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The Able Trust Receives $990,000 Grant To Support the Employment of Florida's Youth with Disabilities

The Able Trust kicked off its celebration of October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month by receiving a federal grant award of $990,000 from the US Department of Labor that will support President George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative's goal of integrating Americans with disabilities into the workforce.

The Able Trust was awarded the grant from the department's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). Funds will be used over a five-year period to expand The Able Trust's Florida High School/High Tech program, which provides training for high school students with disabilities with an interest in careers in science, technology, engineering and math. ODEP awarded forty-two (42) grants, each ranging from $50,000 to $750,000, and totaling about $15.3 million.

"We are thrilled to receive such a significant grant from ODEP which will enable The Able Trust to expand the Florida High School/High Tech program," said Sharon Griffith, President and CEO of The Able Trust. "Technology helps level the playing field for people with disabilities, and the expansion of the Florida High School/High Tech program will enable us to reach more students with disabilities in Florida and better prepare them for the workforce of the 21st century."

Griffith added, "It is fitting that this grant was awarded to The Able Trust during October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This is a time when The Able Trust and other disability organizations around the State of Florida come together to recognize and celebrate the many employment contributions of Floridians with disabilities. We have sponsored several projects for October, including a statewide Disability Mentoring Day, that help focus attention on the need to connect job seekers with employers in an effort to break down barriers for Florida's $2 million citizens with disabilities."

The Able Trust's Florida High School/High Tech (HSHT) is an after-school enrichment program that prepares high school students with disabilities for post-secondary opportunities and careers in technical fields. In Florida, fourteen projects provide over 300 students with disabilities with activities such as field trips, educational workshops on resume building and career exploration, and paid summer internships. HSHT is part of a national initiative of the Office of Disability Employment Policy and is conducted in 24 states. Florida is the only program with a statewide sponsor, The Able Trust, which helps provide funding and staff support to the fourteen projects.