There is a lot of discussion these days about New Hampshire’s workforce shortage. Employers across our state struggle to find dependable people willing to work.
At the same time, there is a group of Granite Staters who very much want to work but too often struggle to find an employer willing to give them a chance: people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
I see this firsthand at Next Step Living in downtown Concord.
Next Step Living is home to 11 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are building independent lives in the community. Like other adults, our residents want friendships, independence, responsibility and a sense of purpose. And they want jobs.
Finding those jobs can be remarkably difficult.
For many people with IDD, the biggest obstacle isn’t an unwillingness or inability to work. It is getting through the door in the first place.
Traditional hiring processes are not always designed to recognize what a person with an intellectual or developmental disability can contribute. An applicant may not interview particularly well. He or she may need additional time to learn a task, some repetition during training or initial support on the job.
But none of those things tells you whether that individual can ultimately become a dependable and valued employee.
Sometimes an employer simply needs to give someone an opportunity to show what he or she can do.
We are fortunate to have businesses in our community that understand this.
Employers such as Market Basket and The Works Café deserve our thanks for regularly providing employment opportunities to people with IDD and making inclusion part of being a good member of the community.
These employers demonstrate something important: Hiring someone with a disability doesn’t have to be an act of charity. It can simply be good employment.
A person with IDD who is given the right job, clear expectations and appropriate support can stock shelves, prepare food, clean, organize, greet customers, collect carts and take on many other responsibilities businesses need completed every day.
More importantly, people should not be defined by a list of things they may have difficulty doing. Employers should have the opportunity to discover what they can do.
That is why I would like to issue a challenge to businesses throughout Concord and the surrounding communities: Give someone a chance.
You don’t have to create an elaborate program or hire several people with disabilities. Start with one person. Start with a few hours a week if that is what makes sense.
Look around your business and ask a simple question: Is there meaningful work here that someone with an intellectual or developmental disability could do?
If the answer is yes, consider opening that door.
For the employer, it may mean finding a dedicated employee who becomes a valued member of the team. For the employee, it can mean much more.
A job means a paycheck, but it also means responsibility. It means coworkers. It means having somewhere to be in the morning and being able to answer the question, “What do you do?” with pride.
It means being needed.
At Next Step Living, our mission is built around the belief that adults with IDD should have the opportunity to live as independently and fully as possible in the communities they call home. Housing and learning independent living skills are important parts of that equation.
But true inclusion cannot stop at someone’s front door.
Employment is part of independence.
Concord has always prided itself on being a community where people look out for one another. We need more members of our business community to join employers like Market Basket and The Works Café and help make employment part of that commitment.
There are talented people in our community waiting for an opportunity. They aren’t asking employers to lower their standards. They’re asking for the opportunity to show that they can do the job.
If you are a Concord-area employer who has a job opportunity, even just a few hours a week, and would like to explore hiring someone with an intellectual or developmental disability, please reach out to Next Step Living. We would be happy to help make the connection.
Sometimes changing a life can begin with something as simple as saying: “We’ll give you a shot.”
For more businesses in the Concord area, I hope the answer will be yes.
Mike Dennehy is the founder of Next Step Living, a nonprofit independent living community for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Concord.