About the LEAD Center

The National Center on Leadership for the Employment and Economic Advancement of People with Disabilities (LEAD) is a Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) policy development center. The LEAD Center delivers policy research and recommendations, technical assistance, and demonstration projects to promote inclusion and equity, and facilitate the adoption and integration of inclusive WIOA programs, policies, and practices.

The LEAD WIOA Policy Department Center is led by National Disability Institute and is fully funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, Grant number: OD-38977-22-75-4-11.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

The LEAD Center strives to advance systems-level change that results in competitive integrated employment, living wages, and economic advancement for people with disabilities. We value people of all identities in all their dimensions, including disability, age, language, race, color, culture, ethnicity, nationality, citizenship, immigration status, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual beliefs, political affiliation, veteran status, and socioeconomic status.

Recognizing that organizations and initiatives often reflect inequities in our society, and that all people come with implicit biases, the LEAD Center advances equity in our internal and external work by implementing non-discrimination practices; using and encouraging awareness of appropriate, inclusive, and welcoming language; and working to reduce physical, social, programmatic, and economic barriers.

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