Problem Statement

The way that the state recruits, hires, supports, promotes, and accommodates employees has created barriers for people with disabilities. These barriers prevent state agencies from benefitting from the skills of all workers.

Project Purpose

The purpose of this project is to make Washington state government jobs more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities. By implementing Executive Order 24-05, state agencies will work together to remove barriers that prevent people from finding, keeping, or growing in jobs at any stage of their career. Providing equal opportunities for all will lead to a state workforce that reflects the diversity of Washington’s population.

When more people with disabilities are included in the workforce, everyone benefits. Inclusive workplaces are more productive, creative, efficient, and better at serving the public. They also strengthen our economy and reduce unemployment among people with disabilities. This project also reduces the risk and cost of lawsuits, complaints, and investigations caused by not complying with legal requirements.

FRAMEWORK

The State of Washington uses the framework of targeted universalism. Under targeted universalism, we set a shared goal for everyone. We look at the different barriers that people and communities face in reaching that goal and then design specific strategies to help each group succeed.

This approach doesn’t give one group an unfair advantage over another. Instead, it helps everyone by addressing different needs in different ways.

This project focuses on strategies that meet the specific needs of people with disabilities so that everyone can have barrier-free access to state employment.

We commit to doing the work of meeting the specific needs of people with disabilities by gathering the voice and input of people with disabilities, in accordance with expectations of the disability community.

The above “Named Entities” work together to guide and carry out the goals of Executive Order 24-05 as the Steering Committee.

Project Leads support the Steering Committee by developing and managing the project plan, charter, and communications.

Workgroups will be created as needed to involve more partners including community members, commissions, and other agency leaders.

Roles and Responsibilities

Steering Committee (Named Entities)

Washington State Office of Equity (EQUITY) – Jordan Feyerherm, Director, Access & Accessibility and Carolyn Cole, Strategic Initiatives and Access Advisor

Office of Financial Management (OFM) State Human Resources (SHR) – Mia Navarro, Chief Human Resources Officer

Washington Workforce Empowerment Collaborative (the Collaborative) – LaTasha Tisdel, Inclusive Culture & Belonging Manager, OFM State Human Resources

Governor’s Committee on Disability Issues and Employment (GCDE) – Elizabeth Gordon, Executive Director

Disability Inclusion Network (DIN) – Michael MacKillop, DIN Executive Sponsor and Executive Director of the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind (DSB)

Department of Enterprise Services (DES) – Joanne Lee, Deputy Assistant Director

Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) – Dana Phelps, DVR Director

Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech) – Tavares Terry, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Director

Steering Committee responsibilities:

• Determining the project direction, scope, goals, and objectives.
• Participating in all Steering Committee meetings or sending a delegate on their behalf.
• Co-developing, approving, and amending the project charter.
• Providing and coordinating support and resources from their respective entities.
• Ensuring all work assigned to their entity is completed.
• Identifying advisory partners for additional feedback, consultation, and collaboration.

Project Leads

Chuck Burk, Disability and Accessibility Strategist, OFM

Wendy Holden, Disability Access Program Manager, EQUITY

Project Lead Responsibilities

• Developing, managing, and implementing the project plan and charter, ensuring all required deliverables are completed by the deadlines.
• Coordinating communications across the Named Entities, workgroups, and advisory partners, including convening and leading meetings, providing progress updates, and clear action items.
• Developing draft proposals, recommendations, and documents for Steering Committee review and approval.

Support Team

• Aunna Moss, Organizational Strategy and Performance Consultant, OFM

Support Team responsibilities

• Providing strategic guidance, recommendations, and other assistance as needed.

Meeting Cadence

• The Steering Committee will meet bi-weekly. Additional meetings will be scheduled as needed with a majority vote.
• Special meetings may be called to enable the Steering Committee to work on timely issues that need consideration and action.
• Workgroups will determine their own work plan and meeting cadence.
• Agency-owned work streams should meet monthly with Wendy and Chuck to provide status updates on their project(s) and identify needed support.

Accessible Meetings

The Project Leads shall ensure that meetings, events, and communications are accessible to all participants to ensure full participation and engagement.

