TransAccess MISSION FULLFILLMENT REPORT January 1, 2006 -December 31, 2006 Program Highlights Total Students served to date: 936 Multiple Services: 521 One-on-One Services: 187 School to Career Program Services: Vocational Assessment: 126 Life Skills: 47 Advocacy: 201 Career Portfolio: 149 Job Shadowing Sessions: 2 with 8 attendees Internships YTD: 39 Mentorships YTD: 50 Mentees: 60 Job Placement: 121 Resume Assistance: 367 Application Assistance: 268 Job Fair: 3 job fairs with 201 attendees Career Academy: 56 Real Game: 94 Enclaves: 3 developed with 17 attendees Business Networking Sessions: 1 with attendees: 10 Meetings and Presentations: 101 Employer Contacts: 73 Presentations, Partnerships, Recruitment Sources, Memberships, Volunteers: * Presentations: San Jose Unified High School District; East Side Union High School District Teachers and Administrative Staff re: career Academies; Real Games Corporate re: CA pilot program results; Campbell Union High School District Special Education Departments and Teachers; Adobe Community Affairs; Branham High School; Fremont Union High School District; Daniel Newell and Ivon Perez presented on Electronic Assessments at the employmentAccess Conference; Pathfinders Charter School; Sylvia presented on CalCRN/Career Academy at the employmentAccess conference; Bob and Sylvia presented at the Workability conference on career assessments an planning. * Awards: Bob Zier received Advocate of the year award from the Department of Rehabilitation and TransAccess received Collaboration of the Year Award from Department of Rehabilitation. The CMI program received a commendation from the Board of Supervisors of Santa Clara County. A TransAccess student received an award of achievement at the NOVA annual awards breakfast. The work that TransAccess and Ivon Perez did with the student was highlighted. * Training: Ivon and Daniel attended I.E.P. training. * Employer Meetings: Allied Barton Security, Mervyn's, Michael's, Camera Theaters, Kohls, The Atrium, Golfland, Chuck E Cheese, Hometown Buffet, Diddams, Krispy Kremes, Classic Car Wash, Great America, YMCA, Albertsons, Safeway, Raging Waters, Kamans, 24 Hour Fitness, Tilly's, City of San Jose, City of Sunnyvale, Ross, Fresh Choice, Linen's N Things, Macy's, Fresh Choice, Blossom Hill Bowl, Bed Bath Beyond, Starbucks, Willow Glen Convalescent Home. * Business Advisory Committee: The Advisory Committee meets quarterly. * Community Meetings: BACED, Campbell Union High School District, Pathfinders School, CMI Advisory Committee, Community Collaboration Team, Odyssey, DOR San Jose, DOR Sacramento, Eastside Union High School District, Fremont Union High School District, NOVA/CONNECT Stakeholders meeting; MentorNet, Evergreen College Advisory Committee Meeting; West Valley College Advisory Committee Meeting; San Jose Airport ADA Advisory Committee Meeting. * Community Outreach: Daniel presented an On-line application workshop at the Martin Luther King Library. Sylvia presented life skills and career development at Juvenile Hall, the California Mentoring Initiative participated with a Christmas tree at Christmas in the Park in downtown San Jose. * Real Games: Staff met with California Careers Info and The National Lifework Center (of Canada) to discuss how we are implementing the Real Games curriculum in the High School classrooms. There is an interest in TransAccess assisting with the development of Real Games curricula specific to the needs of youth and adults with disabilities. * California Mentoring Initiative: Maria and Bob have attended all CMI quarterly meetings for the State Advisory Committee. Fifty mentors are currently with the program and 39 mentees have been recruited. 38 Mentor/Mentee matches have been made. Several are pending processing. We continue to recruit for new mentors. Six mentoring events have been organized and two CMI advisory committee meetings have convened. * Fee-For-Service: * Sylvia organized two job fairs for the Fremont Unified School District and taught a summer school class for FUHSD. * 2 two week sessions as well as three one day sessions of Boot Camp will be held this summer as part of the fee-for-service with San Jose Unified High School District. * The San Jose Unified High School District Board approved a P.O. for $75,000 for 2006. * Eastside Unified has approved $90,000 for services from January 2006-December 2006. Under this contract TransAccess taught 3 summer school class sessions at 2 ESUHSD high schools for special education students. * The grant for transition services for students with mental health disabilities was approved by DOR. It is the only contract that was awarded in California and will be a Case Service Contract in the amount of $89,000. Maria wrote the service descriptions and developed the program materials for three services which were certified for this contract: Work Adjustment, Employment