JAN E-News: Volume 3, Issue 2

JAN E-News is the quarterly newsletter of the Job Accommodation Network. JAN is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy. This newsletter will help keep you informed of new work site accommodation tools and techniques, changes at JAN, and other issues important to improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Disclaimer: This document does not represent a statement of policy by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Please use the links at the end of this document to subscribe, unsubscribe, and contact us.

Index

1. 2005 JAN Conference Details on Web
2. Resources for People with Mental Health Impairments
3. Technology Spotlight: Communication Access Technology for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
4. How Does a Person with a Disability Decide on a Self-Employment Business Concept?
5. JAN Exhibit and Training Schedule
6. Contact JAN

1 - 2005 JAN Conference Details on Web

The 2005 JAN Annual Conference will be held on Monday, September 26 and Tuesday, September 27 at the Westin San Francisco Airport hotel. The conference includes full group sessions and three breakout tracks addressing accommodation issues, innovative employment practices, and ADA/legal issues. The exhibit area provides the opportunity for hands-on experience with technologies and for one-on-one conversations with suppliers of goods and services.

2 - Resources for People with Mental Health Impairments

There are many helpful resources available to assist people with mental health impairments, if needed. These include employer-based assistance, support programs, treatment facilities, advocacy organizations, and telephone assistance lines. Resources are available at the local, state, and national level through a variety of methods such as support group participation, individual or group treatment, and crisis intervention services. Information can also be accessed on-line, by mail, and by phone.

In the workplace, some employers establish an employee assistance program (EAP) or a wellness program to provide guidance, support, and education for employees. If needed, an employer might also assist an employee with a disability by providing an accommodation such as allowing the person to take a break to contact his or her healthcare professional, providing a modified schedule so the person can attend an appointment, or providing leave so the person can participate in treatment.

Support groups for people with mental health impairments might be sponsored locally by a hospital, mental health center, college, non-profit agency, or by a group of individuals with disabilities. Local support groups are sometimes advertised in the newspaper or on bulletin boards. Support groups may also be found online by doing an Internet search for a specific impairment.

The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) at http://www.nami.org is a “nonprofit, grassroots, self-help, support and advocacy organization of consumers, families, and friends of people with severe mental illnesses.” You can contact NAMI’s information line at 800-950-NAMI (6264) (v) or 703-516-7227(tty).

The National Mental Health Information Center at 800-789-2647 (v) or 866-889-2647(tty) provides a service locator that lists facilities and services by state at http://www.mentalhealth.org/databases.

Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are local non-profit organizations that provide services such as advocacy, independent living skills training, information, and referrals that can enhance the independence of people with disabilities within the community. CILs around the country are listed at http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/index.html.

Protection and Advocacy (P&A) can provide legal representation and other advocacy services to people with disabilities under federal and state laws. For more information about P&A nationally, review http://www.jan.wvu.edu/cgi-win/TypeQuery.exe?560.

Crisis Intervention
A valuable tool in helping a person who is experiencing a mental health crisis is proactive support from friends and family. If crisis intervention is needed, it may be necessary to contact 911 or go to a local emergency room. The National HopeLine Network at http://www.hopeline.com provides a national suicide prevention hotline at 800-SUICIDE (784-2433) (v) or 1-800-448-1833 (tty). You can check with your local mental health center to find out if they offer a crisis intervention team or crisis hotline. Check your local telephone book for additional emergency contact numbers.

ADA and Accommodation Related Resources
EEOC Enforcement Guidance on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Psychiatric Disabilities 800-669-4000(v) or 800-669-6820 (tty). http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/psych.html
JAN by Disability A to Z: Accommodation Ideas for Psychiatric Impairments http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/psyc.htm

- Carmen Fullmer

3 - Technology Spotlight: Communication Access Technology for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Can you imagine a device that can listen to your spoken words and then translate those words into sign language? Have you ever thought about a telephone that can produce word-for-word captions of a live telephone conversation? Or, what about a keyboard that can send and display typed messages to another keyboard without a computer? For many people who are deaf or hard of hearing, technology that could do these things once may have seemed impossible, but not now. In this edition of the JAN E-news, we introduce a few products that enable communication access for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

iCommunicator 4.0
Looking for technology that can translate speech or text to sign language? The iCommunicator is a software system that uses speech-to-text technology to translate spoken language into real time on-screen text or video sign language. The system can also be used to translate text to computer-generated voice or video sign language. The iCommunicator provides speakers the opportunity to easily and directly converse with persons with different communication needs and enables communication access in situations when an interpreter may not be readily available. Using the iText tool, the iCommunicator can also be used to convert documents, email, and Web pages into speech or video sign language. For more information about the iCommunicator, visit 1450, Inc. at http://www.myicommunicator.com or call 1-888-933-0001.