Decision Making

Decision-making Conditions

• Project Leads and the Support Leads are not voting members.
• No decisions or voting can occur without a quorum of members in attendance. A quorum is 51% or more of members in attendance.
• Each Sponsoring agency will have one vote regardless of the number of people on the project. This is the role of the Executive Sponsor.

Voting Procedures

• When a decision arises that requires enterprise-level consideration, either Chuck or Wendy will present it to the group for collective input and discussion. Ultimately, the Steering Committee comprised of primary agencies will hold the final decision-making authority regarding the enterprise delivery of the 24-05 initiative.
• Project Leads will use the Fist to Five method to determine how close or far everyone is from consensus. Fist to Five is a method to gauge the general level of agreement within a group based on how many fingers each meeting participant holds up. Participants can also indicate their level of agreement verbally or in chat. A fist indicates no agreement, whereas holding up five fingers expresses total unity.

Fist: No way.

1 Finger: Hold on. We need to talk about this.

2 Fingers: I agree with some reservations

3 Fingers: I guess I’m okay with it.

4 Fingers: Sounds good.

5 Fingers: Total Agreement. I support the proposal and am willing to help implement it

• Each member of the steering committee will indicate their agreement with the topic being discussed. Members who believe that additional discussion is required, by indicating verbally, in chat or with a fist, 1 or 2 fingers will be given the opportunity to voice their concerns.
• After all objections have been heard, members will again be asked to indicate their agreement using the 1-5 finger method.
• For the second round a fist, 1, or 2 fingers are considered “no” votes while 3, 4, or 5 fingers are “yes” votes. Ideally, all concerns will have been adequately addressed and consensus reached at this point.  If consensus has not been achieved, the decision will be made when 51% or more of members in attendance agree.
• Members who disagree with the committee’s decision may submit their concerns in writing. Such documents will be included with the meeting notes.
• In the context of 24-05, individual decisions concerning specific agency-owned work streams are delegated to the designated agency executive sponsor. Each decision-maker is responsible for advancing their respective projects within their agency. Ideally this would be through designated a project lead for the agency.

• Development of workforce assessments and plans by all executive agencies.
• Systematic analysis and improvement of recruitment, hiring, retention, and training practices.
• Accessibility audits and updates of all online systems and internal documents.
• Mandatory accessibility and disability inclusion training for all staff.
• Statewide strategy and policy updates, including
• Development and tracking of performance metrics and compliance by the Office of Equity.
• Collaborative governance and support from agencies and external partners such as The Governor’s Committee for Disability Issues and Employment (.)
• Addressing gaps in the current Reasonable Accommodation process.

• Impact Strategic Action Plans from all executive agencies with integrated hiring/workforce plans. (EQUITY)
• Reasonable Accommodation curriculum for supervisors and managers. (DES)
• Disability inclusive practices curriculum for supervisors and managers. (DES)
• Revised USER-01-01-S policy. (WaTech)
• Enterprise-wide list of approved accessibility tools (WaTech)
• Annual statewide report on disability representation and inclusion outcomes.
• Updated reasonable accommodation funding and tracking framework. (OFM)
• Statewide Universal Access & Belonging Plan. (Equity)

• All executive agencies have integrated, measurable hiring and workforce goals for people with disabilities.
• Accessibility training completion rates reach for new employees within six months of their hire date by Dec 31, 2026. Completion timelines will be determined by DES, the primary agency responsible for delivering training.
• Accessible systems and content across digital platforms, confirmed through audits.
• Other success criteria will be determined by a group dedicated to defining what success looks like. These recommendations will be delivered to the Executive Sponsor group for adoption.
• Improvement in Employee retention: decrease in attrition rate for persons with disabilities.

