Chairperson
Executive Director
Contact Information
NYS Developmental Disabilities Planning Council99 Washington Avenue, 12th Floor, Suite 1230
Albany, New York 12210
Phone: 800.395.3372
FAX: 518.402.3505
Email: Email Us
Upcoming DDPC Meetings
Childrens' Issues Committee Mtg.
October 15, 2012
99 Washington Ave,
12th Fl, STE 1230
Albany, NY
Systems Committee Mtg:
October 16, 2012
99 Washington Ave.,
12th Fl, STE 1230
Albany, NY
Adult Issues Committee Mtg.
October 18, 2012
99 Washington Ave.,
12th Fl, STE 1230
Albany, NY
For more information, please contact the NYS DDPC at 1.800.395.3372
*** Notice ***
Open Government and the New York State Developmental
Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC).
All DDPC meetings are held in
Albany, NY unless otherwise noted. Under law, the New York State
Developmental Disabilities Planning Council (DDPC) meetings and DDPC
Standing Committee meetings are open meetings. If the public wants
to attend, they can attend as observers. Participants may be asked
to leave during breaks in the deliberations and when the meeting
goes into executive session.
For more information, please contact the DDPC directly at
1.800.395.3372.
People First Language
The DDPC strictly adheres to and encourages the use of people first language. However you may note that in some articles/stories appearing in the E-Bulletin the language used is not always entirely people first. Articles submitted to the DDPC are taken verbatim from the source and are therefore not edited by the DDPC for correct people first language due to copyright restrictions.
NYACTS is a website designed to provide current information on New York State services and supports for individuals with autism. Autism is on the rise in New York State and around the country. It is estimated that more than 60,000 New York State residents have a diagnosis of autism or autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and that the incidence of autism could reach 4 million Americans in the next decade. New York State government needs to be united in its efforts to respond to these dramatic statistics. The formation of the Interagency Task Force on Autism has helped to ensure that state agencies are working together to assist individuals and families struggling with ASD.
Education Updates
Department of Education Announces New Effort to Strengthen
Achievement Gap for Students with Disabilities
The Department of Education has announced new steps to help close
the achievement gap for students with disabilities by moving away
from a one-size-fits-all, compliance-focused approach to a more
balanced system that looks at how well students are being educated
in addition to continued efforts to protect their rights.
For more information visit:
http://tinyurl.com/7ptdnv2
Implementing Section 508: Improving Access to Government Information
and Data for Persons with Disabilities
President Obama has recently announced an effort to develop a
strategic plan for Section 508 and the intent to share the strategy
with the public. Before proceeding further with development of the
strategic plan, the White House Office of Public Engagement is
seeking the public’s input and expertise. The Office of Public
Engagement is looking for the public to comment on what has been
proposed, but also for new broad strategy management proposals,
tactics, and actions that can ultimately help Federal agencies
better comply with Section 508.
For more information on Section 508 and adding/viewing comments isit:
http://section508.ideascale.com/a/panel.do
Civil Rights Data Collection Released
The Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Education released
the
Civil Rights Data Collection which includes district-level and
school-level data that it collected for the 2009-10 school year from
nearly 7,000 school districts. The data comes from almost half of
the total number of school districts and represents 85% of all
students. The report includes data about school discipline and, for
the first time, data about restraint and seclusion. The Department
released a national-level
summary of some of the data. Students with disabilities (served
under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or
Section 504) comprise 12% of students in the sample and are more
than twice as likely to receive one or more out-of-school
suspensions (6% of all students compared to 13% of students covered
by IDEA). Of all students who are physically restrained in schools,
70% of them are students with disabilities. The Department will post
national data to its website in the future.
The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) released a
report detailing examples of the use of restraint and seclusion
in schools across the country.
To view the press release visit:
click here.
NYSED Procedural Safeguard Notice Translations
Translations of the mandatory Revised Procedural Safeguards Notice
(Rights for Children with Disabilities Ages 3-21) are now available
in Spanish, Russian, Haitian Creole, and Chinese. (Korean will also
be available soon.) These are available in PDF format for ease of
printing and may be copied as needed for parents.
For more information and to view the translated versions visit:
click here.
