Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Operating Manual
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Section 133.6 - Vocational Training - Alternative Services
Purpose
Alternative Services provide for unusual situations in which the services normally provided by an Employment and Training Centre are not accessible, primarily because of geographic location and lack of availability or suitability of technical aids or assistive devices.
Alternative Services may be utilized to address the following:
- unique assessment or training needs in rural, remote, and northern areas; or
- provide for Assessment and Employment Services in situations where an Employment and Training Centre is unable or unsuited to provide the service; or
- provide for specific disability-related supports that are not appropriately addressed within general practice or the guidelines of this manual.
In all cases, Alternative Services must represent a cost saving when compared to normally requested services.
Type of Services
Alternative Services may be comprised of Assessments, Employment Services, and/or Technical Aids or Assistive Devices.
Assessment/Employment Services
It is recognized that participants in rural, remote, and northern areas are at a disadvantage in terms of accessing Assessment and Employment Services because commuting or temporarily relocating to locations where these services are available is very costly and may be disruptive to family and lifestyle. Therefore, the Program is prepared to consider, on a case-by-case basis, special requests for alternative services. Such requests may include plans utilizing community resources or reimbursing Employment and Training Centres for costs incurred in delivering service outside their normal geographic boundaries. In any case, it should be demonstrated that the overall cost is less than reimbursing the participant to commute or to cover any short-term living arrangements.
Assistive Devices
Occasionally, participants enrolled in Assessment and Employment Services may need special disability-related technical or adaptive devices. In situations where it is not necessary or practical to purchase an assistive device for the long term vocational benefit of the participant, an application may be made to the Employability Assistance for People with Disabilities Individualized Training Fund under the Alternative Services category to lease specialized equipment or to purchase the equipment and assess a pro-rated fee for each program participant who uses the devices or technological equipment over a period of time. The maximum that may be reimbursed shall be limited to the purchase costs of the assistive device.
Process
Alternative Services funding must be negotiated with the Program on a case-specific basis prior to initiating any arrangements for provision of these services.