Individual agencies should collaborate with OFM for any funding requests. Due to budget constraints, a detailed funding strategy will be developed collaboratively by OFM, the Office of Equity, and agencies. It must include:

• Funding for training development and delivery
• Accessibility audits and updates
• Reasonable accommodation support
• Systems modernization for digital accessibility

Resources needed for this project:

• Project management
• Meeting facilitation
• Accessible meeting services, including ASL interpretation, CART services, etc.
• Outreach and accessible communications
• Assigned notetaker
• SharePoint page or another accessible platform

DES to deliver Training modules in Q2-Q3, 2026

• Accessibility Inclusion for Managers and Supervisors – March 2026
• Reasonable Accommodation – April 2026
• Accessible Word – March 2026
• Accessible PowerPoint – May 2026
• Accessible Outlook – July 2026
• Accessible Excell – September 2026
• Reasonable Accommodation Roundtable – restart at the end of March 2026

• The steering committee met on 1/26/26 and approved a monthly cadence to steering committee meetings
• Aligned on communication strategy for training rollout
• Employment Security Department convened their first executive consortium to seek external input on Jan 14^th. The purpose is to gather external, lived experience input to guide the 24-05 project implementation. They decided subcommittees are needed to work on specific issues such as gathering success stories about supported employment and identifying ways to expand the Supported Employment in State Government Program.
• Successfully deployed the subject matter expert consultation process to bring in people with lived experience to consult
• Regular training outcomes check-ins occurring with DES

• Agency reporting rollout from the Office of Equity
• Reasonable Accommodation Roundtables to restart in Feb 2026 with a presentation on the Employee Lifecycle of Persons with Disabilities with a focus on Reasonable Accommodation and an update on EO 24-05
• DES to continue subject matter expert consults and training module development. Looking for volunteers from subject matter experts who consulted to create teaser marketing videos
• Project leads to meet with WaTech on approved list of software for status update
• Project leads to set up dashboard discussion with the State HR Analytics team to discover what already exists to support 24-05
• OFM and DSHS to meet and create new memorandum of understanding for supported employment

1. Ensure that all employees understand how to request a reasonable accommodation, including modifications to work areas.
2. Ensure that all employees and supervisors are aware of reasonable accommodation/accessibility options for training courses (e.g., sign language interpreters and materials in alternate formats).
3. Evaluate all workplaces to ensure that they comply with universal design standards.
4. Designate staff knowledgeable about adaptive technology.
5. Ensure that the organization’s Internet and Intranet sites meet Section 508 accessibility standards (in particular for screen-reader compatibility.
6. Ensure that the organization’s reasonable accommodation policy is up to date, and that every employee is aware of the policy.
7. Ensure that the organization has a designated reasonable accommodation coordinator.

1. Implement a process to ensure all documents, including press releases and presentations, do not include derogatory, disparaging, or offensive references to persons with disabilities.
2. Provide training to supervisors on creating a hospitable and inclusive work environment for persons with disabilities.

Employers covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are required to post notices describing the employment provisions of the ADA and the agency should maintain internal procedures for addressing related requests for reasonable accommodation.  Since employees may not be aware of who to contact for reasonable accommodations, the information should be shared either in as part of position descriptions, the onboarding process It is advisable for employers to have a process in place for facilitating accommodation requests or employee intranet sites for example.

If an individual with a disability seeks an accommodation, generally he or she is responsible for informing the employer of the need. The accommodation request does not need to be in writing, though it is an encouraged best practice.  Employees should feel free to request an accommodation any time the job or disability necessities the need.

Employees must meet the “Definition of Disability” under state or federal statutes and is thereby eligible to request reasonable accommodations.  Information obtained under a disability-related for reasonable accommodation should be collected and maintained on separate forms and in separate files and treated as a confidential medical record. Disclosure of confidential records is restricted.  Information concerning an employee’s disability cannot be in in personnel files.

To facilitate the accommodation process, it is prudent for employers to develop and maintain a detailed description for each job that lists its essential functions and duties. Such descriptions should focus on a job, not a person. For example, a warehouse position may require that boxes be stacked on shelves. The essential function of this job is that boxes be stacked, not that a person lift boxes.  Essential functions may include:

• Specific tasks and assigned to a apposition
• Administrative requirements, such as working hours or location, tools and equipment necessary for successful job performance
• Physical and cognitive requirements, such as lifting or handling multiple priorities
• Productive requirements that include timelines, processes, quality or quantity, health and safety requirements mandated under state/federal occupational statutes.
• Workplace conduct requirements.

When developing job descriptions, take into consideration all aspects of a job. If there are essential functions of the job, they should be included in the job description.

If reasonable accommodations are needed to perform essential job functions, the employer and employee should discuss the employee’s functional limitations and determine where they intersect with his or her duties. Always focus on the employees’ essential job tasks and the physical functions necessary to complete them, not on his or her disability.

