Since the U.S. first recognized National Disability Employment Awareness Month in 1945, systemic barriers and inequities have persisted despite decades of advocacy and progress. Today, for example, the unemployment rate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) remains nearly twice as high as for those without disabilities.
Across Washington and Oregon, the Kuni Foundation is honored to partner with community nonprofits that are expanding access to employment and building inclusive workplaces. These local partnerships reflect a shared commitment to ensuring that people with IDD can thrive, contribute their talents, and find belonging in the workforce.
Sherwood Community Services: Breaking down barriers to employment
For nearly 70 years, Sherwood Community Services has empowered people with disabilities across Snohomish, Skagit, Island and San Juan counties. Through its Career and Community Connections program, Sherwood provides supported employment services that help clients find and maintain meaningful jobs aligned with their interests and abilities.
This program continues to reduce barriers to employment, ensuring people with IDD have the same opportunities to learn, work and live independently as their peers. Sherwood Community Services received a $35,000 Kuni Foundation Imagination Grant to expand this work and further foster independence, inclusion and participation in community life.
PROVAIL: Expanding access to assistive technology
Serving more than 1,000 individuals across King, Pierce and Snohomish counties, PROVAIL helps people with disabilities live independently and achieve their goals through its Employment Services, Mobility and Communication, and Home and Lifestyle programs.
The Kuni Foundation awarded PROVAIL a $25,000 grant to expand its Pacific Northwest Adaptive Technology Library, which provides access to adaptive and assistive technology. These tools—ranging from communication devices to mobility supports—can be life-changing, improving access to employment opportunities, independent living and more. Yet access remains limited by cost, insurance coverage, and lack of awareness.
To help address these barriers, PROVAIL is collaborating with Open Doors for Multicultural Families, the Tulalip Tribes, and the University of Washington Taskar Center for Accessible Technology to expand access to adaptive technology across diverse communities.
Pearl Buck Center: Creating opportunities and building confidence
Based in Lane County, Oregon, the Pearl Buck Center offers people of all abilities and their families the resources and support they need to achieve their goals. Its Community Employment Program connects individuals with IDD to local employers, provides job placement and coaching, and builds the skills and confidence needed for long-term success.
The center received a $20,000 Kuni Foundation grant to meet diverse IDD needs through job development, life-enhancing activities, childcare and education. It also offers vocational services, summer work experiences for students ages 18 to 21, and Project SEARCH, a nationally recognized nine-month internship program that partners with businesses committed to creating inclusive workplaces.
North Pole Studio: Expanding creative and economic inclusion
Located in Portland’s Pearl District, North Pole Studio provides artists with IDD a space to create, connect and share their work with the community. After relocating to a larger studio surrounded by galleries and increased foot traffic, the nonprofit expanded its Professional Studio Program by more than 50 percent.
The Kuni Foundation recently awarded a $45,000 grant to expand professional opportunities for artists with IDD. Artists at North Pole Studio earn 75 percent of each sale, with the remaining 25 percent reinvested into studio programs and resources. Since its founding in 2020, the organization has expanded its network of artists and partners, connecting creators with IDD to local and national galleries, curators and organizations—helping increase representation of artists with disabilities in the broader arts community.
Creating belonging through opportunity
These organizations represent just a few of the many in the Pacific Northwest that are advancing inclusion through employment, skill building and community. The Kuni Foundation is proud to support their work—and that of countless others—who are creating pathways to independence, opportunity and belonging for people with IDD.
