The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced more than $500,000 in grants to provide innovative employment options to advance community integration for people with disabilities.

The grants are a result of an RFP issued by DEED’s Vocational Rehabilitation Services program to Day Training and Habilitation providers.

“These grants will provide additional job training for Minnesotans with disabilities,” said DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy. “Participants will have access to competitive, meaningful and sustained employment in their community.”

Grant funds will be used to improve individual employment outcomes by aligning programs, funding and policies to support people with disabilities to choose, secure and maintain competitive employment, including self-employment, in integrated settings.

Organizations receiving the grants are:
Ally People Solutions (St. Paul) – $174,872
Kaposia Inc. (Little Canada) – $171,400
Minnesota Diversified Services Inc. (Minneapolis) – $174,813

The 2016 Minnesota Legislature approved funding for the grants in part to help meet some of the employment goals of Minnesota’s Olmstead Plan, which seeks to ensure that people with disabilities are living, learning, working and enjoying life in the most integrated setting.

Source: DEED