1. My Favorite Year

    Photo of Cindy Battles In my last post, I wrote about some of the part-time jobs I have had while receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). One year-long job particularly stands out in my memory because it was my favorite. Was there ever a job that you really loved? That brought out skills you hardly knew you possessed? That brought unexpected gratification? I suggest you examine that job again and ask why. The answer will tell you what is important to you for any future positions and necessities you may look for while still receiving your SSDI.

    I recall working part-time for a gardening supply catalogue company. I started out answering phones, but later moved on to writing sales copy for items offered in the catalogue - interesting items like bat houses and elaborate bird baths. It was fun but very pressured. Sometimes I only was given 15 minutes to type out copy for an item before the publicity department wanted my draft.

    But the thing that struck me about this position was the people. The kindness of my co-workers. At this job I found out how important it was for me to click with the people I work with. It made me feel secure and less anxious in my part-time spot. They gave me a giant, thriving purple geranium on my last day for my porch. They were so warm.

    I left to work at a job that offered better pay but uncomfortably chilly co-workers. The people at the gardener’s supply company were sweet “crunchy granola types” (the job was in crunchy granola Burlington, Vermont, afterall) and I got to put my untapped writing and promotional skills to use. I was promoted from receptionist to part-time Public Relations Assistant. Sometimes I ever wonder why I left and have a few regrets. But I have good memories.

    Last time I wrote about the value of work beyond pay - this job experience was a key example. It helped me find out that I really am a people person! What’s your favorite job? Chances are it will you something about yourself and what you value in the workplace. Look back at your employment past. You’ll find out a lot about yourself that you may just use in your future job hunting.

    May I also recommend an excellent book to follow up? “How to Click with People: The Secret to Better Relationships in Business and in Life” by Rick Kirschner. Full of hundreds of practical tips for getting along at the office. Even on your email!

    Cindy

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    Cindy Battles is a freelance writer based in Rutland, VT, winner of the National Disability Institute’s 2008 Blog Contest and a regular contributor here on the Real Economic Impact blog.

  2. The Value of My Work

    Receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) offers me monthly a modest unearned income.  I have several friends on SSDI who don’t work.  For various reasons they are not able to hold down a job but most of them do volunteer. 

    I need and want the extra income and vital structure of working.  Even if I can’t work in a full-time office setting now due to my physical and mental health issues, I can work out of my home on my computer.  I get paid per article I research, word process, draft, and polish for publication.  

    These magazine paychecks are so valuable to me.  They are almost symbolic.  I feel like, getting paid for my research and writing, I am still contributing to society.  And when someone stops me on the street in my hometown and says, “Hey, Cindy, I enjoyed your last article” (for instance, on a pediatric care center) I feel ten feet tall!

    Jobs that I have done while on SSDI include tutoring English at the local junior high (still do), working as a phone rep for a Vermont gifts company during fall/winter (seasonal high sales periods), and before my feet developed such severe arthritis, working as a home health care aide sometimes making patients breakfasts and changing their bed sheets. Other times just providing afternoon care and companionship playing cards with an elder confined to their home.

    I don’t come anywhere near a level of earnings that would cause me to lose my SSDI, but I find the daily structure of working to be the most important aspect of being a part-time freelance writer.  Meeting with interviewees, digging in the Rutland Historical Society archives and the city library’s old newspaper microfiche files, calling my subjects, touching base with town historians, and emailing my editor keep me feeling alive and useful.  I get paid for doing what I love. It’s an important piece of my American Dream. That’s why I work on SSDI.  How about you?  I’d love to hear about your job from you…

    Work it!

    Cindy     

  3. WorkWORLD - Website of the Week →

    Screen cap of WorkWORLD home page

    WorkWORLD is a Decision Support Tool for people with disabilities and families who are receiving public benefits. It represents innovative software for personal computers designed to help people with disabilities, advocates, benefit counselors, and others explore and understand how to best use the work incentives associated with the various Federal and State disability and poverty benefit programs.

    WorkWORLD automates the computation of benefits, and takes into account the complex interaction of income, benefit programs, and work incentives. Integrated, synchronized, closed-captioned multi-media demonstrations of WorkWORLD are now available on the website. Tutorial modules explain WorkWORLD’s features and show many aspects of its operation, while presentation modules discuss the software’s use in the broader context of benefits planning and service delivery for individuals.

    WorkWORLD is currently free to residents of Virginia. State agencies, community-based organizations, and individuals can help build a state funding pool to make WorkWORLD free to residents of their state by making pledges to support WorkWORLD. Read more at the WorkWORLD website. WorkWORLD is also available for purchase for those outside of Virginia.

    • $50 - Complete WorkWORLD software (includes the Help/Information System)
    • $25 - Stand-alone WorkWORLD Help/Information System software only
    • Each paid order includes a free one-year automatic subscription to all available software updates.

  4. Social Security Administration's Ticket to Work Program - Website of the Week →

    Screen capture of the Ticket to Work Website Homepage

    Social Security’s Ticket to Work program supports career development for people with disabilities who want to work. Social Security disability beneficiaries 18 through 64 qualify. The Ticket program is free and voluntary and exists specifically to help people with disabilities progress toward financial self-sufficiency. The Ticket program is a good fit for people who would like to improve their earning potential and who are committed to preparing for long-term success in the workforce. Ticket to Work offers beneficiaries with disabilities improved access to meaningful employment with the help of specialized providers. If you are ready to go to work, Ticket to Work and Work Incentives professionals are available to help you.

    Visit the Ticket to Work Website to get answers to your questions, access information and resources, and receive expert advice on Work Incentives and the Ticket to Work program.

