Located in:
- III. Operational Planning ElementsThe Unified or Combined State Plan must include an Operational Planning Elements section that support the State’s strategy and the system-wide vision described in Section II.(c) above. Unless otherwise noted, all Operational Planning Elements apply to Combined State Plan partner programs included in the plan as well as to core programs. This section must include—
- b. State Operating Systems and PoliciesThe Unified or Combined State Plan must include a description of the State operating systems and policies that will support the implementation of the State strategy described in Section II Strategic Elements . This includes—
- b. State Operating Systems and Policies
III. b. 8. Addressing the Accessibility of the One-stop Delivery System for Individuals with Disabilities
Current Narrative:
The commonwealth’s Methods of Administration (MOA) document provides written assurance that the state complies with all nondiscrimination and equal opportunity requirements provided for in federal and state law and regulations. The MOA describes the actions and policies the state takes to ensure compliance. The Office of Equal Opportunity within L&I is responsible for implementing and monitoring compliance with nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions of WIOA, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other relevant laws and regulations.
PA CareerLink® centers strive to be physically and programmatically accessible to all customers, including individuals with disabilities. PA CareerLink® centers use principles of universal design and human-centered design, such as flexibility in space usage; the use of pictorial, written, verbal, and tactile modes to present information for customers with disabilities or limited English proficiency; providing clear lines of sight to information for seated or standing users; providing necessary accommodations; and providing adequate space for the use of assistive devices or personal assistants. To further support service to individuals with limited English proficiency, many PA CareerLink® centers employ bilingual staff, the PA CareerLink® website utilizes Google translation services to allow the site to be viewed in dozens of languages, and the JobGateway® website can be utilized in English or Spanish.
The commonwealth mandates that all PA CareerLink® centers provide reasonable accommodations, reasonable modifications, architectural accessibility, programmatic accessibility, and CWDS website accessibility for persons with disabilities. Each office is equipped with assistive technologies and accessibility features including a computer with common accessibility devices such as JAWS, Zoom Text, enabled sticky keys, modified keyboards, and other input devices. Staff members are trained on the maintenance and operation of available assistive technology devices.
In collaboration with one or more Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and the Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the commonwealth will evaluate the physical accessibility and information technology accessibility of all PA CareerLink® centers and services to ensure that Pennsylvanians with a disability are able to fully avail themselves of PA CareerLink® services.
The PA Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) Office of Equal Opportunity evaluates each PA CareerLink® center at least every three (3) years to ensure compliance with ADA standards. This is done as part of the PA CareerLink® certification process. The commonwealth’s Workforce Delivery SystemPA CareerLink® Certification and Continuous Improvement Policy, WSP 121-05, outlines all of the criteria for certification and re-certification of its PA CareerLink® offices.
PA CareerLink® staff members receive refresher training on disability awareness, sensitivity and etiquette, outreach for employers, and guidance concerning Social Security and related topics. Each office is required to develop an Enhancement Plan for providing services to persons with disabilities.
CWDS offers a variety of resources and information on services available to persons with disabilities including: information on training opportunities and links to online training; technology guides for using screen enlargement software, screen reading software, Windows Accessibility features, and the Text Telephone or Teletypewriter for the Deaf (TTY); information on the ADA and accessibility; alternate format handbooks; links to service providers and resources to assist persons with disabilities in removing barriers to employment; and links to information for employers interested in hiring a person with a disability including tax benefits, the ADA and accommodations.
The PA Department of Education Division of Adult Education requires all Title II programs to be ADA compliant and mandates that programs have reasonable materials available for students to use to accommodate learning differences. The Division of Adult Education also supports various professional development activities on providing services to address learning differences.
To further promote programmatic accessibility, the PA Department of Labor & Industry Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) has developed a comprehensive disability awareness and etiquette training that is delivered across the commonwealth to interested PA CareerLink® partners and businesses. OVR has also made available to all commonwealth employees an “Introduction to OVR” training to inform staff about the services OVR can offer to individuals with disabilities. OVR staff has received Leadership Training on the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAA) to include strategies and modules for training businesses and customers on the Act.