[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54679-54680]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-21505]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Evaluation the Accessibility of American Job
Centers for People With Disabilities
AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy/Chief Evaluation
Office, DOL.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Labor (DOL), as part of its continuing
effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a
preclearance consultation program to provide the general public and
Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or
continuing collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA95) [44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)]. This program
helps to ensure that required data can be provided in the desired
format, reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized,
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of
collection requirements on respondents can be properly assessed.
A copy of the proposed ICR can be obtained by contacting the office
listed below in the addresses section of this notice.
DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the
addresses section below on or before November 4, 2013.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either one of the following
methods: Email: [email protected]; Mail or Courier: Office of
Disability Employment Policy, Room S-1303, 200 Constitution Avenue NW.,
Washington, DC 20210, Attention: Richard Horne, Director, Division of
Policy Planning and Research. Instructions: Please submit one copy of
your comments by only one method. All submissions received must include
the agency name and OMB Control Number identified above for this
information collection. Because we continue to experience delays in
receiving mail in the Washington, DC area, commenters are strongly
encouraged to transmit their comments electronically via email or to
submit them by mail early. Comments, including any personal information
provided, become a matter of public record. They will also be
summarized and/or included in the request for OMB approval of the
information collection request.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Horne by telephone at 202-
[[Page 54680]]
693-7880 (this is not a toll-free number) or by email at
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background: American Job Centers (AJCs), formerly called One-
Stop Career Centers, were established under the Workforce Investment
Act (WIA), to offer training referrals, career counseling, job
listings, and similar employment-related services to help Americans
find work and enhance their long-term economic security. Today, there
are 1,751 comprehensive and 963 affiliate AJCs. By law, the AJC system
must ensure that its programs, services, and facilities provide
programmatic, communication, and physical accessibility to all
qualified persons with disabilities (PWD) under Section 504 and Titles
II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).\1\ The level
of accessibility of the AJC system for PWDs may be a factor in the
employability of the 27 million Americans over 16 years old with
disabilities. Therefore, it is important for policymakers to understand
the level of accessibility and to identify ways to improve the
accessibility of the AJC system for PWD.
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\1\ Blanck, P., Hill, E., Siegel, C.D., & Waterstone, M. (2009).
Disability civil rights law and policy: Cases and materials. St.
Paul, MN: West.
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The Evaluation of the Accessibility of American Job Centers (AJC)
for People with Disabilities (PWD), funded by the U.S. Department of
Labor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Chief Evaluation
Office, will help policymakers and program administrators understand
the level of accessibility of AJCs and identify ways to improve the
accessibility for PWD. In addition to identifying the degree to which
AJCs provide accessible services to PWD, the study will examine
differences in the levels of accessibility by the type of accessibility
required, such as physical, programmatic, and communication and the
characteristics of AJCs (e.g., affiliate vs. comprehensive, or rural
vs. urban) or the nature of AJC services provided (e.g., core,
intensive, and training). This is not an audit for compliance with laws
and regulations regarding accessibility for American Job Centers.
Rather, the purpose of the study is to gather data to paint a broad
picture about the degree to which American Job Centers as a whole are
accessible to persons with disabilities.
This package requests clearance for (1) a survey of AJC Directors,
(2) semi-structured interviews with AJC staff at 100 AJCs, (3)
observations related to the accessibility of AJC activities and
facilities at 100 AJCs and (4) focus groups with AJC customers with
disabilities at 10 AJCs.
The survey will take place over a period of approximately three
months. The survey will be administered to all 2,714 comprehensive and
affiliate AJCs nationwide. The survey will be administered via the web
and recipients will be notified about the survey by mail, with email
reminders. Each survey will take about 40 minutes, on average, to
complete, and an 80% response rate is expected.
All on-site data collection (i.e., interviews, observations and
focus groups) will take place over a period of approximately four
months. Interviews and observations will take place at approximately
100 comprehensive and affiliate AJCs nationwide. Between 4-5 staff
members will be interviewed in each AJC and each interview will last 75
minutes, on average. Focus groups will involve approximately 8-10
customers in each group and reasonable accommodations for disabilities
will be provided for all attending participants, as needed. Focus
groups will last approximately 90 minutes and all participants will
receive $25 for their attendance.
II. Desired Focus of Comments: Currently, the Department of Labor
is soliciting comments concerning the above data collection for the
Evaluation the Accessibility of American Job Centers for People with
Disabilities. Comments are requested to:
* Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
* Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used;
* Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
* Minimize the burden of the information collection on those who
are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms
of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submissions of
responses.
III. Current Actions: At this time, the Department of Labor is
requesting clearance to conduct (1) one survey of all comprehensive and
affiliate AJC Directors, (2) semi-structured interviews and
observations with staff from 100 American Job Centers (AJCs), and (3)
focus groups with AJC customers with disabilities at 10 AJCs, for the
Evaluation of the Accessibility of American Job Centers for People with
Disabilities.
Type of review: New information collection request.
OMB Control Number: 1205-0NEW.
Affected Public: American Job Center Directors.
Frequency: One survey.
Total Responses: 2,171.
Average Time per Response: 40 minutes.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1,447 hours.
Average Annual Other Burden Cost: $0.
Affected Public: American Job Center Staff.
Frequency: 1 Interview.
Total Responses: 400.
Average Time per Response: 60-90 minutes.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 450 hours.
Average Annual Other Burden Cost: $0.
Affected Public: PWD Customers of AJCs.
Frequency: 1 focus group.
Total Responses: 100.
Average Time per Response: 110 minutes.
Estimated Total Burden Hours: 183 hours.
Average Annual Other Burden Cost: $0.
Comments submitted in response to this request will be summarized
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget
approval; they will also become a matter of public record.
James H. Moore, Jr.,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. 2013-21505 Filed 9-4-13; 8:45 am]
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