Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Evaluation the Accessibility of American Job Centers for People With Disabilities, 54679-54680 [2013-21505]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54679-54680]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing 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: horne.richard@dol.gov; 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 
horne.richard@dol.gov.

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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