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U.S. General Accountability Office. (2004). Workforce Investment Act: Labor has taken several actions to facilitate access to one-stops for persons with disabilities, but these efforts may not be sufficient. (GAO-05-54). Washington, DC: Author.
Abstract
The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 includes provisions to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to programs and activities offered through one-stop career centers ("one-stops"). This report examines what has been done to facilitate comprehensive access to one-stops, the relationships one-stops have established with disability-related service agencies, what the Department of Labor (DOL) has done to ensure that one-stops meet comprehensive access requirements, and what is known about the employment outcomes of one-stop consumers with disabilities. The GAO conducted site visits to 18 local workforce investment areas and one-stops in six states.
The GAO found that one-stops had set up relationships with other agencies, including VR, and that the type, range, and structure of these relationships varied. Most sites were working to improve architectural access, and sites varied in the degree to which they had addressed other access issues such as assistive technology and reasonable accommodations. Although DOL has acted to ensure access compliance, these efforts may not be sufficient. Finally, data on employment outcomes is limited for a number of reasons.
GAO recommends that DOL develop and implement a long-term plan for ensuring access compliance. In addenda to the report, DOL generally agreed with GAO's findings and recommendations, and said even more could be done to ensure access in the one-stop system.
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