Iowa Workforce Development announced that the state will receive nearly $2.5 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Labor as part of the Disability Employment Initiative to improve employment opportunities for adults and youths with disabilities. The funds will be used to increase the number of individuals who earn skill credentials and Incorporate flexible approaches to designing and providing training and supportive services, including customized employment strategies to help job seekers with significant disabilities. The grant will help level the playing field for people with disabilities, who represent the single largest untapped pool of work-ready individuals in the state, Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend said in a release.