The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified applicants or employees with disabilities unless doing so would cause undue hardship. Undue hardship refers not only to financial difficulty, but also to accommodations that are unduly extensive or disruptive or would fundamentally alter the nature or operation of the business.

Determination of undue hardship takes into account the nature and cost of the accommodation, the business’s overall financial resources, the number of persons it employs and the accommodation’s impact on the business and its expenses and resources. When cost is a concern, an employer should explore whether funding is available from an outside source, such as a state rehabilitation agency.

An agency has the final say on which accommodation is implemented, based on factors such as cost, effectiveness, and business feasibility. However, accommodations work best when both the agency and employee participate in the process and the employee’s needs and preferences have been taken into consideration in making the decision.

Not all accommodations produce the desired outcome. If the accommodation is not working, the employer and employee should start the process again.

Like most sound management practices, the accommodation process is enhanced by collaboration. Moreover, by requiring employers and employees to work together and think creatively about how various tasks are accomplished, it may help uncover strategies that lead to a more positive and productive workplace for all employees.

The agency is responsible for establishing the SESG position, managing the recruitment and selection process, and managing the performance of the employee selected for a supported employment program.

To participate in the SESG program:

• Obtain internal approval and funding to establish a supported employment position.
• Consult with the DSHS/DVR Supported Employment Program Manager on establishment, recruitment, and selection.  The Supported Employment Program Manager coordinates with the DSHS Developmental Disabilities Administration and Health Care Authority (HCA) Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) to assure broad, representative employee participation in SESG.

“Supported Employment,” means employment for individuals with developmental disabilities or other significant disabilities who require on-the-job training and long-term support in order to fulfill their job duties successfully.

As part of the recruitment and selection process, knowledgeable disability professionals will guide the agency in understanding the supports an individual will need on the job.  These professionals will work with the individual and the agency to identify and secure the supports before employment begins. Supports may include peer support, a job coach, a certified counselor, etc.

Individuals eligible for SESG can access the training and support services they need through eligibility for other disability programs, such as Developmental Disabilities Administration or Medicaid. Supports are typically provided by an outside service provider but may also be provided by co-workers as a natural part of the workflow.

Individuals must meet the following criteria to compete for the SESG positions:

• Have a developmental disability as defined in RCW 71A.10.020 or experience a “significant disability” as defined in the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973
• Require on the job training and long-term support to perform their job successfully; and
• Have a reliable source of long-term support.

Department of Social and Health Services DVR provides consultation and support to agencies related to the program, including educating agency staff, as well as help establishing SESG positions, recruitment and selection processes.

The SESG Program Coordinator is employed by DVR but works closely with staff with the DSHS Developmental Disabilities Administration and Aging and Long-Term Support Administration, Home and Community Services and Health Care Authority, Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery to assure broad, representative client participation in SESG and assist with overall coordination activities.

The SESG Program Coordinator typically assists a program as follows:

• Instruct and advise agency staff about the SESG program and how to support SESG employees in the work setting.
• Identifying appropriate job duties and job classifications based on the agency’s needs.
• Advise and support agency staff in the recruitment process for candidates, including working with service providers, if needed.
• Instruct and advise agency staff on screening and selection of candidates; and
• Coach and consult with agency staff on working with long-term support providers.
• Consultation with agency staff about permanent SESG employees related to workplace accommodation, modifications to duties, etc., needed to support an employee’s progress and retention.

• Salary and benefits for SESG positions follow the guidelines of any new employee and must be covered within an agency’s existing budget.
• Existing state job classifications are used that align with the job responsibilities.

The SESG program allows agencies to add positions within their existing budgets that will not count against an agency’s allotted full-time equivalent (FTE) positions for the duration of the individual’s employment. Agencies will need to add the NW code in HRMS at time of the SESG hire. The NW Supported Employment code comes from the OFM State Administrative and Accounting Manual (SAAM), and you can locate the NW code in the Employee Group field and the employee’s records.

