WEBINAR: Improving Employment Opportunities and Outcomes for People with Disabilities: Sept. 29th

Implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

Tuesday, September 29, 2015, 12:30-1:30PM EST

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014 (WIOA) made significant changes to the workforce programs administered by the Employment & Training Administration as well as the vocational rehabilitation (VR) program that have the potential to assist people with disabilities to become and remain employed. This webinar will provide an overview of the changes made by WIOA and highlight two provisions that made changes to the responsibilities and procedures governing state VR programs and the implementation of those provisions. 

The webinar will feature: 

1. Overview of the provisions of WIOA impacting people with disabilities including: 

• The Unified State Plan 
• Improving Accessibility of American Job Centers 
• Changes to Vocational Rehabilitation 
• New authority to provide job retention services 
• Business outreach and relationship development 
• New requirements to serve youth 
• New restrictions on the use of subminimum wage 

Presenter: Lisa Ekman, Disability Policy Consultant, American Association of People with Disabilities 

2. Improving vocational rehabilitation services to students and youth with disabilities 

WIOA requires state vocational rehabilitation agencies to dedicate more resources to working with students and young people with disabilities, including providing more work experience through internships and apprenticeships. This section of the webinar will provide an overview of the implementation of those provisions. 

Presenter: Kelly Buckland, Executive Director, National Council on Independent Living 

3. Limitations on the use of subminimum wage 

WIOA places new limitations on the use of subminimum wage by entities with certificates under section 14C of the Fair Labor Standards Act. State VR agencies have a major role in the implementation of those new limitations and requirements. This section of the the webinar will discuss the potential implications on employments for people with disabilities of this change and how these limitations are being implemented.

Presenter: Anil Lewis, Executive Director, National Federation of the Blind

4. Questions and Answers

This webinar is FREE. We ask that you register if you plan to attend. Login information, documents and updates will be sent the day before the webinar.

This webinar is being sponsored by UNH Employment Policy and Measurement RRTC as well as AAPD and NCIL.

# as posted by Research on Disability:  http://www.researchondisability.org/epm-rrtc/events-view/2015/09/14/WIOA-webinar?utm_source=RRTC&utm_campaign=91ce3dbaca-WIOA-Webinar&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_44d29866e8-91ce3dbaca-209079733