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Employment

Title:AmeriCorps
Link: http://www.americorps.org/Default.asp
Description: Each year, AmeriCorps offers 75,000 opportunities for adults of all ages and backgrounds to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups.
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Title:ETA DisAbility Online
Link: http://www.doleta.gov/disability
Description: The Employment & Training Administration (ETA) Disabilities Program develops and implements workforce disability policy and program initiatives to address structural, programmatic, and systemic employment barriers for people with disabilities. The ETA Disabilities Program Web site provides links to employment and training resources and other employment-related information.
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Title:Hire Abilities Hawaii
Link: http://www.hireabilitieshawaii.org/Home.aspx
Description: The Hire Abilities Hawaii Web site provides information and resources on employment, self-employment, and work incentives for people with disabilities.
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Title:National Business & Disability Council
Link: http://www.business-disability.com/index.aspx
Description: The National Business & Disability Council is a resource for employers seeking to integrate people with disabilities into the workplace and companies seeking to reach them in the consumer marketplace.
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Title:National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
Link: http://www.ncwd-youth.info
Description: The National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (NCWD/Youth) assists state and local workforce development systems to better serve youth with disabilities. The NCWD/Youth is composed of partners with expertise in disability, education, employment, and workforce development issues. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), the NCWD/Youth is housed at the Institute for Educational Leadership.
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Title:The National Service Inclusion Project
Link: http://www.serviceandinclusion.org
Description: The National Service Inclusion Project (NSIP) promotes the active engagement of people with disabilities as service members in all levels of national and community service.
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Title:National Youth Employment Coalition
Link: http://www.nyec.org
Description: The National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC) is a non-partisan national organization dedicated to promoting policies and initiatives that help youth succeed in becoming lifelong learners, productive workers, and self-sufficient citizens. This site contains information on legislation, best practices, and leadership development, as well as a variety of projects and initiatives.
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Title:Worksupport.com
Link: http://www.worksupport.com
Description: The Worksupport.com Web site provides information, resources, and research about work and disability issues. The Worksupport.com Web site includes a listing of research, projects, an online store, training information, and a free e-newsletter.
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Title:Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)
Link: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/disabilityresearch/w…
Description: Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) is a Social Security Income (SSI) provision to help individuals with disabilities return to work. PASS lets individuals with disabilities set aside money and/or things he or she owns to pay for items or services needed to achieve a specific work goal. Items and services can include supplies to start a business, school expenses, equipment and tools, transportation and uniform requests. PASS lets people set aside money for installment payments as well as a down payment for things like a vehicle, wheelchair, or computer if these items are needed to reach their work goal.
Source: EST
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Title:Small Business Training Network
Link: http://www.sba.gov/services/training/onlinecourses…
Description: The Small Business Training Network (SBTN) is a customer-focused U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) strategy designed to enrich, educate and empower small businesses. It is an Internet-based learning environment – operating like a virtual campus – offering free online courses, workshops, publications, information resources, learning tools and direct access to electronic counseling, and other forms of technical assistance. Course topics include:
– Starting a Business
– Business Planning
– Business Marketing
– Financing and Accounting
– Government Contracting
– Risk Management & Cyber Security
– Federal Tax Training
– Small Business Retirement
Source: EST
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Title:Ticket to Work Program
Link: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work/aboutticket.htm…
Description: The Ticket to Work Program is the key to unlocking vocational rehabilitation, training, job referrals, and other ongoing support and services to help you reach your employment goals. The program is available for people who are between the ages of 18 and 65 and receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for people who are disabled or blind.
You can take your Ticket to any Employment Network (EN), State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agency, or Work Incentives Planning and Assistance Center (WIPA) to request assistance in job training, preparing materials to use to find a job, locating employers informing you about work incentives and other assistance in you may need to work. Go to https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/oesp/providers.nsf/bystate to view a list of WIPA providers by state.
Source: EST
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Title:Career Voyages
Link: http://www.careervoyages.gov
Description: The Career Voyages Web site is the result of a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education. It is designed to provide information on high growth, in-demand occupations along with the skills and education needed to attain those jobs. Information is available in English and Spanish.
Source: EST
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Title:Workforce Recruitment Program for College Students with Disabilities (WRP)
Link: https://wrp.gov/
Description: The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) is a recruitment and referral program that connects Federal sector employers nationwide with highly motivated postsecondary students and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to prove their abilities in the workplace through summer or permanent jobs. Co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and the U.S. Department of Defense with the participation of many other Federal agencies, the WRP has provided employment opportunities for over 4,000 students since 1995.
Source: EST
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Title:Start-Up USA Self-Employment Fact Sheet
Link: http://www.start-up-usa.biz/resources/content.cfm?…
Description: Medicaid Waivers may be one of the tools that individuals with disabilities can use to support self-employment. While not every individual with a disability will be able to use a Waiver for self-employment, those individuals who are already receiving services, or who are eligible to become Waiver participants can explore the possibility in their states. This Q and A provides an overview and examples of how individuals with disabilities have used Medicaid Waivers to support self-employment. Information provided by Monday Morning in Washington, D.C. (The Arc of the United States, 2007).
