About Us

The Able Job Seekers Clearinghouse has been implemented to provide employers with a single source of contact to get ideas, resources, and assistance on issues related to serving applicants and employees with disabilities. Sponsorship of and funding for this project comes from the Department of Social and Health Services, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

A Historical Perspective

In March 1998, President Clinton created the Presidential Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities under Executive Order 13078. The primary goal of the federal task force was to create a coordinated and aggressive national policy to bring adults with disabilities into gainful employment at a rate that is as close as possible to that of the general population. Alexis Herman, Secretary of the US Department of Labor, served as Chair to the Task Force. Tony Coelho, Chair of the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, served as Vice Chair.

Governor Locke was invited to establish a parallel Washington State initiative. In July 1998, Tony Coelho wrote to Governor Locke on behalf of the Presidential Task Force, citing the essential role states can play in accomplishing the goals established by the President. A Washington State Task Force would:

Carry out the same review and analysis of barriers to employment and opportunities for improvement within state policies and programs that the National Task Force was undergoing on the federal level; and Coordinate with the National Task Force, track the opportunities created at the federal level and position Washington State to help shape and respond effectively to these opportunities.

Governor Locke replied to the invitation by asking the Washington State Commissioner of the Employment Security Department to convene an interagency working group to accomplish the following tasks:

Review and analyze state policies to identify barriers to employment; identify opportunities for improvement; and Collaborate with the Presidential Task Force.

The Governor’s Task Force was made up of representatives of the Workforce Development Board, the Washington State Business Leadership Network, the Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment, and the Developmental Disabilities Council. The Governor’s Task Force also included a job seeker with a disability, four state legislators; the Senior Vice-President of Washington Mutual, representation from the Department of Social and Health Services, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the Department of Services for the Blind, the State Labor Council, and the Washington Education Association.

The primary objective of the Task Force was to create a coordinated and aggressive state policy to bring adults with disabilities into gainful employment at a rate that is as close as possible to that of the general population.

The Task Force was organized around three high priority issue areas, each of which plays a significant role in the employment opportunities available to Washingtonians with disabilities. One of these high priority issue areas was Barriers and Incentives for Employers. A subcommittee on Barriers/Incentives for Employers was developed whose goal it was to "ensure that state policies and programs respond to the needs of employers in recruiting, hiring, and promoting workers with disabilities". Two of its objectives included:

Develop a comprehensive searchable directory of resources related to technical assistance and support for employers on disability related issues; Sponsor a series of information exchange meetings between recruiters and sources of applicants with disabilities.

The business representatives working on the Subcommittee on Barriers and Incentives for Employers identified the need for a clearinghouse or single point of contact through which employers could get answers to all of their questions and be linked to all appropriate resources related to any aspect of employment of people with disabilities as a high priority.

In response to this identified need the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, in collaboration with the Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment and the Employment Security Department has implemented an employer focused disability technical assistance clearinghouse, known as the Able Job Seekers Clearinghouse.

Purpose

The Clearinghouse serves as a "one-stop" central, comprehensive resource on disability issues in employment. It is a single point of contact to provide employers with information, technical assistance and seamless connection to the resources to assist them through the full range of possibilities associated with successfully recruiting and employing people with disabilities. Elements of the clearinghouse include: a process that will allow employers to distribute job listings to the state's significant sources of applicants with disabilities; the ability to receive technical assistance and information and referral and facilitated contact with appropriate resources; the establishment of a forum for employers who have recruitment needs to communicate those needs to the placement staff of disability specific training and placement providers around the state.

Technical Assistance and Referral

A toll free telephone line has been established to facilitate employers' access to this Able Job Seekers clearinghouse. Knowledgeable staff can answer questions and provide technical assistance, problem solving, information, and other supports related to employers' issues, questions, or concerns associated with any aspect of the recruitment, hiring, employment, accommodation, retention, and promotion of people who have disabilities. They can also provide facilitated contact with appropriate resources.

Call us toll free at:

(866) 438-3292 (V)
(360) 438-3167 (TTY)
or e-mail us your technical assistance questions.

Employer Forums

The Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment is collaborating with Corporate Consultants from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to set up and support bi-monthly communication forums. Because the Able Job Seekers Clearinghouse is currently a pilot project, the employer forums are slated to take place in at least two locations in the Puget Sound area of the state, to include Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Thurston counties. The purpose of these forums is to provide an opportunity for employers who have recruitment needs, or anticipate such needs, and are interested in including people with disabilities in their recruitment efforts, to be able to share those needs with the placement staff of the disability specific training and placement providers active in their area of the state. Please call our toll free number or check updates on this site for information on perspective dates and locations in your area.

Job Postings/Distribution

The Able Job Seekers Clearinghouse has implemented and is pilot testing an employer based job posting system that allows employers to distribute their job listings to disability specific training and placement providers who work with applicants who have specific disabilities. We are currently targeting employers in the Puget Sound area of the state, to include Snohomish, King, Pierce and Thurston counties. An Able Job Seekers listserve has been established that includes the vocational rehabilitation staff for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and the Department of Services for the Blind (DSB), disability training and placement providers with valid contracts with DVR, Disability Student Services Coordinators on college campuses, Disabled Veterans Outreach Program Specialists, Social Security Disability Benefits Specialists, and WorkSource Disability Program Navigators. In the initial stages of this recruitment and referral process, distribution of posted job openings will be restricted to those entities specifically identified to participate on the listserve. Job postings and other information obtained from employers who choose to participate in this job posting system will not be shared outside this approved network without written prior approval from both the Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment and the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.

If you are an employer who is interested in including people with disabilities in your recruitment efforts, click here to e-mail your job posting. Clearinghouse staff will post your job listings to the listserve and will help facilitate successful linkages.