Cross-agency collaboration on disability policy issues will be a strategic focus
(DENVER) — The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) announced today its efforts to establish the new Colorado Disability Opportunity Office (CDOO). Enacted by HB24-1360, CDOO will increase efficiency and fill gaps in disability policy by facilitating more formal cross-agency collaboration and disability community engagement. The Colorado Disability Funding Committee (CDFC) will also be transferred from the Department of Personnel Administration (DPA) to CDOO. This Committee will award over $5 million annually in grants for disability application assistance or new and innovative projects that increase quality of life and independence of Coloradans with disabilities.
“I am proud of all the work we’ve done to bring disability policy to the forefront of this administration in our efforts to create a Colorado for All,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera. “This office is intended to help support the incredible work of our state agencies through collaboration and coordination and will offer support as they work towards shared goals of prosperity and independence of Coloradans with disabilities long after this administration is over.”
Approximately 20% of Coloradans have one or more disabilities. Disability policy in Colorado benefits from coordinated efforts across agencies and programs. Since the needs of individuals with disabilities span all sectors of state government, disability-related programs are dispersed across numerous agencies without an entity to coordinate these efforts. CDOO will now be responsible for that coordination.
Once fully established, CDOO will house policy staff and CDFC staff. The Office will facilitate the collaboration among disability advocates, boards, committees, and agencies to advise the Governor’s Office and state agencies on coordinated disability policies and services across the various agencies responsible for them.
CDLE currently houses the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) which provides a wide variety of individualized services for people with disabilities to reach their employment goals and live independently. Traditionally, solutions to disability issues are often considered from a human services and poverty approach. By housing the CDOO within CDLE, disability policy will be framed through an opportunity lens with the goal of helping those with disabilities get on a path to self-sufficiency, so more people with disabilities can prosper
“We're excited about establishing CDOO and the opportunities it will add to our existing array of services and support for Coloradans with disabilities,” said CDLE Executive Director Joe Barela. “Our vision is to ensure a working economy that elevates all of Colorado. We believe anyone with a disability who wants to work, can work, regardless of the type or severity of their disability. We’re eager to establish this new office to complement our existing efforts, and we have already hit the ground running to begin recruiting for key leadership positions.”
CDLE is launching a nationwide search to find the best fit for the CDOO Director. A Colorado Disability Funding Committee Coordinator position has also been posted. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply here.
The establishment of CDOO is designed to support and elevate agencies in their work. It will serve as a resource not only for state agencies, but for private and nonprofit organizations and the public on all things concerning disability in Colorado. Recognizing the distributed nature of programs that support Coloradans with disabilities, advocates for disability rights in Colorado have consistently strived for the establishment of a centralized disability policy office.
“Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being law for 34 years, our nation continues to be inaccessible for many living with a disability. I have worked hard alongside community to put disability rights front and center here in Colorado,” said Representative David Ortiz. “The CDOO will ensure that work continues, as we advance disability rights and basic access here in Colorado.”
“This is something the disability community has wanted and been working on for years. This office gives our community a permanent home in state government,” said Julie Reiskin, Co-Executive Director of the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition (CCDC). “We are excited to partner with CDLE to bring this dream to fruition.”
“We aim to make Colorado the best place in America to live and work with a disability,” said Andrew Romanoff, Executive Director of Disability Law Colorado. “CDOO can bring us closer to that goal.”
Financing for CDOO will come from the Disability Support Fund, the main cash fund administered by the CDFC, using revenue from historic license plate backgrounds and the sale of the rights to reserved license plate configurations.
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