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Welcome. We are glad to join in welcoming you to the MADSEC/Maine Department of Education
Fall Post-Secondary Capacity Building Institute
It is exciting to have so many people who support youth in transition gathered together
from around the state.
MDOL has supported the planning for the conference and a number of staff from the Division of
Vocational Rehabilitation and the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired are participating
in the conference.
DHHS has supported the planning for the conference and a number of representatives from the Office
of Aging and Disability Services are participating in the conference
DHHS and MDOL are working closely with the Maine Department of Education to ensure that
young people with disabilities are able to transition to meaningful, productive lives
in their communities as they reach adulthood.
One of the ways that the three agencies have supported this goal is through the recently
enacted "Employment First" legislation which states that integrated, community-based employment
should be the first and preferred option for individuals with disabilities. Transition
age youth are one of the target populations of this work
All three agencies are participating in the DHHS sponsored Interagency Transition Collaborative
that is bringing together top policy makers to examine practices, policies and unmet needs
that impact youth served by the three agencies
MDOL and DHHS also have representation on the IDEA Part B Committee which serves as
the State Advisory Panel for Special Education
This will be an exciting two days with many great workshops planned. We look forward to
hearing more about the regional work plans that you will begin developing while you are
here and our agencies are committed to continuing to work with you following the conference
to help young people with disabilities reach their goals.