Show Your Support by Shopping and Dining at Inclusive Businesses
By Jenifer Howard
Did you know that there are more than 100 local businesses in our community who have employees with disabilities? From Abilis, ACME, Best Plumbing, the Board of Education, CVS, DiMare Pastry Shop, Family Centers, FedEx, Feinsod’s Hardware, Garden Catering, Granola Bar, Greenwich Hospital, Home Depot, Little Pub, Round Hill Club, Smart Kids, Something Natural, Stop and Shop, Whole Foods and the YMCA, these inclusive employers are just a few of the many who know the importance of employing adults and young adults with disabilities.
October is the perfect time to support these businesses as October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). While NDEAM might not be a designated month that everyone is familiar with, its history and meaning today are vitally important to the fabric of our community.
Held every October, since 1945 when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year as National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week, NDEAM is a time to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. The words “physically” and “handicapped” were removed in 1962, and in 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Each year has a different theme and this year’s is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation,” and with employers’ important focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, disability should also be part of that equation.
Last year, Abilis, a Greenwich-based nonprofit organization that supports more than 800 individuals with disabilities and their families from birth throughout their lives throughout Fairfield County, was honored for the month of October with a proclamation by Governor Ned Lamont and Greenwich First Selectman Fred Camillo proclaiming the month of October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month in Connecticut and the Town of Greenwich. The proclamation was delivered at The Café at Greenwich Library, a partnership between Abilis and Greenwich Library to provide meaningful employment to Abilis program participants and serve the community with delicious grab-and-go food options at Greenwich Library.
Abilis is a shining example of providing employment services, training, jobs and job placement for its program participants. Abilis currently has 115 program participants in its own Abilis businesses, including The Café at Greenwich Library, Abilis Gardens & Gifts, the Abilis Café, the Island Beach Concession, Abilis landscaping, firewood and shredding businesses, and placed with other business partners in lower Fairfield County who also provide jobs, such as at Greenwich Hospital, Darien YMCA, Home Depot, Stop & Shop, Staples, Boxcar Cantina and more. Founded in 1951, Abilis is a leader in providing meaningful supports to the community in Fairfield County, Connecticut, in towns including Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk, Ridgefield, Stamford, Westport and Wilton. The organization, through its life skills and competitive employment programs, provides job coaches that help train, place and support its program participants in their jobs.
Having inclusive employment and hiring those with disabilities is so positive for our community. Employers get dedicated employees who are thankful for the opportunity, really love what they do, come to work with a smile on their face, and feel connected to the community. Customers are able to interact with those of varying abilities and disabilities and see the positive impact employees bring to their work every day. The month of October (and every month) is also a time to reflect and appreciate that everyone, regardless of their abilities, deserves equal opportunities to lead productive and fulfilling lives.
To learn more about the special needs community, join Abilis at its annual Walk/Run for Abilis on Sunday, October 16, 2022, at Greenwich Point Park. Register for this fun event at abilis.us/walkrun. To learn more about employers in our community who hire those with disabilities, visit abilis.us and see their annual reports.
Other nonprofit events: mark your calendar for this other fun event — the annual Rob Mathes Holiday Concert will be back at the Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, December 16, and 17, with proceeds supporting Food Rescue US Fairfield County. Learn more and purchase tickets at artscenter.org.
Jenifer Howard is a Greenwich resident and public relations professional, who works with tech, consumer product companies and nonprofits through her agency J. Howard Public Relations (JHPR).
