Resource of the Week

The 411 on Disability Disclosure
http://www.ncwd-youth.info/411-on-disability-disclosure-for-adults

We learned about this resource from an esteemed colleague, Lisa Jordan, workforce development and disability expert. Many of the One Stop staff were able to benefit from Lisa's expertise last year when she facilitated the  popular Legacy Training on Disability Awareness in Fall 2009. Lisa is a wonderful resource and maintains the Disability Facts Blog, which is full of relevant resources.

This week we explore disclosure in a workbook created by the The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability (NCWD). We're a huge fan of this organization and many of their resources can be found on this blog and in our disability resource database. Although this workbook was created with youth with disabilities in mind, it definitely applies to adults.

In particular, please check out Chapter 8: Disclosure on the Job…Why, When, What, to Whom, and How? (page 8-1) for some indispensable key tips on the value of disclosure and when to or when not to disclose a disability. The main idea here is "that the process of learning how to disclose disability-related needs effectively and to develop an accommodation plan is extremely valuable" (p. 8-3).

There is even a section about visiting the One Stop Centers with a checklist of steps to take to learn more about the centers. Check out the list (p. 8-13) of steps. Would you be ready to serve a job-seekers in each of these steps?