Kentucky Employment First welcomes Katie Wolf Whaley as new Council Chair  

On December 2nd, 2022, Kentucky welcomed Katie Wolf Whaley as the new chair of Kentucky’s Employment First Council.  

Employment First practices the idea that competitive integrated employment should be considered the first and primary option for people with disabilities who are eligible and desire to be employed. Simply put, it is the idea that everyone has the right to work!  

Competitive integrated employment refers to a workplace where people with disabilities work with people without disabilities and have the same pay, benefits, and opportunities for promotions.  

Katie Wolf Whaley, MSW, CESP, is the Director of the Kentucky Supported Employment Training Project and oversees other contracts with the state Office of Vocational Rehabilitation at the University of Kentucky’s Human Development Institute.  

Along with serving as chair of Kentucky’s Employment First Council, Wolf Whaley also devotes time serving as the President of the Kentucky Chapter of APSE (Association of Persons Supporting Employment First).  

Congratulations Katie Wolf Whaley on becoming the new chair of Kentucky’s Employment First Council. To learn more about Employment First, visit the Employment First webpage here.  

References 

Employment First. Kentucky Career Center. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2022, from https://kcc.ky.gov/Vocational-Rehabilitation/Employment-First/Pages/default.aspx    

Latest Updates

Let’s talk about sex and Disability: JD Otsuka’s 'Pillow Talk' opens the conversation

Let’s talk about sex and Disability: JD Otsuka’s ‘Pillow Talk’ opens the conversation

People are often uncomfortable talking about sexuality, especially in how it relates to disability. JD Otsuka’s play “Pillow Talk” challenges …

Written by Us: The Disabled Playwrights Workshop Reclaims the Narrative

Written by Us: The Disabled Playwrights Workshop Reclaims the Narrative

Bailey Patterson has a background in almost every side of theater. That means she’s seen firsthand how disability is often …

Dr. Nicholas Wright Staff Photo

Wishing Dr. Wright well at Gonzaga University

During his time at HDI, Director of Underserved Populations Dr. Nicholas Wright has enjoyed the opportunity to help bring underrepresented …