Disability Advocates of Kent County

What Disability Advocates of Kent County does

Disability Advocates of Kent County (DAKC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1981 and headquartered at 160 68th St SW, Grand Rapids, Michigan, that supports self-directed lives for individuals with disabilities across Kent County and the broader West Michigan region. Its service portfolio spans four core areas: Home Services (occupational-therapy-driven safety assessments and home modifications via the Home Assessment & Modification Program and the Home Accessibility Center, using the Home For Life Design reporting platform for structured assessment outputs), Community Programs (the Absolutely Accessible Kent/West Michigan program, Accessibility Reviews, Inclusion & Accessibility Trainings, and the Test Pilot program that channels lived disability experience into accessibility consulting for organizations such as Steelcase), Employment Services (Employment Advocacy, Benefits Planning by certified planners, Youth Transition Services for ages 14+, and Family Support), and Veteran-Directed Care for VA-enrolled veterans. The organization does not charge consumers for services; its revenue model relies on individual and corporate donations, fundraising events such as the Invest in Ability gala, government grants and contracts (including VA Veteran-Directed Care funding), and selective corporate consulting partnerships. With 11–50 staff and over 1,900 individuals served in 2025, DAKC operates a community-embedded, human-expertise-driven model with no disclosed AI/ML technology components.

Name

Disability Advocates of Kent County

Legal name

Disability Advocates of Kent County

Website

https://dakc.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Disability Advocates of Kent County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 that delivers home modification, employment advocacy, benefits planning, and veteran-directed care services to individuals with disabilities in Kent County and West Michigan, serving over 1,900 people in 2025.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Individual and Family Services (6241), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy (BPAGAFAF), Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

Keywords

• Disability advocacy services
• Home accessibility assessments
• Benefits planning support
• Veteran-directed care
• Inclusive design education

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations support the organization's mission and programs. The organization encourages generous donations to help persons with disabilities live self-directed lives.
2. Fundraising Events: Revenue generated from fundraising events including Invest in Ability gala, ticket sales, sponsorships, and raffle items.
3. Government Grants and Contracts: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that receives government funding and grants to support disability services and programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Disability Advocates of Kent County is a nonprofit organization that provides accessibility-focused services to individuals with disabilities, their families, and community partners across West Michigan. Its core offerings include home accessibility assessments and modifications through the Home For Life Design program, employment advocacy and ADA consulting, Social Security benefits planning, youth transition services, the Veteran-Directed Care program, and inclusive design and inclusion training for community venues.

Product overview

Disability Advocates of Kent County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a comprehensive suite of services for people with disabilities. The organization operates a multi-service model centered on Home Services (assessments and modifications), Community Programs (accessibility reviews, trainings, Test Pilot program), Employment Services (advocacy, benefits planning, youth transition), and Veteran Support (Veteran-Directed Care). Additional offerings include Inclusive Design Education with prototype templates and toolkits, and community events including ADA Celebrations, Invest in Ability galas, Disability Awareness Day, and Absolutely Accessible Kent/West Michigan workshops. The organization served over 1,900 individuals in 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Absolutely Accessible Kent (AAK): A community initiative dedicated to promoting inclusivity and accessibility for individuals with disabilities, highlighting universal design principles and the built environment.
• Absolutely Accessible West Michigan (AAWM)
• Test Pilot Program
• Home Accessibility Center

