. I’m eager to hear where you started and how you would suggest we start?

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Answer from Elizabeth: it’s hard to say where we actually started. But I would suggest going into the communities and start the dialogue and hire employees who are aware and connected to the communities.

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EMPLOYER PANEL

Dr. Richard Leucking, moderator for employer panel from Transen Inc. I love to engage and listen to the employer perspective. My first job with VR, the slogan

was “hire the handicapped.” A lot of things have changed, but for me, something has not changed. If we want to increase and improve jobs, we need to listen to the people who provide jobs. I want to acknowledge Maggie Lee, who was instrumental in getting the panel here. She has also been working with one-stop centers. Also, thank you to Kathy Healy, who is from the Center for Workforce Preparation. They have a wonderful website: www.uschamber.com/cwp, then scroll to find the employment for people with disabilities page. I also wanted to thank Dawn Le who invited the following people to attend this summit:

Ching San Wan, Chinese Kim B Kim, Korean CenterSo Ban Tun, CambodiaThank you, Dawn for coming and bringing these guests.

I’m going to ask a question and have each address them in order.Reintroduce: John Yeh, has the employer hat on this time.Kevin Bradley, McDonald’s corporationDaniel Woody, Wu Yee Children’s Services, nonprofit small employer

First question: Describe your company and its experience hiring people with disabilities.

Kevin: Our founder, Ray Crock, told us, let’s not think of MD as a hamburger company that sells food to people, rather let’s think of it as a people company that sells hamburgers to people. We created McJobs. Unfortunately, the dictionary defined McJobs as low end bottom level employment. We took offense to that. We see it as opportunity. We are in this for money. We don’t think it’s the case the hiring people with disabilities is the right thing to do, we believe it’s the smart thing to do to increase your bottom line.

Daniel: I have over 10 years of experience in the disability field. I worked with VR to get people work. As part of that process, I started to do consultation work with companies to find out how we can meet their needs with the people we serve. Since then I’ve moved into the human resources field as an employer. I’ve taken my experience over the years at Wu Yee Children’s Services and carving out specific teaching positions for people.

Second question: From an employer’s perspective, what will be the most significant issue for people with disabilities?

John: That question is really difficult. The answer is that there will be a really fast change because of technology. If you want to be a carpenter, you need good tools. The same thing goes with companies. But again, we need to improve language and communication, so that people can socialize and work together. Our culture is really humble and quiet, but we need to show that we

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can be good leaders and contribute to the world of work. The employers are really the responsible ones to empower employees. I read that you needed to have 30 or 40 programmers to meet a deadline, and we wanted to hire a diverse group, but that wasn’t able to happen. So we need to push that issue of hiring a diverse group.

Kevin: I agree that communication and having the right tools are very important. But I also think that there are some cultural barriers. My mother told me to work hard, and don’t rock the boat. I had a cousin who was blind and she was sheltered, but her parents died and she struggled. I look at the title of this summit, but I don’t see employers in the room? We’re preaching to the choir. You don’t have the right people here today. You all know what’s going on in VR and on the hill. You’re all getting the same news. You’re not going to increase employment opportunities if you’re not talking to employers. My plea to you is to get employers in the room. That’s the challenge for the next 1, 5, 10 years. We have jobs. We can’t carve out jobs anymore. Now we’re doing more with less because of technology. Learn about us, learn about our jobs, and then provide us with candidates as an asset.

Daniel: I would say that the work we did in carving out jobs was not about a handout, but increasing productivity of other employees to make more money. Talk about business being the seller to other businesses, is really true. I think that you can’t really talk about the next 5-10 years without looking at the service provider. The focus is really individualized support. My experience in the AAPI community is very family focused, so you have to have a family focused model. Once that happens, the issues that I really see tend to be around transportation. In rural areas and outlying counties, we had the jobs, but we couldn’t get people to work. As jobs are moving out to the suburbs in business parks, transportation may become a bigger issue. Technology is a double-edged sword. It levels the playing field, but at the same time it eliminates manual jobs that people who don’t speak English can work. More education is necessary now for jobs.

Dr. Richard Leucking -Third question: What needs to happen to improve employment outcomes for AAPI with disabilities?

John: I really have to agree with the things that were said. We don’t have any employers here. They create jobs, we need them here. I am a real strong advocate, and I have a real positive attitude. I hope you don’t mind me switching and talking about what we can do here with Viable Technologies. We want to make jobs more available. Transcribers don’t have to work out of the home. As I see that, it makes me think a little harder about what would be the benefit to people with disabilities. I want to create those jobs for them. I want them to have the opportunity to make it happen. We want to supply that opportunity to create the jobs for what they need. We can provide transcription for all students, professors, workers.

Dr. Richard Leucking -Back to the same question, how are we going to do that? It's the attitude of the employer.

Kevin: The Business Leadership Network was created by…and the US Chamber has been working with us. It is about businesses talking with businesses. Most businesses are not big. Our goal is to share resources, wins and losses with smaller businesses. We share that it is not

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difficult to hire people with disabilities. If government is in the room, they cannot talk frankly. But businesses can give the business case and talk about it. You have to talk to HR professionals. I gave a talk about this issue. Few people knew about accommodations network. We need good workers, but we no longer have the resources to partner with the service provider. We do not have time anymore. The good ones come to me. I would rather work with an agency that sends one good service provider, rather than one that throws ten against the wall and hopes one sticks.

Dr. Richard Leucking -The BLN is having a national summit in November. That’s a place where employers will be.

Daniel: A lot has to do with partnerships. CC can help train people. There is an agency in NY called Inroads that works with minorities to find them internships. If we can do something like that for people with disabilities, we can go a long way.

Dr. Richard Leucking - Question: Mr. Yeh, You are actively working to hire people with disabilities. Do you find the process of working with VR service providers easier or harder than hiring people without disabilities? John Yeh: I really did put out ads for voice transcribers last December, in the newspaper and on website. The first week I got 50-60 resumes. None of them had disabilities. I hired five or six and trained them. Recently I got in touch with VR, and it is a process. But hopefully it will get faster.

Dr. Richard Leucking -Question: We can’t get employers to come. I know it’s because we’re government. The people we get in the audiences are HR from small and medium companies, because it’s free training. We have the money and the enthusiasm, but we cannot get employers. How do you attract businesses to come?

Kevin: EEOC does have inherent fear factor. Work with the chamber. You have to get to businesses through businesses. I went to my supply chain and invited them to come to my ADA workshop, and since they have contract with us, they will come. So work with companies to invite people. Honestly

Richard Leucking- Could you give us some ideas about how we can get to where businesses meet?

