CITY of ALBUQUERQUE
TWENTY FOURTH COUNCIL
COUNCIL BILL NO. R-20-84 ENACTMENT NO. ______________________
SPONSORED BY: Klarissa J. Peña, Cynthia D. Borrego, Diane G. Gibson, Lan Sena
RESOLUTION
title
Directing The City Of Albuquerque’s Office Of Equity And Inclusion, Human Resources Department, And The Economic Development Department To Collaborate With Local Disability Employment Providers To Explore Opportunities For Creating Supported Employment Opportunities Among Persons With Disabilities (Peña, Borrego, Gibson, Sena)
body
DIRECTING THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE’S OFFICE OF EQUITY AND INCLUSION, HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT PROVIDERS TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR CREATING SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AMONG PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque is committed to developing an inclusive workforce that is representative of all of its citizens and their skills and capacities; and
WHEREAS, the Albuquerque City Council affirmed its commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity through passage of Ordinance 106-1973 establishing the Human Rights Board, Ordinance 2-6-5-1, et. al. seq., establishing the Americans with Disabilities Act Advisory Council; and
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque established the Office of Equity and Inclusion to make Albuquerque a national role model of ensuring equity and inclusion at the local government level; and
WHEREAS, on April 17, 2020 the City of Albuquerque issued an Executive Order declaring May 2 Inclusive Hiring Day and also held a virtual event that brought together supported employment providers, vocational rehabilitation professionals, businesses, and persons with disabilities to discuss the importance of establishing inclusive hiring practices in the public and private sectors; and
WHEREAS, employment access for individuals with disabilities increases financial stability, social inclusion, and sense of purpose; and
WHEREAS, barriers for persons with disabilities to access employment opportunities include, but are not limited to, inaccessible and unnavigable job application hardware and software for persons with accessibilities, employers’ misconceptions about hiring and accommodating persons with disabilities, applicants’ lack of adequate documentation and work experience, and lack of transportation to get to a work site; and
WHEREAS, barriers for persons with disabilities to perform their job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, a physical work environment that is inaccessible or hard to navigate, a lack of assistive tools or technologies to help the person be effective, negative attitudes within the work environment, inadequate transportation to get to a work site, lack of stamina and capacity to complete full work shifts, and a lack of relevant systems, services, and policies within the workplace; and
WHEREAS, providing supported employment opportunities for persons with disabilities is critical for creating inclusive work environments in both the public and private sectors; and
WHEREAS, hiring persons with disabilities reduces their reliance on government supports and creates workforce environments that reduces turnover, provides more flexibility for employers when scheduling work for their employees, and increases business efficiency and revenue; and
WHEREAS, cities around the country like Iowa City, Spokane, San Francisco, and Chicago have enacted legislation to create supported employment programs at the departmental level; and
WHEREAS, these supported employment programs often involve developing “fast track” hiring initiatives that allow persons with disabilities to apply for employment through a non-competitive hiring process if they meet the eligibility status and minimum qualifications for a position; and
WHEREAS, on-the-job training is a supported employment strategy that governmental entities like New Mexico Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (NMDVR) offer that establishes an agreement between an employer and job seeker to provide job coaching at little to no cost to the employer and customizing the scope of work of the job seeker to best suit the employee’s skills and capacities; and
WHEREAS, job carving, job sharing, and job sampling are supported employment strategies that involve creating, modifying, or customizing one or multiple employees’ scope of work in a way that simultaneously meets the needs of the employer while addressing the skills and capacities of each employee; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best social and economic interests of the City of Albuquerque to expand competitive employment and economic opportunities for persons with disabilities; and
WHEREAS, the City of Albuquerque can play a critical role in addressing the employment gap between persons with and without disabilities.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL, THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE:
Section 1. The Mayor and City Council shall work with the Office of Equity and Inclusion, the Human Resources Department, the Economic Development Department, and other relevant City departments to work with local disability employment providers to explore opportunities for creating supported employment opportunities among persons with disabilities by:
a. Assessing and updating all job application hardware and software to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the most current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure easy accessibility and readability of job postings among persons with disabilities; and
b. Targeting recruitment of potential employees with disabilities via disability community organizations, vocational rehabilitation, and job centers; and
c. Examining City policies that promote and/discourage employment among persons with disabilities; and
d. Ensuring all City departments have a comprehensive understanding of the City’s reasonable accommodation policy and procedures; and
e. Exploring opportunities for developing a “fast track” hiring initiative to allow persons with disabilities to apply for employment through a non-competitive hiring process if they meet the eligibility status and minimum qualifications for a position; and
f. Exploring opportunities for waiving work experience and other requirements that frequently disqualify potential employees from being hired; and
g. Exploring opportunities for developing on-the-job training, job carving, job sharing, job sampling, temporary positions, or any other kind of trial work options for job applicants with disabilities.
X:\CL\SHARE\CL-Staff\_Legislative Staff\Legislation\24 Council\R-84final.docx