By Ramona Schindelheim for WorkingNation.
Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Wyoming News Service reporting for the WorkingNation-Public News Service Collaboration

The number of people with disabilities who are working rose last year to 21.3%, up from 19.1% in 2021. Still, those statistics lag far behind the 65% workforce participation rate in 2022 for people with no disabilities.

However, some key factors are helping open doors into the workforce for people with disabilities. For one, employers are recognizing there is a pool of untapped talent in a tight labor market as they look to fill millions of jobs.

At the same time, companies are also trying to diversify their workforces.

Some advocates see enthusiasm among companies to hire people with disabilities, but stress employers need direction as to how to go about it.

"I think it's come a long way. A lot more people are interested in doing it. But they don't do it for lots of different reasons. Mostly, it's because they come at it the wrong way," says Randy Lewis, who calls himself an accidental disability advocate.

He founded the NogWog (No Greatness Without Goodness) Disability Initiative and advises employers on how to hire people with disabilities.

How One Initiative Changed a Work Culture for the Better

Lewis gained firsthand experience while serving as senior vice president at Walgreens in charge of the supply chain until his retirement in 2013.

There, Lewis created thousands of full-time jobs for people with disabilities when he launched a disability employment initiative in 2007 at a distribution center in Anderson, South Carolina that included workers with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The mandate - same jobs and same pay as everyone else. It became so successful, it expanded to other locations, and set a national standard. To date, Walgreens says it's shared the model with 400 businesses.

Lewis uses that experience when other companies are looking to hire people with disabilities. His emphasis? Hiring people with disabilities can change everyone around them for the better.

"If somebody calls me up and they say they're interested in hiring people with disabilities, I tell them to go to one of our two buildings that has 30% of people with disabilities, a large number of people. The reason to go there is somebody can tell you the facts and cite numbers. But until you see it for real, you won't do it," explains Lewis.

He stresses visiting those centers makes it clear that the workers with disabilities are getting the job done. Besides higher retention rates among workers with disabilities and the bottom line being boosted, the culture makes an impression. "What really gets people to say 'I want to do this' is talking to the managers about what it's like to work there," says Lewis.

Part of the culture, he explains, is a shared goal of success for everyone and an environment where people talk to one another and pay attention to each other.

When Lewis advises companies, he says rethinking their hiring process for workers with disabilities is key. "They'll ask what kind of jobs are good for people with disabilities? But that's not the question you should ask. The first question asked, 'Where do you have hiring opportunities? And what does that job require?' Because there are people with disabilities that can do it," says Lewis.

The idea, he explains, is to match people to skills and advocates the use of a working interview where a potential employee can do an internship and demonstrate their skills. Using peer coaches also adds to success.

Lewis also credits having an executive champion to provide the "fire in the engine" to define an end goal of success and roadmaps to get there. He proved to be that fire in the engine for Walgreens, inspired by his son who has autism. Lewis speaks about his experiences publicly, including a TEDx Talk.

"If you have a sufficient number of people with disabilities, you will change the culture, the entire building. But for sure, the people that work with a person with a disability will be changed for the better," says Lewis.

Smaller Retailers Reflecting Communities They Serve

For smaller retailers without the resources of corporations to develop initiatives to hire people with disabilities, some are finding success without an official human resources policy. One example is Murdoch's Ranch and Home Supply - located in six western states.

"We have 2,300 team members. We have 40 store managers. They have families. They have life experience. They have personal connections in their communities," says Tory Atkins, chief human resources officer for Murdoch's Ranch and Home Supply.

"We have managers whose children or siblings have autism or Down syndrome. They've developed an advocacy for people in those situations. And so, they're in a position to have a positive influence in their community."

Atkins says part of that community includes a longstanding relationship with the Special Olympics.

"I think there's a natural connection that ends up happening when organizations are advocating for people with disabilities - that we're a logical place for them to look because we can hire someone," notes Atkins. "For many people, retail is their first career exposure to a job, their first career opportunity. They're learning lots of life, leadership and professional skills by coming to work for us."

Atkins says workers with disabilities bring a strong sense of positivity and ownership of their work and he adds, it's contagious. "I think it builds a greater sense of team, a greater sense of respect in our work environment when we do have people of different abilities."

To accommodate people with disabilities, Atkins says some employees have job coaches through organizations providing disability services. On the company's end, he says, the only adjustment that is made is pairing an employee with disabilities with a mentor or coach already on the team.

Mentoring Employees with Disabilities

One of those mentors is Marny Huffaker, the store manager at Murdoch's Ranch and Home Supply in Evanston, Wyoming. She was awarded Mentor of the Year in 2022 by Disability:IN in Uinta County, Wyoming and the organization named Murdoch's Employer of the Year in 2020 in Uinta County.

In her eight years as manager, Huffaker says she has hired 10 people with disabilities, mostly intellectual or developmental disabilities.

