Recommendations:

Following is a set of recommendations, which we believe, would do much to enhance the State government's disability employment program.

1]  The State Personnel Board and the Department of Rehabilitation are partners in the implementation of EO S-4-05.  We recommend that they expand this partnership to include a Task Force with representatives from, but not limited to, ACSED, State Disability Advisory Council, the Governor's Committee for the Employment of People With Disabilities.  Such a Task Force would help bring more attention to the need and would leverage more resources, which are already scarce, to address the full implementation of the EO, the issues identified here, and the overall enhancement of State Government's disability employment program.

2]  Undertake a review of EO S-4-05 and the Government Code provisions on disability employment, especially Sections 19230 to 19237 and 19790 to 19798, and related legislation such as the California Workforce Inclusion Act [AB 925 of 2002], to determine if there is a complete and coordinated program for the employment of PWDs.  Where appropriate, we recommend SPB, DOR, or other partners such as ACSED develop needed policy recommendations, including possible legislative proposals for future consideration.

3]  Create a visible sense of commitment and value to the disability employment program.  Encourage the Governor to become more involved in this effort, for its own inherent worth and to help to ensure pools of qualified new state employees.  We recommend the Governor express support for his EO at cabinet meetings, direct Agency Secretaries to do the same with their Department Directors, create a poster with him on it supporting disability employment and PWDs as valued members of the State Government work force, etc.

4]  Establish accountability for the disability employment program.  Agency Secretaries should be held accountable by the Governor's Office for making substantial progress on disability employment.  Department Directors should be held accountable by Agency Secretaries.  And Directors should hold their staffs accountable for results.

5]  Create a comprehensive working definition of what constitutes a "model" disability employment program.  We recommend that it should be more than just the attainment of the disability parity rate, it should include other elements such as occupational group parity, promotion rate equity, ongoing outreach to organizations and service systems where qualified applicants with disabilities may be found [such as DOR, college and universities, etc], regular exam usage, LEAP usage, DACs, Upward Mobility, adverse action and discrimination complaints levels and issues, fringe benefit equity, work culture and PWDs, etc.

6]  Evaluate all aspects of Disability Advisory Committees [DACs]. Begin by reviewing all State departments to determine exactly which don't have DACs, and request that the Governor require Agency Secretaries to ensure DACs in  departments under their supervision that do not have them. Review all DACs to determine all aspects [including size, meeting frequency, management access, staff support, type of activities undertaken, how much time members given, etc]. Use this information to develop an enhanced DAC guidance. Review legal requirements for DACs to determine adequacy and completeness, develop proposals where needed. Consider expanding DAC responsibilities by adding duties as employee networks.

7] Undertake a thorough review of the Limited Exam and Appointment Process [LEAP] to assess its effectiveness and to determine what alternatives might be available [see item 8c] and what improvements are needed.  Some items to consider are making more LEAP exams available online, referring LEAP candidates to departments on same name lists as regular exam candidates [LEAP names to not be identified as LEAP], increasing the number of LEAP classes, conducting LEAP training for departments, helping departments to identify LEAP placements that may not be successful and to take corrective action.