District of Columbia Receives Five-Year Grant from ACL

Announced in a new press release, the District of Columbia is one of six states to receive a five-year grant from the Administration on Community Living (ACL) to increase competitive job opportunities for youth and young adults with intellectual and development disabilities (IDD). “More than $1.8 million was distributed by the ACL’s Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) to fund Projects of National Significance (PNS). Projects of National Significance address the most pressing issues affecting people with developmental disabilities and their families, creating and enhancing opportunities for people with disabilities to engage all facets of community life.”

 “The District of Columbia will receive approximately $1.2 million over the next five years to fund D.C. Learners and Earners (DCL&E), which is designed to create a replicable model for statewide systems change that promotes successful transition to employment for youth and young adults ages 16 to 30 with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Dedicated to giving people a fresh start to pursue self-directed lives, the D.C. Department on Disability Services will lead the project in collaboration with the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), the Department of Employment Services (DOES), the Public Charter School Board (PCSB), Developmental Disabilities Council (DDC), University Legal Services, and the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at Georgetown University. The Consortium will work to increase employment outcomes and economic self-sufficiency for youth and young adults with IDD, creating pathways to the middle class while developing a replicable, sustainable model for employing people with disabilities.”