Kevin: Every line of business has some kind of association. They all have national conferences, etc. The leaders in the disability movement need to get to know the people in leadership in business. For example, go to the NRA, who has the largest conference and get on that kind of agenda. Now you are talking to employers. Find out who the leadership is for associations, and tell them that you have a viable workforce for them.

Daniel: As much as possible, do not go to HR, go to the CEO and management team. Then you can use that as collateral when you go to other businesses.

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Soon: We have started a new service called HIRE-US. We are developing a database for employers of students with disabilities who are qualified and ready to work.

Discussion groups: Review the strategic plan and suggest something not in the plan, bring new ideas and new ways to work with business. Look over areas we can improve. What kind of resources do we need to network? At 4pm we will gather and each group can speak to the whole group about what you discussed. If you finish fast in your area, you can go to other areas.

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EMPOWERMENT PHRASES

Assistant Secretary, Dr. Robert Pasternack states, “spread the message that disability is not inability.”

The Assistant Secretary, Dr. Roy Grizzard provides a good perspective on employment by stating that “employment defines who we are, what we do, and one of the greatest benefits is employment.”

“People with disabilities can lead independent lives and achieve meaningful competitive employment,” by Commissioner Joanne Wilson.

Dr. Robert Pasternack quoted a line from Martin Luther King’s speech “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“As an employer, I’ve been in business for a long time, and it gave me the opportunity to be an employer and to make opportunities for people with disabilities,” by Mr. John Yeh.

A consumer, Ms. Jean Lin said “As I always try to share with people, you know the phrase teaching people how to fish? “You can give a person a fish, but if you teach a person how to fish, they can eat for a life time.” Well, that’s what the ILC meant to me: here’s fish, now go fish.”

“My culture needs a lot of practice, needs a lot of community. You as a service provider cannot just come to my community and make a brief presentation and say, “here are the services. I hope you call us,”” by Jean Lin.

“When we talked about barriers, to me, deafness is the biggest barrier, because everyday life requires communication,” by Mr. John Yeh.

The key to access of employment opportunities suggested by Kevin Bradley, “Go to the NRA, who has the largest conference and get on that agenda. Now you’re talking to employers. Find out who the leadership is for association, and tell them that you have a viable workforce for them.”

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CONCLUSION

All participants were grouped according to specific areas of the strategic plan. Each group offered suggestions and recommendations for the coming year and beyond. The groups also presented their recommendations. The summit concluded with a reception.

The employer group chose technical assistance as NTAC’s Strategic Plan Area and offered the following recommendations:

Consider examining existing data on issues and barriers from other cultures and how they apply to AAPI.

Synthesize data from other federal departments in addition to RSA e.g., labor, MMS. Add workscope/directive to employer by using right language. Take into consideration the culture and tradition of specific cultural group when

talking of the concept of disability. Promote employers talking to employers about how to benefit from hiring people

with disabilities. Encourage AAPI youth to get involved in youth leadership development initiatives. “Nuts and bolts” of disability and diversity of services and multiple languages.

The outreach group suggested the following: Follow-up with students exiting school to increase outreach. Partner with One Stop Centers. Increase training activities to different population groups. Create a trainer-to-trainer program.

The Dissemination group recommended the following: Increase personal contacts with other employers. Develop video to increase awareness with other employers and featuring Mr. John Yeh as

a success story. Bring a group of people with disabilities to chamber of commerce, and assign them, and

let them interact. It overcomes the fear of “what do I do”. Increase exposure of people with disabilities to different work environments. There is a

normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Get involved with faith-based and community-based organization to get access to

consumers and employers.

Suggestions from the Training Group: Analyze of barriers and get really clear about who the training is for. Partnership building and related issues to employment. Identify different groups of AAPI people with disabilities? (New immigrants compared to

people who have been here longer.) Develop awareness of the importance of cultural sensitivity. Data in NTLS Train employers.

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Cited Resources

Key national representatives provided extensive resources and information for people with disabilities. Some of these are:

Job Accommodations NetworkThis Network provides accommodations information to corporations all over the country. They can look at work situation, the essential elements of the job, and then provide expert information on how to accommodate the particular individual in the particular situation, where to find accommodations, how much they cost, and the best deal. Website: http://janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/english/homeus.htm. Contact JAN directly at 800-526-7234 (V/TTY) or by e-mail at jan@jan.icdi.wvu.edu

Earn Works WebsiteEmployer Assistance Referral Network (Earn) Works is the employee assistance referral network. It is a matchmaker. This network involves consumers by taking resumes, examining job profiles and matching them.Website: http://www.earnworks.com/ . Contact EARN Technical Assistance Specialist at 1-866-Earn Now (V/TTY) or Fax at 703-310-0127 or email at earn@earnworks.com

Disabilityinfo.govThis is a comprehensive website including HHS, DOJ, DOE, DOL, and SSA. The website provides a variety of subjects related to disabilities including emergency preparedness. Website: http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/ . This website provides information only, and cannot respond to specific scenarios or provide personalized advice.

National Restaurant AssociationThe Association focuses on community service. It recently honored restauranteurs across the country for their impact and commitment on communities. The Association is one of the means for accessing employers. For more information, go to http://www.restaurant.org/ .

Tool on Empowerment recommended by key national representatives

Learned Optimism (1991) is a book written by Martin Seligman. Seligman is a cognitive psychologist. He found that the ability of some people to bounce back from defeat is not simplya “triumph of the human will.” but optimism involves a set of skills which can be learned.

Martin Seligman recommended a list of other classic self-help books. For information, go to http://www.butler-bowdon.com/learnedop.htm .

BIOGRAPHIES

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W. Roy Grizzard, Jr., Ed.D.

W. Roy Grizzard was nominated by President Bush to be the first Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy and was confirmed by the Senate on July 26, 2002. Dr. Grizzard is responsible for advising the Secretary of Labor on issues related to the employment of people with disabilities. He works with all agencies within the U.S. Department of Labor to provide leadership in the Department's efforts to increase employment opportunities for adults and youth with disabilities. Prior to joining the Department of Labor, Dr. Grizzard served for six years as Commissioner for the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired. This state agency provides comprehensive services to Virginia's citizens who are blind, visually impaired, and deaf blind. Before his appointment as Commissioner, Dr. Grizzard was a teacher and administrator in Henrico County Schools. His tenure included service as Assistant Principal at the Harry F. Byrd Middle School and the George Moody Middle School and as Personnel Administrator for Employee Relations and Special Staffing for the Henrico County Public Schools System. Dr. Grizzard serves on the Board of Directors for Prevent Blindness of Virginia. He is a former board member of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation, where he was Chairman of the Research Committee. Dr. Grizzard earned his Doctor of Education degree from Nova Southeastern University. He also has a Master of Science degree in Education Administration and Supervision and a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Grizzard and his wife Nancy have three sons and three grandchildren.

