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;Report to Congress

摘要

The Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998 includes provisions intended to ensure that people with disabilities have equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from the programs and activities offered through one-stop career centers (one-stops). But little is known, and questions have been raised, about how well this system is working for persons with disabilities. This report examines (1) what the Department of Labor (Labor), states, and the one-stops have done to facilitate comprehensive access to the WIA one-stop system$ (2) the various relationships that the one-stops have established with disability related agencies to provide services to persons with disabilities$ (3) what Labor has done to ensure that the one-stops are meeting the comprehensive access requirements, and the factors that have affected efforts to ensure compliance$ and (4) what is known about the employment outcomes of persons with disabilities who use the one-stop system. GAO recommends that Labor develop and implement a long-term plan for ensuring that the one-stops comply with the comprehensive access requirements. In developing such a plan, Labor should use the expertise of staff from CRC, ETA, and ODEP. Labor generally agreed with our recommendation and said that even more could be done to ensure comprehensive access within the one-stop system.