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Empowering people with disabilities by providing options and opportunities.
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Whew! Is it August already?! My my, how this summer is just flying by! Some of us have taken vacations or gone to camp. Some of us have been busy with fun day trips. Some of us have been working hard doing contract, at the Print Shop, and in our SustainAbilities™ program. Below are a few important stories we wanted to share. Enjoy!
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Congratulations to the inaugural SustainAbilities™ Hydroponics training graduates!
 We'd like to congratulate our inaugural SustainAbilities™ Hydroponic/Greenhouse skill training graduates, Fred (pictured here with the Edible Garden team), Tina & Jesse! Job well done!!
All three trainees received a certificate from Edible Garden for successfully completing the Edible Garden Hydroponic and Greenhouse Training Program. In addition to the certificate, the crew at Edible Garden provided all three participants with letters of recommendation, which have been put to good use at job interviews in the last couple weeks.
Our second set of training participants have been working hard and will be completing their program in just a few weeks! We look forward to continuing to provide this training opportunity, in partnership with Edible Garden, to individuals in our program, and students planning their transition. If you would like to learn more about Hydroponics, click HERE!
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 | | Photo courtesy of www.whitehouse.gov |
An important message from our CEO
Cynthia B. Wildermuth
The core of our mission at Abilities focuses on providing opportunities for each and every individual we serve to reach their fullest potential. Whether it involves improving employment related skills or daily living skills, the key to success is the ability to access a full array of individualized program and employment options.
With that in mind, we are pleased to announce that on Tuesday, July 22, President Obama signed into law the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). WIOA seeks to address problems related to the high unemployment rate of individuals with disabilities by reauthorizing and reforming core workforce development programs.
Below is an excerpt from our trade organization, ACCSES, on how the WIOA allows for all employment options to remain available for individuals with disabilities:
Among WIOA's provisions is Section 511 of the Rehabilitation Act, which limits the use of commensurate wage by requiring that individuals under 24 meet the following criteria before being offered employment in a skill development center:
- The individual has received pre-employment transition services
- The individual has applied for vocational rehabilitation services with the result that the individual has been working in a competitive setting with appropriate supports and services for a reasonable period of time without success.
WIOA and Section 511 are consistent with ACCSES's position that competitive integrated employment is the presumptive, priority outcome for individuals with disabilities, but that other outcomes are also appropriate based on an individual's person-centered plan. Employment in a skill development center is recognized as an option for individuals who both choose that setting and who are currently unable to successfully work in competitive employment even with appropriate supports and service.
"Jobs and choice must be recognized," says ACCSES CEO Terry Farmer, "and we are encouraged by the bipartisan support of WIOA. Decisions about where an individual can and should work should be made by the individual, his or her loved ones, and the professionals who know the individual best, not regulators and lawmakers in Washington. Person-centered planning is the core strategy used by disability service providers."
Abilities is committed to a "person-centered planning"
approach in providing opportunities for success.
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Our 17th Annual Tricky-Tray is coming!
featuring
Longaberger� Products,
Vera Bradley Handbags and Accessories,
and NEW for 2014 Thirty-One Gifts!
Save the date, October 17, 2014 and join us for our 17th annual tricky-tray featuring Longaberger Products, Vera Bradley Handbags and Accessories, and NEW FOR 2014 Thirty-One Gifts.
Can you support us by sponsoring a prize?
Make a monetary donation of $30- $500, which will be applied to the prize trays. Your family name or business name will be predominately displayed on the prize during the event, as well as printed in the event program that every attendee receives.
We're also in need of door prizes!
Click HERE for the Tricky Tray Flyer and Donation Form.
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Hot Off The Press
It's Fall Sports Season!
Print ~ Personalize ~ Package
Whether you're wishing summer never ended, or you're looking forward to school starting again, fall sports spirit wear and uniform ordering has already begun! Don't know exactly what you want? Need help with getting that art just right? Abilities Print Shop is here to help you every step of the way. If you can imagine it, we can print it! Call today: 908-689-0612 or visit us at 56 East Washington Ave, Washington, NJ!
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 Join us for the Abilities EXPO on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 at our headquarters, 264 Route 31 North, Washington, NJ! Register yourself, your family, or your class for a no-cost day of interactive, educational experiences featuring all of the services available at Abilities! Enjoy hands-on activities with our SustainAbilities™ Electronics Recycling program, contract services, print shop services, and more. There will also be educational videos, sensory activities, animal therapy, handmade items for sale, and so much more! For more information, or to download the registration form, click HERE.
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All contributions are considered tax deductible under IRS regulations
as Abilities is a 501(c)3 Charitable Organization. Thank you for your generosityty!
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