The Alliance for Expanding America's Workforce (AEAW) is dedicated to increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities by modernizing the federal government’s procurement process, direct hiring practices, and policies.



Alliance Mission and Objectives
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About AEAW

Federal procurement is a powerful socio-economic tool that can maximize employment opportunities for people with disabilities and increase economic stability. To fully realize the employment potential for adults with disabilities, greater coordination across government programs and policies is essential. The most effective way to achieve this goal is with a collaborative and unified effort that includes employers, employees, job seekers, policymakers and allies.
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1 in 4 adults in the US have a disability

Up to 1 in 4 adults (26 percent) in the United States have some type of disability.
21% of persons with a disability were employed compared with persons without a disability, 65.4 percent were employed in 2022
In 2022, 21.3 percent of persons with a disability were employed compared to 65.4 percent of persons without a disability.
If the federal government and federal contractors hired people with disabilities for 7 percent of their jobs, that would bring 200K more people with disabilities into the workforce.


If the Department of Defense meets a one percent contracting goal, it has the potential to create more than 20,000 new job opportunities for people with disabilities, including veterans and wounded warriors.


Our Advocacy Pillars
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Modernization of the AbilityOne Program
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The Alliance seeks to protect, promote and evolve the U.S. AbilityOne program, which precedes much of the hallmark legislation promoting disability rights, as well as other federal procurement and hiring initiatives, like Sections 501 and 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. The Alliance will build on the strengths of this program while preserving its historical purpose to employ people with disabilities with dignity and respect.
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Procurement with a Purpose
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The Alliance seeks to leverage the purchasing and hiring power of the federal government to reduce unemployment and underemployment of people with disabilities. Making a deeper commitment to hiring in the federal contract workforce will create the incentives and initiatives to open up new opportunities for people with disabilities.
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Expanding America’s Workforce
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Employees’ career aspirations should not be limited by anything but their imaginations. Our organizations enable people with disabilities to have access to and choice in the type of career they want to pursue. By supporting programs like AbilityOne, we can continue to empower the disability community with opportunities for their careers.
Members


Testimonials
John Walker
President & CEO
SOAR365

SOAR365’s programs aim to help every adult with disabilities who wants a job, workplace experience, or career preparation. From Youth Services and Adult Day Support to our Business Solutions contracts and Supported Employment, we’re making a difference each day.

We’re looking forward to contributing to the Alliance and its goals to improve the state of disability employment.
Jeff Dern
‍President & CEO
PRIDE Industries

Joining AEAW allows PRIDE Industries to collaborate with like-minded organizations, strengthening the advocacy for people with disabilities.

Through this Alliance, there's a greater potential to influence policies, expand programs and ultimately create a more inclusive environment for individuals with disabilities seeking employment.
Stephan Saia
CEO
EPSI

EPSI strives to reduce the astoundingly high percentage (70%) of Americans with disabilities who do not have jobs. We don’t simply find work for people with disabilities; we seek out people with disabilities who want to become part of the workforce. We train them on contract needs. We give them a job of which they can be proud - someone we all deserve.

That’s why we look forward to our work with the Alliance and strengthening our collective voice to foster real change for the betterment of the disability community.
John F. Connolly, Jr.
Founder, President & CEO
InspiriTec

InspiriTec’s pioneering approach to supporting meaningful employment for people with disabilities, including veterans with disabilities, in contact centers and IT professions gives us a unique perspective on modernizing disability employment law.
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We are eager to collaborate with our peers across the Alliance and add our voice to this important collective advancing thoughtful and grounded improvements to disability employment.

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Thank you for your interest in the Alliance for Expanding America’s Workforce. We’re dedicated to ensuring employment opportunities for people with disabilities through the modernization of federal procurement and hiring practices. 

You are now registered for our email list and will receive additional information and updates as they become available. We are planning to hold a virtual information session in June to discuss membership and our advocacy goals. More info to come soon, we hope to see you there!
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The Alliance for Expanding America’s Workforce is a 501(c)4 nonprofit founded by Didlake, Global Connections to Employment (GCE), Melwood, ServiceSource and Transylvania Vocational Services (TVS). The individuals and organizations that are members of the Alliance are dedicated to expanding America’s workforce by protecting, promoting, and evolving the AbilityOne Program, the Small Business Administration, Sections 501 and 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and other federal strategies to promote employment for people with disabilities.‍
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CONTACT
info@expandingamericasworkforce.org
TWITTER
@ExpandWorkforce
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Alliance for Expanding America’s Workforce