Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Competitive and Integrated Employment for All

Workforce Utilization Age % of people with disabilities are employed. 75.6% of people without disabilities are employed. From the Disability Compendium employment statistics ( the Disability Compendium employment statistics

Median Income Median earnings, age 16 and up People with disabilities: $22,448 People without disabilities: $29,547 $7,089 disparity From the Disability Compendium median income statistics ( Compendium median income statistics

Poverty in Oklahoma Age People with disabilities, 29.2% People without disabilities, 14% From the Disability Compendium poverty statistics ( Compendium poverty statistics

WIOA High Points Competitive and integrated employment Grow the group Certify American Job Centers (Workforce Centers) Create partnerships Apply lessons learned from investments through WIA Lessen discrimination in workforce participation

Section 188 Cannot discriminate in any program funded by Title I State agencies One stop operators Service providers, such as eligible training providers On the job training employers Job Corps contractors Programs or activities that are operated by one stop partners Includes race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation

Casting a Wider Net Align definition of disability with current Americans with Disabilities Act ADA Amendments Act (2008) Broadened definition of disability to fit intent of ADA Includes other concepts Qualified individual Reasonable accommodation Regarded as having a disability Etc.

Strong Focus on Youth Increased spending on school youth Aim for work experiences, internships, on the job training Increased focus on youth with disabilities transitioning to workforce

Partnerships Public, private and combined public/private Workforce Partners Example: WIOA asks that agencies co-locate at the Workforce Centers

SPECIFIC ELEMENTS OF WIOA

Reasonable Accommodations Change to the way that someone receives benefits, services or training Provide an alternate format of a printed document Can also be change to policy Longer time to complete an assessment More at the Job Accommodation Network (JAN)More at the Job Accommodation Network

Auxiliary Aids and Services Facilitate communication with people with disabilities Interpreters Readers Assistive technology Mirrors Title II of the ADA More from the ADA website

Programmatic Accessibility Policies, practices, and procedures providing effective and meaningful opportunity for persons with disabilities to participate in or benefit from aid, benefit, service and training. Includes equal opportunity provisions in addition to physical accessibility Concept is repeated 10 times in the statute Different than “Program Access” in Title II of the ADA Programs offered by public entities, in their entirety, must be accessible to people with disabilities in general

Integrated Services Cannot segregate job seekers with disabilities unless that is the only way to provide job seeker equally effective aid, benefits, services or training Don’t automatically refer job seekers with disabilities to another program Make sure that job seekers with disabilities can get to full range of Workforce System activities

Nondiscrimination in Job Qualifications Regularly check that qualifications for employment and training do not screen or tend to screen out job seekers with disabilities Is that requirement to lift 40 pounds really a requirement?

Pre-employment Medical Checks Cannot perform pre-employment checks to screen for disabilities Can do things like pre-employment drug testing As long as everyone is tested

Accessible Technology Use technologies “which incorporate accessibility features for individuals with disabilities, comply with applicable accessibility guidelines and standards, including any web accessibility standards under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and provide individuals with disabilities access to, and use of, information, resources, programs, and activities that are fully accessible, or ensure that the opportunities and benefits provided by the electronic and information technologies are provided to individuals with disabilities in an equally effective and equally integrated manner”.

Regional Focus in Oklahoma 4 Planning Areas 8 Workforce Development Board Areas 9 Key Economic Networks (KENs) Governor’s Council for Workforce and Economic Development

Workforce Center Certification Part of State Planning process For job seekers with disabilities Assessment, remediation of physical center locations across the state Assessment of technology used in System We take requests!

Structure Standards document Cites ADA 2010 Regulations for physical access Cites WCAG 2.0, level AA for technology access Centralized planning with OESC, DRS, ABLE Tech Scalable effort Repeatable with other Workforce Partners, public and private

Additional Reading Promising Practices in Achieving Universal Access and Equal Opportunity: A Section 188 Disability Reference GuidePromising Practices in Achieving Universal Access and Equal Opportunity: A Section 188 Disability Reference Guide LEAD Center Section 188 Policy Brief LEAD Center Webinar Series on WIOA (Part 1) Department of Labor WIOA site

Contact Information Rob Carr, Oklahoma ABLE Tech