The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced that state and federal efforts to connect people with disabilities to career opportunities achieved a new milestone in Wisconsin, setting a record high for the number of working-age individuals employed, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The achievement follows years of investments in the Career Pathways Advancement Initiative, which has received more than $20 million in Disability Innovation Fund grants since 2021.
Data from the American Community Survey (ACS) released by the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that Wisconsin achieved a record high of 189,194 working-age individuals with disabilities employed in 2023. This marks the second consecutive year of record-high employment for workers with disabilities in Wisconsin.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education and administered by DWD’s vocational rehabilitation division, the Innovation Fund grant program — the Career Pathways Advancement Initiative — connects Wisconsin job seekers with disabilities to careers in health care, information technology, construction, and manufacturing. Since 2021, DVR enrolled 1,000 students with disabilities in training programs tailored to their career goals.