CapTel
Have you ever had difficulty understanding the person on the other end of the line during a telephone conversation and wished there was a phone that could provide captions? The CapTel, or Captioned Telephone, is a phone that produces live captions during a telephone conversation. When a call is placed using a CapTel phone, the phone automatically dials into the free CapTel captioning service, which is available as part of the state relay system. The captioning service transcribes everything the other party says into written text. The CapTel user can then read the text to help clarify the conversation and then respond via voice, just like a normal telephone conversation. Only the person who is hard of hearing needs to have the CapTel phone. Using 2-Line CapTel, the person who is hard of hearing can also receive calls using the CapTel phone and captioning service. For more information about the CapTel phone, visit CapTel by Ultratec at http://www.captionedtelephone.com or call 1-888-269-7477 or 1-800-482-2424 (TTY).

Interpretype
How would you communicate face-to-face with a coworker who is deaf if you don’t know how to sign? Of course there are ways of communicating without using technology (e.g. writing notes, hand gestures, lip reading), but if you’re looking for technology, the Interpretype is an example of communication access technology. The Interpretype, also known as ITY, is an interactive communication system that can be used to communicate face-to-face in the workplace, as well as in many other contexts. The portable ITY is a pre-programmed computer device that looks like a keyboard with a display unit. This device can send and display typed messages to other ITY devices connected through a single cable, or to a computer. Communication occurs by reading and typing messages back and forth. The ITY device also features Spanish/English translation using ITY for Windows software. For more information, visit Interpretype at http://www.interpretype.com or call 1-877-345-3182 or 585-272-1434 (TTY).

The JAN Web site has Work-Site Accommodation Ideas for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing at http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/Hearing.html and SOAR: Deaf or Hard of Hearing http://www.jan.wvu.edu/soar/hear.html

* JAN does not endorse or recommend any products or services mentioned in this publication.

- Tracie D. Saab

4 - How Does a Person with a Disability Decide on a Self-Employment Business Concept?

Entrepreneurship is an exciting opportunity for people with disabilities to realize their full potential while becoming financially self-supporting.

The Small Business and Self-Employment Service (SBSES) provides comprehensive information, counseling, and referrals about self-employment and small business ownership opportunities for people with disabilities. Benefits of self-employment for people with disabilities include working from home, building effective accommodations into the design of the business, creating employment opportunities in areas of the country where unemployment is high, and making one’s own work-related decisions.

Many people who want to start their own business have thought through a business concept and have a general plan on how to proceed. However, others would like to start a business but are not sure what kind of business to start. They may ask questions like: What kind of businesses are in high demand right now? Should I get computer training to get into a technology-related business? What kind of service-related businesses does the federal government usually contract with? What would be a good product to sell?

The first step the SBSES team suggests is to learn more about what is generally involved in self-employment and small business development. In other words, before researching types of business, it is sometimes better to fully understand what it takes to start and develop a business. There are many resources available that provide this type of guidance and information. For example, many local Small Business Development Centers offer courses on various aspects of self-employment such as business feasibility testing, developing a business plan, analyzing cash flow, and marketing. Many Centers offer other services such as management counseling, technology advising, training, and providing reference resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The SBSES team can provide referrals to these resources and can provide other guidance and counseling to help better understand the business development process.

After a person has a good grasp of what is involved in the business start-up process, he or she can begin exploring types of businesses that might match their interests, knowledge, skills, and abilities. They may even need to do some career exploration to learn more about themselves before selecting a business concept. As a business career idea becomes clearer, other questions will need to be addressed such as how much start-up capital is needed; what additional education, training, certification, and licensor is required; and is it better to start a for-profit or a nonprofit business?

- Greg Wimer

5 - JAN Exhibit and Training Schedule

Visit the JAN Exhibit Booth at these Conferences.

