- National Telecommuting Institute
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National Telecommuting Institute a non-profit virtual staffing agency, which supports persons with disabilities, in finding appropriate at-home jobs.[1] NTI advocates empowering persons with disabilities to take active roles in their lives and in the community in which they live. It is located in Boston, Massachusetts with satellite offices in California, Texas, and Washington DC. The medical transcriptionist (MT) arm of the business is directed out of North Carolina.
Contents
History
NTI was established by Dr. M.J. Willard and grew out of the efforts of a small group of rehabilitation professionals searching for strategies to help the large number of talented and motivated individuals with disabilities who strongly prefer or require home-based work. The company is a 501(c) (3) begun in 1995.
Profile
"National Telecommuting Institute has developed partnerships with state and private entities in order to have the best technology available, not only for the individuals who will be performing these jobs but also to provide the best service possible for the Government customer."[2]
Funding
NTI receives its primary sources of funding from participating state vocational rehabilitation agencies, competitive grant programs, charitable donations, and the Ticket to Work program as a participating Employment Network. Organizations and programs that have generously provided grants and donations to NTI include The AT&T Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, The Fidelity Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education: Learn Anytime Anywhere Partnership, the U.S. Department of Education: RSA Project With Industries, and the U.S. Department of Labor: Office of Disability Employment Policy.[3][4]
Employment Fields
Fields such as indexing, medical billing, legal and medical transcription, proofreading, and appointment reminder services are particularly amenable to telework. Over the past 14 years, the single greatest opportunity for individuals with disabilities to work from home is as customer service representatives (CSRs) handling the in-bound customer service calls answered by the more than 30,000 call centers in the country. Over 90% of NTI's placements in the past three years have been into telework jobs in call centers. Home agents with disabilities have been matched to companies including Ticket Master, Home Shopping Network, Alamo, Lens Express, GE Financial Services, AT&T Language Line, 800-Flowers, Phase2Solutions, Staples, The GAP, JLodge, Signature Group, and AAA Roadside Assistance.[3] Starting in 2004, NTI was awarded a JWOD contract with the Internal Revenue Service,[5] placing hundreds of employees for tax forms assistance.[6][7]
Vocational Rehabilitation Systems
The 70-year-old federal/state VR system is the largest mechanism providing help to the 1.2 million Americans in the disability community who request government assistance in finding work each year. Collectively, state VR agencies operate with a budget of $2.8 billion. The VR agencies have staff and a charter to develop home-based opportunities, but relatively few alternatives to offer their clients within their immediate communities.
State agencies often use some of their funds to purchase services from non-profit organizations such as NTI when their clients in the disability community require specialized assistance. NTI endeavors to work through VR agencies in approaching low-income members of the disability community who can become home-based teleworkers to meet the growing demand from companies needing CSRs.[8] As of 2009, NTI has standing agreements with 47 state VR agencies.
Publicity
Honors
In 2004, NTI was recognized by the NISH East Region at its National Council for Work Centers (NCWC) meeting for its Outstanding Contributions and "passionate commitment to creating job opportunities for people with disabilities."[2] NTI was honored with the Hall of Fame Award for the Development of Opportunities for the Disabled by the TeleWork Coalition.[4]
See also
Jean Chatzky, "There’s No Place Like (an Office at) Home" Today/MSNBC.com, October 12, 2005</ref>
References
- ^ Tory Johnson, "Tory Johnson's Work-From-Home Tips" ABC News, July 23, 2007
- ^ a b "East Region Connection" NISH, Early Winter 2005
- ^ a b " National Telecommuting Institute (NTI) Providing Home-Based Employment Opportunities For People with Disabilities" World Institute on Disability
- ^ a b The TeleWork Coalition
- ^ Laurie Sampson, "Government Award for Services"NISH Worplace, Special 2005 Conference Edition
- ^ "3 On Your Side: Working From Home" CBS3.com, March 16, 2006
- ^ David S. Joachim, "Computer Technology Opens a World of Work to Disabled People" New York Times, March 1, 2006 as copied at the NTI Press Room
- ^ Sue Shellenbarger,"Work and Family Mailbox - Q&A"Wall Street Journal March 2, 2006 as copied at NTI Press Room
External links
Categories:- Non-profit organizations
- Companies based in Boston, Massachusetts
- Disability organizations
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