Online course focuses on abilities of people with disabilities

Dover, DE –Beginning this month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, all State of Delaware employees will be able to access a new online class, Focus on Ability. This class will provide information about hiring and retaining employees with disabilities, including responding to and requesting accommodations, understanding invisible disabilities, and interacting comfortably and respectfully with people who have disabilities.

“Employing people with disabilities is a necessity if the State wants to hire and retain the best employees to run state government efficiently and effectively,” said Governor Jack Markell. “By offering this course to all state employees, we are ensuring we provide every person with the best possible chance to achieve personal and professional success.”

The course is being offered in correlation with the initiative Governor Markell championed as Chairperson of the National Governors Association (NGA) – A Better Bottom Line: Employing People with Disabilities. As part of his NGA initiative, Governor Markell encouraged governors from every state to focus on employing people with disabilities in their own states and encouraged states to become model employers by increasing the number of people with disabilities working in state government.

Governor Markell believes strongly that government, business, the general public and individuals with disabilities and their families all stand to benefit from increased employment of people with disabilities, and all of these groups have a role and shared responsibility in reaching this goal.

“Advancing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities is the right thing to do as a society. It’s the smart thing for government to do, and it makes good business sense,” said Governor Markell. “There are so many people with disabilities who have the time, talent, and desire to make meaningful contributions to interested employers. What matters is what they have to offer and the tremendous impact that their employment will have on their overall well-being and on overall productivity of the businesses that employ them.”

While people with disabilities bring valuable skills to the workforce, a simple lack of awareness can be a barrier to job access for them. Research shows that employees with disabilities have strong attendance records, are loyal to their employers and have nearly identical job performance ratings to employees without disabilities. More than 600,000 scientists and engineers currently employed in the United States have disabilities. The State of Delaware has a variety of jobs filled with employees who have disabilities, including cerebral palsy, autism, and physical, sensory and intellectual disabilities. State of Delaware employees with disabilities hold a variety of jobs, including Accounting Specialists, Division Directors, Judicial Case Processors, Management Analysts, Equipment Operators and Social Workers.

Focus on Ability will be offered free of charge to all state employees. For more information, visit the Statewide Training and Development website at: http://delawarepersonnel.com/training/online/. If employees have any problems registering on the website, they can reach the Statewide Training and Development Office at (302) 577-8977.

Twenty-one talented state employees and their family members, recognized for their works of art as the results of the National Arts Program®: Delaware State Employee Exhibition and Contest II, were announced on Saturday, March 2. Approximately 400 people attended the Opening Reception. Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock and Division of the Arts Director Paul Weagraff presided over the awards ceremony. Jackie J. Szafara, Executive Director of the National Arts Program®, was on hand to congratulate the winners.

In his remarks, Secretary Bullock commended the state employees and families members who contributed to the exhibition and thanked Delaware State University for this important partnership. He noted how this kind of exhibition reinforces the value of the arts and reflects the Governor’s commitment to a rich cultural environment contributing to our quality of life in Delaware.

Mr. Weagraff commented, “This exhibit allows us to see a side of our colleagues that we don’t often have an opportunity to witness in the workplace. It really heightens our awareness of how much of a role the arts play in so many lives.”

Twenty-one awards were announced in five categories – Professional, Intermediate, Amateur, Teen (13-18 years old), and Youth (12 years and under), culminating in one Best in Show. Sixteen cash prizes totaling $2,400 were awarded by the National Arts Program®. A list of winners and Honorable Mentions is below.

Two-hundred-eight employees of Delaware state agencies and their immediate family members submitted artwork for the 2013 exhibition and contest. The participating artists came from across the state (over half from Kent County) and represented 74 state agencies and 85 were returning participants.

The exhibition will be on view on in the Arts Center/Gallery at Delaware State University through March 20. Hours for viewing are Monday through Friday from 9:30 am – 3:00 pm with special hours between March 8 and 15. Visit www.artsdel.org for details.

Judges for the contest were Jennifer Gunther, Director Arts Center/Gallery, Delaware State University; Ryan Grover, Curator, Biggs Museum of American Art; Pat Staby, artist; and Steve Rogers, artist. At their discretion, the judges awarded five Honorable Mention ribbons.

The Delaware Division of the Arts is proud to be the local sponsor of The National Arts Program®, an organization established in 1982 to identify, showcase, and reward the visual artistic talent in America. The National Arts Program® currently sponsors 82 annual programs, encompassing more than 450 cities and counties within 38 states.

The award winning artwork can be viewed on Flickr. To view a complete set of all 208 art works, visit the Division’s Facebook page or view the artwork on Flickr. The image with the most likes on Facebook on March 21 will be named the “People’s Choice.”

