Here is today's Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC) Disability News message.  Please feel free to share with others. 

Martha

*Martha K. Gabehart* | "Executive Director
"Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC)
*Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
*900 SW Jackson, Suite 100 | Topeka, Kansas 66612
(785) 296-6525 (direct) | (785) 260-4027 (cell)

[email protected] | www.kcdcinfo.ks.gov [ [link removed] ]

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This message is from the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and is their ODEP News Brief.

October 6, 2023

NDEAM 2023 Kicks Off Across the Nation

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) 2023 kicked off this week, with employers, educators, services professionals, advocacy organizations and others implementing a wide variety of events across the nation. To start the annual campaign, President Biden issued an official proclamation recognizing the immense contributions of disabled Americans and the Administration's commitment to delivering America's full promise of equal dignity, respect and opportunity for every American. ODEP also published a blog post and an updated video [ [link removed] ] highlighting this year's theme, "Advancing Access and Equity", as well as resources available to assist in planning observances.

• Read the NDEAM Presidential Proclamation [ [link removed] ]

• Read the NDEAM blog post [ [link removed] ]

• Visit the NDEAM website [ [link removed] ]

Examining 50 Years of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 – Advancing Access and Equity for Individuals with Disabilities

In a new post on the DOL blog, ODEP Assistant Secretary Taryn Williams discusses changes in the disability employment landscape since the passage of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the department's commitment to continuing progress made. This includes advancing competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities, and as part of this, the department will be engaging stakeholders in a comprehensive review of the 14(c) program to re-examine its use and future viability. The blog post is the last in a series honoring the Rehabilitation Act's 50th anniversary this year.

• Read the blog post [ [link removed] ]

What Employers Can Do When They Cannot Identify an Effective Accommodation

Often, effective workplace accommodations are easy to identify. But what should employers do when that's not the case? A new resource from ODEP's Job Accommodation Network (JAN) explains options to consider when an employer is not able to identify an accommodation after making a good faith effort to do so. These include communicating further with the employee, seeking guidance from outside resources, trial accommodations, job reassignment and more.

• Access the new JAN resource [ [link removed] ]

EARN Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Rehab Act with Two New Resources

The Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) marks the 50th anniversary of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 by adding two new resources on the federal government's Schedule A hiring authority to its Section 501 Info Center [ [link removed] ]. This info center includes a collection of guides and information federal employers can explore to bolster their diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) goals as they relate to the Rehab Act and become a model employer of people with disabilities.

• Resource Guide: Schedule A Excepted Service Hiring Authority for People with Disabilities [ [link removed] ]

• Frequently Asked Questions About the Schedule A Excepted Service Hiring Authority for People with Disabilities [ [link removed] ]

Gain Money Smart Skills with Financial Education Tools 

Financial education plays a pivotal role in every aspect of one's life as it provides knowledge and skills on how to manage money. Join the LEAD Center on Tuesday, October 24, from 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET for the webinar "Help Jobseekers Gain Money Smart Skills with Financial Education Tools." This webinar will provide an overview of why financial education is vital in the pre-employment process and highlight the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's (FDIC) Money Smart suite of free tools, including curriculum and online games. This webinar will also share examples of how workforce development organizations have incorporated financial education within their programs.

• Register for the webinar now [ [link removed] ]

Become a Core State 

ODEP is soliciting applications from a team of state government agencies (SGAs) to receive technical assistance through ODEP's National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network (NEON) initiative. Core NEON States will also receive intensive policy consulting, capacity building support and ongoing mentoring through onsite, telecommunications and virtual mediums to support the strategic aims of their efforts to increase competitive integrated employment (CIE) for individuals with disabilities. In addition, states who participated in NEON during 2022-2023 will be eligible to request a one-time allotment of up to 50 hours to complete unfinished tasks from the previous NEON contract through this application. 

• Start your application now  [ [link removed] ]

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Disability Employment Policy
DRIVING CHANGE • CREATING OPPORTUNITY

View this newsletter on our website [ [link removed] ]

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The Kansas Office of Broadband Development (KOBD) published their Broadband Digital Equity Plan for public comment.  KOBD is responsible for distributing funds for expanding broadband access in Kansas.  Here is a link to the press release [ [link removed] ] for the plan and comment period. 

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