<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911</id><updated>2011-07-23T19:02:55.113-07:00</updated><title type='text'>christodoulos</title><subtitle type='html'></subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><link rel='next' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default?start-index=101&amp;max-results=100'/><author><name>Malaysia</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>109</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911.post-3181390165799150551</id><published>2010-09-28T00:16:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2010-09-28T00:16:19.297-07:00</updated><title type='text'>στοιχειθετούν ποινικό αδίκημα και που αν επαναληφθούν θα καταφύγουμε στα ποινικά δικαστήρια.</title><content type='html'>&lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.wseas.org/greek-wseas.htm"&gt;http://www.wseas.org/greek-wseas.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse; "&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;#39;Times New Roman&amp;#39;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: underline; "&gt;&lt;div&gt; ΑΝΑΚΟΙΝΩΣΗ&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: &amp;#39;Times New Roman&amp;#39;; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "&gt;&lt;div&gt; &lt;br&gt;Επειδή κάποιοι ανόητοι Έλληνες &amp;quot;συνάδελφοι&amp;quot; διασπείρουν από καιρό σε καιρό, &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;εδώ στην Ελλάδα, ανόητες φήμες ότι δήθεν πρέπει να πληρώσεις χρήματα για να δημοσιεύσεις άρθρα στα περιοδικά μας&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt; ή ότι δήθεν πρέπει να έρθεις πρώτα στο συνέδριο μας για να περάσεις άρθρο στα περιοδικά μας.&lt;b&gt; &lt;br&gt;Δηλώνουμε ότι πρόκειται για ΣΥΚΟΦΑΝΤΙΕΣ και ΛΑΣΠΗ του χειρίστου είδους &lt;span lang="el"&gt;που στοιχειθετούν ποινικό αδίκημα&lt;br&gt; και που αν επαναληφθούν θα καταφύγουμε στα ποινικά δικαστήρια.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;br&gt;Λυπούμαστε που θα τους στενοχωρήσουμε αλλά από τότε που όλα μας τα συνέδρια μπήκαν στο ISI, &lt;br&gt;προχωράει και η είσοδος των περιοδικών&lt;span lang="el"&gt;. Ή&lt;/span&gt;δη τα πρώτα μας περιοδικά πέρασαν τα πρώτα τεστ με επιτυχία,&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Εις ό,τι δε αφορά τις κακοήθειες που κάποιοι ζηλότυποι διαδίδουν τους ενημερώνουμε με το κείμενο που υπάρχει στην Ιστοσελίδα μας&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Όποιος θέλει ας μας &amp;quot;τεστάρει&amp;quot;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Λέει το κείμενο &lt;a target="_blank" href="http://www.wseas.org/" style="color: rgb(51, 102, 51); "&gt;www.wseas.org&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;#39;Times New Roman&amp;#39;; font-size: medium; border-collapse: collapse; "&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;small&gt;&lt;font color="#FFFFFF" style="font-size: 11pt; "&gt;&lt;span style="background-color: rgb(51, 153, 255); "&gt;About WSEAS Journals: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/small&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt; "&gt; &lt;/font&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 11pt; "&gt;The WSEAS Journals are entirely independent from the WSEAS Conferences, since they are currently candidates in ISI Web of Knowledge (all the WSEAS Conferences and Books have been already in ISI Web of Knowledge).  &lt;b&gt;Authors can send (upload) their papers to WSEAS Transactions regardless of whether they have attended a WSEAS conference or not.&lt;/b&gt; Also the WSEAS Transactions are the only open access journals in the world where the Authors &lt;b&gt;do not pay any kind of registration fees or publication fees or &amp;quot;donation&amp;quot; &lt;/b&gt;(i.e. the full PDF files of the papers are permanantly open for everybody, without any restrictions, while the authors &lt;b&gt;are not charged with any kind of fees&lt;/b&gt;). The Editors-in-Chief, being assisted by the members of the Editorial Boards, are the absolute decision makers for the acceptance or not of the submitted papers. WSEAS simply prints out the papers in hard copies &amp;amp;  on the web. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Από την WSEAS&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/165394892036632911-3181390165799150551?l=album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/feeds/3181390165799150551/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=165394892036632911&amp;postID=3181390165799150551' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/3181390165799150551'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/3181390165799150551'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/2010/09/blog-post.html' title='στοιχειθετούν ποινικό αδίκημα και που αν επαναληφθούν θα καταφύγουμε στα ποινικά δικαστήρια.'/><author><name>Malaysia</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911.post-3619942821634474005</id><published>2010-02-18T09:24:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2010-02-18T09:24:51.372-08:00</updated><title type='text'>WSEAS news</title><content type='html'>&lt;DIV&gt; &lt;LI class=g&gt; &lt;DIV class=s&gt;&lt;CITE&gt;&lt;B&gt;See some of our WSEAS recent news at&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/CITE&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;LI class=g&gt; &lt;DIV class=s&gt;&lt;CITE&gt;&lt;B&gt;&lt;A  href="http://wseas.blogspot.com"&gt;http://wseas&lt;/B&gt;.blogspot.com&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/CITE&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV class=s&gt;&lt;CITE&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/CITE&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV class=s&gt;&lt;CITE&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;See also&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/CITE&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;!--n--&gt;&lt;!--m--&gt; &lt;LI class=g&gt; &lt;H3 class=r&gt;&lt;A class=l  href="http://wseas-computers.blogspot.com/"&gt;&lt;EM&gt;WSEAS&lt;/EM&gt; TRANSACTIONS ON  COMPUTERS&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/H3&gt; &lt;DIV class=s&gt;&lt;SPAN class=gl&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&amp;amp;q=related:wseas-computers.blogspot.com/+WSEAS&amp;amp;sa=X&amp;amp;ei=SXR9S9yNA5C94gbnzojTBA&amp;amp;ved=0CCgQHzAI"&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;!--n--&gt;&lt;!--m--&gt; &lt;LI class=g&gt; &lt;H3 class=r&gt;&lt;A class=l  href="http://isi-publisher.blogspot.com/2010/01/check-now-submitted-papers-in-wseas.html"&gt;ISI  Blog: Check now the Submitted Papers in &lt;EM&gt;WSEAS&lt;/EM&gt; Conferences very  easily&lt;B&gt;...&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/H3&gt; &lt;DIV class=s&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;EM&gt;WSEAS&lt;/EM&gt; Chairmen. &lt;EM&gt;WSEAS&lt;/EM&gt; Special Sessions.  &lt;EM&gt;WSEAS&lt;/EM&gt; Invited Speakers. &lt;EM&gt;WSEAS&lt;/EM&gt; Plenary Speakers. &lt;EM&gt;WSEAS&lt;/EM&gt;  keynote Speakers and many others Edit &lt;B&gt;...&lt;/B&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;CITE&gt;&lt;A  href="http://isi-publisher.blogspot.com/2010/01/check-now-submitted-papers-in-wseas.html"&gt;http://isi-publisher.blogspot.com/2010/01/check-now-submitted-papers-in-wseas.html&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT  face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/CITE&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/165394892036632911-3619942821634474005?l=album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/feeds/3619942821634474005/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=165394892036632911&amp;postID=3619942821634474005' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/3619942821634474005'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/3619942821634474005'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/2010/02/wseas-news.html' title='WSEAS news'/><author><name>Malaysia</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911.post-2249203140026509028</id><published>2010-02-18T07:15:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2010-02-18T07:16:00.367-08:00</updated><title type='text'>CALL FOR PAPERS</title><content type='html'>&lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;9th WSEAS International Conference on ELECTRONICS,  HARDWARE ...&lt;BR&gt;In Collaboration with the WSEAS IWG (International Working  Group) on Circuits and Systems, WSEAS IWG on Electronics, the WSEAS IWG on  Communications,&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/ehac"&gt;www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/ehac&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;2nd WSEAS International Conference on  Nanotechnology ...&lt;BR&gt;In Collaboration with the WSEAS IWG (International Working  Group) on Nanotechnology, the WSEAS IWG Circuits and Systems, WSEAS IWG on  Electronics, the WSEAS ...&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/nanotechnology"&gt;www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/nanotechnology&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;FONT  face=Arial size=2&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;In Collaboration with the WSEAS IWG (International Working Group) on  Computational Intelligence, the WSEAS IWG on Man-Machine Systems, the WSEAS IWG  on ...&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/aiked"&gt;www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/aiked&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;4th IASME / WSEAS Int.Conf. on GEOLOGY and - CONFERENCES&lt;BR&gt;Sponsored  by WSEAS, IASME, IARAS, WSEAS Transactions on Applied and Theoretical Mechanics,  WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, ...&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/ges"&gt;www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/ges&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;In general, all the WSEAS conferences are organized by Universities.  Responsible of the review of the papers are the organizing universities.  ...&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/japan/edu/index.html"&gt;www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/japan/edu/index.html&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/165394892036632911-2249203140026509028?l=album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/feeds/2249203140026509028/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=165394892036632911&amp;postID=2249203140026509028' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/2249203140026509028'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/2249203140026509028'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/2010/02/call-for-papers.html' title='CALL FOR PAPERS'/><author><name>Malaysia</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911.post-40495612802599198</id><published>2010-01-28T01:35:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2010-01-28T01:35:21.219-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Professors against Plagiarism in IRAN   http://professorsagainstplagiarism.blogspot.com/</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://professorsagainstplagiarism.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://professorsagainstplagiarism.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Senior officials in the Iranian government are suspected of plagiarizing&lt;br&gt;published scientific content for political gain.&lt;br&gt;Nature, the international weekly journal of science, reported last week that&lt;br&gt;its research unearthed even more plagiarism allegations against prominent&lt;br&gt;figures in Iran. The first person to be implicated more than a year ago was&lt;br&gt;Masumeh Ebtekar, the head of the Environmental Protection Organization under&lt;br&gt;President Khatami.&lt;br&gt;A few months ago, Nature tabbed Transport Minister Hamid Behbahani, who&lt;br&gt;supervised President Ahmadi-nejad&amp;#39;s doctoral thesis, for plagiarism in a&lt;br&gt;paper he co-authored. Nature says the paper appeared based on three earlier&lt;br&gt;articles by three different authors. The journal Transport retracted the&lt;br&gt;paper in October, but the Iranian government has not investigated the&lt;br&gt;allegations.&lt;br&gt;Behbahani told the public he did not plagiarize and that only parts of the&lt;br&gt;article were identical to earlier work. He called the plagiarism allegations&lt;br&gt;a &amp;quot;media attack, far from fairness and integrity&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;an illegitimate&lt;br&gt;accusation.&amp;quot;&lt;br&gt;The Majlis did, however, informally investigate Science Minister Kamran&lt;br&gt;Daneshjou and the four papers he co-authored. Daneshjou oversaw this year&amp;#39;s&lt;br&gt;elections in his previous post of deputy interior minister. The Majlis&lt;br&gt;Science and Education Committee held an informal inquiry into the case and&lt;br&gt;dismissed it after Daneshjou&amp;#39;s colleague and co-author, Majid Shahravi, took&lt;br&gt;responsibility for the content in the papers. Three of the four papers have&lt;br&gt;been retracted from publications. The fourth paper was published in an&lt;br&gt;Iranian journal.&lt;p&gt;Nature speculates that the frequent cases of plagiarism in Iran are partly&lt;br&gt;the result of poor fluency in English. Nature said the culture in Iran and&lt;br&gt;some other developing countries expects officials to have strong academic&lt;br&gt;credentials. That encourages resort to plagiarism to uphold this cultural&lt;br&gt;expectation and gain promotions.&lt;br&gt;Nature notes many of Iran&amp;#39;s best scientists left Iran after the 1979 Islamic&lt;br&gt;revolution because universities were asked to eliminate Western influences&lt;br&gt;and staff. Iranian research improved and became more credible in the late&lt;br&gt;1990s with the help of President Mohammad Khatami who made academic&lt;br&gt;appointments based on merit, Nature said. It said research in Iran has gone&lt;br&gt;downhill since Ahmadi-nejad took power in 2005 because political influence&lt;br&gt;directed promotions within universities.&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://professorsagainstplagiarism.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://professorsagainstplagiarism.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/165394892036632911-40495612802599198?l=album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/feeds/40495612802599198/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=165394892036632911&amp;postID=40495612802599198' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/40495612802599198'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/40495612802599198'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/2010/01/professors-against-plagiarism-in-iran.html' title='Professors against Plagiarism in IRAN   http://professorsagainstplagiarism.blogspot.com/'/><author><name>Malaysia</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911.post-3736392393424159873</id><published>2010-01-15T01:31:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2010-01-15T01:32:04.619-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Check now the Submitted Papers in WSEAS Conferences very easily</title><content type='html'>&lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Check now the Papers in WSEAS Conferences very  easily &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;click here--&amp;gt; &lt;A  href="http://wseasconferences.blogspot.com/"&gt;WSEAS&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/165394892036632911-3736392393424159873?l=album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/feeds/3736392393424159873/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=165394892036632911&amp;postID=3736392393424159873' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/3736392393424159873'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/3736392393424159873'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/2010/01/check-now-submitted-papers-in-wseas.html' title='Check now the Submitted Papers in WSEAS Conferences very easily'/><author><name>Malaysia</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911.post-2742220364676624937</id><published>2010-01-15T00:20:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2010-01-15T00:21:08.349-08:00</updated><title type='text'>UPCOMING CONFERENCES:  2010 and 2011</title><content type='html'>&lt;DIV&gt;&lt;SPAN style="LETTER-SPACING: normal"&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;ADDRESS align="center"&gt;&lt;A name=upcoming&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;UPCOMING  CONFERENCES&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/ADDRESS&gt; &lt;ADDRESS align="left"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial&gt;&lt;FONT size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt; &lt;SPAN  style="FONT-STYLE: normal"&gt;Coimbatore Inst. of Eng. and Inf. Technology,  Coimbatore, India, February 18-20, 2010&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/ADDRESS&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/coimbatore/icnvs"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;12th Int. Conf. on NETWORKING, VLSI and SIGNAL PROCESSING (ICNVS'10)    &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/coimbatore/icba"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;4th&amp;nbsp; WSEAS Int. Conf. on BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION    (ICBA'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; Coimbatore Inst. of Eng. and Inf. Technology, Coimbatore, India,  February 18-20, 2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/coimbatore/fluids"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;7th WSEAS Int. Conf. on FLUID MECHANICS    (FLUIDS'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/coimbatore/hmt"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;7th WSEAS Int. Conf. on HEAT and MASS TRANSFER    (HMT'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt; &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/coimbatore/mabe"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;7th WSEAS Int. Conf. on MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY and ECOLOGY    (MABE'10) &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;   &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; University of Cambridge, UK, February 20-22, 2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/aiked"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int. Conf. on ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, KNOWLEDGE ENGINEERING    and DATA BASES (AIKED '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;    &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/sepads"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int. Conf. on SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, PARALLEL and DISTRIBUTED    SYSTEMS (SEPADS '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/ehac/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int. Conf. on ELECTRONICS, HARDWARE, WIRELESS and OPTICAL    COMMUNICATIONS (EHAC '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;    &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/ispra/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int. Conf. on SIGNAL PROCESSING, ROBOTICS and AUTOMATION    (ISPRA '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; University of Cambridge, UK, February 23-25, 2010  &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/ee/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;5th IASME / WSEAS Int.Conf. on ENERGY &amp;amp; ENVIRONMENT    (EE'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/cm"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;5th IASME / WSEAS Int.Conf. on CONTINUUM MECHANICS    (CM'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/whh/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;5th IASME / WSEAS Int.Conf. on WATER RESOURCES, HYDRAULICS    &amp;amp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; HYDROLOGY&amp;nbsp; (WHH'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/ges/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;4th IASME / WSEAS Int.Conf. on GEOLOGY and SEISMOLOGY&amp;nbsp;    (GES'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt; University of Cambridge,  UK, February 20-22, 2010 &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/nanotechnology/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;2nd WSEAS Int. Conf. on NANOTECHNOLOGY    (NANOTECHNOLOGY'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;SPAN class=Apple-style-span  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 16px 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/icoaa"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;5th WSEAS Int. Conf. on OPTICS - ASTROPHYSICS - ASTRONOMY    (ICOAA'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/iplafun"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;1st WSEAS Int. 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Conf. on ONCOLOGY:&amp;nbsp;    ONCOLOGY'10&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/cambridge/psycho"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;Int. 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Penang, Malaysia, March 23-25, 2010&amp;nbsp;&lt;SPAN class=Apple-style-span  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 16px 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt;  (supported by the University Kebangsaan Malaysia- National University of  Malaysia)&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/penang/mmf/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;MANAGEMENT, MARKETING and FINANCES&lt;SPAN    class=Apple-converted-space&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/SPAN&gt; (MMF'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/penang/sophi/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;SOCIOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY &lt;SPAN    class=Apple-converted-space&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/SPAN&gt; (SOPHI'10)  &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt; Penang, Malaysia, March  23-25, 2010&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial&gt;&lt;FONT size=2&gt;&lt;SPAN  class=Apple-style-span  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 16px 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt;  (supported by the University Kebangsaan Malaysia- National University of  Malaysia)&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;SPAN class=Apple-style-span  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 16px 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt;  &lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;SPAN class=Apple-style-span  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 16px 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;SPAN  class=Apple-style-span  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 16px 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;SPAN class=Apple-style-span    style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 16px 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt;&lt;A    style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/penang/emeh/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;ENVIRONMENT, MEDICINE and HEALTH SCIENCES&lt;SPAN    class=Apple-converted-space&gt; &lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;SPAN    class=Apple-converted-space&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/SPAN&gt;  (EMEH'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; Hangzhou (&lt;SPAN class=Apple-style-span  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 16px 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt;supported  by the&lt;/SPAN&gt; China Jiliang University &amp;amp; Zhejiang University of Technology),  China, April 10-12, 2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/hangzhou/acacos/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int. Conf. on APPLIED COMPUTER and APPLIED    COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCE (ACACOS '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/hangzhou/imcas/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int. Conf. on INSTRUMENTATION, MEASUREMENT,    CIRCUITS and SYSTEMS (IMCAS'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/hangzhou/rocom/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;10th WSEAS Int. Conf. on ROBOTICS, CONTROL and MANUFACTURING    TECHNOLOGY (ROCOM'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/hangzhou/musp/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;10th WSEAS Int. Conf. on MULTIMEDIA SYSTEMS &amp;amp; SIGNAL    PROCESSING (MUSP '10) &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; Universitatea Politehnica, Bucharest, Romania, April 20-22, 2010  &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/bucharest/ecc/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;EUROPEAN COMPUTING CONFERENCE &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/bucharest/ecc/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;(ECC '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/bucharest/ci/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE (CI '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; (Includes the Workshop: SIMULATION AND    MODELLING OF INTELLIGENT MATERIALS)&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/bucharest/f-and-b/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;FINITE DIFFERENCES - FINITE ELEMENTS - FINITE VOLUMES -    BOUNDARY ELEMENTS &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/bucharest/f-and-b/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;(F-and-B '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/bucharest/eeete/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT TECHNOLOGIES AND EQUIPMENT (EEETE    '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/bucharest/rima/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;RISK MANAGEMENT, ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION    (RIMA'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;FONT  face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt;&amp;nbsp; Kantaoui, Sousse, Tunisia, May 3-6, 2010 &lt;BR&gt;(under the  Responsibility of Faculty of Sciences Sfax, Sfax University, Tunisia)&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;  &lt;/FONT&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/tunisia/mamectis"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;12th WSEAS Int. Conf. on MATHEMATICAL METHODS, COMPUTATIONAL TECHNIQUES    AND INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS (MAMECTIS '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/tunisia/nolasc"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int. Conf. on NON-LINEAR ANALYSIS, NON-LINEAR SYSTEMS AND    CHAOS (NOLASC '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/tunisia/edute"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;6th WSEAS/IASME Int. Conf. on EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES (EDUTE'    10&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;)&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/tunisia/control"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;6th WSEAS Int. Conf. on DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS and CONTROL (CONTROL    '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt;&amp;nbsp; Kantaoui, Sousse,  Tunisia, May 3-6, 2010 &lt;BR&gt;(under the Responsibility of Faculty of Sciences  Sfax, Sfax University, Tunisia)&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/tunisia/aebd"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;2nd World Multiconference on APPLIED ECONOMICS, BUSINESS AND    DEVELOPMENT (AEBD'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;    &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/tunisia/wamus"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;10th WSEAS Int. Conf. on WAVELET ANALYSIS &amp;amp; MULTIRATE SYSTEMS    (WAMUS '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt; Kantaoui, Sousse, Tunisia,  May 3-6, 2010 &lt;BR&gt;(under the Responsibility of Faculty of Sciences Sfax, Sfax  University, Tunisia)&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/tunisia/res"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;4th WSEAS Int. Conf. on RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (RES'    10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/tunisia/epese"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;4th WSEAS Int. Conf. on ENERGY PLANNING, ENERGY SAVING, ENVIRONMENTAL    EDUCATION (EPESE '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/tunisia/wwai"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;4th WSEAS Int. Conf. on WASTE MANAGEMENT, WATER POLLUTION, AIR    POLLUTION, INDOOR CLIMATE (WWAI '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;2010:&amp;nbsp; The following conferences are  co-organized by NAUN and WSEAS in &lt;BR&gt;Phuket Beach, Thailand, May 16-18,  2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700"&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/cit/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;Communications and Information Technology&amp;nbsp;    2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700"&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/css/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;Circuits, Systems and Signals 2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700"&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/edeb"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;Energy and Development - Environment - Biomedicine    2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700"&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/asm/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;Applied Mathematics, Simulation, Modelling    2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;IMG  height=79 src="http://www.naun.org/image-phuket2.jpg" width=135 align=left  border=0&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="LETTER-SPACING: normal"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;2010:&amp;nbsp; The  following conferences are co-organized by NAUN and WSEAS in &lt;BR&gt;Phuket Beach,  Thailand, May 16-18, 2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/tam/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;Theoretical and Applied Mechanics 2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/fluidsheat/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;Fluid Mechanics and Heat and Mass Transfer    2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/edu/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;Education and Educational Technologies&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/geo/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;Geography and Geology 2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; &lt;SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"&gt;Catania, Sicily, Italy, May 29-31,  2010&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/catania/acmos/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;12th WSEAS Int. Conf. on AUTOMATIC CONTROL, MODELLING &amp;amp;    SIMULATION (ACMOS '10) &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/catania/tele-info/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int. Conf. on TELECOMMUNICATIONS and INFORMATICS    (TELE-INFO '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/catania/mino"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int. Conf. on MICROELECTRONICS, NANOELECTRONICS,    OPTOELECTRONICS (MINO '10) &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/catania/sip/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int. Conf. on SIGNAL PROCESSING (SIP    '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; "G. Enescu" University, Iasi, Romania, June 13-15, 2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/iasi/nn/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;11th WSEAS Int. Conf. on NEURAL NETWORKS    (NN'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/iasi/fs/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;11th WSEAS Int. Conf. on FUZZY SYSTEMS (FS'10)    &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/iasi/ec/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;11th WSEAS Int. Conf. on EVOLUTIONARY COMPUTING (EC '10)    &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; "G. Enescu" University, Iasi, Romania, June 13-15, 2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/iasi/amta/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;11th WSEAS Int.Conf. on ACOUSTICS &amp;amp; MUSIC: THEORY &amp;amp;    APPLICATIONS (AMTA '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;    &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/iasi/mcbc/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;11th WSEAS Int. Conf. on MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTERS IN    BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY (MCBC'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial&gt;&lt;FONT size=2&gt;    &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"&gt;&lt;SPAN    style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/iasi/mcbe/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;11th WSEAS Int. Conf. on MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTERS IN    BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS (MCBE'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial&gt;&lt;FONT size=2&gt;&lt;SPAN    style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman"&gt; &lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/iasi/icai/index.html"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;11th WSEAS Int. Conf. on AUTOMATION &amp;amp; INFORMATION    (ICAI'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; Corfu Island, Greece, &lt;SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"&gt;14th WSEAS CSCC  Multiconference, July 22-25, 2010&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;The CSCC, the annual convention  and gathering of all the WSEAS entities&amp;nbsp; &lt;BR&gt;(Working Groups, Technical  Committees, Editors,&amp;nbsp; Associate Editors, Research Directors, Projects  Coordinators,etc...) is held in July during the CSCC. In 2006, the CSCC  Multiconference received 1302 papers&amp;nbsp; and in 2008, the CSCC Multiconference  received 1338 papers)&lt;BR&gt;is composed by the conferences of Circuits, Systems,  Communications, Computers&lt;BR&gt;as follows:&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/corfu/icc/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;14th WSEAS Int. Conf. on CIRCUITS&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;  (July 22-24, 2010)&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;  &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/corfu/ics/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;14th WSEAS Int. Conf. on SYSTEMS&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt; (July  22-24, 2010)&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; *  &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/corfu/iccom/"&gt;&lt;FONT  face=Arial size=2&gt;14th WSEAS Int. Conf. on COMMUNICATIONS&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT  face=Arial size=2&gt; (July 23-25, 2010)&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;  &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; * &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/corfu/iccomp/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;14th WSEAS Int. Conf. on COMPUTERS&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;  (July 23-25, 2010)&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt;Corfu Island, Greece&lt;SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"&gt;, July 22-24,  2010&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/corfu/education/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;7th WSEAS Int. Conf. on ENGINEERING EDUCATION (EDUCATION    '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt;Corfu Island, Greece&lt;SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"&gt;, July 22-24,  2010&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/corfu/emeseg/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;3rd WSEAS Int. Conf. on ENGINEERING MECHANICS, STRUCTURES,    ENGINEERING GEOLOGY (EMESEG '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/corfu/upt/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;3rd WSEAS Int. Conf. on URBAN PLANNING and TRANSPORTATION (UPT    '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/corfu/cuht/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;3rd WSEAS Int. Conf. on CULTURAL HERITAGE and TOURISM&amp;nbsp;    (CUHT'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt; &lt;SPAN  style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"&gt;Taipei, Taiwan, August 20-22,  2010&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/taipei/bebi/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;3rd WSEAS Int. Conf. on BIOMEDICAL ELECTRONICS and    BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS (BEBI '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; &lt;SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"&gt;Taipei, Taiwan, August 20-22,  2010&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/taipei/aic/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;10th WSEAS Int. Conf. on APPLIED INFORMATICS AND    COMMUNICATIONS (AIC '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/taipei/iscgav/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;10th WSEAS Int. Conf. on SIGNAL PROCESSING, COMPUTATIONAL    GEOMETRY and ARTIFICIAL VISION (ISCGAV '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/taipei/istasc/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;10th WSEAS Int. Conf. on SYSTEMS THEORY AND SCIENTIFIC    COMPUTATION (ISTASC '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial&gt;&lt;FONT size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt; &lt;SPAN  style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"&gt;Taipei, Taiwan, August 20-22,  2010&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/taipei/hte/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;8th IASME / WSEAS Int. Conf. on HEAT TRANSFER, THERMAL    ENGINEERING and ENVIRONMENT (HTE '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/taipei/fma/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;8th IASME / WSEAS Int. Conf. on FLUID MECHANICS and    AERODYNAMICS (FMA '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; Constantza Maritime University, Constantza, Romania, September 3-5,  2010&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/constantza/meqaps"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;2nd Int.Conf. on MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING, QUALITY and    PRODUCTION SYSTEMS (MEQAPS'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/constantza/eg"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;3rd Int.Conf. on ENVIRONMENTAL and GEOLOGICAL SCIENCE and    ENGINEERING (EG'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/constantza/mn"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;3rd Int.Conf. on MARITIME and NAVAL SCIENCE and ENGINEERING    (MN'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial&gt;&lt;FONT size=2&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="LETTER-SPACING: normal"&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; &lt;/SPAN&gt;Malta, September 15-18, 2010&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="LETTER-SPACING: normal"&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.ieee.am/ieee.am-acs.html"&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.ieee.am/ieee.am-acs.html"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;APPLIED    COMPUTER SCIENCE (ACS)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp; (co-organized    with the Institute for Environment, Engineering, Economics and Applied    Mathematics)&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.ieee.am/ieee.am-css.html"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;CIRCUITS, SYSTEMS, SIGNALS (CSS)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;    (co-organized with the Institute for Environment, Engineering, Economics and    Applied Mathematics)&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="LETTER-SPACING: normal"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt; Malta, September 18-20,  2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Summer WORLDMED:&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/worldmed/pathology.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;International Conference on Pathology (Pathology    '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/worldmed/surgery.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;International Conference on Surgery (Surgery    '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/worldmed/cardiology.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;International Conference on Cardiology    (Cardiology'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/worldmed/neurology.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;International Conference on Neurology    (Neurology'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/worldmed/gastroenterology.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;International Conference on Gastroenterology    (Gastroenterology'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/worldmed/obstetricsgynaecology.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;International Conference on Obstetrics and Gynaecology    (Obstetrics and Gynaecology'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/worldmed/ophthalmology.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;International Conference on Ophthalmology    (Ophthalmology'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.naun.org/conferences/2010/worldmed/endocrinology.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;International Conference on Endocrinology    (Endocrinology'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; Iwate Prefectural University, Iwate, Japan,&amp;nbsp; October 4-6,  2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/japan/power/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;10&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;A    style="CURSOR: pointer; COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/japan/power/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;th WSEAS/IASME Int.Conf. on ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEMS, HIGH VOLTAGES,    ELECTRIC MACHINES&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;A    style="CURSOR: pointer; COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/japan/power/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt; (POWER'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="CURSOR: pointer; COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/japan/icossse/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int.Conf. on SYSTEM SCIENCE and SIMULATION in ENGINEERING    (ICOSSSE '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt; Iwate Prefectural  University, Iwate, Japan,&amp;nbsp; October 4-6, 2010 &lt;/FONT&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="CURSOR: pointer; COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/japan/acs"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;10th WSEAS Int.Conf. on APPLIED COMPUTER SCIENCE    (ACS'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="CURSOR: pointer; COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/japan/edu/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int.Conf. on EDUCATION and EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY    (EDU'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="CURSOR: pointer; COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/japan/remote/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;6th WSEAS Int.Conf. on REMOTE SENSING  (REMOTE'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt; Politechnica University of  Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania, October 21-23, 2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/timisoara/acc"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;APPLIED COMPUTING CONFERENCE 2009 (ACC    '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/timisoara/mmactee"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;12th WSEAS Int. Conf. on MATHEMATICAL METHODS AND    COMPUTATIONAL TECHNIQUES IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING (MMACTEE    '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; Politechnica University of Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania, October  21-23, 2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/timisoara/eeesd"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;6th WSEAS Int.Conf. on ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, ECOSYSTEMS and    SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (EEESD'10) &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/timisoara/la"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;3rd WSEAS Int.Conf. on LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE (LA'10)    &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;  &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; West University of Timisoara, Timisoara, Romania, October 24-26,  2010&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/timisoara2/emt/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;The 5th WSEAS Int. Conf. on ECONOMY AND MANAGEMENT    TRANSFORMATION (EMT '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal, November 3-5, 2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/faro/macmese/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;12th WSEAS Int. Conf. on MATHEMATICAL and COMPUTATIONAL    METHODS in SCIENCE and ENGINEERING (MACMESE '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/faro/dncoco/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int. Conf. on DATA NETWORKS, COMMUNICATIONS,    COMPUTERS (DNCOCO '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/faro/sensig/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;3rd WSEAS Int. Conf. on SENSORS and SIGNALS (SENSIG    '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/faro/vis/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;3rd WSEAS Int. Conf. on VISUALIZATION, IMAGING and SIMULATION (VIS    '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal, November 3-5, 2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/faro/naha/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;3rd WSEAS Int. Conf. on NATURAL HAZARDS (NAHA '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/faro/cgb/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;3rd WSEAS Int. Conf. on CLIMATE CHANGES, GLOBAL WARMING, BIOLOGICAL    PROBLEMS (CGB '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;BR&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/faro/ures/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;3rd WSEAS Int. Conf. on URBAN REHABILITATION AND    SUSTAINABILITY&lt;BR&gt;(URES '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;    &amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/faro/materials/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;3rd WSEAS Int. Conf. on MATERIALS SCIENCE (MATERIALS    '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="LETTER-SPACING: normal"&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; Puerto De La Cruz, Tenerife, November 30- December 2,  2010&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.ieee.am/ieee.am-mmes.html"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;MATHEMATICAL MODELS FOR ENGINEERING SCIENCE (MMES)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt; (co-organized with the Institute for Environment,    Engineering, Economics and Applied Mathematics)&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.ieee.am/ieee.am-deee.html"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;DEVELOPMENT, ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT, ECONOMICS (DEEE)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;(co-organized with the Institute for Environment,    Engineering, Economics and Applied Mathematics)&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt;University of Los Andes, Merida, Venezuela, December 14-16,  2010&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/venezuela/cimmacs/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int.Conf. on COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE,    MAN-MACHINE SYSTEMS and CYBERNETICS (CIMMACS '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/venezuela/e-activities/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int.Conf. on E-ACTIVITIES (E-Learning,    E-Communities, E-Commerce, E-Management, E-Marketing, E-Governance,    Tele-Working) (E-ACTIVITIES '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/venezuela/isp/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int.Conf. on INFORMATION SECURITY and PRIVACY (ISP    '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"&gt;Vouliagmeni, Athens, Greece, December 29-31,  2010&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/vouliagmeni/math/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;15th WSEAS Int. Conf. on APPLIED  MATHEMATICS&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/vouliagmeni/csecs/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;9th WSEAS Int. Conf. on CIRCUITS, SYSTEMS, ELECTRONICS,    CONTROL &amp;amp; SIGNAL PROCESSING&amp;nbsp; (CSECS '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/vouliagmeni/mechanics/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;6th WSEAS Int. Conf. on APPLIED and THEORETICAL MECHANICS    (MECHANICS '10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;  &lt;BR&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"&gt;Vouliagmeni, Athens, Greece, December 29-31,  2010&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/vouliagmeni/compuchem/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;4th WSEAS Int.Conf. on COMPUTATIONAL CHEMISTRY    (COMPUCHEM'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/vouliagmeni/bio/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;6th WSEAS Int. Conf. on CELLULAR and MOLECULAR BIOLOGY,    BIOPHYSICS and BIOENGINEERING (BIO'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2010/vouliagmeni/eed/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;8th WSEAS Int. Conf. on ENVIRONMENT, ECOSYSTEMS and    DEVELOPMENT (EED'10)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&lt;SPAN style="LETTER-SPACING: normal"&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"&gt;&lt;SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(70,120,255)"&gt;&lt;FONT  face=Arial size=2&gt;2011&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="LETTER-SPACING: normal"&gt; &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700"&gt;Puerto Morelos, Mexico, January 29-31,  2011&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/mexico/amath/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;AMERICAN CONFERENCE on APPLIED MATHEMATICS (AMERICAN-MATH    '11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/mexico/cea/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;5th WSEAS Int. Conf. on COMPUTER ENGINEERING and    APPLICATIONS (CEA '11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/mexico/cisst/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;5th WSEAS Int. Conf. on CIRCUITS, SYSTEMS, SIGNAL and    TELECOMMUNICATIONS (CISST '11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/mexico/icba/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;5th WSEAS Int. Conf. on BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (ICBA    '11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700"&gt;Puerto Morelos, Mexico, January 29-31,  2011&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/mexico/fluids/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;8th WSEAS Int. Conf. on FLUID MECHANICS (FLUIDS    '11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/mexico/hmt/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;8th WSEAS Int. Conf. on HEAT and MASS TRANSFER (HMT    '11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/mexico/mabe/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;8th WSEAS Int. Conf. on MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY and ECOLOGY    (MABE '11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; University of Cambridge, UK, February 20-22, 2011&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/aiked"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;10th WSEAS Int. Conf. on ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, KNOWLEDGE ENGINEERING    and DATA BASES (AIKED '11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;    &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/sepads"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;10th WSEAS Int. Conf. on SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, PARALLEL and DISTRIBUTED    SYSTEMS (SEPADS '11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/ehac/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;10th WSEAS Int. Conf. on ELECTRONICS, HARDWARE, WIRELESS and OPTICAL    COMMUNICATIONS (EHAC '11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;    &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/ispra/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;10th WSEAS Int. Conf. on SIGNAL PROCESSING, ROBOTICS and AUTOMATION    (ISPRA '11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; University of Cambridge, UK, February 23-25, 2011  &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/ee/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;6th IASME / WSEAS Int.Conf. on ENERGY &amp;amp; ENVIRONMENT    (EE'11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/cm"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;6&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/cm"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;th IASME / WSEAS Int.Conf. on CONTINUUM MECHANICS    (CM'11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/whh/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;6th IASME / WSEAS Int.Conf. on WATER RESOURCES, HYDRAULICS    &amp;amp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; HYDROLOGY&amp;nbsp; (WHH'11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/ges/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;5th IASME / WSEAS Int.Conf. on GEOLOGY and SEISMOLOGY&amp;nbsp;    (GES'11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt; University of Cambridge,  UK, February 20-22, 2011 &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,255); TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/nanotechnology/"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;3rd WSEAS Int. Conf. on NANOTECHNOLOGY    (NANOTECHNOLOGY'11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;SPAN class=Apple-style-span  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 16px 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/icoaa"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;6th WSEAS Int. Conf. on OPTICS - ASTROPHYSICS - ASTRONOMY    (ICOAA'11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/iplafun"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;2nd WSEAS Int. Conf. on PLASMA- FUSION - NUCLEAR PHYSICS    (IPLAFUN'11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; University of Cambridge, UK, February 23-25, 2011  &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/physiology"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;Int. Conf. on MEDICAL PHYSIOLOGY:&amp;nbsp;    PHYSIOLOGY'11&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/pharmacology"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;Int. Conf. on MEDICAL PHARMACOLOGY:    PHARMACOLOGY'11&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/biomedch"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;Int. Conf. on BIOCHEMISTRY and MEDICAL CHEMISTRY:    BIOMEDCH'11&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/histem"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;Int. Conf. on MEDICAL HISTOLOGY and EMBRYOLOGY:    HISTEM'11&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/oncology"&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;Int. Conf. on ONCOLOGY:&amp;nbsp;    ONCOLOGY'11&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;   &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"    href="http://www.wseas.us/conferences/2011/cambridge/psycho"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial    size=2&gt;Int. Conf. on PSYCHIATRY and PSYCHOTHERAPY:    PSYCHO'11&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;SPAN class=Apple-style-span  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 16px 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 12pt Times New Roman; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt;&lt;SPAN  class=Apple-style-span  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 12pt 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Playa Meloneras, Gran Canaria,  Canary Islands, Spain, March 24-26, 2011&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;SPAN class=Apple-style-span  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 16px 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;APPLICATIONS of ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING&lt;SPAN    class=Apple-converted-space&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/SPAN&gt;(AEE '11)&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;APPLICATIONS of COMPUTER ENGINEERING&lt;SPAN    class=Apple-converted-space&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/SPAN&gt;(ACE '11)&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;APPLIED ELECTROMAGNETICS, WIRELESS and OPTICAL    COMMUNICATIONS&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;(ELECTROSCIENCE '11)&lt;SPAN    class=Apple-converted-space&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial&gt;&lt;FONT size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif"  border=0&gt; &lt;SPAN  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 12pt Times New Roman; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt;&lt;SPAN  class=Apple-style-span  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 12pt 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"&gt;Playa Meloneras, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain,  March 24-26, 2011&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;MANAGEMENT, MARKETING and FINANCES&lt;SPAN    class=Apple-converted-space&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/SPAN&gt; (MMF'11)&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;SOCIOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, PHILOSOPHY &lt;SPAN    class=Apple-converted-space&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/SPAN&gt; (SOPHI'11)  &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial&gt;&lt;FONT size=2&gt;&lt;IMG  src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt; &lt;SPAN  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 12pt Times New Roman; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt;&lt;SPAN  class=Apple-style-span  style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 12pt 'Times New Roman'; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse; orphans: 2; widows: 2"&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"&gt;Playa Meloneras, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain,  March 24-26, 2011&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt; &lt;P&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;ENVIRONMENT, MEDICINE and HEALTH SCIENCES&lt;SPAN    class=Apple-converted-space&gt; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/SPAN&gt; (EMEH'11)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt; &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;SPAN style="LETTER-SPACING: normal"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial&gt;&lt;FONT  size=2&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://www.wseas.org/star-bullet.gif" border=0&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700"&gt;Venice, Italy, March 24-26,  2011&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;SPAN style="LETTER-SPACING: normal"&gt; &lt;UL&gt;   &lt;LI&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;2nd INEEE Conference:&amp;nbsp; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A    href="http://www.ieee-institute.org/"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;ENERGY,    ENVIRONMENT, DEVICES, SYSTEMS, COMMUNICATIONS, COMPUTERS &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT    face=Arial size=2&gt;Organized by the INSTITUTE OF ENERGY,&lt;SPAN    style="LETTER-SPACING: normal"&gt; EXERGY,&lt;/SPAN&gt; &amp;amp; ENVIRONMENT    (INEEE)(Denmark) and the European Society for Environmental Research and    Sustainable Development / EUROPMENT, www.europment.org  (Bulgaria)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt; &lt;P align=left&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Extended versions  of the papers will be published in&lt;BR&gt;the WSEAS Journals and Springer Verlag  (after new round of review)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;The WSEAS Journals participate in EI Compendex,  ACM, IET (IEE),&lt;BR&gt;SCOPUS, ASM, ACM, ACS, CSA, ELSEVIER , ZENTRALBLATT,  MATHSCINET, DPP,EI,&lt;BR&gt;CSBA,Ulrigh, DEST, EBSCO, EMBASE, GEOBASE, BIOBASE,  BIOTECHNOBASE, FLUIDEX ,&lt;BR&gt;OceanBase, &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; INDEXING OF THE  WSEAS PAPERS:&lt;BR&gt;=================================&lt;BR&gt;* See the WSEAS records in  ISI here....&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.us/ISI_Web_of_Knowledge_Database.doc"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;http://www.wseas.us/ISI_Web_of_Knowledge_Database.doc&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;* See the WSEAS records in SCOPUS, ELSEVIER,  COMPENDEX, EI here....&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.us/wseas-scopus.doc"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;http://www.wseas.us/wseas-scopus.doc&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;* See the WSEAS records in ACM:&lt;BR&gt;Click here:  &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A href="http://portal.acm.org"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;http://portal.acm.org&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt; , select "The  Guide" and then type WSEAS.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;* See the WSEAS records in all the indexes  here:&amp;nbsp; ISI, SCOPUS, EI,&lt;BR&gt;Compendex,&lt;BR&gt;ACM, IEE, INSPEC, British Library,  AMS, IASME, Ulrich, DBL, Directory of&lt;BR&gt;Published Proceedings, Scholars Google  :&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/indexes.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;http://www.wseas.us/indexes.htm&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Also, except the WSEAS Publications (registered in  ISI, Web of Knowledge)&lt;BR&gt;ISI Books, Proceedings, WSEAS E-Library and Journals  of the WSEAS&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;all of you you will receive more than 75 books on the  registration desk&lt;BR&gt;COMPLIMENTARY!!! (in CD) (every book is a textbook for  postgrads written by an expert,&lt;BR&gt;internationally pioneers on his field and  contains more than 500 pages)&lt;BR&gt;Attention:&amp;nbsp; They teach in their  universities these postgraduate books (and&lt;BR&gt;not conference proceedings or  collections of papers) for many years... These&lt;BR&gt;are the titles of the Books  that you will receive with your registration:&lt;BR&gt;The conference bag will be too  heavy, but do not worry ....&lt;BR&gt;For those that will make registration and will  not attend, we will send them&lt;BR&gt;to their addresses.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;See also the importance of these  conferences can be proved by the impact&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;of&amp;nbsp; these conferences in  previous years: See, please&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.org/reports"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;http://www.wseas.org/reports&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;Other Important Benefits:&lt;BR&gt;1) A very  strong and important feature is that the WSEAS is going to&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;give you a  new username and password WITHOUT EXPIRY DATE for on-line&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;access in the  WSEAS Conference proceedings FOR EVER.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;2) Rich cultural and social part as  usual.&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;The importance of these conferences can be also proved by the  impact&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;of these conferences in all the previous years, 1996 -- 2008:  See, please&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.org/reports/"&gt;&lt;FONT  face=Arial size=2&gt;http://www.wseas.org/reports/&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Best Regards&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Prof. Dr. Michael R.  Sandberg&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/165394892036632911-2742220364676624937?l=album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/feeds/2742220364676624937/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=165394892036632911&amp;postID=2742220364676624937' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/2742220364676624937'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/2742220364676624937'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/2010/01/upcoming-conferences-2010-and-2011.html' title='UPCOMING CONFERENCES:  2010 and 2011'/><author><name>Malaysia</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911.post-8473939199892215966</id><published>2010-01-14T05:35:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2010-01-14T05:35:20.336-08:00</updated><title type='text'>All the WSEAS &amp; NAUN Books and Proceedings until Sept.2009 are in ISI.  Check them on the server of ISI http://thomsonreuters.com/products_services/science/science_products/a-z/conf_proceedings_citation_index?parentKey=432529</title><content type='html'>&lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P style="COLOR: #008; TEXT-ALIGN: left" align=left&gt;&lt;SPAN  style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"&gt;NEW SUCCESS:&amp;nbsp; All the WSEAS  &amp;amp; NAUN Books and Proceedings until Sept.2009 are in ISI.&amp;nbsp; Check them on  the server of ISI &lt;A  href="http://thomsonreuters.com/products_services/science/science_products/a-z/conf_proceedings_citation_index?parentKey=432529"&gt;http://thomsonreuters.com/products_services/science/science_products/a-z/conf_proceedings_citation_index?parentKey=432529&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;NEW  Gold Medals from EU International Eureka Contest to two WSEAS Teams&lt;BR&gt;Click  here ...http://www.wseas.org/team-gold-medal1.pdf &amp;nbsp;  and&lt;BR&gt;http://www.wseas.org/team-gold-medal2.pdf&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;BR&gt;NEW  INTERVIEW of a WSEAS Director in the Spanish Newspaper ABC&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.abc.es/20091217/canarias-canarias/tenerife-tambien-isla-actividad-20091217.html"&gt;http://www.abc.es/20091217/canarias-canarias/tenerife-tambien-isla-actividad-20091217.html&lt;/A&gt;  &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; You can translate via &lt;A  href="http://translate.google.com/"&gt;http://translate.google.com/&lt;/A&gt;  &amp;nbsp;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A  href="http://wseas-taiwan-wseas.blogspot.com"&gt;http://wseas-taiwan-wseas.blogspot.com&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A  href="http://wseas-taipei-wseas.blogspot.com"&gt;http://wseas-taipei-wseas.blogspot.com&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A  href="http://wseas-tokyo-wseas.blogspot.com"&gt;http://wseas-tokyo-wseas.blogspot.com&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A  href="http://wseas-japan-wseas.blogspot.com"&gt;http://wseas-japan-wseas.blogspot.com&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;The WSEAS Journals participate in EI Compendex,  ACM, IET (IEE),&lt;BR&gt;SCOPUS, ASM, ACM, ACS, CSA, ELSEVIER , ZENTRALBLATT,  MATHSCINET, DPP,EI,&lt;BR&gt;CSBA,Ulrigh, DEST, EBSCO, EMBASE, GEOBASE, BIOBASE,  BIOTECHNOBASE, FLUIDEX ,&lt;BR&gt;OceanBase, &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; INDEXING OF THE  WSEAS PAPERS:&lt;BR&gt;=================================&lt;BR&gt;* See the WSEAS records in  ISI here....&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.us/ISI_Web_of_Knowledge_Database.doc"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;http://www.wseas.us/ISI_Web_of_Knowledge_Database.doc&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;* See the WSEAS records in SCOPUS, ELSEVIER,  COMPENDEX, EI here....&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.us/wseas-scopus.doc"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;http://www.wseas.us/wseas-scopus.doc&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;* See the WSEAS records in ACM:&lt;BR&gt;Click here:  &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A href="http://portal.acm.org"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;http://portal.acm.org&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt; , select "The  Guide" and then type WSEAS.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;* See the WSEAS records in all the indexes  here:&amp;nbsp; ISI, SCOPUS, EI,&lt;BR&gt;Compendex,&lt;BR&gt;ACM, IEE, INSPEC, British Library,  AMS, IASME, Ulrich, DBL, Directory of&lt;BR&gt;Published Proceedings, Scholars Google  :&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.us/indexes.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;http://www.wseas.us/indexes.htm&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;Also, except the WSEAS Publications (registered in  ISI, Web of Knowledge)&lt;BR&gt;ISI Books, Proceedings, WSEAS E-Library and Journals  of the WSEAS&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;all of you you will receive more than 75 books on the  registration desk&lt;BR&gt;COMPLIMENTARY!!! (in CD) (every book is a textbook for  postgrads written by an expert,&lt;BR&gt;internationally pioneers on his field and  contains more than 500 pages)&lt;BR&gt;Attention:&amp;nbsp; They teach in their  universities these postgraduate books (and&lt;BR&gt;not conference proceedings or  collections of papers) for many years... These&lt;BR&gt;are the titles of the Books  that you will receive with your registration:&lt;BR&gt;The conference bag will be too  heavy, but do not worry ....&lt;BR&gt;For those that will make registration and will  not attend, we will send them&lt;BR&gt;to their addresses.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;See also the importance of these  conferences can be proved by the impact&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;of&amp;nbsp; these conferences in  previous years: See, please&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.org/reports"&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial  size=2&gt;http://www.wseas.org/reports&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&amp;nbsp;Other Important Benefits:&lt;BR&gt;1) A very  strong and important feature is that the WSEAS is going to&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;give you a  new username and password WITHOUT EXPIRY DATE for on-line&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;access in the  WSEAS Conference proceedings FOR EVER.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;2) Rich cultural and social part as  usual.&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;The importance of these conferences can be also proved by the  impact&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;of these conferences in all the previous years, 1996 -- 2008:  See, please&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.org/reports/"&gt;&lt;FONT  face=Arial size=2&gt;http://www.wseas.org/reports/&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=2&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/165394892036632911-8473939199892215966?l=album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/feeds/8473939199892215966/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=165394892036632911&amp;postID=8473939199892215966' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/8473939199892215966'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/8473939199892215966'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/2010/01/all-wseas-naun-books-and-proceedings.html' title='All the WSEAS &amp; NAUN Books and Proceedings until Sept.2009 are in ISI.  Check them on the server of ISI http://thomsonreuters.com/products_services/science/science_products/a-z/conf_proceedings_citation_index?parentKey=432529'/><author><name>Malaysia</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911.post-6796287293491097267</id><published>2009-03-28T13:08:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-03-28T15:11:26.295-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Fwd: Αυθαίρετα ο Διοικητής της Στρ. Σχολής Ευελπίδων διαγράφει τον εκλεγμένο Πρόεδρο Ακαδημαϊκών Θεμάτων http://asei-gr.blogspot.com/</title><content type='html'>&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;div class="gmail_quote"&gt;---------- Forwarded message ----------&lt;br&gt;From: &lt;b class="gmail_sendername"&gt;ANOTATA STRATIOTIKA EKPAIDEUTIKA IDRYMATA&lt;/b&gt; &lt;span dir="ltr"&gt;&amp;lt;&lt;a href="http://asei.gr"&gt;asei.gr&lt;/a&gt;@&lt;a href="http://gmail.com"&gt;gmail.com&lt;/a&gt;&amp;gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br&gt; Date: 2009/3/28&lt;br&gt;Subject: Αυθαίρετα ο Διοικητής της Στρ. Σχολής Ευελπίδων διαγράφει τον εκλεγμένο Πρόεδρο Ακαδημαϊκών Θεμάτων &lt;a href="http://asei-gr.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://asei-gr.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;To: &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;u&gt;&lt;font color="#0000ff" size="4"&gt;&lt;a href="http://asei-gr.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"&gt;http://asei-gr.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;  &lt;div&gt;&lt;a name="1204e1201d40c390_5491710554229006913"&gt;&lt;/a&gt; &lt;h3&gt;&lt;a href="http://asei-gr.blogspot.com/2009/03/blog-post_28.html" target="_blank"&gt;Αυθαίρετα ο Διοικητής της Σχολής Ευελπίδων διαγράφει τον εκλεγμένο Πρόεδρο Ακαδημαϊκών Θεμάτων&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/h3&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Πάλι αυθαιρετήσατε κ. Διοικητά,&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Ενώ η ολότης των καθηγητών εξέλεξε τον κ. Δημητρίου ως Πρόεδρο Ακαδημαϊκών Θεμάτων, εσείς με αστεία επιχειρήματα, ότι δήθεν πρόκεται για τρίτη θητεία, δεν θέλετε να τον κάνετε δεκτό ως Πρόεδρο Ακαδημαϊκών Θεμάτων.&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Αυτό είναι βέβαια αυθαίρετο συμπέρασμα, διότι ο κ. Δημητρίου έχει διατελέσει μία θητεία ως Κοσμήτορας και μία θητεία ως Πρόεδρος Ακαδημαϊκών Θεμάτων. Πού είδατε λοιπόν τις δύο θητείες του ως Πρόεδρος Ακαδημαϊκών Θεμάτων.&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Η Στρατιωτική Σχολή Ευελπίδων (Σ.Σ.Ε.) είναι Ανώτατη παραγωγική σχολή Αξιωματικών του Ελληνικού Στρατού (ξηράς). Ιδρύθηκε στο Ναύπλιο στις 1 Ιουλίου 1828 με διάταγμα του Ιωάννη Καποδίστρια, αποτελώντας σχολή αξιωματικών κατά τα πρότυπα του Γαλλικού Στρατού.&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Έχει περάσει από πολλές περιπέτειες σε σχέση με το ακαδημαϊκό της προφίλ. Άλλοτε την κάνανε Πανεπιστήμιο (π.χ. όταν ήταν Διοικητής ο Πάνος Κολοκοτρώνης, γιός του θρυλικού Θοδωρή Κολοκοτρώνη - Γέρου του Μωριά) κι άλλοτε απλό Σχολείο.&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Για αρκετό καιρό (1894-1982) έδρευε στις ιδιόκτητες εγκαταστάσεις της βόρεια του Πεδίου του Άρεως και που σήμερα αποτελούν έδρα δικαστηρίων. Το 1982 μετακινήθηκε στο σημερινό της στρατόπεδο στη Βάρη. Εκεί βρίσκονται στρατώνες, σύγχρονες κτιριακές εγκαταστάσεις, υπαίθριοι χώροι εκπαίδευσης και αθλητισμού καθώς και το Μουσείο της Σχολής.&lt;br&gt; Η φοίτηση στη Σχολή Ευελπίδων διαρκεί τέσσερα χρόνια και οι Ευέλπιδες αποφοιτούν με το βαθμό του Ανθυπολοχαγού. Τα τελευταία χρόνια η εγγραφή στη Σχολή ημεδαπών μαθητών ακολουθεί το σύστημα των πανελληνίων εξετάσεων παράλληλα με τεστ και αθλητκές επιδόσεις. Στη Σ.Σ.Ε. φοιτούν επίσης και αλλοδαποί μαθητές - στελέχη ξένων ενόπλων δυνάμεων.&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Όμως το διαρκές πορόβλημα των &amp;quot;στρατέων&amp;quot; είναι πως να ποδηγετήσουν (κοινώς &amp;quot;καπελώσουν&amp;quot;) τους καθηγητές και τον ακαδημαϊκό κόσμο της Σχολής.&lt;br&gt;Γι αυτό άλλωστε ακόμα και σήμερα για την εκλογή Καθηγητή στα Μαθηματικά ψηφίζουν και .... ταγματάρχες. Πολύ ανώτατο το ανώτατο εκπαιδευτικό ίδρυμα αυτό, δεν νομίζετε;&lt;br&gt; Άκου να ψηφίζουν και οι ταγματάρχες στην εκλογή καθηγητή στα Μαθηματικά;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Υπενθυμίζεται ότι σε όλα τα σοβαρά πράγματα ψηφίζουν οι ευρισκόμενοι στον αυτό ή ανώτερο βαθμό από τον βαθμό που διεκδικεί ο υποψήφιος.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; Έτσι για να γίνεις Δεσπότης σε ψηφίζουν οι παλιοί Δεσπότες, για να γίνεις γιατρός σε νοσοκομείο του ΕΣΥ σε ψηφίζουν οι παλιοί γιατροί, για να γίνεις μέλος της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών σε ψηφίζουν τα παλιά μέλη της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών, για να γίνεις καθηγητής σε Πανεπιστήμιο σε ψηφίζουν οι άλλοι ήδη υπηρετουντες καθηγητές!&lt;br&gt; &lt;br&gt;Έ! εδώ έχουμε μια πρωτοφανής και παγκόσμια πρωτοτυπία!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Για να γίνεις καθηγητής στην Ευελπίδων πρώτη γνώμη έχει ο υποστράτηγος, οι συνταγματάρχες και οι ταγματάρχες!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Ημι-ανάς!!!!! &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="http://asei-gr.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font size="4"&gt;http://asei-gr.blogspot.com/&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/165394892036632911-6796287293491097267?l=album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/feeds/6796287293491097267/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=165394892036632911&amp;postID=6796287293491097267' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/6796287293491097267'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/6796287293491097267'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/2009/03/fwd-httpasei-grblogspotcom.html' title='Fwd: Αυθαίρετα ο Διοικητής της Στρ. Σχολής Ευελπίδων διαγράφει τον εκλεγμένο Πρόεδρο Ακαδημαϊκών Θεμάτων http://asei-gr.blogspot.com/'/><author><name>Malaysia</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911.post-4855372074993007939</id><published>2009-02-20T10:58:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2009-02-20T10:58:23.806-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Diavaste sto: http://sfaka.wseas.org/ ΚΙ ΕΝΩ ΟΙ ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ ΑΣΧΟΛΟΥΝΤΑΙ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ... ΠΕΤΡΟΥΛΑ (Τι Ντροπή!!! Αιδώς Αργείοι!!!) , ΟΙ ΤΟΥΡΚΟΙ ΠΡΟΧΩΡΟΥΝ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΡΑΞΗ ΣΤΗ ΔΙΧΟΤΟΜΗΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΑΙΓΑΙΟΥ!!!</title><content type='html'>Diavaste sto: &lt;a href="http://sfaka.wseas.org/"&gt;http://sfaka.wseas.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt; ΚΙ ΕΝΩ ΟΙ ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ ΑΣΧΟΛΟΥΝΤΑΙ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ... ΠΕΤΡΟΥΛΑ (Τι Ντροπή!!!&lt;br&gt;Αιδώς Αργείοι!!!) ,&lt;br&gt;ΟΙ ΤΟΥΡΚΟΙ ΠΡΟΧΩΡΟΥΝ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΡΑΞΗ ΣΤΗ ΔΙΧΟΤΟΜΗΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΑΙΓΑΙΟΥ!!!&lt;p&gt;Diavaste to plires arthro sto:&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://sfaka.wseas.org/"&gt;http://sfaka.wseas.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;NIKOS E. MASTORAKIS&lt;br&gt;Kathigitis Polytechneiou Sofias, Bulgaria&lt;br&gt;&amp;amp; Kathigitis Anotatis Scholis Naftikon Dokimon,&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/165394892036632911-4855372074993007939?l=album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/feeds/4855372074993007939/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=165394892036632911&amp;postID=4855372074993007939' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/4855372074993007939'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/4855372074993007939'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/2009/02/diavaste-sto-httpsfakawseasorg.html' title='Diavaste sto: http://sfaka.wseas.org/ ΚΙ ΕΝΩ ΟΙ ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ ΑΣΧΟΛΟΥΝΤΑΙ ΜΕ ΤΗΝ ... ΠΕΤΡΟΥΛΑ (Τι Ντροπή!!! Αιδώς Αργείοι!!!) , ΟΙ ΤΟΥΡΚΟΙ ΠΡΟΧΩΡΟΥΝ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΡΑΞΗ ΣΤΗ ΔΙΧΟΤΟΜΗΣΗ ΤΟΥ ΑΙΓΑΙΟΥ!!!'/><author><name>Malaysia</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911.post-8717298752585555841</id><published>2009-02-13T07:38:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2009-02-13T07:38:55.539-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Ενώ δουλέψαμε τον Μήνα ΙΑΝΟΥΑΡΙΟ του 2009, ο κ. Χατζηλάου δεν θέλει να μας πληρώσει!</title><content type='html'>&lt;div&gt;Mipos xerete se poion anikei auto to blog&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Ενώ δουλέψαμε τον Μήνα ΙΑΝΟΥΑΡΙΟ του 2009, ο κ.&lt;a href="http://hatzilau.blogspot.com/"&gt; Χατζηλάου&lt;/a&gt; δεν θέλει να μας πληρώσει!&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Ενώ δουλέψαμε τον Μήνα ΙΑΝΟΥΑΡΙΟ του 2009, ο κ.&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://hatzilau.blogspot.com/"&gt; Χατζηλάου&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;δεν θέλει να μας πληρώσει!&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Γιατί κ.&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://hatzilau.blogspot.com/"&gt; Χατζηλάου&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;Μήπως επειδή δεν σας γράφουμε papers να μπαίνει το όνομα σας!&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Διαβάστε το παρακάτω&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Giati Kyria HATZILAU den thelete na mas plirosete&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;----- Original Message ----- &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;From: &amp;quot;Dean Secretariat&amp;quot; &lt;a href="mailto:grampath@snd.edu.gr"&gt;grampath@snd.edu.gr&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;To: &lt;a href="mailto:siassiakos_k@ideke.edu.gr"&gt;siassiakos_k@ideke.edu.gr&lt;/a&gt;; &lt;a href="mailto:bardis@ieee.org"&gt;bardis@ieee.org&lt;/a&gt;; &lt;a href="mailto:kntal@image.ntua.gr"&gt;kntal@image.ntua.gr&lt;/a&gt;; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:athina@unipi.gr"&gt;athina@unipi.gr&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Cc: &lt;a href="mailto:dean@snd.edu.gr"&gt;dean@snd.edu.gr&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;a href="mailto:ikx@hna.gr"&gt;ikx@hna.gr&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 12:44 PM&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Σας γνωρίζουμε ότι ο Διευθυντής του τομέα Δρ. Ι.&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Κ. Χατζηλάου, άρα, κατ΄επέκταση και ο Πρόεδρος&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Ακαδημαικών Θεμάτων, αδυνατούν να βεβαιώσουν την&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;εκπλήρωση των συμβατικών σας υποχρεώσεων κατά το μήνα Ιανουάριο.&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Για τη Γραμματεία ΠΑΘ&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;Μάνθου Αριστέα &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/165394892036632911-8717298752585555841?l=album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/feeds/8717298752585555841/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=165394892036632911&amp;postID=8717298752585555841' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/8717298752585555841'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/8717298752585555841'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/2009/02/2009.html' title='Ενώ δουλέψαμε τον Μήνα ΙΑΝΟΥΑΡΙΟ του 2009, ο κ. Χατζηλάου δεν θέλει να μας πληρώσει!'/><author><name>Malaysia</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911.post-7196625103919214754</id><published>2008-12-17T04:34:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2008-12-17T04:35:11.488-08:00</updated><title type='text'>WSEAS</title><content type='html'>Для всех WSEAS Пользователей: &lt;br /&gt;-------------------------- &lt;br /&gt;Вы должны быть осторожны, когда вы передаете ваши документы! &lt;br /&gt;Хороший журнал IEEE, IEE, WSEAS Журналы и многих других! Хорошо конференции IEEE, IEE, WSEAS Журналы и многих других! &lt;br /&gt;Будьте осторожны. Есть несколько конференций, и некоторые журналы сомнительного качества (мы хотим сообщить этот список здесь), которые предназначены только для зарабатывания денег с невинным или не так ни в чем не повинных авторов.&lt;br /&gt;WSEAS Члены просят, чтобы избежать направить документы на эти журналы. &lt;br /&gt;Внимание, некоторые из этих журналов в США (которые также получили спонсорскую важными обществ) приняла документы, порожденные SCIgen машине. К счастью, некоторые студенты МИТ выявить этих не рассмотрели конференций.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Мы гордимся тем, что WSEAS конференций опытных никогда такого рода проблем и экспертной оценки &lt;br /&gt;из документов осуществляется университетами, которые принимающие и спонсор WSEAS конференций. &lt;br /&gt;Некоторые из них являются: Университет Кембриджа (Великобритания), Университет Гарварда (США) MIT (США), Китай Jiliang университета (Китай), Пекин Цзяотун университета (Китай), Университет Париж-Сюд (Франция), Федеральный университет UFRN, ( Бразилия), румынский академии наук (Румыния), Univ. Politecnica в Бухаресте (Румыния), Технический университет Софии (Болгария), Тяньцзинь университет технологии и образования (Китай) в Университете Западного Индиас (Тринидад И Тобаго), Национальный технический университет Афин (Греция), Университет Кантабрия, Сантандер , (Испания), Университет Чжэцзян. технологии (Китай), Университет Алкала, Мадрид (Испания)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Итак, WSEAS членов, будьте осторожны, не посылайте документы, не-конференций по обзору, которые принимают документы SCIgen &lt;br /&gt;Большое спасибо &lt;br /&gt;С Рождеством &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;All The Best &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Спасибо &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Никос Mastorakis &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* Профессор, Технический Университет Софии, &lt;br /&gt;БОЛГАРИЯ &lt;br /&gt;http://elfe.tu-sofia.bg/staff.htm &lt;br /&gt;http://elfe.tu-sofia.bg/curriculum4.htm &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* Почетный профессор университета Клуж, Румыния &lt;br /&gt;http://outstanding.wseas.us &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* Премии отличного от румынской Академии наук, Бухарест, &lt;br /&gt;РУМЫНИЯ &lt;br /&gt;http://www.wseas.org/mastorakis &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;* Профессор ASEI (Военный Институт высшего образования), &lt;br /&gt;Греческая военно-морской академии, Греция &lt;br /&gt;http://www.hna.gr/snd/english/education/academic/professors/mastorakis_en.html&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;---------------------------------------&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" width="100%"&gt;&lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 5px 0pt;"&gt;The results of your search are displayed below by class of hotel. Browse through the event spaces that fit your parameters and choose the one that best suites your type of event. For advice on how to choose suitable meeting venues, check our &lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/meeting-planning/"&gt;Meeting Guide&lt;/a&gt; for a full range of MICE preparation tips.&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;table style="margin-top: 10px;" cellpadding="0" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#fadab7"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 1px 10px 0pt;"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/hbullet.gif" height="5" width="5" /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold;" height="28" width="100%"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/ararat-park-hyatt-hotel/"&gt;Ararat Park Hyatt Hotel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class="v10px" style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 10px;" nowrap="nowrap"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;table style="border: 1px solid rgb(239, 239, 239);" border="1" cellpadding="0" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr valign="top"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 5px 10px 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/ararat-park-hyatt-hotel/"&gt;&lt;img class="bi" alt="Ararat Park Hyatt Hotel in Moscow, Russia" src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/images/ararat-park-hyatt-hotel/ararat-park-hyatt-hotel-moscow-small.jpg" style="border-color: rgb(133, 139, 150);" height="115" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="115" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 10px;" width="100%"&gt;The Ararat Park Hyatt offers ten superbly stylish and well equipped venues for conferencing, meetings, and banqueting for up to 100 people. Particularly impressive are the hotel's small meeting rooms, which are guaranteed to impress with their style and comfort.&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 0pt 5px;"&gt;&lt;table style="border-collapse: separate;" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr valign="bottom"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conference Halls&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;" align="center"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Maximum capacity&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;" align="center"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Square&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/ararat-park-hyatt-hotel/meeting-facilities/kachaturyan-ballroom.aspx"&gt;Kachaturyan Ballroom&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;100 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;208 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/ararat-park-hyatt-hotel/meeting-facilities/schepkin-hall.aspx"&gt;Schepkin Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;50 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;70 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td width="100%"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/p.gif" height="1" width="1" /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td width="150"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/p.gif" height="1" width="150" /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td width="80"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/p.gif" height="1" width="80" /&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;table style="margin-top: 10px;" cellpadding="0" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#fadab7"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 1px 10px 0pt;"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/hbullet.gif" height="5" width="5" /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold;" height="28" width="100%"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/baltschug-kempinski-hotel/"&gt;Baltschug Kempinski Hotel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class="v10px" style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 10px;" nowrap="nowrap"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;table style="border: 1px solid rgb(239, 239, 239);" border="1" cellpadding="0" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr valign="top"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 5px 10px 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/baltschug-kempinski-hotel/"&gt;&lt;img class="bi" alt="Baltschug Kempinski Hotel in Moscow, Russia" src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/images/baltschug-kempinski-hotel/baltschug-kempinski-hotel-moscow-small.jpg" style="border-color: rgb(133, 139, 150);" height="115" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="115" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 10px;" width="100%"&gt;The elegant and imposing Baltschug Kempinski offers eight refined settings for business meetings and private events. For venues combining old-fashioned class with top-of-the-range modern facilities, the Baltschug Kempinski is hard to beat.&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 0pt 5px;"&gt;&lt;table style="border-collapse: separate;" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr valign="bottom"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conference Halls&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;" align="center"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Maximum capacity&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;" align="center"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Square&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/baltschug-kempinski-hotel/meeting-facilities/atrium.aspx"&gt;Atrium&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;250 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;400 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/baltschug-kempinski-hotel/meeting-facilities/wladimir-1.aspx"&gt;Wladimir 1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;70 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;105 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/baltschug-kempinski-hotel/meeting-facilities/wladimir-2.aspx"&gt;Wladimir 2&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;70 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;105 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/baltschug-kempinski-hotel/meeting-facilities/jaroslawl.aspx"&gt;Jaroslawl&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;60 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;98 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr valign="bottom"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meeting Rooms&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;" align="center"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Maximum capacity&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;" align="center"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Square&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/baltschug-kempinski-hotel/meeting-facilities/biliothek.aspx"&gt;Bibliothek&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;70 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;89 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td width="100%"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/p.gif" height="1" width="1" /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td width="150"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/p.gif" height="1" width="150" /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td width="80"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/p.gif" height="1" width="80" /&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;table style="margin-top: 10px;" cellpadding="0" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#fadab7"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 1px 10px 0pt;"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/hbullet.gif" height="5" width="5" /&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold;" height="28" width="100%"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/"&gt;Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre Hotel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td class="v10px" style="padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 10px;" nowrap="nowrap"&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/img/star_small.gif" height="14" width="14" /&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;table style="border: 1px solid rgb(239, 239, 239);" border="1" cellpadding="0" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td&gt;&lt;table cellpadding="0" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr valign="top"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 5px 10px 5px 5px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/"&gt;&lt;img class="bi" alt="Crowne Plaza Moscow World Trade Centre Hotel in Russia" src="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/images/crowne-plaza/crowne-plaza-moscow-small.jpg" style="border-color: rgb(133, 139, 150);" height="115" hspace="0" vspace="0" width="115" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 10px;" width="100%"&gt;Guests staying at Moscow's Crowne Plaza have access to the vast Congress Centre of the World Trade Organization, located right next to the hotel. There are over 30 venues available, covering a total of 3000 square meters and catering for every imaginable kind of business event.&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt; &lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 0pt 5px;"&gt;&lt;table style="border-collapse: separate;" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" width="100%"&gt; &lt;tbody&gt;&lt;tr valign="bottom"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Conference Halls&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;" align="center"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Maximum capacity&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;" align="center"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Square&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/congress-hall.aspx"&gt;Congress Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;1200 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;1350 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/seliger-hall.aspx"&gt;Seliger Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;250 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;740 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/valdai-hall.aspx"&gt;Valdai Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;250 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;510 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/conference-hall.aspx"&gt;Conference Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;487 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;600 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/press-hall.aspx"&gt;Press Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;145 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;200 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/conference-hall-b.aspx"&gt;Conference Hall B&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;70 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;90 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/4-room-block.aspx"&gt;4-Room Block&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;80 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;80 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/conference-hall-a.aspx"&gt;Conference Hall A&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;50 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;76 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/ladoga-hall.aspx"&gt;Ladoga Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;50 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;340 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/angara-hall.aspx"&gt;Angara Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;80 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;177 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/dvina-hall.aspx"&gt;Dvina Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;80 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;175 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/amur-hall.aspx"&gt;Amur Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;170 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;168 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/enisei-hall.aspx"&gt;Enisei Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;170 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;168 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/volga-hall.aspx"&gt;Volga Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;170 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;168 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/don-hall.aspx"&gt;Don Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;80 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;160 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/onega-hall.aspx"&gt;Onega Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;80 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;155 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/selenga-hall.aspx"&gt;Selenga Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;80 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;107 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/neva-hall.aspx"&gt;Neva Hall&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;80 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;98 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr valign="bottom"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meeting Rooms&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;" align="center"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Maximum capacity&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 10px 5px 3px;" align="center"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Square&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/td&gt; &lt;/tr&gt;&lt;tr bgcolor="#efefef"&gt; &lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px 3px 12px;"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.moscow-hotels.net/crowne-plaza-moscow-world-trade-centre-hotel/meeting-facilities/meeting-rooms.aspx"&gt;Meeting Rooms&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;60 people&lt;/td&gt;&lt;td style="padding: 3px 5px;" align="center"&gt;96 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;/td&gt;&lt;/tr&gt;&lt;/tbody&gt;&lt;/table&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/165394892036632911-7196625103919214754?l=album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/feeds/7196625103919214754/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=165394892036632911&amp;postID=7196625103919214754' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/7196625103919214754'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/7196625103919214754'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/2008/12/wseas.html' title='WSEAS'/><author><name>Malaysia</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911.post-1957547957341218953</id><published>2008-07-19T03:02:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-19T03:05:26.997-07:00</updated><title type='text'>WSEAS</title><content type='html'>Dear WSEAS Members of&lt;p&gt;      &lt;a href="http://superemotional.blogspot.com"&gt;http://superemotional.blogspot.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://evolution-wseas.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://evolution-wseas.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com"&gt;http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://sfaka.blogspot.com"&gt;http://sfaka.blogspot.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://wseas-mit.blogspot.com"&gt;http://wseas-mit.blogspot.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://harvardconferences.blogspot.com"&gt;http://harvardconferences.blogspot.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://bogus-software.blogspot.com"&gt;http://bogus-software.blogspot.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://creation-and-evolution.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://creation-and-evolution.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://environmentalpolicy.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://environmentalpolicy.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://academicals.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://academicals.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://shuchenlee.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://shuchenlee.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://evolution-wseas.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://evolution-wseas.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://wseas-business-economics.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://wseas-business-economics.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://wseas-computers.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://wseas-computers.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;      &lt;a href="http://smyrni.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://smyrni.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Non-registered authors that have not their papers in the program&lt;br&gt;received a special extension and their papers will be published not now, but&lt;br&gt;in another Volume and CD (also be inscluded in ISI (Thomson).&lt;br&gt;Especially, if some of them have received additional Journal publication&lt;br&gt;they must do it until August 31. Contact us NOW!&lt;p&gt;Attention: Speakers that want to be involved in WSEAS Activities&lt;br&gt;like organizing WSEAS Conferences in their countries can contact now&lt;br&gt;us by email and we can arrange appointments to see them in Crete.&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;BANQUET FOR THE CONFERENCES CIRCUITS, SYSTEMS, COMMUNICATIONS and COMPUTERS:&lt;br&gt;21:30 - 24:30, July 23&lt;p&gt;A super self-service buffer menu with more than 50 different plates,&lt;br&gt;Traditional Folklore Dances and Live Music are waiting for us!!!&lt;p&gt;  FOR THE CONFERENCES ENGINEERING EDUCATION, UPT, EMESEG and CUHT:&lt;br&gt;19:00-21:30 July 23&lt;p&gt;A super self-service buffer menu with more than 50 different plates,&lt;br&gt;Traditional Folklore Dances and Live Music are waiting for us!!!&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;Visit the Web pages of the Conferences via:&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.worldses.org/expired.htm"&gt;http://www.worldses.org/expired.