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ODEP News Release: [10/03/2002] Contact Name: Dina
Dorich Phone Number: (202) 693-7859
Secretary of Labor Announces $14 Million in Grants to
Support New Freedom Initiative
WASHINGTON - U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao today announced
$14.4 million in federal grants that will support the President's New Freedom
Initiative goal to integrate Americans with disabilities into the workforce.
Thirty-eight grants, ranging from $83,000 to $1 million, have been awarded by
the Office of Disability Employment Policy.
The President and I are committed to ensuring that people with
disabilities have full access to employment opportunities in the 21st Century
workforce, said Chao. These grants will help to develop model
programs and innovative approaches to promote increased employment of people
with disabilities.
Among the first-time awards are grants to support state efforts to
implement the Supreme Court's Olmstead vs L.C. decision, which calls for
community-based alternatives for people with disabilities; grants to grassroots
community organizations, and a demonstration grant on
telework/telecommuting.
Grants are also being awarded in the following categories: customized
employment for adults with disabilities, innovative demonstration grants for
youth with disabilities, high school/high tech program implementation for youth
with disabilities, and technical assistance for community rehabilitation
providers utilizing Special Minimum Wage Certificates for people with
disabilities.
The grants will be administered by the Office of Disability Employment
Policy.
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Grants Awarded by U.S. Department of Labor Office of
Disability Employment Policy October 2002
Customized Employment Grant Awardees
More than $5.4 million in U.S. Department of Labor grants has been
awarded to eight Workforce Investment Boards across the United States. These
grants provide for strategic planning and implementation activities designed to
improved the employment and career advancement of people with disabilities. The
key goal of each grants is to build the capacity in local One-Stop Career
Centers to develop and implement customized employment services to persons with
disabilities. The grants provide a vehicle for the local boards to systemically
review their policies and practices in service to persons with disabilities and
to incorporate new and innovative practices, as appropriate. Each grant is
awarded for a one-year period, with four option years, subject to the
availability of funds.
Grant Recipient & Amount
Town of Hempstead Workforce Investment Board ($714,742) 50 Clinton
Street, Suite 400 Hempstead, NY 11550
Training & Development Corporation ($749,800) 118 School
Street Bucksport, ME 04416
Benton-Franklin Workforce Development Council ($750,000) 815 North
Kellogg Street, Suite C Kennewick, WA 99336
Alabama Department of Economic & Community Affairs
($747,032) 401 Adams Avenue P.O. Box 5690 Montgomery, AL 36103
City of Detroit Employment & Training Department ($750,000) 707
West Milwaukee Detroit, MI 48202
Upper Rio Grande Workforce Development Board, Inc. ($494,893) 221 N.
Kansas, Suite 1000 El Paso, TX 79901
Indianapolis Private Industry Council, Inc. ($638,792) Market Square
Center, Suite 1600 151 North Delaware Street Indianapolis, IN 46204
Alaska Workforce Investment Board ($600,000) 1016 West 6th Avenue,
Suite 105 Anchorage, AK 99501
Innovative Demonstration Grants for Youth with
Disabilities Awardees
Eight organizations have been awarded almost $4 million to develop model
demonstration programs that would enhance the capacity of the Department of
Labor's various youth programs to serve youth with disabilities. The grants
require that youth with disabilities and relevant experts work jointly to
develop and implement innovative programs. Each grant is awarded for a two-year
performance period.
Grant Recipient & Amount
New York City Department of Employment ($500,000) 220 Church Street,
5th Floor New York, NY 10013
Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition
($301,084) Work-Stream 1207 Chester Street Philadelphia, PA 19107
Interlocal Association ($500,000) P.O. Box 69 836 S. State
Street Greenfield, IN 46140
Seattle-King County Workforce Development Council ($500,000) 2003
Western Avenue, #250 Seattle, WA 98121
City of Detroit Employment & Training Dept. ($500,000) 707 West
Milwaukee Detroit, MI 48202
Napa County Workforce Investment Board ($500,000) 1700 Second Street,
Suite 378 Napa, CA 94559
Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board ($500,000) 6245
Leesburg Pike, Suite 315 Falls Church, VA 22044
Able-Disabled Advocacy ($500,000) 2850 Sixth Avenue, Suite 311 San
Diego, CA 92103
WorkFORCE Grant Awardees
A total of $3.5 million dollars has been awarded under this grant
program. WorkFORCE grants are designed to support the coordination and delivery
of employment opportunities for persons with disabilities who are interested in
moving from institutional settings to independent living and competitive
employment. Two types of grant awards have been made under this program: one to
assist states to coordinate the delivery of necessary employment related
services (Coordinating Grants), and the second to demonstrate how these
services can be delivered (Action Grants). The Coordinating Grants are awarded
for a one-year period. The Action Grants are awarded for a one-year period,
with four option years, subject to the availability of funds.
