Welcome to the official website for the 2024 TASH Conference!
Each year, the TASH Conference brings together our constituents to share resources and success stories, learn about field-driven best practices, and network within a community engaged in shared values. The Conference is attended by passionate leaders, experts, and advocates from every corner of the disability community. Conference attendees are influential in their fields and communities, and play an important role in the provision of services and supports for individuals and organizations around the world; and include professors and researchers from leading institutions; those involved in local, state, and federal governments and public policy; special and general educators, and school administrators; self-advocates, adult service providers; students, family members, and many others. This year’s conference theme is Celebrate Together: Let the Good Times Roll!
Click on the "Registration and More" tab for additional information about our Conference location, registration, reserving a guest room, sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities, and more! The full Conference schedule is now available for viewing. Registered attendees will receive an invitation to log in and create a personalized schedule.
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Transition educators can be integral in supporting students with extensive support needs, including intellectual disability (ID) as they pursue meaningful post-school employment. One unique pathway to achieve employment involves creating a small business and pursuing self-employment. Self-employment occurs when an individual works for themself rather than working for an employer. Individuals with disabilities are more likely to pursue self-employment than individuals without disabilities, however, transition educators may be less familiar with self-employment and less prepared to support students with ID and their families achieve self-employment. In addition to describing five strategies that transition educators can use to increase awareness about self-employment while students are in high school, this structured discussion will also feature two parents and two self-advocates who started their businesses with the support of
This panel discussion delves into the multifaceted landscape of Customized Employment (CE), and efforts to catalog its use as a workable tool for provider transformation and expansion of Competitive Integrated Employment (CIE). The members of the panel were all participants in a Case Study through the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) investigating how Customized Employment is successfully implemented in the community, and each brings a unique perspective, shedding light on the collaborative efforts required to facilitate meaningful employment outcomes. Through shared experiences, practical strategies, and interactive dialogue, attendees will gain valuable insights into fostering a more inclusive and supportive employment environment for individuals with disabilities and learn about efforts through ODEP's CIE initiatives to better understand the successful utilization of Customized Employment implementation across the country.
Edge Employment is the 4-person employment team within Mattingly Edge based in Louisville, KY! Our Specialists hold or are working toward certifications in Discovery, Job Development, and Systematic Instruction to provide Customized Employment through Marc Gold and Associates. Social... Read More →
This presentation will provide an overview of the Illinois Sub-Minimum Wage to Competitive Integrated Employment (SWTCIE) Project. SWTCIE is a project administered by the Illinois Department of Human Services/Division of Rehabilitation Services. The project will address the need to expand opportunities for Illinoisans with disabilities to obtain high-quality competitive integrated employment that leads to economic security, & assist & encourage employers to fully include individuals with disabilities into their workforce. SWTCIE aims to achieve systems change by establishing the efficacy of a replicable and scalable model that increases opportunities for individuals with disabilities to transition from subminimum wage employment to competitive integrated employment and redirect to competitive integrated employment those individuals contemplating subminimum wage employment. The project outcomes are to enhance quality of life & increase independence & inclusion among SWTCIE participants.
This presentation addresses the unique barriers faced by entrepreneurs with disabilities, including individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), mental illness, and other significant disabilities. By tackling these challenges directly, attendees will explore an innovative entrepreneurial ecosystem that aims to create a more inclusive and equitable society where economic independence and success are accessible to everyone, regardless of disability. By highlighting success stories and best practices, we aim to inspire and equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the knowledge and resources they need to thrive.
I am the founder of Synergies Work - the largest startup hub providing comprehensive supports to entrepreneurs with disabilities. At Synergies Work our mission is to bridge the disability wealth gap through entrepreneurship.
Over 30 million people worldwide have taken the Gallup CliftonStrengths assessment and have learned the critical link between talent and strengths, as well as the wisdom in leveraging strengths instead of trying to “fix†weaknesses. In the disability community, starting with strengths and leveraging abilities is the foundation for Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) at school, and Individual Plans for Employment (IPEs) at work. This session will describe how to leverage the CliftonStrengths assessment and coaching approach in the workplace. CliftonStrengths provides a common language for disabled and nondisabled employees and their managers to work together and provide an optimal and inclusive environment for all employees.
Dr. Jennifer Camota Luebke is a visionary and strategic President and CEO of Relay Resources, a leading social enterprise in the Pacific Northwest that cultivates meaningful employment for people with disabilities. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the national United... Read More →
Saturday December 7, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST
2ND Floor - Foster 2Hyatt Regency, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70113
It is easy to read about behavioral crises and describe what staff should do. It isn’t quite as easy when you are the one being hit or yelled at. When confronted by challenging behavior, it is more effective to figure out the root cause of the behavior. Challenging behaviors are often means of communication – it sends the message of needs not being met such as, "I'm frustrated," "I'm bored," "I have no power," "I don't feel safe," "I don't feel valued," etc. Once we identify the root cause, we need to stop or replace the behavior. In order to stop the behavior, we need to stop the pattern, not just the current incidence. This presentation will provide strategies for identifying possible functions of challenging behaviors and identify ways to respond and prevent these behaviors in the workplace. Participants will also gain an understanding of how the environment, and other people, affect behavior. and will learn to correctly carry out behavioral support plans in an ethical manner.
Washington State upholds a tradition of promoting competitive integrated employment and community inclusion through gatherings and shared learning. In the early 2020s, traditional gatherings were disrupted, leading to the creation of The Dan Thompson Employment Rallies. These rallies reunited legacy leaders in supported employment with people with disabilities, new service providers, government and education partners. Six regional rallies and a statewide event supported full engagement, both in person and online, fostering a powerful dialogue on Employment First, led by those most impacted. Emphasizing inclusive employment, leadership and voices of people with disabilities, these events reenergized our community. Transition students played a crucial role in shaping the vision and narrative and the rallies addressed inequities, ensuring marginalized communities' needs and voices were included in statewide planning. Join us to discover the innovative rally format, themes, and next steps.
This will be the presentation of the findings of a study about the use of technology (specifically QR codes) by individuals with ID in the workplace. The participants in the study were post secondary aged students who were enrolled in an inclusive post secondary program. The students were working at inclusive on-campus jobs, supported by job coaches. The students all had access to, and were proficient in the use of, cell phones. QR codes were used to link students to individualized supports (e.g. videos, or task checklists) to reinforce skill development and increase independence in the workplace. The QR codes were easily be embedded at the worksites, limiting the need for hard copy lists or charts for students or coaches to manage. Pre and post intervention data will be presented and will include student and job coach feedback and task completion data.
This session offers the latest research relevant to the barriers and facilitators of transition from sheltered 14c employment to competitive, integrated employment via the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA, 2014). Given Indiana's clear movement towards investment in Employment First philosophy, this session is relevant for service providers, families, and people with disabilities considering transition. This session features research highlighting commonly reported concerns and fears around transition, as well as potential strategies to remediate these common challenges. This session will also review interviews of people with disabilities in Indiana who have successfully moved to competitive integrated employment (CIE), are in the process of transitioning from sheltered employment to CIE, and the staff who are assisting in these transitions.