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;and Go to the Conference Program&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://acc2008.wseas.us/"&gt;http://acc2008.wseas.us/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.ionio.gr/~mpoulos/wseas-conferences-wseas-books-wseas-journals.htm"&gt;http://www.ionio.gr/~mpoulos/wseas-conferences-wseas-books-wseas-journals.ht&lt;br&gt;m&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://wseas.blogspot.com/2008/02/wseas-in-wikipedia.html"&gt;http://wseas.blogspot.com/2008/02/wseas-in-wikipedia.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Hotel is in a walking distance from the Harbour of Heraklion as&lt;br&gt;well as from the IMPORTANT Archaeological Museum of Heraklion&lt;br&gt;(2nd in importance in Greece, after the Archaeological Museum of Athens)&lt;p&gt;From the Harbour of Herakleion you can catch super fast ferries and you can&lt;br&gt;go to SANTORINI, the most beautiful island of Greece (after Crete, of&lt;br&gt;course) with the famous Volcano of Santorini. See pictures of Santorini via&lt;br&gt;Google!&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://harvardconferences.blogspot.com/"&gt;http://harvardconferences.blogspot.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can get to the conference place&lt;br&gt;1) BY AEROPLANE&lt;br&gt;The Airport of Heraklion is connected by Charters and Regular Flights&lt;br&gt;with all the European Capitals during the summer and other&lt;br&gt;Capitals of the World and is the second airport in importance in Greece&lt;br&gt;after the Airport of Athens&lt;p&gt;2) BY BOAT (recommended because it is cheap)&lt;br&gt;Heraklion is connected with Athens with FAST FERRIES&lt;br&gt;(6 hours trip with Luxurious Modern Boats.&lt;br&gt;The trip during the summer is a pleasure and you can&lt;br&gt;travel with the modern Ships of MINOAN LINES&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.minoan.gr"&gt;www.minoan.gr&lt;/a&gt;   Internet Access is available inside the Boat&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;Our general Chairmen which are also Editor of the Proceedings are kindly&lt;br&gt;requested to supervise the Plenary Sessions each morning where&lt;br&gt;as the regular Session Chairmen must be 30 minutes before their session in&lt;br&gt;the Conference Place.&lt;p&gt;No entrance in the conference room is allowed after the opening of the&lt;br&gt;session and nobody can come out from the conference room until the end of&lt;br&gt;the session.&lt;p&gt;ATTENTION: Certification of Attendance and Receipt of Payment will be&lt;br&gt;collected from the Secretariat Desk, only after the end of the Session that&lt;br&gt;you present. The Secreatariat will check the Chairman Report and will grant&lt;br&gt;the relevant documents&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;For your participation in the Conference in CRETE, you must see the&lt;br&gt;following attached files&lt;p&gt;deliver.doc,   you must fill in and give it to the Secretariat for receiving&lt;br&gt;the Conference Bag. Please, read it carefuly.&lt;p&gt;biography.doc,  you must fill in and give it to your Session Chairman.&lt;br&gt;Session Chairman must have it in order to present it to the audience&lt;p&gt;complaints-improvements.doc,  it is optional, you can send it to us by email&lt;br&gt;AFTER the conference or you can print it out and give it to the Secretariat&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;641 Lectures - Papers over than 1350 papers that were submitted in WSEAS&lt;br&gt;CSCC (acceptance rate 641/1350) compose the program&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.wseas.org/conferences/2008/greece/"&gt;http://www.wseas.org/conferences/2008/greece/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Similar acceptance rates were also obtained for CUHT, UPT and EMESEG 2008.&lt;p&gt;From them, only 32 papers which is a very small number of the best of the&lt;br&gt;best papers were also promoted to the WSEAS Journals!!&lt;p&gt;Now, the program of all these conference are on-line (we have now Updated&lt;br&gt;Versions on the web, check your papers, please)&lt;p&gt;The Secretariat of the Conference will be open from 10:00 of the MONDAY&lt;br&gt;(one day before the conference) in order to distribute the conference&lt;br&gt;material. Each participant will receive the CD-ROM of all the conference and&lt;br&gt;one hard-copy (ISI Book) together with secondary material. These will be&lt;br&gt;given to you on Monday, July 21 from&lt;br&gt;10:00 - 22:00. Come and take them from Secretariat Desk on Monday , July 21.&lt;p&gt;By the way, visit&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Deputy Minister of National Defense (Greece), Mr. Ioannis Plakiotakis&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.worldses.org/programs/plakiotakis.doc"&gt;www.worldses.org/programs/plakiotakis.doc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt; will be in the Conference and will award the Title of &amp;quot;WSEAS Fellow&amp;quot; to&lt;br&gt;Prof. Sifakis.&lt;br&gt;We remind that WSEAS had awarded the same title to Prof. Zadeh in the past.&lt;br&gt;Up to now only a few colleagues have been elevated to WSEAS Fellow Rank.&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;Prof. Joseph Sifakis ( Turing Award 2007, See please&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.acm.org/press-room/news-releases/turing-award-07/"&gt;http://www.acm.org/press-room/news-releases/turing-award-07/&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;br&gt;will be with us in our Conference with a KEYNOTE LECTURE&lt;br&gt;He will give 1 hour Lecture, especialy for the WSEAS&lt;br&gt;on Wednesday, July 23, 16:00-17:00&lt;p&gt;During this CEREMONY no other activity will take place and the Secretariat&lt;br&gt;will be closed for one hour (the time that Prof. Sifakis will speak)&lt;p&gt;Nobel of Computing:&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/practical/2008/winter/nobel-of-computing.shtml"&gt;www.cmu.edu/homepage/practical/2008/winter/nobel-of-computing.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;Also: &lt;a href="http://www-verimag.imag.fr/~sifakis/"&gt;http://www-verimag.imag.fr/~sifakis/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;30 (thirty) other PLENARY SPEAKERS will accompany our Distinguished&lt;br&gt;Professor (Nobel Level) Prof. J.Sifakis&lt;br&gt;See the web&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;VISA:&lt;br&gt;=====&lt;br&gt;To facilitate the authors that they need VISA to enter GREECE, we have&lt;br&gt;uploaded a letter with my stamp and my signature on the WSEAS site and you&lt;br&gt;can download it from:&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.worldses.org/forms/invitation.doc"&gt;http://www.worldses.org/forms/invitation.doc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;IMPRESSIONS from recent WSEAS conferences&lt;br&gt;==================================================&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.wseas.org/reports"&gt;http://www.wseas.org/reports&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;BEST PAPERS AWARD:&lt;br&gt;====================&lt;br&gt;We will follow a procedure similar to the procedure of the recent WSEAS&lt;br&gt;Conferences&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.wseas.org/reports"&gt;http://www.wseas.org/reports&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;AUDIOVISUAL EQUIPMENT:&lt;br&gt;=======================&lt;br&gt;Laser Pointers, Data Projector, Computer with PowerPoint, PDF, Word for&lt;br&gt;Windows&lt;br&gt;will exist in each conference room.&lt;br&gt;All the presentations will take place digitally by Computer.&lt;br&gt;Old-fashioned Overhead Projector(s) will not be used.&lt;p&gt;INSTRUCTIONS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION:&lt;br&gt;==================================&lt;br&gt;See:&lt;br&gt;     &lt;a href="http://www.worldses.org/drafts/presentation.htm"&gt;http://www.worldses.org/drafts/presentation.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;     &lt;a href="http://www.worldses.org/drafts/presentation.ppt"&gt;http://www.worldses.org/drafts/presentation.ppt&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;Before the beginning of each session, each present must deliver his CV&lt;br&gt;(Short Biography) which must be printed out according to the format:&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.worldses.org/drafts/biography.doc"&gt;http://www.worldses.org/drafts/biography.doc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;BEST REGARDS.&lt;br&gt;WE WILL BE GLAD TO HELP IN EVERY ISSUE RELATED THE CONFERENCE&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;===========================================&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;UNIVERSITY ELECTION: The WSEAS Executive Director is now&lt;br&gt;HONORARY PROFESSOR in the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania (JUNE&lt;br&gt;2008).&lt;p&gt;The WSEAS Executive Director and former WSEAS President,&lt;br&gt;Prof. Nikos E. Mastorakis (University URL: &lt;a href="http://tinyurl.com/2p7thl"&gt;http://tinyurl.com/2p7thl&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;and Institutional URL: &lt;a href="http://www.wseas.org/mastorakis"&gt;http://www.wseas.org/mastorakis&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;br&gt;was elevated as Honorary Professor in the Technical University of&lt;br&gt;Cluj-Napoca&lt;br&gt;Romania in June 24th 2008. Mr. Rector of the University, Prof. Radu Munteanu&lt;br&gt;reported the exceptional scientific task&lt;br&gt;of Prof. Mastorakis and his outstanding worldwide contribution to the&lt;br&gt;development of Science and technology.&lt;br&gt;The Ceremony took place in the Academy of Romania in Bucharest in June 24,&lt;br&gt;2008.&lt;br&gt;See below pictures from this official ceremony.&lt;p&gt;For the academic year, 2008-2009, Prof. N.E.Mastorakis will be also Visiting&lt;br&gt;Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department&lt;br&gt;of the Technical University of Sofia in Bulgaria where he will teach the&lt;br&gt;Course: &amp;quot;Multidimensional Systems&amp;quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;-------------------------------------------------&lt;p&gt; Moral Reward to WSEAS. WSEAS Conf. in Univ. of Cambridge. WSEAS keynote&lt;br&gt;speech. WSEAS Blogs. WSEAS IEEE IASME IARAS Students. WSEAS Books. WSEAS&lt;br&gt;Proceedings. WSEAS Conferences in China (Hangzhou). WSEAS KEYNOTE and WSEAS&lt;br&gt;PLENARY SPEAKERS in WSEAS Upcoming Conferences. WSEAS at Wikipedia. WSEAS in&lt;br&gt;Harvard. WSEAS in MIT. WSEAS in Spain. WSEAS in Bulgaria. WSEAS in China.&lt;br&gt;WSEAS in Romania. WSEAS in NCD (USA). Outstanding WSEAS papers. WSEAS in&lt;br&gt;Canada. WSEAS in France. WSEAS in USA. WSEAS in MEXICO. WSEAS in Canada.&lt;br&gt;WSEAS in Brazil. WSEAS in Italy. WSEAS in Crete. WSEAS in Turkey. WSEAS in&lt;br&gt;Laredo. WSEAS in Corfu. WSEAS in Norway. WSEAS in Portugal. WSEAS discussion&lt;br&gt;for Evolution. WSEAS Internet Tutorial. WSEAS Izmir. WSEAS Students. WSEAS&lt;br&gt;Academical Affairs. WSEAS WOMAC. WSEAS ISI. WSEAS Indexing. WSEAS&lt;br&gt;International Collaboration. WSEAS Blogs. WSEAS Special Sessions. WSEAS&lt;br&gt;Staff. WSEAS Email accounts. copyrighted@ by WSEAS&lt;br&gt;Last updated by WSEAS Groups - Feb 27 - 1 author - 10 pages long&lt;br&gt;WSEAS Rejection Rates. WSEAS Conferences. WSEAS Books. WSEAS Journals. WSEAS&lt;br&gt;Indexing. WSEAS Reviewers. WSEAS Collaborators. WSEAS Conferences in a&lt;br&gt;prestigious University. WSEAS Members and WSEAS Friends. WSEAS Chairmen.&lt;br&gt;WSEAS Special Sessions. WSEAS Invited Speakers. WSEAS Plenary Speakers.&lt;br&gt;WSEAS keynote Speakers and many others&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://wseas2007.wordpress.com/"&gt;http://wseas2007.wordpress.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/greece/rd_events170804.htm"&gt;http://cordis.europa.eu/greece/rd_events170804.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;----&lt;p&gt;Moral Reward to WSEAS. WSEAS Conf. in Univ. of Cambridge. WSEAS keynote&lt;br&gt;speech. WSEAS Blogs. WSEAS IEEE IASME IARAS Students. WSEAS Books. WSEAS&lt;br&gt;Proceedings. WSEAS Conferences in China (Hangzhou). WSEAS KEYNOTE and WSEAS&lt;br&gt;PLENARY SPEAKERS in WSEAS Upcoming Conferences. WSEAS at Wikipedia. WSEAS in&lt;br&gt;Harvard. WSEAS in MIT. WSEAS in Spain. WSEAS in Bulgaria. WSEAS in China.&lt;br&gt;WSEAS in Romania. WSEAS in NCD (USA). Outstanding WSEAS papers. WSEAS in&lt;br&gt;Canada. WSEAS in France. WSEAS in USA. WSEAS in MEXICO. WSEAS in Canada.&lt;br&gt;WSEAS in Brazil. WSEAS in Italy. WSEAS in Crete. WSEAS in Turkey. WSEAS in&lt;br&gt;Laredo. WSEAS in Corfu. WSEAS in Norway. WSEAS in Portugal. WSEAS discussion&lt;br&gt;for Evolution. WSEAS Internet Tutorial. WSEAS Izmir. WSEAS Students. WSEAS&lt;br&gt;Academical Affairs. WSEAS WOMAC. WSEAS ISI. WSEAS Indexing. WSEAS&lt;br&gt;International Collaboration. WSEAS Blogs. WSEAS Special Sessions. WSEAS&lt;br&gt;Staff. WSEAS Email accounts. copyrighted@ by WSEAS&lt;p&gt;Last updated by WSEAS Groups - Feb 27 - 1 author - 10 pages long&lt;p&gt;WSEAS Rejection Rates. WSEAS Conferences. WSEAS Books. WSEAS Journals. WSEAS&lt;br&gt;Indexing. WSEAS Reviewers. WSEAS Collaborators. WSEAS Conferences in a&lt;br&gt;prestigious University. WSEAS Members and WSEAS Friends. WSEAS Chairmen.&lt;br&gt;WSEAS Special Sessions. WSEAS Invited Speakers. WSEAS Plenary Speakers.&lt;br&gt;WSEAS keynote Speakers and many others&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://wseas2007.wordpress.com/"&gt;http://wseas2007.wordpress.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/greece/rd_events170804.htm"&gt;http://cordis.europa.eu/greece/rd_events170804.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bucharest, Romania, November 7-9, 2008&lt;br&gt;10th WSEAS Int. Conf. on MATHEMATICAL and COMPUTATIONAL METHODS in SCIENCE&lt;br&gt;and ENGINEERING (MACMESE&amp;#39;08)&lt;br&gt;7th WSEAS Int. Conf. on DATA NETWORKS, COMMUNICATIONS, COMPUTERS (DNCOCO&lt;br&gt;&amp;#39;08).&lt;br&gt;1st WSEAS Int. Conf. on SENSORS and SIGNALS (SENSIG &amp;#39;08).&lt;br&gt;1st WSEAS Int. Conf. on VISUALIZATION, IMAGING and SIMULATION (VIS&amp;#39;08).&lt;p&gt;OR&lt;p&gt;Bucharest, Romania, November 7-9, 2008&lt;br&gt;1st WSEAS Int. Conf. on NATURAL HAZARDS (NAHA&amp;#39;08)&lt;br&gt;1st WSEAS Int. Conf. on CLIMATE CHANGES, GLOBAL WARMING, BIOLOGICAL PROBLEMS&lt;br&gt;(CGB &amp;#39;08).&lt;br&gt;1st WSEAS Int. Conf. on URBAN REHABILITATION AND SUSTAINABILITY (URES&amp;#39;08)&lt;br&gt;1st WSEAS Int. Conf. on MATERIALS SCIENCE (MATERIALS&amp;#39;08)&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;RECENT IMPORTANT DISTINCTIONS of the Society:&lt;br&gt;======================================&lt;br&gt;1st&lt;br&gt;----&lt;br&gt;All the recent WSEAS Books (hard-copy of the Proceedings)&lt;br&gt;have been selected as Books for Abstracting and Indexing by ISI (Thomson).&lt;p&gt;2nd&lt;br&gt;----&lt;br&gt;The IEE (IET) has in its citation index (INSPEC)&lt;br&gt;more than 7000 papers from WSEAS, only for the last 3 years.&lt;br&gt;Visit:&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.worldses.org/indexes/iee/2004-2007.txt"&gt;www.worldses.org/indexes/iee/2004-2007.txt&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;In WSEAS Conferences, the accepted papers are published in:&lt;p&gt;(1) Books (All these books participate in ISI, IEE, ELSEVIER, SCOPUS etc...)&lt;br&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.worldses.org/books/index.html"&gt;http://www.worldses.org/books/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;(2) CD-ROM Proceedings&lt;p&gt;(3) Web Publishing:  &lt;a href="http://www.wseas.org/online"&gt;www.wseas.org/online&lt;/a&gt;&lt;p&gt;(4) Extended versions of the best papers (after further review) in a Journal&lt;br&gt;(participate in the most important&lt;br&gt;citation indices &lt;a href="http://www.worldses.org/indexes/"&gt;www.worldses.org/indexes/&lt;/a&gt;)&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/165394892036632911-1957547957341218953?l=album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/feeds/1957547957341218953/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=165394892036632911&amp;postID=1957547957341218953' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/1957547957341218953'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/165394892036632911/posts/default/1957547957341218953'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://album-for-christodoulos.blogspot.com/2008/07/wseas.html' title='WSEAS'/><author><name>Malaysia</name><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-165394892036632911.post-1778815972207521154</id><published>2008-07-19T02:37:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2008-07-19T04:11:52.755-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Emailing: outstanding.wseas.htm</title><content type='html'>&lt;!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"&gt; &lt;HTML lang=en-US&gt;&lt;HEAD&gt;&lt;TITLE&gt;WSEAS Award from NCD USA. Mr. President of USA and WSEAS President for Empowerment for Americans with Disabilities: Breaking Barriers to Careers and Full Employment&lt;/TITLE&gt;&lt;BASE  href=http://outstanding.wseas.us/&gt;&lt;BASE  href=http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/NCDEmployment_20071001.htm&gt;&lt;!-- InstanceBegin template="/Templates/ncd.dwt" codeOutsideHTMLIsLocked="false" --&gt;&lt;!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="doctitle" --&gt;&lt;!-- InstanceEndEditable --&gt; &lt;META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"&gt; &lt;META content="NCD National Council on Disability" name=keywords&gt;&lt;LINK  href="../../../styles/bottom_menu.css" type=text/css rel=stylesheet&gt;&lt;!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="head" --&gt;&lt;LINK  href="../../../styles/text.css" type=text/css rel=stylesheet&gt; &lt;STYLE type=text/css&gt; &lt;!-- div.MsoHeading7 {mso-style-next:Normal; 	margin:0in; 	margin-bottom:.0001pt; 	mso-pagination:widow-orphan; 	page-break-after:avoid; 	mso-outline-level:7; 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&lt;SCRIPT type=text/JavaScript&gt; &lt;!-- function MM_preloadImages() { //v3.0   var d=document; if(d.images){ if(!d.MM_p) d.MM_p=new Array();     var i,j=d.MM_p.length,a=MM_preloadImages.arguments; for(i=0; i&lt;a.length; i++)     if (a[i].indexOf("#")!=0){ d.MM_p[j]=new Image; d.MM_p[j++].src=a[i];}} }  function MM_swapImgRestore() { //v3.0   var i,x,a=document.MM_sr; for(i=0;a&amp;&amp;i&lt;a.length&amp;&amp;(x=a[i])&amp;&amp;x.oSrc;i++) x.src=x.oSrc; }  function MM_findObj(n, d) { //v4.01   var p,i,x;  if(!d) d=document; if((p=n.indexOf("?"))&gt;0&amp;&amp;parent.frames.length) {     d=parent.frames[n.substring(p+1)].document; n=n.substring(0,p);}   if(!(x=d[n])&amp;&amp;d.all) x=d.all[n]; for (i=0;!x&amp;&amp;i&lt;d.forms.length;i++) x=d.forms[i][n];   for(i=0;!x&amp;&amp;d.layers&amp;&amp;i&lt;d.layers.length;i++) x=MM_findObj(n,d.layers[i].document);   if(!x &amp;&amp; d.getElementById) x=d.getElementById(n); return x; }  function MM_swapImage() { //v3.0   var i,j=0,x,a=MM_swapImage.arguments; document.MM_sr=new Array; for(i=0;i&lt;(a.length-2);i+=3)    if ((x=MM_findObj(a[i]))!=null){document.MM_sr[j++]=x; if(!x.oSrc) x.oSrc=x.src; x.src=a[i+2];} } //--&gt; &lt;/SCRIPT&gt;  &lt;META content="MSHTML 6.00.2600.0" name=GENERATOR&gt;&lt;/HEAD&gt; &lt;BODY bgColor=#ffffff  onload="MM_preloadImages('http://www.ncd.gov/images/adobe.gif','http://www.ncd.gov/images/usagov_logo.jpg')"&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV&gt;&lt;FONT face="Arial Black" color=#0000ff size=5&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&lt;U&gt;UNIVERSITY ELECTION: The WSEAS Executive Director is  now&lt;BR&gt;HONORARY PROFESSOR in the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania  (JUNE 2008).&lt;/U&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=5&gt; &lt;P align=left&gt;The WSEAS Executive Director and former WSEAS President,  &lt;B&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Prof. Nikos E. Mastorakis &lt;/B&gt;(University URL: &lt;A  href="http://tinyurl.com/2p7thl"&gt;http://tinyurl.com/2p7thl&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt;and  Institutional URL: &lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.org/mastorakis"&gt;http://www.wseas.org/mastorakis&lt;/A&gt;)  &lt;BR&gt;was elevated as Honorary Professor in the Technical University of  Cluj-Napoca&lt;BR&gt;Romania in June 24th 2008. Mr. Rector of the University, Prof.  Radu Munteanu reported the exceptional scientific task&lt;BR&gt;of Prof. Mastorakis  and his outstanding worldwide contribution to the development of Science and  technology.&lt;BR&gt;The Ceremony took place in the Academy of Romania in Bucharest in  June 24, 2008.&lt;BR&gt;See below pictures from this official ceremony.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;For the  academic year, 2008-2009, Prof. N.E.Mastorakis will be also Visiting Professor  in the Electrical Engineering Department&lt;BR&gt;of the Technical University of Sofia  in Bulgaria where he will teach the Course: "Multidimensional Systems"  &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;FONT face="Arial Black" color=#0000ff size=5&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&lt;IMG src="http://outstanding.wseas.us/election.jpg"  border=0&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&lt;IMG height=441 src="http://outstanding.wseas.us/honorary1.jpg"  width=588 border=0&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;IMG height=440  src="http://outstanding.wseas.us/honorary2.jpg" width=593 border=0&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&lt;IMG height=440 src="http://outstanding.wseas.us/honorary3.jpg"  width=593 border=0&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&lt;U&gt;&lt;A name=outstanding&gt;&lt;/A&gt;An outstanding contribution. An  extraordinary distinction (OCTOBER 2007).&lt;/U&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&lt;A href="http://www.wseas.org/outstanding.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT  size=3&gt;http://www.wseas.org/outstanding.htm&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;FONT size=3&gt;&amp;nbsp;  and&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;A  href="http://outstanding.wseas.us"&gt;http://outstanding.wseas.us&lt;/A&gt; &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P align=center&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=4&gt;&lt;B&gt;&lt;A  href="http://www.wseas.org"&gt;WSEAS&lt;/A&gt; congratulates the authors:  &lt;/B&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt" face=Arial color=#000000 size=2&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;I&gt;&lt;FONT size=4&gt;&lt;A  href="http://outstanding.wseas.us/index.html#drigas"&gt;&lt;U&gt;Drigas, A. S.&lt;/U&gt;&lt;/A&gt;,  &lt;A href="http://outstanding.wseas.us/index.html#vrettaros"&gt;&lt;U&gt;Vrettaros,  J.&lt;/U&gt;&lt;/A&gt;, &amp;amp; &lt;A  href="http://outstanding.wseas.us/index.html#kouremenos"&gt;&lt;U&gt;Kouremenos,  D.&lt;/U&gt;&lt;/A&gt; (*) &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=4&gt;for an excellent distinction by NCD of USA. NCD has promoted  this paper to the US President.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;I&gt;&lt;FONT size=4&gt;(This is also a Special Distinction for the WSEAS  Journals.)&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=4&gt;The National Council on Disability of USA selected their paper  (* -- See below) published in the WSEAS Transactions on Information Science and  Applications in the list of the Best Papers and has already informed the  President of USA. See below the page from the NCD official site: &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;B&gt;&lt;A  style="TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="NCDEmployment_20071001.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT  size=3&gt;www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/NCDEmployment_20071001.htm&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=4&gt;Their paper (published in the WSEAS Transactions) has been given  to the US President. We have some newer information about this special  distinction and we will mail to you soon.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=4&gt;We contacted several colleagues already, before sending this  information to you and many important academicians (mainly from top-ranking USA  Universities, See: &lt;A style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"  href="http://www.wseas.org"&gt;www.wseas.org&lt;/A&gt; , March and April of 2008) told us  that they prefer to publish their breakthrough works in WSEAS  Transactions.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;I&gt;&lt;FONT size=4&gt;(*) &lt;A  href="http://outstanding.wseas.us/index.html#drigas"&gt;&lt;U&gt;Drigas, A. S.&lt;/U&gt;&lt;/A&gt;,  &lt;A href="http://outstanding.wseas.us/index.html#vrettaros"&gt;&lt;U&gt;Vrettaros,  J.&lt;/U&gt;&lt;/A&gt;, &amp;amp; &lt;A  href="http://outstanding.wseas.us/index.html#kouremenos"&gt;&lt;U&gt;Kouremenos,  D.&lt;/U&gt;&lt;/A&gt; (2004). E-learning environment for deaf people in the e-commerce and  new technologies sector. WSEAS Transactions on Information Science and  Applications 5 (1). &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/I&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=4&gt;&lt;A href="http://outstanding.wseas.us"&gt;WSEAS &lt;/A&gt;congratulates  the Authors&amp;nbsp; for this special distinction as well as the Editor-in-Chief  and the members of the Editorial Board of this journal.&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=4&gt;&lt;B&gt;The WSEAS President congratulates  the authors: &lt;/B&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=4&gt;Dear Dr. A. S. Drigas,  &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;BR&gt;To you and your co-authors I  express my congratulations for the honor of your&lt;B&gt; famous paper&lt;/B&gt;, the honor  accorded you by its selection, and the honor of distinction in the WSEAS online  communications.&amp;nbsp; I was impressed by this distinction, and wanted to add my  tribute to the fine one published online.&amp;nbsp; I see you have some other papers  in WSEAS journals as well, and you are certainly an honor to Greece.&amp;nbsp; You  have brought honor to WSEAS.&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT face=Arial size=4&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Sincerely,  &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;A style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700; TEXT-DECORATION: none"  href="http://www.worldses.org/president.htm"&gt;&lt;FONT size=3&gt;Professor Charles A.  Long, &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;B&gt;&lt;FONT size=3&gt;&lt;BR&gt;WSEAS President,&lt;BR&gt;Professor Emeritus  &lt;BR&gt;University of Wisconsin, &lt;BR&gt;Stevens Point, &lt;BR&gt;Wisconsin,  USA&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp; &lt;P&gt;&lt;FONT size=3&gt;The following information is from: &lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;B&gt;&lt;A  style="TEXT-DECORATION: none"  href="NCDEmployment_20071001.htm"&gt;www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2007/NCDEmployment_20071001.htm&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/B&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;FONT size=4&gt;&lt;U&gt;&lt;A  href="http://outstanding.wseas.us/index.html#drigas"&gt;Other Details for the  authors...&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/U&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/FONT&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/FONT&gt; &lt;P&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/DIV&gt; &lt;DIV class=banner&gt;&lt;A href="#skip"&gt;&lt;IMG height=1 alt="Skip to main content"  src="http://www.ncd.gov/images/clear.gif" width=1 border=0  name="clear image"&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;BR&gt; &lt;TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=760  summary="This table is for layout purposes only" border=0&gt; 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    &lt;TD vAlign=top width=600&gt;&lt;A name=skip&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;!-- InstanceBeginEditable name="text" --&gt;       &lt;TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=590        summary="This table is for layout purposes only" border=0&gt;         &lt;TBODY&gt;         &lt;TR&gt;           &lt;TD height=19&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/TD&gt;           &lt;TD&gt;&lt;A name=skip&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;         &lt;TR&gt;           &lt;TD width="2%" height=19&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/TD&gt;           &lt;TD width="98%"&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;IMG height=28 alt=Newsroom              src="http://www.ncd.gov/images/newsroom_title.gif"          width=402&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;         &lt;TR&gt;           &lt;TD height=19&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/TD&gt;           &lt;TD&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;         &lt;TR&gt;           &lt;TD&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/TD&gt;           &lt;TD&gt;             &lt;P&gt;             &lt;P class=boldtext align=center&gt;Empowerment for Americans with              Disabilities: Breaking Barriers to Careers and Full Employment&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=redcenter align=center&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Letter of Transmittal              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;October 1, 2007 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The President &lt;BR&gt;The White House &lt;BR&gt;Washington, DC              20500 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Dear Mr. President: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;On behalf of the National Council on Disability (NCD),              I am pleased to submit this report, entitled &lt;EM&gt;Empowerment for              Americans with Disabilities: Breaking Barriers to Careers and Full              Employment&lt;/EM&gt;. Under its congressional mandate, NCD is charged              with the responsibility to gather information on the development and              implementation of federal laws, programs, and initiatives that              affect people with disabilities. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;For Americans with disabilities, no less than for all              other citizens, the opportunity to earn a living and be              self-supporting is a universally held goal. Yet in perhaps no area              of public policy has the expectations gap so stubbornly resisted our              efforts to achieve equality. Whatever set of statistics one chooses              from among the varying estimates of employment rates for Americans              with disabilities, the rate and level of employment for this              population remain far too low. These employment and earnings gaps              are a substantial public and policy concern. A lack of employment              opportunities limits the ability of many people with disabilities to              fully participate in society, as employment plays a number of              important roles and functions for individuals. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;This report comprehensively reviews the issues              integral to the employment of people with disabilities. It has two              broad aims: a) to summarize the existing knowledge regarding the              employment of people with disabilities in a series of short issue              briefs and b) to present new information on the perspectives of              employers, people with disabilities, and disability specialists on              the key barriers to and facilitators of employment. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;There is a direct benefit to expanding employment              opportunities for people with disabilities. For employers who are              projected to face labor shortages as the baby-boom generation              retires, non-employed people with disabilities represent a valuable              tool of human resources to help fill those needs. For people with              disabilities, employment has not just economic value, but important              social and psychological value as well. For government, increased              employment of people with disabilities helps increase tax receipts              and decrease social expenditures. Finally, as recognized in the              passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there are societal              benefits from greater inclusiveness in mainstream society as the              barriers facing people with disabilities are dismantled. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;NCD stands ready to work with you and the Office of              Domestic Policy to ensure that the recommendations within this              report become a reality. &amp;nbsp; &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Sincerely, &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;John R. Vaughn &lt;BR&gt;Chairperson &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;(The same letter of transmittal was sent to the              President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate and the Speaker of the U.S.              House of Representatives.)&lt;/P&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;             &lt;P class=style2 align=center&gt;&lt;SPAN class=red&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;National              Council on Disability Members and              Staff&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;STRONG class=text&gt;Members  &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text align=center&gt;John R. Vaughn, Chairperson &lt;BR&gt;Patricia              Pound, First Vice Chairperson &lt;BR&gt;Milton Aponte, J.D. &lt;BR&gt;Victoria              Ray Carlson &lt;BR&gt;Chad Colley &lt;BR&gt;Robert R. Davila, Ph.D. &lt;BR&gt;Graham              Hill &lt;BR&gt;Marylyn Howe &lt;BR&gt;Young Woo Kang, Ph.D. &lt;BR&gt;Kathleen              Martinez &lt;BR&gt;Lisa Mattheiss &lt;BR&gt;Lonnie Moore &lt;BR&gt;Anne M. Rader              &lt;BR&gt;Cynthia Wainscott&lt;BR&gt;Linda Wetters              &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Staff &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;SPAN class=text&gt;Michael C. Collins, Executive Director              &lt;BR&gt;Martin Gould, Ed.D., Director of Research and Technology              &lt;BR&gt;Mark S. Quigley, Director of Communications &lt;BR&gt;Julie Carroll,              Senior Attorney Advisor &lt;BR&gt;Joan M. Durocher, Senior Attorney              Advisor &lt;BR&gt;Geraldine Drake Hawkins, Ph.D., Senior Program Analyst              &lt;BR&gt;Pamela O'Leary, Sign Language Interpreter &lt;BR&gt;Mark Seifarth,              Congressional Liaison &lt;BR&gt;Brenda Bratton, Executive Assistant              &lt;BR&gt;Stacey S. Brown, Staff Assistant &lt;BR&gt;Carla Nelson, Secretary              &lt;/SPAN&gt;&lt;BR&gt;             &lt;P class=redcenter align=center&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Acknowledgments  &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The National Council on Disability thanks Douglas              Kruse, Ph.D., Rutgers University, and James Schmeling, J.D.,              University of Iowa, for conducting the research for this report.              &amp;nbsp; &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;NCD also wishes to acknowledge the contributions of              Meera Adya, J.D., Ph.D., Syracuse University; Carol Harvey, Ph.D.,              Rutgers University; Todd Honeycutt, M.A., Rutgers University;              William Myhill, J.D., Syracuse University; Cynthia Smith, M.A.,              J.D., Syracuse University; Michael Morris, J.D., National Disability              Institute; Susan Odiseos, Just One Break, Inc.; and Peter Blanck,              J.D., Ph.D., Syracuse University.&lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=redcenter align=center&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Table of Contents              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;A href="#0"&gt;Executive Summary&lt;/A&gt; ..........7 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;1. &lt;A href="#1"&gt;Introduction &lt;/A&gt;..........15 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;2. &lt;A href="#2"&gt;Setting the Context&lt;/A&gt; ..........19              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;OL class=text type=A&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#2a"&gt;Challenges and Barriers&lt;/A&gt; ..........19                &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#2b"&gt;Labor Market and Workplace Trends&lt;/A&gt;                ..........21                &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#2c"&gt;Public Policies&lt;/A&gt; ..........23 &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/OL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;3. &lt;A href="#3"&gt;Employment Barriers, Best Practices,              and Other Facilitators: Overview&lt;/A&gt; ..........27 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;BLOCKQUOTE&gt;               &lt;P class=text&gt;Employment policies, practices, and types &lt;/P&gt;               &lt;OL class=text type=A&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#3a"&gt;Recruitment and Retention&lt;/A&gt; ..........28                  &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#3b"&gt;Employee Development&lt;/A&gt; ..........33                  &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#3c"&gt;Work-Life Balance and Alternative Work                  Arrangements&lt;/A&gt; ..........36                  &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#3d"&gt;Reasonable Accommodations&lt;/A&gt; ..........39                  &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#3e"&gt;Corporate Culture&lt;/A&gt; ..........41                  &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#3f"&gt;Universal Design&lt;/A&gt; ..........43                  &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#3g"&gt;Self-Employment&lt;/A&gt; ..........44 &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/OL&gt;               &lt;P class=text&gt;Other dimensions affecting employment &lt;/P&gt;               &lt;OL class=text type=A&gt;                 &lt;LI value=8&gt;&lt;A href="#3h"&gt;Transportation&lt;/A&gt; ..........45                  &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#3i"&gt;Health care&lt;/A&gt; ..........47                  &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#3j"&gt;Education&lt;/A&gt; ..........49                  &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#3k"&gt;Housing and Livable Communities&lt;/A&gt;                  ..........51                  &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#3l"&gt;Long-Term Services and Supports&lt;/A&gt;                  ..........53 &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/OL&gt;&lt;/BLOCKQUOTE&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;4. &lt;A href="#4"&gt;Policy Recommendations&lt;/A&gt;              ..........57 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Appendices &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;A href="#5a"&gt;Appendix A. Business Advisory Council              Membership&lt;/A&gt; ..........67 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;A href="#5b"&gt;Appendix B. Expert Advisory Panel              Membership&lt;/A&gt; ..........69 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;A href="#5c"&gt;Appendix C. Issue Briefs&lt;/A&gt;              ..........71 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;OL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#5.1"&gt;Recruitment and retention&lt;/A&gt; ..........73                &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#5.2"&gt;Employee development&lt;/A&gt; ..........89                &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#5.3"&gt;Work-life balance and alternative work                arrangements&lt;/A&gt; ..........105                &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#5.4"&gt;Reasonable accommodations&lt;/A&gt; ..........119                &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#5.5"&gt;Corporate culture&lt;/A&gt; ..........135                &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#5.6"&gt;Universal design&lt;/A&gt; ..........147                &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#5.7"&gt;Self-employment&lt;/A&gt; ..........157                &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#5.8"&gt;Transportation&lt;/A&gt; ..........169                &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#5.9"&gt;Health care&lt;/A&gt; ..........181                &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#5.10"&gt;Education&lt;/A&gt; ..........193                &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#5.11"&gt;Housing and livable communities&lt;/A&gt;                ..........207                &lt;LI&gt;&lt;A href="#5.12"&gt;Long-term services and supports&lt;/A&gt;                ..........219 &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/OL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;A href="#5d"&gt;Appendix D. Public Forum Summaries&lt;/A&gt;              ..........231 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;BLOCKQUOTE&gt;               &lt;P class=text&gt;Jacksonville, Florida ..........231 &lt;BR&gt;Milwaukee,                Wisconsin ..........245 &lt;/P&gt;&lt;/BLOCKQUOTE&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;A href="#5e"&gt;Appendix E. Focus group summaries&lt;/A&gt;              ..........257 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;BLOCKQUOTE&gt;               &lt;P class=text&gt;Employers ..........257 &lt;BR&gt;Veterans with                Disabilities ..........263 &lt;BR&gt;Self-Employed People with                Disabilities ..........272 &lt;BR&gt;SSA Community Work Incentives                Coordinators (CWICs) and DOL-SSA &lt;BR&gt;Disability Program Navigators                (DPNs) ..........281 &lt;/P&gt;&lt;/BLOCKQUOTE&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;A href="#5f"&gt;Appendix F. Mission of the National              Council on Disability&lt;/A&gt; ..........289 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;A href="#6"&gt;Bibliography&lt;/A&gt; ..........293 &lt;BR&gt;&lt;A              href="#7"&gt;Endnotes&lt;/A&gt; ..........323&lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A id=#0 name=#0&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Executive Summary              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;EM&gt;Given a serious labor shortage in the mid 1990s,              A&amp;amp;F Wood Products could not have expanded its business as well              as it has without the abilities and hardworking attitudes of its              workers with disabilities. . . . "We don't go out and brag about              it," says one of the [co-owner] brothers&lt;STRONG&gt;, "&lt;/STRONG&gt;but when              you talk to others and tell them if you want to find a great working              force, here is what you have to try, because it has been wonderful              for us, the reaction is 'Where do I go and how do I start out?'              "&lt;/EM&gt; (Lengnick-Hall 2007, 6566) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The above quote describes the experience of a wide              range of employers in the United States. There are many positive              stories about the ability of people with disabilities to work as              hard and well as those without disabilities, given the right              environment. In fact, people with disabilities may be even more              productive in some environments: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;EM&gt;"Our environment is creative and innovative.              People with disabilities by default are very creative and              knowledgeable about a variety of issues, because they have to be in              their everyday lives." &lt;/EM&gt;(Britta Stromeyer, Pillsbury Winthrop              Shaw Pittman LLP, www.earnworks.com) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Just as A&amp;amp;F Wood Products and other companies              experienced labor shortages in the mid-1990s, labor shortages are              projected in the coming decades as the baby-boom generation reaches              retirement age. These shortages increase the importance of finding              and using all available talent: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;EM&gt;"We find the best in everyone and put it to work.              There is a job for every person, and there is a person for every              job. . . . Considering labor and skills shortages we are facing in              [the] United States, we believe that our linkages to organizations              supporting people with disabilities is a business-critical              strategy." &lt;/EM&gt;(Branka Minic, Director, Workforce Development,              Manpower, www.earnworks.com) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The aging of the workforce and population not only              contributes to labor shortages, but also will create a higher rate              of disability, increasing both the labor pool of people with              disabilities and the number of consumers looking for              disability-friendly products. A number of companies have found their              employees with disabilities to be valuable resources for product              development and testing. Susan Mazrui of Cingular Wireless notes              that: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;EM&gt;"It's a common-sense business decision. If you              want to recruit talented people you have to have an environment that              allows us to use their talent. . . . As the workforce ages, more and              more people with disabilities will be employed, and the better we              can accommodate the access needs of our employees, the more              productive they will be in their jobs and the easier it will be to              retain a knowledgeable and experienced workforce. Employees with              disabilities can also provide greater insights into the needs of              older customers and those with disabilities. [Employing people with              disabilities] impacts every [company] because it increases their              resources." &lt;/EM&gt;(www.earnworks.com) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The need for workplace accommodations complicates the              hiring process for some people with disabilities (although a 2003              Rutgers national survey found that among private companies with              employees with disabilities, only 24 percent had to make any              accommodations). Many employers find that the accommodations have a              high payoff. For example, Sjaloom Stringer of the Marriott              Corporation says that: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;EM&gt;"Yes we have to do things differently and adapt              our work environment for our visually impaired associates, but that              is nothing compared to the impact we have been able to make on              someone's life . . . we are giving back to our communities, while at              the same time reaping the benefits of a work team that is dedicated,              loyal, dependable, and most of all, successful. A win-win situation              has been realized for all involved in this initiative."              &lt;/EM&gt;(www.earnworks.com) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Accommodations can be seen as part of a universal              process of responding to the needs of all employees. As stated by              Millie DesBiens of IBM: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;EM&gt;"What we do is accommodate any employee, whether              they are disabled or not. Every employee gets what they need. When              it comes to people with disabilities, it may be assistive technology              or services. Even if you're not disabledif there is something you              need in order to make your job more productive, you would get              it."&lt;/EM&gt; (www.earnworks.com) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;The Problem &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Despite the positive stories abovealong with many              othersthe employment rate of working-age people with disabilities              remains only half that of people without disabilities (38 percent              compared with 78 percent in 2005). The reason is not that people              with disabilities do not want to work: Two-thirds of nonemployed              people with disabilities say they would prefer to be working. What              explains the low rate of employment, and how can it be increased?              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The key challenges and barriers to greater employment              of people with disabilities reflect both the supply side and demand              side of the labor market. On the supply side, some people with              disabilities have extra costs associated with working: education or              training gaps, the need for flexible work arrangements, and              disincentives from disability income and health care. On the demand              side, the barriers include employer discrimination and reluctance to              hire, corporate cultures that are not disability-friendly, and the              need for accommodations. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Along with these challenges and barriers, current              labor market and workplace trends indicate both good news and bad              news. The bad news is that people with disabilities are currently              underrepresented in the occupations projected to grow the fastest              between 2004 and 2014they are currently more likely to be in              slower-growing service and blue-collar occupations. The good news is              a) growth in computers and new information technologies that help              compensate for many types of disabilities and increase the              possibilities for productive employment; b) growth in telecommuting              and flexible work arrangements, which are appropriate for many              people with disabilities; and c) increased attention to issues of              diversity in U.S. companies, in which disability is often included              as a dimension of diversity. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;What This Report Does &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;This National Council on Disability report is a broad              assessment of the employment status of people with disabilities. To              offer a complete and rounded perspective on the barriers to and              facilitators for employment of people with disabilities, the report              accomplishes the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Combines a review of existing evidence with presentation of                new evidence on the experiences and views of people with                disabilities, employers, and disability specialists.                &lt;LI&gt;Has received advice and guidance from a Business Advisory                Committee, chaired by J.T.&amp;nbsp;(Ted) Childs Jr. (Principal, Ted                Childs LLC) and made up of representatives from 25                U.S.&amp;nbsp;companies.                &lt;LI&gt;Has received advice and guidance from an Expert Advisory                Panel, comprising experts in the field of disability and                employment. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;One goal is to assemble and present the best practices              in the public and private sectors and the promising public policies              and initiatives that facilitate an increase in employment              opportunities for people with disabilities. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The challenges of, barriers to, and facilitators of              employment for people with disabilities are examined in two ways.              First, twelve issue briefs summarize evidence on a range of topics              that affect the employment of people with disabilities, highlighting              best practices of employers and promising public policies and              initiatives. The topics are the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Employment              policies, practices, and types &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; A.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Recruitment and retention              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; B.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Employee development              &lt;BR&gt;&lt;EM&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/EM&gt;C.