Engaging People with Disabilities and Lived Experience

This practice brief explores how Subminimum Wage to Competitive Integrate Employment (SWTCIE) projects engage people with disabilities and lived experience through communities of practice, stakeholder groups, and mentoring programs. The brief summarizes interviews with three SWTCIE projects and shares promising practices including (1) leveraging relationships, (2) providing accommodations, (3) recognizing participation, and (4) including diverse perspectives. The lessons learned could help vocational rehabilitation agencies and other organizations interested in engaging people with disabilities and lived experience to do so meaningfully through creating partnerships for design, implementation, and evaluation of organizational activities.