National Disability Institute

The Section 188 Disability Reference Guide helps make workforce development programs more inclusive by ensuring equal access, reasonable accommodations and a supportive environment for job seekers with disabilities. This essential guide empowers individuals in public vocational rehabilitation to pursue their career goals and supports a more inclusive workforce. Download it today: bit.ly/401sDCx. Image description: Square teal graphic with white text reading: Section 188 Disability Reference Guide. The NDI logo is in the top right corner. In the center of the graphic are three images of pages of the Guide. 

Join us this month for events you won’t want to miss! Join us on Wednesday for Intro to ADEN and learn about how we can empower you to offer top-notch employment services. Then, on November 20 we’ll kickoff our third annual Disability Owned Small Business Convening, a two-day national and virtual event bringing together entrepreneurs and small business owners with disabilities, entrepreneurial support organizations, state vocational rehabilitation counsellors, policy makers, financial institutions and disability advocates from across the country. Register for Intro to ADEN: bit.ly/adennov Register for the Convening: bit.ly/sbconvening Image description: Square teal graphic with white and black text reading: November Events. National Native American Heritage Month. Intro to the American Dream Employment Network November 6th at 1:30 pm. Disability Owned Small Business Convening November 20-21 at 12:30 pm.  

Join us for Intro to ADEN! Discover how the American Dream Employment Network (ADEN) can help you deliver high-quality employment services. As an Employment Network, you’ll gain access to exceptional technical support, innovative tools, and a secure portal for smooth case management—all with no upfront fees. Register today: https://lnkd.in/gfQzkci8. Image description: Square teal graphic with white text reading: Intro to ADEN. Learn how the American Dream Employment Network can empower you to offer top-notch employment services. November 6, 1:30 pm. The ADEN logo is in the top left corner of the graphic. Fading into the background on the right side is a photo of a businessman in a grey suit, smiling warmly with his arms crossed. 

As we wrap up #NDEAM, we're reminded that access to employment for people with disabilities isn’t just an individual achievement—it’s a collective gain that uplifts us all. Inclusive workplaces create space for diverse perspectives to drive meaningful change, as shared by NDI’s own Bridgett Graham. Together, let’s continue to build inclusive workplaces that strengthen our communities and amplify the voices of all. Image description: Square teal graphic with white text reading: “Ensuring access to employment for people with disabilities benefits our communities because it opens the door for many different and diverse perspectives to work. People with disabilities lead, are able to contribute, engage and elevate corporations, big and small, to bring forth a real benefit that can have real impact on our communities.” -Bridget Graham, Manager, Financial Empowerment. The NDI logo is in the top right corner of the graphic. 

NDI’s American Dream Employment Network (ADEN) is proud to share Maryvette’s Story as we continue to celebrate #NDEAM. In October 2023, Maryvette was recognized by the Midstate Chamber of Commerce and its Hispanic Heritage Breakfast for the Hispanic Leaders in Action with a nomination for the Shining Star Award regarding her work in the community. Maryvette has become an important figure in her community and continues to make connections, including making suggestions to local elected officials about topics that impact the community. As Maryvette continues to grow in this field so, too, does her American Dream of starting her own nonprofit organization one day. Read her full story at https://lnkd.in/gMa6DEUN. Image description: Square teal graphic with white text reading: Maryvette’s Story. Maryvette’s stroke recovery included learning how to walk, write and speak again. She says, “I wasn’t the type of person used to needing help, I was the one that took care of others. I was determined to get back to myself or better.” Today, Maryvette earns 45 percent more than what she was getting from SSDI alone. There is a cutout photo of Maryvette, smiling and holding her Shining Star Award. In the top right corner are the NDI and ADEN logos.

