Lifeworks Community,
Last month, we hosted our Annual Celebration at The Depot in Minneapolis. It was a beautiful evening filled with energy and excitement. Together, we raised over $438,000 in support of disability inclusion.
At Lifeworks, disability inclusion is who we are. In our 59 years of partnering with people with disabilities, we have realized that our core services alone are not enough to promote full inclusion in our communities.
For decades, people with disabilities have been left out of the decision-making process and forced to navigate complex systems to access the resources they need. Lifeworks refuses to accept that reality. We are paving the way for accessible and culturally affirming services by recognizing that disability inclusion is an essential part of our mission.
This year, Lifeworks has already trained 570 people through our disability inclusion trainings, which educate all of us on the role we have to play in creating inclusive environments.
We are currently seeking space in the North Metro to open a small hub location for folks who choose Day Support Services – balancing daily community-based activities with onsite offerings in a truly accessible space.
The Minnesota Department of Human Services asked Lifeworks to collaborate and produce a series of short videos, with versions in English, Hmong, Somali, and Spanish, for individuals and families to better understand the processes of signing up for disability services.
And, we have launched a community liaison program that connects Lifeworks to rural and historically marginalized communities to better understand the barriers people have to accessing services like the ones we provide – all in an effort to co-create programs and services that best fit their communities.
I hope you can see how we are making inclusive communities a reality! Inclusive communities have businesses that hire employees with disabilities without bias or stigma, are easy to navigate for people who use mobility aids, and reflect the actual wants and needs of people with disabilities rather than what society deems appropriate or necessary.
At Lifeworks, we are so excited to be working statewide to increase access and opportunities and to make Minnesota a disability-friendly state – because a disability-friendly state is a human-friendly state. We all benefit from this work, and we can only continue on this path because of the support from the Lifeworks community and from events like our Annual Celebration.
Are you ready to make Minnesota a disability-friendly state? Have ideas on how to make our communities more inclusive for all people with disabilities? Connect with Emma Rohrer, at erohrer@lifeworks.org or 651-332-6822.
Warmly,
Gertrude
