Before I became the dad of a child with Down syndrome I didn’t pay much attention to companies that hired people with special needs. However, I do now.
I recently posted an article about a young man with disabilities I noticed working at my local car dealership. I also wrote about an experience I had meeting a young lady with Down syndrome at a Chick-Fil-A changed my idea of “meaningful” work.
As a parent of a child with special needs, specifically Down syndrome, I’m always encouraged when I see employers hiring people with special needs. Our son Noah is only ten years old at the time of this blog post, but as a father I have high hopes that my son will one day be able to use his gifts, talents, experience and passions in a job that allows him to make a contribution to his community. I have been so encouraged to “work” with him at our non-profit, Hope Story, and if wants to, I dream about a day he can move into full time employment with our organization.
I’ve seen several articles online about companies that hire people with Down syndrome / special needs but I wasn’t able to locate a master list if so I thought I would put one together. I will continue to add to this list over time as I become of aware of other companies / organizations that hire people with special needs. If you are looking for a company that hired people with special needs these are some companies that you can contact.
Special thanks to the companies listed above. I’m really encouraged that they give people like my son opportunities to work and add value. I’m always on the look out for additional companies to add to the list. What companies have you noticed that hire with special needs? Leave a comment below so I can add them to the list!
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My son is a 32 year old with ds. He has worked at Delta Sonic car was for 10 years. He loves them and considers them his best friends. They truly are family to him and deal with his up and down moods so well.
Thanks for sharing this.
We have a kid that has DS...at first we couldn't stop asking God why us? But we were glad to hear the story about Noah. Noah's story has help us a lot in bringing up our only son who is a DS.
Thanks a lot..
You have probably had lots of comments but I just thought I would share an experience. I did some work experience as school kid at a School for special needs children. There was one young man there (a student) and he used to spend all his time in the kitchen. He would prepare all kinds of food for everyone, that's all he did. He didn't participate in games or anything else, just prepared and served food. What this kid did was incredible. He made some amazing dishes. Food was his thing, I'd imagine with a partner seeing him own his own coffee shop and not bother with employers. I don't know what become of him, but his skills certainly impressed me. It doesn't matter what our needs are, we all have gifts. If we can put a roof over our head using our gifts how blessed are we! Encourage Noah's gifts as he grows, you never know where it can take him. I'm not special needs as such but always did have learning problems. My outlet was being creative, making things. I now own my own shop making things for people. It's in the main area of town. No boss, just me, a hot glue gun and a tank of helium.
I stumbled into this post and it must not be by accident. I am a Pastry Chef currently trying to revive a piece of Marylands history and repurposing a historical structure as a coffee/pastry shop. One of my goals is to employ people with special needs as well as offer classes/lessons in which they can be hands on. I find it to be very therapeutic.
Thank you for this post as it solidifies everything for me.
Rick,
I do not have children of my own but really enjoy reading your posts about Noah! You and your wife are so blessed to have such a wonderful son! Other companies I have noticed that hire people with Special Needs: Kroger, Market Street, Tom Thumb, and Albertsons. I enjoy going to these stores for that reason! Have a great day!!!
Panera Bread! Specifically the one in Eden Prairie,MN. They have two special needs men working there, one with Down syndrome. My son who also has Down syndrome is 3 and we have no worries that he will be able to find a job here in the Minneapolis,MN area when he is of working age. We support Panera Bread 100% for that reason :)
Thanks for your posts- look forward to them!
Thank you so much for sharing this!
Walgreens has a great program in their distribution centers for people with special needs. We live within a few miles of one of their distribution centers. http://www.walgreens.com/topic/sr/disability_inclusion_home.jsp
Im not sure about USA, but in Denmark ( where I'm from) IKEA hires people with special needs, including Down's syndrome, in the stores. They have a programme where they are employed to fulfill special tasks like helping out at the storage area, stocking up ect.
Maybe they have a similar programme at IKEA in the US too?
Market Street, one of our local DFW stores. We have met two new friends there. Last time I took my son, one of the managers said maybe someday he will work there.
I used to work alongside a bagger with Down Syndrome named Tyler Crose at Schnucks. He worked for them for many years. He doesn't work there anymore because he moved back home to Florida, but we still miss him working with us and the joy he brought to us. He still calls us every Monday to see how we are doing and I love seeing his updates on Facebook. I miss seeing him in person because he was one of a kind and he inspired me to not be afraid of who I am.
Thank you so much. My son is only 1 but it gives me hope for his future.