Korea Disabled People's Development Institute Tours New Disability Resource Center

Wednesday, February 12th, ServiceSource hosted the Korea Disabled People’s Development Institute (KoDDI). The tour was held at the Disability Resource Center (DRC); ServiceSource’s new building in Oakton, Virginia.

The DRC is a first of its kind community resource center in the National Capital Area, combining a primary headquarters (main campus) building along with decentralized Service Centers that are strategically located within communities where services and resources are most needed. The KoDDI were given a tour of the building highlighting the new programs in place for ServiceSource participants. These programs include a one-stop employment resource center as well as an education and disability program.

During the tour KoDDI learned more about the AbilityOne Program, a cornerstone of ServiceSource. AbilityOne provides valued employment, benefits, and quality of life to individuals with significant disabilities.

The tour included a stop in the new Blossom Daily Café located in the DRC. Blossom Daily is a participant-run café and retail shop where individuals with disabilities learn valuable retail and customer service skills while earning a paycheck. All products sold are made by adults with disabilities, providing much needed jobs.

ServiceSource has a long history of collaborating with other programs and organizations providing resources for people with disabilities, staff were honored to host KoDDI.

About ServiceSource
ServiceSource (ServiceSource.org) is a leading nonprofit disability resource organization established in 1971 that serves more than 15,700 people with disabilities in nine states through a range of innovative and valued employment, training, habilitation, housing and other support services. ServiceSource directly employs more than 1,500 individuals with disabilities, making it one of the largest employers of people with disabilities nationwide.

About KoDDI
Korea Disabled People’s Development Institute (KoDDI) was founded in 1989 under the name of “the Korea Sports Association for the Disabled (KOSAD)“ as a follow-up to the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games. Under the name KOSAD, it contributed to promoting the development of sports, culture & arts and social welfare for persons with disabilities. With the revision of the Act of Welfare for the Disabled in 2008, then, the institution was renamed the Korea Disabled people’s Development Institute (KoDDI), conducting policy research and evaluation, and also projects and programs for policy development and promotion of welfare for persons with disabilities.