Arrowhead Community Employment hosts sixth annual ACE Fest on Park Point

Arrowhead Community Employment brought its sixth annual ACE Fest to Park Point on June 26, giving service recipients, families and staff a shared place to celebrate in public. The gathering included a petting zoo, temporary tattoos, tacos and shaved ice.

Park Point sits at the end of Minnesota Avenue in Duluth and has a sandy beach, water access, a hiking path, sand volleyball courts, pavilions, grills, public restrooms, a community building and an accessible paddle-craft launch.

Sue said the best part was getting together, knowing one another, having fun, supporting each other and meeting new friends as a big family. Juan said the day helped him get out and stay active. Nathan Holte, ACE's director of operations, said this year's gathering felt like the best one yet and that the organization was grateful to keep offering the opportunity.

ACE helps people with disabilities explore and develop their gifts and interests, and its services include employment support, in-home support and day support services. ACE helps people with disabilities experience the joy, freedom and fulfillment of employment in their community, and its day supports are built around community activity plans and activities outside the home.

Minnesota's Employment First policy, adopted by the Olmstead Subcabinet on Sept. 29, 2014, directs that working-age Minnesotans with disabilities should be offered the opportunity to work and earn a competitive wage before other supports and services are considered. Minnesota's Employment First dashboard tracks employment outcomes for people with disabilities in the disability services system. Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development figures put the employment-to-population ratio at 30.3% for Minnesotans with one or more disabilities, compared with 72.5% for Minnesotans without disabilities.