By Kailyn McBride
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a new report examining how disabled job seekers still face challenges accessing state and local workforce development programs. This report was requested by Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24) and House Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03).
This new report details that despite significant progress made towards accessibility, many individuals with disabilities still face barriers to receiving job training services. Specifically, the GAO investigation reported challenges in ensuring that third-party training services provide adequate accommodations to ensure job training is accessible for individuals with disabilities.
“Disabled job seekers are employed at far lower rates than anyone else in this nation, and that is unacceptable,” said Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24). “The GAO’s report shows that while progress has been made under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, too many barriers still block the path, especially when training providers fail to provide proper accommodations. That is not fairness, and it is not justice. True workforce development means real access for everyone. It is our shared responsibility to remove these barriers, strengthen our workforce programs, and close the employment gap so that disabled job seekers have a full and equal chance to contribute, thrive, and succeed in today’s economy.”
“The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is the cornerstone of our workforce development system, and offers career growth to millions of Americans, including individuals with disabilities,” said Ranking Member Scott (VA-03). “Today’s report shows that while states and localities have made significant progress towards providing accessible job training for people with disabilities, there is still much more to be done. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass critical updates to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act by passing the bipartisan A Stronger Workforce for America Act and ensuring that all Americans have access to quality job training and the opportunity that brings.”
Enacted in 2014, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) made crucial improvements to streamline the maze of federal workforce development programs and enhance accountability through a single set of performance metrics. WIOA authorizes programs that help job seekers access services at locations called job centers and prohibits discrimination and requires that services be accessible to people with disabilities. WIOA specifically identifies disability as a barrier to employment, making it imperative to remove barriers to disabled job seekers accessing the workforce system.
However, almost a decade later, significant challenges persist that impede the workforce system’s ability to provide high-quality services to job seekers and employers. In the 118th Congress, Ranking Member Scott and then Chair Virginia Foxx negotiated a bipartisan WIOA reauthorization. And in April 2024, the bipartisan A Stronger Workforce for America Act passed the House with a vote of 378 to 26.
