Many employers across McKinney are asking the same question:
Where can we find dependable employees?
The answer may be closer than they realize.
Across the country, organizations like Galt Foundation, Best Buddies Jobs, The Arc, Texas Workforce Commission Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and local nonprofit partners are helping employers discover an often-overlooked talent pool: people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). They’re proving something many businesses are beginning to realize that when we hire based on potential instead of assumptions, everyone benefits.
Looking Beyond the Resume
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities represent one of today’s most underutilized sources of talent. While many employers continue to struggle to fill open positions, countless capable individuals are eager to work, contribute, and become valued members of a team. Yet people with disabilities continue to experience significantly lower employment rates than people without disabilities.
Perhaps the biggest barrier isn’t ability.
It’s assumptions.
Too often, employers ask, “What jobs can people with intellectual and developmental disabilities do?”
A better question is:
“What does this person do well?”
Like every employee, each individual brings a unique combination of strengths, interests, skills, and experiences. People with IDD work successfully in manufacturing, healthcare, retail, hospitality, logistics, office administration, customer service, education, government, and many other industries. Some may benefit from workplace accommodations or job coaching. Many require little or no additional support. The right job depends on the individual, not the diagnosis.
When employers look beyond a resume or a diagnosis and begin looking for strengths, they often discover qualified candidates they may never have considered.
What Employers Are Discovering
Businesses that have embraced inclusive hiring often describe benefits that extend well beyond filling an open position. Many report dependable attendance, strong retention, employees who take pride in their work, and teams that are strengthened by diverse perspectives and shared purpose.
Inclusive hiring isn’t about lowering expectations. It’s about maintaining high expectations while recognizing that people bring different strengths and may follow different paths to success. When employers focus on what someone can do instead of what they assume they can’t, they often discover dedicated employees who make lasting contributions to their organizations.
As the mother of an adult son with an intellectual disability, I’ve had the privilege of watching firsthand what happens when an employer chooses to see potential instead of limitations.
Many years ago, Kevin was hired by our local Whataburger. What began as a job became so much more.
Over time, he developed friendships with his coworkers, built confidence in his abilities, and became a familiar face to many of the restaurant’s regular customers. Some stopped by each week hoping Kevin would be working. They weren’t just coming for a meal. They were coming to see someone they had gotten to know.
His coworkers learned that supporting someone with a disability isn’t complicated. It’s about working together, communicating, and recognizing each person’s strengths. Customers witnessed something equally important: capability. They saw a young man doing his job well, serving others with pride, and becoming a valued member of the team.
In 2013, Kevin was recognized as Employee of the Month. Not because he has a disability. Because he was a valued employee.
For our family, that award represented far more than a certificate on the wall. It was proof that when employers look beyond assumptions and create meaningful opportunities, everyone benefits. Businesses gain dedicated employees. Communities gain understanding. And individuals gain the confidence, purpose, and belonging that meaningful work can provide.
Every parent hopes for the day when an employer looks beyond a diagnosis and recognizes what their son or daughter can contribute. Meaningful employment offers far more than a paycheck. It provides opportunities to build confidence, develop friendships, contribute to a team, and experience the dignity that comes from doing meaningful work. It creates purpose. It builds belonging.
Those opportunities don’t just change one person’s life. They strengthen families, enrich workplaces, and contribute to a more connected community.
You Don’t Have to Do It Alone
One of the biggest misconceptions about inclusive hiring is that employers have to navigate it on their own.
Fortunately, they don’t.
Organizations like Galt Foundation, Best Buddies Jobs, The Arc, and Texas Workforce Commission Vocational Rehabilitation Services partner with employers throughout the hiring process. They help identify qualified candidates, answer questions about workplace accommodations, provide training and job coaching when appropriate, and support both the employee and employer as the relationship grows. Their goal is simple: help businesses succeed while creating meaningful employment opportunities for people who are ready to work.
Here in McKinney, we’re also fortunate to have community leaders who continue expanding opportunities for people with disabilities. The McKinney Inclusion Council’s annual Inclusive Employment Fair brings together employers, job seekers, service providers, and community organizations with one shared goal: creating pathways to meaningful employment. These collaborative efforts demonstrate that building an inclusive workforce isn’t simply good for individuals. It’s good for local businesses, our economy, and the strength of our community.
Building a Stronger McKinney Workforce
Finding great employees has never been more challenging. Yet one of our community’s greatest sources of talent is often overlooked simply because of outdated assumptions.
Businesses across our community have an opportunity to think differently about what makes a great employee. Instead of asking whether someone fits a preconceived mold, we can begin asking what strengths, perspectives, and abilities they bring to the workplace.
When businesses choose to look beyond assumptions, they don’t just fill open positions. They strengthen their teams, create opportunities for meaningful contribution, and help build a community where everyone has the chance to participate, contribute, belong, and thrive.
Hiring People with Disabilities: Where to Start
If you’re interested in learning more about inclusive hiring, these organizations can help.
Galt Foundation
Connects employers with qualified candidates while providing support throughout the hiring process.
Texas Workforce Commission – Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Offers no-cost employer assistance, including recruiting support, guidance on workplace accommodations, and disability employment resources.
Best Buddies Jobs
Partners with employers to match individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with meaningful employment opportunities.
The Arc
Many local chapters provide employment services, job coaching, and employer partnerships.
McKinney Inclusion Council
Supports a more inclusive McKinney through education, collaboration, and initiatives such as the Inclusive Employment Fair.
Look What’s Possible
Ask yourself…
Could my next great employee be someone I’ve simply never considered?