Products and services

• Home Assessment & Modification Program (Home For Life Design) Provides home assessments and modification services to help individuals with disabilities live safely and independently in their homes. Designed for residents of Kent County and surrounding West Michigan communities who need accessible housing solutions.
• Community Services Bundled community-facing accessibility and inclusion services including Absolutely Accessible Kent advocacy and awareness, Accessibility Reviews of public spaces (e.g., Experience Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Broadway Grand Rapids), Inclusion Trainings, and the Test Pilot lived-experience review program. Designed for community venues, employers, and partners seeking accessibility and inclusion expertise.
• Employment Advocacy Provides advocacy and ADA-focused employment support to help individuals with disabilities obtain and maintain meaningful employment. Designed for working-age individuals with disabilities in West Michigan seeking employment assistance and accommodations.
• Benefits Planning Provides Social Security benefits planning support, including work-incentive and pre-employment benefits planning, to help individuals with disabilities make informed decisions about work and benefits. Designed for individuals with disabilities navigating Social Security programs in West Michigan.
• Youth Transition Services Provides transition support for youth with disabilities aged 14 and up as they prepare to move from school to adult life, covering employment, post-secondary education, and independent living skills. Designed for youth with disabilities and their families in Kent County and West Michigan.
• Veteran-Directed Care (VDC) Program Provides person-centered options counseling and self-directed home and community-based services for veterans with disabilities, delivered in partnership with state veterans' services under VA funding frameworks. Designed for veterans eligible for VA Veteran-Directed Care.
• Inclusive Design Education Provides inclusive design education and consultation to help community organizations, employers, and designers embed accessibility into their work. Designed for venues, employers, and design professionals in West Michigan.
• Family Support Services Provides support, navigation assistance, and family-centered programming for families of individuals with disabilities. Designed for families of individuals with disabilities in Kent County and West Michigan.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 1,900+ individuals with disabilities in 2025

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ferris State College's Kendall College of Art & Design (KCAD)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2025KCAD was honored at Invest in Ability 2025 for their work on inclusive, user-informed housing solutions through kitchen redesigns making homes more accessible.
• Kent District LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to improve services for residents with disabilities. DAKC works with KDL to enhance accessibility services, including training staff and developing accessibility programs for library patrons with disabilities.
• SteelcasecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through Test Pilot program where Steelcase works with Disability Advocates to get feedback on workplace accessibility and inclusive design. Test Pilots like Howard evaluate products and spaces to help Steelcase design for people with disabilities.
• Broadway Grand RapidscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to make theater more accessible. DAKC provides expertise on accessibility features including GalaPro app implementation for closed captions and audio descriptions, and immersive touch tours for visually impaired patrons.
• Grand Rapids Public MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsulting partnership for accessibility upgrades to the 1928 Spillman Carousel, making it wheelchair accessible for the first time in 97 years.
• Experience GRminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to help Grand Rapids achieve 'Destination Verified' status for accessible travel through Wheel the World's accessibility verification program.
• AcrisureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership for mock interview events providing young adults with disabilities real-world interview experience with professionals.
• Kendall College of Art & Design (KCAD) StudentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent collaboration on inclusive design projects, reimagining kitchens with user-informed designs making homes more accessible for people of all abilities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Disability Rights Michigan: Michigan's protection and advocacy system providing legal and rights-based services for people with disabilities; overlapping on ADA advocacy and individual/family support but organized around legal advocacy.
• Hope Network: Michigan-based nonprofit operating employment, housing, behavioral health, and disability services across the state—comparably mission-aligned with overlapping employment advocacy and independent living programming.
• Goodwill of Greater Grand Rapids: Grand Rapids-based nonprofit providing employment services, training, and placement—including programs for people with disabilities; directly comparable in employment-advocacy scope and West Michigan footprint.
• The Arc Michigan: Statewide advocacy organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, offering benefits planning, family support, and employment services directly comparable to DAKC's portfolio.
• Disability Network of Michigan: Statewide network of Centers for Independent Living that delivers independent living services, advocacy, and benefits counseling across Michigan—directly overlapping DAKC's mandate but at a broader geographic scope.
• Easterseals Michigan: Affiliated disability services nonprofit providing employment, housing, and community-based supports in Michigan; comparable operating model centered on disability services and government funding.

Regional players

• Mel Trotter Ministries: Grand Rapids-based nonprofit addressing social services and community support; comparable through shared West Michigan geography and donor base, though focused on housing and food insecurity rather than disability services.

Broad incumbents

• Michigan Rehabilitation Services (Michigan DTMB): State-federal vocational rehabilitation agency providing employment counseling, training, and benefits planning statewide—overlaps DAKC's employment and benefits services but as part of a much broader public-sector portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DisabAdvocates
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtTmUztKyqJ0uLikLNra67Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/DisabAdvocates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/disability-advocates-of-kent-county
• Instagraminstagram.com/disabadvocates

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Disability Advocates of Kent County