ST. CLOUD 鈥� While it is still in its outreach phase, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is rolling out the Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund.
The central funds are for small to medium-sized employers who can request reimbursement for expenses relating to reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities.
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Those can range from something as simple as duct tape, said Natasha Jerde, director of the State Services for the Blind.
Some common reasonable accommodations can also include wheelchair ramps, an interpreter and additional lighting. A complete list can be found
鈥淎n accommodation could almost be pretty much anything as long as it鈥檚 to support the person with a disability to do their job,鈥� Jerde said.
The fund was included in the Funds of $4 million for the two-year pilot program were appropriated in July and launched later in September. The funding ends on June 30, 2025.
So far, three businesses have seen their applications approved, Jerde said. Two of those were in the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area, and one was in Stevens County.
鈥淲e would love to see more greater Minnesota employers know about this program and apply,鈥� Jerde said.
The fund focuses on businesses with less than 500 employees and grossing less than $5 million. While the department cannot process applications for larger businesses, they can provide technical assistance and guidance, Jerde said.
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Origin story
Within the state, people with disabilities older than 16 make up about 12.9% of the population, according to a DEED blog post by Oriane Casale, assistant director of the labor market office. People with disabilities make up 5.8% of the state鈥檚 employed population, according to
Roughly 158,000 people with disabilities are in the state鈥檚 labor force and are a critical part of the workforce, Casale wrote.
Workers with a disability have a slightly higher likelihood of working for themselves in a nonincorporated business, for a private nonprofit organization, or unpaid in a family business, according to DEED.
Casale wrote people of prime working age (25-54) with a disability are three times as likely to live in poverty compared to those without a disability. That disparity is higher than the national average, Casale wrote.
鈥淭his is a strong indicator of the need to provide more support and accommodations for and acceptance of people with disabilities in the workforce so that we can all share in the opportunities and prosperity of this state and nation,鈥� Casale wrote in the blog post.
How to apply
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development outlines the process for applying for the funds on its website.
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That starts with purchasing a reasonable accommodation, keeping documentation and completing the application form. When completed and submitted, the application goes to a two-person team who reviews it.
鈥淭hen, we can process the application after that and we try to turn around those payments within 30 days,鈥� Jerde said.
In addition to processing reimbursements, technical assistance and consultation is available. For more information, visit mn.gov/deed/business/financing-business/eraf/process.jsp.
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