Narrative: III. b. 8.

In compliance with WIOA Section 188 and 29 CFR Part 38 [Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity Provisions of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act], it is the policy of the State of Alabama One-Stop Delivery System (Career Centers) that no person shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, subjected to discrimination under, or denied employment in the administration of or in connection with any WIOA Title I-funded program or activity based on that person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, sex stereotyping, transgender status, and gender identity), national origin (including limited English proficiency), age, disability, political affiliation or belief, and for beneficiaries, citizenship or participation in a WIOA Title I-funded program or activity.

WIOA recipients must not discriminate in deciding who will be admitted, or have access, to any WIOA Title I-financially assisted program or activity; providing opportunities in, or treating any person with regard to, such a program or activity; or making employment decisions in the administration of, or in connection with, such a program or activity.

WIOA recipients shall not discharge, intimidate, retaliate against, threaten, coerce, or discriminate against any person who has filed a complaint alleging a violation of WIOA Section 188 or 29 CFR Part 38; opposed a discriminatory or prohibited practice; assisted or participated in any manner in an investigation, review, hearing or any other activity related to the administration of WIOA nondiscrimination and equal opportunity provisions, the exercise of authority or privilege under those provisions, or otherwise exercised any rights and privileges under the provisions.

Governor Kay Ivey has designated a State-level WIOA Equal Opportunity (EO) Officer, and other WIOA recipients, except small recipients and service providers, have been instructed to designate Equal Opportunity (EO) Officers as appropriate.

Registrants, applicants, eligible applicants/registrants, participants, applicants for employment, employees, unions, and other professional organizations that hold collective bargaining or professional agreements with ADOL, WIOA sub-recipients, and members of the public, including those with impaired vision or hearing and those with limited English proficiency are provided a notice of nondiscrimination. The nondiscrimination policy/notice is provided through an Equal Opportunity is the Law Poster (English and Spanish versions) required to be displayed prominently in all career centers and WIOA recipients' facilities, and includes the policy, complaint filing instructions, telephone numbers for the Alabama Relay Center and TTY, as well as contact information for EO Officers. An assurance of nondiscrimination is included in local workforce development area and subrecipient contract/agreement packages. The EO notice is posted on The Alabama Department of Labor (ADOL) website and the WIOA websites.

Publications, broadcasts, and other one-stop system communications to staff, clients, or the public at large continue to include the required taglines "equal opportunity employer/program" and "auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities" and Alabama Relay Center and/or TDD/TTY telephone numbers.

At the time of initial registration for Wagner-Peyser services and activities, all ES applicants, WIOA applicants, eligible applicants, and participants are given the notice of nondiscrimination. For those

ES registrants who move on to WIOA or other services and activities, the EO notice is provided again, usually during orientation. A copy of the notice is maintained in participants' files. Career center staff read or play a recorded version of the EO notice to those applicants, registrants and participants who are visually impaired and document the provision of the alternate format. The State continues its efforts to widen the availability and provision of the EO notice in alternate formats (e.g., Braille, electronic reader, etc.).

Accessibility and Communication with Individuals with Disabilities

Alabama Career Centers (including affiliate centers) have been reviewed for physical and programmatic accessibility of facilities, services, technology and materials by a team of individuals with disabilities and staff from the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. The review team used a survey checklist developed under WIOA Section 188. The surveys measured compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. This re-survey was conducted by a team of persons with disabilities and others that includes assistive technology experts on deaf and blind needs. All of these surveys measure physical access from parking to entrances to where services are provided as well as accessibility of bathrooms, telephones, tables, and water fountains. Policies were evaluated to ensure that they do not exclude individuals with disabilities. Computers were evaluated to ensure access for those with disabilities affecting hearing, vision, and manual dexterity.

Comprehensive and total staff training continues to be developed and implemented for all career centers. Previously, seven (7) comprehensive centers that were equipped with Assistive technology from Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) funding received comprehensive training in the operation and use of that equipment, as well sensitivity and awareness training to address the needs of individuals with disabilities. That training covered the following assistive technology:

• Kensington expert track ball
• Height adjustable workstation
• Windows speech recognition software
• Noise cancelling headphones (if the center had them)
• NVDA screen reader
• Windows Magnifier
• EZ Eyes Large Print Keyboard
• DaVinci HD OCR Enhanced Vision
• UBIDUO

Plans for upgrading assistive technology and training in all the career centers is on-going and will be implemented as soon as possible to ensure that programs and activities are fully accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Workforce Development Division and other Commerce Department staff, Career Center and ADOL staff, WIOA partner agencies, and other WIOA recipients have been offered and participated in training for Inclusion Through Digital Accessibility and Service Animal training.

Alabama Career Centers undergo certification by Governor’s Local Workforce Area Boards staff at least once every three years, as mandated by the criteria and procedures mandated by CFR § 361.800 and further defined under by the State WDB. These criteria are reviewed and updated every two years as part of the Local Plan update process. The most recent certification occurred during Program Year 2020. The next round of certifications will be conducted in partnership with the four WIOA core partner programs during Program Year 2023.