The Disability Issues Committee continues to work in partnership, nationally, and with other state and local agencies and private industry on projects and to address disability issues relative to ensuring a well-prepared, skilled workforce. For example, the Committee was instrumental in the development of an accessibility checklist, in conjunction with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (LWD), which assists local One-Stop Career Centers in evaluating and improving facilities and service for customers with disabilities. The Committee also served as the oversight lead on a statewide Work Incentive Grant, Project Access, from the U. S. Department of Labor (USDOL). Working in collaborative partnership with LWD’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the project provided staff training to specified One-Stop Career Center staff, called “navigators,” on how to assist customers with various disabilities. In addition, it provided or improved technology-based services with the purchase of assistive technology. The success of this project led to ongoing funding to support the navigator role in One-Stop Career Centers.

In addition, the Committee is working with local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) to address local and county hiring and transportation issues. WIBs have established their own disability issues committees to actively address these and other state and local issues. The Committee has also developed workforce bulletins to educate local One-Stop Career Center staff and provides public information, and continues its outreach to increase awareness of, and supportive services for, individuals with disabilities.

The Disability Issues Committee has contacted apprenticeship programs and works with transition counselors in New Jersey high schools as part of the NJ PLACE (NJ Pathways Leading Apprentices to a College Education) initiative, along with their regular transition planning for high school graduates. Also, it is exploring ways to provide literacy services to prepare individuals with disabilities for both the workforce and post-secondary education.

Work continues with the creation of the National Disability Issues Committee and ongoing discussions with the National Work Readiness Council to identify and address accessibility issues related to the Work Readiness Credential (WRC). Discussions continue to identify opportunities to integrate the work of the Committee with other national, state, and local projects and grants.