Alliance for Full Participation (AFP) State Teams are continuing to form across the United States. While AFP recognizes the severity of the economy and state and federal cutbacks in services, the Alliance message is to continue to advocate for policy and practice changes that advance competitive and inclusive employment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. State teams are encouraged to engage with their local employers and continue or begin the discussion of mutuality-people with disabilities and employers have resources that they can give to each other in the employment arrangement and both partners can benefit from this partnership.
So far, AFP has 30 teams in some stage of formation. The state teams are reporting diverse operating structures. Several of the state teams are using Employment First initiatives to promote AFP, others are incorporating the AFP mission and employment challenge as part of a Medicaid Grant project, still others are working within their APSE chapters or State DD Councils, or with other coalitions that have worked to promote employment within their states.
State teams are involved in a number of policy and practice issues and are using AFP to call attention to improving competitive and inclusive employment for people with developmental disabilities. Over the next few months, state teams are urged to come together and determine their numerical goal for doubling employment by 2015.
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