Unique NEO program preps people with disabilities for workforce, Crain's Cleveland Business

Partnership between Cleveland State University and Cuyahoga DD leverages the diverse talent – and untapped resource - of young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities

A report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 22.5 percent of people with disabilities were employed in 2023. This is the highest rate of participation in the workforce among people with disabilities since they started collecting data in 2008, but it’s only one-third the 65.8 percent rate among people without disabilities. The report also indicates that people with disabilities who have a college degree were more likely to have a job than those without a degree.

In a climate where employers are struggling to find workers, people with disabilities are an untapped resource. To give people with disabilities the tools they need to achieve their goals, including having a job, the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (Cuyahoga DD) partnered with Cleveland State University (CSU) on a program called Reciprocal Inclusive Students Experience(CSU RISE).

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