New York State Department of Labor Workforce Professionals

Disability Employment Initiative

This federally-funded disability employment service is available in our One-Stop Career Centers. The DOL provides seamless Workforce Investment Act (WIA) services and accessibility for everyone served in our NYS One-Stop Career Centers, including individuals with disabilities.

Staff Contact Information

The DEI is a collaborative effort between:

• The United States Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration
• The Office of Disability Employment Policy

On September 30, 2010, the NYS Department of Labor received a three-year DEI grant in the amount of $4,945,060.

A. Goal

• Improve coordination and collaboration among employment, training and asset development programs implemented at state and local levels, including the Ticket to Work Program
• Build effective community partnerships that leverage public and private resources to better serve individuals with disabilities while improving employment outcomes

B. Design

• Improve education, training, and employment opportunities and outcomes for adults with disabilities who are unemployed, underemployed and/or receiving Social Security disability benefits
• Help these individuals with disabilities find a path into the middle class through exemplary and model service delivery by the public workforce investment system

C. Pilot Sites

• Each of the 13 pilot sites located throughout New York State at various One-Stop Career Centers are active Employment Networks (ENs) coordinating all administrative and programmatic functions of the Ticket to Work program

D. Disability Resource Coordinators (DRC)

DRCs will implement and carry out the strategic service delivery components of the DEI at the local level. The DRC, among other responsibilities, will:

• Help expand the workforce development system to serve as Employment Networks under the Ticket to Work program
• Service ticket holders
• Assist in maintaining and ensuring the accessibility of the One-Stop System
• Help job seekers make the connection to programs and agencies that will provide direct services and support
• Be credentialed Work Incentive Information Network (WIIN) or Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC) benefits advisors

To learn more about the DEI, visit: http://www.dei-ideas.org/