October 21, 2015
Join the Center for Future Planning® for a panel discussion on employment, job skills, and planning for the future of a person with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The panel will discuss topics including job coaching and support, developing skills and fostering job growth, requesting job accommodations, as well as how to deal with new supervisors and co-workers and changes in the job itself.
Our panelists will include John Kramer of the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston, Anne Roehl of the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration, and Melanie Whetzel of the Job Accommodation Network (JAN). Amie Lulinski, The Arc’s Director of Research and Evaluation will moderate the panel.
Speaker Bios
John Kramer
John Kramer earned his PhD in disability studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago and joined the Institute for Community Inclusion in 2008. He has focused extensively on employment work and has worked on a range of projects that include co-founding the Massachusetts Sibling Support Network (MSSN) and Supporting Illinois Brothers and Sisters. John was awarded a Switzer research fellowship from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research to investigate the role that siblings play in supporting employment for people with Intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Anne Roehl
Anne Roehl joined the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration (ICI) in 2012, to work with Person Centered Thinking and Planning initiatives. Before joining the University, she worked in a variety of settings supporting individuals and families impacted by disabilities. Her education focused on disability studies, however, she’ll tell you she’s learned the most from the people she’s served and in her role as “Mom” to a young son with Autism.
Melanie Whetzel
Melanie Whetzel is a lead consultant at JAN who joined the Cognitive / Neurological Team in February 2008. She has a fourteen year history of teaching and advocating for students with disabilities in the public school system. Melanie holds a Master of Arts degree in Special Education, a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, most recently completed a graduate certification in Career Planning and Placement for Youth in Transition, and became a certified brain injury specialist in 2015.