Source: EST
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Title:Spanish Language Job Accomodation Resources
Link: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/espanol/
Description: The Job Accomodation Network (JAN) is strongly committed to serving the Hispanic American workforce. JAN’s outreach efforts include consultation and technical assistance in Spanish. This Web site highlights JAN’s Spanish resources and is intended for JAN’s English-speaking audience who would like to help distribute JAN literature to the Hispanic community.
Source: EST
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Title:Job Accomodation Network
Link: http://www.jan.wvu.edu/
Description: Job Accomodation Network (JAN) is a free consulting service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor. JAN was designed to increase the employability of people with disabilities by: 1) providing individualized worksite accommodations solutions, 2) providing technical assistance regarding the ADA and other disability related legislation, and 3) educating callers about self-employment options.
Source: EST
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Title:LimeConnect
Link: http://www.limeconnect.com/
Description: LimeConnect matches the employment needs of corporations with the skill sets of persons with disabilities. LimeConnect, founded in 2006, connects college students and professional candidates with disabilities through “private recruiting efforts” with Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, PepsiCo, and Google, its four major partners.
Source: EST
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Title:National Business & Disability Council
Link: http://www.business-disability.com/index.aspx
Description: For more than 30 years, the National Business & Disability Council (NBDC) has been providing people with disabilities the resources needed to get jobs. NBDC boasts more than 30 corporate members, including AIG, Liz Claiborne, and Proctor & Gamble. The group leads the diversity-internship program “Emerging Leaders” and also hosts “an invitation-only Wall Street job fair for candidates seeking jobs at financial-service firms,” such as Lehman Brothers and Goldman Sachs.
Source: EST
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Title:Ticket to Work Conference Schedule
Link: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/work/events.html
Description: This Web site hosts a calendar of events (conference, meetings, etc.) at which you can learn more about the Ticket to Work Program.
The Ticket to Work Program provides most people receiving Social Security benefits (beneficiaries) more choices for receiving employment services. Under this program, the Social Security Administration (SSA) issues tickets to eligible beneficiaries who, in turn, may choose to assign those tickets to an Employment Network (EN) of their choice to obtain employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, or other support services necessary to achieve a vocational (work) goal. The EN, if they accept the ticket, will coordinate and provide appropriate services to help the beneficiary find and maintain employment.
This is also an opportunity to meet others with disabilities and those engaged in disability and work related activities.
Source: EST
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Title:EARNWorks & the Workforce Recruitment Program
Link: https://wrp.gov/LoginPre.do?method=login
Description: EARNWorks is the Web site of the Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network (EARN). EARN is a free service that connects employers with qualified jobseekers with disabilities. EARN also provides employers with consultative services on disability matters. EARN is also the “entryway” for private sector employers to access the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP).
The WRP is an excellent resource if you are looking to recruit talented college students with disabilities for summer or permanent positions. The WRP maintains a database of hundreds of motivated postsecondary students and recent graduates eager to prove their abilities in the workforce. Representing all majors and hailing from over 200 colleges and universities nationwide, these applicants have been pre-screened through face-to-face interviews, ensuring they are more than qualified to meet your workforce needs.
EARNWorks and the WRP are provided by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).
Source: EST
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Title:Diversifying Your Workforce, A Four-Step Reference Guide to Recruiting, Hiring & Retaining Employees with Disabilities
Link: http://www.dol.gov/odep/documents/Flip%20Guide_FIN…
Description: To meet the need for a comprehensive, portable, and easy to understand guide for employers who are looking to recruit, hire, and retain employees with disabilities, ODEP just released its new Four-Step Reference Guide. The online version of this valuable resource, which covers topics such as Incentives & ROI, Recruiting, Interviewing & Hiring, and much more, also provides a wealth of links and other resources.
The print version of Diversifying Your Workforce, A Four-Step Reference Guide to Recruiting, Hiring & Retaining Employees with Disabilities will be available later this year. In the meantime, the PDF version is available online.
Source: EST
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Title:Business Case for Hiring People with Disabilities
Link: http://www.earnworks.com/BusinessCase/index.asp
Description: The recently revised Business Case for Hiring People with Disabilities, including veterans with disabilities, features video clips, research and other information from businesses and industry leaders on how hiring people with disabilities improves an organization’s bottom line across six themes: Return on Investment, Human Capital, Innovation, Marketing, Diversity and Social Responsibility.
Source: EST
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Title:Disability Program Navigator (DPN) Initiative
Link: http://www.doleta.gov/disability/new_dpn_grants.cf…
Description: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration and the Social Security Admnistration (SSA) are jointly funding the DPN Initiative in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the United States Virgin Islands where SSA implemented employment support initiatives. This Initiative promotes comprehensive services and work incentive information for SSA beneficiaries and other people with disabilities, through the One Stop system. The Initiative focuses on developing new and ongoing partnerships to achieve seamless, comprehensive, and integrated access to services, creating systemic change, and expanding the workforce development system’s capacity to serve customers with disabilities and employers.
Source: EST
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Title:Social Security Administration (SSA) Is Hiring
Link: http://www.ssa.gov/work/scheduleA/
Description: The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently received funding to hire more employees throughout the country. This hiring initiative offers a unique opportunity for individuals with disabilities who may want to work for SSA. These jobs will be at various skill levels including a number of entry-level positions.
Click on the above link for more information. To search and apply for jobs visit USAJOBS (http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/a9ssajob.asp).
Source: EST
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Why learning grammar is harmful

