The bilingual (English/Spanish) PV website (www.proyectovision.net) helps disabled Latinos secure employment and connect with Latino organizations and employers, government agencies, and other service providers from around the country. For prospective employees as well as for employers and service providers, the site offers up-to-date information on job leads, internships and scholarships; professional training and continuing education opportunities; resources for low-cost accommodations and assistive technology; effective recruitment/retention/promotion strategies; and laws about disability rights and benefits.

Toll-free Technical Assistance Hotline: (866) 367-5361

Bilingual operators on Proyecto Visión’s toll-free technical assistance hotline respond to a variety of employment, independent living, resources and benefits inquiries. The hotline is open Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Dial (866) 367-5361 to connect to a job specialist.

News

A bimonthly bilingual newsletter with articles on a variety of issues relevant to Latinos with disabilities and employment is sent to subscribers via e-mail. Many regional news stories are written by disabled Latino writers from around the country. The newsletter is also available in alternative formats (Braille, large print, and on disk), and past issues are archived on the website.

Opportunities

Proyecto Visión’s freelance writer initiative provides compensation and editorial guidance to relatively inexperienced writers, whose articles are then published in the PV newsletter. Last year, freelance writers submitted articles including “Stereotypes, HIV/AIDS & Disability,” and “Fieldworker Turned Counselor Helps Farm Workers Change Careers.”

On the Opportunities section of the PV website, visitors have access to internship and job openings in the public and private sectors around the country, as well as scholarship, fellowship and grant information.

The PV listserv helps site visitors share information and opportunities. It allows individuals to post opportunities and to interact via e-mail with others facing similar issues. Topical listserv discussions have addressed issues such as barriers to work for Latinos with disabilities in rural areas, Latino business owners and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the disabled Latina woman in the workforce.

Success Stories

The Success Stories page profiles real people, many of whom became employed with the assistance of the Proyecto Visión employment specialist and project subcontractors. The individuals featured on the site represent a variety of races, countries of origin, disability types, genders, age groups, geographic locations, types of success and life circumstances.

Upcoming Events/Announcements

The upcoming events/announcements section of the Proyecto Visión website is updated at least once a month with fresh information about goings-on around the country, including Proyecto Visión’s regional technical assistance trainings. PV’s regional trainings are held for diversity managers/human resource professionals at companies; staff at Latino community-based organizations; vocational rehabilitation job developers and emerging disabled leaders. Training topics include general disability awareness, information about reasonable accommodations, cultural competency when providing services to Latinos, and how to hire, train and retain employees with disabilities.

Bridges to Employment Conference

Proyecto Visión’s national conference and training, Bridges to Employment, is the project’s largest annual event. It is planned in a different location every year, drawing attendees from across the country while taking on a unique local flavor and tone. The 2007 event will likely be held in Miami, Florida. In years past it has been held in San Antonio, Texas (2006); Raleigh, North Carolina (2005); Chicago, Illinois (2004); New York, New York (2003); and Los Angeles, California (2002).

Bridges to Employment brings together hundreds of jobseekers, service providers and employers for workshops and roundtables on topics such as “Asset Development & Financial Literacy,” “How Legislation Affects Our Lives and How We Can Affect Legislation,” “Success Stories: Leaving the Gang,” “Business Basics,” “Latino Culture & Disability: A Family Perspective,” “Staying Healthy” and “Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel.”

Presenters include human resource professionals from top companies, job developers, service providers and Latino jobseekers. Speakers from leading Latino advocacy groups such as the National Council of La Raza and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce also contribute to the event.

Resources

The Resources section of the PV website has evolved into an online directory for PV’s target groups. Listings are divided into five categories: Job Search Links; Government Resources and Information; Professional Development, Continuing Education and Trainings; Latino Community Information and Resources; and Disability Information and Resources. Users can browse hundreds of educational videos, training manuals, white papers, community-based initiatives, assistive technology programs, support groups, topic-specific electronic libraries and databases, crisis hotlines, financial literacy materials, health care seminars, and other resources. The directory provides detailed information allowing users to identify and contact the resource of their choice.

Publications

In fall 2006, Proyecto Visión issued Latinos with Disabilities in the United States: Understanding & Addressing Barriers to Employment, a report that examines the employment status of disabled Latinos in the United States and makes recommendations to improve their vocational outcomes. The paper describes this growing group; outlines factors affecting the extent of participation, and degree of success, of disabled Latinos in the service delivery system; highlights innovative research and employment projects that are working to reduce barriers; and presents profiles on individuals and families who have experienced success and others who have fallen between the cracks.