On the job training under the Supported Employment in State Government program is training, an employee receives at their job setting to achieve satisfactory performance of job responsibilities. Training methods, scope, and provider will vary based on the needs of each employee. Training should be directly related to the employer’s specific job requirements and should be customized to meet any accommodation needs of the employee. The intent of the on-the-job training is to provide ongoing support services necessary to assist the employee with learning specific work duties and performance standards; learning formal and informal site-related expectations; acquiring site appropriate work-related behaviors and understanding employee benefits through the onboarding process. Refer to the employee’s individualized Long Term Support Plan for information on the type of job support the employee will need.

On the job training can be provided by the employee’s supervisor, a co-worker, or a contracted provider. The DVR program manager is available to assist in identifying the training needs of the individual during the appointment and onboarding process. If it is determined that contracted services are needed, the DVR program manager can assist in coordinating these services. Contracted services, if needed, are provided at no cost to the employer.

Long-term support services are often funded by Medicaid based on an individual’s eligibility for disability-related services. Long term supports are often provided by community-based employment services providers who deliver services one on one based on the employee’s needs. The services can be delivered to the work site or at another location, depending on the type of support and the employee’s needs. Generally, services are more intensive at the beginning of a job placement and taper off as the employee gains satisfactory job performance. The long-term supports continue to provide work-related job supports for the length of the employee’s employment. Long-term support services are not a replacement for regular supervision and support for the employee as they learn and perform their job duties on a regular basis.

Several state agencies administer employment programs and coordinate the long-term services with the community organization delivering the service based on the disability type and program eligibility of the applicant/candidate. The DVR coordinator will help you make any needed connections. The hiring agency is not responsible for arranging or paying for long-term support services.

Examples of long-term support may include, but are not limited to

• A job coach who assists the employee with intellectual or cognitive disabilities to learn and perform job tasks, identify workplace support strategies with the employee’s supervisor and co-workers, helps the employee manage their work routine, and provides creative problem-solving as needed.
• A therapist, certified peer counselor, behavioral health supported employment provider or other behavioral health treatment practitioner (e.g., behavioral health support group, medication management, Wellness Recovery Action Plan, etc.) assists the employee with a behavioral health condition to maintain reliable attendance and job performance, develop positive interpersonal relationships with their supervisor and co-workers, successfully adapt to stressors in the workplace, problem solve, and adjust to new or challenging job expectations.
• Natural supports are the people the employee ordinarily encounters at work or at home to help the employee with work routines and social interactions at the worksite. Natural supports can help some individuals maintain job performance.

Funding sources of long-term support may include:

• Developmental Disabilities Supported Employment Providers (Medicaid)
• Behavioral Health Supported Employment Providers (Medicaid)
• Social Security Work Incentives
• Natural Support
• Self-pay by employee

Agencies should follow their internal procedures to establish and fund an SESG position. Existing job classifications already created positions are used for a SESG position (e.g., Agencies can fill vacant positions via SESG, etc.). It is common for agencies to create a list of potential related job tasks and then finalize the list once the candidate has been selected. There is no separate job classification for a supported employment position. Agencies may consult with the DVR SESG Coordinator when developing the list of potential job tasks and drafting the position description. The final position description and record of the position in HRMS should clearly designate the position as a supported employment position by using the NW code. Additionally, the position description should clearly indicate that the employee is required to maintain long-term support to assist the employee with maintaining satisfactory job performance.

Agencies should post SESG announcements through the On-Line Recruitment System (OLRS) like other positions. However, because candidates with intellectual disabilities may have difficulty with electronic applications, it is advisable to accept paper applications. Because some candidates will not have traditional education and experience, announcements should list qualitative factors that impact ability to be successful in the position:

• Social Environment – degree to which the position requires interaction with others.
• Physical Environment – degree to which the position is exposed to environmental factors such as noise, smells, etc.
• Task Complexity – degree to which the position requires comfort with ambiguity, task variety, on task sequencing.
• Support Systems – degree to which the position requires independence or self-management.

The SESG Program Coordinator may assist agencies with developing job announcements and distributing announcements to private agencies with potential clients in the region.

The SESG Program Coordinator may assist the agency in screening applicants to ensure they meet SESG criteria. The agency should then narrow down the interview pool in the same manner they would for any other position.