Grant Recipient & Amount (Coordinating Grants)
HIRE, Inc. ($105,391) 5919 H Street Little Rock, AR 72205
Virginia Department of Rehabilitation Services ($149,512) 8004
Franklin Farms Drive P.O. Box K 300 Richmond, VA 23288
Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services ($150,000) 2129 East
South Blvd. Montgomery, AL 36116
Ability Resources ($116,009) 823 S. Detroit, Suite 110 Tulsa, OK
74120
The Arc of Tennessee ($145,873) 44 Vantage Way, Suite
550 Nashville, TN 37228
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development ($103,300) 201 E.
Washington Avenue P.O. Box 7946 Madison, WI 53707
Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission ($149,508) 27 Wormwood
Drive Boston, MA 02210
Inclusion Research Institute ($146,600) 1436 Independence Avenue,
SE Washington, DC 20003
Maine Department of Labor ($83,759) 54 State House
Station Augusta, ME 04333
Governor's Council on Disabilities & Special Education
($150,000) P.O. Box 240249 Anchorage, AK 99524
Big Bend Jobs & Education Council ($150,000) 325 John Knox Road,
Suite F-140 Tallahassee, FL 32303
Granite State Independent Living ($149,958) P.O. Box 7268 Concord,
NH 03302
Grant Recipient & Amount (Action Grants)
Institute for Community Inclusion ($484,476) University of
Massachusetts- Boston 100 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA 02123
Human Services Center ($748,593) 600 Fayette Street P.O. Box
1346 Peoria, IL 61654
Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, Inc. ($749,998) 1431
C. Mclendon Drive Decatur, DeKalb, GA 30033
Telework/Telecommuting
One award for $1 million has been made to operate a national
demonstration project offering people with disabilities telework/telecommuting
employment opportunities at three pilot demonstrations sites. The grant award
is for a two-year performance period.
Grant Recipient & Amount
National Telecommuting Institute ($1,000,000) 1505 Commonwealth
Avenue Boston, MA 02135
Technical Assistance for Providers Awardees
In an effort to increase the capabilities of community rehabilitation
providers to develop training and employment situations for people with
disabilities that pay at or above the minimum wage and offer career advancement
possibilities in non-stereotypical occupations, the Department has funded a
technical assistance service to advance these outcomes. The grant is for
one-year period, with four option years, subject to availability of funds.
Grant Recipient & Amount
Virginia Commonwealth University ($600,000) Sponsored Programs
Administration P.O. Box 980568 Richmond, VA 23298
High School/High Tech Grant Awardees
A total of $500,000 has been awarded to two state agencies to coordinate
and promote statewide the implementation of local High School/High Tech
programs for youth with disabilities. These locally directed and support
programs serve either out-of-school or in-school youth with disabilities in a
year-long program of corporate site visits, mentoring, job shadowing, guest
speakers, after school activities and paid summer internships - all leading to
post-secondary education or employment in high tech related occupations. Each
grant is award for a two-year period.
Grant Recipient & Amount
Georgia Department of Labor ($250,000) 148 Andrew Young International
Blvd., N.E. Atlanta, GA 30303
Connecticut Department of Administrative Services ($250,000) 165
Capital Avenue Hartford, CT 06106
Grassroots Community Action Grant Awardees
A total of $300,000 has been awarded to three organizations to
demonstrate how local community action organizations can assist people with
disabilities with their employment goals. These demonstration grants are
required to coordinate their efforts with their local One-Stop Career Center.
Awards are for a one-year period.
Grant Recipient & Amount
Sea of Dreams Foundation, Inc. ($99,520) Suite BG1, Building
A1 Makaha Marketplace Waianae, HI 96792
New England Business Associates ($93,699) 380 Union Street, Suite
22 West Springfield, MA 01089
Community Rehabilitation Industries ($100,000) 1500 E. Anaheim
Street Long Beach, CA 90813
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