State Agency Promising Practice: Pennsylvania’s Employment Newsletter - A Communication Strategy to Promote Employment
Abstract
The State of Pennsylvania’s Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) created a monthly newsletter called The Employment Update, which covers state- and nationwide news about the employment of people with disabilities, including intellectual/developmental disabilities. The Employment Update is sent via email to state agency contacts and a large stakeholder community, including individuals with disabilities, service providers, state associations, employers, advocacy groups, family members, representatives from academia and others. The Employment Update contains information about employment trends, employment policy, trainings and conferences throughout Pennsylvania and nationwide. The newsletter also contains information about employment grants and project activities, including links to articles covering topics such as workplace supports and stories of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in community employment. The newsletter has become an invaluable resource, consolidating employment information from various sources and presenting it in one easy-to-read format.