The Pathways 2 Employ project, funded through Oregon’s Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) grant and active from 2024 through 2029, is a collaborative, statewide initiative focused on increasing access to competitive integrated employment for youth and young adults with disabilities. Our mission is to build a sustainable, equity-centered framework that aligns educational, vocational, and community systems to support successful transitions from school to career.
Over the five-year project period, we aim to:
- Strengthen cross-agency collaboration among schools, vocational rehabilitation, community-based organizations, and workforce partners.
- Design and pilot scalable, evidence-based practices that increase employment opportunities and promote self-determination.
- Co-create inclusive career pathways with youth, families, educators, and employers, centering lived experience and cultural relevance.
- Develop regional infrastructure and professional learning networks that elevate inclusive education and employment supports statewide.
- Collect and use data to inform policy, measure outcomes, and continuously improve services.
Our work is grounded in the belief that all young people with disabilities deserve access to high-quality education, meaningful work, and the opportunity to thrive in their communities. Pathways 2 Employ is committed to shifting systems, fostering innovation, and removing barriers so that competitive integrated employment becomes not the exception, but the expectation.