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Federal Employment Policy “Increasing Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities”

Federal Employment Policy “Increasing Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities”. Stephanie Birmingham Public Policy Associate APSE September 2010. Current Situation?. Employment of persons with disabilities has been historically low.

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Federal Employment Policy “Increasing Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities”

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  1. Federal Employment Policy“Increasing Employment Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities” Stephanie Birmingham Public Policy Associate APSE September 2010

  2. Current Situation? • Employment of persons with disabilities has been historically low. • Participation rate of individuals with targeted disabilities in the federal workforce was 0.88%. (FY 2009 Annual Report on the Federal Workforce)

  3. Why Are Employment Rates So Low for Persons with a Disability? • Myths and stereotypes • Medical Model of Disability • Work disincentives • Lack of transportation • Lack of accessible/affordable housing

  4. Conversations Surrounding Improving Employment Outcomes… • Rehab Act/WIA Reauthorization • Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’ ANPRM • JWOD Modernization • Elimination of 14(C)/Sub-Minimum Wage • Employment First

  5. Workforce Investment Act • Title I – Workforce Investment System • Title II – Adult Education and Literacy Programs • Title III – Wagner-Peyser Act Amendments • Title IV – Rehabilitation Act Amendments • Title V – General Provisions

  6. Rehabilitation Act Establishes… • Vocational Rehabilitation System • CAP (Client Assistance Program) • NIDRR (Nat’l Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research) • National Council on Disability

  7. Rehabilitation Act Cont’d Under Title V • Section 503 Affirmative Action • Section 504 Nondiscrimination • Section 508 Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Requirements Title VI-B SE Grants for Individuals with Significant Disabilities Title VII establishes Centers for Independent Living

  8. ANPRM – OFCCP • The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs seeks public comment on updated Section 503 (Rehab Act) regulations. • How to strengthen regulations? • Establishment of placement goals? • Current effective employment practices? • Utilization of “Linkage Agreements”?

  9. JWOD Reauthorization • Representative Edolphus Towns (D-NY) introduced “Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act of 2010” (H.R. 5983) to modernize JWOD • AbilityOne Program • “Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled” • NISH/NIB

  10. How Do You Improve Employment Outcomes for Persons with Disabilities? Elimination of 14(C)/Sub-Minimum Wage • Phase-out must occur over time • End use of 14(C) for youth transitioning out of the school system • TA should be provided to providers currently using 14(C) Certificates to change business model

  11. Improving Employment Outcomes for Persons with Disabilities Cont’d. Employment First • Improve expectations! • Policies, practices and strategies should focus on integrated, community-based employment for individuals with disabilities. • State funding should give priority to integrated, community employment as the first and preferred outcome. • Align systems so they enable individuals with disabilities to work in integrated settings.

  12. Employment First in the States • TENNESSEE Division of Mental Retardation Services implemented an “Employment First! Initiative” • WASHINGTON STATE Division of Developmental Disabilities’ “Working Age Adult Policy” • INDIANA “Employment First Summit” • CALIFORNIA “Assembly Bill 2424 – Employment First Policy”

  13. Employment First in the States Cont’d. • PENNSYLVANIA “Employment Manual for the PA Community Mental Retardation Program” • COLORADO Division for Developmental Disabilities has established a rule that employment is the primary service option for adults • FLORIDA Agency for Persons with Disabilities launched an employment initiative in 2004 • MARYLAND Developmental Disabilities Administration established an Employment First Advisory Group

  14. “There is nothing wrong with change if it’s in the right direction.” - Winston Churchill “All progress occurs because people dare to be different.” - Harry Millner “Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day.”- Anonymous “The key to change… is to let go of fear.”- Susanne Cash

  15. RESOURCES • Disability Employment Statisticshttp://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t06.htm • Annual Report on the Federal Workforce http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/reports/fsp2009/index.cfm#sectiond • Workforce Investment Acthttp://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/wia/act.cfm • Rehabilitation Acthttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/reg/narrative.html • OFCCP’s ANPRM – Section 503 Regulations http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480b1fd5a

  16. RESOURCES CONT’D. • JWOD Modernizationhttp://thomas.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:H.R.5983: • Employment First in the States http://selnmembers.org/images/stories/site_documents/dmr%20request%20employment%20policy%203-08rev.pdf • APSE’s Call to Phase-Out Subminimum Wage http://www.apse.org/docs/APSE%20Subminimum%20Wage%20Policy%20Statement%2010.09%5B1%5D.pdf • APSE’s Employment First White Paperhttp://www.apse.org/docs/Revised%20Employment%20First%20paper%20709%5B1%5D.pdf

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