February 12, 2026

Ross Santy
Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20202

Re: Comment Request; 84.421F Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) Evidence Building Support (EBS)

Dear Mr. Santy,

EdTrust appreciates the opportunity to comment on the proposed information collection for the Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) Evidence-Building Support project. As a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the American education system, we support the Department of Education’s efforts to strengthen evaluation and learning related to DIF-funded model demonstration projects designed to expand pathways to competitive integrated employment (CIE) for students, youth and adults with disabilities.

The DIF program plays an important role in supporting innovation across multiple areas essential to building a more inclusive 21st-century workforce, including access to advanced technology careers and innovative uses of technology, early intervention and workforce reintegration, as well as targeted supports for justice-involved and disconnected youth and adults with disabilities. These initiatives are crucial to addressing persistent barriers that individuals with disabilities face in accessing high-quality employment opportunities.

Individuals with disabilities are often excluded from effective pathways to postsecondary success due to limited access to accommodations, insufficient preparation by instructors and employers, and fragmented systems and inconsistent counseling and support to empower their success. Too often, these barriers are compounded for students and adults of color with disabilities, further limiting access to high-quality employment opportunities. DIF-supported innovations offer opportunities to identify strategies to intentionally address access, coordination and inclusion so that pathways lead to real opportunity rather than further exclusion for students, youth and adults with disabilities.

As the Department moves forward, we encourage attention to capturing insights into conditions under which programs are most effective, and the specific strategies for employer engagement and types of individualized supports that can drive successful transitions to CIE. We also encourage identifying whether DIF-supported efforts include appropriate guardrails to promote accessibility and ensure all participants can fully engage in pathways to competitive integrated employment.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your continued efforts to advance opportunity and economic mobility for students, youth and adults with disabilities. If you have any questions about this comment, please contact Reid Setzer, director of government affairs, at rsetzer@edtrust.org.

Sincerely,

EdTrust