Many language learners have been conditioned to think that they need to learn grammar to learn a language. This is wrong, wrong, wrong! When I go to learn a new language I avoid explanations of grammar and avoid all questions or exercises based on grammar. Instead I look to the language to teach me.

I listen and read and observe the new language. I take it in small doses. At first it is only 30 seconds or 1 minute at a time. In time the doses can be longer. I repeatedly listen to these small doses and occasionally read them. Of course I need help in having the meaning explained. This help can come from a teacher or can be  automated as we did on The Linguist system  Thereafter it is just me and the new language.

The grammar learner is conditioned to think of rules and ask why? “Why is it said this way? I thought the rule was something else.” Half the time the learner has the rule wrong. Besides, if every time the learner wants say something he/she has to remember a rule, he/she will never speak fluently.

For most languages there is a lack of interesting material to learn from. Most textbook material is just too artificial and boring. The main purpose seems to be to explain points of grammar. So there is a tendency for the learner to lose interest. It is just too tiring and not enjoyable. If the main purpose seems to be to learn grammar it is too difficult to continue after a while.

This need not be a problem for English. At The Linguist we have created a library of interesting audio and text files of real language, not text book language. There a person can learn and enjoy it. One day we will do the same for other languages. We will not teach grammar, but people will learn, the way I do.

Anyone can be a linguist

When I say linguist I do not mean someone who studies complicated theories about language. I just mean someone who can speak more than one language and who enjoys doing it. Usually the two go hand in hand.

Native speakers of English are at a big disadvantage because there is less incentive for them to learn other languages. This may soon change, however, with Spanish and Chinese looming larger.

The key is to make the learning experience enjoyable and interesting. Most language education destroys the fun by focusing on speaking correctly too soon, or by teaching theoretical grammar explanations.

There is no substitute for lots of exposure through listening and reading. But then you need interesting content and a good system for retaining vocabulary otherwise it is just frustrating. In learning my nine languages I feel I have kind of worked that out. I am interested in hearing the experience of others in language learning.

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