Dakota County Newsletter - Fall/Winter 2025 - Making life better

Dakota County is leading efforts to improve access for people with disabilities.

Our Communities for All initiative improves access and inclusion for disabled people in the community, workforce and beyond. The effort is the first of its kind in Minnesota.

Communities for All grew out of a workgroup that recommended ways to remove barriers disabled people face in the community.

We’re making clear that people with disabilities don’t need to adapt to their surroundings. Communities can welcome and accommodate disabled people who want to work, go to school and live a full life.

Bringing people together

Communities for All is bringing together two groups.

We recruit contributors. These people and groups have experience living with a disability and want to share their knowledge. They're helping to spread the word.

Next, we partner with benefactors. These businesses, organizations and cities want to learn and be more inclusive. Often, these groups want to help but aren’t sure how.

By working and learning together, contributors and benefactors can improve attitudes and opportunities for the disabled.

The need for inclusivity

The Dakota County Board created the Workforce and Provider Shortage Workgroup in 2022 to tackle staffing shortages in disability services. The workgroup made 13 recommendations. That included finding new ways to support the disabled, which led to Communities for All.

About 12 percent of Dakota County residents — roughly 53,000 people — live with at least one disability, including hearing, vision, cognition and movement. Among residents 85 years and up, 64 percent live with a disability.

Research also shows about 10 percent of Dakota County residents aged 18–64 have a disability.

Dakota County outpaces the national rate for employment among people with disabilities. This success is the result of access to training and placement services, but we know there is more to do. About 37 percent of Dakota County’s disabled residents work.

Making connections

After launching in 2024, Communities for All is connecting contributors and benefactors. So far, we’ve partnered with:

National Association on Mental Illness—Minnesota (NAMI): We’ll share NAMI’s extensive tools and training about mental health issues.

The Minnesota Stroke Association: This group will provide information about how people recovering from brain injuries can return to the community.

Peacemaker Minnesota: These anti-bullying advocates visit fourth-grade classrooms through their Ambassadors for Respect program. We’re aiming to have them visit every fourth-grade classroom in Dakota County.

Meanwhile, we’re matching these groups with benefactors around the county. Some will receive education and training tailored to their business. We’ll provide small grants to help those groups with accessibility efforts.

Visit www.dakotacounty.us, search communities to get involved.

Watch the video to learn more: https://youtu.be/Wi0luvvXuh8