Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan [13] must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA:
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[13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Data System on Personnel and Personnel Development
Describe the designated State agency's procedures and activities to establish and maintain a comprehensive system of personnel development designed to ensure an adequate supply of qualified State rehabilitation professional and paraprofessional personnel for the designated State unit, including the following:
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development; Data System on Personnel and Personnel Development
i. 5. Personnel to Address Individual Communication Needs
Describe how the designated State unit has personnel or obtains the services of other individuals who are able to communicate in appropriate modes of communication with or in the native language of applicants or eligible individuals who have limited English speaking ability.
Current Narrative:
(5) Personnel to Address Individual Communication Needs. Describe how the designated State unit has personnel or obtains the services of other individuals who are able to communicate in appropriate modes of communication with or in the native language of applicants or eligible individuals who have limited English speaking ability.
MEETING THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DEAF, HARD OF HEARING OR DEAF/BLIND
DORS has personnel skilled in American Sign Language who are assigned to provide services to consumers who are deaf and hard of hearing and deaf/blind who require such communication. DORS has TTYs in offices and has installed video phones within the office locations of rehabilitation counselors for the deaf (RCDs). DORS hires approved interpreters, as needed, to assure that consumers have access to the full range of rehabilitation services they may need. DORS supports attendance of consumers at institutions specializing in services for the deaf, as appropriate.
DORS has a dedicated office, the Office for Blindness & Vision Services, which has counselors who have specialized caseloads working with individuals who are blind, visually impaired, or deaf blind. These staff participate in at least quarterly training on topics specific to blindness and vision services, assistive technology, job development, career counseling, and participate in other Division sponsored training with all staff. DORS collaborates with its partners in the provision of training including the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER), and Helen Keller National Center (HKNC). DORS provides assistive technology, as appropriate and required, for individuals who are blind or vision impaired. DORS provides all information for consumers in the requested alternate format of the individual. DORS website and intranet are fully accessible to users of screen readers.
MEETING THE NEEDS OF LEP INDIVIDUALS
DORS provides interpreter and translation services to consumers through the state contract for such services and through staff with skills in languages other than English. A DORS workgroup addresses a multicultural initiative, which includes identification of staff with language skills in addition to English, enhancing cultural competencies of staff, identification of community resources, and provision of public information and agency forms in alternate languages. The Division includes periodic in-service training opportunities on cultural proficiency.