South Dakota’s Disability Employment Initiative (DEI)
The SDDEI's goal is to improve educational, training and employment opportunities and outcomes for youth with disabilities as a means to economic self-sufficiency. The project has a comprehensive model for improving employment outcomes of youth with disabilities through the individualization of employment plans and the leveraging of existing programs and supports to achieve employment goals. The SDDEI will improve linkages with transition planning teams and other services within the workforce development system to market and redirect the enrollment of out-of-school youth and youth transitioning from school to the adult workforce system; and expand the capacity of the local One-Stop system to respond to the employment needs of youth with disabilities.
South Dakota Proclamation: Disability-Employment Awareness Month (2015)
“Gov. Dennis Daugaard proclaimed October 2015 as Disability Employment Awareness Month.
The executive proclamation advances the Governor’s goal of making South Dakota an employment-first state, one in which employment is the first priority and preferred outcome for all citizens with disabilities.
“South Dakota is joining a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about disability employment issues and to celebrate the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities,” said state Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Gloria Pearson. “We encourage South Dakotans to take a look at AbilityForHire.com to learn more about how South Dakota is contributing to this effort.””
EEOC v. Mitchell Temporary And Dakota Pork Industries
The EEOC's Denver district office sued Dakota Pork Industries, Inc., a South Dakota meat processing facility, and Mitchell Temporary, a South Dakota employment agency, on September 29, 2003 in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota. The EEOC's complaint alleged that Mitchell and Dakota violated the Americans with Disabilities Act when they discriminated against the intervenor, who intervened in April 2004, based on a disability (deafness) when they failed to hire her and instead hired less qualified individuals without disabilities.
The EEOC and the defendants entered into two separate consent decrees on August 27, 2004, both of which are substantively identical. The consent decrees stipulated that Mitchell and Dakota would be enjoined from discriminating based on disability in the future, would their employees for compliance with the ADA, post a notice of compliance with the ADA, affirmatively hire hearing impaired individuals, and report to the EEOC semiannually for three years about compliance with the consent decree. The decree further stated that Mitchell and Dakota would pay $125,000 in damages, attorney's fees, and costs to the intervenor. The intervenor and the defendants were granted a stipulated dismissal also on August 27, 2004.
“South Dakota Employment First Alliance Vision: That all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have the opportunity to explore individual, integrated employment options that suit them best. This includes education, experience, and exposure to make an informed decision about choosing a career path based on interests, strengths, and support needs.”
“Community, Hope, Opportunity, Independence, Careers, Empowerment, Success (CHOICES) is a program with services for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Services
Services may include:
Individual assistive technology: Devices include items such as iPads, Wayfinder, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and other SMART home technology. These devices offer more independence as the devices can be programmed to remind the person to take medication, provide step-by-step instructions for completing activities of daily living, and make the home environment more accessible.
Residential services: Services help people live as independently as possible, and support health and safety needs. Care ranges from around-the-clock supervision to intermittent daily check-ins.
Supported employment: Services help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities gain and maintain employment, advance in their chosen fields, and explore new employment options as their skills, interests, and needs evolve. The goal of supported employment services is for a person to get ongoing paid employment at or above minimum wage in an integrated, general workforce setting.
Career exploration: Services help people learn work skills and prepare the person for employment. Career exploration can be provided in a variety of settings.
Day services: Supports help people to have meaningful life experiences. These services include leisure and recreational activities to help people get, keep, or build on their living skills.”
South Dakota’s Disability Employment Initiative (DEI)
The SDDEI's goal is to improve educational, training and employment opportunities and outcomes for youth with disabilities as a means to economic self-sufficiency. The project has a comprehensive model for improving employment outcomes of youth with disabilities through the individualization of employment plans and the leveraging of existing programs and supports to achieve employment goals. The SDDEI will improve linkages with transition planning teams and other services within the workforce development system to market and redirect the enrollment of out-of-school youth and youth transitioning from school to the adult workforce system; and expand the capacity of the local One-Stop system to respond to the employment needs of youth with disabilities.
Governor Creates Task Force on Employing People with Disabilities
“Led by the state Department of Human Services, the task force will bring the private and public sectors together to ensure people with disabilities are a vital part of South Dakota’s workforce. The task force will offer a broad spectrum of perspectives, including people with disabilities and their family members, the business community, representatives of state government, service providers and nonprofit stakeholders.”
South Dakota Governor’s Statement on Employment First
Dennis Daugaard, officially stated in July 2013 that he planned to make South Dakota an Employment First state ..“My goal is to make South Dakota an “employment-first state.” That means our government will commit itself to making employment the first priority and the preferred outcome for our citizens with disabilities. Although many with disabilities, particularly those with intellectual disabilities, are employed in “shelter work environments,” which separate them into separate work places, our goal is to include these people in the regular workforce. Research has shown this to be far better, economically and socially.”
ASPIRE (Achieving Success by Promoting Readiness for Education and Employment) is a six state consortium that includes Arizona, Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah. Led by the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation, the goals of ASPIRE are to 1) Increase SSI youth and families’ overall household income, and thereby reduce dependence on public benefits, by increasing educational attainment and increased career achievement; and 2) Inform federal policymakers about the efficacy of best supports for youth with disabilities. The six states will recruit and enroll 2000 youth ages 14 to 16 who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) living in urban, rural, frontier and tribal areas. At enrollment, all youth and their families will receive information about available resources and services. Half of the youth and families who enroll will also be provided additional services including case management, self-determination training for the youth, parent education and training, financial education and capability training and benefits planning. ASPIRE will also partner with agencies and organizations to support further education and employment opportunities for the youth and family. A comparison will be made between the group receiving additional ASPIRE services and those who receive the typical services within their communities.
