|
CONTACT: Stephanie Marquis, 608-266-1683
GRANTS AWARDED TO HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FIND EMPLOYMENT
Regional Grants Awarded to Increase Employment Opportunities
MADISON - The Department of Health Services (DHS) announces eight
Wisconsin agencies are receiving one-time Pathways to Independence grants
in an effort to help increase the number of integrated employment
opportunities available to people with disabilities. More than $438,000 is
being awarded to disability programs around Wisconsin, including a number
of organizations that assist young people with disabilities in
transitioning successfully from high school to the workforce.
“It’s important that we provide job opportunities for our citizens
and these grants will help people with disabilities join the workforce in
their communities,” said DHS Secretary Karen Timberlake. “They have
skills, talents and experience to offer employers, but often face barriers
to employment that prevent them from reaching their full potential. These
grants will go towards efforts to better integrate this group of willing
workers with disabilities into our workforce.”
The Pathways to Independence Project develops innovative ways of
helping individuals with disabilities secure and maintain competitive
employment. Funding for the Pathways grants was provided by the federal
Medicaid Infrastructure Grant. The following agencies were awarded
Pathways grants for 2009:
| Organization |
Grant Amount |
Purpose |
Counties Served |
| ARC of the Northwoods |
$27,894 |
Create community “Time bank” focusing on students
in transition and their families, increase the use of assistance
from family and community members |
Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, Iron, Price, Sawyer |
| Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) for Eau
Claire County & the ADRC for Chippewa County |
$65,000 |
Implement grassroots, consumer-driven strategies that
will support transition-age youth who have disabilities in achieving
their desired employment outcome |
Chippewa,
Eau Claire |
| Cooperative Educational Services Agency (CESA 10) |
$64,996 |
Develop systematic methods for integrating transition
planning and assistive technology into curriculum, instruction and
individualized education plans for high school students with
disabilities that prepare students for post-secondary employment |
Chippewa |
| Dane County Department of Human Services |
$39,250 |
Demonstrate cost-effective models of employer support
and non-work activities for people with disabilities employed
part-time |
Dane |
| Cooperative Educational Services Agency (CESA 2) |
$64,903 |
Pilot new curriculum designed to inspire youth to
increase their academic scores while learning a new approach to
developing leadership, empowerment, citizenship and employment skill |
Green, Rock |
| Community Industries Corporation |
$58,798 |
Expand integrated supported employment services to
facilitate the participation in integrated employment of Hmong and
Southeast Asian individuals with disabilities |
Marathon |
| Grand Avenue Club |
$63,987 |
Expand capacity to place and help members with
mental health disabilities increase their earned income |
Milwaukee |
| Ellsworth Community School District |
$54,602 |
Create employment opportunities through school-based
and community-based businesses that provide various opportunities
for students with disabilities to acquire meaningful work experience
and acquire skills for employment |
Pierce |
- END -
Last Revised: April 23, 2009 |
