JACKSON, Wyo. – An indoor vertical farm in Jackson that produces and sells roughly 100,000 pounds of fresh produce annually is powered by a workforce built on the concept of diversity.

Nearly two-thirds of Vertical Harvest's workers face disabilities, including autism, Down syndrome or vision, speech and learning impairments.

Caroline Croft Estay is a company co-founder and says inclusive, integrated workplaces are game changers for businesses because they bring in new energy – everybody is excited to clock in.

"They're ready to work, they're on time, they work hard,” she states. “And it really shifts the culture, and kind of raised the bar for all of us, creating this really beautiful, fluid workplace where everybody works together and works hard."

The three story hydroponic operation produces as much food as a traditional five acre soil farm, year round, and with a lot less water.

Vertical Harvest workers grow about 25 varieties of micro and specialty greens, lettuces and tomatoes.

But Croft Estay adds that workers also are trained to tackle administrative tasks, sales, marketing, customer service and technical maintenance.

Croft Estay says while the training process for workers with disabilities can require an upfront investment, the long-term outcome is substantial.

She also maintains there's a job out there for every individual who wants one, regardless of their specific ability level, and says everyone has a right to work.

"And yes, the training can take a little bit longer, but then the commitment and the dedication,” she states. “We have no turnover. Everybody that works at the greenhouse stays at the greenhouse, and wants to stay at the greenhouse."

Croft Estay hopes businesses of all types will come to see people with different abilities as an untapped and valuable workforce, eager to give back to their communities and earn real wages.

Nationally, 25% of people with disabilities currently live in poverty, and just one in three is employed.


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With the 2022 elections nearing, groups in Michigan are working to educate political campaigns on how to become more accessible to voters with disabilities.

Across the nation in recent years, voters with disabilities have cast ballots 6% less often than their non-disabled peers. And Dessa Cosma, executive director of Detroit Disability Power, said it's often because of systemic barriers.

That may mean inaccessible voter information, polling places or ballot-marking devices, and because candidates don't always target this group of voters or speak to disability issues.

"So, we need to design our campaign culture," said Cosma, "as well as the way that we communicate with voters, with a disability consciousness, accessibility and inclusion at top of mind, if we actually want to reach the most people."

In 2020, 11% of voters with disabilities said they experienced difficulty voting.

Cosma added the guide has information not only on disability voters and issues, but also how to set up a campaign from the ground up. She said it walks readers through setting up a budget, creating a message and even understanding the opponents.

In a large city like Detroit, Cosma noted it can be challenging to ensure all polling sites are accessible, and that all poll workers have accessibility training.

She said polling places are required to have ballot-marking devices, known in Michigan as VATS - voter-assist terminals - and poll workers receive training on how to use them.

But she added that the training is often done quickly, and may not be seen as a priority.

"This has happened to me," said Cosma. "I show up to vote, and no one at the precinct knows how to use the voter assist terminal. And then I'm the one who has to suffer - from either not being able to cast my ballot, or wondering if my ballot actually counted - because no one was there who really knew how to use the machine."

About one in four adults in the U.S. has a disability, and when including families, friends and caregivers, that's millions of Americans who care deeply about these issues.

Cosma said she hopes the guide will help campaigns bring more members of the community into their coalitions.

Support for this reporting was provided by Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Advocates for people with disabilities are urging the Massachusetts General Court to pass what is known as the Wheelchair Warranty bill, to improve the repair process for those who rely on wheelchairs.

Two large corporations provide most of the country's wheelchairs, and groups say the lack of competition leads to longer wait times for repairs. The bill would shorten the time manufacturers have to assess faulty chairs and offer loaners, and require them to keep adequate parts on hand.

Rich Levasseur, a power-chair user in Tewksbury, said people in wheelchairs often need to constantly reposition themselves so as not to exacerbate medical conditions.

"Long repair times mean worsening health conditions," Levasseur explained. "In my case, I can develop sores which can become infected and become pressure wounds."

The bill would extend the minimum warranty period to two years, and include what is called a "reasonable right to repair," meaning wheelchair users can attempt to make fixes themselves without voiding the warranty. Levasseur pointed to a time when a loose battery cable was causing his chair to start and stop intermittently, and said he could not have waited for the manufacturer.

Ellen Leigh, a power wheelchair user in Arlington, said it is not a recent supply chain issue. She pointed out whenever she has needed repairs -- from replacing tires to motors -- it has always taken months and included delays and mistakes. She pointed to simple repairs, such as replacing a bolt which fell out of her headrest. It took about three months to fix.

"In the meantime, I could not use this head/neck cushion," Leigh recounted. "This lack of support caused increased pain and fatigue. This wastes time and resources, and most importantly, leaves someone like me with a faulty or inoperable and potentially dangerous wheelchair."

Sen. John Cronin, D-Worcester, a sponsor of the bill, said it aims to level the playing field between wheelchair users and the companies controlling the supply: Numotion and National Seating and Mobility.

"It's important that our elected representatives hear the voices of people who have been overlooked and marginalized," Cronin contended. "That includes consumers who have little or no bargaining power or choice."

With only about a month left in the legislative session, advocates stressed the General Court needs to start advancing the bill. It is in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

An effort born out of the pandemic to help members of Ohio's disability community is evolving into something much bigger.

Maria Matzik, education and advocacy specialist at the Access Center for Independent Living and host of the Breaking Silences Advocacy Committee, which started as a peer group offering a safe place for those struggling with the impact of the pandemic, explained they shared their challenges due to the lack of emergency preparedness for individuals with disabilities and formed an advocacy committee.

They are working to ensure people with disabilities can share their voice, their experiences and their recommendations when policies are being crafted on their behalf.

"To have a discussion and make decisions without us first of all is an insult," Matzik stressed. "And second of all, you could be wasting a lot of time, a lot of money by putting things in place that may in fact not work."

Along with several other advocacy organizations, the committee helped conduct an unmet needs survey in early 2021. A majority of respondents with disabilities expressed fear for their lives. For some, it was attributed to being high risk and disruptions in in-home caregivers. Roughly 70% said their ability to find necessary caregivers was affected by the pandemic.

Matzik explained the committee is focusing on the need for direct care support professionals, and speaking with lawmakers about how raising the minimum-wage floor for direct care workers to a livable wage could help better support the workforce.

"It's kind of a backdoor to saying, 'Folks need raises,' because raises aren't a long-term solution," Matzik pointed out. "But if you raise the minimum-wage floor, then that, in fact, will raise their wages and hopefully bring them to a comfortable wage that hospital and facilities are offering."

Other focuses for the committee include ensuring compliance with accommodations as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act and removing red tape creating barriers to securing food, shelter, health care and other basic needs. And Matzik encouraged Ohioans to get involved in advocacy efforts for the disability community.

"Everybody is going to face disability at some point in their life," Matzik noted. "The things that we do for our community affects everyone, with a disability or without. It will help them now, it will help them in the future."

One in four Ohio adults has some sort of functional disability; roughly 2.3 million people.