Narrative: b. 1. B.

As part of the CSNA, DVR completed a thorough analysis on the demographic make-up of individuals seeking services compared to Coloradans with disabilities overall and has found that DVR serves a diverse population, largely representative of those with disabilities in Colorado. The CSNA has found that adults who are Asian are slightly underserved by DVR, though this difference is not present among students with disabilities. Similarly, some differences are noted when considering who reaches a plan for employment, with individuals who report they are Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, those who report they are Middle Eastern, and those who report two or more races all receiving services under an Individualized Plan for Employment less likely than would be expected. Lastly, individuals who are Black or African American receive a variety of services less frequently than would be expected and in particular, overall training expenditures for individuals within this demographic were found to be less than expected when DVR completed its Racial Equity Report in 2020. DVR is continuing to explore the reasons for these discrepancies to ensure appropriate action steps are identified and implemented to make certain individuals from minority groups have equitable access to all vocational rehabilitation services.

DVR continues to monitor service data for individuals from minority backgrounds, as well as other traditionally unserved or underserved populations, such as those who lack safe and stable housing. The numbers served tend to be fairly stable over time for most races, though the percentage of individuals that choose not to self-identify has increased from 2.48% to 4.3% over the last two years. Additionally, DVR has seen a gradual increase in the percentage of participants who identify as Latinx, from 20.81% in PY20 to 22.29% in PY22.