Services and Situational Assessment. * Sylvia is researching the possibility of providing transition services and life skills classes to youth with disabilities at Juvenile Hall. Evaluation Information: TransAccess School-to-Career Services If you have you participated in any of TransAccess' workshops or received any assistance from TransAccess, could you give us some input, as we plan for future services that will best meet the needs of students like yourself? What service or services were provided? Workshops: _X_Resume Creation _X_Interviewing skills _X_Job Search Assistance ____Self-Assessment ____ Job Retention _X_Career Portfolio _X_Other (specify) Real Game 11/12________________________________________________ ____Individual Student pre-employment assistance 1. If TransAccess was to improve these services in any way, what could we do differently that would have helped you more, as well as help others like you? (either different format, different services, covering different topics, better time of day or length of the sessions, etc) What does TransAccess just not "get"? * They got every thing just fine I would not change a thing. * Nothing. They did everything they were supposed to and more. * Basically everything is okay. It's a lot of info: work, help Friendship, I don't think there's anything wrong. * Nothing every thing is fine as it is. * TransAccess was a great program. Ivon was very helpful. She helped everyone find a job, how to keep them, how we should act, dress, etc. TransAccess is a very great program. * I think TransAccess is a great program. Ivon really helped us this year. She gave us a lot of pointers to help us get a job. I don't think you guys have to improve in anything. * No, I think you guys cover most of the things I needed to know. * I think this program is great the way it is. It gave me so much knowledge on getting jobs, searching, rŽsumŽs making. I think it's great the way it is. * TransAccess has pretty much helped me on basically every aspect I needed. * TransAccess did a very good job of covering everything. * Nothing. * TransAccess has pretty much helped me on basically every aspect I needed. * We need more time of the day. * TransAccess could make it longer. * I would like to have more time and to do more topics more things to do. * Just give us some school supplies (paper, pen, pencil, etc....) More school supplies with Real Game Logo. * Teaching differently and more information and detail. * The class periods are to short. * I think the class is too short...... 2. Was there anything about what TransAccess offers or things we cover in the workshops that is not of use to students and should be discontinued? * No, everything is good to know. * No, all the stuff Tans Access offers and cover is perfect as it is. * Everything in the workshops is great. Can't ask for better. * I think everything you covered was useful for students. * No, I think everything that TransAccess covers with their staff and in the workshops is useful. * I think everything is very helpful nothing should be discontinued. * I think the workshops were a good idea. * No I like everything that we did. * I feel that I learned something and that it is important and nothing should be discontinued. * I feel that everything was important because I learned something and I think they should not be discontinued. * I don't think anything should be changed. * I felt that I learned everything and it should continue like it is. * We needed the information and we learned something. 3. Do students like the services or workshops at their school or would they like them at a different location? * I don't think it matters. * I would like it at a different location because I would think it would be better to be able to concentrate. * No, They like it at their school. * Students at San Jose High like the workshops because there here to help us give us all the information we need incase we want to start our won company. * I like the workshops at our school. Because some people can't drive to other locations. So it's helpful that your workshops come to our schools. * No I think all the students like TransAccess because it helps you to find a job and how to write a resume and cover letter. * At their school, because its easer for them. * Every student would like this program. I think keeping in contact would be great with the students. * I think it's great at school. It is very convenient for the student especially when they can't meet somewhere else. * I think it's better at school so that students don't have to stress about ways of getting to the location. * At schools. * I think that it's good at school because some students can't hear this information elsewhere. * I thing it's great at school. It is very convenient for the student especially when they can't meet somewhere. * I like it at my school because, school is where I'm at and I