- Thursday, October 22, 2015; 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Eastern
- Register online
On September 8, 2015, the United States entered into a proposed settlement agreement with the State of Oregon to vindicate the civil rights of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) who are unnecessarily segregated in sheltered workshops, or at risk of such unnecessary segregation. The settlement agreement with Oregon resolves a class action lawsuit by private plaintiffs in which the Department of Justice moved to intervene in May 2013. The lawsuit alleged that the State’s employment service system over-relied on segregated sheltered workshops to the exclusion of integrated alternatives, such as supported employment services, and placed individuals, including youth, at risk of entering sheltered workshops.
As a result of the proposed settlement, over the next seven years, 1,115 working-age individuals with I/DD, who are currently being served in segregated sheltered workshops, will have opportunities to work in real jobs at competitive wages. Additionally, at least 4,900 youth ages 14 – 24 will receive supported employment services designed to assist them to choose, prepare for, get, and keep work in a typical work setting. Half of the youth served will receive, at a minimum, an Individual Plan for Employment through the State’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Correspondingly, the State will reduce its reliance on sheltered workshops and implement policies and capacity-building strategies to improve the employment system to increase access to competitive integrated employment and the opportunity for people with I/DD to work the maximum number of hours consistent with their abilities and preferences.
Join this webinar to hear directly from representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice about the elements of the settlement agreement, as well as from stakeholders in the state of Oregon who will be positively impacted by these developments.
Speakers:
- U.S. Department of Justice: Eve Hill, Max Lapertosa, Regina Kline, Sheila Foran
- United Cerebral Palsy Association of Oregon: Ann Coffey
- Other Speakers TBD
Please note: This webinar will be captioned and a link to download the presentation will be sent to registrants prior to the webinar. To request any other reasonable accommodations, please contact Brittany Taylor at [email protected] at least 48 hours prior to the webinar.