Commissioner Joanne Wilson

The Honorable Joanne Wilson was appointed as the 10th Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) by President Bush in 2001. As RSA Commissioner, Ms. Wilson administers a $2.7 billion dollar program annually that provides services to more than 1 million people with disabilities.

Prior to this appointment, Ms. Wilson created, developed, and oversaw the daily administration of Louisiana Center for the Blind (LCB). This was Louisiana's first adult orientation, adjustment, and independent living center for the blind. Ms. Wilson's passion for improving rehabilitation and education services in the state of Louisiana led her to establish eight additional programs to increase the employment potential of Louisiana's blind citizens.

Ms. Wilson graduated with honors from Iowa State University in 1969, where she earned a B.S. in Elementary Education and was named a Merrill Palmer scholar. In 1971, she earned a Master's degree in Guidance and Counseling/Administration from Iowa State University and for a number of years taught in the Ames, Iowa public school system. Ms. Wilson considers her own rehabilitation training at the Iowa Commission for the Blind during 1966 to be the catalyst which changed her life, and ultimately the compelling force led her to establish a model training facility for serving the nation's blind.

A tireless and energetic advocate for persons with disabilities, Ms. Wilson is a much sought after public speaker. She is called upon to address rehabilitation professionals, educators, and public agency personnel who seek to employ the unique strategies and training techniques

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for which LCB is recognized. She has demonstrated that an effective partnership in which a private entity working in tandem with a public rehabilitation agency can, and does work to best serve the needs of the disabled.

Dr. Robert H. PasternackDr. Robert H. Pasternack became the Assistant Secretary for Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services on August 8, 2001. Prior to this, he served as state director of special education for the New Mexico State Department of Education since 1998. He has worked with students with disabilities and their families for more than 25 years and was honored by the BIA in 2000 for his efforts to meet the needs of Native American children with disabilities. He has also assisted the Mexican Government since 1999 in developing their system of special education and related services since he is fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Pasternack was chief executive officer of New Mexico's first licensed Comprehensive Children's Community Mental Health Center from 1993 to 1998, was superintendent of the New Mexico Boys' School from 1990 to 1993, and school psychologist from 1980 to 1993 (the Boys' School is the state institution for adjudicated delinquents). He also started New Mexico's first Residential Treatment Center in 1978. Dr. Pasternack has worked in a variety of leadership roles including director of clinical services for Taos/Colfax Community Service, Inc., in Taos; instructor at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M.; president of ENSENAR Heath Services, Inc., in Taos; educational diagnostician for Taos Municipal Schools; school psychologist for Northern Pueblos Agency, Bureau of Indian Affairs, in Taos; clinical director for Ranchos Treatment Center in Taos; diagnostic consultant for the Los Lunas Hospital & Training School in Los Lunas, N.M.; executive director of Villa Santa Maria in Cedar Crest, N.M.; and administrative intern for the former Bureau of Education of the Handicapped (BEH), Office of Education, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Interestingly, Assistant Secretary Pasternack’s internship experience before completing his doctorate from college was with BEH, since renamed the Office of Special Education Programs and now housed in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, the agency he currently directs. Dr. Pasternack has received numerous awards and recognition and has been repeatedly included in Who's Who in the West, Who's Who in America; and Who's Who in Medicine and Health Care. Pasternack has lifelong personal experience with people with disabilities. For nearly 20 years, he has served as the legal guardian for his brother, who was born with Down’s syndrome. Pasternack also has two daughters, Shayla and Rachel, and two grandchildren.

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John Yeh

Mr. John T.C. Yeh, a native of Mainland China, has three brothers and two sisters. Mr. Yeh and his youngest sister were born deaf. In 1945, Mr. Yeh’s family fled to Taiwan where he was born and spent most of his childhood. In search of the best education possible for their two deaf children, Mr. Yeh’s parents decided to move the family to Brazil in 1960, and then to America in 1962. He graduated from the Kendall School for the Deaf and went on to Gallaudet University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics in order to achieve his goal of becoming a math teacher. However, Mr. Yeh encountered a number of obstacles in reaching his goal--employers simply would not hire him. Mr. Yeh enrolled in a master’s degree in computer science at University of Maryland. After obtaining his degree and applying to hundreds of companies, he found that employers were still unwilling to hire him. In the late 1970’s, Mr. Yeh decided that the only way a deaf person could succeed in business was to start his own. Based on an idea he had for several years and with the help of his brothers, he set out to start a computer software company. Unable to obtain financing, Mr. Yeh applied for the Handicapped Assistance Loan program, which was available through the Small Business Administration. Through hard work and perseverance, Mr. Yeh built the highly successful Integrated Microcomputer Systems (IMS). Mr. Yeh and IMS have received numerous government and community awards for business and technical excellence. In 1991, Mr. Yeh received the Norman Vincent Peale Foundation America’s Award. In 1990, Mr. Yeh accepted for IMS the Employer of the Year Award from the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. In 1989 and 1990 IMS won industry awards for high technology excellence from KPGM Peat Marwick and Arthur Young Inc. In June 1988, Mr. Yeh was awarded state, regional, and national recognition by the Small Business Administration’s national competition for honors as Small Business Person of the Year. Sixteen years after his company’s inception, Mr. Yeh sold IMS to CACI International. He is now the Chairman of WebbyNation, Inc., and the President of new company, Viable Technologies, Inc., in providing the communication access real-time translation for the deaf and hard of hearing community. Mr. Yeh and his wife, Mary have three children: a daughter, Mei Kennedy, instructional designer at the Center for Applied Special Technology, Boston, Massachusetts; another daughter, Ming, linen processor at the National Naval Medical Center, Washington, D.C. ; and a son, Jason, a student at the Gallaudet University, Washington, D.C.

Erik Wang

Erik Wang’s professional career uniquely combines the skills of marketing, philanthropy, community relations, public policy, and entrepreneurship. Currently, Mr. Wang serves as the Liaison for the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In this capacity, he provides counsel to the Commission regarding recommendations to the President on ways to improve the quality of life for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and increase Asian American and Pacific Islander participation in the Federal Government and the private sector.