don't want to go anywhere for the real game. 4. In the future, should we continue to use our staff to provide the services directly to students or is there some other way that would be better? * Keep using staff. * No, the staff is the best way. * I think that they should continue to provide services not only to the students, but to everyone else. * You guys should always continue your services, they are great. * Yes, you should continue to use your staff. * Yes, I think it's better if the staff personally helps the student with the student things. * The way it is now has worked for me. I don't see any other way needed. * No, I think one on one directly with the students is the best way. * Directly to students. * I think it's better for the staff to provide services directly to students. * Well the way it is not has worked for me. I don't see any other way needed. * Yes, because we learned and students can learn more like us we want the person from the company to do it. * It was good thing you sent a TransAccess person than letting our teacher do it. * I think it's better if TransAccess sends a speaker rather than the teacher because the teacher might know less and the speaker might know a lot about the Real Game. * Nothing is wrong I learned everything I needed at the Real Game * No nothing should be changed. Daniel did a good job he taught us very well and helped us too. I thing is better that he stays and does the same thing with other students. * Yes I do think you should keep the TransAccess staff * I like when the staff comes. 5. As TransAccess plans for future services, is there something that you needed or that others would need that we should consider doing? What should that be and how should it work? * No. * I think TransAccess should have more opportunities for people and people with disabilities. * I think you guys need more job opportunities maybe Forever 21, Papaya, American Eagle. * I don't know. * Well for me, I think the workshops covered every aspect I personally needed help with. * I think that TransAccess is okay the way it is. * How to get a good job like to research a job or career of our dream and to know information of the job or career. * Nothing is wrong I learned everything I needed at the Real Game. * I like the whole thing. * We should have field trips to different jobs and talk to the people that work there for we can learn more. 6. If your parents know about what TransAccess' services to you were, what would they say was the "good part" and what should be changed? * Helping me get ready to find work. * They would say that they appreciate the program and they wouldn't want to change any thing about it. * My parents would say TransAccess is good start for beginners who have not a lot of experience. * I told my parents about TransAccess and they liked the idea that (Ivon) and others take their time to come to ours classes and help us find job and how to fill papers out. * Yes my parents know about TransAccess they said it's a good program for me. * Well my mom said that it a very good service and I should look in to it as much as I can. * My parents think it's great that I have this help and appreciate it as much as I do. * I think they would have loved the whole workshop. They would provably say that is was a good experience. * They would think the resume is the good part along with applications. Although my mom doesn't really like me to use personal information online. * My parents think it's great that I have this help, and appreciate it as much as I do. * They don't care. * I think they would say that the traveling part was the best. * No there is something that they will like change, because they want me to get a good job. * They would say the whole thing was good they wouldn't change anything. * I like the vacation sheet it was a good thing. * Yes because they want me to learn about jobs. 7. If you were hired by TransAccess to design services or workshops for students like yourself, how would you do them? What would you include that students would really like and would be so helpful to them? * I would do them on the computer. Well I think that they would need longer time to do TransAccess. * Everything that TransAccess showed me and how it helped and how I learn about it. * Design an ad. * If I were hired to design. I would give the student the advantage to express themselves through art this would be helpful to the students and to me. * I think I would make the students get out there and do it like getting the job and putting knowledge to them. * Help them get jobs. * I would probably have more one on one time with the students. I would give them examples of people that used TransAccess in the past and show where they are now. * I'd like it twice a week because we can cover more sessions and we could do a lot. We can also learn more. * They need to come 2 times a week. * Make a video show