UWEP receives Foundry 10 funding for employment programs for people with disabilities

The University of Washington Employment Program (UWEP), housed at the Institute on Human Development and Disability (IHDD), provides assessments, employment services, independent living skills training and vocational support to individuals with disabilities throughout King County. UWEP has received funding from Foundry10 to support two new programs designed to boost employment outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD).

The first initiative targets transition-age youth with ID/DD by pairing educational workshops for students and parents with paid internships at local businesses. The program aims to offer real-world work experience and build job-readiness skills.

The second program uses a group telemedicine approach to help clients with ID/DD develop stress-management strategies to thrive in the workplace.

Katherine Bournelis, UWEP director and a first-year Ph.D. student in rehabilitation science, is leading the projects, with Dr. Kurt Johnson serving as the principal investigator.