Job Accommodation Network

The Job Accommodation Network is a service provided by the United States Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. JAN is one of several ODEP technical assistance centers.

Think Work!

ThinkWork is the hub for an array of programs related to employment for people with IDD at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Virginia Commonwealth University – Employment focused webcasts (free)

Established in 1983, the Virginia Commonwealth University RRTC provides resources for professionals, individuals with disabilities, and their representatives.  A team of nationally and internationally renowned researchers is committed to developing and advancing evidence-based practices to increase the hiring and retention for individuals with disabilities.

Lead Center – ODEP

The LEAD Center’s work focuses on promoting innovation in policy, employment and economic advancement to advance individual and systems level change for all people with disabilities.  The LEAD Center provides policy research and recommendations, training and technical assistance as well as demonstration projects designed to break down silos in existing systems, processes and practices, and foster wider understanding, adoption and integration of next-generation employment practices in both the public and private sector.

Individual Placement and Support

Individual Placement and Support (IPS), also known as supported employment, is a type of employment program that helps individuals with severe and persistent mental illnesses.  Research has shown it to be effective for people with many different diagnoses, educational levels, and prior work histories.

• Young adults

• Older adults

• Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder

• Individuals with co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders.

Employment First Wisconsin

Employment First (EF) has been an active national movement for over a decade. EF advocates for states to adopt formal laws and policies that result in a significant increase in the number of individuals with disabilities in integrated employment. Currently 46 states are active in the EF movement.

University of Minnesota – Institute on Community Inclusion

Through collaborative research, training, and information sharing, the Institute improves policies and practices to ensure that all children, youth, and adults with disabilities are valued by, and contribute to, their communities of choice. We work with service providers, policymakers, educators, advocacy and self-advocacy organizations, researchers, families, and individuals with disabilities around the world to provide state-of-the-art information and practices that support the community inclusion of individuals with disabilities.

Friends: Connecting People with Disabilities & Community Members

A manual providing concrete, “how-to” strategies for supporting relationships between people with disabilities and other community members. It describes why such friendships are important to people with disabilities and why it is important to promote community belonging and membership. The manual includes specific activities to guide users in creating a plan for connecting people. This manual is designed for agency staff, but can also be used by parents, support coordinators, teachers, staff, and people with disabilities to support community relationships.

Inclusion Press

Inclusion Press creates person centered resource materials for training events, public schools, high schools, community colleges, universities, human service agencies, health organizations, government agencies, families, First Nations organizations – nationally and internationally.

Center for Self-Determination

The Center for Self-Determination is a non-profit organization, established in 2000, operating as the primary clearinghouse, training and technical assistance source on Self-Determination in the United States and other countries. The Center is devoted to working within the public and private sector to move power and authority over resources directly to individuals with disabilities, families and allies.

Creativity Explored

Creativity Explored gives artists with developmental disabilities the means to create and share their work with the community, celebrating the power of art to change lives.

Let’s Get to Work

The Wisconsin Let’s Get to Work project is a five-year, national systems change grant that will lead to improved community employment outcomes for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities in transition. Funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities the project focuses on improving, developing and implementing policies and practices that raise community expectations and overall employment outcomes for youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD).

Project SEARCH

Project SEARCH was developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, a research environment that fosters visionary thinking and innovation. Since its inception in 1996, Project SEARCH has grown from a single program site at Cincinnati Children’s to a large and continuously expanding international network of sites. Project SEARCH’s primary objective is to secure competitive employment for people with disabilities.

Pacer Center

PACER Center’s mission is to expand opportunities and enhance the quality of life of children and young adults with disabilities and provide family programs.

National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth

The NCWD/Youth website houses numerous youth-focused resources, developed in collaboration with ODEP, including the Guideposts for Success and extensive information related to Career Development, Professional Development, and Youth Development and Leadership.