His previous positions include Business Development Manager with Mission Fish, an internet company that turns in-kind product donations into revenue for non-profit organizations through web-based auctions of the donated items; Director for Private Sector Initiatives and Corporate Relations at the Corporation for National Service where he developed creative

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public/private partnerships and cause-related marketing campaigns with the business community; and Special Assistant for Dr. Gail Wilensky at Project HOPE, where he researched and advised on health care issues and served as her principal liaison to Congress and Fortune 500 companies.

Prior to that, Mr. Wang worked at the Republican National Finance Committee in the Bush Administration developing and implementing various fundraising programs and minority outreach programs. In addition, he founded Primus International, an international trade consulting company focusing on import/export and joint venture projects in Asia with offices in Washington, D.C. and China. Mr. Wang is an active member of the community and serves as a board member for several non-profit organizations in the Washington, DC area.

Wendy Hsu

Ms. Hsu graduated from the University of Maryland at the Smith School of Business with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1994. Ms. Hsu’s previous professional experiences began with Montgomery College where she worked as a personnel assistant. From 1992 to 1994, Ms. Hsu worked as a copy coordinator for the University of Maryland. Her most recent job was with the U.S. Department of Agriculture where she worked as a data transcriber.

Jean Lin

Multicultural Affairs Advocate for Protection and Advocacy, Inc. (PAI), a non-profit organization that provides free legal services to people with disabilities in California. As the Multicultural Affairs Advocate for PAI’s Oakland office, Jean works with underserved multi-ethnic communities in disability rights issues, particularly regarding equal access to services for minorities with disabilities. A Chinese-American who grew up in Berkeley, CA, just one block away from the well-respected Center for Independent Living (CIL), Jean believes she is the product of the independent living movement and has been an active member with the renowned Berkeley CIL for more than 10 years.

As a Chinese-American with a disability (cerebral palsy), Jean has first-hand experience in confronting the many barriers that people with disabilities often face in maneuvering throughout the disability services system. Through this personal experience, Jean firmly believes it is vitally important for service providers to maintain consistency in their service delivery to multi-cultural communities to foster trust. These underserved communities are often mistrustful of governmental agencies and tend to “fall through cracks,” unaware of their disability rights and available services. Jean believes that service providers need to promote diversity awareness along with increased knowledge of disability issues in all cultures.

In 2001, Jean was an integral player in a team of organizers who sponsored the Second Conference on Asian Pacific Islanders with Disabilities in Oakland, California. The two-day conference themed, “Facing Forward: Creating Disability Pride in our API Communities,” provided information and resources for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders with disabilities and their families and created regarding disability issues and cultural respect. The Conference focused on building a coalition of Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders service providers and consumers to advocate together for the removal of barriers specific to their own cultural communities.

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Kevin Bradley

Kevin Bradley is the Director of Diversity at McDonald's Corporation in Oak Brook, Illinois. In this position he is responsible for leading the Company’s diversity external initiatives in the Asian American and disability communities. To support the restaurant operations, he provides internal support and consultation to the Company in the areas of diversity employment, diversity councils, and people with disabilities and workplace accommodations. His work also includes serving as in internal resource to both the McDonald’s Asian Employee Network and the Asian McDonald’s Operators Association in the area of diversity. Previously, Bradley was the Diversity Manager at RR Donnelley & Sons Company in Chicago. At RR Donnelley, he was responsible for the development and management of the company-wide diversity initiative. He has a background in Human Resources and Diversity with Fortune companies such as United Airlines and Waste Management, Inc. He has been a speaker on Diversity at a number of venues including the National Association of Asian American Professionals’ annual conference and the Society for Human Resources Management’s Diversity Conference and HR Conference. Bradley has served as the Chairperson of the Employer Subcommittee of the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities and is currently a member of Executive Committee of the Illinois Business Leadership Network, which strives to educate small and medium-sized businesses on disability issues. He also serves on the Business Advisory Councils of the Organization of Chinese Americans, the National Association of Asian American Professionals, the Asian American Institute, and the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce. He currently is a member of the Alumni Advisory Board for Northeastern Illinois University and is a 1997 Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow.

Daniel Woody

Daniel Woody has over 10 years of experience in the disability and human resources fields. He has directed employment programs for adults with disabilities in the San Francisco Bay Area, and he has spent last 4 years providing human resource expertise to both non-profit and for-profit organizations. The past two years of which have been spent at Wu Yee Children’s SERvices, an agency that provides family services to low-income Asian communities in San Francisco. Daniel holds a Master’s degree in education from SFSU.

Sallie Rhodes

Sallie Rhodes is the Director of External Relations for the Council for State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR). Prior to joining the Council, Ms. Rhodes served as Disability Policy Director for Senator James Jeffords from 2000-2001.  She also worked under contract for the Social Security Administration, where she assisted in drafting the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for the Ticket to Work Program. From 1986-2000, Rhodes worked for the National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems (NAPAS), first as the Director of Training and later as the Director of Public Policy.  From 1984-1986, Rhodes worked for the National Association of Developmental Disabilities Councils (NADDC) on an Employment Initiative Project. Ms. Rhodes’ diverse employment experiences have

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provided her with an extensive understanding of disability issues and an in-depth knowledge of the programs, projects and services authorized under the Rehabilitation Act.

Rita Martin

Rita Martin is the Director of Membership Services for the Council for State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR). Ms. Martin has more than 28 years of experience in the field of rehabilitation since beginning her career as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, CRC in 1972.  She is the former State Director for the Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program from 1995-2001. During her tenure as State Director, in Indiana she redesigned the Vocational Rehabilitation Services Delivery System, with an emphasis on customer service and customer satisfaction, which resulted in significant yearly increases in the numbers of individuals obtaining employment during her leadership. Ms. Martin is also a past president of the CSAVR and a Mary E. Switzer Scholar. From 1998-2000, Ms. Martin served on the National Workforce Excellence Board established by the Department of Labor. Her knowledge of field services and operating a state agency is of significant value to the State’s Council.

Elizabeth Parker

Elizabeth B. Parker is the Administrator of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, which provides services and support to promote the employment, economic self sufficiency, and independence of persons with disabilities. She has been with the Department of Human Services since March, 1987, and has served in a number of management positions in this department. She has been with the D.C. vocational rehabilitation program for nine years. Prior to her employment with the District of Colombia Government, she worked for 16 years for the Unisys Corporation in McLean, VA in various financial and management positions. She also worked as a school teacher for two years in North Carolina immediately after graduating from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. She is married and has two children and is involved in various community and church organizations and activities.

