What is Legacy?
LEGACY is a training program created by the Los Angeles EmployABILITY Partnership to equip One-Stop staff and other service providers with the skills needed to provide high quality workforce development services to persons with disabilities. LEGACY training includes:
- Online courses available via the Internet
- Live classroom training led by Certified LEGACY Facilitators
Legacy training will equip you, the One-Stop employee, with skills needed to serve persons with disabilities, and will also help you provide better service to all of your customers, including those who do not have disabilities. This training will also enable you to acquire new skills to help you advance your career. Through LEGACY, you can earn certification as a Disability Services Specialist (DSS).
How Can I Earn Certification as a Disability Services Specialist?
Through LEGACY, students can earn an industry-recognized certification as a Disability Services Specialist (DSS), with three certification levels that address the core competencies for workforce development professionals serving persons with disabilities:
DSS-I: Basic skills in providing access to One-Stop programs and services.
To earn DSS-I certification, you must complete all 8 online modules, and 3 live trainings including the foundation course L101, and two other modules of your choice.
DSS-II: Advanced skills for delivering One-Stop Core and Intensive services
To earn DSS-II certification, you must complete all 3 online modules, 3 live trainings, and one elective. Currently, DSS-II enrollment is limited to employees of City of Los Angeles WorkSource Centers and their partners.
DSS-III: Leadership skills in staff training and community outreach.
For information about DSS-III certification, please contact: jmichaelpearson@diversityquest.org.
Who is eligible to participate in the Legacy program?
LEGACY is specifically designed for employees of One-Stop Centers and other workforce development professionals who serve persons with disabilities.
How long will it take to complete Legacy training?
Depending on each person's learning style and familiarity with the subject matter, the amount of time needed to complete Legacy modules will vary. It is estimated that each module will take about two to three hours to complete, but there is no time limit. You may log on for a few minutes at a time, logout, and then log back on to continue where you left off.
How much does Legacy cost?
LEGACY training is available at NO COST to employees of WorkSource Centers and their partner agencies located in the Los Angeles Workforce Investment Area.
LEGACY training is available on a fee-for-service basis to organizations and individuals located outside of the Los Angeles LWIA. Please call 1-866-521-7867 for more information.
How Was the LEGACY Curriculum Developed?
LEGACY Diversity Training was developed by QUEST Diversity Training & Consulting in collaboration with EmployABILITY, which includes both government and private sector organizations. Legacy consists of multiple modules, each addressing specific types of disability and related workforce development service issues and employment practices. Each module was reviewed for accuracy by organizations with specialized expertise in that topic.
(See: LEGACY Contributors)
How Does On-line Training Work?
On-line modules will be accessed via the Internet on the EmployABILITY
Network web site (www.employ-ability.org).
- You can register, select/complete courses at your own pace and time
- Online tests are scored automatically
- On-line technical support is available
- The system automatically tracks course completion, test scores, and LEGACY credits.
How Many Modules are in the Online Training?
LEGACY-I consists of 8 online modules:
L101: One-Stop Access for Persons with Disabilities
This is a foundation module that must be completed first, before any other modules. In this module, you will learn skills in six key areas:
- Identifying and overcoming disability-related barriers to services & employment;
- Understanding basic California (FEHA) and federal (ADA) disability law;
- Etiquette and communications considerations;
- Addressing privacy issues;
- Providing reasonable accommodations to access One-Stop services; and
- Assisting employers in providing reasonable accommodations.
After completing L101, you can then complete a series of modules that address seven major types of disability (these can be completed in any order):
L102: Cognitive Disabilities
L103: Mobility Impairments
L104: Communications Disorders
L105: Vision Impairments
L106: Psychiatric Disabilities
L107: Substance Dependence
L108: AIDS/HIV & Major Illness
A description of each module is provided in the introduction section of that module.
What Skills will be Gained through Live training?
Each live course is taught by a Certified LEGACY Facilitator (see LEGACY Authors & Trainers). Classroom training provides opportunities to apply the knowledge you learned through the online training, to address the needs of "real life" One-Stop customers with disabilities.
After completing classroom training, you will be able to:
- Identify each customer’s ABILITIES
- Identify potential barriers to employment faced by customers with disabilities
- Practice good customer service etiquette with ALL customers
- Educate job seekers and employers about legal protection of persons with disabilities
- Apply a variety of accessibility strategies to meet each customers’ unique needs
- Identify workplace accommodations that may be needed by persons with disabilities
- Utilize your One-Stop partners and other resources to increase your Center’s capacity to serve customers with disabilities
Click here to view clips from LEGACY classroom training.
Who Will Provide the Live Training?
QUEST Diversity Training & Consulting, the LEGACY program developer and a leader in the field, is contracted by the City of Los Angeles to deliver the live training. QUEST is a registered trainer with the California Employment Development Department’s Employment Training Network (ETN) and the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals.
Live training is provided on a fee-for-service basis. For additional information, please call 1-866-521-7867.
Where will the Live Training be Held?
To make the training as convenient and accessible as possible, live sessions will be held at regional locations. Contact the EmployABILITY Partnership to find the location nearest to you: msilva@goodwillsocal.org.
