Four LEAP staff members will attend the second Alliance for Full Participation (AFP)Summit, “Real Jobs—It’s Everyone’s Business,” Nov. 17 and 18 in Washington, D.C. The summit will focus on an ambitious goal set in 2009: to double the employment of people with disabilities in integrated settings by 2015. As part of the newly formed Ohio AFP team, “LEAP is getting in on the ground floor, being part of new initiative for the employment of people with disabilities. We will be bringing back knowledge that will help shape Ohio policy,” said Melanie Hogan, executive director of LEAP. 

To meet this ambitious goal, the AFP acknowledges that education systems must make school-to-work transition a priority. Innovative approaches to employment for people with disabilities will also be needed. 

“LEAP brings relevant experience that can be brought to bear on Ohio policy,” said Hogan. “Our Job Link program has a strong track record of assisting high-school students move into employment and adult community life. And we recently completed a customized employment pilot project. That project was so successful that the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission has committed to continue funding customized employment for consumers working with partner agencies like LEAP that are trained in customized employment techniques.” 

Among the speakers who will address the conference are Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who was instrumental in the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act; Timothy P. Shriver, chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of Special Olympics; Barbara Coulter Edwards, director of the disabled and elderly health programs group at the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services; and Andrew Imparato, senior counsel and disability policy director of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. 

Founded in 2003, the AFP is a partnership of national disability and advocacy groups working to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. The national AFP also supports teams in each state, creating statewide networks that represent key stakeholders who provide feedback and direction to the national organization. 

In addition to Hogan, LEAP’s attendees include Julia Donovan, director of employment services; Deborah Nebel, director of public policy, and Kathy Foley, who leads the aging and disability resource center pilot project in partnership with agencies throughout Northeast Ohio. 

“We’re excited to be part of the Ohio team that will bring the summit’s action agenda back to Ohio, so that the vision and outcomes agreed upon in Washington can become a reality here at home,” Hogan said.