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STRATEGIC PLAN

Mission: To increase employment opportunities for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) with disabilities.

NTAC’s activities over five years (Oct. 2001 – Sept. 2006) will be guided by a strategic plan in five areas: (1) Technical Assistance (TA), (2) Training, (3) Outreach, (4) Dissemination, and (5)Youth Leadership Development. Your input in the strategic planning process will be valuable in assisting NTAC to achieve (a) responsive and well-coordinated system outcomes, (b) improved employment, (c) independent living, and other quality of life outcomes for AAPIs with disabilities.

The strategic plan is based on input from a variety of stakeholders and network partners during the previous two years and represents NTAC’s continuing commitment to excellence. Outlined below are goals and objectives to this strategic plan. Numbers under each goal indicate objectives and bullet points under each objective represent action plans. You may add more objectives and action plans under each goal. You may choose to respond to all five areas below or simply focus on one area of your expertise. We value your innovative and resourceful ideas regarding solutions to employment barriers for AAPIs with disabilities. Your input will make a difference!

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Dissemination Plan

Goal: Provide Information to Employers and Industry Organizations.

1. Collaborate with Employer Network members to assess information needs of prospective employers and develop strategic dissemination plan.

Disseminate and utilize national databases wrpjobs.com, jan.wvu.edu, earnworks.com, DisabilityInfo.gov to help employers and AAPI job seekers with disabilities to connect with each other.

Provide specific linkages with established, emerging, and potential business leaders’ networks through e.NEWs.

Establish linkages with small businesses through ethnic chambers of commerce, ethnic community media, and Asian American businesses.

2. Develop materials providing information on legal, ethical, and sociocultural issues related to employing AAPIs with disabilities.

Develop information briefs pertaining to legal, ethical, and sociocultural issues related to employing AAPIs with disabilities; especially targeting AAPI employers and chambers of commerce.

Use materials from all sections of the ADA to dispel myths and illuminate abilities. Establish specific linkages with regionally based Disability and Business Technical

Assistance Centers (DBTAC’s) and other ADA Centers that disseminate information and incorporate any relevant materials.

Develop information and training materials based on the data from government research and evaluation focused on a broader perspective of workforce issues.

3. Identify and establish collaborative contacts with employer dissemination channels.

Develop a schedule that includes teleconferencing, on-line discussion, and personal contact with prospective employers.

Provide orientation workshops at conferences for employers and employer organizations, targeting groups such as the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (http://www.apalanet.org), AFL-CIO, and the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (http://www.fapac.org).

4. Disseminate information materials via multiple channels using a variety of accessible formats.

Disseminate products in various formats such as printed materials, electronic distribution, web-site posting, audio/video tapes, and CD-ROMs through nationwide network members’ existing and newly added dissemination channels.

Utilize strands of national conferences to highlight legal, ethical, and sociocultural benefits of employers.

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Training Plan

Goal: Provide Culturally and Linguistically Relevant Training On Legal Provisions.

1. Collaborate with collaborators to assess training needs across national networks and to develop strategic training plan.

Develop a schedule for training and workshops based on the cultural and linguistic needs of AAPIs with disabilities.

Develop a directory of trainers who can meet the specific needs of the AAPI consumers, service providers, and employers.

Provide training in collaboration with regional training conferences.

2. Develop materials on provisions of ADA, Sections 504/508, IDEA, labor law, and Civil Rights legislation with a focus on AAPIs with disabilities.

Develop a series of briefs that explain the provisions of ADA, Sections 504/508, IDEA, labor law, and Civil Rights legislation with a focus on AAPIs with disabilities.

Produce a brief summary of legal information and translate into various Asian and Pacific languages for consumers and employers.

Develop a self-study guide with detailed Q & A format for service providers and consumers with AAPI background.

3. Provide culturally and linguistically relevant training on legal provisions to a range of audiences.

Organize training workshops around national conferences. Utilize strands of national conferences to highlight legal issues. Develop partnerships with other training projects to provide culturally and linguistically

appropriate training to all stakeholders; especially consumers and VR service providers. Include higher education institutions and develop a model training curriculum for use by

partners and network members. Provide an understanding of disability and ability to businesses and AAPI communities

since disability is not seen as positive by most AAPIs. Train VR counselors and staff in more humanistic and practical rehabilitation approaches

instead of the current bureaucratic approaches that make services so unresponsive to real needs of the consumers.

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Outreach Plan

Goal: Provide Educational and Vocational Outreach to AAPIs with Disabilities

1. Collaborate with network members to assess outreach needs across four national networks and develop a strategic outreach plan.

Utilize national teleconference calls and face-to-face meetings to receive input from members and improve the outreach plan.

Conduct a consumer survey across four network members to establish the educational and vocational needs of AAPIs.

Contact key organizations such as Department of Education in each state to focus on youth, transition, and early intervention.

2. Develop consumer outreach materials that are culturally and linguistically relevant for AAPIs.

Develop outreach models using faith-based and community based organizations. Develop an Interactive Web Site that will give technical assistance, disseminate

materials, conduct surveys, and provide online training. Develop multi-lingual AAPI tools/materials that will improve consumer awareness and

job skills. Produce multi-media productions including videotapes and CD-ROMs. Develop cultural competence workshops and products with CIRRIE specifically related

to AAPI cultures. Utilize existing educational material (such as the CIRRIE monographs on

Korean, Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, and Filipino cultures) to inform CIL and VR staff about Asian cultures as they relate to rehabilitation and disability services.

Develop an electronic distribution list for participants. Search for relevant web sites and link to them from project Website.

3. Conduct outreach activities to enhance awareness and knowledge of AAPIs with disabilities, their families, and others providing support.

Identify consumers in training in postsecondary institutions and match them with employers or job site mentors (HIRE.US).

Conduct regional, state, and local workshops and institutes focusing on self-employment, small businesses, and teleworking.

Provide assistance to consumers in the process of securing productive employment that is related to their career goals and interests.

Document barriers, solutions, and employment outcomes during the process of supporting the consumers.

Establish contacts with community leaders who provide services to refugees and welfare recipients.

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Technical Assistance Plan

Goal: Assist Stakeholders to Better Understand Related Issues

1. Collaborate with network members to determine priority issues and assistance methods across four national networks and develop a strategic plan.

Collaborate with consumer organizations to develop a comprehensive strategic plan that will address the issues and employment barriers that AAPI’s with disabilities face.

Conduct focus groups consisting of all stakeholders to assist in prioritizing issues/barriers.

