U.S. Department of Labor Issues WIA Compliance Assistance Checklist to Help People with Disabilities

WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L Chao today issued a compliance assistance “Checklist” designed to ensure nondiscrimination against and equal opportunity for persons with disabilities under Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The checklist was sent to all WIA program operators who receive government financial assistance.

The “WIA Section 188 Disability Checklist,” which is strictly voluntary and does not create or change legal requirements, was sent to national One-Stop centers, workforce agencies, Job Corps contractors and directors, and WIA program grantees. The Checklist was issued to WIA participants in a departmental memo signed by Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy Roy Grizzard, Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management Patrick Pizzella, and Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco.

“The Checklist is designed to ensure meaningful participation of people with disabilities in programs and activities operated under government funding by WIA,” Secretary Chao said. “It provides a uniform procedure for measuring compliance with the provisions of Section 188 and the regulations that pertain to persons with disabilities. And it helps fulfill the goal of the President’s New Freedom Initiative to better serve the needs of job seekers with disabilities.”

The Checklist, which was developed by ODEP and the Department of Labor’s Civil Rights Center, includes examples of policies, procedures and other recommended steps that recipients of WIA financial assistance may follow to ensure nondiscrimination and equal opportunities for persons with disabilities.

For more information about the Section 188 Disability Checklist, access www.dol.gov/odep.