Employment Services for Deaf Californians

California’s Unemployment Insurance Code, in Division 3, Part 1, Chapter 5, contains employment services for the deaf and hearing impaired. Section 11000 contains legislative findings and declarations, including that over 1.5 million persons in California are deaf or significantly hard of hearing. Private and public employment agencies are not routinely adapted to meet the communication needs of persons who are deaf and hard of hearing and, therefore, the services they receive may be less than those provided to other persons.

In addition, the Legislature finds that employment opportunities for persons who are deaf and hard of hearing are increased when specialized counseling, interpretive, job placement, and followup services supplement conventional employment services. The Legislature finds that a more stable funding source, as provided by this chapter, is necessary to ensure the continuance of these programs.

Section 11000.5 defines the term “contractor.” Section 11001 requires the department to contract with public agencies or private nonprofit corporations for a period not to exceed one year to provide employment services for persons who are deaf and hard of hearing. These employment services must be provided onsite at the department’s offices.

In addition, at the end of each contract year, the department may renegotiate the terms of each contract in accordance with allowable increases or decreases in the contractor’s costs and the contractor’s demonstrated ability to provide the specified services. Section 11002 provides that employment services for persons who are deaf and hard of hearing are required to include five specified services.

Section 11003 requires the department, with the advice of persons knowledgeable about providing employment services to persons who are deaf and hard of hearing, to establish the criteria for choosing contractors. Criteria must include three specified items. Preference must be given in the selection of a contractor to those proposals which demonstrate two specified items.

Section 11004 requires the department to determine the number and location of its offices within the state providing employment services to individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing and decide which offices are to be served by contractors given the resources available under this chapter.

The department must also coordinate the provision of employment services for individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing with the State Department of Social Services and the Department of Rehabilitation, as well as establish uniform accounting procedures and contracts for use with regard to this chapter.

In addition, the department is required to promulgate requests for proposals and conduct bidders’ conferences, and evaluate proposals according to the established criteria, use the definitions of deafness and significantly hard of hearing that have been used or established by regulation by the State Department of Social Services, conduct a management or fiscal audit of a contract whenever it is necessary for proper supervision of that contract, annually consider incorporation of the services described in this chapter in the job service plan required by federal law, and assist contractors in maintaining all of the required information.

Section 11006 prohibits the EDD from expending over 5% of the sum appropriated for this chapter for its administrative costs.