Quantify and qualify necessary literature to assist in prioritizing issues/barriers. Assemble and synthesize information from RSA service data that will assist in outlining

an inclusive strategic plan.

2. Develop materials and activities (workshops, dissemination, etc.) that assist members of all stakeholder groups to better understand relevant issues.

Construct and disseminate a handbook entitled Meeting the Needs of AAPI Persons with Disabilities.

Develop tools like “Question and Answer” documents that helps clarify issues and innovative inclusive strategies.

Plan and present workshops for AAPIs conducted by business professionals to educate AAPIs on what the employer is looking for in attitudes, skills, etc.

Document success stories by consumers or employers.

3. Disseminate materials and conduct activities to assist understanding of relevant issues.

Conduct workshops incorporating the train-the-trainer approach consisting of several topics relevant to all stakeholders.

Disseminate brief and handbook to all stakeholders containing information that will increase employment opportunities for AAPIs with disabilities

Provide AAPI with disabilities education that deals with personal and social adjustment to help them get more integrated into the community

Present workshops that help the AAPI with disabilities develop better self-confidence and self-esteem so that they know that “they can do it”.

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Youth Leadership Development Plan

Goal: Develop a Corps of AAPI Leaders with Disabilities

1. Collaborate with network members to assess leadership needs of AAPIs with disabilities and develop a strategic youth leadership development plan

Develop a strategic youth leadership development plan focusing on leadership development issues.

Determine critical needs to recruit and support AAPI youth leadership. Coordinate with other national youth leadership development activities. Leverage resources by tapping into other government and non-profit organizations with

similar mentoring and leadership projects (e.g. National Mentoring Day for people with disabilities).

Develop mechanisms for youth leaders as peers to do outreach and networking with other youth leaders (with or without disabilities).

2. Identify and recruit: (1) AAPI youth with disabilities who have high leadership potential and (2) AAPI adults with disabilities to serve as youth mentors.

Recruit 10-15 AAPI youth with disabilities who are capable of implementing and carrying out leadership roles through National Networks.

Recruit mentors through National Networks to serve as job-site mentors, offering assistance to youth members who have questions about their roles.

Create a database of profiles of AAPIs with disabilities who are high schools. Create a database of profiles of AAPIs with disabilities who are in graduate and college

programs. Utilize already existing business-school relationships developed through the Federal

School-to-Work initiatives or Ticket to Work.

3. Conduct youth leadership development activities (training events, one-on-one mentoring, etc.).

Conduct Training Institutes for youth leadership development. Conduct Training Institutes in collaboration with nationwide conferences focused on

disability and minority issues. Develop and support ongoing one-on-one mentoring activities. Compile success stories with profiles of AAPI leaders with disabilities. Evaluate and improve training and support activities. Provide role models to young persons in high schools in relation to their career goals.

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VII. Strategic Planning National Summit Evaluation Results

Direction: Please indicate answer by circling the number based on a scale of 1-5, where 1=very little, and 5=very much.

(1) Did the keynote addresses meet the summit objective to gain input from key national representatives for strategic planning to increase employment opportunities for AAPIs with disabilities? (4.0 Average response)

(2) Did the panel presentations and address the appropriate solutions to employment barriers? Consumers Panel (3.9 Average response)

Vocational Rehabilitation Panel (3.9 Average response)

Employers Panel (4.4 Average response)

(3) Did the summit provide you with a clear vision of NTAC’s strategic planning for next year and beyond?

(3.5 Average response)

Please provide one strategic plan that NTAC should do to increase employment opportunities for AAPIs with disabilities.

Present outcomes and performance evaluation of job training or skill program to potential employers

Interact with more employees as stated in the last panel Link with AAPI students in high schools and become involved with

transition planning. Explain disabilities to all employers and AAPI groups Increase outreach in the community using other people with disabilities

in various groups to dialogue about programs and services Look at transportation issues, culturally competent services, and

business partnerships Speak to Employer groups First learn about Pacific Island cultures. Everything today seemed to be

ASIAN, nothing pacific island related. Network with employer (business) national conferences and ask to be

included as part of their program activities to do a presentation on AAPI employment opportunities.

Outreach for Pacific Islanders Invite Employers

(4) What is the level of your commitment to assist NTAC in increasing employment opportunities for AAPIs with disabilities?

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Before the summit (3.4 Average response)After the summit (4.0 Average response)

(5) Reflecting on this summit, how do you see yourself assisting AAPIs with disabilities in the coming year?

Provide technical assistance (9 people responded)Outreach to AAPI communities (3 people responded)Provide training to VR personnel (9 people responded)Disseminate information to Employers (13 people responded)Identify & recruit AAPIs with disabilities (6 people responded)Disseminate information to AAPI community leaders (6 people responded)

Others:

utilize some of the information in my position at NIDRR, coordination, connect with our agency’s TA for joint initiatives, within

deaf community, collaborate with NTAC staff by phone, and inviting all stakeholders to IEP’s/transitions.

Based on (5), please describe one action plan YOU (or your organization) would do to increase AAPI employment outcomes e.g., mentoring AAPI with a disability and outreaching in their communities.

I would love to mentor one or two AAPI with a disability Increase the publicity/awareness to the AAPI families with disability

family members about NTAC and their services Survey business/Asian community interest; Increase employment with

AAPI with disabilities I will help my agency to tailor information materials/and research

findings to benefit AAPI audiences & service providers Provide names of potential AAPI youth with disabilities regarding

NTAC's youth leadership goal. In November, I think a possible *Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee Dialogue would be a great starting place.--G. Hawkins, NCD Policy Team

Work more closely with service providers in SF Speak @ Employers Events Outreach and mentor Bring this issue to the forefront in the business community Inviting all possible stakeholders to IEP's/transitions Join BLN Work with VR and other employment-related entities to develop

linguistic/cultural competence and disability competence

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Participant List

Dr. Robert PasternackAssistant Secretary OSERSOrganizational Structure and OfficesU.S. Department of Education330 C Street SW, MES 3006Washington, DC 20202Phone: 202-205-5465Fax: 202-205-9252Robert.Pasternack@ed.gov

Dr. Roy GrizzardAssistant SecretaryU.S. Department of Labor200 Constitution Avenue, NWSuite S1303Washington, DC 20210Phone: 202 693-7880Fax: 202 693-7888Contact Person: Nancy Skaggsskaggs-nancy@dol.gov

Elizabeth B. ParkerAdministratorRehabilitation Services Administration810 First Street, NE, Suite 10004WashingtonPhone: 202 442-8663Fax: 202 442-8742elizabeth.parker@dc.gov

