Narrative:

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) ensures that no barriers exist that could impede equitable access or participation in the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of WIOA, on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status, mental or physical disability, or any other basis.

Gender: DESE-AEL ensures that all genders have equal access to participate in AEFLA programs at the local level. DESE AEL works with local providers to ensure recruitment of all genders and validates this effort using enrollment data. This includes pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, sex stereotyping, transgender status, and gender identity.

National origin/race/color/religion/political affiliation/veteran status: Local providers serve participants from diverse cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds. This includes individuals with limited English proficiency regardless of citizenship status. Monitoring, data analysis and narrative reporting from local providers ensure a continued commitment to recruit and serve eligible individuals from diverse populations (national origin, race, color, religion, veteran status or political affiliation or belief). All activities, program components and published materials must remain free of bias of national origin, race, color, religion, or political affiliation or belief.

Disability: Local providers must give program access and participation to all individuals regardless of mental or physical disability. All activities, program components and published materials must remain free of bias regarding disabilities. All providers make reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities to ensure their full and equitable participation in AEFLA activities. All entrances, restrooms, and offices are totally accessible to individuals with disabilities in order to ensure their equal access in AEFLA activities. DESE AEL validates accessibility of its programs for students with disabilities through monitoring and student data analysis.

Age: Local providers ensure program access and participation to all individuals regardless of age (for those age eligible). All activities and published materials are free of bias regarding age. DESE AEL using monitoring and enrollment data analysis to validate this.

DESE AEL ensures that local service providers’ recruitment, intake, participation, and hiring practices are in compliance with GEPA. Local service providers ensure that AEFLA staff recruit all eligible participants and do not discriminate which is validated through data analysis.

All eligible individuals participate in intake which assesses the educational needs and goals while addressing questions about available services. The intake process is used to place eligible individuals in appropriate AEFLA and WIOA partner activities regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, political affiliation, veteran status gender, age, or disability.

All individuals must be able to participate in all AEFLA activities regardless race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, sex stereotyping, transgender status, and gender identity), national origin (including limited English proficiency and regardless of citizenship status), age, disability, veteran status or political affiliation or belief.

Local service providers must be an equal opportunity employer. In adhering to this, providers will ensure equal opportunity hiring guidelines to guarantee equal access in employment to all who apply for a position using AEFLA funds.

Each grant cycle, DESE AEL requires all adult local service providers to submit a short description of their plan to, or how they currently are, meeting GEPA, Section 427, requirements. The provider must describe how the local program addresses barriers that are applicable to their program ensuring equitable access for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs as required in Section 427 of GEPA. DESE AEL validates these efforts through on-site and data monitoring of local programs to ensure GEPA adherence. GEPA requirements are included in all grant competitions. 

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status, mental or physical disability, or any other basis prohibited by statute in its programs and activities. Inquiries related to department programs and to the location of services, activities, and facilities that are accessible by persons with disabilities may be directed to the Jefferson State Office Building, Director of Civil Rights Compliance and MOA Coordinator (Title VI/Title VII/Title IX/504/ADA/ADAAA/Age Act/GINA/USDA Title VI), 5th Floor, 205 Jefferson Street, P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480; telephone number 573-526-4757 or TTY 800-735-2966; email civilrights@dese.mo.gov.