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Cedric Richmond Speaks at AUCD 2021 Conference Opening Plenary

Cedric Richmond, Senior Advisor to President Joe Biden and a former Louisiana Representative from the Second Congressional District, spoke at the AUCD 2021 Virtual Conference Opening Plenary on Monday, November 15, 2021. While HDC does not advocate for specific policies, we believe residents of Louisiana have the right to educate themselves on key issues facing the disability community. The plenary, with all its speakers, has been posted on YouTube by AUCD and will remain public until January 31, 2022.

LaCAN and FHF NOLA November Events

LaCAN, the grassroots arm of the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council, and Families Helping Families NOLA, which is closely involved with LaCAN, are hosting two virtual Thanksgiving- and advocacy-related events in the upcoming week.

Tuesday, November 23, 7 PM
LaCAN’s Thanksgiving Cornucopia
Topics include: Advocacy, Legislation, Webinars and Events, Making Connections
Click to Register for LaCAN’s Thanksgiving Cornucopia

Wednesday, November 24, 7 PM
FHF NOLA Parent Support Group
Click here to register for FHF NOLA Parent Support Group
FHF NOLA Parent Support Group Event Facebook Page

Algiers Community Health Information and Resource Fair

Disability Rights Louisiana Seeking Job Applicants

HDC’s statewide partner in disability advocacy, Disability Rights Louisiana (DRLA, formerly the Advocacy Center), is looking to hire two positions. One is an Investigative Advocate for representative payees of individuals who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) from Social Security. The other is for a Client Advocate to represent individuals who seek to maintain employment through DRLA’s Client Assistance Program. Job descriptions are below. In order to apply, please send a résumé with your cover letter to DRLA’s Human Resources Manager, Janine Walterhouse: hr@disabilityrightsla.org. Include the title of the job you are applying for in the subject line.

Louisiana LEND’s Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Liz Gary to present on “Advocacy 101” at the Equal Pay Summit

From the Office of the Governor, Office on Women’s Policy:

Please join us for a virtual Equal Pay Summit on November 16!

The gender wage gap has many causes and many possible solutions. This full-day Summit will explore the data and trends and look at opportunities to reduce the gap through individual action, employer action, and the passage of state, local and national policies.
Attend the full day or just the sessions that make the most sense for you!

WHAT: Virtual Equal Pay Summit

Hosted by the Governor’s Office on Women’s Policy in partnership with the Office of First Lady Donna Edwards and LSU Women’s Center

WHEN: Tuesday, November 16, 2021 from 9:00 to 3:30 p.m.

Read more on Liz Gary’s advocacy in her HDC Spotlight: HDC Spotlight on Liz Gary

HDC Spotlight: Ray Leger, BA, CWIC

Because October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), this spotlight has a special focus on employment. Visit the NDEAM homepage to learn how you can help build an inclusive workforce.

Donald “Ray” Leger has worked as a Certified Work Incentives Counselor (CWIC) for the Human Development Center’s Work Incentives Planning and Assistance project (funded by the Social Security Administration) since 2006.  Ray is passionate about being of service to others and has loved every minute of his role helping people understand how work affects their benefits. Today, he is Project Manager of the West South Central Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WSC WIPA) program.

LRS Statewide Needs Assessment Survey

As part of its state planning process, Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS) is conducting a Statewide Needs Assessment and is looking for feedback from you! A survey has been created to help LRS gather valuable information about the needs of individuals with disabilities in the state, especially as it relates to employment. The information and feedback you provide will be used to drive the department’s goals and strategies over the next three years and help LRS improve service delivery. 

Those interested in participating in the survey have until Friday, November 12^th, to submit their feedback. Additional questions or comments should be submitted to LRS_Survey@lac.la.gov.

About LRS

Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS) assists persons with disabilities in their desire to obtain, maintain or advance in competitive integrated employment and achieve independence in their communities by providing rehabilitation services and working cooperatively with business and other community resources.

The Difference between “Special Needs” and “Disability”

Confused about the terms “Special Needs” and “Disability?” Meriah Nichols of the blog Unpacking Disability has an explanation here:

The site strives to “unpack” – or better understand – disability by trying to go deeper into disability thought, culture, opinions and experience through interviews, essays and media.

PUBLIC NOTICE: OCDD HCBS Focus Groups and General Stakeholder Meeting on Post-COVID-19 Waiver Exceptions

The Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD) will be hosting Focus Group meetings regarding important Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver Flexibility. The Focus Group meetings are for stakeholders including individuals with developmental disabilities and their families who participate in one of the four OCDD Waivers, i.e., NOW, Children’s Choice, ROW, and Supports Waiver. During the Focus Group meetings OCDD will share their research and engage in a collaborative discussion with stakeholders on how they can best move forward with making three of the Appendix K COVID19 Exceptions permanent in the four OCDD waiver programs and in a manner that is in compliance with regulations. Each Focus Group meeting is limited to 25 participants, except for the General Stakeholder meeting scheduled for November 10th.

Families Helping Families Statewide Virtual Job Fair for Individuals with disABILITIES Sponsored by HealthyBLUE

November 3, 2021, 10:00 AM-2:00PM CDT

On behalf of Families Helping Families and in partnership with Healthy Blue, we cordially invite you to participate in a virtual job fair specifically for individuals with disABILITIES on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 from 10 AM- 2 PM.

The Families Helping Families Network of Resource Centers and Healthy Blue have partnered over the years by providing events for individuals with disabilities and their families. This virtual job fair is our latest collaboration and commitment to supporting individuals with disABILITIES in accessing meaningful employment.