A real shot at work, even when the system makes it hard.
North Carolina has a free program — Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities (EIPD) — that pays for job training, equipment, transportation, and placement support for adults whose disability or chronic condition is making employment difficult. The hard part is finishing the application. We make sure you do.
What EIPD is
EIPD is North Carolina's vocational rehabilitation program for adults with disabilities or chronic medical conditions that create a barrier to work. It is run by the NC Department of Health and Human Services. It is free to apply and free to use.
If you qualify, EIPD can cover: job training and trade certifications, equipment and assistive technology, transportation support, job placement help, on-the-job training, and education that leads to employment.
What Lighthouse does
We are not EIPD. EIPD determines eligibility, not us. What we do:
Document prep: help you pull together IDs, disability documentation, and prior medical records.
Application support: walk you through the EIPD application and submit it cleanly.
Follow-through: check in during the eligibility review and employment-plan stages so the process does not stall.
Accountability: if you commit to a training pathway, we help you stick with it.
Realistic timeline
Eligibility determination: up to 60 days after EIPD receives your application.
Employment plan development: up to 90 days after eligibility is confirmed.
You will not get a job tomorrow through EIPD. You will get a credentialed pathway in 4–6 months if you commit to the process. We help you stay in motion the entire way.
Job pathways
EIPD funds training in a wide range of trades. Common pathways men in our program have followed include welding, forklift operation, construction and general labor, painting, lawncare and grounds maintenance, flagger and roadwork certification, woodworking and finishing, and printing and production.
Get started
Call 828-556-8424 or use the contact form. We respond same day where possible.