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AAPD Announces New Grant Program to Expand Work Opportunities for Young Americans with Disabilities

DMDIowa Named as First Pipelines of Talent Initiative Award Recipient

September 3, 2013 | AAPD Press Team

Washington, DC (September 3, 2013) – The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the nation’s largest disability rights organization, is proud to announce that Disability Mentoring Day Iowa (DMDIowa) is the first grant recipient of the new Pipelines of Talent Initiative (Pipelines). Pipelines will expand economic opportunity for young Americans with disabilities by elongating the AAPD Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) program into a year-long initiative beginning with select award recipients across the country. DMDIowa will receive the first Pipelines grant based on their proven capacity to deliver high impact and results-oriented programing for Iowans with disabilities.

“With eight out of ten people with disabilities out of the workforce, AAPD is modernizing initiatives like the DMD program in order to provide critical opportunities for the well-educated, qualified, and growing people with disabilities seeking employment,” said TaKeisha Walker, the Director of Workplace and Leadership Initiatives of AAPD. “With this first award to DMDIowa, AAPD is laying the groundwork to move DMD beyond one day in October to a national year-round initiative.”

DMD is a nationwide annual event held on the third Wednesday of October as a part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month and is one of the longest running flagship programs. As the nation’s largest job shadowing program designed for Americans with disabilities, DMD connects mentors with students and job seekers with disabilities in order to expand employment opportunities and help close the disability unemployment gap.

DMDIowa is the first nonprofit in the country incorporated for the purpose of developing and supporting DMD programming. As part of this mission, DMDIowa partners with corporations, municipal and state agencies, plus secondary schools and colleges to provide avenues of professional development for Iowans with disabilities entering the workforce.

“The AAPD Pipelines of Talent Initiative in Des Moines will both expand current workshop training and job shadowing to an increased number of youth plus spark much needed new employment options,” said Linda Kelly, DMDIowa State Coordinator.

The Pipelines grant is made possible by the generous support from the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF).

Last year, over 16,500 students engaged with mentors in participating job shadowing programs from 250 locations across the country. Expanding DMD into a year-long program through AAPD Pipelines promotes equal opportunity, economic power and independent living by increasing work opportunities for Americans with disabilities.

For more information on DMD, please click here.

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The American Association of People with Disabilities is the nation's largest disability rights organization. We promote equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation for people with disabilities. Our members, including people with disabilities and our family, friends, and supporters, represent a powerful force for change. To learn more, visit the AAPD Web site: www.aapd.com.