disability as asset

When Kathryn Giordano, director of administration at Baker Botts LLP, suggested to Pat Berry that his daughter come work at his law firm for the summer, he shook his head in disbelief.

When Kathryn Giordano, director of administration at Baker Botts LLP, suggested to Pat Berry that his daughter come work at his law firm for the summer, he shook his head in disbelief. 8220;I thought no, not a law firm,8221; he said. 8220;It was absolutely scary.8221;

That8217;s because Berry8217;s 19-year-old daughter who loves to ride horses and types 45 words a minute has a cognitive disability. His daughter8217;s stint at the Washington firm allayed his initial fears. 8220;Professionals with cognitively disabled children think they can8217;t do this,8217;8217; he said. 8220;But they can.8217;8217;

Other organisations have had the same realisation. A decade ago, the Cincinnati Children8217;s Hospital opened a division called Project Search which helps place people with cognitive disabilities in jobs within the hospital and teaches other organisations how to do the same.

8220;We really have found that people with significant disabilities are capable of doing incredibly complex work as long as it8217;s systematic,8217;8217; said Erin Riehle, director of the project. Most people with developmental disabilities work in stereotypical jobs, she said, like cleaning and horticulture. 8220;Our objective was to look beyond that. We found that we could put people with Down syndrome, Williams syndrome and many other disabilities into roles that had never been considered before.8217;8217;

People with cognitive disabilities have significant delays in measured intelligence, adaptive functioning or academic functioning. 8220;A fair amount of hospital revenue comes from providing medical care to kids with disabilities. We kind of had an awareness that we needed to provide role models in our workforce,8221; Riehle said.

More companies are considering people with intellectual disabilities not only for jobs, but careers. But the number is still anemic. Only about 31 percent of people with such disabilities are employed, said Jon Colman, chief operating officer of the National Down Syndrome Society.

These companies are finding nothing but a loyal, diligent employee base. 8220;It8217;s hard to get employers to imagine that people with impairments actually can fit into a busy 24/7 workplace,8217;8217; said Cathy Healy, director of workforce and education programs with the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, an affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce. 8220;When you see it in action, it8217;s so amazing.8217;8217;

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Healy is working to show employers that adults with disabilities make up a large pool of workers. 8220;Lots of research tells us that people with disabilities, particularly intellectual disabilities, have great staying power,8217;8217; she said. 8220;These employees are loyal. They are hard workers, people pleasers, and they want to stay employed.8217;8217;

David Egan, 29, has been with Booz Allen Hamilton for 10 years. He works as a distribution clerk and is 8220;proud to be a part of that team.8221; Egan, who has Down syndrome, also is active in the Special Olympics, an organisation that Booz supports. 8220;They like to have employees come together to show team spirit. Here at Booz Allen, we also talk about core values a lot,8217;8217; Egan said. 8220;I try to fit what we do as a company and what I do outside the company.8217;8217;

8212;Los Angeles Times / amyjoyce