Narrative: III. b. 8.

The DEO was one of the original recipients of the Department of Labor’s Disability Program Navigator (DPN) grant in 2002, and has continued to expand services to persons with disabilities within CareerSource Florida centers throughout the state. The DPN grant focused on developing relationships across agency and entity lines to leverage resources and enhance employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, and was a catalyst to:

• Expand opportunities to increase staff awareness of the variety of assistive technologies and services available

• Provide technical assistance and training on working with persons with varying disabilities

• Assure that the CareerSource centers were readily accessible.

After the U.S. Department of Labor’s DPN ended, CareerSource Florida awarded state-level funding to LWDBs to support the accomplishments of the DPN grant and assist the local areas with staffing, purchasing of assistive technology and services, and modifications to workstations and offices to better accommodate persons with disabilities. The CareerSource center system has expanded the range of local partners who provide supplemental services to maximize the success of persons with disabilities in the workplace.

LWDBs continue to expand employment and training services for persons with disabilities. Seventeen of Florida’s 24 LWDBs have been approved as Employment Networks (EN) under the Ticket to Work program.

In addition, the state and several LWDBs have accessible mobile CareerSource Florida centers which can provide on-site services for mass layoffs, remote job fairs and other employment and training events, thus providing additional access for individuals with disabilities.

At the state level, the workforce system has increased its active participation on boards that work to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities such as:

• Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST)

• Florida Developmental Disability Council led Employment First Initiative and their Employment and Transportation Task Force,

• Community Services Block Grant Advisory Council

• Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged

• Financial Capability for Persons with Disabilities

• Employment and Transportation Task Force led by the Florida Development Disabilities Council

The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) also has representation within the workforce system and several members of the Statewide Strengthening Youth Partnership are entities that focus their services to persons with disabilities.

VR has been a partner in the CareerSource Florida network since the inception of WIA. Many other state and local entities also provide resources that help to maximize employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. These partners enhance the services that career centers offer their customers and provide those supports that the workforce system cannot. Together partners and the workforce system are able to offer comprehensive services for job seekers that offer the opportunity for self-sufficiency through meaningful employment.

November of 2014 saw the launch of the Abilities Work web portal within the state MIS, EFM. The portal was in response to the recommendation made by the Governor’s Commission on Jobs for Floridians with Disabilities for a single point of contact for employers who would like to hire an individual with a disability and need guidance and information. The portal was developed by DEO in partnership with VR, FDBS, APD, the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council and stakeholders from around the state. The portal’s Help Desk is operated by VR staff who provide staff with specialized knowledge in disability resources and can guide job seekers and employers as they navigate the employment system. Together with these partners DEO continues to monitor and make improvements to the portal in response to suggestions from users and the staff’s own experiences.

The resources described above provide a strong foundation for accessibility in the CareerSource Florida Network service delivery system. To support and strengthen existing resources, DEO’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) conducts regular on-site and desktop reviews of each LWDB’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, as amended, and 29 CFR Parts 32 and 37. LWDBs, in turn, are required to conduct self-audits and participant data analysis to monitor their own compliance with the ADA annually. The primary compliance criteria are contained in Florida’s Methods of Administration, as required by federal equal opportunity regulations. Additionally, in order to obtain meaningful information regarding the level of service to individuals with disabilities, OCR may conduct the following reviews:

• Staff interviews

• Customer surveys and interviews

• Facility accessibility survey review and assessment

• Review of customer informational materials, including materials in alternative formats and languages other than English

• Review of community contact programs

• Observation of center activities

• Complaint file review

• Discussion of intake and assessment processes, including provisions to serve individuals with disabilities or who are non-English speaking

• Review of compliance monitoring reports prepared by or on behalf of the LWDB

• Review of program and equipment available

OCR provides ongoing technical assistance to LWDB/career center staff regarding such topics as reasonable accommodation requests from customers and employees. Based on these technical assistance requests and its reviews of LWDBs’ compliance with ADA requirements, OCR intends to provide formal training onsite or via webinars on critical topics.

In 2013, VR introduced a strategic initiative to ensure accessibility of all agency components- its programs, facilities, personnel and hiring practices, online resources, internal and external communications, and technology systems. This goal has been successfully completed and its strategies are now built into VR operational procedures. FDOE Leasing staff conducts ADA inspections (following ADA Title II requirements) of all new or renewed VR office leases. VR offices that are inspected and found not in compliance have in place a 504 Plan, which describes accessibility improvements planned for the facility. VR customers are included in this process when possible. VR employees in every area have completed ADA Coordinator certification training. Hearing loops and other adaptive equipment and/or software is available in VR facilities, and specific applications have been developed using custom JAWS script and workflow documentation to meet the needs of users. VR employees are required to complete ADA informational training.

Additional VR internal strategies and activities to increase equal access to individuals requesting services are as follows.

• Develop a comprehensive safety plan for monitoring VR facilities statewide. Specific components include a process for reporting defective/unsafe working conditions, safety and facilities management training for area staff, a move manual, a statewide safety manual, statewide first aid info, furniture inspection instructions, and a facility security / building access policy at HQ.

• Continue to use interpreters and translators and VR’s online resources, as well as the websites of other partners and stakeholders (where permitted), to reach underserved populations and increase communication with customers.

• Offer expanded access to services, and make sure that materials and other program information are available in English, Spanish, and Haitian-Creole for various agencies, employers, churches, community leaders, health clinics, and other settings.

• Continue to assign counselors and consultants to serve specialized populations, such as the deaf and hard-of-hearing, transition students, mental health customers, and brain and spinal cord injury customers.

• Collaborate with CareerSource Florida and other career center partners to implement universal design principles into the workforce development system’s facilities and operations, with intent to include universal design as a separate component of the One-stop career center certification process.