By Wayne Heilman
Colorado is among 13 states named in December by the U.S. Department of Labor to be key players in a 2025 initiative to expand job opportunities at market-rate wages and benefits for people with disabilities.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment and similar agencies in Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Yorik, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee and Washington, D.C., will get help expanding state programs to help those with disabilities compete for jobs and work with those without disabilities. Additional expansions will assist developing state policies and mentoring in how to expand such employment opportunities.
State officials and nonprofits that hire and help those with disabilities find jobs said such persons are a “hidden gem” among potential workers and can play a big role in combating a worsening labor shortage. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is about twice the overall jobless rate and the percentage of such persons working is about one-third of the rate of the overall population, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“We are working to make sure businesses know about these quality [job] candidates to combat the work force shortage, including how to find them and fund answers to their questions,” says Katie Talliercio, disability Employment First collaboration manager for the state labor agency. “We know businesses have needs for quality [job] candidates and we want to be a bridge to those candidates to support businesses and people with disabilities to flourish.”
People with physical and intellectual disabilities are more likely to work in repetitive manufacturing jobs (piece work), janitorial and landscaping work, Talliercio says. They are less likely to work in management, professional and other white-collar jobs. Often, they work part-time and earn significantly less than those without disabilities, a result of a waiver system which allows employers to pay some workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage.
Colorado became the first state to eliminate that Depression-era waiver system in mid-2023 under Senate Bill 21-039, which outlined a five-year phaseout plan. About 500 workers were being paid wages as low as one-third of the state’s minimum wage when the legislation was passed. An advisory committee — formed through 2014 federal legislation — recommended the nationwide phaseout.
The state labor agency is working to connect people with disabilities through its ConnectingColorado job board as well as programs to help employers learn about employing that population, using the agency’s Business Services unit to find candidates for job openings, helping those with disabilities avoid losing Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid coverage and housing assistance if they begin earning income.
SSI payments are made to people with little or no income or assets and are blind, have a disability or are 65 years or older. Recipients cannot earn monthly income above the $1,971 limit for individuals and $2,915 for couples. Some people with disabilities are reluctant to work in fear of losing their SSI or Medicaid benefits, and the state agency’s benefits planning services can help alleviate those concerns, Talliercio says.
Lloyd Lewis, CEO of ARCThrift in Denver, has been a vocal advocate of hiring people with disabilities and ending the waiver system that allowed employers to pay workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage. The nonprofit operator of 36 thrift stores in Colorado and New Mexico employs more than 100 people with disabilities, or nearly 10% of its work force, in roles ranging from human resources and loss prevention to warehouse and store jobs.
“Millions of people with disabilities seek employment and can contribute to the economy,” Lewis says. “It is more of a matter of getting employers involved, letting them know that it is easier to employ people with disabilities than able-bodied workers because they are more committed to their jobs. The turnover rate for employees with disabilities is very low. They are hidden gems. It is just a matter of getting the word out.”
Goodwill of Colorado also has been a major employer for people with disabilities, employing 135 in a variety of programs, and the nonprofit also operates a unit that competes for state and federal contracts that are set aside for companies and nonprofits that hire people with disabilities. Employers must ensure at least 75% of the workforce for the contract are people with disabilities and Goodwill pays those employees $17.75 an hour with benefits.
“We are huge supporters of employing people with disabilities. We supported the 2021 legislation (eliminating the waiver program on paying the minimum wage). It is a great thing for people that struggle with (finding) employment,” says Gary Smith, Goodwill of Colorado’s chief mission officer.
Resources for employers and anecdotes from employing people with disabilities:
https://dvr.colorado.gov/business-services – Division of Vocation Rehabilitation’s (DVR) Business Services team can help businesses find candidates who are skilled, loyal and committed. Even after placement, employers and employees receive ongoing support from Colorado Department of Labor and Employment staff to ensure a positive job match.
https://dvr.colorado.gov/sites/dvr/files/BRU%27s%20DEIA%20Training%20Overview.pdf – DVR’s Business Relations Unit develops and delivers a variety of free training and educational offerings to the individualized needs of businesses. Topics include disability awareness and etiquette training, reasonable accommodations, assistive technology, the Americans with Disabilities Act, tax incentives and offerings related to the best practices for recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce.
https://dvr.colorado.gov/business-services/ndeam/employer-challenge – Commit to hiring and retaining people with disabilities. DVR challenges employers to make this commitment by recognizing that this is an untapped talent pool.
https://dvr.colorado.gov/dvr-programs-services/benefits-planning – DVR provides benefits planning for people with disabilities which includes:
- Helping them understand how employment and other life decisions may impact benefits.
- Relieving their fears about a change in benefits or services if they start working.
- Helping them make informed decisions on health insurance and other benefits (like Social Security; Medicaid; Medicare and food, housing and financial assistance).
https://www.connectingcolorado.com – ConnectingColorado offers a cost-effective way to recruit and hire. Here, employers can post job openings, review résumés and connect with qualified workers.
https://crwc.colorado.gov/business-services – Workforce centers, including the Pikes Peak Workforce Center, and their business services staff support local employers in recruitment, retention and ongoing staffing needs through a wide array of services.
Source: Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
Links to More Information
Here are some organizations and programs that support people with disabilities. Many also provide work training and help finding employment:
- Colorado Disability Program Navigator — https://cdle.colorado.gov/workforce-partners-resources/disability-program-navigator
- Division of Vocational Rehabilitation — https://dvr.colorado.gov/
- Colorado Department of Education: List of Resources for individuals with disabilities — https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/supportandresources_listforindividualswithdisabilities_2pages
- COTraining Provider List — https://www.cotrainingproviders.org/#/
- ISightConnections — https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/supportandresources_listforindividualswithdisabilities_2pages
- The Arc – Pikes Peak Region — http://www.thearcppr.org/
- Goodwill of Colorado — https://goodwillcolorado.org/services/transition-services/#:~:text=Goodwill%20of%20Colorado%20provides%20transition,Transition%20Services%20provided%20include:
- The Independence Center — https://www.theindependencecenter.org/resources/
High School Transition Programs 18-21
- District 2 — Community Connections https://www.hsd2.org/learning-supports/special-education/18-21-community-connections
- District 11 — Students Transitioning to Reach Independence, Vocation & Education (STRIVE) https://www.d11.org/academics/sped/transition
- District 49 — School to Work Alliance Program (SWAP) https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/supportandresources_listforindividualswithdisabilities_2pages
- District 20 — Bridges Program https://www.asd20.org/special-education/bridges/
- District 12 — https://www.cmsd12.org/page/special-education/
- Foundation for Successful Living — https://thefsl.org/transition-services/
- Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind — https://goodwillcolorado.org/services/transition-services/#:~:text=Goodwill%20of%20Colorado–%20provides%20transition,Transition%20Services%20provided%20include:
The Pikes Peak Workforce Center also has a Disability Program Navigator. People can fill out the online interest form, and PPWC will contact them to schedule an appointment: https://ppwfc.org/job-seeker-services-in-colorado-springs/
Source: Pikes Peak Workforce Center
