Creating an accessible environment requires more than widening doorways and reconstructing bathrooms. Job Corps is required by Section 504 and its implementing regulations at 29 CFR Part 32 to make the program as a whole readily accessible to qualified individuals with disabilities. Where possible at least part of the center or program should be accessible so that students with disabilities can participate in and benefit from the program. Making the center accessible may involve alterations to facilities, attitudinal changes, program changes, and/or the provision of reasonable accommodation.

Facilities

By making existing facilities more usable and providing equal opportunity for people with disabilities, each center can increase their level of accessibility. Making a center accessible is an on-going process that will require different actions for each center. The removal of some barriers can be accomplished with little difficulty or expense while the removal of other barriers may require resources not currently available to the center.

Since approval and funding for rehabilitation projects is decided at the regional and national levels, centers will be limited in the actions they can take to make their facilities more accessible. However, centers may be able to make simple changes to the physical environment, without additional resources. Examples include repairing uneven paving to make a safe route of travel for a person with a mobility impairment, removing from travel paths protruding objects that cannot be detected by a person who is blind, and replacing doorknobs with levers to allow people with limited use of their hands access to a room.

The Americans with Disabilities Act Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal is a valuable tool that can help centers identify accessibility problems and suggests solutions that can be carried out without much difficulty or expense. Topics covered in this checklist that may be of particular interest to centers include making an entrance accessible (e.g., ramps, parking routes of travel); making rooms accessible; emergency egress; making seats, tables and counters accessible; usability of restrooms.

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Communications

Department of Labor regulations implementing Section 504 at 29 CFR Part 34 require Job Corps to ensure that communications with applicants, eligible applicants, participants, applicants for employment, employees, and the public who are persons with disabilities are as effective as communications with others.

To ensure effective communication, Job Corps is required to inform individuals of the availability of appropriate auxiliary aids or services and provide such aids on request. Making individuals aware of the availability of auxiliary aids and services may involve including a statement on all basic materials (e.g., recruitment materials) such as "document available in alternate format" followed by a contact number and a TTY (text telephone) number. Commonly requested auxiliary aids may include alternate print formats (e.g., large and electronic print, braille, audio recordings), TTY, amplified telephone receiver, assistive listening systems, interpreters, and readers.

Each center/contractor should (See Information Notice 01-19):

• Develop accessible format policy and procedures to ensure that requests are handled properly and in a timely manner

• Designate a staff person to coordinate process

• Contact vendors (e.g., interpreters, large print vendors, audiotape production house, Braille transcription service) to determine services available

• Develop written agreements with vendors for responding quickly to requests

Include a statement on all basic materials (e.g., recruitment materials, forms, handbooks, etc.) such as "document available in accessible format upon request" followed by a contact number and a TTY or relay service number.

For more information on obtaining documents in accessible format and information on how to create accessible documents in-house, visit the American Council of the Blind's — A Guide to Making Documents Accessible to People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired.

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Program

Program accessibility means that the center's program as a whole is readily accessible to qualified individuals with disabilities. So, in addition to making facilities and communications more accessible, each center should consider other actions that will ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities. A self-evaluation tool has been developed to assist staff in determining the overall accessibility of their center. Center staff should use this tool in conjunction with the Americans with Disabilities Act Checklist for Readily Achievable Barrier Removal, to determine the present level of accessibility at the center. An additional assessment designed to evaluate accessibility from a communications, facilities, program, and technology viewpoint is available at http://www.ataccess.org/resources/acaw/startingpoints.html.

The information gathered from the checklist and self evaluation should be used to develop a center action plan to increase accessibility. The plan should:

• Identify barriers and possible solutions
• Prioritize changes and develop timelines for completion of tasks
• Be reviewed and updated on a regular basis

It is suggested that people from or recommended by disability organizations be involved in the accessibility process from the beginning. These people may be able to provide technical assistance or referral, visit the center to assist in the completion of the checklist and self evaluation, assist in determining solutions for barrier removal, and sometimes will provide their services without charge.

Click here for additonal information and resources related to accessibility from the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability website.

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