Workforce Investment Act: Labor Has Taken Several Actions to Facilitate Access to One-Stops for Persons with Disabilities, but These Efforts May Not Be Sufficient
Highlights
The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 includes provisions intended to ensure that people with disabilities have equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from the programs and activities offered through one-stop career centers (one-stops). But little is known, and questions have been raised, about how well this system is working for persons with disabilities. This report examines (1) what the Department of Labor (Labor), states, and the one-stops have done to facilitate comprehensive access to the WIA one-stop system; (2) the various relationships that the one-stops have established with disability-related agencies to provide services to persons with disabilities; (3) what Labor has done to ensure that the one-stops are meeting the comprehensive access requirements, and the factors that have affected efforts to ensure compliance; and (4) what is known about the employment outcomes of persons with disabilities who use the one-stop system.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Labor | To improve comprehensive access for persons with disabilities to the one-stop system, Labor should develop and implement a long-term plan for ensuring that the one-stop system complies with the comprehensive access requirements for people with disabilities. Moreover, in this era of constrained resources, Labor should utilize the expertise of CRC, ETA, and ODEP staff in developing such a plan. |
The Department of Labor (DOL) formed a workgroup to develop and implement a long-term plan for ensuring that one-stop career centers comply with comprehensive access requirements. In addition to involving DOL's Employment and Training Administration (ETA), Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and Office of the Assistant Secretary of Administration and Management's (OASAM) Civil Rights Center (CRC), as recommended, DOL also involved its Veterans' Employment and Training Services (VETS), the Department of Education's (DOE) Rehabilitative Services Administration (RSA), and the Social Security Administration (SSA). The workgroup acknowledged a need to coordinate many activities to promote quality services for people with disabilities, in addition to activities to ensure compliance with the recommendation, and agreed to coordinate additional policies and activities. The workgroup developed a framework, finalized and approved by the former ETA Assistant Secretary and shared with ODEP and OASAM, which sets forth the ideal goals that DOL seeks to accomplish to promote excellence in service delivery for people with disabilities in the One-Stop Career Center system. The intent of the framework was to develop a comprehensive interagency work plan that would require a long term commitment and collaboration with federal partners to leverage resources in order to maximize the federal government's ability to help the One-Stop Career Center system serve this population. DOL notes that it may be necessary to prioritize and/or modify these goals, contingent upon available resources. Furthermore, DOL reported that its FY10 budget proposal requested an increase of $10 million for ODEP, which will support a new initiative that focuses on working with employers, the One-Stop system, and other stakeholders to vigorously promote the hiring, job placement and retention of individuals with disabilities, particularly youth, in integrated employment, apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, and community service activities. Finally, ETA, ODEP and CRC have undertaken a number of joint activities since the issuance of this report, including presenting jointly at stakeholder conferences, participating in work groups to address mental health issues, and jointly developing and holding a web seminar focused on facilitating connecting people with disabilities with quality employment.
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