BAC Rutland

I was doing breathing exercises to relax prior to a job interview when I heard a strange sound. I looked up to see a middle-age man in a dark suit, white shirt and tie pacing the floor.

He was hitting his fists together and muttering out loud to himself, “Oh, so stressful.” This man was interviewing for the same management level job that I was.

Interview anxiety is a common affliction among job seekers. It doesn’t matter if you are a teenager interviewing for your first job or a middle-aged professional.

People with disabilities have the same worries as others plus a few more: Should I inform a prospective employer about my disability? Will the interviewer be uncomfortable with me? What if I am asked an illegal question? Do I really stand a chance?
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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will publish a proposed rule that would make several significant changes to the definition of the term “disability” under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The proposal would revise the EEOC’s regulations to conform with the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA), which makes it easier for individuals seeking protection under the ADA to establish that they have a disability. The proposed regulations include revised definitions of some key terms under the definition of “disability.”

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For most people, their first introduction to autism, Asperger syndrome, or savantism came through a movie such as 1988′s Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise. However, families who deal with autism on a regular basis, know that the plots and characters portrayed in these movies aren’t always the truth.
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Information is continually updating itself based on new research and advancements.

In the field of autism, updates are also happening which will affect our understanding of the prevalence of this disorder, and what are the promising practices to aid in helping them to function in their day to day lives.
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An important trend to watch: Pushback from parents against the diagnosis of autism for their children.
Go to www.autisticlike.com and watch the trailer for Autistic-Like: Graham’s Story.

AUTISM STATS EXAGGERATED: PARENTS STARTING TO REBEL Worldwide Event Oct. 10 & 11

CDC Says One in 150 Children in the U.S. Has Autism. Maybe Not.
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By Lisa Belkin
This week was Deaf Awareness Week, and we are closing it out with a guest post from Linda Shiue, whose seven-year-old daughter was diagnosed with hearing loss several years ago. Her essay is about the particulars of capturing sound, but her feelings will be familiar to any parent who has had to take a new look at life in the face of a child’s diagnosis.
Being Heard
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Disabilities Awareness Highlighted this Fall on PBS with Premiere of Body & Soul: Diana & Kathy

The film BODY & SOUL: DIANA & KATHY chronicles the life of two of the country’s most remarkable advocates for people with disabilities. Diana Braun, who has Down syndrome, and Kathy Conour, who has cerebral palsy, met three decades ago and vowed to fight to live independent lives. Fearful of being shut away in a nursing home or forced into a state-run institution, Diana and Kathy broke the rules, escaped the system, and modeled a grand experiment in independent living.
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“We dodged a bullet thus far, but the governor is playing hard ball and I’m not sure how long we can expect to be that lucky,” said Deborah Carpenter, director of the Brattleboro Economic Services office of the Department for Children and Families. “We are not going to know until later in the week how these cuts are going to affect us locally.”

For more talking points on this subject visit http://www.vsea.org/

Latest offer includes short-term savings for FY10 with long-term savings commitment for FY11 & FY12

Montpelier, Vt. – The Douglas Administration today announced that they would seek two furlough days and five unpaid holidays as a means to find $7.4 million in labor savings as directed by the Legislature’s Joint Fiscal Committee. This proposal is an effort to reach a compromise on labor savings and avoid reductions in force at this time. To find middle ground, the offer today does not include a FY 2010 pay reduction – as did prior Administration offers – and relies on furlough days and unpaid holidays, which are temporary savings that complicate budget problems in coming fiscal years.
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After nine hours of negotiations ended Monday without the state employees union and the Douglas administration reaching a settlement, Gov. James Douglas will soon have the opportunity to do what he seems to have wanted to do all along — cut up to 300 positions from the state payroll without needing the Legislature’s approval.
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