Courtesy of People Inc.

With the unemployment rate among people with disabilities three times the overall rate, ensuring that people with developmental disabilities and other disabilities secure and maintain meaningful, competitive employment is an important focus at People Inc.

We provide support to 500 people with developmental disabilities across 150 local businesses and organizations. Those involved gain so much more than just paid employment — they become part of a broader community.

One example is Neil Sanders, who is very proud of his customer service associate position at the Walgreens store in West Seneca, where he is nearing his second anniversary. His time at work is divided among organizing inventory, managing expiration dates, and learning new skills. Neil says, “I love my job, work hard, and look forward to corporate training sessions.”

Over the past 10 years, several local Walgreens stores have partnered with People Inc. to create meaningful training and employment opportunities for qualified applicants through the company’s REDI (Recruiting Employees with Disabilities Initiative) program. The REDI program provides externship opportunities in which people can learn a variety of work and social skills in a real-world setting. Successful candidates like Neil are often provided with permanent paid positions at a Walgreens location.

Neil’s supervisor and store manager, Stacey Hooper, appreciates working with him in more ways than she could have imagined, noting Neil’s positive attitude and willingness to try new and different ways of doing things. “Neil reminds me to take a breath and exchange pleasantries first thing in the morning, which then resets my whole day. Working with Neil has helped me appreciate all the different personalities on our team.”

To learn more about People Inc.’s employment programs or how your business can partner with us, visit www.people-inc.org.