When an interview pool is identified, the DVR SESG Coordinator will assist the agency with developing appropriate interview questions, tests, or other selection tools. Interview tools should address both qualitative factors and possible task assignments.

Each applicant brings their long-term support as appropriate to the interview to provide assistance and address any support questions. Not all applicants will need the assistance of long-term supports at the interview. After the interview as part of making the job offer, the candidate provides the employer with their written long-term support plan that has been mutually agreed upon with their long-term supports and the employer as to how they will be assisting the individual with maintaining the job. The plan should also include contact information regarding whom the employer and/or the candidate can contact should there be any questions or need for support with the plan during the SESG selection process and for the length of the SESG employee’s employment.

Once an agency has selected a candidate, the agency verifies the individual meets the SESG eligibility (DVR SESG Program Coordinator can assist). The agency may ask for additional documentation to prove SESG eligibility such as a written statement from a Doctor, Physician’s Assistant or Therapist, records from a School Counselor or Vocational Rehabilitation Agency or a similar program with relevant records. Written statements from family members, friends, or former employers/co-workers should not be accepted. The supervisor should follow the agency’s onboard process and performance management standards, including development of a performance and development plan (PDP). The agency completes the hiring process through HRMS, with NW Code, Supported Employment.

The SESG employee’s long-term support begins from the first day of employment and will continue with regularly scheduled visits with the supervisor, employee, and others as appropriate to ensure that everyone is pleased with the situation. The long-term support provider remains a resource to the agency and the employee for the length of the SESG employee’s employment. This means that if tasks ever change or new coworkers or supervisors need training, then the long-term support provider will continue to be a resource.

If the SESG employee’s long-term supports are provided in the community (therapist, certified peer counselor, behavioral health supported employment provider, other behavior health treatment practitioner [e.g., medication management, support groups, etc.]. The supports will begin supporting the individual from the first day of employment and will continue to be regularly scheduled away from the workplace. The employee will maintain their long-term supports. The long-term support plan (plan is kept on file with supervisor and a copy is given to the employee) continues to be a resource to the agency and the employee for the length of the SESG employee’s employment and is used for annual verification for SESG continued eligibility. The supervisor and employee review the plan at the employee’s annual PDP meeting to ensure long-term supports are continuing to meet the employee’s long-term support needs for their position. This means that if there are new co-workers, supervisors or stressors to adapt to in the workplace or new challenging job expectations, the therapist or certified peer counselor, or other behavioral health services will continue to be a resource.

If there are any changes to a SESG employee’s long-term support (e.g. loss of long-term support, etc.) the SESG employee and/or employer may contact the DVR SESG Coordinator for assistance.

The DVR SESG Coordinator will provide other possible resources for support. The DVR SESG Coordinator will also continue as a resource to the agency. This may include training for supervisors and co-workers, as well as continuing to assist with managing the relationship with the long-term support provider.

The long-term support is not the responsibility of the agency and is not considered a “reasonable accommodation” that the agency is responsible for; however, other forms of reasonable accommodation must be provided in accordance with the agency’s reasonable accommodation policy.

• Maintaining the SESG webpages on the OFM/SHR website.
• Coordinating with SESG program manager at DVR to provide programmatic guidance and resources.
• Reporting enterprise participation in the program.

It would be odd for any person appointed to a supported employment position to not also meet the criteria for persons with disabilities. However, HRMS data indicates that many supported employees go unrecorded. Cross-checking supported employment and affirmative action disability records are an easy way to identify individuals who may not have been recorded as a person with a disability.

Again, many employees who request a reasonable accommodation for a disabling condition also meet the criteria for persons with disabilities. Cross-checking reasonable accommodation and affirmative action disability records are an easy way to identify individuals who may not have been recorded as a person with a disability.

• Many employees either do not disclose their disability at the point of hire or acquire a disability after having been employed for several years. Employees may not report their disability because they don’t see it as relevant to their ability to work, or are never asked or given an opportunity to disclose.
• Options for surveying employees may include conducting a targeted electronic survey or giving employees an opportunity to update their affirmative action records along with other employee data (e.g., emergency contact information) on an annual cycle.
• Surveys should inform employees of the survey purpose, that participation is voluntary, that there will be no adverse impact, and that records will be kept confidential and separate from other employee records.