We’re doing our part to create a more inclusive community, inside and outside the workplace. From our own in-house programs to our connections in the business community, we use every tool at our disposal to help people with disabilities reach their full potential right here in Allen County.
Want to learn how to make your business more accessible for people of all abilities? Call us at 260-420-6945 to get started.
Opening pathways
The Disabilities Initiative helps with:
Building an inclusive workforce
We help companies improve disabilities awareness, worker recruitment and retention, and more. We can also connect businesses with local agencies that offer qualified, ready-to-work employees.
Creating accessible workspaces
We offer free, confidential assessments of workspaces and business operations. Subtle changes can make a world of difference in creating workplaces that are more accessible to people of all abilities.
Welcoming new residents
Moving to a new community can be a challenge. Through our Onboard Fort Wayne program, we help newcomers find the services they need, get connected, and live their best lives in Allen County.
Forming relationships
We partner with local organizations such as:
AWS Foundation supports a wide range of organizations and service agencies in northeast Indiana, working to develop a community in which people with enduring intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities are engaged fully and meaningfully in all aspects of community life.
A Chance Re-Employment Agency (ACRE) provides training and placement services including, but not limited to resume development, skill development, and much more. They assist individuals with occupational barriers obtain workplace skills preparation for securing suitable and sustainable employment.
The Alzheimer’s Association leads the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia – by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support.
Benchmark serves individuals through the life cycle, from infancy to elder years. Programs support people at work, at home, and in the community through residential, employment, social, therapeutic, crisis response, and day services. Benchmark specializes in serving people with intense medical needs and high behaviors, including those with forensic backgrounds.
Blue Jacket, Inc. addresses critical and unmet needs for people with disabilities, preparing them for what lies ahead, and looking for the right employment opportunities for their unique skillsets. After graduation from their three-week job-readiness training program, Blue Jacket offers job placement as well as pre- and post-placement services including education, skills and interest assessments, and personal and professional development.
The CORE Vocational Training Program for Young Adults with Disabilities provides quality instruction and meaningful work experiences to young adults. In order to provide each trainee with a real-world job experience, training is completed on-site at various locations to learn job skills that are specific to that work environment.
Easterseals Arc of Northeast Indiana
Easterseals Arc’s broad array of supports for people with disabilities includes a full range of employment services, from skills assessment to employment readiness training to job placements to on-the-job assistance. The employment team works with area employers to ensure individuals are positioned to succeed and contribute to a company’s success. Easterseals Arc is an approved Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Ticket to Work provider.
GiGi’s Playhouse changes lives through consistent delivery of free educational, therapeutic-based and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families and the community, through a replicable playhouse model.
GiveHear is a nonprofit organization committed to providing the gift of hearing. Our organization was founded to eliminate the access gap for first-rate hearing healthcare available to underserved children and adults in our community. Our mission is to build the self-worth of individuals by restoring their hearing potential and providing them with opportunities to engage with their communities through service to others.
Goodwill Industries of Northeast Indiana
Goodwill provides opportunities for people with disabilities and employment barriers to build independence through employment. Our goal is to help youth and adults with vocational awareness, employment training, self advocacy, placement services and job support.
Indiana Disability Resource Finder
Mental Health America of Northeast Indiana
Partners in Autism is a family-owned, family-focused business providing quality services that respectfully and compassionately support individuals and families with special needs. Partners in Autism maintains an ever-growing autism center with an array of services including ABA therapy, employment services, and PAC waiver services with specialized training working with individuals on the autism spectrum.
With over a decade of experience in developing, implementing, and running employment training programs, PQC Trains is eager and ready to help. President and CEO Stacey Smith, along with her devoted team of employment specialists and job coaches, assists individuals who have employment barriers. PQC focuses on both Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS), which help persons with employment barriers engage in career planning and readiness activities. Information for Employers and Information for Parents are also areas of support offered.
Sky Point’s employment services specialists focus on perfecting the interpersonal skills that help clients fully integrate into the working community. Specialists act as coaches, partners, and advocates to promote confidence, build communication, and ensure stability for clients and employers.
The League is a direct service provider and advocate through commitment to its mission to provide and promote opportunities that empower people with disabilities to achieve their potential.
Turnstone’s mission is to empower people with disabilities to achieve their highest potential by providing one of the most comprehensive offerings of services and programs to people with disabilities and their families under one roof in the United States. Turnstone’s offerings help individuals develop physically, mentally, and socially to support their fullest life.
At the Y, our mission is to be for all. We provide a variety of adaptive programs, including baseball, basketball, music, and our Trail Buddies bike program. The YMCA offers sensory-friendly events, a state-of-the-art sensory room, sensory bags, and fidgets. Whether you’re a beginner, a seasoned athlete, or just want to have fun, come explore our adaptive programs. The YMCA is committed to inclusive hiring, including individuals with diverse abilities.
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