UCLA Health launches $5.4M initiative for disability employment

UCLA Health is participating in a new three-year, $5.4 million initiative aimed at expanding employment opportunities and training for Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program is a collaboration between the UCLA Tarjan Center and the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS).

The initiative seeks to address significant employment gaps; according to the DDS, only 15% of working-age Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities receiving services from regional centers earned wages in 2023–24, leaving approximately 85% without reported paid employment.

To improve these outcomes, the UCLA Tarjan Center will implement three programs, including a Workforce Preparation and Placement Program to provide pathways to employment and leadership, and a 12-week Advocacy Academy designed to develop disability rights skills.