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Work-life balance and              alternative work arrangements              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; D.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Reasonable accommodations              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; E.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Corporate culture              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; F.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Universal design              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; G.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Self-employment              &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Other dimensions              affecting employment              &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; H.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Transportation              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; I.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Health care              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; J.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Education              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; K.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Housing and livable              communities &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; L.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Long-term services and              supports &lt;BR&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;In addition, public forums and focus groups were              conducted with employers, people with disabilities, and disability              specialists. The forums were held in Jacksonville, Florida, and              Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the focus groups were composed of the              following: &lt;BR&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 1.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Employers              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 2.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Veterans with              disabilities &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 3.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Self-employed people with              disabilities &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 4.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Disability specialists              working with the Social Security Administration and Department of              Labor              &lt;P class=text&gt;The key points from the issue briefs, public forums,              and focus groups are summarized in chapter 3 of the report, along              with the best practices for the public and private sectors, and              promising public policies and initiatives. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;What Can Employers and Policymakers Do?              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The report describes 31 best practices for employers,              and 50 promising public policies and initiatives. Following is a              sampling of the best practices for employers (with selected examples              of companies implementing them): &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Recruitment and retention: Develop recruiting methods and                advertise job positions that target people with disabilities, in                cooperation with government and nonprofit agencies (e.g., Hewlett                Packard, IBM, Merrill Lynch).                &lt;LI&gt;Employee development: Work with government and nonprofit                agencies to provide on-the-job training for people with                disabilities (e.g., Spokane Home Builders Association).                &lt;LI&gt;Employee development: Give employees with disabilities access                to mentoring, as part of either a general or a targeted program                (e.g., Cessna Aircraft Company, Barclays).                &lt;LI&gt;Corporate culture: Provide encouragement and support for                networks and affinity groups for employees with disabilities                (e.g., American Airlines, General Motors, IBM, JPMorgan Chase,                Microsoft, Nike).                &lt;LI&gt;Work-life balance and alternative work arrangements: Provide                flextime and telecommuting options to employees.                &lt;LI&gt;Reasonable accommodations: Establish centralized                accommodations funds to provide funding from a common pool in the                company, so that accommodation costs are not a burden on but                provide benefit to local budgets (e.g., IBM, Microsoft).                &lt;LI&gt;Reasonable accommodations: Establish a structured process for                accommodations with a review board or assessment team, access to a                full range of information on accommodation options, and training                for managers and human resource professionals (e.g., American                Airlines, IBM, JPMorgan Chase).                &lt;LI&gt;Corporate culture: Train all employees and new hires in                disability awareness and sensitivity (e.g., Giant Eagle,                Microsoft).                &lt;LI&gt;Education: Establish company programs to provide internships                and job training to students with disabilities (e.g., Pitney                Bowes, IBM, Hyatt). &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;For increased awareness and adoption of the best              practices in employing and accommodating people with disabilities,              these practices should be integrated into the training curriculum in              business, law, and public policy schools. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Following is a sampling of the promising public              policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Recruitment, retention, and employee development: A number of                vocational rehabilitation and disability agencies work with                companies to identify, select, and provide supports for qualified                individuals with disabilities for employment.                &lt;LI&gt;Self-employment: For people on Supplemental Security Income,                the Plan for Achieving Self Support (PASS) allows individuals to                leverage their benefits for use in pursuing their career goals                including becoming self-employed, which can provide a needed                cushion during the start-up phase of the business.                &lt;LI&gt;Transportation: Vouchers to people with disabilities to pay                for employment-related transportation expenses, including travel                not just to work but also to job training, job interviews, medical                appointments for employment-related health services, and so on.                &lt;LI&gt;Transportation: Support for state-based programs under the                Assistive Technology Act of 2004 that provide loans or grants to                individuals with disabilities to finance vehicle modifications for                use in commuting to work.                &lt;LI&gt;Education: Expanded use of and support for transition research                and data.                &lt;LI&gt;Housing and livable communities: There are 157 active 2-1-1                systems in 32 states that provide consumers with centralized                information and referral to basic human needs resources; physical                and mental health resources; employment support; support for older                people and people with disabilities; and support for children,                among other services.                &lt;LI&gt;Housing and livable communities: United We Ride is a new                program that provides information, technical assistance, and                grants to states to develop and implement comprehensive action                plans for coordinating human service transportation to make it                more cost-effective, accountable, and responsive to consumers who                face transportation difficulties. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Where Do We Go from Here? &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;As part of a road map to improving employment              opportunities for people with disabilities, we offer the following              recommendations that supplement the best practices and existing              public policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Conduct public forums on the status of the New Freedom                Initiative : There should be meetings in each of the 50 states                with diverse stakeholders to report on the progress of the New                Freedom Initiative.                &lt;LI&gt;Design and fund a coordinated set of demonstration projects by                multiple federal agencies : These demonstration/pilot projects                would examine the effectiveness of a wide range of policies                addressing many of the employment facilitators and barriers. The                projects should examine how a combination of policies, rather than                each policy in isolation, affects employment opportunities for                people with disabilities.                &lt;LI&gt;Establish and maintain a National Business Advisory Council :                Modeled on the council advising this study, an ongoing business                advisory council with representatives from large and small                employers would share information with employers in general and                provide advice to the National Council on Disability, the                President, Congress, and other federal agencies.                &lt;LI&gt;Conduct a public information campaign : A massive public                information campaign could help match employers and people with                disabilities, in part by publicizing employer best practices,                successful public/private partnerships, accessible technologies,                and universal design methods.                &lt;LI&gt;Clarify ADA coverage : Congress should reaffirm the intent of                the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and clarify who is                covered and eligible for workplace accommodations, including the                definition of disability without regard to accommodations or other                mitigating measures, to reduce employer uncertainty and fear of                the unknown.                &lt;LI&gt;Improve vocational rehabilitation and workforce investment                services and outcomes : This should include a) additional study of                vocational rehabilitation outcomes by the U.S. Government                Accountability Office (GAO); b) research on accessibility of                one-stop centers and the need for increased enforcement; and c)                congressional hearings on the Workforce Investment Act and the                need for improved collaboration within and outside the one-stop                career centers.                &lt;LI&gt;Modify the Social Security disability income system to promote                work and advance self-sufficiency : There should be evaluation of                the effectiveness of current work incentives and a multistate                demonstration that allows beneficiaries to work without loss of                cash benefits or health coverage for five years.                &lt;LI&gt;Improve access and availability of long-term services and                supports : There should be a) several incremental reforms to                decrease the system's fragmentation and otherwise improve delivery                of long-term services and supports and service, including                establishment of a National Resource Center on Consumer                Self-Direction that identifies and disseminates best practice                information; and b) an AmeriWell program, which is a prefunded,                mandatory, long-term services and support model that provides all                Americans of any age with coverage from birth.                &lt;LI&gt;Increase opportunities for self-employment : The Small                Business Administration should affirm the inclusion of small                businesses owned by people with disabilities as minority                contractors entitled to federal procurement set-asides, and                establish a National Resource Center on Self-Employment and People                with Disabilities to provide training and technical assistance and                improve cross-agency collaboration. Congress should establish tax                incentives for corporations to purchase products and services from                small businesses owned by people with disabilities. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;There is a direct benefit to expanding employment              opportunities for people with disabilities. For employers who are              projected to face labor shortages as the baby-boom generation              retires, nonemployed people with disabilities represent a valuable              pool of human resources to help fill those needs. For people with              disabilities, employment has not just economic value, but important              social and psychological value as well. For government, increased              employment of people with disabilities helps increase tax receipts              and decrease social expenditures. Finally, as recognized in the              passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there are societal              benefits from greater inclusiveness in mainstream society as the              barriers facing people with disabilities are dismantled. These high              payoffs create a strong case for pursuing the best practices and              promising policies highlighted in this report. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#1&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;1. Introduction &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Almost 22 million Americans of working age have a              disability, representing one-eighth of all working-age Americans              (Cornell RRTC 2006). They are only half as likely as Americans              without disabilities to be employed (38 percent compared with 78              percent), with an especially low employment rate among those who              have more severe disabilities (17 percent among those who have              difficulty with self-care and those who have difficulty going              outside the home alone). Among those who are employed, there is a              further gap in earnings: Median annual earnings for full-time,              year-round workers is $30,000 for workers with disabilities,              compared with $36,000 for workers without disabilities (Cornell RRTC              2006). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;These employment and earnings gaps are a substantial              public and policy concern. A lack of employment opportunities limits              the ability of many people with disabilities to fully participate in              society, as employment plays a number of important roles and              functions for individuals: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Economic: Employment provides income that is key to individual                and family economic well-being, and builds skills for future                well-being. The low employment and earnings levels of people with                disabilities help account for their lower average household                incomes and higher poverty rates (Kruse 1998; Cornell RRTC 2006).                &lt;LI&gt;Social : Employment often provides greater social interaction                and connections that reduce isolation and build social capital.                This benefit is especially valuable for people with dis-abilities,                who generally are less likely to participate in many social                activities (N.O.D./-Harris 2000).                &lt;LI&gt;Psychological: Employment provides a valued social role in our                society and helps create a sense of personal efficacy and social                integration that contributes to life satisfaction. People who                regain employment following onset of a disability report higher                life satisfaction and better adjustment than do people who are not                employed (Yasuda et al. 2002; Schur 2002b). &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Ensuring employment opportunities for people with              disabilities is important not just for those individuals but also              for employers, government, and society: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Employers are projected to face labor shortages as the                baby-boom generation retires, and nonemployed people with                disabilities represent a valuable pool of human resources to help                fill those needs.                &lt;LI&gt;Corporations are increasingly recognizing the benefits of                workplace diversity. Providing greater opportunities to people                with disabilities enhances diversity in ways that improve employee                performance and expand the customer base.                &lt;LI&gt;Government receives the above benefits as an employer, and                also benefits generally from increased employment of people with                disabilities as tax receipts increase and social expenditures                decline.                &lt;LI&gt;As recognized in the passage of the Americans with                Disabilities Act (ADA), there are societal benefits from greater                inclusion in mainstream society as the barriers facing people with                disabilities are dismantled. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;This National Council on Disability (NCD) report              comprehensively reviews the issues surrounding employment of people              with disabilities. It has two broad aims: a) summarize existing              knowledge regarding the employment of people with disabilities in a              series of short issue briefs that can be distributed widely and b)              present new information on the perspectives of employers, people              with disabilities, and disability specialists on the key barriers to              and facilitators of employment. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The first aim is accomplished through a series of 12              issue briefs that summarize available evidence on a range of topics              affecting the employment of people with disabilities. The topics are              as&amp;nbsp;follows: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Employment policies, practices, and types &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;A. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Recruitment and retention&lt;BR&gt;B.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Employee development              &lt;BR&gt;C. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Work-life balance              and alternative work arrangements &lt;BR&gt;D.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Reasonable accommodations              &lt;BR&gt;E. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Corporate              culture&lt;BR&gt;F. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Universal              design &lt;BR&gt;G. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Self-employment &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Other dimensions affecting employment &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;H. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Transportation &lt;BR&gt;I. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Health care &lt;BR&gt;J. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Education &lt;BR&gt;K. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Housing              and livable communities &lt;BR&gt;L.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Long-term services and              supports &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The first seven briefson employment policies,              practices, and typesattempt to answer the following questions: What              are the implications of different employer policies and work              arrangements for people with disabilities? How can companies use              these arrangements to meet staffing needs and produce the work that              is needed to meet company goals? How can employers take advantage of              resources they may not have previously considered? The final five              briefson other dimensions affecting employmentattempt to answer              several broad questions: What about this topic promotes employment              for people with disabilities? What about this topic inhibits              employment for people with disabilities? What is the ideal situation              for this dimension and employment? What is the current situation              (policies and practices) for this dimension and employment? &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The second aim of this reportto present new              information on the perspectives of employers and people with              disabilitiesis addressed through public forums and focus groups.              The public forums in Jacksonville, Florida, and Milwaukee,              Wisconsin, sought to gather a broad range of views from interested              stakeholders. The questions driving these forums were the following:              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;What key factors/elements bring public and private sector                resources together to advance employment and economic opportunity                for people with disabilities?                &lt;LI&gt;What are the innovations? What is working?                &lt;LI&gt;What are the major challenges (policy, systems,                infrastructure, other)?                &lt;LI&gt;What are policy barriers to advance employment and economic                opportunity for people with disabilities?                &lt;LI&gt;What are policy facilitators to advance employment and                economic opportunity for people with disabilities? &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Four focus groups also were conducted, each involving              a different population with valuable perspectives on issues facing              people with disabilities: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Employers, both large and small                &lt;LI&gt;Veterans with disabilities                &lt;LI&gt;Self-employed people with disabilities                &lt;LI&gt;Disability specialists with the Social Security Administration                (SSA) and Department of Labor who work with people with                disabilities (Disability Program Navigators and Benefit                Counselors) &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The key results from all of these sources are              summarized in chapter 3, which lays out the main findings for each              of the twelve topics along with the best practices in the public and              private sectors, and promising public policies and initiatives.              Before that, chapter 2 provides an overall context by reviewing and              briefly discussing the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;The broad challenges and barriers for increased employment of                people with disabilities                &lt;LI&gt;Labor market and workplace trends affecting the employment of                people with disabilities                &lt;LI&gt;The major public policies that affect the employment of people                with disabilities &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;This report has received valuable advice and guidance              from two groups formed specifically for this project: a Business              Advisory Council (BAC) and an Expert Advisory Panel. The BAC, whose              membership is listed in appendix A, consisted of 27 executives from              a range of businesses in diverse industries. The BAC was chaired by              J.T. (Ted) Childs Jr. (Principal, Ted Childs LLC), and was formed              with the assistance of Susan Odiseos at Just One Break, Inc., a              not-for-profit organization that brings together employers and              qualified applicants with disabilities (www.justonebreak.com). The              BAC met a number of times over the course of the project to provide              ideas and feedback for the research results. The Expert Advisory              Panel, whose membership is listed in appendix B, consisted of eight              experts in the field of disability and employment. It was chaired by              Monroe Berkowitz, Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University, and met              early in the course of the project to help define the appropriate              set of topics for the issue briefs. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#2&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;2. Setting the Context              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#2a&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;A. Challenges and Barriers              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;What accounts for the low employment levels of people              with disabilities? The major reasons can be divided into those              affecting labor supply (reflecting the ability and willingness of              individuals to be employed) and labor demand (reflecting the              willingness of employers to hire). On the labor supply side, the key              factors are the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Extra costs of work: Getting ready for work, transportation to                work, and medical care costs may be higher for people with                disabilities. For example, having access to a modified vehicle is                strongly associated with employment of people with spinal cord                injuries, but the average cost of vehicle modification is $6,497                (Berkowitz et al. 1998). Some people with disabilities also face                extra expenses in medical equipment or attendant care when                employed. For more detail and discussion on transportation, see                the "Transportation" issue brief in this report.                &lt;LI&gt;Education and training: People with disabilities have lower                average levels of education and training. They are twice as likely                as those without disabilities not to have a high school degree (25                percent compared with 12 percent) and less than half as likely to                have a college degree (13 percent compared with 30 percent)                (Cornell RRTC 2006). Lower education levels limit not just current                employment opportunities but also future opportunities, given that                15 of the 20 fastest-growing occupations require an Associate's or                higher degree (Hecker 2005, 75). For more detail and discussion,                see the "Education" issue brief in this report.                &lt;LI&gt;Extra need for flexibility: Some disabilities require extra                time for self-care, therapy, and medical appointments, and                transportation problems can introduce an added level of                uncertainty in daily schedules. For these reasons, many people                with disabilities are not able to accept traditional full-time                jobs, and those who want to be employed may be drawn to part-time                and flexible work arrangements (Schur 2003). For more detail and                discussion, see the "Work-Life Balance and Alternative Work                Arrangements" issue brief in this report.                &lt;LI&gt;Disability income and health care: Many people with                disabilities receive public disability income in the form of                Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental                Security Income (SSI). Such income is typically accompanied by                health care through Medicare or Medicaid. People with disabilities                are often reluctant to become employed for fear of jeopardizing                these benefits, and research clearly shows that these benefits                affect both labor market exits and return to work (Mashaw et al.                1996; Bound and Burkhauser 1999). For more detail and discussion,                see the "Health Care" issue brief in this report. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Apart from these factors affecting the labor supply of              people with disabilities, there are several key issues on the demand              side of the labor market: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Employer discrimination and reluctance to hire: National                surveys of private employers find that about 20 percent say the                greatest barrier to people with disabilities finding employment is                discrimination, prejudice, or employer reluctance to hire them,                and that attitudes and stereotypes are a barrier to employment of                people with disabilities in their own firms (Dixon, Kruse, and van                Horn 2003; Bruyere 2000). (These figures are probably understated                due to the "social desirability" bias in surveys that leads                respondents to avoid acknowledging prejudicial attitudes.) In                addition, a recent review of more than a dozen empirical studies                of wage differentials concluded that "a substantial part of the                wage differential" can be attributed to disability-related                discrimination (Baldwin and Johnson 2006). For more detail and                discussion, see the "Recruitment and Retention" issue brief in                this report.                &lt;LI&gt;Corporate culture: Apart from direct discrimination, many                aspects of corporate cultureboth organizational practices and the                attitudes of managers, supervisors, and coworkerscan limit                employment opportunities for people with disabilities (Schur,                Kruse, and Blanck 2005). Personnel managers and supervisors may be                personally uncomfortable around people with disabilities, and this                discomfort may be manifested in a reluctance to hire, retain, or                promote. Employers may believe that a worker with a disability                will not be well accepted by coworkers and therefore will be less                productive in teamwork situations. Employers may hold strong                stereotypes about the type of jobs or industries that are                appropriate for people with certain types of disabilities and may                have strong biases about the attitudes, aspirations, and potential                for further human capital development of workers with                disabilities. For instance, among 13 laboratory experiments, 10                found that evaluators were overly pessimistic about the future                performance and promotion potential of employees with disabilities                (Colella, DeNisi, and Varma 1998). In addition, among employers                who made changes to enhance the employment of people with                disabilities, in a national survey 32 percent indicated it was                difficult or very difficult to change supervisor and coworker                attitudes (Bruyere 2000). For more detail and discussion, see the                "Corporate Culture" and "Employee Development" issue briefs in                this report. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Need for accommodations: Title I of the ADA enhances access to                employment for people with disabilities by requiring employers to                make reasonable accommodations. The requirement for reasonable                accommodations has created concerns that employers may not hire                people with disabilities because of the cost of accommodations.                Surveys have found, however, that only 24 percent of employers who                have employees with disabilities needed to provide any                accommodations for these employees, and the majority of                accommodations cost less than $500 (Dixon, Kruse, and van Horn                2003). The median benefit is estimated as $1,000, compared with a                median cost of $25 (Schartz et al. 2006). For more detail and                discussion, see the "Reasonable Accommodations" and "Universal                Design" issue briefs in this report. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Finally, on both sides of the labor market, one often              finds the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Lack of information: Some people with disabilities do not know                what jobs they might be able to do, and how to obtain the                necessary training. They may not be aware of their ADA rights or                available government programs to facilitate employment. Likewise,                employers often do not know where to go to hire people with                disabilities, and what resources are available to assist them                (e.g., employee training from government and nonprofit agencies,                and information on how to provide accommodations). Employer                ignorance may be aggravated by recruitment specialists                ("headhunters") who discriminate by failing to find and represent                people with disabilities. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;This report takes a close look at many of these              challenges and barriers, summarizing existing evidence and              describing best practices and promising policies to improve              employment opportunities for people with disabilities. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#2b&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;B. Labor Market and Workplace              Trends &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;There is both good news and bad news in current labor              market trends for people with disabilities. First the bad news: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Occupational projections: The most recent labor market                projections by the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that workers                with disabilities are underrepresented in the fastest-growing                occupations and overrepresented in the occupations with the                fastest rate of decline. The fastest-growing occupations are                predominantly white-collar, professional jobs that require college                degrees and technical expertise, such as network systems analysts                and computer programmers, and the declining occupations are                predominantly blue-collar production jobs such as textile machine                operators (Hecker 2005). Whereas 7.2 percent of all workers have                disabilities, the disability rate is 6.5 percent in the 10                fastest-growing occupations and 8.7 percent in the 10 occupations                with the fastest rate of decline (Kruse and Schur 2006). The                overall number of jobs in the U.S. economy is predicted to                increase by 13.0 percent from 2004 to 2014, but for people with                disabilities the increase is predicted to be only 12.2 percent if                their occupational distribution stays the same. There would be an                additional 86,000 jobs for people with disabilities if their                occupational distribution matched the overall rate of job growth.                Furthermore, the fast-growing occupations with high disability                prevalence are low-paying jobs that do not require college                degrees. The lower projections for workers with disabilities                partly reflect the continued outsourcing of low-skill jobs.              &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              There is, however, also good news in labor market trends for the              employment of people with disabilities: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Growing importance of computers and new information                technologies: These technologies can have special benefits for                workers with disabilities, helping compensate for physical or                sensory impairments (e.g., using screen-readers and                voice-recognition systems) and substantially increasing the                productivity of many workers with disabilities. A study by Krueger                and Kruse (1995) found that a) people with preexisting computer                skills at the time of a spinal cord injury had a faster return to                work and b) computer use especially enhanced earnings among people                with spinal cord injuries; in fact, they earned the same as other                computer users, whereas a substantial pay gap was associated with                spinal cord injury among people who did not use computers at work.                &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Though computers may have special benefits for people              with disabilities, there are disturbing gaps in computer training              and Internet access. People with disabilities are less likely than              those without disabilities to receive computer training or use              computers at work or elsewhere, probably in large part because of              resource constraints (Krueger and Kruse 1995; Kruse and Schur 2002).              In addition, people with disabilities are only one-fourth as likely              as those without disabilities to connect to the Internet (Kaye              2000). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Increased use of telecommuting and flexible work arrangements:                New information technologies have made home-based work more                productive, which can have special benefits for people with                disabilitiesparticularly those with transportation problems or                medical concerns that require them to be close to home. In                addition, the past 15 years have seen growth in other types of                flexible work arrangements that can help accommodate the needs of                people with disabilities, such as job-sharing and temporary agency                employment. As described in this report's issue brief on                "Work-Life Balance and Alternative Work Arrangements," workers                with disabilities are more likely than those without disabilities                to be doing home-based work for pay, and to be in several types of                part-time and flexible job arrangements. Though such jobs often                have disadvantages and it is clear that workers with disabilities                should have full access to standard full-time jobs, the growth of                several types of flexible and contingent jobs is promising for                enhancing the employment of many people with disabilities who                benefit from these arrangements.                &lt;LI&gt;Growing attention to workplace diversity: Most large                corporations today have diversity programs, and a growing number                are including disability as one of the criteria for a diverse                workforce. This topic is reviewed in more depth in the issue brief                on "Corporate Culture." &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Overall, the good and bad news presents a mixed              picture for the employment of people with -disabilities. The              occupational trends are worrisome, but with appropriate employer and              government policies people with disabilities should be able to move              into the fastest-growing occupations. This report is designed to              contribute to this process, assessing the evidence and highlighting              the policies that will maximize employment opportunities for people              with disabilities in the 21st century. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#2c&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;C. Public Policies  &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;A number of public policies affect the employment of              people with disabilities. This section provides an overview of the              major policies, with additional policies reviewed in the issue              briefs. The most important policy is the Americans with Disabilities              Act, which was signed into law on July 26, 1990, and fully              implemented two years later. The ADA extended the same civil rights              protections to individuals with disabilities as those already              provided on the basis of race, sex, national origin, and religion.              The ADA prohibits discrimination in &lt;EM&gt;all&lt;/EM&gt; employment              practices: applications, hiring, firing, advancement, compensation,              training, conditions, and privileges. However, the ADA goes beyond              previous civil rights enforcement by requiring most employers to              make "reasonable accommodation" for disability in the workplace.              Private employers (with 15 or more employees), state and local              governments, employment agencies, and labor unions are all subject              to the ADA. Any "qualified individual with a disability" is covered.              The person must have "a physical or mental impairment that              substantially limits one or more major life activities, have a              record of such an impairment, or be regarded as having such an              impairment." A person is qualified if he or she can perform the              essential functions of the position in question, with or without              reasonable accommodation. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;In 2001, the White House introduced the New Freedom              Initiative. This plan, which is intended to further help people with              disabilities participate fully in society, has several provisions              targeting employment. These provisions include proposed increased              funding for low-interest loan programs to help individuals purchase              assistive technologies; low-interest loans for purchasing equipment              to support telecommuting; a proposal to make an employer's provision              of some telecommuting equipment and services tax-free to workers;              and a prohibition on Occupational Safety and Health Administration              regulation of home offices. The initiative also contains a              commitment to assist employers with ADA compliance and to promote              awareness and use of the Disabled Access Credit for small              businesses' direct accommodation expenses. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Finally, beyond these broad legislative and policy              measures, two disability benefit programs directly serve many people              with disabilities and affect their employment situation. These are              the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental              Security Income (SSI) programs. SSDI entitlement is earned through              past employment. Termination of SSDI eligibility discontinues not              only cash benefits but also Medicare benefits following an extended              period of eligibility (SSA 2003). The SSI program is a welfare              program, open to anyone meeting the SSA disability test and having              income and assets below set thresholds. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;SSDI and SSI provide different work incentives. SSDI              historically has provided strong disincentives to reenter the labor              market. Sustained earnings above the "Substantial Gainful Activity"              (SGA) level, which was raised to $860 per month in 2006, result in              termination of income benefits. SSI is more generous toward              earnings, reducing benefits by 50 percent of earnings above a              threshold. However, recipients who are full-time workers could              easily render themselves ineligible for the program, again with a              corresponding loss of valuable health insurance coverage (in this              case, through Medicaid). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;To support the efforts of SSDI and SSI recipients              trying to reenter the labor market, a variety of return to work              (RTW) experiments have been or are being put in place to encourage              SSDI beneficiaries to return to work. In September 2003, Jo Anne              Barnhart, commissioner of Social Security, stressed the importance              of providing RTW services (e.g., job search coaching) to both              applicants and beneficiaries through two new demonstrations. The              Early Intervention demonstration provides a cash stipend, health              insurance, and free RTW services for a year to SSDI applicants who              are screened into the program as likely SSDI beneficiaries and who              are likely to return to work. The so-called $1 for $2 demonstration              will enable SSDI beneficiaries to work beyond the earnings limit              (the SGA level), to retain $1 for every $2 they earn beyond SGA              instead of losing their entire benefits as they currently do. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;However, recent RTW demonstrations and programs such              as Project Network (Kornfeld and Rupp 2000), and more recently the              Ticket to Work, are not encouraging. They have been characterized by              very low participation rates in RTW services, and terminations due              to RTW remain rare among workers with disabilities. Beyond these RTW              experimental programs, various RTW incentives and services are              available to workers with disabilities. For instance, as part of              work incentives, beneficiaries can test their ability to work              without affecting their eligibility for benefits during a nine-month              trial work period, and they have an extended period of eligibility              beyond the trial work period during which benefits are withheld but              not terminated (Muller 1992; Newcomb et al. 2003). Past research has              shown that the effectiveness of the available range of RTW              incentives and services is limited. Hennessey and Muller (1994)              found that only 21 percent of workers with disabilities were aware              of work incentives. In addition, work incentives may not be of the              magnitude that is required to compensate for the implicit work              disincentives of the programs. As for RTW services, Hennessey and              Muller found that the large majority of beneficiaries who return to              work seem not to use such services. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;In addition, in 1999 Congress passed the Ticket to              Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA). The intent of the              act was to provide recipients of SSDI and SSI with more support from              the programs during a lengthier period of reentry to employment; to              make it easier to return to the benefit programs if work efforts              ultimately fall short of self-sufficiency; and to extend health              insurance for a lengthy period after termination of cash benefits.              Specifically, this was done through adjustments to the SGA level,              changes in the Trial Work Period amount, expedited reinstatement of              benefits, changes in Continuing Disability Reviews while work              attempts are being made, instituting the Ticket to Work (which              provides vouchers for supportive services including rehabilitation              and vocational education), and options that can extend Medicare or              Medicaid coverage long after the cessation of SSDI or SSI cash              benefit payments (respectively) as a result of increased earned              income. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#3&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;3. Employment Barriers, Best              Practices, and Other Facilitators: Overview &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;What specific barriers are faced by people with              disabilitiesboth inside and outside the workplaceand how can these              be overcome? This chapter summarizes the key insights from the              issue&amp;nbsp;briefs, public forums, and focus groups. The full issue              briefs are in appendix C, and more complete summaries of the public              forums and focus groups are in appendices D and E. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;This overview is organized into twelve topics,              corresponding to the twelve topics of the issue&amp;nbsp;briefs: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Employment policies, practices, and types &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;A. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Recruitment and retention &lt;BR&gt;B.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Employee development              &lt;BR&gt;C. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Work-life balance              and alternative work arrangements &lt;BR&gt;D.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Reasonable accommodations              &lt;BR&gt;E. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Corporate culture              &lt;BR&gt;F. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Universal design              &lt;BR&gt;G. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Self-employment              &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;Other dimensions affecting employment &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;H.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Transportation &lt;BR&gt;I.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Health care &lt;BR&gt;J.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Education &lt;BR&gt;K.              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Housing and livable              communities &lt;BR&gt;L. &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Long-term services and supports &lt;BR&gt;&lt;BR&gt;For each topic, this              overview provides the following:              &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Key points from issue brief                &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;                &lt;LI&gt;Key insights from public forums and focus groups                &lt;LI&gt;Best practices in the public and private sectors                &lt;LI&gt;Promising public policies and initiatives &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#3a&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;A. Recruitment and Retention              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Key points from issue brief: &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;A substantial amount of research indicates that many employers                are reluctant to hire people with disabilities, often reflecting                discrimination or ignorance about their value as employees.                &lt;LI&gt;Many companies make changes to ensure the accessibility of the                hiring process, and only a minority of companies that have made                changes report difficulty in doing so.                &lt;LI&gt;A number of companies engage in targeted recruitment and                training to increase hiring and retention of qualified people with                disabilities. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Some insights from public forums and focus groups:  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;A positive experience from the Jacksonville public forum:              &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;The disability initiative manager with the Internal Revenue                  Service (IRS) shared that the IRS has a toll-free phone center                  in the Jacksonville area and for years has actively recruited                  individuals who are blind to work the phones. These employees                  usually stay with the center long-term (some into retirement)                  and have a very good work ethic. This active recruiting for the                  toll-free centers is viewed as very successful within the IRS.                  &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Examples of good public-private partnerships: &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;Florida Community College and Vocational Rehabilitation have                  a successful program to teach job skills and provide job                  placement services to students in the public education system.                  &lt;LI&gt;In the employer focus group, EchoStar stated it has                  developed a program with Vocational Rehabilitation to give a                  jump-start to individuals with disabilities who might not                  otherwise get an interview by offering the assistance of a job                  coach and additional supports to help applicants prepare for the                  interview and rigorous testing process.                  &lt;LI&gt;In the Milwaukee forum, the Disability Program Navigator                  system was praised for helping bridge the gap between the Mental                  Health Association and the business community, enabling the                  agency to provide mental health education and supports.                  &lt;LI&gt;In the Milwaukee forum, Vocational Rehabilitation stated                  that it aims to work more closely with the Milwaukee Public                  Schools to develop a public-private partnership, which will                  include community-based organizations and employers, to help                  transition students into permanent work situations. Employers                  seem very interested in the proposed program, which will                  identify the needed skill sets for successful transition into                  the workforce.                  &lt;LI&gt;Also in the Milwaukee forum, an administrator of the                  Milwaukee Public School system's School-to-Work program said                  that they developed a relationship and built trust with                  employers. Employers realized there was a place where they could                  go to express their fears and concerns, and that the program was                  responsive to their needs. Upon developing this level of trust,                  the employers were more open to providing employment                  opportunities for students with disabilities.                  &lt;LI&gt;In the employer focus group, the Aerotek Commercial Staffing                  representative said that the provision of job coaching by state                  organizations has really helped new employees with disabilities                  to be more successful in their positions. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Concern about funding for Vocational Rehabilitation: &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;A participant in the employer focus group expressed concern                  about insufficient funding for vocational rehabilitation: "The                  problem occurring in the last 10 years is that on an ongoing                  basis, that organization [Division of Vocational Rehabilitation]                  has been just ripped in terms of government funding. . . . I                  would see that organization in and of itself can do an excellent                  job of getting people an opportunity and access from starting at                  the high schools forward. But over the last 15 years . . . they                  have been squeezed to the points within their budgets that it's                  virtually impossible for them to implement their mission."                &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Lack of match between employers and job seekers with                disabilities: &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;Participants in the Jacksonville forum described the need                  for a job bank, with profiles of potential job seekers with                  disabilities that employers can tap into and search by skill                  level matched against predefined criteria.                  &lt;LI&gt;In the Jacksonville forum, the Disability Program Navigator                  shared that the new Business Leadership Network is partnering                  with the Job Opportunities Consortium (for job developers) to                  use a recruitment tool that was donated by a company, Vurv.                  &lt;LI&gt;In Florida, Vocational Rehabilitation is in the testing                  stages of a Web site created for employers, which provides a                  portal where employers can view profiles of potential job                  candidates. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Need for more education of employers and job seekers: &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;In the Jacksonville forum, the business community                  stakeholders agreed that hiring one job applicant with a                  disability did make employers more open to hiring other                  qualified applicants with a disability; however, it did not                  replace the need for more education regarding the capabilities                  of job seekers with disabilities.                  &lt;LI&gt;In the Milwaukee area, Goodwill works with about 1,000                  individuals with disabilities each year and places many of them                  in jobs. From their perspective, employers need to receive more                  education on the abilities of individuals with disabilities and                  the value of including them as part of the workforce.                  &lt;LI&gt;In the employer focus group, it was recommended that a                  comprehensive information campaign be targeted to employers on                  the benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities, including                  information on tax incentives and other available supports. To                  augment such a campaign, a 1-800 number could be provided for                  employers to access one-on-one assistance from a trained tax                  benefit specialist, provided by the regional ADA &amp;amp; IT                  Technical Assistance Centers (also known as Disability and                  Business Technical Assistance Centers, or DBTACs).                  &lt;LI&gt;In the Jacksonville forum, employers said that discussions                  about hiring/retaining &lt;BR&gt;individuals with disabilities in the                  workforce and providing reasonable accommodation should be                  integrated into the training curriculum in business schools.                  &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Mixed views about government tax incentives: Some participants                use them and several want them expanded, but many said they are                too complex. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;In the Jacksonville forum, a Blue Cross/Blue Shield                  representative shared that the organization has always been open                  to hiring a qualified individual with a disability, and said                  that the company takes advantage of the available tax credits                  and incentives, which have eased the reluctance of bringing an                  employee with a disability onboard.                  &lt;LI&gt;Employers in the focus group, across the spectrum, reported                  that government tax benefits are underutilized because of their                  complicated nature and the extensive paperwork and level of                  knowledge and time that it takes to access these benefits. The                  employer with North American Handico responded that though he                  does utilize tax credits for hiring and retaining employees with                  disabilities, "It's a nightmare. I hate it."                  &lt;LI&gt;Employers in the Jacksonville forum suggested creating a                  simplified tax benefit that would support accommodations and                  work incentives and encourage matched savings plans to promote                  asset development among employees with disabilities, but                  Milwaukee forum participants thought that this was a bad idea.                  &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Best practices in the public and private              sectors: &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Ensure that recruiting and interviewing locations, job                applications, tests, and evaluations are accessible.                &lt;LI&gt;Train employees in nondiscriminatory recruiting, clearly                defining essential job functions and framing questions related to                job tasks and medical information that do not violate the ADA                rights of employees with disabilities.                &lt;LI&gt;Train employees in disability awareness and sensitivity.              &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Example: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;TheGiant Eagle grocery chain sponsors disability              awareness training for its human resource managers every two years,              held offsite at a YMCA camp with participation from several public              and private disability agencies. During the training, "Half of the              day is spent learning about the ADA and interviewing skills, while              the remaining half of the day the human resource managers spent              actually experiencing disabilities. Stations are manned by job              coaches who simulate for the human resource managers what it is like              for someone with a disability. For example, a wheelchair exercise              allows the human resource managers to perform everyday activities,              such as using a drinking fountain, maneuvering through doors and up              and down ramps, and reaching for something on a shelf."              (Lengnick-Hall 2007, 70) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Develop recruiting methods and advertise job positions that                target people with disabilities, in cooperation with government                and nonprofit agencies. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Examples: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"[At Hewlett Packard], front line supervisors,              sometimes challenged with worker shortages, have been trained to              expand their applicant pool, often going to a university they know              and interacting with faculty to identify persons with disabilities              who also have the necessary technical skills needed for a particular              position. [In addition,] HP makes a point of working with employment              agencies that are noted for their training of people with              disabilities." (Lengnick-Hall 2007, 39) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;IBM's Entry Point program is a collaboration with the              American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and NASA,              whose mission is to place students with disabilities in business and              government and prepare them for corporate and community leadership.              Since 1997, IBM has had 191 student placements in summer internships              and hired 44 students into regular employment. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;See further examples in the "Recruitment and              Retention" issue brief. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;To increase retention, ensure that employees with disabilities                have full access to the range of&amp;nbsp;employee development                activities (reviewed in "Employee Development" issue brief).              &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Work with government and disability agencies to increase                retention of employees with disabilities. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Example: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) and the              Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services have a partnership to              increase employment of people with disabilities. "The newest              component of the partnership is geared toward retention. The RAVE              program, Retaining a Valued Employee, was launched nearly two years              ago as a pilot project proposed by the VR [Vocational              Rehabilitation] agency to be a jointly funded endeavor housed at the              University. VR approached the University with a proposal to create a              shared position, with half the salary from each of the partners and              reporting to dual supervisors within each organization. From VR's              perspective, the RAVE counselor would be able to provide invaluable              inside connections for VR to access the extensive array of              employment and training opportunities of this large and respected              employer for people with disabilities. In addition, by assisting the              employer with its internal accommodation efforts, the RAVE program              could help prevent employees from leaving the job and returning to              public disability benefits." &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;For Susan McWilliams, vice president for human              resources at UAB, it was an easy sell for UAB. "There are greater              risks and more costs to hire a new unknown than to invest in a fully              proven and productive employee who needs a reasonable              accommodation," explains McWilliams. "As partners, they have been              able to respond rapidly and access technical assistance and              resources through the RAVE program to retain most of the referred              individuals in employment." (McMahon et al. 2004) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Promising public policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;A number of vocational rehabilitation and disability agencies                work with companies to identify and select qualified individuals                with disabilities for employment (see above examples). &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#3b&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;B. Employee Development              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Key points from issue brief: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;People with disabilities face barriers not only in becoming                employed, but also in advancing within companies and in their                careers after they are employed.                &lt;LI&gt;Employee development is important both for employees (ensuring                that they obtain opportunities to increase their skills and                income) and for companies (ensuring that employee talents are                fully developed and used).                &lt;LI&gt;The key programs and methods for employee development include                training, mentoring, networking, career planning, performance                appraisals, and participation in teams and decision making.                &lt;LI&gt;A 1999 survey of employers found that 59 percent rated                mentoring as "effective" or "very effective" for reducing barriers                to employment, or for advancement for people with disabilities in                their organizations.                &lt;LI&gt;Employees with disabilities are generally less likely to be                involved in these activities than are employees without                disabilities, but a number of companies have initiated programs                aimed at development of employees with disabilities. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Some insights from public forums and focus groups:  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Two employers in the employer focus group discussed their                positive experiences in offering mentoring opportunities to                employees with disabilities:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;In Medco, a small medical publishing business, a scenario                  was shared in which mentoring evolved through a formal plan,                  promoted and supported by the employer, between a new employee                  with a disability and another employee who also has a                  disability. As a result of this mentoring, the new employee is                  developing work skills and confidence and is advancing in his                  career.                  &lt;LI&gt;EchoStar has a standard program for all of its new hires,                  including new hires with disabilities. All new employees engage                  in "career pathing." This involves being grouped in teams of 10                  to 15 with a coach; this team then serves as a support mechanism                  for all team members as they progress together to different                  levels and achieve higher pay grades within the company.                &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Best practices in the public and private sectors: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Work with government and nonprofit agencies to provide                on-the-job training for people with disabilities. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Example: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"The Spokane Home Builders Association . . . recruits              up to 20 new apprentices [individuals with disabilities] annually. .              . . The commitment made to become part of this apprenticeship              program involves four years of on-the-job training (approximating              8,000 hours) and 144 hours per year of related supplemental              education at Spokane Community College's Apprenticeship and              Journeyman Training Center. [The director] has recruited              apprenticeship students with such disabilities as low vision, vision              loss, neurological conditions, learning disabilities,              neuropsychological disabilities, and most recently a deaf student."              (McMahon et al. 2004) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Give employees with disabilities access to mentoring, as part                of either a general or a targeted program. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Examples: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Mentoring individuals with disabilities has helped              our organization broaden its understanding of disability. You learn              that disabilities are not limiting." (Michael Dunbar, vice president              of public relations for the Greater Columbus, Georgia, Chamber of              Commerce) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Mentoring [people with disabilities] sends a message              to our other employees that the company really does care about              people. . . . We have had really good luck with the people we have              mentored, and in today's tight labor market, they really fill a              void." (Rod Holter, director of manufacturing for Cessna Aircraft              Company) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;A disability mentoring system was recently initiated              by employees with disabilities at the global financial firm              Barclays, based in England (Suff 2006). The scheme focuses on              building a pool of trained mentors who are available to employees              with disabilities "if they want to get ahead in their career,              develop their skills or if they 'just need someone to talk to.'" The              CEO gave high priority to the project, and serves as a mentor              himself. Employees can apply to have a mentor, and are matched using              a detailed database of potential mentors. The scheme, which is still              in its infancy, has both quantitative and qualitative evaluation              built in. The executive in charge notes that "The [mentoring] scheme              has had a very strong response so far and has the clear endorsement              of all the Barclays businesses, including our fund management arm              and investment bank. The scheme contributes to our diversity agenda              and, ultimately, to the success of the group." (Suff 2006, 20) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Provide encouragement and support for networks and affinity                groups for employees with disabilities. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Example: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;There are three disability affinity groups at              Microsoft: for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, have              attention deficit disorders, or are visually impaired. As described              in Lengnick-Hall (2007, 74-75): "These groups provide support and              networking opportunities for people with disabilities such as:              mentoring, college recruiting, working in the community, career              development, and cultural awareness. Each group has an executive              sponsor. Additionally, each employee group has connections with              community groups that are advocates for people with disabilities.              Besides providing social and career support for employees with              disabilities, employee groups also help with accessibility and              testing of Microsoft products." &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Provide career planning services, particularly after onset of                a disability. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Examples: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The Marriott Corporation, through the Marriott              Foundation for People with Disabilities, has a Bridges and Bridges              Plus program to prepare youths with disabilities for the workforce.              In the Bridges Plus program each youth has a) a "Career Development              Plan which guides all activities for two years and employs 90-day              reviews," b) a "Career Preparation Curriculum . . . [which] contains              essential competencies for career development, self- advocacy, and              successful employment," and c) an "Employer representative . . .              [who] p rovides mentoring, support services, and family training"              (Lengnick-Hall 2007, 8081). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Alaska Airlines: "For a worker with disability onset,              there is an aggressive effort made to maintain the individual on a              job in their own work unit or in the company. . . . Some individuals              are sent to Alaska Airline's Career Assessment unit for vocational              assessment; this can be outsourced if necessary. Job analyses have              been done for each physically demanding job by an external              rehabilitation counseling company. Following career assessment,              retraining may be an option in areas such as customer service              specialist, flight attendant, or reservations. External consultation              is quite common, particularly in relation to utilization of an              ergonomics specialist. There has also been an effort to provide              career mobility for personnel such as reservation agents with              blindness. External contractors specializing in blindness have been              utilized in order to brainstorm/improve accommodations that would              enable upward mobility for individuals with significant sight              impairments." (McMahon et al. 2004) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Ensure that employees with disabilities receive performance                appraisals.                &lt;LI&gt;Give employees with disabilities opportunities to participate                in decision making and &lt;BR&gt;team building. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Promising public policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;A number of vocational rehabilitation and disability agencies                work with companies to provide on-the-job training, mentoring, and                support for employees with disabilities. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#3c&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;C. Work-Life Balance and              Alternative Work Arrangements &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Key points from issue brief:&lt;/STRONG&gt; &amp;nbsp;              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;In work-life programs, employers seek to accommodate the                personal and family needs of all employees, often combining the                needs to help create a "culture of flexibility."                &lt;LI&gt;Some of the programs have particular value for people with                specific disabilities and limitations, particularly a) part-time                work/job sharing, b) flexible schedules, c) temporary employment,                and d) telecommuting and other home-based work.                &lt;LI&gt;Each of these, except flexible schedules, is found to be more                common among employees with disabilities.                &lt;LI&gt;A culture of flexibility that is responsive to the needs of                all employeeswhere accommodations are seen as standard rather                than the exceptionmay be especially valuable for people with                disabilities and may enhance their employment opportunities.              &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Some insights from public forums and focus groups:  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;More support for telecommuting:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;Employers in the Jacksonville forum suggested more support                  for telecommuting as a reasonable accommodation, perhaps                  including a tax advantage to initially help employers cover the                  cost of setting someone up in the home with the necessary                  computer equipment (though some participants cautioned that                  telecommuting, while seen as a benefit, can also be interpreted                  as furthering the social isolation of individuals with                  disabilities). &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Value of flextime:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;Most of the employer focus group participants agreed that                  flextime for employees with disabilities was provided as an                  accommodation. Aerotek Commercial Staffing said that this was                  more a result of work schedules being affected by the                  individual's dependence on the public transit system and/or                  Access-A-Ride, than as a direct accommodation of an employee's                  disability.                  &lt;LI&gt;In the Veterans with disabilities focus group, a participant                  who is self-employed with two companies shared that he tries to                  offer his employees flexible work schedules. His workforce                  comprises 25 percent Veterans and he knows, from personal                  experience, that some days are better than others for a Veteran                  who is sick or who has a disability. He provides between a four-                  and five-hour leeway to come in to perform necessary job                  functions. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Best practices in the public and private sectors: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Make part-time jobs available to people with disabilities,                particularly after disability onset, to ease the transition back                to work. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Example: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"A man who broke his back in a work accident . . .              said that he eventually was able to return to a full-time managerial              job because his employer gave him a part-time schedule when he first              came back to work: 'Part time work was a good way to make the              transition. If I worked for another type of employer they wouldn't              have taken me back. There's a good chance that I'd [still] be out on              disability.'" (Schur 2003) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Provide flextime options to employees.                &lt;LI&gt;Hire and accommodate temporary employees with disabilities.                &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Example: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Valerie Meyer graduated from college with an              associate degree in business management and marketing. But Valerie              [who uses a wheelchair] found it difficult to find employment.              [After several temporary assignments,] Valerie was hired as a              permanent customer service representative. Her supervisor said              'Valerie was one of 60 people that Manpower provided us for the              particular project that we had. We knew that when the project ended              we were going to hire one person. After observing Valerie's work, we              knew that she was the right person for the job.'" &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Provide telecommuting options where possible. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Example: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Janet Pearce, a producer at NBC News, was diagnosed              with multiple sclerosis nearly a decade ago. But she has rarely              missed a day of work even as her illness has progressed, making her              unable to walk. A vital reason she has remained gainfully employed              is telecommuting. About two years ago, NBC gave Ms. Pearce the              option of working at home when she needed to, and today she splits              her time, spending three days a week at the office and two at home.              After 36 years at NBC, Ms. Pearce said she could not imagine leaving              her job, even when she found herself overwhelmed by her disease, her              medical appointments, the physical therapy, and the adjustment to a              wheelchair." &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Promising public policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Free advice on designing and implementing these policies as                reasonable accommodations is available at www.jan.wvu.edu.                &lt;LI&gt;Legal guidance on implementing these policies is provided by                the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission at                www.eeoc.gov/types/ada.html,                www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/guidance-contingent.html,                www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/qanda-contingent.html, and                www.eeoc.gov/facts/telework.html, among others. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#3d&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;D. Reasonable Accommodations              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Key points from issue brief:&lt;/STRONG&gt; &amp;nbsp;              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Providing workplace accommodations is a dynamic task,                involving an "interactive process" between employer and employee                about individual capabilities and qualifications, business needs                and resources, and consideration of work modification strategies.                &lt;LI&gt;A wide variety of accommodations can be considered depending                on the nature of the disability, job, and work environmentranging                from low-technology accommodations such as ramps, personal                assistants, and scheduling changes, to high-technology                accommodations such as new computer hardware and virtual reality                training.                &lt;LI&gt;Many existing accommodation practices do not reflect available                state-of-the-art solutions, because of such barriers as lack of                knowledge and expertise, cost concerns, negative attitudes, and                corporate culture (i.e., the attitudes, policies, and practices of                a business and its employees).                &lt;LI&gt;There are a number of sources of information on accommodations                for employers, particularly the Job Accommodation Network funded                by the U.S. Department of Labor.                &lt;LI&gt;Though the ADA does not allow a cost-benefit analysis of                accommodations in determining whether to make an accommodation,                recent studies have found that benefits outweigh the costs of                granting accommodations. Recent information shows that about half                of all accommodations had no monetary cost associated with them,                and those that did have a cost had a median cost of $600. More                important, this study found a median direct benefit of $1,000 for                all accommodations. Other benefits may accrue as well, including                indirect benefits of increased company productivity reported by 57                percent of those employers in the study. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Some insights from public forums and focus groups:  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Growing use of accommodations:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;In the Jacksonville forum, an Anheuser Busch representative                  said that accommodations and other concerns about hiring people                  with disabilities may have been an issue in the pastover 20                  years agobut today, companies, especially the larger companies,                  are more open to address these issues. Twenty years ago the                  company rarely made accommodations; however, now it is a                  customary practice. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Most accommodations are inexpensive:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;In the Jacksonville forum, most companies agreed that                  accommodations are relatively inexpensive, except for the need                  to hire sign language interpreters. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Need for more information and education, possibly more tax                incentives:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;In the Jacksonville forum, participants stressed the                  importance of making employers aware of available tax credits                  and incentives for hiring an individual with a disability and                  providing accommodations.                  &lt;LI&gt;Jacksonville participants also suggested building upon these                  supports by providing businesses with a combination of different                  tax benefits, incentives, and credits that help offset the costs                  of providing accommodations and become a natural part of the                  &lt;BR&gt;hiring process. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Best practices in the public and private sectors: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Centralized accommodations funds provide funding from a common                pool in the company, so that the accommodation costs are not a                burden on local budgets. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Examples: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;IBM and Microsoft, among others, have centralized              accommodations budgets. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Centralized office that serves as information clearinghouse                and technical assistance center for all accommodation requests.                &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Example: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"In addition to a centralized accommodation budget,              Microsoft also has an ADA Accommodations committee. This committee              meets monthly and is given the responsibility of coordinating              accommodations throughout the company, discussing the potential              impact of new technologies, and evaluating current accommodation              programs. Moreover Microsoft has an Assistive Technologies Team that              makes approximately twenty evaluations a month, and an Ergonomics              Team that makes approximately 180 one-on-one evaluations a month,              spending six to eight hours with each employee evaluated."              (Lengnick-Hall 2007) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Managerial training on how to deal with accommodation                requests, including how to manage coworker reactions. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Example: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Marriott teaches its managers to be accommodating to              all employees. "Thus the issue of perceived fairness of various              accommodations seems to be lessened when managers are trained to be              accommodating across the boardno employee can predict when a              temporary illness or a need to care for a family member will arise              and mean they need flexibility or accommodation from their employer              as well." (Lengnick-Hall 2007, 84) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Promising public policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;The Federal Government supports the Job Accommodation Network,                which provides free advice to employers on workplace                accommodations.                &lt;LI&gt;The Burton Blatt Institute has proposed an innovative resource                for funding and support through the Workplace Accommodations                Account, which would provide an employer with initial funding                needed to accommodate employees through loans, which would be paid                back after the employer documents the benefits derived from the                accommodations. Such initiatives may be useful particularly to                small employers who are hesitant about initial accommodation                costs. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#3e&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;E. Corporate Culture              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Key points from issue brief: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Corporate culturethe explicit and implicit attitudes, norms,                policies, and practices in an organizationcan greatly affect                employment opportunities for people with disabilities. A company's                culture helps determine not only who gets hired, but also employee                treatment, performance, attitudes, turnover, and other outcomes.                &lt;LI&gt;Among the Fortune 100 companies, 39 have diversity policies                that explicitly mention disability, and 11 have supplier diversity                policies that mention disability, although there appears to be                great variation in the extent of the commitment to reaching out to                people with disabilities.                &lt;LI&gt;Theory and some limited evidence support the idea that people                with disabilities fare better in flexible organizations that value                diversity, cooperation, and the personalized consideration of                employee needs, as opposed to organizations with bureaucratic                cultures using impersonal application of rules and                procedures.&lt;STRONG&gt; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Best practices in the public and private sectors: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Top management commitment to creating an environment inclusive                of people with disabilities. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Examples: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;All of the companies described in the case studies in              Lengnick-Hall (2007) and McMahon et al. (2004). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Disability training for managers. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Example: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Initially, disability etiquette training [at              SunTrust] was developed and provided to recruiters and staffing              managers in order to prevent many misunderstandings that could occur              when the management employees are not aware of the laws and              situations associated with hiring people with disabilities. One              large phone campaign required approximately 600 temporary employees,              and several people with disabilities were hired, due to the              proactive stance of the hiring manager for the project. When that              project proved successful, other managers in the bank wanted to know              her "secret," and she was identified as an internal champion for the              hiring of people with disabilities. This bottom-up approach to              promoting the hiring and retention of people with disabilities has              proven effective in reducing resistance to change throughout the              company." (Lengnick-Hall 2007, 56) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Disability training for coworkers. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Example: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Prior to the arrival of a new employee with a              disabilityor shortly after arrivalMicrosoft provides opportunities              for future coworkers to have their questions about disabilities              addressed in an open and safe environment. For those coworkers who              have not worked with people with disabilities, allowing them to              satisfy their curiosities goes a long way toward creating a              receptive environment." (Lengnick-Hall 2007, 75) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Encouragement and support for disability networks/affinity                groups. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Example: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"The Disabled Employees and Friends Network (DEN)              [has] a 'mission to add value and enrich Nike and the community in              which it operates for more inclusion and full utilization of              employees with disabilities.' . . . DEN is truly unique in as much              as this vibrant group involvement is solely based on the interest of              employees and the awareness activities, such as the campuswide              wheelchair race for individuals without disabilities, and is on the              cutting edge in terms of disability awareness programs. It also              provides a supportive employee base for larger outreach and              innovation activities in the local community on the part of              corporate management." (McMahon et al. 2004) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Also see the example under "Employee Development,"              above. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Promising public policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), U.S.                Department of Labor, has funded a cooperative agreement with                Syracuse, Rutgers, and Cornell universities to develop and                validate a methodology for case studies of disability and                corporate culture. This study will provide benchmarking data along                with a methodology that all companies can use to analyze how their                culture affects the employment of people with disabilities.              &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#3f&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;F. Universal Design              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Key points from issue brief: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Universal design refers to "the design of products and                environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent                possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design."                &lt;LI&gt;Half of surveyed U.S. managers foresee universal design                implementation for a) improving worker productivity/satisfaction,                b) promoting flexibility in employment, and c) reducing legal                risks and workers' compensation claims.                &lt;LI&gt;Universal design was codified in federal law in the 2004                Assistive Technology Act and is part of federal policy on                education, research, and training.                &lt;LI&gt;There are a number of innovative applications of universal                designbased policies and practices for enhancing the employment                outcomes of people with disabilities. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Best practices in the public and private sectors: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Use products and services built with universal design                principles.                &lt;LI&gt;Put every form of workplace documentation into digital                electronic text that can be converted to alternative formats.                &lt;LI&gt;Provide workplace training in a variety of media, and in                synchronous and asynchronous geographically distributed formats,                which offers trainees varying opportunities to demonstrate                knowledge/skill acquisition. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Promising policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Federal standards and guidelines provide a floor of                accessibility in a wide variety of &amp;nbsp; environments. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#3g&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;G. Self-Employment  &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Key points from issue brief:&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Close to one-eighth of employed people with disabilities are                self-employed, compared with only one-tenth of employed people                without disabilities.                &lt;LI&gt;Self-employment is an option for many people with disabilities                who want to work in either a part-time or a full-time capacity but                are unable or unwilling to do so in traditional employment                settings for a multitude of reasons.                &lt;LI&gt;Individuals with disabilities who want to become self-employed                face not only the obstacles confronting all entrepreneurs, but                also additional issues and obstacles such as attitudinal barriers,                the possible loss of government-provided cash benefits and health                care, and a lack of assistance and support from self-employment                and small-business entities.                &lt;LI&gt;A number of programs exist to help people with disabilities                who want to become &lt;BR&gt;self-employed. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Promising public policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;For people on Supplemental Security Income, the Plan for                Achieving Self Support (PASS) allows individuals to leverage their                benefits for use in pursuing their career goals, including                becoming self-employed, which can provide a needed cushion during                the start-up phase of the business.                &lt;LI&gt;A number of general services and programs are available to                individuals looking to become self-employed, including the Small                Business Administration (SBA), the Service Corps of Retired                Executives, One-Stop Career Centers, and training programs located                at colleges and universities.                &lt;LI&gt;Vocational rehabilitation agencies have been directed to                recognize self-employment as a legitimate employment outcome for                their clients, and several have put together handbooks to assist                clients interested in self-employment.                &lt;LI&gt;ODEP has formed pilot projects in three states to                "investigate, develop, and validate systems models likely to                increase self-employment opportunities for people with                disabilities." &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#3h&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;H. Transportation &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Key points from issue brief: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Lack of accessible and affordable transportation options makes                employment difficult or completely unattainable for many people                with disabilities. Important factors are one's ability to drive,                one's geographic location, the location and work days/hours of                available employment options, and the availability of accessible                transit options.                &lt;LI&gt;Legislative remedies, such as the ADA, which address issues of                discrimination and accessibility in public transit, deal with only                some of these barriers.                &lt;LI&gt;Elimination of these barriers will enhance the labor pool                available to employers and increase employment opportunities for                people with disabilities.                &lt;LI&gt;There are promising government initiatives to provide more                flexible and affordable options to meet the work commuting needs                of people with disabilities; also, company practices such as                telecommuting or flexible work hours assist people with                disabilities in maintaining productive employment.                &lt;LI&gt;Educational efforts and technical assistance may be targeted                to employers and local stakeholders to promote awareness and use                of the many federal programs available addressing transportation                barriers. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Some insights from public forums and focus groups:  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Importance of transportation for people with disabilities:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;In the employer focus group, Aerotek Commercial Staffing                  said that public transportation has "made a big difference with                  people with disabilities, especially the call and ride. It's                  gotten better and it's getting there helping us with people                  (employees). It's important."                  &lt;LI&gt;Jacksonville forum participants stressed that transportation                  is one of the most significant barriers to employment for                  individuals with disabilities. There is a need at the community                  level for accessible and flexible transportation services that                  can transport an individual from the place of residence to the                  place of employment. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Increasing the availability of accessible transportation:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;In the employer focus group, North American Handico's                  representative stated that most of his employees take                  Access-A-Ride. He suggested making this type of call-and-ride                  transportation for workers with disabilities a free service. One                  of his workers, who has a disability that necessitates the use                  of special transit, is currently spending 25 percent of her                  paycheck on transportation. In addition, it was suggested that                  better coordination of transportation routes and schedules by                  public transit authorities could maximize the number of workers                  with disabilities using this system between targeted                  neighborhoods and business districts.                  &lt;LI&gt;Veterans' outreach offices often have Veterans volunteer to                  drive other Veterans. In the Veterans with disabilities focus                  group, one person who uses this service said that it provides                  only transport to services such as medical appointments, a                  designated number of shopping trips each month, and a designated                  amount of personal trips per year. The volunteer program,                  however, does not provide assistance with his transportation to                  and from work five days a week, which means he has to "beg for a                  ride every day to go to work." &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Best practices in the public and private sectors: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Provision of telecommuting options (see "Work-Life Balance and                Alternative Work Arrangements" issue brief).                &lt;LI&gt;Provision of flexible work hours (see "Work-Life Balance and                Alternative Work Arrangements" issue brief). &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Promising public policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Vouchers to people with disabilities to pay for                employment-related transportation expenses, including travel not                just to work but also to job training, job interviews, medical                appointments for employment-related health services, and so on.                &lt;LI&gt;Job Access and Reverse Commute grants are used by some                communities to provide transportation for people with disabilities                with nontraditional work schedules and other workers who need                flexible transportation options, and to fund transportation                vouchers for people with disabilities.                &lt;LI&gt;Creation of a transportation coordination committee, chaired                by the Secretary of Transportation, to facilitate greater                coordination of transportation services by local providers and                agencies.                &lt;LI&gt;Federal grants to states under the New Freedom Initiative to                develop new transportation services and alternatives for people                with disabilities.                &lt;LI&gt;Support for state-based programs under the Assistive                Technology Act of 2004 for loans or grants to individuals with                disabilities to finance vehicle modifications for use in commuting                to work.                &lt;LI&gt;Agreements between government and vehicle                manufacturers/modifiers to charge the cost of modifications to the                government rather than to the person with a disability.                &lt;LI&gt;Accessible taxi services are encouraged by some city programs.                 &lt;LI&gt;There are 62 federal programs to eliminate barriers for all                people, including people with disabilities, who are transportation                disadvantaged and who want to work. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#3i&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;I. Health Care &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Key points from issue brief: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Health, access to health care, and employment are intertwined.                 &lt;LI&gt;Lack of access to health care has a negative effect on health                and therefore employment.                &lt;LI&gt;Health insurance may also limit employment options: public                programs such as Medicare can serve as a disincentive to                employment, while employer-sponsored insurance can limit job                mobility because of a fear of losing insurance.                &lt;LI&gt;Because few private initiatives are under way, the most                promising practices involve the expansion of public health                coverage and statewide reforms for universal coverage. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Some insights from public forums and focus groups:  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Importance of health care:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;In the Jacksonville forum, participants noted that health                  care remains a large issue and barrier for employers to hire                  individuals with disabilities because of the liability of                  health-related issues; this is especially true for smaller                  companies. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Medicaid Buy-In program:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;Participants in the Jacksonville forum said that a Medicaid                  Buy-In program, which Florida currently does not have, might                  solve some of the health care and employment issues faced by                  individuals with disabilities.                  &lt;LI&gt;Though the state of Wisconsin does have a Medicaid Buy-In                  program, participants in the Milwaukee forum indicated the                  program does not fully address the problems because individuals                  are still expected to pay high premiums for their coverage and                  are hampered by income and asset restrictions. One participant                  who has personal experience with the program said that because                  of the asset limits and restrictions, she has not been able to                  advance in her career and receive salary increases.                  &lt;LI&gt;Milwaukee participants suggested several improvements to the                  program, including changing the way income is taxed to buy into                  the program, and having a vesting option so that after five                  years all of the income and assets stay in the buy-in for life                  and are treated with the same earned income disregard that                  individuals would receive from earned income if they were                  competitively working in the program. This option would allow                  individuals with a disability to save for the future while at                  the same time working their way off public supports. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Increasing the availability of health care:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;The director of Vocational Rehabilitation in Wisconsin                  described a proposal to SSA that long-term services and supports                  be offered to individuals with disabilities before they reach 65                  years of age, charging 15 percent on the earned income dollar as                  a premium for individuals to retain their benefits. This                  initiative would provide an individual with a disability the                  option to receive either the cash benefit plus health care or                  access to the health care alone. For instance, some individuals                  require only assistance with health care. They can work, but it                  is no longer economicalbecause of their significant medical                  needsto meet their health care needs through private insurance.                  This initiative could provide early intervention and ultimately                  prevent an individual from needing the cash benefit. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Promising public policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Increased access to Medicare and Medicaid health insurance for                disability income recipients who return to work.                &lt;LI&gt;Legislative efforts by several states to increase health care                coverage of the uninsured. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#3j&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;J. Education &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Key points from issue brief: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Educational policy and practice have a strong effect on                employment opportunities. Part of the employment and earnings gaps                faced by people with disabilities stems from a gap in                educationthey are less likely than those without disabilities to                have completed high school or college.                &lt;LI&gt;Federal policy since 1975 has sought to provide individualized                educational services to children with disabilities, and now                includes transition planning to prepare secondary students for                education, employment, and lifelong fulfillment in the                postsecondary world.                &lt;LI&gt;However, much transition planning lacks relevancy or is                ineffective or poorly implemented. Moreover, after leaving the                K12 educational system, those with disabilities often are faced                with services that are fragmented or have significantly dwindled,                limited to minimal program accessibility, and targeted to training                for low-paying jobs.                &lt;LI&gt;Research shows a number of practices that promote successful                school-to-work transitions for people with disabilities; the scan                highlights promising policies related to greater awareness and use                of transition research and data, and the blending and braiding of                funding and resources. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Some insights from public forums and focus groups:  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Importance of education and training:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;In the Milwaukee forum, a representative with CleanPower,                  which provides cleaning services to businesses, employs                  individuals with disabilities and feels that their major                  challenge is the inability of the individual to perform the job                  functions. The IRS representative concurred, saying that the                  biggest barrier is the qualifications of the individual. A                  representative from Milwaukee County Disability Services said                  that many individuals with disabilities are not aware of their                  full potential and, therefore, are unable to present themselves                  in a confident manner. Individuals with disabilities often                  experience gaps in their work experience and become disconnected                  from the workplace, which causes another challenge in terms of                  maintaining skills.                  &lt;LI&gt;In the Jacksonville forum, the Disability Program Navigator                  talked about the impact of the High School/High Tech program,                  which works with students with disabilities in high school,                  exposing them to careers in the high-tech industry through field                  trips and mentoring opportunities with a wide range of                  businesses. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Giving students with disabilities skills for self-advocacy:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;In the Milwaukee forum, a representative from the Milwaukee                  Public Schools transition program stressed that educators need                  to have access to resources and information to help youth with                  disabilities self-advocate for the services and supports that                  they will need in order to obtain meaningful employment                  opportunities.                  &lt;LI&gt;A representative from the Milwaukee County Transition                  Advisory Board shared that they started their work in developing                  advocacy skills at the high school level, but recently began the                  transition process starting with fifth graders. Once or twice a                  year, the board provides an information forum for parents on                  topics such as housing and independent living resources.  &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Best practices in the public and private public              sectors: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Company programs to provide internships and job training to                students with disabilities. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Examples: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Pitney Bowes has "made a commitment to mentor high              school students with disabilities. They have provided internships to              the students with disabilities from Goodwill's High School/High Tech              program." (McMahon et al. 2004) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;IBM's Entry Point program, as noted in the              "Recruitment and Retention" section above, is a partnership with the              AAAS and NASA. It places students with disabilities into summer              internships that often lead to regular employment. In addition to              the internships, the program has STEM (Science, Technology,              Engineering, Math) Entry Point Camps focused on providing training              for boys and girls with disabilities in middle and high school. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Promising public policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Expanded use of and support for transition research and data.                &lt;LI&gt;School and agency coordination of assessment and planning.                &lt;LI&gt;Work-based training in both school and community employment                settings.                &lt;LI&gt;Blending and braiding of resources/funding for critical                program elements. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#3k&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;K. Housing and Livable              Communities &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Key points from issue brief: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Employment of people with disabilities is affected by access                to quality housing in livable communities in a number of ways.                &lt;LI&gt;Where accessible housing is sparse, people with disabilities                will have more difficulty finding housing near good jobs;                inaccessible housing can make it difficult for an employee to                leave the home, to go to work, or to work at home as a                telecommuter, and can create extra demands on time and energy that                take away from one's time for employment.                &lt;LI&gt;More broadly, livable communities facilitate employment. They                should a) provide affordable, appropriate, accessible housing; b)                ensure accessible, affordable, reliable, and safe transportation;                c) adjust the physical environment for inclusiveness and                accessibility; d) provide work, volunteer, and education                opportunities; e) ensure access to key health and support                services; and f) encourage participation in civic, cultural,                social, and recreational activities.                &lt;LI&gt;Though no one community in the United States has addressed all                six of these livability goals to equal degrees, many states,                counties, and local communities have made extraordinary                improvements in livability for people with disabilities in one or                even several of these areas.                &lt;LI&gt;Their experiences and achievements can serve as inspiration                and provide replicable best practices that other communities can                emulate as they strive to become more livable. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Promising public policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;The Aging and Disability Resource Center established a grant                program to pilot new approaches to interagency coordination that                improve access and the availability of information to meet the                needs of senior citizens and people with disabilities.                &lt;LI&gt;There are 157 active 2-1-1 systems in 32 states that provide                consumers with centralized information and referral to basic human                needs resources; physical and mental health resources; employment                support; support for older people and people with disabilities;                and support for children, among other services.                &lt;LI&gt;Financial incentives for home ownership include the Low Income                Housing Tax Credit, which is a significant source of financing for                developers seeking to construct and rehabilitate housing for                people with disabilities.                &lt;LI&gt;Creation of common performance measures across federally                funded programs is encouraged by the Program Assessment Rating                Tool and the Administration on Aging.                &lt;LI&gt;Individual Development Accounts are "asset development                tools"matched savings accounts that help people with low incomes                accrue funds for the purpose of purchasing a first home, paying                for postsecondary education, or starting a small business.                &lt;LI&gt;United We Ride is a new program that provides information,                technical assistance, and grants to states to develop and                implement comprehensive action plans to make human service                transportation more cost-effective, accountable, and responsive to                consumers who face transportation difficulties.                &lt;LI&gt;Medicaid offers states the opportunity to receive federal                financial assistance to share in the cost of a wide range of                community services. Similarly, SSA has waiver authority it can                grant to states on a case-by-case basis to modify existing                policies and procedures and encourage testing alternative policies                and procedures that promote independence and self-sufficiency for                individuals with disabilities and their families. States currently                operate more than 250 distinct waiver programs. Through waiver                programs states have the ability to design programs that meet the                unique needs of individuals with disabilities. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#3l&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;L. Long-Term Services and              Supports &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Key points from issue brief: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Long-term services and supports (LTSS) include a variety of                nonmedical services and supports for people with disabilities,                such as personal assistance, assistive technology, financial                management, housing, transportation, and nutrition.                &lt;LI&gt;These affect employment of people with disabilities in three                basic ways: LTSS in the workplace can make work possible or more                productive; LTSS outside the workplace can affect the                employability of people with disabilities; and the projected                growth in home health aides offers employment opportunities for                people with disabilities.                &lt;LI&gt;The current system of long-term services and supports, which                is primarily funded by state and Federal Government programs, is                facing a number of problems and pressures, requiring greater                coordination and oversight among the agencies and programs.                Several potential reforms are presented. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Some insights from public forums and focus groups:  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Importance of long-term services and supports:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;The employer focus group participants came to a consensus on                  the need to provide external supports to employees with                  disabilities so that they can maintain employment, including                  increased access to timely and reliable transportation options;                  the need for government assistance in providing prescription and                  other health care assistance to employees with disabilities;                  assistance with housing; and benefits planning and flexibility                  with Social Security recipients who are seeking employment.                &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Value of job coaching:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;In the employer focus group, EchoStar identified decreasing                  the time it takes for employers and employees to access supports                  such as job coaching as a way to further facilitate retention.                  Employers would benefit from having access to more job coaches                  who are experts in different fields. "I wish we had actually a                  resource pool of job coaches that come on site. . . ." &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;More simplified and centralized information on services and                supports:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;In the Milwaukee forum, participants suggested that there                  should be a "one-stop" that coordinates the multiple systems                  under one umbrella, so individualsbased on need and                  criteriacan identify the programs for which they are eligible.                  &lt;LI&gt;In the Jacksonville forum, participants also said the                  current system for identifying and obtaining supports and                  services to assist an individual with a disability is very                  complicated and fragmented; it is difficult to gain access to                  simple and consistent information. There should be one focal                  location with information about all the service providers and                  organizations that are available to assist an individual with a                  disability.                  &lt;LI&gt;Milwaukee forum participants responded very positively to                  the idea of creating an individual budget into which public                  benefits are combined (inclusive of health care, long-term                  supports, work incentives, asset development strategies,                  transportation, housing subsidies, and food stamps, etc.). If                  streamlined, the process could be as simple as going to a mall                  kiosk where individuals would input their family dynamics and                  learn which programs they are eligible for. This experience has                  been exhibited within the One-Stop Career Center system, where                  customers have the choice of services &lt;BR&gt;they want to take part                  in, and the central entity is responsible for figuring out the                  funding source. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Increased collaboration among agencies:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;Participants in the Milwaukee forum said that disincentives                  for collaboration should be removed. They said that they will                  not be able to bring the public and private sectors together if                  they continue to have separate systems that must comply with                  different funding mandates. In order for agencies to begin to                  address these barriers, legislation must be passed that removes                  the current disincentives to collaborate. (This is a form of                  blending/braiding funding strategies discussed in the                  "Education" issue brief.)                  &lt;LI&gt;Likewise, participants in the Jacksonville forum suggested                  providing a financial reward for agencies that are impacting                  employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and                  for interagency coordination and collaboration. There should be                  a system in which agencies report on how they worked in a                  complementary way with other agencies. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Initiatives to increase access to long-term services and                supports:                &lt;UL class=text&gt;                 &lt;LI&gt;As described above in the "Health Care" section, the                  Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is proposing to                  SSA that long-term services and supports be offered to                  individuals with disabilities before they reach 65 years of age                  by charging 15 percent on the earned income dollar as a premium                  for individuals to retain their benefits.                  &lt;LI&gt;Participants in the Jacksonville forum described the Florida                  Freedom Initiative, which focuses on Medicaid beneficiaries with                  the aim of improving delivery of long-term supports and                  services. SSA is conducting a demonstration that consists of                  waiving certain SSI program rules for participants, to test                  whether the waivers promote work and asset building.                  Jacksonville is forming a coalition of community partners to                  coincide with these demonstrations, which we hope will continue                  to meet on a regular basis to address areas of need within the                  disability community.                  &lt;LI&gt;Participants in the Veterans focus group described the                  Compensated Work Therapy/Veterans Industries program, which                  provides training, work experience opportunities, case                  management, and vocational rehabilitation services that                  facilitate competitive employment opportunities. It maintains                  relationships with business and industry to promote employment                  opportunities for Veterans with physical and mental                  disabilities. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;               &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Best practices in the public and private sectors: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Provision of workplace personal-assistance services and                assistive technology, often in partnership with public and                nonprofit agencies. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Examples: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"A state agency maintenance mechanic had difficulties              climbing stairs and carrying materials. The job was restructured so              that this individual always worked in a team with another mechanic.              The coworker was easily able to carry the equipment and do the              required lifting while this worker performed other necessary tasks."              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"A federal agency employed two full-time sign language              interpreters to accommodate communication needs of numerous deaf              employees. Having interpreters on staff eliminated the need to              contract out for this service. This eliminated the need to schedule              interpreters in advance, allowing for impromptu meetings. In              addition, these interpreters were familiar with the agency's              vocabulary, protocols, and individuals, therefore enabling them to              perform their duties better." (Barcus and Targett n.d.) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Promising public policies and initiatives: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Make the home- and community-based services program a state                plan requirement in the Medicaid program.                &lt;LI&gt;Have federal funding follow the person from a nursing home to                a community setting as part of a person-centered plan and                self-directed budget (the Money Follows the Person option).                &lt;LI&gt;Amend the ERISA law governing employee benefits so that                custodial care at work by personal-care assistants can be covered                by the company, and/or have personal-care assistance at work                covered by government funding.                &lt;LI&gt;Authorize f unding for collaboration between community                colleges and disability-related organizations to develop a                high-quality set of competencies to be taught in a new support                worker certificate program.                &lt;LI&gt;Improve coordination of resources at the community level among                the 200 programs and 20 agencies that provide LTSS.                &lt;LI&gt;Conduct a feasibility study of possible new insurance products                with supplementary Medicaid coverage for people with disabilities                under age 65.                &lt;LI&gt;Establish a National Resource Center on Consumer                Self-Direction that identifies and disseminates best practice                information on person-centered plan development, self-directed                management of individual budgets, and examples of multiple funders                combining funds within an individual budget to achieve common                negotiated performance objectives.                &lt;LI&gt;For the long term, establish an AmeriWell programa prefunded,                mandatory, long-term services and supports model that provides all                Americans of any age with coverage from birth based on criteria of                risk and functioning, and not category of disability. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#4&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;4. Policy Recommendations              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;As has been pointed out in many National Council on              Disability (NCD) reports and documented in this current work, there              is no easy answer to the complicated public policy issues that              continue to deny people with disabilities full access to American              life. Much has happened to improve the access of some people with              disabilities to employment, yet much remains to be done. The              literature review, issue briefs, focus groups, and public forums              conducted for this report all continue to document that employment              issues cannot be separated from other factors in the life of a              person with a disability. Education, work experience, family roles,              transportation, housing, health care, and disability income must all              be coordinated for an individual to successfully access and maintain              employment at the highest level possible. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The need for coordinated solutions is apparent when              considering that many people with disabilities face diverse barriers              on both the supply and demand sides of the labor market. Even              employers that are eager to hire people with disabilities often find              that problems such as commuting difficulties (including lack of              accessible public and private transportation, and the high cost of              retrofitting vehicles) and the need for personal care assistance for              custodial care can make it difficult for some potential employees to              get to work. Similarly, even highly qualified people with              disabilities who are able to get to work may face organizational              cultures that limit their opportunities. A comprehensive approach              needs to simultaneously address problems on both the supply and              demand sides: helping make people with disabilities ready and              available for employment while working with employers to ensure that              good opportunities are available. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The issue briefs present a number of best practices              that employers in the public and private sectors should carefully              consider, along with promising public policies and initiatives. This              final chapter does not reiterate the successful examples of existing              public policies and programs provided in the issue briefs and              summarized in chapter 3. Rather, it provides a road map to what              should be done nowrecommendations for new policies or initiatives              that should be undertaken in nine areas. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;1. Conduct Public Forums on the Status of the              New Freedom Initiative &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Implementation Lead:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Government Accountability              Office (GAO) &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Office of              Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Department of              Health and Human Services              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Commissioner,              Rehabilitation Services              Administration&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Assistant              Secretary, Office of              Disability&lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Employment              Policy, U.S. Department of Labor &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Despite passage of the Ticket to Work and Work              Incentives Improvement Act in 1999, multiple demonstration              initiatives to advance community participation and improved              employment and economic status for working-age adults with              disabilities, and growing employer demand to meet workforce needs,              the post-ADA statistics regarding employment have not indicated              significant change. People with disabilities, state policymakers,              employers, and rehabilitation professionals represent the diverse              stakeholder interests who should be invited to participate over the              next 12 months in New Freedom Initiative Public Forums to be held in              each of the 50 states. The purpose of the forums is the document the              current state of the states in breaking down the remaining barriers              to employment and full participation in the economic mainstream. The              record created should be synthesized into a report to Congress to be              presented by GAO with findings and recommendations for policy              improvement. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;2. Design and Fund a Coordinated Set of              Demonstration Projects by Multiple Federal Agencies &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Implementation Lead: U.S. Departments of Labor, Health              and Human Services, Transportation, Education, and Treasury in              cooperation with the Social Security Administration &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The focus groups and public forums affirmed the              findings from multiple research studies of the lack of coordination              among multiple systems of support as well as the complexity of the              myriad rules and regulations to comprehend the options for              continuation of benefits with means-tested entitlements. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;A series of demonstration projects should be designed              and implemented that takes a holistic approach to the multiple needs              of working-age adults with significant disabilities. Rather than the              separate approach to systems change grants of multiple agencies,              there should be a set of demonstration grants targeted to states              that combines funding from the listed lead agencies to enhance              employment opportunities though the provision of the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Workplace accommodation targeted loans to small employers                &lt;LI&gt;Transportation assistance (including vouchers to people with                disabilities to pay for employment-related transportation                expenses, and direct government funding of vehicle modifications                for purpose of work commuting)                &lt;LI&gt;Personal care assistance and health care as a portable benefit                that removes employer fears of cost                &lt;LI&gt;Incentives to develop affordable housing with universal design                standards to enhance employment options and community                participation                &lt;LI&gt;Subsidies to students with disabilities for education that                leads to employment in high-growth occupations &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The projects recognize the multiple barriers to              employment for a person with significant disabilities both at and              away from the work site. The projects recognize as well the              importance of public-private collaboration engaging the employer              community with new incentives to advance employment opportunities              for working-age adults with disabilities. Multiple federal agencies              would share in the costs to facilitate employment outcomes. States,              with their business community partners, would be provided with the              flexibility to propose additional elements to a comprehensive set of              strategies to make work a more viable option without fear of loss of              health care and long-term supports. States could propose waivers of              existing regulations to help produce improved employment outcomes              and advance a better economic future through income preservation and              asset-building activities. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;GAO or the Congressional Research Service should              monitor these demonstration projects with particular emphasis on the              policy implications and the benefits of improved interagency              collaboration. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;3. Establish and Maintain a National Business              Advisory Council &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;A National Business Advisory Council (BAC) composed of              Fortune 100 companies as well as small employer representatives              provided critical input in the conduct of this study. The council              would be a forum for sharing information, increasing understanding              of the employer perspective on hiring, accommodation, and retention              practices, and provide advice on future policy development. By              Executive Order the President would establish a National BAC with              the selection of representatives of diverse market sectors who have              a documented record of success in the recruitment, hiring,              accommodation, and advancement of workers with disabilities that is              also sensitive to the full spectrum of disabilityphysical, sensory,              and intellectual disabilities. The National BAC will advise the              President and federal agencies on opportunities to promote policy              and service delivery, and encourage best practices that improve              employment and better economic outcomes for the target population.              Special focus will be on exploration of public-private partnerships              and improved cross-agency collaboration.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Ad hoc members              of the BAC would include the Departments of Labor, Health and Human              Services, Education (Rehabilitation Services Administration and              Office of Special Education Programs), Transportation, and Housing              and Urban Development and the Social Security Administration, Small              Business Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services,              Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the              National Council on Disability. The group would meet quarterly and              have a small staff and budget to facilitate communication and              collaboration. An annual report to Congress and&amp;nbsp;the President              would be produced to identify outcomes and continuing policy              barriers to employment goals. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;4. Conduct a Public Information Campaign              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Implementation Lead:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; U.S. Department of Labor              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Rehabilitation Services Administration              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Social              Security Administration              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;U.S.              Department of Commerce &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Despite increasing communication between the business              community and disability-related organizations to overcome              misunderstanding and stigma related to disability, forum and focus              group participants expressed strong support for a media campaign to              help educate employers and match employers and people with              disabilities. Similar strong support for such a campaign was echoed              by the business advisors to this study. The campaign should bring              together resources from the multiple lead agencies to design and              produce a single campaign with consistent positive images and              message. The campaign should accomplish the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Address stereotypes that create stigma                &lt;LI&gt;Publicize the best practices that employers have used to                expand employment opportunities for people with disabilities                &lt;LI&gt;Publicize the many successful public-private partnerships                where public and nonprofit agencies have worked with businesses to                meet employment needs by helping to identify, train, mentor, and                provide any needed ongoing support to people with disabilities                &lt;LI&gt;Provide information on accessible mainstream technology,                assistive technology, and universal design standards and                technologies that enhance employment for people with disabilities,                ensuring that the information is available in each workplace (see                http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/emerging_trends.htm).                &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;5. Clarify Congressional Intent and Restore              Coverage of the ADA &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Implementation Lead:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Senate Judiciary              Committee &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;House              Judiciary Committee &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Multiple U.S. Supreme Court decisions have reduced the              scope of coverage and protection against discrimination under Title              I for thousands of individuals with disabilities. Congress should              diminish employer uncertainty and reaffirm the intent of the ADA by              clarifying coverage through a clearer definition of disability that              protects individuals with limitations on daily activities without              regard to accommodations or mitigating circumstances. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;6. Improve Vocational Rehabilitation and              Workforce Investment &lt;BR&gt;Services and Outcomes &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Implementation Lead:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; House Committee on              Education and Labor &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Senate              Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Government              Accountability Office &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Primary and secondary sources of information deepened              concern about the capacity and effectiveness of vocational              rehabilitation and workforce development professionals to provide              effective and meaningful services and supports to people with the              most significant disabilities. Coordination and collaborations among              VR agencies, Workforce Development, Veterans Affairs, and Social              Security were limited and typically did not provide a seamless              system of support. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The response requires further research and fact              finding by Congress, GAO, and the federal agencies with primary              responsibility for the achievement of a common objective of work and              better economic status for adults with significant disabilities.  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;GAO should continue its recent study of VR to further evaluate                how VR services correlate with successful employment outcomes and                how the impact of existing definitions of successful case outcomes                may influence the range and content of services provided to people                with disabilities.                &lt;LI&gt;GAO should conduct a follow-up study to determine the extent                of improvements in the accessibility and program participation of                job seekers with disabilities in One-Stop Career Centers with                special attention to achieved work-related outcomes. Service                recipients with disabilities should be recruited to test                accessibility and accommodation measures now in place. The study                will assess the need for increased enforcement of accessibility                and accommodation measures.                &lt;LI&gt;The House and Senate committees with the authority to conduct                oversight of the Workforce Investment Act should hold hearings to                examine the problems of system fragmentation and the impact of                Disability Program Navigators to improve collaboration within and                outside the One-Stop Career Centers to more effectively meet the                needs of people with disabilities who want to work, including the                provision of self-directed budgets based on person-centered plans                with bundled funds from multiple agencies. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;7. Modify the Social Security Disability              Income System to Promote Work and Advance Self-Sufficiency              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Implementation Lead:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Senate Finance Committee              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;House Ways              and Means Committee &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Social              Security Administration &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;There should be continued focus on efforts to change              the SSDI and SSI systems to encourage work as opposed to requiring              participants to prove inability to work. See the NCD issue brief at              http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/issue_brief.htm. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;NCD recommends the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;SSA evaluate the viability and effectiveness of current work                incentives, including PASS, PESS, IRWE, and 1619 (a) and (b), and                the changes that are needed to improve utilization of the Ticket                to Work and state expansion of the Medicaid Buy-In option. The                House and Senate authorizing committees mandate SSA to conduct a                multistate demonstration that allows SSI and/or SSDI beneficiaries                to work without loss of cash benefits or health coverage for a                period of five years, following which the impact of such an                approach on their long-term employment will be assessed. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;8. Improve Access and Availability of              Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Implementation Lead:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Senate Finance Committee              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;House Energy              and Commerce Committee              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Centers for              Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;NCD researchers documented the challenges faced by              working-age adults regarding access to an array of long-term              services and supports that make employment possible. LTSS included              but is not limited to supports such as personal-assistance services,              transportation, accessible housing, access and use of technology,              mental health counseling, and nutrition. The access to LTSS includes              traditional access in the home but also must respond to the              challenges of getting to the work location and supports needed in              the workplace. The most significant funding of LTSS today is through              Medicaid coverage, which requires continued documentation of medical              necessity and limited income and resources. To advance the ADA goals              of independence and community inclusion, CMS would allow employment              supports as a Medicaid-reimbursable set of services that extends              eligibility beyond the medical necessity test and use income              disregards or other means to allow individuals with significant              disabilities to be employed, earn more income, and advance their              self-sufficiency. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;NCD reaffirms the following set of policy              recommendations that were first made in its report titled &lt;EM&gt;The              State of 21st Century Long-Term Services and Supports: Financing and              Systems Reform for Americans with Disabilities. &lt;/EM&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Shift the home- and community-based services program from its                current waiver status to a state plan requirement. Eligibility                would be delinked from nursing home eligibility and states would                receive an increased federal match under their state cost-sharing                agreement for services provided in this category as part of their                Medicaid reimbursement for authorized expenditures. CMS would set                guidelines for a functional assessment process and minimum                threshold of services to be covered, including personal-assistance                services.                &lt;LI&gt;Hold congressional hearings to evaluate possible options for                improvement of department collaboration to provide access to                information and supports and services to meet the long-term needs                of people with disabilities under and over age 65.                &lt;LI&gt;Require the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)                and Health and Human Services (HHS) to document current efforts                and future plans to improve and expand the availability of                affordable, accessible housing that is coordinated with                services/supports, when needed. Establish an Interagency Council                on Meeting the Housing and Service Needs of Seniors and Persons                with Disabilities.                &lt;LI&gt;Add to the Program Assessment Rating Tool performance criteria                indicators that will evaluate documented outcomes from                intra-agency and cross-agency collaboration to meet LTSS needs of                people with disabilities. Consider possible financial incentives                for agencies that document valued outcomes from LTSS system                collaboration. Report annually to Congress on individual agency                performance in this area.                &lt;LI&gt;Issue a new Executive Order charging CMS to chair a                time-limited (six months) workgroup on LTSS that includes                representation by HUD, HHS, SSA, and the Departments of Education,                Labor, Justice, Transportation, Treasury, and Agriculture to                identify policy barriers to and facilitators of an improved                comprehensive, coordinated system of LTSS for people with                disabilities that maximizes inter-agency collaboration, promotes                consumer direction, and increases consumer choice. CMS and the                Congressional Budget Office should study states that are having                success with global budgeting.                &lt;LI&gt;The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (APSE) at                HHS, CMS, and a private insurer should conduct a feasibility study                of possible new insurance products with supplementary Medicaid                coverage for people with disabilities under age 65 and project                market demand and needed incentives to share risk among                stakeholders. Consumer self-direction requires information,                education, and training to build the critical skills needed to                make informed decisions. The system should continue to provide                competitive grants that establish Aging and Disability Resource                Centers in all 50 states that provide one-stop access to                information advice on long-term support options.                &lt;LI&gt;The system should establish, with funding from CMS, a National                Resource Center on Consumer Self-Direction that identifies and                disseminates best practices information on person-centered plan                development, self-directed management of individual budgets, and                examples of multiple funders combining funds within an individual                budget to achieve common negotiated performance objectives. The                system should require states, as part of their home- and                community-based services waiver implementation, to provide                education and training to eligible Medicaid beneficiaries on                effective and meaningful participation in person-centered                planning, management of individual budgets, and negotiation with                service and support providers. The system should establish a                cross-agency workgroup that involves CMS, the Administration on                Aging, SSA, the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, HUD,                the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the                Department of Education, and the Department of Labor to accelerate                options for states to bundle and/or braid public funds within a                self-directed individual budget with streamlined and accelerated                eligibility procedures. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;In addition to these proposed incremental reforms, NCD              continues to support a more comprehensive "clean slate" reform to              establish the AmeriWell program. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;AmeriWell is a prefunded, mandatory, long-term              services and supports model that provides all Americans of any age              with coverage from birth based on criteria of risk and functioning,              and not category of disability. AmeriWell delinks LTSS from Medicaid              and Medicare, creating its own governing agency, regulations,              oversight, and congressional committee. The contributions of              individuals and families, the private sector, and the Federal              Government fund AmeriWell. A penny pool is established through              private stock transactions to supplement LTSS costs for impoverished              and vulnerable Americans previously served under Medicaid and              Medicare. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;9. Increased Opportunities for Self-Employment              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Implementation Lead:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; General Services              Administration &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Small              Business Administration              &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Senate              Finance Committee &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;House Ways              and Means Committee &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Multiple research studies have documented the growing              interest of people with disabilities in self-employment. Both at the              public forums and in the focus groups, people with disabilities              suggested numerous ways to improve self-employment options. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;The SBA should, in concert with the General Services                Administration, affirm the inclusion of small businesses owned by                people with disabilities as minority contractors with 8A status.                Federal procurement of services and products sets aside awards                exclusively for 8A contractors to increase business opportunities.                 &lt;LI&gt;The Senate and House authorizing committees for changes to the                tax code should provide incentive for corporations to purchase                products and services from small businesses owned by people with                disabilities. The incentive could be a tax credit based on the                volume of business.                &lt;LI&gt;The SBA should establish and fund a National Resource Center                on Self-&lt;BR&gt;Employment and Persons with Disabilities. The center                will provide training and technical assistance to Small Business                Development Centers (SBDCs) nationwide to improve their outreach                and meaningful and effective support of people with disabilities.                The center will also help advance cross-agency collaboration with                VR and One-Stop Career Centers that improves coordination with                SBDCs and lenders. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#5a&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Appendix A: Business Advisory              Council Membership &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Chair: J.T. (Ted) Childs Jr., Principal, Ted Childs              LLC &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Adecco, Melville, NY: Lois Cooper, Vice President,              Employee Relations and Diversity &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;American Airlines, Fort Worth, TX: Andrea Clark,              Senior Attorney &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;American Express, New York, NY: Linda Hassan,              Director, Global Diversity Recruitment &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Bear, Stearns &amp;amp; Co. Inc., Brooklyn, NY: Bettie              Jones, Associate Director, Human Resources &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Boeing Company, Chicago, IL: Joyce Tucker, Vice              President, Global Diversity &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Coca-Cola, Atlanta, GA: Miriam Gotay, Consultant,              Diversity and Workplace Fairness &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Colgate-Palmolive Company, New York, NY: J. Jeffrey              Walker, Director of Facilities &lt;BR&gt;Management &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Comcast: Shanda Bradley Hinton, Manager, Strategic              Staffing and Development &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;General Motors, Auburn Hills, MI: Willie Jones,              General Motors Service Parts &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;IBM, Armonk, NY: Millie DesBiens, Global Workforce              Diversity, and James Sinocchi, Director of Human Resources              Communications &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Johnson &amp;amp; Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ: Marion              Hochberg Smith, Director of Equal Opportunity and Workplace              Solutions &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;JPMorgan Chase, New York, NY: Joan McGovern, Vice              President, Director, Access Ability &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;McDonald's, Oak Brook, IL: Kevin Bradley, Director,              Diversity Initiatives &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Merrill Lynch, Pennington, NJ: Chris Fossel, Vice              President, Global Private Services Group &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Northwire, Osceola, WI: Vickie Jensen, Director of              Human Resources &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Open Doors Organization, Chicago, IL: Eric Lipp,              Executive Director &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Pitney-Bowes, Stamford, CT: Michael T. Holmes,              Director of Global Diversity &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Positive Vibe Cafe, Richmond, VA: Garth Larson,              General Manager &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Procter &amp;amp; Gamble, Cincinnati, OH: Ronald Nichols,              Senior Manager, U.S. Employer Relations &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The Rockefeller Group: Patricia Glorioso, Human              Resources Director &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;SODEXHO, Thiells, NY: Joanne Martino, District Manager              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Time Warner, New York, NY: Gerri Warren-Merrick, Vice              President, Global Public Policy &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;UPS, Atlanta,&amp;nbsp;GA: Randi Menkin, Manager,              Workforce Planning &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Bentonville, AR: Deidre A.              Davis, Director, ADA Services &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Wells Fargo, San Francisco, CA: Amy Mosebach,              Commercial Loan Officer &lt;/P&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#5b&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Appendix B: Expert Advisory              Panel Membership &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Monroe Berkowitz, Professor of Economics Emeritus,              RutgersThe State University of &lt;BR&gt;New Jersey &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Bruce Growick, Associate Professor of Rehabilitation              Services, Ohio State University &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;David Hammis, Senior Partner, Griffin-Hammis              Associates, Middletown, OH &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Allen Jensen, Senior Research Staff Scientist, Center              for Health Services Research &amp;amp; Policy, George Washington              University &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Jack McGrath, Way Station, Inc., Frederick, MD &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Steven Mendelsohn, Senior Research Associate, Law,              Health Policy &amp;amp; Disability Center, &lt;BR&gt;University of Iowa &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Bruce Patterson, Senior Vice President, ServiceSource,              Alexandria, VA &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Anne Rea, Director of Employment Services, Way              Station, Inc., Frederick, MD &lt;/P&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#5c&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;APPENDIX C: ISSUE BRIEFS              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Employment policies, practices, and types &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Issue Brief #1:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Recruitment and retention &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Issue Brief #2:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Employee development &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Issue Brief #3:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Work-life balance and alternative work arrangements &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Issue Brief #4:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Reasonable accommodations &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Issue Brief #5:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Corporate culture &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Issue Brief #6:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Universal design &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Issue Brief #7:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Self-employment &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Other dimensions affecting employment &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Issue Brief #8:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Transportation &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Issue Brief #9:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Health care &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Issue Brief #10:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Education &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Issue Brief #11:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Housing and livable communities &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Issue Brief #12:              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Long-term services and supports &lt;/P&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#5c1&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Recruitment and Retention of              People with Disabilities&lt;BR&gt;Employment Issue Brief #1&lt;BR&gt;National              Council on Disability &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Abstract &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Recruitment and retention are key factors in the              employment of people with disabilities. A substantial amount of              research indicates that many employers are reluctant to hire people              with disabilities, which often reflects discrimination or ignorance              about their value as employees. Following a brief review of this              research, this issue brief summarizes information on employer              policies to ensure accessibility of the hiring process, including              national survey evidence along with examples of innovative company              programs for targeted recruitment and training to increase hiring              and retention of qualified people with disabilities. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Introduction &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Employment gaps between people with and without              disabilities have been well documented in many studies. The most              recent data from 2005 shows that people with disabilities are only              half as likely as those without disabilities to be employed (38%              compared with 78%), and there is an especially low employment rate              among those who have difficulty with self-care (17%) or difficulty              going outside the home alone (17%) (Cornell RRTC 2006). The low              employment rate is due in part to labor supply concerns (some people              with disabilities do not seek employment) but can also be traced to              labor demanda lower likelihood that companies will recruit and              retain people with disabilities who do want jobs. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;When employers were asked, in a 2003 Rutgers national              survey, about the greatest barrier to people with disabilities              finding employment, the most common answers were the following              (Dixon, Kruse, and van Horn, 2003): &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Reluctance of employers to hire, or              discrimination/prejudice (20%) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Lack of skills and experience among job seekers (17%)              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Need for special accommodations (7%) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Lack of information about job opportunities (7%) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;This issue brief focuses on the first two of these              reasons, examining evidence on employer reluctance to hire and              retain people with disabilities, along with programs that companies              have used to overcome this reluctance and proactively seek out and              train employees with disabilities. The evidence for the third              reasonneed for special accommodationsis dealt with more              extensively in the accompanying "Reasonable Accommodations" issue              brief. It should be briefly noted here that most people with              disabilities do not require accommodations, and accommodation costs              are generally low: The Rutgers survey found that only one-fourth              (24%) of the employers who have workers with disabilities have              needed to make accommodations for any of them, and where              accommodations were made, the average cost was under $500 for a              majority (61%) of employers (Dixon, Kruse, and van Horn 2003). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The next section summarizes research on employer              reluctance to hire, followed by sections reviewing company programs              to a) increase accessibility of the hiring process, b) target people              with disabilities for hiring, and c) increase retention of people              with disabilities. The final section provides a variety of resources              for further information on increasing hiring and retention of people              with disabilities. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Employer Reluctance to Hire &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),              which outlaws employment discrimination against people with              disabilities, was a response to evidence that employers are often              reluctant to hire people with disabilities based on prejudice,              stereotypes, and uncertainty (Braddock and Bachelder 1994). Apart              from any discriminatory attitudes, uncertainty may be a significant              barrier to employing people with disabilities: Employers may not              understand the persons' abilities or know whether they can handle              the job, and so be reluctant to make any type of investment in              hiring them. There may be subtle prejudicial attitudes, when              employers expect that the employment of people with disabilities              will result in higher bottom-line costs because of absenteeism,              poorer performance, turnover, accommodation necessities (Stone and              Colella 1996), productivity, and worker compensation rates (Fuqua,              Rathbun, and Gade 1983). In light of the low employment and earnings              rates of people with disabilities, it would seem that employers take              two different measures to combat the higher costs associated with              employing people with disabilities: not hiring people with              disabilities in the first place, or paying them less to offset the              cost. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The perception that people with disabilities are              high-cost hires has its roots in other stereotypic perceptions. For              example, Fichten and Amsel (1986, cited in Stone and Colella 1996,              358) state that people with physical disabilities are perceived as              "quiet, honest, gentle hearted, non-egotistical, benevolent,              helpless, hypersensitive, inferior, depressed, distant, shy,              unappealing, unsociable, bitter, nervous, unaggressive, insecure,              dependent, unhappy, aloof, and submissive" more often than are              people without disabilities. It is important to note that not all              disabilities are viewed in the same way. The majority of the              evidence appears to demonstrate that sensory disabilities (e.g.,              blindness, deafness) and cognitive disabilities (e.g., mental              retardation, mental illness) are viewed less favorably than are              physical disabilities (Bordieri and Drehmer 1986; Drehmer and              Bordieri 1985; Fuqua, Rathbun, and Gade 1983; Ravaud, Madiot, and              Ville 1992; but see Bell and Klein 2001). It has been suggested that              the reason for the difference in how sensory/cognitive impairments              are viewed compared with physical ones lies in the fact that              physical impairments are seen as more consistent and predictable              over time. With respect to employment, this means that employers can              expect consistent and predictable job performance that is not              adversely impacted by the symptoms or behavioral shifts associated              with cognitive disabilities. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Research examining people with disabilities in the              workplace has looked not only at whether people with disabilities              are &lt;EM&gt;perceived&lt;/EM&gt; differently, but also at whether they are              &lt;EM&gt;treated&lt;/EM&gt; differently. Studies have found that applicants              with disabilities receive the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Fewer call-backs for interviews (Ravaud, Madiot, and              Ville 1992) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Less favorable hire recommendations (Stone and              Sawatzki 1980; Gouvier et al. 1991; Thomas and Thomas 1984) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Lower salary recommendations (Rose and Brief 1979)  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Lower ratings than applicants without disabilities              along a variety of dimensions (e.g., competence) (Bell and Klein              2001) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The above results do not simply reflect lower              qualifications of applicants with disabilities: Research has found              that applicants with disabilities receive less favorable hire              recommendations even when they are rated as equivalent on work              qualifications as are those without disabilities (Drehmer and              Bordieri 1985). In general, unfavorable information about a job              applicant is given greater weight than is other information (Rowe              1984), and it appears that a disability is clearly perceived as              unfavorable information. Consistent with stereotype research,              individuals with physical disabilities are discriminated against              less in an employment context than are those with mental or              neurological disabilities (Stone and Colella 1996). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The existing literature on disability discrimination              includes surveys on employers' attitudes toward job applicants and              employees with disabilities (see, e.g., Blanck and Marti 1997;              Bowman 1987; Hernandez, Keys, and Balcazar 2000; Fuqua, Rathbun, and              Gade 1983; Millington, Rosenthal, and Lott 1997) and experimental              studies manipulating disability status of applicants and examining              how employment-related decisions are affected by such status (see,              e.g., Cesare, Tannenbaum, and Dalessio 1990; Hitt and Barr 1989;              Krefting and Brief 1976; Thomas and Thomas 1984). Both survey and              experimental research paradigms have shown that people with              disabilities fare worse on a variety of employment-related outcomes              when compared with applicants without disabilities (e.g., in hiring,              salary, and promotion decisions, as well as other measures of              employee assessment). Indeed, the reticence to hire a person with a              disability appears to extend even to applicants with only a              potential for a future disability (Adya 2004; Adya and Bornstein              2005). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Though these research designs have been informative,              their design has inherent limitations (see Adya and Bornstein 2005).              Attitude reports are subject to a variety of biases, including              social desirability (Holtgraves 2004). In addition, research has              demonstrated that the link between one's reported attitude and              actual behavior is tenuous and dependent on other factors (Kraus              1995). Even when attitude surveys are designed to control for social              desirability, self-reported attitudes against discrimination are not              indicative of actual behaviors (Pager and Quillian 2005).              Experimental research can overcome these weaknesses by manipulating              variables that induce reporting biases so that they are not              explicitly detected by participants, and by using behavioral              measures (e.g., hire decisions). Yet, experimental research can have              limited real-world generalizability because of the artificial nature              of the setting, task, and participants (Barr and Hitt 1986). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;These weaknesses may be overcome by field studies that              are complementary to the designs already discussed. Although field              studies are less "controlled," they can be generalized more easily              (see, e.g., Blanck and Turner 1987; Cook and Campbell 1979; Neisser              1976). Unfortunately, there is a dearth in the literature of              scientifically valid field studies that take place in natural              settings under realistic circumstances. This gap in the literature              needs addressing, in part, to more fully assess a programmatic body              of research and demonstrate that discrimination toward people with              disabilities is a convergent finding. One study that is notable for              addressing this gap with both rigor and real-world relevance was              done by Ravaud, Madiot, and Ville (1992), who found that French              companies that were mailed application materials were less likely to              call back an applicant with a disability. This study, however, is              now fourteen years old and was conducted in France. A study of the              U.S. labor market using this design is now being conducted by the              Burton Blatt Institute of Syracuse University (http://bbi.syr.edu).              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;A different type of field study that sheds light on              discrimination is the analysis of wage differentials. In the past 15              years, more than a dozen empirical studies have attempted to measure              wage and employment discrimination based on disability. Among the              variety of techniques used by these studies, several have adjusted              for productivity-related worker characteristics and then related the              remaining gaps to measures of stigma for different types of              disabilities. In a review of these studies, Baldwin and Johnson              (2006) conclude that "a substantial part of the wage differential"              can be attributed to disability-related discrimination. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The commitment of an organization to diversity and              inclusiveness is also important to understand when examining the              factors that affect the employability of people with disabilities,              particularly given the data on the impact of cultural factors.              Indeed, understanding the practices of organizations and values of              employers is a necessary step toward ensuring the employability of              people with disabilities. This conclusion is indicated by several              types of evidence, listed below: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Experimental studies find that supervisor and coworker                attitudes have a strong impact on employment experiences of people                with disabilities (Colella 1996, 2001; Colella, DeNisi, and Varma                1998; Marti and Blanck 2000).                &lt;LI&gt;"Both [the private and federal] sectors identified visible top                management commitment as the best method for reducing employment                and advancement barriers (81 percent for the private sector                respondents, 90 percent for federal)" (Bruyere, Erickson, and                Ferrentino 2003).                &lt;LI&gt;A recent study of nearly 30,000 employees from 14 companies                and more than 200 work sites found that employees with                disabilities face a number of disparities at work (including lower                levels of pay, job security, training, and participation in                decisions and higher levels of supervision) that help account for                their higher turnover likelihood and lower levels of company                loyalty and job satisfaction. Importantly, however, there were                &lt;EM&gt;no&lt;/EM&gt; disability gaps in attitudes and turnover intention in                work sites that are generally viewed as fair and responsive by all                employees. This research indicates that employees with                disabilities fare much better in companies with a culture that is                viewed as fair and responsive to the needs of all employees,                whereas employees with disabilities are especially harmed by                unresponsive bureaucratic organizations (Schur et al. 2006).              &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Further evidence on the importance of corporate              culture is reviewed in the "Corporate Culture" issue brief. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Increasing accessibility of the hiring process              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;What can be done to reduce the reluctance of employers              to hire people with disabilities and create a more inviting culture?              A number of companies have taken specific steps to increase              accessibility for job applicants, often in response to the ADA but              sometimes going beyond the ADA's requirements. The 2003 Rutgers              survey showed the following actions taken by employers (Dixon,              Kruse, and van Horn 2003): &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Changed format of job applications 13% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Made recruiting and interviewing locations accessible              49% &lt;BR&gt;&amp;nbsp; (an additional 27% said they were already accessible)              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Changed tests or evaluations used in hiring or              promotion 12% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Changed company's Web site &amp;nbsp; 7% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Making such changes appears not to be difficult for              most employers. Among those who made changes, the following              percentages of employers in the 1999 Cornell survey found it              difficult to make preemployment changes for applicants with              disabilities (Bruyere 2000): &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Making recruiting locations accessible 5% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Making interviewing locations accessible 4% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Changing wording of job application 6% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Changing interview questions 9% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Modifying preemployment testing 10% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Arranging for medical tests post-offer 4% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Making employee orientation accessible 3% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Providing info for hearing impaired 23% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Providing info for visually impaired 38% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Making restrooms accessible 14% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The only changes that were found to be difficult by              more than one-tenth of employers were making restrooms accessible              and providing information for those with visual or hearing              impairments, but even for these changes a majority of employers did              not report difficulty. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;One program that can decrease the reluctance of              managers to hire people with disabilities is a centralized              accommodations fund, so that any accommodation costs do not come out              of a local manager's budget but are charged to the central company              fund. These central funds are a best practice at several large              companies, such as IBM and Microsoft. 1 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Training of employees is also key to increasing              company access for job applicants: The 1999 Cornell survey found              that 85 percent of surveyed private employers had employees trained              in nondiscriminatory recruiting, 80 percent had employees trained in              defining job functions, and 66 percent had employees trained in              disability awareness/sensitivity (Bruyere 2000). Similarly, most              employers reported good familiarity with applicant interviewing              issues: Over three-fourths said that their staff was familiar with              framing questions on job tasks, restrictions on obtaining medical              info, restrictions on eliciting medical info, and when to ask about              job tasks. Again, the greatest difficulty is for people with sensory              impairments: Only one-fourth (23%) reported having staff familiar              with TTY (text telephone) technology to set up interviews for people              with hearing impairments, and slightly more than one-fourth (28%)              had staff familiar with adapting print material for people with              visual impairments (Bruyere 2000). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;A good company example of training on disability              issues is provided by Giant Eagle, a retail grocery chain based in              Pennsylvania. As described in the book on New Freedom Initiative              award winners by Lengnick-Hall (2007), Giant Eagle sponsors              disability awareness training for its human resource managers every              two years. This is held offsite at a YMCA camp, with participation              from several public and private disability agencies. Notes on the              training follow: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Half of the day is spent learning about the ADA and              interviewing skills, while the remaining half of the day the human              resource managers spent actually experiencing disabilities. Stations              are manned by job coaches who simulate for the human resource              managers what it is like for someone with a disability. For example,              a wheelchair exercise allows the human resource managers to perform              everyday activities, such as using a drinking fountain, maneuvering              through doors and up and down ramps, and reaching for something on a              shelf." (Lengnick-Hall 2007, 70) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Increasing Hires Through Targeted Recruiting              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Apart from simply increasing accessibility in the              hiring process, one-ninth (11%) of employers in the 2003 Rutgers              survey said that they have made special efforts to attract job              applicants with disabilities by developing recruiting methods and              advertising job positions that specifically target people with              disabilities (Dixon, Kruse, and van Horn 2003). A good example of              this approach is provided by Hewlett-Packard, as described by              Lengnick-Hall (2007, 39): &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;EM&gt;"Front line supervisors, sometimes challenged with              worker shortages, have been trained to expand their applicant pool,              often going to a university they know and interacting with faculty              to identify persons with disabilities who also have the necessary              technical skills needed for a particular position. [In addition], HP              makes a point of working with employment agencies that are noted for              their training of people with disabilities. &lt;/EM&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;EM&gt;"To increase the number of employees with              disabilities in the company, Hewlett-Packard uses multiple sources.              For example, they partner with several external organizations,              including the American Association of People with Disabilities,              Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities, the National              Technical Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Business              Leadership Network, the Department of Labor, and numerous              rehabilitation and vocational centers throughout the United States."              &lt;/EM&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;A targeted approach is also illustrated by several              prominent companies that participate in programs to provide              opportunities to young people with disabilities, serving not only to              build individual skills but also to provide a source of recruitment              for the companies. Following are several examples: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;IBM's Entry Point program is a collaboration with the              American Association for the Advancement of Science and NASA, whose              mission is to place students with disabilities in business and              government and prepare them for corporate and community leadership.              Since 1997, IBM has had 191 student placements in summer internships              and hired 44 students into regular employment. In addition to the              internships, the program has STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,              Math) Entry Point Camps focused on providing training for boys and              girls with disabilities in middle and high school. 2 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"SunTrust has developed the Emerging Leaders Program              that targets high achieving college students with disabilities into              summer internships and the potential for future employment within              the network." (Lengnick-Hall 2007, 5758) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Giant Eagle's Project Opportunity was designed to              give students with disabilities realistic employment targets,              independence, self-confidence, and ultimately a permanent job with              Giant Eagle." (Lengnick-Hall 2007, 68) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Microsoft has numerous programs for young people with              disabilities: job shadowing, career days, internships, scholarships,              curriculum development, campus visits, panel discussions with              Microsoft employees who have disabilities, and software donations.              Microsoft also sponsors 11-week paid internships with federal              agencies in Washington, D.C., for students with disabilities."              (Lengnick-Hall 2007, 77) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Another successful example of this approach is              provided by the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, which              created Project SEARCH in collaboration with two disability              agencies: the Great Oaks Institute of Technical and Career              Development, and the Hamilton County Board of Mental Retardation and              Developmental Disabilities. Young people with disabilities work at              the medical center with training and ongoing support from              professionals in the two outside agencies. As described in McMahon              et al. (2004): &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"All of the employed individuals report to their              department supervisors, like traditional employees. But in addition,              follow-along services assist the worker in resolving problems and              adapting to changes that may seem minor or embarrassing for              supervisors to address (scheduling special transportation, dealing              with coworker requests, hygiene), yet can lead to termination for              these workers if effective and knowledgeable support is not              provided. . . . These employees work in a wide range of positions,              often overlooked for people with developmental disabilities. Many of              these require mastering complex functions, yet they are routine in              nature, such as sterilization tech, department sticking, lab              courier, and clinical support staff. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"We see the program as a valuable recruitment source              and retention solution for us,' explained Lori Southwood, director              of HR for Children's. 'They are extremely proficient in what they              do. They have helped us fill positions in different ways; so that              work that was not getting done, or done well, has been turned into              jobs that can be done by these folks, and is being done much better              than before. At first you expect many hurdles. We have learned that              perception is the hurdle. Employers need to experience it once and              then they will see. When there is a disciplinary or performance              problem with an employee in the program, the support structures are              in place and the resources are made immediately available to the              supervisor to correct and resolve the rare problems that occur."  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;A final example of productive collaboration in              recruiting people with disabilities is provided by the University of              Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), which partners with the Alabama              Department of Rehabilitation Services. Their arrangement allows the              Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) staff member to "function more as an              'insider'; becoming familiar with the jobs, supervisors, and the              hiring process at UAB." As described in McMahon et al. (2004): &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"This system improved the pre-screening and matching              of applicants with jobs, made VR more accountable to UAB after              placements, and gave VR more timely access to hiring opportunities              for its clients. The relationship has been supported at top              management levels through direct involvement of an assistant vice              president in Human Resources on the VR agency's governing board. In              turn, the Agency has cultivated its role as a trusted partner by              providing a growing scope of disability employment services in              response to needs that are identified by being on site. The scope of              the current partnership now includes: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Providing well-prepared, prescreened applicants from VR to                help meet UAB's recruitment needs.                &lt;LI&gt;Providing an 'account rep' from VR to serve as a liaison to                UAB overseeing services and recruiting from VR.                &lt;LI&gt;Providing VR clients' with opportunities to explore jobs and                receive training in the workplace prior to hire and in accordance                with wage and hour guidelines, without obligation for either                party.                &lt;LI&gt;Providing customized VR services for UAB employees whose job                performance is affected by disability, illness, or injury.                &lt;LI&gt;Providing a jointly funded rehabilitation counselor at UAB in                the Office of Human Resource Management to coordinate all of the                above services and give VR a permanent, on-site presence. &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"The recruitment component of the partnership provides              prescreening and placement of new employees with disabilities for              employment at UAB. . . . As a result, over 250 VR candidates with a              variety of disabilities have been recruited to UAB, and successfully              hired into a wide range of jobs." &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Increasing Job Retention &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Apart from difficulty in getting hired, people with              disabilities may be at greater risk of losing their jobs after they              are hired. The limited evidence on job retention tends to indicate              that people with disabilities are less likely than those without              disabilities to be retained by companies: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Workers with disabilities in 19901993 were more likely than                their counterparts without disabilities to be fired by employers,                consistent with either a job-mismatch hypothesis or with employer                discrimination (Baldwin and Schumacher 2002).                &lt;LI&gt;Among nearly 30,000 employees surveyed in 14 companies in                20012006, employees with disabilities were significantly more                likely than those without disabilities to say that they were very                or fairly likely to lose their jobs in the next 12 months (23%                with disabilities compared with 13% without disabilities) (Schur                et al. 2006).                &lt;LI&gt;There is only weak evidence that male workers with                disabilities are more likely than those without disabilities to be                laid off in a declining labor market, but those who are laid off                are more likely to enter disability programs and not return to                employment. Female workers with disabilities, however, are no more                likely than those without disabilities to be laid off (Stapleton,                Wittenburg, and Maag 2005). &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;To increase retention of employees with disabilities,              it is important that they have access to a variety of skill-building              activities and networks. The "Employee Development" issue brief              covers evidence of the following programs and activities: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Formal training programs                &lt;LI&gt;Informal on-the-job training                &lt;LI&gt;Mentoring                &lt;LI&gt;Networking                &lt;LI&gt;Career planning                &lt;LI&gt;Performance appraisals                &lt;LI&gt;Participation in teams and decision making &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;In addition to the company programs highlighted in the              "Employee Development" issue brief, following is an example of a              program specifically targeted to improve retention of employees with              disabilities. This program developed out of the collaboration              described above between the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB              and the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"The newest component of the partnership is geared              toward retention. The RAVE program, Retaining a Valued Employee, was              launched nearly two years ago as a pilot project proposed by the VR              agency to be a jointly funded endeavor housed at the University. VR              approached the University with a proposal to create a shared              position, with half the salary from each of the partners and              reporting to dual supervisors within each organization. From VR's              perspective, the RAVE counselor would be able to provide invaluable              inside connections for VR to access the extensive array of              employment and training opportunities of this very large and high              quality employer for people with disabilities. In addition, by              assisting the employer with its internal accommodation efforts, the              RAVE program could help prevent employees from unnecessarily moving              out of employment and eventually onto public disability benefits."              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;EM&gt;"For Susan McWilliams, Vice President for Human              Resources at UAB, it was an easy sell for UAB. . . . 'There are              greater risks and more costs to hire a new unknown than to invest in              a fully proven and productive employee who needs a reasonable              accommodation,' explains McWilliams. . . . As partners, they have              been able to respond rapidly and access technical assistance and              resources through the RAVE program to retain most of the referred              individuals in employment." (McMahon et al. 2004) &lt;/EM&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;EM&gt;Additional Resources &lt;/EM&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;For overviews of successful company programs to hire              and retain people with disabilities, see the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Lengnick-Hall, M. (Ed.) (2007). &lt;EM&gt;Hidden talent: How              leading companies hire, retain, and benefit from people with              disabilities. &lt;/EM&gt;Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;McMahon, B., Wehman, P., Brooke, V., Habeck, R.,              Green, H., &amp;amp; Fraser, R. (2004). &lt;EM&gt;Business, disability and              employment: Corporate models of success&lt;/EM&gt;,              http://www.worksupport.com/research/listFormatContent.cfm/5. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;For people with disabilities who are seeking guidance              in the employment search process, see the Job Accommodation              Network's Employment Guide at http://www.jan.wvu.edu/job. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;For organizations and programs that create links              between businesses and potential employees with disabilities, see              the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Just One Break, Inc.: www.justonebreak.com &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;National Business and Disability Council: www.nbdc.com              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;National Council for Support of Disability Issues:              www.peopleresources.org &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;HireDS Career Network: www.hireDS.com &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Chesapeake Service Systems: http://css-online.org &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;AccessCareers:              http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Careers/careers_project.html              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;For additional resources for employers and job seekers              with disabilities, see the listing of Web sites by the National              Organization on Disability at              http://www.nod.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewPage&amp;amp;pageID=27.              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;References &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Adya, M. 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Social desirability and              self-reports: Testing models of socially desirable responding.              &lt;EM&gt;Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin &lt;/EM&gt;30: 16172. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Kraus, S. (1995). Attitudes and the prediction of              behavior: A meta-analysis of the empirical literature.              &lt;EM&gt;Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin &lt;/EM&gt;21: 5875. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Krefting, L. A., &amp;amp; Brief, A. P. (1976). The impact              of applicant disability on evaluative judgments in the selection              process. &lt;EM&gt;The Academy of Management Journal &lt;/EM&gt;19: 67580. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Millington, M., Rosenthal, D., &amp;amp; Lott Jr., A.              (1997). Employment expectation profiles as a differential measure of              employment-related attitudes towards people with disabilities.              &lt;EM&gt;Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling &lt;/EM&gt;28: 3639.  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Neisser, G. (1976). &lt;EM&gt;Cognition and reality.&lt;/EM&gt;              San Francisco: W. H. Freeman. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Pager, D., &amp;amp; Qullian, L. (2005). Walking the talk?              What employers say versus what they do. &lt;EM&gt;American Sociological              Review &lt;/EM&gt;70: 35580. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Ravaud, J., Madiot, B, &amp;amp; Ville, I. (1992).              Discrimination towards disabled people seeking employment.              &lt;EM&gt;Social Science and Medicine&lt;/EM&gt; 35: 95158. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Rose, G. L., &amp;amp; Brief, A. P. (1979). Effects of              handicap and job characteristics on selection evaluations.              &lt;EM&gt;Personnel Psychology &lt;/EM&gt;32: 38592. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Rowe, P. (1984). Decision processes in personnel              selection. &lt;EM&gt;Canadian Journal of Behavioral&lt;/EM&gt;&lt;EM&gt;Science              &lt;/EM&gt;16: 32637. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Schur, L., Kruse, D., &amp;amp; Blanck, P. (2006).              &lt;EM&gt;Corporate culture and the experiences of employees with              disabilities. &lt;/EM&gt;Working Paper. School of Management and Labor              Relations, Rutgers University, May. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Stapleton, D., Wittenburg, D., &amp;amp; Maag, E. (2005).              A difficult cycle: The effect of labor market changes on the              employment and program participation of people with disabilities.              Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell University. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Stone, D. L., &amp;amp; Colella, A. (1996). A model of              factors affecting the treatment of disabled individuals in              organizations. &lt;EM&gt;The Academy of Management Review &lt;/EM&gt;21:              352401. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Stone, D. L., &amp;amp; Sawatzki, B. (1980). Hiring bias              and the disabled interviewee: Effects of manipulating work history              and disability information of the disabled job applicant.              &lt;EM&gt;Journal of Vocational Behavior &lt;/EM&gt;16: 96104. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Thomas, L. T., &amp;amp; Thomas, J. E. (1984). The effects              of handicap, sex, and competence on expected performance: Hiring and              salary recommendations. &lt;EM&gt;Journal of Applied Rehabilitation              Counseling &lt;/EM&gt;16: 1923. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#5.1&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Employee Development for              People with Disabilities&lt;BR&gt;Employment Issue Brief #2&lt;BR&gt;National              Council on Disability &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Abstract &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;People with disabilities can face barriers not only in              becoming employed, but in advancing within companies and in their              careers after they are employed. Employee development is important              both for employees (ensuring that they obtain opportunities to              increase their skills and income) and for companies (ensuring that              employee talents are fully developed and used). Such development can              take place through a variety of programs and methods, including              training, mentoring, networking, career planning, performance              appraisals, and participation in teams and decision making. This              issue brief reviews the evidence on employee development, finding              that employees with disabilities are generally less likely to be              involved in these activities, but a number of companies have              initiated special programs aimed at development of employees with              disabilities. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Introduction &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"People with disabilities are like other employees;              they want to do a good job, appreciate constructive supervision,              enjoy new challenges and want to get ahead. Businesses that              successfully recruit and retain qualified employees maintain a              competitive edge in the global marketplace. One way for employers to              retain employees is to establish career development plans for all              employees, including those with disabilities." 3 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Mentoring individuals with disabilities has helped              our organization broaden its understanding of disability. You learn              that disabilities are not limiting." (Michael Dunbar, Vice President              of Public Relations for the Greater Columbus, Georgia, Chamber of              Commerce 4) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Mentoring [people with disabilities] sends a message              to our other employees that the company really does care about              people. . . . We have had really good luck with the people we have              mentored, and in today's tight labor market, they really fill a              void." (Rod Holter, Director of Manufacturing for Cessna Aircraft              Company 5) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Employee development is a crucial part of career              advancement and success. Employee development refers to the process              through which, after obtaining employment, employees acquire              knowledge and skills that allow them to obtain raises, promotions,              and new jobs that lead to higher income, performance, and fulfilling              jobs and careers. This process is displayed most clearly by              fast-rising "stars" whom companies want to retain and develop              because of their high potential for leadership positions, but it              also applies to employees who make more modest advancements and stay              at lower levels within companies. The activities that can aid              employee development include the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Formal training programs                &lt;LI&gt;Informal on-the-job training                &lt;LI&gt;Mentoring                &lt;LI&gt;Networking                &lt;LI&gt;Career planning                &lt;LI&gt;Performance appraisals                &lt;LI&gt;Participation in teams and decision making &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Though it is well-known that people with disabilities              have low rates of employment, relatively little is known about what              happens to people with disabilities after they become employed. Some              statistics indicate that employees with disabilities tend to lag              behind employees without disabilities in company advancement. They              are less likely to be in managerial jobs, to be supervisors, and to              have received one or more promotions, as shown by the following              statistics from the Census Bureau and company surveys: 6 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              With disabilities              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Without disabilities &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Management or related occupations              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              6%              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              9% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Supervise other employees              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              19% &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              26% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Received one or more promotions              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              58% &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              63% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;One of the reasons that employees with disabilities              are more likely to remain at the lower levels of organizations is              that they face attitudinal barriers that limit advancement. A study              found the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;EM&gt;"People do hold clear stereotypes about what types              of disabilities lead to poor performance on a given job, and . . .              these stereotypes are relied upon for certain personnel decisions,              even in light of performance evidence that suggests that these              stereotypes are invalid. Employees' disabilities may not influence              supervisors' evaluations of their past performance when supervisors              have clear objective performance information available. However,              bias still exists in expectations for future performance and              training recommendations. This bias can have severe long-term              consequences on one's career within an organization." &lt;/EM&gt;(Colella              and Varma 1999) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Apart from these attitudinal barriers, there is often              uncertainty regarding the abilities and potential of people with              disabilities. This fear of the unknown can also lead managers to be              reluctant to provide training and other development activities. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;To combat these barrierswhether based on uncertainty              or biased expectationsa number of companies have made commitments              to the development and advancement of employees with disabilities. 7              This brief reviews the available evidence and discusses several              initiatives to enhance employee development among employees with              disabilities. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Formal and informal on -the -job training              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Training programs are a key means by which employees              acquire job-relevant skills that can be directly translated into              higher productivity and earnings. The value of training is clear to              U.S. companies, which invested $51.1 billion in formal training in              2005 (Dolezalek 2005). Training is provided to a majority, though              not all, of U.S. employees. The most recent nationally              representative survey of training in U.S. workplaces found the              following in 1995: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;70% of employees reported receiving some formal training in                the past year                &lt;LI&gt;Employees reported an average of 13 hours of formal training,                and 31 hours of informal training, in the past six months                &lt;LI&gt;Training costs averaged over $900 per employee over a                six-month period                &lt;LI&gt;Employees with higher levels of education, and in larger                establishments, were more likely to get training (Bureau of Labor                Statistics [BLS] 1996) &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Though there is a large amount of information on the              costs and benefits of training for the employee population as a              whole, research on training for people with disabilities is more              limited. Most of the disability training research has focused on              preemployment vocational rehabilitation: Publicly funded vocational              rehabilitation is linked to sustained increases in earnings of              participants (Dean and Honeycutt 2005), and several studies of              privately funded vocational rehabilitation show positive effects but              there has not been a comprehensive evaluation (Berkowitz and Dean              1998). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Very little information is available, however, on              training obtained by employees with disabilities after they become              employed. Training may be part of accommodations after the onset of              a disability: An employer survey found that training programs were              involved in 19 percent of requested accommodations (Unger and Kregel              2003). Regarding training in general, recent information from              surveys of 39,000 employees in 14 companies indicates that people              with disabilities are less likely than those without disabilities to              receive training: 8 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Employees &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Employees &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp; with disabilities              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              without disabilities &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Any formal training in past year              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              47% &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              57% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;If received training, average hours &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              of training in past year &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              27.2 &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              32.7 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;At least some informal training &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              from coworkers &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              65% &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              73% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Frequent job rotation/cross-training              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              14% &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              11% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The above numbers show not only that employees with              disabilities are less likely to receive formal training, but also              that those who do receive training appear to receive fewer hours on              average compared with employees without disabilities. They are also              less likely to receive informal training from coworkers, which is a              concern because informal training not only provides important job              skills but also can be a means of building social networks and              becoming more integrated into the workplace. Despite these important              gaps, employees with disabilities appear slightly more likely to              receive one kind of training: job rotation or cross-training that              provides an expanded set of skills that enables one to be placed in              a wide variety of jobs. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Some companies have set up training programs that              either are designed for people with disabilities or make special              arrangements to include people with disabilities. These programs are              generally oriented toward new employees and may be tied to              recruiting and selecting qualified employees. Following are two              examples of employers providing training programs to workers with              disabilities: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"In 1998, Hyatt Hotels Corporation began offering              on-site, reality-based vocational disability training programs in              Tampa and Orlando. Hyatt formed a partnership with Hands On              Educational Services, directed by John Ficca. On-the-job training              was funded through collaboration with the Florida Vocational              Rehabilitation Services, Division of Blind Services, Division of              Workers' Compensation and the Department of Veterans' Affairs. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"The Culinary Training Program is 100 hours over a              two-week period. . . . Trainees become temporary employees of Hyatt              and receive a salary in addition to certificates of completion and a              state food-handler's certificate, both of which have considerable              value in the job market. Trainees are supervised and mentored by the              best chefs in the hospitality industry. Both job skills and work              adaptive skills are addressed. Uniforms, meals, transportation, and              even lodging are provided as needed. Students are rotated through              kitchen areas of the Hyatt to learn about all types of food              preparation and service. They also learn the language of the              kitchen, necessary math skills, and information on safety and              disease prevention. Students take five written tests designed for              low readers, and their performance is evaluated daily by both Hyatt              and Hands On staff. This ongoing evaluation and feedback allow for              multiple exit points and the most appropriate permanent job              placement for each student. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Regarding advancement, nearly all Hyatt managers are              working managers who began their careers in a service worker              occupation: cook, server, chauffer, clerk, or housekeeper. The              advancement potential of experienced chefs is exceptionally high in              almost all communities across the country." (McMahon et al. 2004)              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Outreach to the community of those with disabilities              simply has become part of the culture of the Spokane Home Builders              Association, it has become an inherited function, an integral part              of the job." (Kim Waseca) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"The Spokane Home Builders Association . . . recruits              up to 20 new apprentices [individuals with disabilities] annually. .              . . The commitment made to become part of this apprenticeship              program involves four years of on-the-job training (approximating              8,000 hours) and 144 hours per year of related supplemental              education at Spokane Community College's Apprenticeship and              Journeyman Training Center. [The director] has recruited              apprenticeship students with such disabilities as low vision, vision              loss, neurological conditions, learning disabilities,              neuropsychological disabilities, and most recently a deaf student."              (McMahon et al. 2004) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;For examples of how companies work with training              providers to produce qualified employees with disabilities, see the              "Recruitment and Retention" issue brief. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;M&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;entoring &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Mentoring provides employees with one-on-one              relationships that can be instrumental in employee development,              serving a number of career-oriented functions (McDowall-Long 2004):              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Sponsorship: "championing the protege's suitability              for promotions or lateral job changes" &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Coaching: "providing information, advice, analysis,              and feedback" &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Protection: "shielding proteges from internal              political struggles or undesirable assignments" &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Challenging: "pushing proteges to accept difficult              assignments, question their preconceptions, and attain higher levels              of performance" &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Exposure: "introduc[ing] proteges to their own              internal and external networks" &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;In addition, mentoring can serve a number of              "psychosocial functions," including confirmation and acceptance              ("affirming and understanding the experiences of the protege"),              counseling, friendship, and role modeling (McDowall-Long 2004). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Mentoring programs are recognized as an important              facilitator of building diversity into the pipeline to corporate              leadership, and also can benefit organizations by retaining skilled              employees and helping maintain the internal culture (Kilian et al.              2005; Parnell 1998). Research has found that mentoring is linked to              a number of good career-oriented outcomes for individuals, including              higher salaries, better job performance, improved career              satisfaction, more rapid promotion rates, higher levels of exposure              to senior decision makers, and a more internal locus of control              (McDowall-Long 2004). In addition, research has found positive              effects on several psychosocial outcomes such as prosocial behavior,              interpersonal relationships, and self-esteem (McDowall-Long 2004).              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;As noted earlier, people with disabilities often face              unduly pessimistic expectations about their potential for              advancement (Colella and Varma 1999). Mentoring may be of special              value for members of groups that historically have faced attitudinal              barriers that limit advancement (Ragins 1997), including people with              disabilities: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"The mentoring process can help break down employment              barriers by encouraging individuals with disabilities to take a more              active role in planning and pursuing their careers. Conducting              mentoring programs provides employers with access to new talent and              an often underutilized workforce. It also promotes greater awareness              and understanding of disability in the workplace." 9 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The value of mentoring for an employee with a              disability may be greater when the mentor also has a disability:  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Mentors with disabilities can help proteges gain a              greater understanding of the work environment [and] coping              strategies, and encourage proteges to self-actualize with a degree              of authenticity that able-bodied mentors cannot. Moreover, mentors              with disabilities can engage in mutual disclosure regarding the              challenges and opportunities that both confront and confound              individuals with disabilities." (McDowall-Long 2004, 526) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Mentors without disabilities can, however, also play a              valuable role, and may be perceived by employees with disabilities              as better connections to the corporate culture: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"If a mentor with similar challenges is not available              for a prospective protege with disabilities, able-bodied mentors can              still serve to help the protege gain organizational exposure and              challenging work assignments as well as provide friendship,              confirmation and acceptance." (McDowall-Long 2004, 527) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;There is, however, little information on the extent or              effects of mentoring for employees with disabilities: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;A 1999 survey of employers found that 59 percent rated                mentoring as "effective" or "very effective" for reducing barriers                to employment or advancement for people with disabilities in their                organizations (Bruyere 2000).                &lt;LI&gt;Supported employment practices and "natural support                interventions" from coworkers, both of which generally include                mentoring as a key component, have been found to be successful in                helping establish people with disabilities in competitive                employment (Storey 2003; Hanley-Maxwell, Owens-Johnson, and Fabian                2004; Cook and O'Day 2006). &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Outside of the employment context, mentoring is often              done with youths, and the research on mentoring of students with              visual impairments was found to broaden their career potentials; in              addition, mentoring has been shown to have a number of positive              effects on the attitudes and knowledge of youths with disabilities              and how they are perceived by their parents (Powers, Sowers, and              Stevens 1995; Wolffe 1999). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;A disability mentoring system was recently initiated              by employees with disabilities at the global financial firm              Barclays, based in England (Suff 2006). The scheme focuses on              building a pool of trained mentors who are available to employees              with disabilities "if they want to get ahead in their career,              develop their skills or if they 'just need someone to talk to.'" The              CEO gave high priority to the project and serves as a mentor              himself. Employees can apply to have a mentor, and are matched using              a detailed database of potential mentors. The scheme, which is still              in its infancy, has both quantitative and qualitative evaluation              built in. The executive in charge notes the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"The [mentoring] scheme has had a very strong response              so far and has the clear endorsement of all the Barclays businesses,              including our fund management arm and investment bank. The scheme              contributes to our diversity agenda and, ultimately, to the success              of the group." (Suff 2006, 20) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Networking &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Whereas mentoring provides valuable one-on-one              interaction, networking provides employees with a broader circle of              contacts that can be a source of useful information and support.              Networking often occurs informally, but a growing number of large              companies have provided encouragement and support for employee              networks or affinity groups based on shared background              characteristics of the employees. Research on minority network              groups shows that they are linked to lower turnover of              managerial-level minority employees, concluding the following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"As firms wage the war to attract and retain top              minority talent, it appears that the relatively low cost of              supporting employee network groups provides a significant return."              (Friedman and Holtom 2002, 418) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Several of the New Freedom Initiative Award winners              have affinity groups for employees with disabilities: Microsoft,              IBM, Hewlett Packard, and Dow Chemical. 10 There are three              disability affinity groups at Microsoft: for people who are deaf or              hard-of-hearing, have attention deficit disorders, or are visually              impaired. As described in Lengnick-Hall (2007, 74-75): &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"These groups provide support and networking              opportunities for people with disabilities such as: mentoring,              college recruiting, working in the community, career development,              and cultural awareness. Each group has an executive sponsor.              Additionally, each employee group has connections with community              groups that are advocates for people with disabilities. Besides              providing social and career support for employees with disabilities,              employee groups also help with accessibility and testing of              Microsoft products." &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Like Microsoft, Hewlett Packard has employee support              groups for different types of disabilities (physical, intellectual,              and emotional), but it also has a more general support group that is              open to friends and family members of people with disabilities. One              of these support groups is described by a long-time employee who              lost his sight: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Bill . . . came back to work with the company and              since then has worked very hard to help accommodate workers with              disabilitiesthe visually impaired in particular. Bill explains that              this resource group, which is not limited to people with              disabilities, has proved to be very useful and supportive for those              workers that do have disabilities. 'We kind of just help each other              and discuss challenges we might have and how we can work around some              of these challenges. Our goal is to try to bring in speakers to help              us learn, not necessarily just about disabilities, but also just how              to be better professionals at work, just like any employees. We              discuss those things as well as how to better do our jobs and pursue              our career just like any other employee.'" (Lengnick-Hall 2007,              4041) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;These groups not only may provide support to employees              with disabilities but can be the basis for community outreach. At              Nike, for example: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"The Disabled Employees and Friends Network (DEN)              [has] a 'mission to add value and enrich Nike and the community in              which it operates for more inclusion and full utilization of              employees with disabilities.'. . . DEN is truly unique in as much as              this vibrant group involvement is solely based on the interest of              employees and the awareness activities, such as the campuswide              wheelchair race for individuals without disabilities, and is on the              cutting edge in terms of disability awareness programs. It also              provides a supportive employee base for larger outreach and              innovation activities in &lt;BR&gt;the local community on the part of              corporate management." (McMahon et al. 2004) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Career planning &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Career development is influenced by many factors,              including individual characteristics (e.g., abilities, interests,              values), context (e.g., education, family background), work              environment (e.g., organizational structures and accommodations),              and the beliefs, habits, or behavior patterns that may result from              these other factors (e.g., feelings of self-efficacy) (Szymanski et              al. 2004). Career development can be enhanced by career planning              activities. Among people with disabilities, "the results of              virtually all intervention studies have supported the efficacy of a              variety of career programs," including positive effects of career              decision-making workshops for students with disabilities. (Szymanski              et al. 2004, 131) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Some companies have actively sponsored or supported              career-planning programs. For example, as described in              Lengnick-Hall's 2007 book, the Marriott Corporation, through the              Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities, has a Bridges and              Bridges Plus program to prepare youths with disabilities for the              workforce. In the Bridges Plus program each youth has the following:              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;"Career Development Plan which guides all activities for two                years and employs 90-day reviews and action planning to assure                progress toward vocational goals."                &lt;LI&gt;"Career Preparation Curriculum . . . [which] contains                essential competencies for career development, self-advocacy, and                successful employment," and                &lt;LI&gt;"Employer representative . . . [who] provides mentoring,                support services, and family training." (Lengnick-Hall, 2007,                8081) &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Apart from such programs for youths, many companies              provide career assessment and planning services to employees. For              employees with disabilities, this can be especially useful as part              of the accommodations process after the onset of a disability. One              example is provided by Alaska Airlines, described below: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"For a worker with disability onset, there is an              aggressive effort made to maintain the individual on a job in their              own work unit or in the company. . . . Some individuals are sent to              Alaska Airline's Career Assessment unit for vocational assessment;              this can be outsourced if necessary. Job analyses have been done for              each physically demanding job by an external rehabilitation              counseling company. Following career assessment, retraining may be              a&lt;BR&gt;n option in areas such as customer service specialist, flight              attendant, &lt;BR&gt;or reservations. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"External consultation is quite common, particularly              in relation to utilization of an ergonomics specialist. There also              has been an effort to provide career mobility for personnel such as              reservation agents with blindness. External contractors specializing              in blindness have been utilized in order to brainstorm/improve              accommodations that would enable upward mobility for individuals              with significant sight impairments." (McMahon et al. 2004) &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Performance appraisals &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Regular performance appraisals are a key means by              which companies assess employees. The appraisals can play both an              evaluative role (helping determine employee compensation and              suitability for promotions) and a developmental role (providing              feedback to the employee to help him or her improve). As such, they              can be very important in developing employee skills and advancement              in the organization (Cook and Cripps 2005; London 2001; Hedge,              Borman, and Lammlein 2006). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;There is very limited information on performance              appraisals for people with disabilities. Recent employee surveys              show that employees with disabilities appear to be as likely as              those without disabilities to receive written performance              evaluations, but they appear less likely to perceive that they              receive meaningful feedback: 11 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Employees &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Employees &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              with disabilities              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              without disabilities &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Received written performance &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              evaluation in past year &amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              79% &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              79% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Perceived "meaningful feedback" on &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              performance in past year &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              51% &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              60% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Though performance appraisals have not been the              specific focus of any company programs for employees with              disabilities, performance feedback is often incorporated into the              mentoring programs discussed above. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;P&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;articipation in teams and              decision making &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Over the past several decades there has been an              increase in the number of U.S. employees participating in teams and              decision making at work. Such participation can build employee              skills and social networks at work, increasing opportunities for              advancement and promotion. The research on employee involvement in              decision making shows that it often improves employee skills along              with workplace productivity, employee wages, and job satisfaction              (Handel and Levine 2006). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;These types of skill-building participation appear to              be less common among employees with disabilities, as shown in the              following statistics from company surveys: 12 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              With disabilities              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              Without disabilities &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Work as part of a team &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 53%              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 60% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Have a lot of participation in: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; How you do              your job &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 38% 52% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; Setting              goals for your workgroup or department              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; 16% 22% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;No company programs could be identified that              specifically try to increase the involvement of employees with              disabilities in teamwork and decision making, although many of the              company initiatives described above on training, mentoring, and              networking will help employees gain jobs with greater participation              in these skill-building activities. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Additional Resources &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;For more information and resources on employee              development for people with disabilities, readers should consult the              following: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;EM&gt;Career development for people with              disabilities&lt;/EM&gt; , at              http://www.communityoptionsonline.org/resources/employ_careerdev.htm.              &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Lengnick-Hall, M. (Ed.). (2007). &lt;EM&gt;Hidden talent:              How leading companies hire, retain, and benefit from people with              disabilities. &lt;/EM&gt;Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Szymanski, E. M., &amp;amp; Parker, R. M. (Eds.). (2004).              &lt;EM&gt;Work and disability: Issues and strategies in career development              and job placement. &lt;/EM&gt;Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Unger, D., Kregel, J., Wehman, P., &amp;amp; Brooke, V.              &lt;EM&gt;Employers' views of workplace supports: VCU Charter Business              Roundtable's national study of employers' experiences with workers              with disabilities,&lt;/EM&gt; at              http://www.worksupport.com/research/viewContent.cfm/156. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;References &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Berkowitz, M., &amp;amp; Dean, D. (1998). 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(2004). &lt;EM&gt;Business, disability and              employment: Corporate models of success.&lt;/EM&gt; Virginia Commonwealth              University RRTC on Workplace Supports and Job Retention,              http://www.worksupport.com/research/listFormatContent.cfm/5. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Parnell, J. A. (1998). Improving the fit between              organizations and employees. &lt;EM&gt;SAM Advanced Management              Journal&lt;/EM&gt; 63 (1): 3543. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Powers, L. E., Sowers, J., &amp;amp; Stevens, T. (1995).              An exploratory, randomized study of the impact of mentoring on the              self-efficacy and community-based knowledge of adolescents with              severe physical challenges. &lt;EM&gt;The Journal of Rehabilitation&lt;/EM&gt;              61. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Ragins, B. R. (1997). 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Unlocking potential: Barclays'              disability mentoring scheme. &lt;EM&gt;IRS Employment Review&lt;/EM&gt; (March              24): 1720. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Szymanski, E. M., Enright, M. S., Hershenson, D. B.,              &amp;amp; Ettinger, J. M. (2004). Career development theories,              constructs, and research: Implications for people with disabilities.              In E. M. Szymanski &amp;amp; R. M. Parker (Eds.), &lt;EM&gt;Work and              disability: Issues and strategies in career development and job              placement, &lt;/EM&gt;91154. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Unger, D., &amp;amp; Kregel, J. (2003). Employers'              knowledge and utilization of accommodations. &lt;EM&gt;Work&lt;/EM&gt; 21 (1):              515. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Unger, D., Kregel, J., Wehman, P., &amp;amp; Brooke, V.              (2002). &lt;EM&gt;Employers' views of workplace supports: VCU Charter              Business Roundtable's national study of employers' experiences with              workers with disabilities.              &lt;/EM&gt;http://www.worksupport.com/research/viewContent.cfm/156 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Wolffe, K. (1999). Using role models in career              exploration for students with visual impairments. &lt;EM&gt;Journal of              Visual Impairment and Blindness&lt;/EM&gt; 93 (12): 798801.              &lt;/P&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;&lt;BR&gt;&lt;/STRONG&gt;             &lt;P class=red&gt;&lt;A name=#5.3&gt;&lt;/A&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Work-Life Balance and              Alternative Work Arrangements for People with Disabilities              &lt;BR&gt;Employment Issue Brief #3&lt;BR&gt;National Council on Disability              &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;A&lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;bstract &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Many companies use policies and programs designed to              improve the work-life balance of their employees. With these              programs, employers seek to accommodate the personal and family              needs of all employees, often combining them to help create a              "culture of flexibility." Some of the programs have particular value              for people with specific disabilities and limitations. This issue              brief reviews the evidence on and issues regarding work-life              programs as they relate to disability, focusing on a) part-time              work/job sharing, b) flexible schedules, c) temporary employment,              and d) telecommuting and other home-based work. Each of these,              except flexible schedules, is found to be more common among              employees with disabilities. One conclusion is that a culture              of&amp;nbsp;flexibility that is responsive to the needs of all              employeeswhere accommodations are seen as standard rather than the              exceptionmay be especially valuable for people with disabilities              and enhance their employment opportunities. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Introduction &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Work-life programs have been used increasingly by U.S.              employers in the past two decades to address the many ways in which              personal and family issues can affect employee experiences              and&amp;nbsp;performance at work (Bond et al. 2005). These issues arise              as individuals try to balance their work roles with their spousal,              parental, caregiver, and other roles. The increased use of these              programs is driven in part by the aging of the workforce and the              continued growth of dual-earner families and single-parent              households. Traditional jobs that do not take account of these              changes run the risk of increasing worker stress, absenteeism, and              turnover and decreasing employee productivity. Companies often use              work-life programs to recruit and retain employees and enhance              productivity and commitment. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;A wide variety of employer programs and policies have              been used to address issues of work-life balance. The most common              ones can be categorized as follows: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;UL class=text&gt;               &lt;LI&gt;Part-time work/job sharing                &lt;LI&gt;Flexible schedules                &lt;LI&gt;Temporary employment                &lt;LI&gt;Telecommuting and other home-based work                &lt;LI&gt;Leaves of absence                &lt;LI&gt;Child/elder care assistance                &lt;LI&gt;Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)                &lt;LI&gt;Health care and health promotion &lt;/LI&gt;&lt;/UL&gt;             &lt;P&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Employers may combine a number of these policies and              programs to create a "culture of flexibility" that emphasizes              personalized attention to the needs of all employees, as opposed to              a bureaucratic culture based on impersonal rules and procedures              (Bond et al. 2005; Schur, Kruse, and Blanck 2005). &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The fundamental idea of work-life balancepaying              greater attention to the personal and family needs of employeesis              very relevant for many employees with disabilities. Like all              workers, those with disabilities have many personal and family needs              that must be reconciled with work responsibilities. People with              mobility impairments, for example, can face transportation problems              that increase the attractiveness of flexible schedules or home-based              work. Some disabilities are associated with an increased need for              medical or physical therapy appointments, or with greater physical              demands or time spent on self-care, that makes a standard full-time              schedule difficult to manage. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;This brief summarizes the evidence and issues              surrounding work-life programs and policies as they affect employees              with disabilities. It should be kept in mind that these programs and              policies are designed for all employees, and their benefits for              employees with disabilities are only one part of the benefits they              may have for employees in general. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&lt;STRONG&gt;Part -time work /job sharing &lt;/STRONG&gt;&lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Almost all businesses have some part-time employees,              and a 2005 survey of U.S. employers found that nearly half (46%)              have explicit job-sharing programs for at least some employees (Bond              et al. 2005). Part-time work has lower demands on time and energy              than does full-time work, making it attractive for many caregivers              and those with other personal and family concerns. It is often the              most appropriate type of employment for many people with              disabilities. Schur (2003) describes two people she interviewed:  &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"A woman who was born with a balance disorder works in              a local grocery store for only 10 hours per week due to fatigue ('I              couldn't work a bunch more hours. I'm pretty exhausted when I get              home from work')." &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"Another man with schizophrenia said that the pressure              in his prior full-time computer job brought on schizophrenic              episodes, and that his current job as a gas station cashier allows              him to avoid stress and control the effects of his illness." &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Part-time work can also be part of a transition to              full-time employment after an illness or injury: &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;"A man who broke his back in a work accident . . .              said that he eventually was able to return to a full-time managerial              job because his employer gave him a part-time schedule when he first              came back to work: 'Part time work was a good way to make the              transition. If I worked for another type of employer they wouldn't              have taken me back. There's a good chance that I'd [still] be out on              disability.'" &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;However, not all part-time workers with disabilities              prefer to work part-time. Just over one-fourth (29%) say that they              would rather be working full-time, which is slightly higher than the              one-fourth of part-time workers without disabilities (25%) who would              prefer this (Schur 2002a, 608). Two factors that can constrain              people with disabilities to part-time work are monthly earnings              limitations specified by disability income programs (particularly              the public programs, Social Security Disability Insurance and              Supplemental Security Income) and employer discrimination or              reluctance to hire people with disabilities into full-time jobs,              thereby restricting them to part-time jobs. &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;The data clearly shows that employees with              disabilities are more likely than those without disabilities to work              in part-time jobs. The rates are especially high among those with              difficulty getting around outside the home: 13 &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp; Percentage of employees working &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp; fewer than 35 hours/week &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;Without disability              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              18.0% &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P class=text&gt;With disability &lt;/P&gt;             &lt;P              class=text&gt;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              All &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              &amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;              27.0% &lt;/P&gt;  
