Narrative: III. b. 8.

The District is committed to serving individuals with disabilities effectively and ensuring that they have access to all offices and agencies, commencing with all the American Job Centers and continuing to all partner agencies, providers, educational institutions, and organizations impacted by this plan and utilizing funds associated with the related activities.

According to data provided by the DC Department of Disability Services, Rehabilitation Services Administration (DDS/RSA), 37,300 District residents between the ages of 21-64 (roughly 8.8 percent) are estimated to have a disability. Of those individuals, it is estimated that 32.8 percent are employed on a full-time or part-time basis.

DOES currently enjoys strong partnerships with the DC Office of Disability Rights (ODR) and DDS. In the future, DOES will expand these partnerships into collaborative programming and coordination with employer partners who are interested in hiring District residents with disabilities. Through the collaboration DOES will work with DDS to exchange customer data and ensure comprehensive services are accessible through dual onsite access for DOES and DDS staff.

DOES works with the DDS/RSA to tap into their experience assisting persons with disabilities to find employment and also leverages resources. For example, DDS/RSA may have the employer relationship, and DOES may cover the costs of occupational skills training.

The District is committed to equal opportunity employment. All decisions made regarding recruitment, hiring, training, and other terms and conditions of program operations will be made without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, or belief. The AJCs will comply with WIA Section 188, Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and current District of Columbia method of administration. This assurance will be incorporated into all grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other arrangements whereby WIA funds are made available.

Pursuant to DOES Policy 300.20-4, AJC Reasonable Accommodation Policy, qualified individuals with disabilities will be given a meaningful opportunity to participate in and benefit from aid, benefits, services, or training, including core, intensive, training, and supportive services. This includes the adoption of effective communication strategies for applicants, participants, and the general public with a wide range of physical, perceptual, communication, and cognitive abilities. This policy aims to ensure that universal access is a reality for all persons interested in participating in programs, projects, and activities contracted through the AJCs, including persons with disabilities.

The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) offices have served this special population with distinction and will continue to do so. They have indicated interest in continuing to partner with the AJCs to provide services, and they are welcomed as valuable partners. Vocational rehabilitation already enjoys a close relationship with Goodwill Industries because of their shared interest in serving individuals with special needs. AJCs and VR will share adaptive equipment and services already in place to assist those who need special assistance.

Furthermore the District will ensure all AJCs are in compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and will continue to work towards ensuring employment-related services are being provided to citizens with special needs at AJCs, as opposed to relying heavily on referrals. The Assistive Technology (AT) Center and the AT Specialist with RSA have provided technical assistance to the one stop in order to identify necessary equipment to ensure accessibility of services to people with disabilities, including people who are blind or visually impaired, which includes special screens, keyboards, and adjustable workstations for use by customers who are blind or visually impaired,, in wheelchairs, or with other disabilities.

Department of Employment Services Accessibility Plan and Section 508 Compliance Initiative

WIOA requires universal access to the services of the AJCs. While AJC staff are not rehabilitation counselors or disabilities specialists, with a combination of basic customer service practices, core knowledge of disability issues, and information on where staff and customers can find additional assistance, the AJC can play a significant role in helping many people with disabilities meet their employment and career advancement goals.

In partnership with OSSE AFE, DOES AJC customers are screened for learning disabilities by the onsite OSSE AFE provider partner using a Learning Needs Screening Tool imbedded in the Data Vault. Individuals that score 12 or higher on the screening may be referred for further assessment.

OSSE AFE, in collaboration with Literacy Pro systems, digitized the Learning Needs Screening, the Student Questionnaire for English Language Learners and the more intensive “Payne Learning Needs Inventory” into the Data Vault for use by DC government and partner agencies. The Data Vault will include future functionality so that recommendations for accommodations in instruction and testing auto-populate based on the Payne Learning Needs Inventory results. The Data Vault will also include functionality for OSSE AFE to receive requests for authorizations for customers to be referred to a licensed psychologist/clinician for psychological evaluations, psycho-educational assessments, speech, hearing, and vision screenings. If approved, this will result in a referral to vendors/providers for whom OSSE has contracted with in coordination with DDS/RSA. DDS/RSA will also be partnering with OSSE to provide additional and/or other supportive services to adult learners who have been found to have special needs.

DOES is currently developing a formal plan that will establish the procedures to be implemented to ensure that AJCs are in compliance with Section 508. The term disability is extremely broad. While some individuals can be identified due to mobility issues or sensory deficits (such as people who are blind, visually impaired, or deaf), there are other individuals who are covered under one of the provisions of the law for whom physical access is not an issue, such as those with learning disabilities, mental health issues, head injuries, and many other conditions. DOES is committed to providing services that:

• Strive to anticipate the needs of people with disabilities in the physical design of the center, as well as the design of services that provide opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in an effective and meaningful way in an integrated setting; and,
• Avoid unnecessary requirements that tend to screen out individuals with disabilities, such as requiring a driver’s license as the only acceptable form of identification, or requirements mandating that individuals must complete intake forms without assistance Permit special benefits beyond those required by regulation, such as additional one-on-one assistance or extra time beyond typical time limits Provide reasonable accommodations to customers with disabilities, unless providing those accommodations would cause undue hardship (e.g., modified computer keyboards, sign-language interpreters, intensive staff assistance, modified computer screens) Ensure communications with customers and members of the public with disabilities are as effective as communications with others (i.e., providing auxiliary aids such as qualified interpreters, assistive listening headsets, closed and open captioning on videos, and telecommunication devices [TDD and TTY]) Comply with WIOA nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions.