What is Project ACCESS?

Project ACCESS is a collaborative initiative between the Virginia Association of Centers for Independent Living (VACIL) and the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). The project expands awareness and access to Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) across Virginia.

Our goal is to help more students with disabilities build the skills, opportunities, and confidence they need to move from school to employment and independent living through Pre-ETS. The project is a statewide initiative staffed by Virginia’s Centers for Independent Living (CILs).

Project ACCESS Goals

The work of Project ACCESS focuses on increasing awareness and access to Pre-ETS in three key ways:

• Strengthen self-advocacy education: Ensure all students can access an Instruction in Self-Advocacy curriculum through DARS or any DARS Pre-ETS provider.
• Improve outcomes for disconnected youth: Identify students not yet connected to Pre-ETS, assess barriers, and create sustainable pathways for outreach and service delivery to improve education and employment outcomes.
• Share best practices for CILs: Develop and implement a Best Practices Guide to support CILs serving youth through Pre-ETS.

Together, these efforts will make it easier for students—and the families and professionals who support them—to find the right services at the right time. By aligning tools, outreach, and provider practices, Project ACCESS helps Virginia’s youth prepare for meaningful work and independent lives.

Contact

Questions or interested in partnering? Contact Maura Schmidt, Project ACCESS Program Manager, at mauras@ecnv.org.