Joint System Innovation Brief: WIOA Section 188 & AJC Certification: A Window of Opportunity to Impact Equal Opportunity Policy & Practice to Better Serve Individuals with Disabilities

The LEAD Center, Disability Employment Initiative (DEI) and Workforce Innovation Technical Assistance Centers (WINTAC) joined forces in the new Joint System Innovation Brief on WIOA Section 188 & AJC Certification: A Window of Opportunity to Impact Equal Opportunity Policy & Practice to Better Serve Individuals with Disabilities. The Brief contains valuable information from these three technical assistance (TA) centers and also highlights promising practices to support American Job Center (AJC) Certification and Equal Opportunity (EO) from three progressive states: California, Missouri, and Virginia.

The LEAD and DEI Centers provide training and TA to state/local regions as they implement the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in areas of disability and accessibility, while WINTAC, led by the Interwork Institute at San Diego State University, works with state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agencies and their partners on implementing the many requirements of WIOA related to people with disabilities.

All three TA centers receive frequent requests for support in implementing WIOA’s Section 188/EO provisions and their AJC Certification efforts. These requests come from AJC staff, EO officers, VR staff, and other WIOA partners. In different jurisdictions, different partners initiate the request and/or take the lead. Because of high need for TA in this area, WINTAC joined forces with the LEAD Center and DEI on this Brief to strengthen positive practices around Section 188 and AJC Certification to further improve employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.