About the Disability Innovation Fund Program

The Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) program is administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Beginning with the fiscal year 2012 appropriation, Congress provided authority to use amounts that remained available following the reallotment of funds to States under Section 110(b)(2) of the Rehabilitation Act to conduct innovative activities aimed at improving outcomes for individuals with disabilities (“Disability Innovation Fund” or DIF). The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022, authorized the Department to use up to 15 percent of fiscal year 2021 and fiscal year 2022 DIF funds for evaluation of, and technical assistance for, DIF activities. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, provided the same evaluation and technical assistance authority, while also allowing the Department to use DIF funds for Federal administrative expenses related to DIF, and for improving monitoring and oversight of grants for vocational rehabilitation services under Title I of the Rehabilitation Act, including information technology modernization.

The Department funded a variety of DIF projects in prior years, including projects to: improve the education and employment outcomes of children receiving Supplemental Security Income and their families; ensure that individuals with disabilities can access web-based computer information with personalized accommodations at home, school, or the workplace; and develop work-based learning transition demonstrations for students with disabilities.

Use the options below to find information about specific DIF projects or the contractors that support them.