about the real game that we could learn also. * I think it is better that he comes two days a week would better like that so we could have more time. * You could have it more than I day a week. * Why should you change the services it is a good thing to learn. * We so learned because Daniel taught us something new. 8. Are there any other thoughts or advice you'd like to share with us about our future services? * No, it was fun doing this and I'm glad my class was chosen. * No there is not. Everything is fine as it is. * No I think that the program is great and you shouldn't change anything about it. * More subjects, and more services. * Just want to thank Ivon for coming to San Jose High And helping us find job. Your program is great. Thanks. * Yes, I think you have a great program. * Ivon Perez has been a great help when I needed job advice or application help. She is always on top of everything, and that has really helped me. * Just keep up the great job! * It's good. Keep up the work. A.T. Labs DR Evaluations: 35 DR Training: 5 Worker's Comp. Evaluations: 2 Worker's Comp training: 3 School Evaluations (Students): 0 School Training (students): 4 School Training (Staff): 20 Private Pay (Individuals and Employers): 18 Scholarship Services: 8 In-Kind Donations: Total Clients receiving Access Technology Evaluations and Training: 104 Total Attendees to Presentations: 335 Total Attendees to Group Trainings: 20 Total Individuals Served in 2006 YTD: 459 Highlights: * Presentations and Meetings: John presented to Special Education teachers at San Jose State University and OT students at Samuel Merritt College. John attended the CSUN conference and presented information on access technology to the California Youth Leadership Forum. Jane has joined and will participate in BAER (Bay Area Ergonomics Roundtable) and DMEC (Disability Management Employers Coalition) meetings. Jane and John provided access technology demonstrations at the employmentAccess conference. Jane, John and Maria presented on Access Technology for Students with Disabilities at the CSU Communications Conference. John presented at the Veteran's Fair and at the Santa Cruz Job Fair on Access Technology. John attended Ergo Day and OTAC. Jane presented to the O.T. Graduate students on Access Technology at San Jose State University. * General Business Meetings: 1. John met with the Department of Rehabilitation for the quarterly meetings. 2. John presented AT service to the following DOR offices: Piedmont Hills, San Jose District, Salinas, Capitola, Fremont. 3. We have been meeting with Voc Solutions to develop a plan for partnering and/or co-marketing to our respective customers. 4. Eric Schlossberg, an ergonomics service provider in the Bay Area, has engaged TransAccess to provide services to his current and future clients. He has a base of employer contacts and Workers Comp contacts that will add to our customer base. 5. Jane is also working with Eric Schlossberg and Ed Rosenthal to sell voice recognition services. 6. John and Maria provided a tour of the labs to Akhtar Badshah , Senior Director of Community Affairs for Microsoft and Lisa Marie Carlson Community Affairs for Mt. Microsoft Campus and discussed future opportunities for Microsoft to support TransAccess. * VA: The VA renewed our contract for services to veterans. Jane is researching how to engage in the referral process by physicians, physical therapists and O.T.'s. * High School AT Services: Jane & John are marketing to other school districts to assist in developing AT computer labs for their students with learning disabilities. * Santa Clara County Social Services Agency: Jane met with the EOO coordinator for the SC County Social Services Department to discuss AT and ergo services from TransAccess. As a result of this meeting, he was very impressed with the comprehensiveness of our services and has sent several referrals. * Scanning: Jane, John and Ranya completed the scanning page for the Website and Ranya has listed it to show on the first page of a yahoo search. Jane, John and Ranya have also completed the Voice Recognition page. We have scheduled a meeting with Benetech to discuss scanning services. We met with Rick Plescia of Kurzweil to discuss marketing of scanning services. We are also developing a proposal with Bob Martinengo to provide publisher e-text services to the California UC systems. Mr. Martinengo was responsible for organizing e-text services for the Community College systems. Jane Met with Lincoln Ong of Stanford Highwire Press regarding scanning processes and relationships with publishers. Jane and Maria are working with the grant writer to identify seed funding to provide services to school districts to engage in these services. * San Jose Mercury News Wishbook: Jane is in the process of nominating a client into the Wishbook for this coming holiday season. We have been successful