June 25-27, 2005. RESNA's 28th International Conference. Atlanta, GA.
http://www.resna.org/Conference/2005Conference/2005conf.php
November 1-3, 2005. National USBLN Annual Conference. Pittsburgh, PA.
December 7-9, 2005. Perspectives on Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal Sector. Bethesda, MD. http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/perspect.htm

JAN Consultants will be presenting at the following events:

June 29. Rhode Island Business Leadership Network, RI State Council of SHRM, RI Governor's Commission on Disabilities Employer Breakfast Seminar. Warwick, RI. http://www.hrm-ri.org/otherdev.asp#jobaccomodation
June 29. Rhode Island Governor's Commission on Disability, The Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities and DHS/RI Office of Rehabilitation Services. Warwick, RI. http://www.ric.edu/uap/training.html
August 1. Reinsurance Outcomes and Service Experts Seminar. Minneapolis, MN. http://www.ing-re.com/events/index.html
August 20. American Psychological Association Convention. Washington, DC. http://www.apa.org/convention05/
August 23. EEOC Excel Conference. Las Vegas, NV. http://www.eeotraining.eeoc.gov/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0x799866b&varPage=home
Nov 17. National Workers' Compensation and Disability Conference and Expo. Chicago, IL. http://www.wcconference.com/
December 7-9. Perspectives on Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal Sector. Bethesda, MD. http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/perspect.htm

6 - Contact JAN

E-mail: jan@jan.wvu.edu

JAN Web site: http://www.jan.wvu.edu

Call JAN: 800-526-7234 (Voice), 877-781-9403 (TTY), 304-293-5407 (Fax)

To subscribe to or unsubscribe from JAN Updates:

To subscribe, e-mail us at subscribe@jan.wvu.edu. When subscribing, be sure to include the e-mail address at which you want to receive the newsletter.

To cancel a subscription, e-mail us at unsubscribe@jan.wvu.edu. Be sure to include the address at which you are receiving the newsletter.

This document was developed by the Job Accommodation Network, funded by a contract agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (#J-9-M-2-0022). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nor does mention of tradenames, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Labor.

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Home >> JAN E-News
Volume 3, Issue 2, Second Quarter, 2005

