Uncategorized – Cape

February 10, 2023August 11, 2023

Black History Month: An Interview with Justin Tapp

By: Justin Tapp, Guest Contributor and Abeer Sikder, Policy Analyst

In honor of Black History Month, The Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth) recently discussed intersectionality and disability employment with Justin Tapp, graduate student and disability leader.

Youth and young adults with disabilities (Y&YADs) are a diverse community, in terms of not only disability type, but also race and ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status. While Y&YADs face barriers to education, training and employment, those who have intersectional identities may face additional challenges. For example, the jobless rate for Black Americans with disabilities (15.1 percent) in 2021 was higher than the rates for other racial minority groups. Yet Black Y&YADs and other Y&YADs with overlapping identities can also leverage their unique perspectives, strengths and support systems to address these challenges and promote greater inclusion in the workforce, across multiple factors.

Justin Tapp, who was born with Klippel-Feil syndrome and scoliosis, is an individual doing just that. Justin identifies as African American, LGBTQ+ and disabled. He earned a bachelor’s degree in disability studies and political science from the University of Toledo and is currently working toward a master’s degree in science in social administration from Case Western Reserve University. Previously, Justin was a 2019 Policy Fellow at RespectAbility and worked as a Learning Disability Specialist in higher education before taking on his current role at a community health organization.

Recently, Justin discussed his experiences in disability studies, self-advocacy and networking, as well as his thoughts on effective policy for supporting the success of future generations of diverse Y&YADs.

January 26, 2023August 11, 2023

Disability Mentoring: Benefits for Youth with Intersecting Identities

By: Luke Byram

January is National Mentoring Month. While mentoring relationships benefit all youth, they may have a particularly positive impact on youth who face barriers to education and employment—such as youth with disabilities and especially those who may have intersecting identities.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), disability mentoring occurs when a person with a disability provides advice and support to another person, usually someone with a similar disability. Mentoring can be short-term in nature, such as a single-day job shadowing opportunity or career exploration experience, which could occur on National Job Shadow Day on February 2, 2023 or on National Mentoring Day on October 27, 2023. Mentoring could also reflect a more robust ongoing relationship between a mentor and youth with regularly scheduled meetings focused on supporting the youth in planning and achieving their goals. The relationship often focuses on a specific task, such as living independently, recovering from a traumatic event, obtaining employment or transitioning into the workforce. The mentor serves as a role model and provides information and guidance specific to the mentee’s experiences and identified needs.

January 3, 2022January 10, 2022

Transition Services for Justice-Involved Youth & Young Adults with Disabilities

By Abeer Sikder

The U.S. Department of Education estimates that between 30-60% of youth involved in the juvenile justice system have a disability. This means that of the 36,000 youth in juvenile facilities in 2019, around 10,000 to 22,000 of them were likely to have a disability. With so many incarcerated youth and young adults with disabilities, the juvenile justice system should be prepared to provide the accommodations and supports necessary for youth and young adults with disabilities in its care to access educational and workforce training opportunities.

April 2, 2021April 2, 2021

Using Youth Leadership Programs to Improve Postsecondary Outcomes for Youth and Young Adults with Disabilities

In “Guideposts for Success: Framework for the Future,” the Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth) identifies youth development and leadership as one of five key domains of comprehensive support to achieve successful employment outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities (Y&YAD). The framework is intended for policymakers and administrators interested in improving their state’s future workforce by strengthening the programs and services available to Y&YAD.

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November 13, 2020March 2, 2021

Let’s Work! California: Our Stories, Our Voices

The Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth)—which is managed by CSG under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy—seeks to improve employment outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities by helping states build capacity in their youth service delivery and workforce systems. As part of this, we also showcase the promise of young leaders whose efforts are already helping build a more inclusive future workforce.

November 11, 2020March 2, 2021

New Educational Framework Identifies Key Areas for State Policymaker Attention

By Elise Gurney

Governments and school districts across the country are determining how to effectively adapt to COVID-19 and mitigate its effects on student learning and well-being. In particular, they are determining how to design and implement distance learning that meets the needs of all students, including traditionally underserved students who are facing even greater obstacles to learning amid COVID-19. This includes working to provide students with the resources they need to engage in remote learning; supporting teachers in their remote instruction; and addressing the additional social and emotional challenges students may face as a result of the pandemic. While these efforts require engagement and coordination across a range of stakeholders, there are particular areas that benefit most from coordinated state government action, as opposed to piecemeal local initiatives.

October 1, 2020December 9, 2020

Employing Youth with Disabilities: The Illinois COVID-19 Summer Youth Employment Program (C-SYEP)

by Dean Farmer

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a massive increase in unemployment throughout the United States. Youth with disabilities transitioning into the workforce were especially impacted by the economic downturn brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the unemployment rate among youth with disabilities ages 16-19 reached 31.2% in July, compared to the 18.8% July unemployment rate of all youth ages 16-19, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.

September 24, 2020December 9, 2020

Suicide Prevention Month: States Take Action

Every year, state leaders, policymakers and advocates recognize September as National Suicide Prevention Month. According to data from the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Americans ages 10-34, the fourth leading cause of death for ages 35-54 and the eighth leading cause of death for ages 55-64. As suicide rates continue to climb, states across the country have taken steps to reduce the number of deaths by suicide and provide access to mental health care prevention and treatment services, particularly for youth.