Kessler Grant Funds Work at Home Jobs for Disabled

Author: Kessler Foundation
Published: 13 Feb 2012 - Updated: 21 Jun 2026
Publication Type: Informative

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Introduction - Main - Insights, Updates - Related Publications

Synopsis: This report describes a $250,000 Signature Employment Grant awarded by the Kessler Foundation, a public charity focused on improving the quality of life for people with disabilities, to NTI, a nonprofit that places Americans with disabilities in work-at-home jobs such as customer service roles in virtual contact centers. The grant funds a two-year pilot program testing technologies and methods that would let NTI's limited staff match a larger number of job seekers to real, legitimate positions, regardless of where they live in the United States. The account is useful to people with disabilities seeking remote employment, as well as caregivers and advocates, because it documents a funded, nationwide effort to remove barriers to work for those unable to commute to a traditional office.*

At a Glance

• 1 - NTI pioneered staffing virtual call centers with Americans with disabilities working from home, supplying "NTI Certified" agents to both commercial and government organizations, including the IRS.
• 2 - NTI's COO Alan Hubbard said the added resources create the chance to place three people in jobs for every individual the organization could previously place under its prior time, software, and personnel constraints.
• 3 - Kessler Foundation's targeted grant making supports veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, people recovering from catastrophic injuries and stroke, and young adults working toward independence.

Topic Definition: Work at Home

Work from home (WFH), also known as telecommuting, telework, remote work, work from anywhere, mobile work, flexible workplace, virtual work, or distributed work, means an employee is working from their house, apartment, or place of residence, rather than working from an office. Employees who WFH often have a better work-life balance and often are more because they don't spend time commuting into the office and can get their work done quicker in a focused environment. On the employer's side, this setup is more cost-effective as they have lower office maintenance costs. Many organizations transitioned employees from the office to a work-from-home model during the Coronavirus global pandemic.

Introduction

Kessler Foundation, a public charity dedicated to improving quality of life for individuals with disabilities, has awarded a prestigious $250,000 Signature Employment Grant to NTI. NTI is a nonprofit organization that places Americans with disabilities who live anywhere in the United States in work-at-home jobs, such as customer service agent jobs in virtual contact centers. It will use the grant in a two-year pilot program to explore technologies and methods to leverage its scarce resources so that its staff can match a larger average number of aspirants to real jobs.

Main Content

Elaine Katz, Kessler Foundation's Vice President of Grant Programs and Special Initiatives, explained:

"NTI offers a creative approach that addresses the objectives of our grants - enabling people with disabilities to overcome obstacles to employment while meeting the workforce needs of American business. NTI's proposal outlined a cost-effective strategy that will result in more job opportunities per budget dollar, with a nationwide scope."

NTI is unique in its ability and objective of finding jobs for individuals with disabilities, regardless of where they live in the U.S.

NTI appreciates the opportunity the grant offers to look beyond immediate needs and develop more effective and efficient systems to locate, approach, train, and place people with disabilities that prevent them from working outside the home in legitimate jobs.

Alan Hubbard, NTI's COO, conveyed some of the excitement NTI's staff feels about the pilot program.

"We're good at stretching a dollar. But now we have a little extra breathing room, a window to explore how we might put three people in jobs for every individual we could place before under previous time, software, and personnel constraints. We put people in jobs. We just want to put many more in with the same effort."

NTI has already outlined some technology, infrastructure, and methodologies it wants to explore with the grant. Its operations team, some of whom bring workflow and production planning experience from Silicon Valley semiconductor firms, has highlighted all the areas on its internal processes "special sauce" flowchart where they have a chance to "turn up the volume."

Hubbard explains, "We were sure we had the method. Now, thanks to the Kessler Foundation, we have the means."

NTI

NTI, a 501(c)(3) non-profit disability organization, pioneered staffing virtual call centers with Americans with disabilities who work from home. It provides highly qualified "NTI Certified" American-speaking agents to both commercial and government organizations, such as the IRS.

Kessler Foundation

Kessler Foundation Program Center fosters new approaches to the persistently high rates of unemployment among people disabled by injury or disease. Targeted grant making funds promising programs across the nation. Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, people recovering from catastrophic injuries and stroke, and young adults striving for independence are among the thousands of people finding jobs and training for careers as a result of the commitment of Kessler Foundation.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Kessler Foundation and published on 13 Feb 2012, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.

* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.