Author: HDITrex

Emma Keyser and Brooke Wray

HDI Speakers Featured at Post-Secondary Education Workshop in Louisville

Posted on | by HDITrex

On Thursday, October 11,  HDI’s Teresa Belluscio and her two STEPS students, Emma Keyser and Brooke Wray, co-presented at a “Build Your Future” workshop at the McDowell Center in Louisville. The McDowell Center holds the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and Kentucky Office for the Blind (OFB) Offices. The workshop was sponsored by the Center for Independent Living.

The speakers shared tips on choosing a college, how the disability resource center on campus can help, and being successful in college. They also discussed options for students with intellectual disabilities, and Emma and Brooke participated on the panel of current college students. Continue reading →

Young woman with a disability working at a computer.

KentuckyWorks Louisville Employment Community Conversation

Posted on | by HDITrex

Come join us on Monday, December 3 from 6:30-8:30pm at Down Syndrome of Louisville’s Sublett Hall to engage in conversations about setting employment priorities for people with disabilities throughout the Commonwealth of Kentucky! Organizing partners of the event include Down Syndrome of Louisville, Center for Accessible Living, and the University of Louisville Kentucky Autism Training Center.

This event is open to all youth with disabilities, their families, educators and employment professionals, and the location is Down Syndrome Louisville Sublett Hall at 5001 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy., Louisville, KY 40291. Registration is free, and DSL is generously providing refreshments.

To register and reserve a spot, click here. Download the flyer here. Continue reading →

Man with Down syndrome working at a computer.

Tracking Employment Progress in KY for Students with Disabilities

Posted on | by HDITrex

by Tony Lobianco, Principal Investigator / Project Director KentuckyPost School Outcomes Center

KentuckyWorks tracks its progress through data from the Kentucky Post School Outcomes Center. This Center looks at employment and education outcomes in the first year after high school for students with disabilities. We focus on former students with autism, functional mental disabilities, and multiple disabilities. The figure below shows rates of competitive employment (defined as working at or above minimum wage for an average of 20 hours or more per week for 90 days) and enrollment in higher education (defined as completing at least one term in a two or four-year college or university).

As can be seen rates for both competitive employment and higher education were highest but declining prior to the start of Kentucky Works. However between 2017 and 2018 gains were made in both areas, moving from a competitive employment rate of 12.8% to 14% and a higher education rate of 11% to 11.6%. Continue reading →

Kentucky's Employment First Council including about twenty people

Kentucky’s Employment First Council Launches First Meeting!

Posted on | by HDITrex

Kentucky’s Employment First Council assembled for its first meeting on Thursday, October 4. The 27 member group is comprised of people with disabilities, family members, employers, state agency representatives, and provider agencies. The Council was convened as a result of an Executive Order, signed by Governor Matt Bevin on May 15, 2018, making Kentucky an Employment First state. Employment First is the philosophy that everyone, including people with significant disabilities, can work in integrated employment. Kentucky’s Executive Order states “…competitive and integrated employment in the community shall be considered the first and primary option for persons with disabilities of working age who have communicated a desire to become employed”. Continue reading →

Photo of Danielle Augustin

Spotlight on Danielle Augustin

Posted on | by HDITrex

Danielle Augustin is a part-time Inclusive Health Project Assistant at HDI with work spanning several projects, including the Health and Wellness Initiative: Project CHEER and Wellness Edge. Danielle is a student in the Master’s Health Promotion program with expected graduation in May, 2019. She will also be starting next semester as a Research Assistant under Dr. Elaine Eisenbaum’s newest grant, the Serious Mental Illness National Training Center grant from the Administration on Community Living. Continue reading →