VBPD Awards $200,000 to ECNV to Close Virginia’s Pre-Employment Transition Services Access Gap

The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD) is pleased to announce that it has awarded a grant of $200,000 to the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia (ECNV) to help students with developmental disabilities access pre-employment transition services (Pre-ETS).

Pre-ETS play a critical role in helping students with disabilities identify career interests and prepare to enter the workforce. In 2025, VBPD assessed Pre-ETS and found that many Virginia families are unaware of the services available through Pre-ETS and how these services could benefit their children.

“ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia (ECNV) is honored to receive funding from the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities to launch VOICE: Virginia Outreach and Information for Competitive Employment,” said Dominique Dunford-Lack, ECNV’s Executive Director.

“Nearly 80,000 students with disabilities are eligible for [Pre-ETS] services, yet only 23,000 currently receive them,” she continued. “Through peer-led training workshops, multilingual materials, and a publicly accessible statewide digital resource hub, VOICE will equip students with developmental disabilities, their families, and the community organizations that surround them with the knowledge and tools to understand and advocate for Pre-ETS, interagency coordination, and the pathway to competitive, integrated employment.”

“The Board is excited to collaborate with ECNV to connect families across the Commonwealth with the information and resources they need to access Pre-ETS,” said Teri Morgan, VBPD’s Executive Director. “We have the highest confidence in ECNV and its partner, TransCen, Inc., to improve employment outcomes for students with disabilities, and to lay the groundwork for sustainable, community-based systems change.”

The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD) serves as the Developmental Disabilities Council for the Commonwealth of Virginia.