The future of entrepreneurship is accessible and inclusive. Join us at the Third Annual Disability Owned Convening to be part of this movement. Register today and secure your spot: https://lnkd.in/gMeNBfEK. Image description: Square dark teal graphic with white and light teal text reading: Disability Owned Small Business Convening. November 20-21, 2024. Register Now. The NDI Small Business Hub logo is in the top left corner. Fading into the background of the graphic is a photo of a man wearing a white button-up shirt with a small blue floral print, glasses and headphones, looking at his laptop screen while taking notes.   #Entrepreneurship #InclusiveBusiness #NDIConvening

It’s time to meet another wonderful member of NDI’s team. Meet Ramonia! Ramonia Rochester is the Director of Research at NDI. She is a social scientist, educator and communications practitioner, with more than 15 years of experience translating business and social issues into effective funding and research development proposals, robust research enquiries and empirically-sound findings and recommendations to support targeted educational programs and social services. Prior to NDI, Ramonia worked as a research administrator for a business strategy consulting research firm, eLearning and Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences researcher and project manager and co-investigator for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Teen Dating Violence Prevention capacity building initiative for Miami-Dade County, Florida. She is an advocate for policy development and empowerment training for equitable access to programs supports for underserved communities, and is particularly passionate about addressing intersecting issues across mental health-related disabilities, homelessness and economic inclusivity. Ramonia holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Science from Northern Caribbean University, Jamaica, a research master’s in Communications from Florida International University and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Florida Atlantic University. Image description: Square teal graphic with white text reading: Meet the Team. Hello, I’m Ramonia! Meet NDI Research Director Ramonia Rochester. rrochester@ndi-inc.org. https://lnkd.in/eJSHBJGq. There is a photo of Ramonia smiling in a pink blouse and pink lipstick with a Polaroid frame. Above the photo is the NDI logo.

NDI’s Small Business Hub is thrilled to share our incredible lineup of sessions and speakers for the 2024 Disability Owned Small Business Convening. Join Artura Taylor in this session where she and entrepreneurs with disabilities will share their personal stories and highlight key aspects of their business journeys, providing practical tips and valuable insights into the entrepreneurial process. Mark your calendar – this is an event you don’t want to miss! Register at https://lnkd.in/g4MsMaB7 Image description: Square dark teal graphic with white and light teal text reading: Meet your speaker: Artura Taylor, President and CEO, TDG Scientific. Turning Ideas into Impact: The Story Behind My Business. November 20th at 12:30 pm. Disability Owned Small Business Convening 2024. The Small Business Hub logo is in the top left corner. In the top right corner is an effect mimicking a spotlight shining down on a circular framed photo of Artura Taylor outlined in light teal.

Meet Vinnie. He used the Ticket to Work program, which provides free employment support services for Social Security disability beneficiaries, to find a unique career. Though Vinnie was already employed, increasing caregiving demands related to his wife’s declining health began to interfere. With help from Susan Gaudet of Maine Vocational Solutions, they discussed the possibilities of attendant services. As a paid attendant for his wife, Vinnie was able to combine his two priorities: caring for his wife and increasing his income. More than achieving his financial goals, Vinnie’s emotional well-being also greatly improved. Read Vinnie’s story at bit.ly/adenvinnie. Image description: Square teal graphic with white text reading: Vinnie’s Story. Before he went back to work, Vinnie said, “I had no self-esteem at all.” Now that he is working again and caring for his wife, Vinnie stated he “feels better about [himself].” Vinnie’s improved self-esteem and excitement for life led him back to his lifetime appreciation of music. Now he sings, plays his guitar and piano and is also working on a new album. There is a cutout photo of Vinnie, smiling playing his guitar in the bottom right corner. In the top right corner are the NDI and ADEN logos.

Exciting news! Illinois has a new cohort of 26 trainers for Financial Wellness for People with Disabilities! Self-advocates, case managers, family members, advocates, financial advisors and Illinois leaders came together for a three-day training at UIC’s Department of Disability and Human Development. The training covered important financial topics like credit, work supports, ABLE accounts and more. A special thanks to Stephanie Canter, Deputy Director of IL ABLE, who presented, and to Kimberly Mercer-Schleider, Director of the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities, and Nathan Stevens from the Coleman Foundation, for joining us. This new group joins over 130 trainers in Illinois as part of the Trainer Support Network, with ongoing assistance from the National Disability Institute. We can’t wait to see the impact they’ll make! Image description: Photo of a group of five people, from left to right: Michael Roush, Director, Center for Disability-Inclusive Community Development, NDI. Kimberly Mercer-Schleider, Director, Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities. Nathan Stevens, Program Officer, The Coleman Foundation. Margie Harkness, Program Specialist, Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities. Kish Pisani, Project Coordinator, NDI. The Coleman Foundation #ILDD