  5. Return-to-Work Toolkit for Employees & Employers - Website of the Week →

    Screen capture of ODEP's Return to Work Toolkit

    This recently updated toolkit from the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) helps both employers and employees understand the return-to-work process and provides resources to assist in getting employees back on the job quickly and smoothly.  Effective return-to-work approaches can help employees work while still recuperating, protecting their earning power and boosting an organization’s output. Furthermore, in many instances, work itself plays an important role in the recovery process.

    Employees

    With effective accommodations and a clear understanding of the return-to-work process, you can be back on the job sooner and retain your income. Use this toolkit to get started.

    Employers

    Strategies to return employees to work as quickly and smoothly as possible benefit everyone. Use this toolkit to learn about the tools and resources available to assist you with the return-to-work process.

     

  6. Evaluating the Implementation and Outcomes of Secondary Supported Employment Programs for Students with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities - Publication of the Week →

    Cover of "Evaluating the Implementation and Outcomes of Secondary Supported Employment Programs for Students with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities"The Center on Transition to Employment for Youth with Disabilities Issue Brief

    Supported employment increasingly has become understood by professionals, parents, employers, and individuals with disabilities as a valuable way to provide essential support for jobseekers with disabilities who have never worked before or who are considered as not having the potential to succeed (e.g., Luecking, 2009; Wehman, Inge, Revell & Brooke, 2007). This approach focuses on the use of a trained employment specialist working collaboratively with the business to enhance the training and productivity of the worker with a disability. This brief will outline a study involving school-based supported employment programs in Virginia to generate new knowledge regarding the effectiveness of these programs as an employment-focused transition practice for youth with intellectual or other developmental disabilities.

    Download the issue brief (PDF)

  7. Fact Sheet: Job Opportunities For Individuals With Disabilities - Publication of the Week →

    This fact sheet (available as a webpage or a downloadable PDF) summarizes the process of applying for a federal employment position for  individuals with disabilities. The fact sheet also explains the standing special appointments for persons with severe disabilities and veterans with disabilities and details how individuals apply for federal positions can request reasonable accommodations.

  8. Partners in Employment - Website of the Week →

    Screenshot of Partners in Employment webpage

    Partners in Employment is a free self-study online course designed to help people with developmental disabilities find meaningful jobs and jumpstart their careers. The course was created by The Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities as part of Partners in Policy, an innovative, award-winning leadership training program for adults with developmental disabilities and the parents of young children with developmental disabilities throughout the world.

    Partners in Employment was created to give users the practical skills needed to find real, competitive employment in the community. The course helps users learn how other people with disabilities have overcome common obstacles to find jobs and succeed in the workplace.

    The main goals of the Partners in Employment online course:

    • Understand the hiring process and how it might differ for people with developmental disabilities;
    • Understand supported and competitive employment;
    • Identify a “circle of friends” who can help you achieve your dream;
    • Know your strengths, skills and interests and how they might translate into a career;
    • Understand how technology skills can help people with disabilities find meaningful employment;
    • Understand natural supports and how they might help you succeed;
    • Create a resume or portfolio that presents you and your abilities in the best light; Know how to network and identify potential employers;
    • Be prepared for a successful job interview;
    • Know how to evaluate a job offer to make sure it fits your skills and dreams!

  9. Emerging Employment Issues for People with Disabilities - Publication of the Week →

    written by Cornell University Employment and Disability Institute and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
    December 2011

    Cover of "Emerging Employment Issues for People with Disabilities"[The following is taken from the Abstract.]

    People with disabilities are employed at less than half the rate of their non-disabled peers, and the current economic climate is making it even harder for people with disabilities to obtain employment (Kaye, 2010). During the summer and fall of 2011, Cornell University’s Employment and Disability Institute and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) collaborated on the development and implementation of a survey on current critical issues around the employment of people with disabilities.

    This survey focused on people with disabilities and their perspectives – only the “supply end” of the employment equation. The results provide a window into the experience of individuals with disabilities in the application and employment process. Interestingly, disclosure was an issue that appeared in all three sections of the survey: disability disclosure, leave as a reasonable accommodation, and the use of job applicant screeners. Respondents discussed the sometimes complex decision of whether to disclose and the barriers and rewards for such disclosure. In the section on workplace leave, several respondents mentioned the need to disclose when requesting and/or returning for leave. This sometimes changed their workplace experience significantly – sometime for the better, but often for the worse. There was also a fear of disclosure associated with job screeners such as credit checks and employment history. Respondents were concerned that a credit check might reveal Supplemental Security Income (SSI)/Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) receipt or medical debt, unintentionally informing an employer of an individual’s disability or health issue. Similarly, respondents were concerned that an employment history with gaps may alert an employer that an applicant has a disability. A wide range of experiences and perspectives were uncovered in this study, both positive and negative. Policy makers, employers (“demand-side”) and others may use this information to guide policy that will lead to more inclusive hiring and retention of individuals with disabilities, ideally, improving the employment situation for people with disabilities.

  10. Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success - Publication of the Week →

    Cover of "Skills to Pay the Bills"“Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success,” is a curriculum developed by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), focused on teaching “soft” or workforce readiness skills to youth, including youth with disabilities. Created for youth development professionals as an introduction to workplace interpersonal and professional skills, the curriculum is targeted for youth ages 14 to 21 in both in-school and out-of-school environments. The basic structure of the program is comprised of modular, hands-on, engaging activities that focus on six key skill areas: communication, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, networking, problem solving and critical thinking, and professionalism.