John T.C. YehPresidentViable Technologies, Inc.9401 Fox Hollow DrivePotomac, MD 20854Phone: 301-905-2764Fax: 301-983-0358johnyeh@viabletechnologies.com

Erik F. WangCommission LiaisonWhite House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders5600 Fishers Lane, Room 10-42Rockville, MD 20854Phone: 301 443-2492Fax: 301 443-0259ewang@hrsa.gov

Sallie RhodesDirector of External RelationsCouncil of State Administrators of VR4733 Bethesda AvenueSuite 330BethesdaPhone: 301 654-8414Fax: 301 654-5542sallierhodes@rehabnetwork.org

Kevin BradleyDirector Diversity InitiativesMcDonald's Corporation2111 McDonald's DriveDepartment 147Oak Brook, IL 60523Phone: 630-623-5829Fax: 630-623-7232kevin.bradley@mcd.com

Joanne WilsonCommissionerU.S. Department of EducationRehabilitation Services Administration (RSA)330 C Street SWRoom 3028Washington, DC 20202-2531Phone: 202-205-5482Fax: 202-205-9874joanne.wilson@ed.gov

Daniel WoodyHuman Resource ManagerWu Yee Children's Services831 BroadwaySan Francisco, CA 94133Phone: 415 277-0525Fax: 415 391-4716daniel@wuyee.org

Jean LinMulticultural Affairs AdvocateProtection and Advocacy, Inc.433 Hegenberger RoadSuite 220Oakland, CA 94621Phone: 510 430-8033Fax: 510 430-8246jean.lin@pai-ca.org

Wendy Hsu4812 Camelot StreetRockville, MD 20853301 933-6787wenpure@hotmail.com

Rita MartinDirector of Membership ServicesCouncil of State Administrator's of VR4733 Bethesda Avenue, Suite 330Bethesda, MD 20815Phone: 301-654-8414rmartin@rehabnetwork.org

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June KuehnDistrict AdministratorState of CaliforniaDepartment of Rehabilitation222 S. Harbor BoulevardSuite 300Anaheim, CA 92805Phone: 714-991-0833Fax: 714-991-0844jkuehn@dor.ca.gov

Dr. Gerrie HawkinsProgram SpecialistNational Council on Disability1331 F Street NW, Suite 850Washington, DC 20004Phone: 202-272-2116Fax: 202-272-2022drghawkins@hotmail.com

Dr. Yuehtsen ChungUniversity of Bristol & Cambridge University11800 Berans RoadTimonium, MD Phone: 410-308-8991yuehtsen@yahoo.com

Dr. Susanne M. BruyereDirectorProgram on Employment & Disability School of Industrial & Labor RelationsCornell University331 IvesIthaca, NY 14853-3901Phone: 607-255-9536smb23@cornell.edu

Marlene BurroughsAssociate Division DirectorU.S. Department of EducationSecondary/Trans/PostsecondaryOffice of Special Education Programs330 C Street SW, MES 3517Washington, DC 20202-2641Phone: 202-205-9089Marlene.Simon@ed.gov

Daniel HayimGeneral ManagerBurlington Coat Factory899 Howard StreetSan Francisco, CA 94103Phone: 451-495-7235store.144@coat.com

Dawn LeAccount ExecutiveSolutions Linx18341 Ductchess DriveP.O. Box 476Olney, MD 20830Phone: 301-260-1516Fax: 775-521-9866dawn.le@in2-solutions.com

Kim B. KimExecutive DirectorKorean Resource Center3201 Rogers Avenue, Suite 203Ellicott City, MD 21043Phone: 410-203-1111Fax: 410 203-2685kbkim@korean-center.org

Marie CamposPolicy & Program AssociateAmerican Association of People with Disabilities1629 K Street, NW, Suite 503Washington, DC 20006Phone: 202-840-8844Fax: 202-457-0473aapd@aol.com

Dr. Steve L. SpencerSenior Research AssociateInterwork InstituteCenter for Pacific StudiesSan Diego State University3590 Camino Del Rio NorthSan Diego, CA 92108Phone: 858 335-9690Fax: 619 594-8807sspencer@interwork.sdsu.edu

Susan M. DoohaExecutive DirectorCenter for Independence of Disabled in New York841 Broadway #205New York, NY 10003Phone: 212-674-2300 x140Fax: 212-254-5953sdooha@cidny.org

Lana SmartDirectorNational Business & Disability Council201 I.U. Willets RoadAlbertson, NY Phone: 516 465-1510Fax: 516 465-3730smart@business-disability.com

Ching-San HuangTaiwanese American Volunteer Group LeaderTaiwanese Association of America, USA14416 Settlers Landing WayGaithersburg, MDPhone: 301 903-1161Fax: 301 217-9384

Judith GilliomDisability Program ManagerDepartment of Defense4000 Defense PentagonRoom 3A272Washington, DCPhone: 703 697-8661Judy.Gilliom@osd.mil

Joanne NicholsDirectorCNMI Public School SystemCNMI, Special Education ProgramsP.O. Box 501370Saipan, MP 96950Phone: 670 664-3731Fax: 670 664-3774nichollsj@pss.cnmi.mp

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cshuang2@yahoo.com

Maggie LeedyCoordinator, One Stop ServicesMontgomery Works11160 Veirs Mill RoadSouth Office BuildingWheaton, MD 20902Phone: 301 929-6880Fax: 301 933-4427mleedy@montgomeryworks.com

Felicitas AbrahamOVR DirectorCNMI Office of Vocational RehabilitationP.O. Box 504815Saipan, MP 96950Phone: 670 664-6448Fax: 670 322-6536Voc.Rehab@Saipan.com

Daniel L. CamachoParent RepresentativeP.O. Box 502432Saipan, MP 96950Phone: 670 234-6130Fax: 670 664-3070

Dr. Selete AvokeU.S. Department of EducationOffice of Special Education Programs330 C Street SW, MES 3515Washington, DC 20202Phone: 202-205-8157selete_avoke@ed.gov

Richard EnsorManpower/DevelopmentU.S. Department of LaborU.S. Employment & Training Administration200 Constitution Avenue NWRoom S-4231Washington, DC 20210Phone: 202 693-2792Fax: 202 693-3015ensor.richard@dol.gov

Michele B. OlopaiActing Executive DirectorWorkforce Investment AgencyCaller Box 10007Gov't Housing #1215Saipan, MP 96950Phone: 670 661-1700Fax: 670 322-7333gov.wia3@gtepacifica.net