JAN E-News is the quarterly newsletter of the Job Accommodation Network. JAN is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy. This newsletter will help keep you informed of new work site accommodation tools and techniques, changes at JAN, and other issues important to improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Disclaimer: This document does not represent a statement of policy by the U.S. Department of Labor. Please use the links at the end of this document to subscribe, unsubscribe, and contact us. Index 1. 2005 JAN Conference Details on Web 2. Resources for People with Mental Health Impairments 3. Technology Spotlight: Communication Access Technology for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing 4. How Does a Person with a Disability Decide on a Self-Employment Business Concept? 5. JAN Exhibit and Training Schedule 6. Contact JAN 1 - 2005 JAN Conference Details on Web The 2005 JAN Annual Conference will be held on Monday, September 26 and Tuesday, September 27 at the Westin San Francisco Airport hotel. The conference includes full group sessions and three breakout tracks addressing accommodation issues, innovative employment practices, and ADA/legal issues. The exhibit area provides the opportunity for hands-on experience with technologies and for one-on-one conversations with suppliers of goods and services. 2 - Resources for People with Mental Health Impairments There are many helpful resources available to assist people with mental health impairments, if needed. These include employer-based assistance, support programs, treatment facilities, advocacy organizations, and telephone assistance lines. Resources are available at the local, state, and national level through a variety of methods such as support group participation, individual or group treatment, and crisis intervention services. Information can also be accessed on-line, by mail, and by phone. In the workplace, some employers establish an employee assistance program (EAP) or a wellness program to provide guidance, support, and education for employees. If needed, an employer might also assist an employee with a disability by providing an accommodation such as allowing the person to take a break to contact his or her healthcare professional, providing a modified schedule so the person can attend an appointment, or providing leave so the person can participate in treatment. Support groups for people with mental health impairments might be sponsored locally by a hospital, mental health center, college, non-profit agency, or by a group of individuals with disabilities. Local support groups are sometimes advertised in the newspaper or on bulletin boards. Support groups may also be found online by doing an Internet search for a specific impairment. The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) at http://www.nami.org is a “nonprofit, grassroots, self-help, support and advocacy organization of consumers, families, and friends of people with severe mental illnesses.” You can contact NAMI’s information line at 800-950-NAMI (6264) (v) or 703-516-7227(tty). The National Mental Health Information Center at 800-789-2647 (v) or 866-889-2647(tty) provides a service locator that lists facilities and services by state at http://www.mentalhealth.org/databases. Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are local non-profit organizations that provide services such as advocacy, independent living skills training, information, and referrals that can enhance the independence of people with disabilities within the community. CILs around the country are listed at http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/index.html. Protection and Advocacy (P&A) can provide legal representation and other advocacy services to people with disabilities under federal and state laws. For more information about P&A nationally, review http://www.jan.wvu.edu/cgi-win/TypeQuery.exe?560. Crisis Intervention A valuable tool in helping a person who is experiencing a mental health crisis is proactive support from friends and family. If crisis intervention is needed, it may be necessary to contact 911 or go to a local emergency room. The National HopeLine Network at http://www.hopeline.com provides a national suicide prevention hotline at 800-SUICIDE (784-2433) (v) or 1-800-448-1833 (tty). You can check with your local mental health center to find out if they offer a crisis intervention team or crisis hotline. Check your local telephone book for additional emergency contact numbers. ADA and Accommodation Related Resources EEOC Enforcement Guidance on the Americans with Disabilities Act and Psychiatric Disabilities 800-669-4000(v) or 800-669-6820 (tty). http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/psych.html JAN by Disability A to Z: Accommodation Ideas for Psychiatric Impairments http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/psyc.htm - Carmen Fullmer 3 - Technology Spotlight: Communication Access Technology for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Can you imagine a device that can listen to your spoken words and then translate those words into sign language? Have you ever thought about a telephone that can produce word-for-word captions of a live telephone conversation? Or, what about a keyboard that can send and display typed messages to another keyboard without a computer? For many people who are deaf or hard of hearing, technology that could do these things once may have seemed impossible, but not now. In this edition of the JAN E-news, we introduce a few products that enable communication access for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. iCommunicator 4.0 Looking for technology that can translate speech or text to sign language? The iCommunicator is a software system that uses speech-to-text technology to translate spoken language into real time on-screen text or video sign language. The system can also be used to translate text to computer-generated voice or video sign language. The iCommunicator provides speakers the opportunity to easily and directly converse with persons with different communication needs and enables communication access in situations when an interpreter may not be readily available. Using the iText tool, the iCommunicator can also be used to convert documents, email, and Web pages into speech or video sign language. For more information about the iCommunicator, visit 1450, Inc. at http://www.myicommunicator.com or call 1-888-933-0001. CapTel Have you ever had difficulty understanding the person on the other end of the line during a telephone conversation and wished there was a phone that could provide captions? The CapTel, or Captioned Telephone, is a phone that produces live captions during a telephone conversation. When a call is placed using a CapTel phone, the phone automatically dials into the free CapTel captioning service, which is available as part of the state relay system. The captioning service transcribes everything the other party says into written text. The