"I enjoy seeing the accomplishments from others learning a new skill. It actually helps me to work on my skills too, because I learn just as much as they are. I'm teaching them something and they are teaching me," says Huffaker.

She says the store participates in mentoring programs with the county and with high school students who come in each week and learn basic skills. Employees also answer questions about the workforce.

Having people with disabilities on the team, Huffaker says, has a positive effect on workers. "I think it teaches every one of us patience. We're always in a hurry to the next thing and I personally learned patience. It doesn't have to be the fastest job when the job gets done right."

Huffaker says customers seek out specific employees with disabilities, including Tanesha Chandler. "'Hey, where's Tanesha? She can help us,'" says Huffaker.

Chandler is a 33-year-old woman with Down syndrome who works part-time and was dubbed Murdoch's queen of customer service by a local newspaper in 2018. Now in her sixth year at Murdoch's, she says she looks forward to going to work which plays an important role in her life.

"Outside of work, other than her companion service worker, there's not a lot outside of work. So work is her community hub," explains Elaine Chandler, Tanesha's mother.

She says, as someone with a child who has a disability, she's witnessing changes in attitudes and expectations about hiring people with disabilities.

"It depends on the group you are in," explains the elder Chandler. In her community, she credits a disability advocate who had a child with Down syndrome who fought for change. "Just an amazing attitude and so much strength and wanting to build all of these humans up and help them and just have them succeed."

Huffaker summarizes, "I think everybody deserves a chance to be able to work. I think you shouldn't ever hold back on hiring someone with a disability. Ever. I think most of the time, they're going to prove you wrong like, 'I can do this job and I can do it better.' I would never hesitate to hire somebody with a disability."


Ramona Schindelheim wrote this article for WorkingNation.


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Ballot questions, like one dealing with property taxes, are getting attention this election season in North Dakota. But another gets to the heart of how people with disabilities are described by state agencies and public documents.

If Measure 1 is approved, North Dakota's Constitution would be amended to replace outdated terminology.

For example, a "state hospital for the insane" would be changed to a "state hospital for the care of individuals with mental illness."

Veronica Zietz, executive director of the North Dakota Protection and Advocacy Project, said a successful outcome would be a positive step for the state.

"This ballot measure really signifies that how we talk about people matters," said Zietz, "and it can be an indication of dignity and respect."

This specific ballot question arose from the last legislative session after disability rights advocates and lawmakers huddled together. Similar efforts are unfolding in states like Nevada as well.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 150,000 North Dakota adults have some form of disability.

Zietz said creating more acceptance is likely to affect communities more than you might think.

"Chances are that you all know somebody that has a disability, or care about somebody that has a disability or a mental health condition," said Zietz. "And I guess I feel like this ballot measure is an opportunity to show support for that person that you care about."

She said it's important to remember that people with disabilities also are successful business owners or parents, and play many roles in society.

While there's no opposition to the ballot question, over time, differing views have emerged within the disability community over which terminology is preferred.




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State data show more Iowans with disabilities are employed. And advocates with the Iowa Developmental Disabilities Council point out that - during this National Disability Employment Awareness Month - the increase is positive, but barriers remain.

The latest numbers show almost 91,000 Iowans with disabilities are employed - half of them at least part-time.

Kristine Graves is one of them. She answers the phones at the Iowa Warm Line - a service for people who need someone to talk with but are not facing an immediate mental health crisis.

Graves said while being employed gives her purpose, there is a downside.

"The money part - it causes a barrier to getting services that you might need, because you're making more money," said Graves. "They didn't give you that time - like, 'We'll give you six months to get cut off.' They just kind of did it overnight."

The newest state data show that 6% of the Iowa labor force lives with some form of disability.

Alex Watters, a quadriplegic and member of the city council in Sioux City, is also the alumni engagement director at Morningside University.

Watters said the benefit eligibility issue keeps some qualified people out of the workforce. He said he has had to limit the amount of work he can accept, which he said affects his upward mobility.

"I've had to turn down raises," said Watters. "I have had to deny paychecks through the city or different things, turn down speaking engagement - all because if I go over the income limit, I suddenly lose all of my benefits. And then I'm stuck. Then I'm forced to pay out of pocket, which results in tens of thousands of dollars per year."

The Americans with Disabilities Act guarantees equal opportunity for public accommodations,
commercial facilities, transportation and employment.




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By Tony Leys for KFF Health News.
Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Big Sky Connection reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service Collaboration

The blue-and-white highway sign for the eastbound rest stop near here displays more than the standard icon of a person in a wheelchair, indicating facilities are accessible to people who can’t walk. The sign also shows a person standing behind a horizontal rectangle, preparing to perform a task.

The second icon signals that this rest area along Interstate 80 in western Iowa has a bathroom equipped with a full-size changing table, making it an oasis for adults and older children who use diapers because of disabilities.

