Employment and Community Living

disABILITY Inclusion Job Fair October 12

Come meet dozens of employers ready to hire at the virtual disABILITY Inclusion Job Fair on Wednesday, October 12th 9 AM – 12 PM, hosted by the Louisiana Workforce Commission and Healthy Blue. Job Seekers can scan the QR Code below or click here to register.

Employers for disABILITY Inclusion Job Fair

Looking to hire? Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS) is recruiting employers for a virtual disABILITY Inclusion Job Fair on Wednesday, October 12th 9 AM – 12 PM. The Job Fair will be hosted by the Louisiana Workforce Commission and Healthy Blue. Interested employers please contact Brenda Bohrer at email bbohrer@lwc.la.gov or phone (225) 219-2982. Registration for job seekers will be announced shortly.

Increasing Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities with Blending, Braiding and Sequencing

A federal joint communication “Resource Leveraging & Service Coordination to Increase Competitive Integrated Employment for Individuals with Disabilities” was issued by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy along with seven other federal agencies. This communication encourages state and local partners to proactively implement resource blending, braiding and sequencing across systems to improve Competitive Integrated Employment outcomes for youth and adults with disabilities.

• Read the joint communication
• Read the FAQs document

Reporting Life Changes to Social Security

Social Security’s latest blog post discusses the why and how to report life changes when you receive benefits:

Why It’s Important to Report Life Changes to UsSocial Security Matters (ssa.gov)

HDC attends 2022 National APSE Conference

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HDC Spotlight: Michael Curry

In Memory of Mark Martin

HDC is sad to share the news that Mark Steven Martin passed away on Tuesday, April 26, 2022. Mark devoted his entire career to serving individuals with disabilities.  He was committed to helping people with disabilities gain education, employment and the tools needed to reach their goals. For the final several years of his career, Mark served as Director of Louisiana Rehabilitation Services. The original notice can be found here.

Organize Your Finances and Disability Expenses

April is Financial Literacy Month and ABLEnow offers many helpful online resources to help you keep track of your personal finances. For example, ABLEnow offers an Expense Tracker to help you organize your Qualified Disability Expenses. With the Expense Tracker, you can:

• add details such as dates, providers, and expense categories
• upload receipts
• enter expenses paid with cash
• review expense totals

You can even download your Expense Tracker as a spreadsheet to print or save it for personal use.

FCC Affordable Connectivity Program

The Federal Communications Commission offers an Affordable Connectivity Program to help ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare, and more. Discounts are up to $30 per household per month. Eligible households can purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from a participating provider if they contribute between $10 and $50 toward the purchase price.

The PAY Check Program: A Pathway of Quality Services

The Human Development Center’s Post-Secondary Apprenticeship for Youth (PAY Check) provides transition services for young adults with disabilities by providing comprehensive pathways to quality employment.