Kessler Foundation’s Elaine Katz joins disability experts at National Transition Conference

2012-05-27 16:11:50 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DC conference convenes public and private funders seeking to leverage their grant making for the biggest impact on employment outcomes for people with disabilities

West Orange, NJ. May 25, 2012.  Elaine Katz, VP of Grants and Special Initiatives at Kessler Foundation will participate in a panel of funding experts at the 2012 National Transition Conference: College and Careers for Youth with Disabilities. The conference, which is being held May 30 – June 1, 2012 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C. , promotes practices, policy and research that lead to successful employment outcomes and self-sufficiency for young people with disabilities. More than 700 partners in the transition community, including educators, researchers, health professionals, government officials, and young adults and families, will attend.

This conference is hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and supported by the New England TACE Center at the Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts Boston.

Post-recession, both public and private funders are seeking to leverage their grant making to make the biggest impact and improve employment outcomes.  On Thursday, May 31, 2012 from 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM, the expert panel will address ‘Navigating the Silos: Funding Strategies for Aligning and Leveraging Grant Funds.’  Moderated by Kim Hutchinson, President/CEO, Disability Funders Network, the panel will explore public-private funding opportunities and how best to align and leverage available grant funds to support funding for college and careers for youth with disabilities.

Elaine Katz, MS, CCC-SLP, of Kessler Foundation joins Peter V. Berns, CEO of Arc of United States, Tad Asbury, VP & Executive Director of Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities, Kevin Webb, Executive Director of the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, Anita Altman of the UJA Federation, and Betty Siegel of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.  These leaders in disability funding will share how they are using their financial and intellectual capital for systemic change in transition services to create a more contemporary workforce development strategy for unemployed and underemployed youth with disabilities.

About Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation is a large public charity that focuses on research and grantmaking to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Foundation scientists conduct rehabilitation research in mobility and cognition that advances the care of people with multiple sclerosis, brain injury, stroke and spinal cord injury. Kessler Foundation is one of six centers in the U.S. to have NIDRR-funded model systems for traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury. Kessler Foundation‘s targeted grantmaking supports innovative programs that address the persistently high rates of unemployment among people disabled by injury or disease. Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, people recovering from catastrophic injuries and stroke, and young adults striving for independence are among the thousands of people finding jobs and training for careers as a result of the commitment of Kessler Foundation.

Find us at KesslerFoundation.org and on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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Contacts:

Carolann Murphy, 973.324.8382, 201.803.0572-c, [email protected]

Lauren Scrivo, 973.324.8384, 973.768.6583 - c, [email protected]

For more information, contact:
Deb Hauss, [email protected]
Carolann Murphy, [email protected]

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