Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA)

This policy brief from the LEAD Center provides a summary of the Department of Labor’s and Department of Education’s Final Rules implementing Title I of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, from a disability perspective.

Section 188 of WIOA prohibits the exclusion of an individual from participation in, denial of the benefits of, discrimination in, or denial of employment in the administration of or in connection with, any programs and activities funded or otherwise financially assisted in whole or in part under Title I of WIOA because of among other things, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and disability. This policy brief provides a summary of the final rule provisions of Section 188 of WIOA from a disability perspective.

This brief discusses actions that American Job Center (AJC) staff can take to make their services more accessible to autistic people and others with psychosocial, cognitive, intellectual, and developmental disabilities (DD).

American Job Centers (AJCs) are uniquely positioned to extend the promise of financial stability to prospective job seekers and workers with disabilities by serving as a bridge for accessing accurate informational resources and successful strategies to assist in improving one’s financial capability. This paper describes some of the replicable models that AJCs have established to provide financial capability services.

The Vision of WIOA includes a common service process for all customers. Services are to be provided in an integrated service system, in order to assure equal access to services and job opportunities for all customers, as well as increased economy in service provision for the service partner agencies. Without a tangible definition for “Service Integration” in the American Job Center, the WINTAC team set out to meet with State and local leadership in Iowa, Kentucky and Virginia to capture their service processes. Finding Integration Brief

Job seekers with disabilities often need to navigate a maze of multiple systems to access resources that will allow them to get the skills they need and to achieve meaningful employment outcomes. Because of separate functional silos, duplication or fragmentation of services may result and thus not maximize effectiveness for people with disabilities. Learn how funding a full-time Certified Rehabilitation Counselor whose entire caseload consists of shared co-enrolled WIOA title I and WIOA title IV customers can help maximize positive outcomes for both job seekers with disabilities and workforce programs. Georgia VR Partnership

IRTs provide the opportunity for comprehensive, wrap-around services on behalf of an individual with a disability or other challenges to employment by bringing together diverse programs and services that meet the needs of a particular job seeker. Learn how this strategic approach is customer-centered and supports the integrated nature of WIOA. DEI FAQs