Square Pegs and Round Holes? Vocational Evaluation, Career Assessment and Assistive Technology

1. Square Pegs and Round Holes? Vocational Evaluation, Career Assessment and Assistive Technology Louisiana Rehabilitation Association Pre-conference Training Janelle Ellis Anthony Langton Erika Peterson Shawn Zimmerman

2. Humor slides • I will drop in a few humor slides here and there that we can make use of 2010 National Issues Forum

3. Introductions • Presenters • Sponsors • Goals and Objectives 2010 National Issues Forum

4. Do you need a technology specialist to use assistive technology in evaluation/assessment activities? • Yes • No • It depends 2010 National Issues Forum

5. Assistive Technology: Leveling the Playing Field • “For Americans without disabilities, technology makes things easier. For Americans with disabilities, technology makes things possible.” Mary Pat Radabaugh, 1990 2010 National Issues Forum

6. Technology is often literally the interface between person and environment. The ability to access and use technology is likely to play a pivotal role in functionally redefining disability, and in bridging the wide gulf between what “significant disability” means to the disability community, and what it means today in the business/employer community. Alexandra Enders, 2004 2010 National Issues Forum

7. Work in progress . . . • For over twenty years efforts have been underway to integrate assistive technology (AT) in vocational evaluation 2010 National Issues Forum

8. Our Shared Vision - AT and VE • Strengthen the field of vocational evaluation • Contribute to improved rehabilitation outcomes • Concept of disability is changing • Desire to maximize potential of persons served • AT should be an integral part • Impact of Universal Design 2010 National Issues Forum

9. Assistive Technology (AT) and Vocational Evaluation: • In order to remain relevant and to address the barriers to employment faced by people with significant disabilities, vocational evaluation and career assessment practitioners must integrate assistive technology into the evaluation and assessment process to increase employment opportunities; to aid in the removal of barriers; and, to enhance the capability of individuals to accomplish essential skills and functions. 2010 National Issues Forum

10. To accomplish this, vocational evaluation and career assessment professionals must work to ensure that participants have appropriate technology available and have a level of proficiency with the devices to ensure maximum performance within the assessment and evaluation process. 2010 National Issues Forum

11. AT Information Preliminary Technology Assessment Specialized Technology Assessment Technical Assistance Comprehensive Evaluation Services Rehabilitation Engineering/Job Accommodation Services 1991 Technology-Related Services:What VE Programs Could Offer 2010 National Issues Forum

12. AT and Vocational Evaluation • Expands choices and vocational options • Essential for persons with most severe disabilities • Not a Panacea - but AT is a key resource to have available for many persons • AT can integrate and fit well within comprehensive VE process 2010 National Issues Forum

13. VE and AT: Which comes first? 2010 National Issues Forum

14. Background 2010 National Issues Forum

15. “Tech Points” in Comprehensive Vocational Evaluation/Assessments • Pre-Evaluation Preparation • Initial Interview • Evaluation Planning • Administering assessment tasks and activities • Conducting career exploration • Developing Recommendations 2010 National Issues Forum

16. OPTION • I have a set of slides that show AT being inserted in the VE process. • We can toggle and use this if we want 2010 National Issues Forum

17. VE and AT: Options Available • Maintain traditional service delivery boundaries • VE programs can infuse AT into existing service delivery • AT programs could add vocational assessment into existing service delivery • VE and AT can be combined to form fully integrated, hybrid service delivery option • Other options? 2010 National Issues Forum

18. VE/AT Programs: Profile and Analysis • Career Assessment Program – Fairfax County Schools • Intensive Evaluation – Stout • Virginia DRS • VE - Northern Region • RE – Northern Region • WWRC – Statewide Center 2010 National Issues Forum

19. BREAK - Part 2 • Probably need a break here before we get into the three approaches? • Would be good to spend 10-12 minutes presenting overview on each of these • We can use a flip chart to make notes/observations as each present • It would be good if we can try and hold questions until the three have been covered 2010 National Issues Forum

20. Assistive Technology Services • Fairfax County Public Schools • Janelle Ellis 2010 National Issues Forum

21. Intensive Vocational Evaluation • Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute • Erika Peterson 2010 National Issues Forum

22. Vocational Evaluation Services • Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services • Shawn Zimmerman 2010 National Issues Forum

23. VE/AT Programs: Analysis and Discussion • Career Assessment Program – Fairfax County Schools • Intensive Evaluation – Stout • Virginia DRS • VE - Northern Region • RE – Northern Region • WWRC – Statewide Center 2010 National Issues Forum

24. Awareness Issues Cost/Funding Concerns Access to information and Resources Logistical Issues Impact on Standardization Limited Time for AT Need for Technical Support Training Needs VE Process Restraints VE and AT Services: Survey Findings 2010 National Issues Forum

25. BREAK 2010 National Issues Forum

26. NOTE • The actual survey material is something that we can use if needed but I’d rather not make it an automatic • We can remove these slides and have them, along with others to toggle to if we need to 2010 National Issues Forum

27. Length of Evaluation • Less than 1 day (19%) • 1-2 days (33%) • 3-5 days (24%) • 1-2 weeks (10%) • More the 2 weeks (5%) 2010 National Issues Forum

28. AT Specialist immediately available • yes (34%) • no (43%) 2010 National Issues Forum

29. Program/School offers AT services • yes (57%) • no (26%) 2010 National Issues Forum

30. Number of cases where AT specialist was used - 24% 2010 National Issues Forum

31. Part 3: Practices, Strategies and Resources • This is the wrap-up segment • We can use the challenges barriers that have been identified • We can also add to these with anything from the part 2 segment • If we can make this interactive between the four of us we should able to draw in the audience 2010 National Issues Forum

32. Challenges and Barriers • Perceptions/Limited Awareness • Lack of Knowledge of AT • Time Available • Cost/Funding • Staff/Training Issues • Logistics and Coordination • Lack of Clear Directives • Connections to outcomes unclear 2010 National Issues Forum

33. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

34. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

35. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

36. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

37. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

38. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

39. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

40. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

41. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

42. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

43. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

44. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

45. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

46. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

47. Challenges, Issues and Strategies

48. Technology in the VE Process • All VE programs should incorporate AT information • Comprehensive VE should include opportunity to use/tryout AT • Programs the market AT services need staff with specialized expertise 1991 2010 National Issues Forum

49. Strategic Partnerships and Alliances • Implementing assistive technology services requires resources and technical expertise • Establishing partnerships and cooperative agreements should be one consideration 2010 National Issues Forum

50. Role for Professional Associations and Organizations • National Rehabilitation Association • Louisiana Rehabilitation Association • VEWAA • VECAP • RESNA • LATAN • Other professional organizations or associations? 2010 National Issues Forum