“It’s a beacon of hope,” said Nancy Baker Curtis, whose 9-year-old son, Charlie, has a disability that can leave him incontinent. “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, we’re finally there.’”

The white changing table is 6 feet long and can be lowered and raised with a handheld controller wired to an electric motor. When not in use, the table folds up against the wall.

The table was recently installed as part of a national effort to make public bathrooms more accessible in places like airports, parks, arenas, and gas stations. Without such options, people with disabilities often wind up being changed on bathroom floors, in cars, or even on the ground outside.

Many families hesitate to go out because of the lack of accessible restrooms. “We all know somebody who’s tethered to their home by bathroom needs,” Baker Curtis said. She doesn’t want her son’s life to be limited that way. “Charlie deserves to be out in the community.”

She said the need can be particularly acute when people are traveling in rural areas, where bathroom options are sparse.

Baker Curtis, who lives near Des Moines, leads the Iowa chapter of a national group called “Changing Spaces,” which advocates for adult-size changing tables. The group offers an online map showing scores of locations where they’ve been installed.

Advocates say such tables are not explicitly required by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. But a new federal law will mandate them in many airports in coming years, and states can adopt building codes that call for them. California, for example, requires them in new or renovated auditoriums, arenas, amusement parks, and similar facilities with capacities of at least 2,500 people. Ohio requires them in some settings, including large public facilities and highway rest stops. Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, and New Hampshire also have taken steps to require them in some public buildings.

Justin Boatner of Arlington, Virginia, advocates for more full-size changing tables in the Washington, D.C., area. Boatner, 26, uses a wheelchair because of a disability similar to muscular dystrophy. He uses diapers, which he often changes himself.

He can lower an adjustable changing table to the height of his wheelchair, then pull himself onto it. Doing that is much easier and more hygienic than getting down on the floor, changing himself, and then crawling back into the wheelchair, he said.

Boatner said it’s important to talk about incontinence, even though it can be embarrassing. “There’s so much stigma around it,” he said.

He said adult changing tables are still scarce, including in health care facilities, but he’s optimistic that more will be installed. Without them, he sometimes delays changing his diaper for hours until he can get home. That has led to serious rashes, he said. “It’s extremely uncomfortable.”

Iowa legislators in recent years have considered requiring adult changing tables in some public restrooms. They declined to pass such a bill, but the discussion made Iowa Department of Transportation leaders aware of the problem. “I’m sorry to say, it was one of those things we’d just never thought of,” said Michael Kennerly, director of the department’s design bureau.

Kennerly oversees planning for rest stops. He recalls an Iowan telling him about changing a family member outside in the rain, with only an umbrella for shelter. Others told him how they changed their loved ones on bathroom floors. “It was just appalling,” he said.

Iowa began installing adult changing tables in rest stops in 2022, and it has committed to including them in new or remodeled facilities. So far, nine have been installed or are in the process of being added. Nine others are planned, with more to come, Kennerly said. Iowa has 38 rest areas equipped with bathrooms.

Kennerly estimated it costs up to $14,000 to remodel an existing rest-stop bathroom to include a height-adjustable adult changing table. Incorporating adult changing tables into a new rest stop building should cost less than that, he said.

Several organizations offer portable changing tables, which can be set up at public events. Some are included in mobile, accessible bathrooms carried on trailers or trucks. Most permanent adult changing tables are set up in “family restrooms,” which have one toilet and are open to people of any gender. That’s good, because the act of changing an adult is “very intimate and private,” Baker Curtis said. It’s also important for the tables to be height-adjustable because it’s difficult to lift an adult onto a fixed-height table, she said.

Advocates hope adult changing tables will become nearly as common as infant changing tables, which once were rare in public bathrooms.

Jennifer Corcoran, who lives near Dayton, Ohio, has been advocating for adult changing tables for a decade and has seen interest rise in recent years.

Corcoran’s 24-year-old son, Matthew, was born with brain development issues. He uses a wheelchair and is unable to speak, but he accompanies her when she lobbies for improved services.

Corcoran said Ohio leaders this year designated $4.4 million in federal pandemic relief money to be distributed as grants for changing-table projects. The program has led to installations at Dayton’s airport and art museum, plus libraries and entertainment venues, she said.

Ohio also is adding adult changing tables to rest stops. Corcoran said those tables are priceless because they make it easier for people with disabilities to travel. “Matthew hasn’t been on a vacation outside of Ohio for more than five years,” she said.

Kaylan Dunlap serves on a committee that has worked to add changing-table requirements to the International Building Code, which state and local officials often use as a model for their rules.

Dunlap, who lives in Alabama, works for an architecture firm and reviews building projects to ensure they comply with access standards. She expects more public agencies and companies will voluntarily install changing tables. Maybe someday they will be a routine part of public bathrooms, she said. “But I think that’s a long way out in the future, unfortunately.”


Tony Leys wrote this story for KFF Health News.


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