every year to date in getting services/goods for clients that we have nominated. * A.T. Vendors: Jane has increased contact with current vendors and engaged new vendors to increase equipment loans and donations. Evaluation Information: The service you received was: * Clearly explained: 4.82 * Courteous: 4.82 * Professional: 4.82 * Centered on your needs: 4.82 The expertise of the evaluator was: 4.73 Your needs were met and your concerns addressed: 4.6 Comments: * She was thorough, knowledgeable and sincerely concerned. * Give me more ways to improve and prevent hurting myself. * Mrs. Tong measured all necessary work equipment. * Ms. Tong took her time to explain the problem areas. * Explained new techniques that I can use to lessen the pain in my right arm and hand. The range of assistive technology devices was adequate for your needs: 4.2 * Her suggestions were very helpful. * Mrs. Tong said she would request for the necessary ergo equipment I need. Will see if the county complies. * Gave me keyboard short cuts I can use on a regular basis. * Helped adjust the computer and chair; also showed techniques on computer for less clicking of mouse. What, if any, areas do you feel could be improved or strengthened: * John did an exceptional job. He is focused and has the clients' best interest in mind. He is able to clarify the clients' concerns and address how they may be rectified. I learned a lot. * Ms. Tong was great. Additional comments * Jane was a delight to meet and work with. Consider her a valuable company employee. * It will be good if all employees will be aware and informed of all the techniques to prevent injuries that Jane has taught me. * She gave me great suggestions and addressed issues that she saw that I could improve on and great tips for using the keyboard. * Mrs. Jane Tong was very patient, very informative. Thank You! * Very pleasant. * Ms. Tong should assess everyone at Social Services. * Great job, hope it all helps me. General * Maria presented to or met with: DR San Jose District Contract Manager; Patty O'Sullivan, Global Diversity and Work/Life Manager from Agilent; Annette Rodarte of ESUHSD re: California Mentoring Initiative; Deborah Sweeney, District Administrator for the Department of Rehabilitation; State Disability Awareness Committee; Barb Larson of Silicon Valley Community Foundation; Department of Justice; the Health Trust; Maximum Impact; The Board Connection; BACED/NOVA partnership discussion; Mary Ellen Peterson, Executive Director of Parents Helping Parents; Dan Walker co-founder of the Futures Group; Karen Crowe, Supervisor with the Department of Rehabilitation; Jim Fruchterman of Benetech; Medha Joshi at SVILC; * Maria continues to attend meetings and participate in the leadership of the Governor's Committee for the Employment of Persons with Disabilities, the Santa Clara County Committee for Persons with Disabilities, and the DOR event collaboration. Maria Facilitated the adoption of BACED into NOVA/CONNECT as the job developer group that will be supported by NOVA. * Maria chaired and facilitated the annual meeting for the California State Affiliated Local Committees for the Employment of Persons with Disabilities. * Adobe donated several pieces of art for the TransAccess office. * John and Ivon presented TransAccess' services to the State Disability Advisory Committee at their open house for all CA State agencies. * John and Bob provided training on disability issues and information about TransAccess' programs to the NOVA One Stop Center staff. * As of June 1, the Health Trust has taken over accounting services for TransAccess and Maximum Impact has taken over HR services for TransAccess. Project HIRED is no longer providing back office services. * The TransAccess Employee handbook was updated and all staff received Sexual harassment training. * Strategic planning has been a focus of the Board and Agency. Events and PR * Employment Access 2006 was be held for its 7th consecutive year at the Microsoft Conference Center in Mt. View, September 27th and 28th. Sponsors were: Microsoft; Manpower; Oracle; State Compensation Insurance Fund; Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich and Rosati; Lockheed-Martin; Sun Microsystems; Gerstco, NISH, National Semiconductor, General Dynamics and the State Department of Rehabilitation. There were over 300 attendees, 22 18 break out sessions, two keynotes and two endnotes, technology and business exhibitors on day one and technology demonstrations on day 2. Microsoft has committed to sponsoring for September 26 and 27, 2007. * Ranya and Jane have created marketing materials for the Lab, such as Dragon training brochures and ergonomic services. * Jane, John and Ranya have created and launched a monthly e-newsletter for the AT Labs. * TransAccess' Newsletter continues to be sent. ?? ?? ?? ?? 2006 Mission Fulfillment Report 11 TransAccess