Helping Students with Disabilities Transition to Postsecondary
Education
Transition of Students with Disabilities to Postsecondary Education:
A Guide for High School Educators,” from the Office for Civil
Rights, highlights differences between the rights and
responsibilities of students with disabilities in high school and in
postsecondary education. Besides a set of answers to FAQs,
suggestions are provided that high school educators can share with
students to help them transition to postsecondary education.
For more information visit:
click here.
More Doors Opening For Self-Advocates
A national group has recently launched a growing number of
opportunities for individuals with disabilities to take a lead in
the advocacy community. The new group known as the National council
of Self Advocates is an initiative of The Arc and is open to the
organization’s members with disabilities from across the country.
It’s being billed as a chance for self-advocates to network, educate
the public and become community leaders.
For more information visit:
click here.
US Department of Labor Announces Availability of $75 million through
YouthBuild Grants jProgram to help Young People Develop Job Skills
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis recently announced the
availability of approximately $75
million in YouthBuild grant funds to develop programs that will help
out-of-school youth
complete high school or General Educational Development programs, as
well as learn
critical occupational skills in construction, health care,
information technology and other
fields. "The YouthBuild programs that will be funded through this
grant competition will help
provide youth at risk of falling through the cracks with the
opportunity to develop not only
the jobs skills they need, but also the leadership qualities that
will enable them to be
valuable, productive members of their communities," said Secretary
Solis. The solicitation
for grant applications will be published in the March 8 edition of
the Federal Register.
The solicitation and information on how to apply for a grant are
available
here.
ICI's E-Mentoring Program Helps Prepare Youth with Disabilities for
Life After High
School
Among young adults in general, young people with disabilities have
the highest
unemployment rates, lowest participation in postsecondary training
and education, and
highest likelihood of remaining dependent on public assistance
programs after high school.
Participation in mentoring programs can help change these outcomes.
The E-Connect e-mentoring program developed at the Institute on
Community Integration (ICI) combines
new technology and the time-tested practice of mentoring to create a
program that utilizes
e-mail and school-supervised face-to-face meetings to connect high
school students with
disabilities with employees from local companies.
To learn more visit: http://ici.umn.edu/news/fyi/feb12.html
Recent Changes to Student Aid Programs
As a result of recent legislative changes, please be aware of a
number of new requirements for the federal student aid programs.
Most of these changes are effective with the 2012-13 school year
(July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013).
For more information visit:
click here.
College Preparation Checklist
The College Preparation Checklist is one of the most popular
resources for students and parents on the US Department of
Education's Federal Student Aid Web site. It includes a "to do" list
to help students prepare academically and financially for education
beyond high school. Each section is split into subsections for
students and parents, explaining what to do.
To view this Checklist visit:
click here.
Website for Students with Disabilities Interested in College
Going to College is a website with Information about living college
life designed for high school students with disabilities. The site
provides video clips, activities, and resources that can help
students get a head start in planning for college. Video interviews
with college students with disabilities offer a way to hear
firsthand from students with disabilities who have been successful.
Modules include activities that will help students explore more
about themselves, learn what to expect from college, and equip them
with important considerations and tasks to complete when planning
for college.
To visit this website visit:
http://www.going-to-college.org/
Planning for Assistive Technology in College
The following article from the National Center for Learning
Disabilities provides helpful information for youth with learning
disabilities who use assistive technology and are also planning to
go on to college.
To view this article visit:
click here.
Disability Friendly Colleges for Students with Physical Disabilities
Disability-Friendly Colleges: A Guide for Students with Physical
Disabilities is an online college guide for students with physical
disabilities containing interactive charts of the most disability
friendly colleges and profiles of the colleges that provide services
necessary for students with physical disabilities to live on campus.
To view this guide,
click here.
Think College Website
Visit the
student and
family sections of the
Think College Website for many helpful tools and resources
geared for youth with intellectual disabilities who want to go to
college and families.
Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
The HEATH Resource Center at George Washington University has
produced a 36-page publication that answers many commonly asked
questions about college experiences for students with intellectual
disabilities.
To view this publication visit:
click here.
*These resources are part of the Pacer Center’s newsletter,
Reference Points. To sign up and receive this newsletter visit:
http://www.pacer.org/tatra/list/