Testimony before the SWaM Task Force
Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity (DSBSD)
Karen Tefelski, Executive Director
September 28, 2015

Mr. Secretary and members of the SWaM Task Force of the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity and interested parties – Good Morning. My name is Karen Tefelski and I am the Executive Director of the Virginia Association of Community Rehabilitation Programs Dba vaACCSES. On behalf of our membership and the interests of Employment Services Organizations (ESOs) statewide, thank you for the opportunity to comment today.

Established in 1977, vaACCSES is a not-for-profit association of ESOs and other community-based organizations that provide quality services including employment, day support, residential, benefits assistance and work incentives, and other community-based support services to Virginians with all types of disabilities.

VaACCSES represents the interests of Employment Services Organizations (ESOs) in the Commonwealth. An ESO is an organization that provides community-based employment services to individuals with disabilities that is an approved Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) accredited vendor of the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). There are 64 individual CARF accredited ESO vendors of DARS.

We ask that the DSBSD fully implement Chapter 583 (SB523/Hanger) which passed unanimously by the 2012 General Assembly. The purpose of this legislation and its original authority was to leverage the Commonwealth’s procurement process to create additional employment opportunities for Virginians with disabilities. The policy decision by the General Assembly to allow procurement officials to count SWaM contracts and subcontracts to employment services organizations (ESOs) toward their overall SWaM goals was made in 2012 but has not been fully implemented.

The General Assembly believed that they broke down the barrier that prevented Employment Service Organizations (ESOs) to be certified SWaM by the DSBSD because they are not a “business” as defined in Virginia code §2.2 – 3101. Under §2.2 – 3101, “Business” is defined as a “corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, firm, enterprise, franchise, association, trust or foundation, or another individual or entity carrying on a business or profession, whether or not for profit.” We believe that this definition clearly includes us under “whether or not for profit”.

During the 2015 General Assembly, language was included in the budget bill to fully implement Chapter 583 (2012):

We have additional amendments that would further strengthen legislative intent to implement this directive from 2012 if needed.

Employment for Virginians with Disabilities

Background – Employment & Virginians with Disabilities

Despite the positive impact of employment, individuals with disabilities have the highest unemployment rate in the Commonwealth – and this rate continues to rise.

  • Three out of Four or Seventy-five (75%) of Virginians with disabilities are without jobs compared to 4.5% of all Virginians.
  • Only 5.6% of 335,410 Virginians with disabilities that receive SSI and SSDI work.
  • Having a job is the foundation of attaining the American Dream. It’s a fundamental value and aspiration in America and in Virginia. We all agree that jobs should be a priority in Virginia. But, it must be a priority for all Virginians – including Virginians with disabilities.
  • Virginians with disabilities have the ability and desire to seek employment that provide opportunities to earn competitive wages and benefits, to reach his/her maximum potential, to achieve economic self-sufficiency, to contribute to the sustainability of our communities, and to have the opportunity to be treated as equal members of the Commonwealth workforce.

Leveraging the state’s acquisition policies and the need for quality products and services supports the important socioeconomic goal of providing increased employment opportunities for Virginians with disabilities and helps meet the Employment First requirement under Virginia’s DOJ Settlement Agreement.

Employment is a fundamental value and aspiration in American culture. Jobs are a priority in Virginia. Jobs for Virginians with disabilities must be a priority too. Like ALL Virginians, they want to opportunity to work, to earn wages, to pay taxes, to purchase goods and services in their communities, and to become self-supporting citizens –certainly an important economic engine for local communities and the Commonwealth. Individuals with disabilities have the ability and desire to seek employment in community settings that provide opportunities to earn competitive wages and benefits and encourage the individual to reach his/her maximum potential, achieve economic self-sufficiency, and to be treated as equal members of the Commonwealth’s workforce.

VA Association of Community Rehabilitation Programs dba vaACCSES  703-200-7660 

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