Web Based Resources to Navigate the System. Disability Benefits 101 (DB101) is a web site from California which helps workers, job seekers, and service providers understand the connections between work and benefits. DB101 brings together rules for health coverage, benefit, and employment programs that people with disabilities use. These programs may be administered by the state, the federal government, or private organizations; here, we discuss them under one roof, in plain language. DB 101 takes a broad, customer-centered view, focusing on the linkages among programs. It does not attempt to replace existing web resources on these topics.

Disability Benefits 101 was conceived and developed in the disability community. In 2001, the California Work Group on Work Incentives and Health Care (CWG) conducted a statewide needs assessment of people with disabilities regarding access to public benefits information. The results showed that not enough people with disabilities or public program staff know about new laws and program rules that support employment. As a result, many people with disabilities did not learn about beneficial changes in laws for years, and choose not to risk losing health coverage or other vital supports by working. In 2002, a national employment conference in Los Angeles brought together resources and talent now working to develop DB101.

WorkWORLD™ is decision support software for personal computers that is designed to be used by people with disabilities, advocates, benefit counselors, and others. The software helps people find employment-based paths to higher net income through the best use of Federal and State work incentives and benefits. WorkWORLD takes into account the complex interaction of earnings, benefit programs, and work incentives to provide individualized recommendations for safe options as well as alerts to possible problems. It calculates the effects on net income of trying different paths to independence, and provides text, numeric, and graphic results.

WorkWORLD is now available only by order. Currently, residents of Delaware, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Virginia can order the complete WorkWORLD program on CD for free. Others, for a nominal fee, may order the complete WorkWORLD Program or the stand-alone WorkWORLD Help/Information System. http://www.workworld.org/