Alaska Works Initiative


Work on this project has ended.

The overall goal of the Alaska Works Initiative is to ensure that “Alaskans who experience disabilities are employed at a rate as close as possible to that of the general population.” In order to reach this goal, the Council is implementing the following strategies, in partnership with individuals with disabilities, family members, state agencies, advocacy organizations, business and industry, and services providers:

  • Promote work as an expectation to individuals with disabilities, their families and service providers
  • Develop policy that increases the expectation that people with disabilities can work and want to work
  • Promote work as an expectation to the public
  • Transform service provision to focus on work as an expectation
  • Implement a coordinated outreach plan
  • Promote and foster the use of mentors
  • Make better use of existing resources and funds
  • Secure new sources of funding
  • Develop and/or change policy to increase the availability of employment-related resources
  • Increase resources and support that encourage micro-enterprise development
  • Establish connections between groups that don’t typically intersect with the workforce investment system
  • Increase the availability of accessible, affordable transportation and housing

Initiative Status

To follow the progress of the Initiative, please click on the links below. You can access a summary description of the Initiative, as well as details of our work plan for the current year (2006) and a Management Checklist which indicates the status of the individual goals of the Initiative.

Startup Alaska: In support of the vision of the Alaska Works Initiative; START-Up/Alaska builds upon existing initiatives to support Alaskans with disabilities who want to start their own businesses.