The Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel hosted a Beneficiary Summit entitled "Voices for Change: Beneficiaries Paving the Way to Work," February 6-7, 2007, in Atlanta, Georgia. Invited delegate participants were current or recent Social Security disability program beneficiaries and represented all 50 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Delegates represented a wide range of disability types, age groups (under 20 to retirement), racial and ethnic diversity, and had broad experiences with many types of service delivery systems and work incentives.

Theme areas discussed at the Beneficiary Summit were: employment and work incentives; health care and long term services and supports; program communication, procedures and service; and raising the beneficiary voice.

The Panel will release a report summarizing the highlights of the Summit and documenting the delegates’ recommendations.

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July 26, 2007 News Conference

Join Members of the
Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel
and Social Security Disability Program Beneficiaries
for the Release of
"Voices for Change: Beneficiaries Paving the Way to Work
A Roadmap to Program Improvement"

What:  Release of the Panel’s Beneficiary Summit Report
When:  July 26, 2007, 9:30 AM EDT
Where:  902 Hart Senate Office Building
Who:  Panel Members and Program Beneficiaries

According to the United States Census Bureau, there are 13,779,000 working-age individuals with disabilities in the U.S. who are not employed, of whom 6,927,000 (or 50%) report receiving Supplemental Security Income and/or Social Security Disability Insurance.

On July, 26, 2007, the 17th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel is holding a news conference to release a report, "Voices for Change: Beneficiaries Paving the Way to Work, A Roadmap to Program Improvement," documenting the recommendations it received from beneficiaries of these programs. The recommendations focused on employment, and they came to the Panel via a beneficiary summit held in Atlanta last February.

The summit brought together one beneficiary with a disability from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

This event will be conducted by Panel members and program beneficiaries who attended the summit. There will be time for audience questions. In addition to Panel members and summit attendees, there will be a reactor panel giving comment.

For more information, please contact Jenn Rigger, Panel Staff at 202-358-6424 or via E-mail at Jenn.Rigger@ssa.gov. We look forward to seeing you July 26th on Capitol Hill!