Serving Welfare Recipients with Learning Disabilities in a 'Work First' Environment. Issue Brief.

This issue brief examines strategies that states can use to help welfare recipients with learning disabilities move toward self-sufficiency within the context of welfare reform. It defines a learning disability, explains approaches to identifying and assessing undiagnosed learning disabilities, and suggests ways to secure accommodations for training, testing, and functioning in the workplace. It also discusses legal requirements for screening, transitional planning, and accommodations. Provisions under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Americans with Disabilities Act are reviewed. Modifications to work requirements for recipients with learning disabilities are also addressed. The final part of the brief reviews opportunities for interagency collaboration and funding, including collaborations with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Welfare-to-Work grant programs, vocational rehabilitation programs, Medicaid programs, and education programs to address the learning and career development needs of welfare recipients. An appendix includes organizational resources and contacts for more information on learning disabilities. (CR)