Press Release
Media Contact:
Erika Spalding
Vice President of Corporate Communications & Marketing
espalding@didlake.org
703-361-4195 x 1364 (o)
571-264-4127 (m)
Manassas, VA (04/01/22) – Didlake Inc., a nonprofit that connects people with disabilities to employment and community engagement opportunities, is participating in the third and final year of National Expansion of Employment Opportunities Network (NEON), an initiative by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) to increase competitive integrated employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
For NEON, ODEP is partnering with five national provider organizations (NPOs) to develop strategic plans for increasing competitive integrated employment opportunities for the individuals they serve, including those with significant disabilities and those who have faced barriers to employment. NEON provides technical assistance to the NPOs using a pool of national subject matter experts who serve as peer mentors in provider transformation and customized employment.
Didlake was selected by one of the five partner NPOs, SourceAmerica, along with 13 other nonprofits in SourceAmerica’s network. Through NEON and SourceAmerica, the selected nonprofits will each receive 40 hours of one-on-one technical assistance to enhance their competitive integrated employment services.
“Our participation in NEON aligns with our strategic goal to increase the number of diverse opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Our Employment Services program helps people find competitive integrated employment in the community, and we are always looking for ways to create new opportunities and successfully effect change. We are excited for this opportunity to learn through peer mentoring,” said Donna Hollis, Chief Executive Officer, Didlake.
For more information and to view the National Plan to Increase Competitive Integrated Employment, visit the NEON webpage.
About Didlake®
Didlake is a nonprofit rehabilitative services organization headquartered in Manassas, Virginia. It was founded in 1965 to create opportunities for people with disabilities through services that connect them to employment, education and the community. Through its Day Support, Employment Services, and Workforce Support and Development programs, Didlake serves over 2,000 people with disabilities annually throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. Didlake is licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia, accredited by CARF, is CIMS-GB-certified, and proudly serves the nation through the AbilityOne® Program.
