DDRC Employment Services

07/16/2026

Carly Gilmore, Employment Specialist

07/09/2026

Join Colorado APSE in celebrating Disability Pride month! You can add your thoughts and be featured in the celebration!

To celebrate Disability Pride Month, we are asking the COAPSE community, "What does Disability Pride mean to you?"

Share what disability pride means to you for a chance to be featured in our social media campaign! Whether it’s a single word, a favorite quote, or a short story about your journey, your voice matters. Submit your response here: https://forms.gle/QeJY153tN9ipR7G77

And to launch our campaign, here are some thoughts from S.S.

"For me, Disability Pride Month is rooted in dignity.

The word “pride” can be complicated. For some, pride represents empowerment, identity, community, and the progress made by generations of advocates who fought to be included. That deserves to be honored. At the same time, not every person experiences their disability as something to celebrate. Some disabilities bring profound pain, loss, isolation, or daily challenges. Recognizing those realities does not diminish disability pride; it deepens our understanding of it.

True inclusion means making room for every story: the person who embraces their disability as part of their identity, the person who struggles with their disability, and the person whose experience changes over time.

This is especially important when we talk about serious mental illness. Too often, those living with the most disabling conditions are left out of conversations about disability rights and belonging. Along with successes, we need to bring awareness to our failures and shortcomings. Colorado is 48th in the treatment for adults with a Serious Mental Illness despite spending more on Mental Health and Mental Illness per capita than the average state. It is due largely to the bulk of this budget going towards forensic care - the criminalization of SMI. There are no longer medium to long term residential care available to individuals not in the criminal justice system.

To me, Disability Pride Month is a reminder that every person deserves dignity, support, opportunity, and a voice not because of how they define their disability, but because of their humanity."

-S.S.

07/02/2026

The Colorado Disability Opportunity Office is looking for input from with and caregivers to share input in our first statewide strengths and needs assessment. We hope you'll share your experiences and help shape the future of disability supports in ! 🏔️

06/16/2026

Your connections can change someone’s future! 💫

Our Employment Services team builds partnerships with businesses that believe in inclusive workplaces, and your insight can help us reach them. Whether it’s a company that might host a tour or an employer looking for great talent, your network can make all the difference. The contact you share doesn’t need to make hiring decisions — just one connection can set a powerful partnership in motion.

If you know of a business, employer, or community connection that may be interested in partnering with us, please take a moment to fill out the form below. Every connection helps create more opportunities for the people we support!

Any questions for us? Reach out at: [email protected]

https://forms.office.com/r/nu0MdEap01

04/20/2026

“Medicaid HCBS programs are much more than supporting an individual with the daily and essential needs that many of us take for granted, like getting dressed in the morning or traveling to a medical appointment. Indeed, for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), these services support skill development towards greater independence, community integration, and employment that enable people with I/DD to forego expensive public institutions and live full lives in their homes and communities."

The undervaluing of HCBS demeans the very real, complex, and difficult work that caregivers—whether paid or unpaid—provide.

04/15/2026

We're so excited about all things employment related in our most recent DDRC newsletter! We invite you to take a look and see what we've been up to! 😊

Email from Developmental Disabilities Resource Center ANCOR Testimony, 2026 Golf Tournament, Kudos Kari, Spring into Awareness, and more! Celebrating Excellence: Amanda McConnell Named 2026 DSP of the