CapTel user can then read the text to help clarify the conversation and then respond via voice, just like a normal telephone conversation. Only the person who is hard of hearing needs to have the CapTel phone. Using 2-Line CapTel, the person who is hard of hearing can also receive calls using the CapTel phone and captioning service. For more information about the CapTel phone, visit CapTel by Ultratec at http://www.captionedtelephone.com or call 1-888-269-7477 or 1-800-482-2424 (TTY). Interpretype How would you communicate face-to-face with a coworker who is deaf if you don’t know how to sign? Of course there are ways of communicating without using technology (e.g. writing notes, hand gestures, lip reading), but if you’re looking for technology, the Interpretype is an example of communication access technology. The Interpretype, also known as ITY, is an interactive communication system that can be used to communicate face-to-face in the workplace, as well as in many other contexts. The portable ITY is a pre-programmed computer device that looks like a keyboard with a display unit. This device can send and display typed messages to other ITY devices connected through a single cable, or to a computer. Communication occurs by reading and typing messages back and forth. The ITY device also features Spanish/English translation using ITY for Windows software. For more information, visit Interpretype at http://www.interpretype.com or call 1-877-345-3182 or 585-272-1434 (TTY). The JAN Web site has Work-Site Accommodation Ideas for Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing at http://www.jan.wvu.edu/media/Hearing.html and SOAR: Deaf or Hard of Hearing http://www.jan.wvu.edu/soar/hear.html * JAN does not endorse or recommend any products or services mentioned in this publication. - Tracie D. Saab 4 - How Does a Person with a Disability Decide on a Self-Employment Business Concept? Entrepreneurship is an exciting opportunity for people with disabilities to realize their full potential while becoming financially self-supporting. The Small Business and Self-Employment Service (SBSES) provides comprehensive information, counseling, and referrals about self-employment and small business ownership opportunities for people with disabilities. Benefits of self-employment for people with disabilities include working from home, building effective accommodations into the design of the business, creating employment opportunities in areas of the country where unemployment is high, and making one’s own work-related decisions. Many people who want to start their own business have thought through a business concept and have a general plan on how to proceed. However, others would like to start a business but are not sure what kind of business to start. They may ask questions like: What kind of businesses are in high demand right now? Should I get computer training to get into a technology-related business? What kind of service-related businesses does the federal government usually contract with? What would be a good product to sell? The first step the SBSES team suggests is to learn more about what is generally involved in self-employment and small business development. In other words, before researching types of business, it is sometimes better to fully understand what it takes to start and develop a business. There are many resources available that provide this type of guidance and information. For example, many local Small Business Development Centers offer courses on various aspects of self-employment such as business feasibility testing, developing a business plan, analyzing cash flow, and marketing. Many Centers offer other services such as management counseling, technology advising, training, and providing reference resources for small businesses and entrepreneurs. The SBSES team can provide referrals to these resources and can provide other guidance and counseling to help better understand the business development process. After a person has a good grasp of what is involved in the business start-up process, he or she can begin exploring types of businesses that might match their interests, knowledge, skills, and abilities. They may even need to do some career exploration to learn more about themselves before selecting a business concept. As a business career idea becomes clearer, other questions will need to be addressed such as how much start-up capital is needed; what additional education, training, certification, and licensor is required; and is it better to start a for-profit or a nonprofit business? - Greg Wimer 5 - JAN Exhibit and Training Schedule Visit the JAN Exhibit Booth at these Conferences. June 25-27, 2005. RESNA's 28th International Conference. Atlanta, GA. http://www.resna.org/Conference/2005Conference/2005conf.php November 1-3, 2005. National USBLN Annual Conference. Pittsburgh, PA. December 7-9, 2005. Perspectives on Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal Sector. Bethesda, MD. http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/perspect.htm JAN Consultants will be presenting at the following events: June 29. Rhode Island Business Leadership Network, RI State Council of SHRM, RI Governor's Commission on Disabilities Employer Breakfast Seminar. Warwick, RI. http://www.hrm-ri.org/otherdev.asp#jobaccomodation June 29. Rhode Island Governor's Commission on Disability, The Paul V. Sherlock Center on Disabilities and DHS/RI Office of Rehabilitation Services. Warwick, RI. http://www.ric.edu/uap/training.html August 1. Reinsurance Outcomes and Service Experts Seminar. Minneapolis, MN. http://www.ing-re.com/events/index.html August 20. American Psychological Association Convention. Washington, DC. http://www.apa.org/convention05/ August 23. EEOC Excel Conference. Las Vegas, NV. http://www.eeotraining.eeoc.gov/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0x799866b&varPage=home Nov 17. National Workers' Compensation and Disability Conference and Expo. Chicago, IL. http://www.wcconference.com/ December 7-9. Perspectives on Employment of People with Disabilities in the Federal Sector. Bethesda, MD. http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/perspect.htm 6 - Contact JAN E-mail: jan@jan.wvu.edu JAN Web site: http://www.jan.wvu.edu Call JAN: 800-526-7234 (Voice), 877-781-9403 (TTY), 304-293-5407 (Fax) To subscribe to or unsubscribe from JAN Updates: To subscribe, e-mail us at subscribe@jan.wvu.edu. When subscribing, be sure to include the e-mail address at which you want to receive the newsletter. To cancel a subscription, e-mail us at unsubscribe@jan.wvu.edu. Be sure to include the address at which you are receiving the newsletter. This document was developed by the Job Accommodation Network, funded by a contract agreement from the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (#J-9-M-2-0022). The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Nor does mention of tradenames, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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