Section 503 Community of Practice

1. Section 503 Community of Practice Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability April 2, 2014

2. Section 503 Community of Practice (CoP) • Calls on first Wednesday of every month (3:00 p.m. Eastern Time) • April through September 2014 • EN-led brainstorming sessions • Open to all ENs and State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies.

3. Purpose of Section 503 CoP • Create a learning forum where peers can share expertise, discuss past experiences, and provide useful tips on ways to assist Ticket Holders to take advantage of the expected increase in employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. • Discuss and brainstorm on ways to turn Section 503 knowledge and understanding into strategic actions • Provide opportunities to discuss aspects of Section 503 that may create barriers to full implementation • Brainstorm on strategies for identifying and approaching Federal contractors and subcontractors about hiring beneficiaries with disabilities • Discuss strategies for screening and preparing beneficiaries to seek employment with Federal contractors

4. Facilitator:Susan WebbABIL Employment ServicesPhoenix Arizona Phone: (602) 443-0711Email: SusanW@abil.org

5. Today’s CoP Topic: “Self-Identification” • How are Employment Networks (ENs) preparing their Ticket customers for self-identification during the application and hiring process? • What are ENs doing to prepare their working Ticket customers for self-identification inquiries made by employers to their employees? • How do we think Ticket customers will respond to pre- and post- hire self-identification inquiries?

6. Section 503 Requirements • Prohibits Federal contractors (and organizations subcontracting with them) from discriminating in employment against individuals with disabilities. • The new rules, effective March 24, 2014, strengthen the affirmative action provisions of the 503 regulations to help Federal contractors in their efforts to recruit, employ, train, promote and retain individuals with disabilities, and improve job opportunities for them. • For more information visit: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/section503.htm

7. Federal Contractor 503 Obligations Based on the Size of the Contract and Number of Employees • Affirmative Action requirements apply to all Federal contractors and subcontractors with $10,000 or more in awards. (41 CFR 60 Section 741.44) • Additional requirements apply to Federal contractors/subcontractors with $50,000 or more in awards and 50 or more employees, including: • A 7% utilization goal – meaning these contractors must aspire to achieve the goal of having 7% of their entire workforce be individuals with disabilities; • Preparing and maintaining an Affirmative Action Program (AAP). Federal contractors with written programs in place on March 24, 2014, have additional time to comply with new AAP requirements. (41 CFR 60 Section 741.44) • Federal contractors with $100,000 or more in awards secured after 2003, are encouraged to post job openings with employment service delivery systems such as ENs, American Job Centers, and State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies. • http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/section503/503_summary_qa_508c.pdf

8. Federal Contractors and Subcontractors • Of the 155 million civilians in U.S. workforce as of Aug 2013, approximately 34 million or 22% were employed by over 200,000 Federal contractors/subcontractor companies. • Close to $500 billion in taxpayer dollars are awarded to these 200,000+ Federal contractors/subcontractors each year. • Federal contractors/subcontractors would need to hire close to 600,000 individuals with disabilities in next few years to meet 7% utilization goal established by changes to Section 503 rules.

9. Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability Form • The form that Federal contractor & subcontractor employers must use to ask employees and applicants to self-identify as individuals with disabilities is available on the OFCCP website at: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/section503.htm • Scroll down to Self-Identification for English and Spanish versions of the form.

10. Why are you being asked to complete this form?

11. How do I know if I have a disability?

12. Reasonable Accommodation Notice

13. Open Discussion Voluntary Self-Identification

14. Learn More about Section 503 • For Information on changes to Section 503 and where to find Federal contractors/subcontractors, including a guide on “How to Find Federal Contractors on the Federal Procurement Data System-Next Generation,” visit the Information Center on the Your Ticket to Work website (www.yourtickettowork.com) - Look for Section 503 in the left navigation. • Click on 503 Readiness Training to access archived presentations from the OSM’s Section 503 readiness webinar series • Click on 503 Resources to find: • Resources for Job Seekers and Employers, • Job Posting Services and Job Banks Specializing in Recruitment of Individuals with Disabilities, • Assistive Technology Resources, • Links to Information on Labor Force Participation Rate and the Unemployment Rate, • Employer Resources Related to Section 503, • Tools Specific to Section 503, and • Links to generic information on employment for individuals with disabilities