Sevier County IDdEAS
A Rural Appalachian Workforce and Community Support Initiative for Young Adults with Disabilities
The Overlooked Gap
How?
Sevier County IDdEAS (Intellectual, Developmental, disAbilities, Engagement, Accommodations, and Supports) is a rural Appalachian initiative creating pathways to employment, independent living, and long-term community inclusion for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Sevier County, Tennessee.
Founded through nearly two decades of direct transition and special education work in Sevier County Schools, the initiative addresses a critical and often overlooked gap: what happens to rural young adults with disabilities after they graduate from high school.
What We See!
For many families, school-based support systems disappear at graduation, leaving young adults vulnerable to unemployment, housing instability, social isolation, and long delays in accessing state disability services. Despite the presence of one of Tennessee’s largest tourism and
hospitality economies, many individuals with disabilities remain excluded from workforce participation due to transportation barriers, poverty, lack of coordinated services, and limited local infrastructure.
Sevier County IDdEAS is building a locally rooted solution that combines workforce development, independent-living support, community inclusion, and long-term infrastructure development to ensure young adults with disabilities can build stable futures within the communities that raised them.