Overview of OFCCP and Section 503: DRS
and The Dual Customer
A Presentation to the Interagency
Committee on Employees with Disabilities
( ICED)
Presented by:
John Marchioro
Trainer- Staff Development
Department of Human Services-Division of Rehabilitation
Changes Are Coming
• More companies are and will be hiring
• Good for us, but will require planning
• Bridge the following issues:
– OFCCP and Section 503 rule changes
– NET and their impact, including TAP
– What we can do
OFCCP and Final Rules on Section 503 of
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Who is OFCCP?
– Known as The Office of Federal Contract
Compliance Programs
– Housed under the Dept. of Labor
OFCCP and Final Rules on Section 503
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• What is their main focus
– To enforce, for the benefit of job seekers and
wage earners, the contractual promise of
affirmative action and equal employment
opportunity required of those who do business
with the Federal government.
OFCCP and Final Rules on Section 503
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Who do they govern?
– Generally speaking, any business or organization
that:
• (1) holds a single Federal contract, subcontract, or
Federally assisted construction contract in excess of
$10,000.00 or
• (2) has Federal contracts or subcontracts that combined
total in excess of $10,000.00 in any 12-month period.
OFCCP and Final Rules on Section 503
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• What has been approved?
– New rules that strengthen a federal contractor or
subcontractors application of Section 503 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Section 503), at
41 CFR Part 60-741.
– Changes to these rules have been in the works for
approximately 1 ½ years now.
What does Section 503 address?
• Prohibits employment discrimination against individuals
based on disability by federal contractors and subcontractors.
• Requires that federal contractors and subcontractors take
affirmative action to recruit, employ, train, and promote
qualified individuals with disabilities.
• This framework articulating contractors’ Section 503
responsibilities has been in place since the 1970’s.
Why Are These Changes Happening Now?
• The unemployment rate of working age individuals
with disabilities is still significantly high
• The percentage of working age individuals with
disabilities that are not in the labor force remain
significantly higher versus those without disabilities.
• Even with the tech advances, still underutilized
• Ensure that Affirmative Action Plans ( AAP) and are
developed and implemented
Section 503 Highlighted Rule Changes
• 7% utilization goal for individuals with
disabilities.
– Not a mandate or a ceiling for contractors, but a
goal.
– Sets a benchmark for contractors to try and reach
Section 503 Highlighted Rule Changes
• Requires contractors to invite applicants to
voluntarily self-identify as an individual with a
disability at the pre-offer stage of the hiring
process also.
– Voluntary self identification after the job offer is
already required by OFCCP
– Should aid contractors in seeing if their outreach
efforts are effective
Section 503 Highlighted Rule Changes
• Incumbent employees can be offered to self
identify throughout the year
– Acquired disabilities can happen at any time
– Knowledge of this will help capture the utilization
goals
Section 503 Highlighted Rule Changes
• Requirement of application to hire ratios.
– Will enable greater accountability for employment
decisions and practices.
– Will lead to better evaluation by OFCCP and
contractors’ of contractor’s outreach and
recruitment efforts, and examine hiring and
selection processes.
– This goes for subcontractors also!!!
What This Means for DRS?
• Increased opportunities to partner with
businesses related to:
– Employment
– Training - VR Overview, Disability Awareness
– Technical Assistance
– Work Incentives
What This Means for our Customers
• More variance in careers- not just entry level
• More choices geographically
• More employer “buy in”= better possibility of
disability awareness
What This Means for Businesses
• Opportunities to educate business
– Businesses don’t know what they don’t know
• More opportunities for “value added”
partnerships
• Opportunities to leverage public VR,
specifically DRS, to be first point of contact
What Do We Have In Place To Help
• The NET
– Comprised of 80 points of contact representing
the 80 public VR programs
– Work in a “One Company” approach with each
other to meet business footprint
– Create repeatable and sustainable partnerhsips
with business
What Do We Have In Place To Help
• Talent Acquisition Portal (TAP)
– Centralized database connecting employers and VR
customers in an exclusive partnership
– CSAVR has the patent rights to this
– A huge solution to “self Identification” prior to the job
offer.
– Just entered into demo stage- DRS to get a turn late
September
– Access to careers anywhere in the U.S.
VR Staff and Their Partnerships
• ERS and/or office staff
– Value added services
– Tours of businesses
– Focused conversations from business HR staff
– Pre screening based on input from HR staff
– Follow through services
– Diverse work incentives and supports
John Marchioro
Trainer-Staff Development
Illinois Point of ContactThe National Employment Team ( NET)
DHS-DRS
100 S. Grand Ave. East
P.O. Box 19429
Springfield, Il. 62794-9429
1-217-782-2280 Voice