BEST IN SHOW ($300):
Robert Palandrani
Artist Category: Professional
Wilmington

PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY:
1st Place ($300)
Diane Laird
Middletown

2nd Place ($200)
Cristen Hess
Newark

3rd Place ($100)
Mindi Schultze
Lewes

Honorable Mention
Shari Dierkes
Clayton

INTERMEDIATE CATEGORY:
1st Place ($300)
Kaitlyn Malloy
Clayton

2nd Place ($200)
Mary Wagner
Frederica

3rd Place ($100)
Melanie Ferrin
Hartly

Honorable Mention
Ron Wilson
Wilmington

AMATEUR CATEGORY:
1st Place ($300)
Christopher Portante
Wilmington

2nd Place ($200)
Denise Powell
Lincoln

3rd Place ($100)
Christopher Jones
Wilmington

Honorable Mention
Lisa Lindsay
Milton

TEEN CATEGORY (13-18 years old):
1st Place ($75)
Casey Williams
Wilmington

2nd Place ($50)
Valerie Limmina
Wilmington

3rd Place ($25)
Grace Coury
Magnolia

Honorable Mention
Maylene Ferrin
Hartly

YOUTH CATEGORY (12 years & under):
1st Place ($75)
Thomas Krumrine
Magnolia

2nd Place ($50)
Carson Mears
Seaford

3rd Place ($25)
Myles Pleasanton
Dover

Honorable Mention
Ben Horenstein
Wilmington

Six individuals receive the Delaware Award for Excellence and Commitment in State Service

DOVER – Governor Jack Markell today recognized and celebrated the efforts of the 2012 recipients of the Delaware Award for Excellence and Commitment in State Service. The award winners and nominees were recognized for their exemplary efforts in service to the State of Delaware.

“These individuals truly exemplify what it means to be a public servant,” said Governor Markell. “Their commitment and dedication have driven them to provide excellent service to Delawareans.  I want to thank them for the work they do every day.”

The 2012 recipients are:

• Brian Forte, Department of Correction, Bureau of Prisons – In the past year, Sergeant Forte, a supervisor at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institute, has displayed courage and heroism in the face of three major emergency situations. These situations included providing assistance to a visitor who went into medical distress while at the facility, resolving a dangerous domestic confrontation on the facility grounds in which one of the parties was suspected of being armed, and coming to the aid of a coworker attempting to take a violent suspect into custody. His courage and quick action to these emergency situations protected the lives and well being of others and inspired his coworkers.
• Arline M. Fisher, Department of Finance, Division of Revenue – Arline, a 26-year employee of the department, is well known for her approachability, friendliness, and dedication to serving the citizens of Delaware. Her experience and knowledge, as well as an extensive network of resources, enables her to serve the division’s customer needs, no matter how complex they might be. Over the years, she has been the most complimented person on the Public Service staff, and customers come in and ask for her by name nearly every day. In 2011, she was directly responsible for the collection of over $125 million in cigarette stamp revenue for the State. She was also a key member of the team that developed an automated process for vendors to purchase and receive cigarette stamps. Arline’s high ethical standards and vast experience have made her a role model who is held in the highest esteem by those who work with her.
• Stacy Watkins, Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families, Division of Prevention and Behavioral Health Services – In addition to performing her regular assignments, Stacy demonstrates exceptional leadership skills and personal initiative which have had a direct impact on the daily operations of her agency and on the youth in their care. During this past year, her detailed analysis of invoices from a medical vendor for the Brenford Residential Treatment Center program saved her agency over $14,000. She also took on voluntary responsibilities to help the youth develop independent living skills and learn about making choices that will ultimately give them a better chance for success in the future. Stacy is dedicated to her work and committed to doing the right thing.
• Anna Bellantoni, Department of Transportation, Delaware Transit Corporation – Anna’s alert driving and rapid response to an accident she witnessed while she drove her paratransit bus earlier this year was exceptional. While travelling on Route 1, Anna noticed a car in front her beginning to swerve back and forth. The car then blew out one of its tires, spun out of control, and flipped over onto the road. Although shaken by what she had seen, she calmly and professionally stopped her bus at safe distance behind the disabled vehicle, checked on her passenger’s welfare, contacted emergency authorities, and then got out to help. She worked with other motorists to help the family out of their vehicle and checked for any injuries. Anna instinctively and competently assisted the family while being continuously mindful of the safety of all the people, including her passenger. Anna’s alertness and quick reactions helped make a difference that day.
• Bruce Furry and Sinath Sam, Department of Transportation, Division of Maintenance and Operations – Driving back from a job site on a hot, humid summer’s day, Bruce and Sinath noticed a person lying on the ground behind a house. When they turned around and stopped to see if the person needed help, they found an elderly woman lying on the hot driveway. She had what appeared to be a gash on her forehead and was unable to get up. They helped her get out of the heat and into her house. Although the woman said she was feeling better, Bruce and Sinath remained concerned for her safety. They insisted on staying with her until they could reach someone who could stay and help her more. They reached the woman’s daughter and stayed until she arrived. The woman was later hospitalized for heatstroke. By taking the time and effort to see if the woman needed help and making sure that she was not left alone, Bruce and Sinath probably saved her life.