February 12, 2013
During February, we see pink and red hearts everywhere from the local florist to the pharmacy candy aisle. While those hearts may bring warm thoughts of Valentine’s Day, they should also remind us that February is Heart Health Awareness Month!
Heart disease is a major contributing cause of disability. In fact, cardiovascular disabilities are the third most common Social Security disability claim.
A healthy heart is important for everyone. The good news is that simple, everyday life choices can help improve heart health. Follow these tips (and share them with your loved ones)!
Eat Healthy - A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains will help reduce your cholesterol. Avoid eating high fat foods and foods that are high in salt, which can increase blood pressure and makes your heart work harder.
Get Active - Physical activity strengthens your heart and helps you lose (or maintain) weight. Just 30 minutes a day, several days a week will help.
Stop Smoking - Kicking the tobacco habit is one of the most important health decisions you can make. Chemicals in tobacco are harmful to your heart and the nicotine in cigarettes raises your blood pressure. Learn more about how to stop smoking.
Reduce Stress - Stress increases heart rate, which strains the heart. Identify stress in your life and find ways to reduce it. Read our blog post on “Is Your Money Situation Stressing You?"
A healthy heart improves quality of life, increases energy and helps you save on medical expenses. When you take care of yourself and your heart, you’ll be better prepared to take on other challenges, such as employment or volunteer service. If you’re interested in learning more about employment through the Ticket to Work program, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/work or call 1-866-968-7842 (V) or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY).
Happy Heart Health Awareness Month!
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January 21, 2013
“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today, millions of Americans will come together to volunteer their time and service in an effort to improve their communities to support the King Day of Service. In addition to contributing to worthy causes, volunteering offers personal benefits, such as:
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The opportunity to network and connect with others in your community
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The chance to develop new skills or improve skills you already have
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The opportunity to try new kinds of jobs and tasks
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December 6, 2012
A WISE webinar is a free, fully accessible, online event designed especially for beneficiaries and their families, community partners, and service providers to learn more about the Ticket to Work program and available Work Incentives. WISE webinars typically occur the fourth Wednesday of each month from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m., EST. At each webinar, Ticket to Work and Work Incentives experts present engaging information on the program for an hour then conclude with a live question and answer session.
Join us for our next WISE Webinar on December 12, 2012 from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. EST. Register online at www.choosework.net/wise or call 1-866-968-7842 (V) or 1-866-833-2967 (TTY/TDD).
Participants learn about:
Immediately following this webinar, log on for our Facebook Question and Answer Session: www.facebook.com/choosework and receive expert answers to your questions about Ticket to Work, Social Security work incentives, and your employment options.
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September 4, 2012
With the new school year kicking off, fall brings excitement and anticipation for many students. The return of school routines, learning about favorite subjects, and seeing school friends and teachers again are all important parts of the “back to school” season. At the same time, high school youth, especially youth with disabilities, should be thinking about, and planning for, what’s next after completing high school.
At the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities’ (AIDD), we want to see more meaningful opportunities for youth to pursue their post-secondary education and employment goals. We are working with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and with agencies in several states to expand and promote integrated employment as the first option for people with significant disabilities, as well as supporting improved college options for youth with ID/DD.
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June 11, 2012
Calling all youth and young adults, parents, caregivers, and disability community advocates: attend our upcoming Twitter Chat on June 22 at 12 p.m. EDT. This month, follow us @chooseworkssa and the hashtag #DEchat as we are partnering with @AAPD (The American Association of People with Disabilities) to discuss Career Help for Youth-in-Transition.
We want to hear from you! Whether you are curious in how young adults with disabilities can get started in their career or want to share your tips and experiences, we welcome your thoughts and opinions.
If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or send a direct message (DM) to @chooseworkssa on Twitter!
Feel free to also help spread the word either on Twitter or by distributing the event flyer. Download and distribute the event flyer.
We hope you can join us on Friday, June 22!
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April 11, 2012
On Friday, March 30th, Ticket to Work hosted the inaugural Disability Employment Chat (#DEChat) on Twitter. In honor of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, our topic was “Career Help for People with Developmental Disabilities.” Sharon Lewis, Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, Administration for Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services, helped us answer questions and shared resources. We would like to thank Sharon as well as everyone who participated in the discussion! Overall, 22 people participated, and the discussion ran to over 100 Tweets!
Did you miss the chat?
Here are three ways to see what happened:
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#DEChat highlights on Storify from one of the chat participants,
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The transcript via CoverItLive below
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Or the text transcript after the Read More link
What’s next?
Stay tuned for an announcement of our next Twitter chat in the coming months! Have an idea for a chat? Share it in the comments! And as always, follow us on Twitter, @chooseworkssa, and “Like” us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/choosework.
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March 30, 2012
Every year, thousands of people with disabilities find jobs and leave behind Social Security disability benefits to support themselves and create better futures. As you think about going to work, Social Security wants you to be confident in your choice and to understand what Ticket to Work is all about:
March 27, 2012
On February 29th we answered YOUR questions at our second Facebook Question and Answer (Q&A) event. It was held after our monthly WISE webinar.
Questions and answers were on such topics as part-time work, school, Ticket to Work and other Work Incentives. We hope you enjoyed the session as much as we did!
A special thanks to our guest experts Dawn Porter of South Carolina Pathways, Tamara Tavai of Human Potential Consultants, LLC, and Debra Schwartz of Social Security for helping to answer questions.
If you missed the event, you can read the transcript by clicking “Read More.”
You can also always get your questions answered by calling the Ticket to Work Help Line at 1-866-968-7842 (V) 866-833-2967 (TTY/TDD) or connecting with a service provider using our Find Help Tool.
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