I am proud to work for an organization, a CEO, and a team that believes in the value of ALL people, especially those with disabilities. An organization committed to building an inclusive Northeast Indiana. An organization committed to supporting nonprofits as they become universally designed for ALL.

I know that I am preaching to the choir when I state that Special Education, 504, and specialized services are critical for the growth of the almost 200,000 students with disabilities in the state of Indiana. I also know that there are countless Facebook posts and letters to the editor that are bringing to light the fragility of those services right now. I don’t want to repeat what you may already know, but I do want to make sure that we all continue to educate and advocate on behalf of public education and the students we serve.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the federal law that ensures children with disabilities have access to free and appropriate public education. Passed in 1975, IDEA is not only enforced by the DOE, but has long been one of the most underfunded federal mandates. Without IDEA and related funding, students will not receive the specialized services that they need. Any student you know who, in the past or currently, has an IEP is at risk.

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (504) states individuals with disabilities should not be excluded from participating in, denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity that receives federal funds. 504 is actually a larger umbrella of protection for individuals with disabilities and continues beyond P-12 education. If you know a child who is undergoing cancer treatments, or dealing with a mental health issue – 504 is protecting them.

In addition to these two critical laws, the DOE ensures equal access to education for English Language Learners and low-income students. It also holds schools accountable, making sure that civil rights are followed, and supports funding initiatives like Early Childhood Education and STEM.

Education is a priority initiative at AWS Foundation and we will continue to support our public schools in our limited capacity. Equitable access to education for students with disabilities is the foundation for our entire mission. But this issue goes beyond our funding. As the federal Department of Education is under attack and at risk of being dismantled, and Indiana is one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit aimed to declare Section 504 unconstitutional, it is important that we make our opinions known to our local and state politicians, talk about it often, and inform those who do not have accurate information. 

This update impacts ALL GRANTEES. Starting immediately, the following changes will be in place for our grants process:

Note: To be classified as a renewal, the program or operating support must have previously been funded by AWSF.

Ask a Program Officer

Mandy Drakeford Martynowicz, Program Officer

Question: When is the best time to reach out to a program officer to share a grant idea?

Mandy: I love this question, and I used to think about this often when I worked for nonprofit organizations. I never wanted to burden program officers with too many ideas or requests, but I found AWS Foundation to be a true partner in programs serving individuals with disabilities. The answer to this is 2-fold:

First, you want to make sure you have a well-formed concept before reaching out. Do you have an outline of the program/project and an understanding of how it aligns with our funding focus of serving individuals with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities? If so, let’s talk more about your possible application!

Second, have you reviewed our grant schedule online? The two weeks before a Letter of Intent (LOI) is due is always our busiest time. If you’re planning to submit an LOI for an upcoming cycle, we’d recommend reaching out as soon as you have a strong concept developed.

Do you have a grant-related question? Each month, Joni or Mandy will share insights on our grant process that often come up. You can also submit questions to us if there is something you would like to see. We've created a form so you may remain anonymous when asking your questions. As always, if you have a question you would like a direct response to, you can always reach out to a member of the Grants Team.

If you have a product or service for people with disabilities or their caregivers, join us on Saturday, May 10 at the Allen County Memorial Coliseum! 

Indianadisabilityresourcefinder.org is an online resource designed to collect and organize contact and service information from providers across Indiana, giving you 24/7 access to the community resources aimed to improve your quality of life. The site is always in need of professionals, volunteers and organizations to contribute to our growing list of services and information.

There are three ways to become a resource for the FINDER community:

1. Share a link to a helpful website or service.

2. Upload an informative article or video.

3. Join FINDER as a Service Provider.

A simple four-step registration process for new FINDER contributors and providers is available at IndianaDisabilityResourceFINDER.org. All submissions are reviewed and verified prior to publication.

You can also claim a listing that already exists. Go to IndianaDisabilityResourceFINDER.org and search for your organization. On the provider page, you will see the following button:

Click that button and follow the instructions to claim. It's that easy!

We are so proud of this year's report. Our team had a great time creating this with Ferguson Advertising, and we hope you enjoy it too! You can see the digital version on our website. If you would like to get your own physical copy, which comes with extras in the envelope, stop by our office and we'll be happy to share!

We are happy to have members of the community use our universally designed meeting space for free. Periodically, we supply the Community Food Pantries set up by Forward Indiana. We have a bin in our office to take donations for these pantries. If you're using our space and your group would like to help, bring us nonperishable food, hygiene items, formula, or winter supplies (hats, gloves, scarves, or hot hands), and we will be sure these valuable pantries are restocked.