Lee Roy P. LimesIntake ClerkWorkforce Investment AgencyCaller Box 10007Gov't Housing #1215Saipan, MP 96950Phone: 670 661-1700Fax: 670 322-7333gov.wia@gtepacifica.net

Marian PierceChairpersonWorkforce Investment AgencyCaller Box 10007Gov't Housing #1215Saipan, MP 96950Phone: 670 661-1700Fax: 670 322-7333

Christina TechioContent CoordinatorU.S. Department of Labor ETAU.S. DOL/Office of Youth Services200 Constitution Avenue NWRoom N 4511WashingtonPhone: 202 693-3599Fax: 202 693-3113techico.christina@dol.gov

Sovan TunPresidentCambodian Buddhist Society, Inc.13800 New Hampshire AvenueSilver Spring, MD 20904Phone: 202 663-4796sntun@yahoo.com

C. Deanna LewisWorkforce Development CoordinatorHome Builders Institute1201 15th Street, NW, 6th FloorWashington, DC 20005Phone: 202 266-8927Fax: 202 266-8999lewisd@hbi.org

Cathy HealyProgram OfficerU.S. Chamber of CommerceCenter for Workforce Preparation1615 H Street, NWWashington, DC 20062-2000Phone: 202-463-5970Fax: 202-463-5308chealy@uschamber.com

Elena M. CarrExecutive DirectorU.S. Department of LaborOffice of the Assistant Secretary of Policy200 Constitution Avenue, NWRoom S-2312Washington, DC 20210Phone: 202 693-5078Fax: 202 693-5961

Carolyn WongStaff DirectorDiversity Management & EEODepartment of Veterans Affairs810 Vermont Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20420Phone: 202 501-1970Fax: 202 501-2145carolyn.wong@mail.va.gov

Konoka IzumiGrants AdministratorENDependence Center of Northern Virginia3100 Clarendon BoulevardArlington, VA 22201Phone: 703 525-3268Fax: 703 525-3585konokai@ecnv.org

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carr.elena@dol.govSherril HurdManpower AnalystU.S. Department of Labor/ETA200 Constitution Avenue, NWRoom N5637Washington, DC 20210Phone: 202 693-3637Fax: 202 693-2765hurd.sherril@dol.gov

Barbara CooperWorking for an Alcohol and Drug-Free WorkplaceU.S. Department of Labor200 Constitution AvenueRoom S-2312Washington, DC 20210Phone: 202 693-5913Fax: 202 693-5961cooper-barbara@dol.gov

Noemi HymanNational Program Manager, People w/DisabilitiesDepartment of Veterans Affairs810 Vermont Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20420Phone: 202 501-2031Fax: 202 501-2145noemi.hyman@mail.va.gov

Alexander ChanPresidentFederal Asian and Pacific American CouncilP.O. BoxWashington, DC 20026-3184202 418-0842202 418-1392fapac@fapac.org

Dr. Madan KunduChairperson and ProfessorDepartment of Rehabilitation and Disability StudiesSouthern University229 Blanks HallBaton Rouge, LA 70813Phone: 225 771-2819Fax: 225-771-2293kundusubr@aol.com

Michelle R. EnnisManpower AnalystU.S. Department of Labor/ETA200 Constitution Avenue, NWRoom N5637Washington, DC 20210-0002Phone: 202 693-3636Fax: 202 693-2766ennis.michelle@do.gov

Joyce JonesActing DirectorADA Policy DivisionEqual Employment Opportunity Commission1801 L Street, NWWashington, DC 20507joyce.walker@eeoc.gov

Rosyln EdsonRehabilitation Program SpecialistU.S. Department of EducationNIDRR330 C Street, SWWashington, DC 20202Phone: 202 205-8134Fax: 202 205-8515roslyn.edson@ed.gov

Young Dae ChaLOKA-USALeague of Korean Americans1809 Tufa TerraceSilver Spring, MD 20904Phone: 301 989-3460youngdaecha@aol.com

Adarien JacksonDepartment of Defense

Jate PanDHS.DCPhone: 202 279-6873jate.pan@dc.gov

Pollie BithAssistant SpecialistCenter on Disability StudiesNational Technical Assistance CenterUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa1776 University Ave., UA 4-6Honolulu, HI 96822Phone: 808-956-5048Fax: 808-956-7878pollie@hawaii.edu

Dr. Robert StoddenProfessor and DirectorCenter on Disability StudiesUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa1776 University Ave., UA 4-6Honolulu, HI 96822Phone: 808-956-9199Fax: 808-956-5713stodden@hawaii.edu

Dr. Weol Soon Kim-RupnowAssistant ProfessorCreating Futures ProjectsUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa1776 University Ave., UA 1-6Honolulu, HI 96822Phone: 808-956-5048kimrupno@hawaii.edu

Dr. Theresa WhellyCoordinator of ResearchRehabilitation Research and Training CenterUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa1776 University Ave., UA 4-6Honolulu, HI 96822Phone: 808-956-9142Fax: 808-956-7878

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whelley@hawaii.eduJuana Tabali WeirAdministrative AssistantRehabilitation Research and Training CenterUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa1776 University Ave., UA 4-6Honolulu, HI 96822Phone: 808-956-3975Fax: 808-956-5713juana@hawaii.edu

Velina SugiyamaAdministrative AssistantCenter on Disability StudiesNational Center on Secondary Ed. & TransitionUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa1776 University Ave., UA 4-6Honolulu, HI 96822Phone: 808-956-5688Fax: 808-956-7878velina@hawaii.edu

Margarita CholymayGraduate AssistantCenter on Disability StudiesNational Center on Secondary Ed & TransitionUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa1776 University Ave.,UA 4-6Honolulu, HI 96822Phone: 808-956-2193cholymay@hawaii.edu

Dr. Megan ConwayAssistant ProfessorCenter on Disability StudiesNational Center on Secondary Education and TransitionUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa1776 University Ave., UA 4-6Honolulu, HI 96822Phone: 808-956-6166Fax: 808-956-7878mconway@hawaii.edu

Thomas ConwayMedia CoordinatorCenter on Disability StudiesMedia CenterUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa1776 University Ave., UA 4-6Honolulu, HI 96822Phone: 808-956-7991Fax: 808-956-2643tconway@hawaii.edu

Kelly ChangGraduate AssistantNational Center on Secondary Education and TransitionUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa1776 University Ave., UA 4-6Honolulu, HI 96822Phone: 808-956-5282GenXPress@aol.com

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