Businesses honored for hiring the disabled
BRATTLEBORO — For Dan Unwin, who is a co-owner of Taylor for Flowers on Elliot Street, hiring people with disabilities is good for his business and good for the town.
Working with the Vermont Association of Business and Industry Rehabilitation, or VABIR, earlier this year, Unwin hired a woman whose disability prevented her from communicating clearly with strangers. Unwin started her on handling flowers when they came into the shop. After a while, she was helping with arrangements.
Over time, her disability became less of an issue and, after leaving the shop, she moved on to an agriculture program with the University of Vermont Extension.
Unwin said that along with being a productive employee at his business, he got the satisfaction of helping someone who needed a little support.
“It’s just something you do. Everybody needs a break,” Unwin said Tuesday at a luncheon in Brattleboro where business leaders from around the region were recognized for the work they have done with people with disabilities. “If you can help one person step off from where they are, it can go a long way.”
Almost 100 Brattleboro area businesses were recognized Tuesday for either hiring people with disabilities or providing internships to them over the past year.
There are a variety of ways for businesses to get involved.
Some hire the individual outright while others provide internships. Sometimes the state kicks in a stipend and with others, the business provides a learning environment for the client while receiving labor.
“People with disabilities are frequently economically disadvantaged. They are disheartened and they need support,” said Leo Schiff, the regional director for Vocational Rehabilitation. “But they are also well qualified. Having a disability should not be a reason to not hire someone.”
In the past year, Vocational Rehabilitation helped 135 people across the state find new jobs. It is the first time in 18 years the agency failed to exceed the previous year’s total.
Ben Coplan, an employment consultant with VABIR, said the number of businesses that were at the event Tuesday was especially noteworthy in light of the economy, which has many business owners cutting costs and reducing their hiring.
“Brattleboro business owners know these individuals have the necessary skills and their disabilities should not be a barrier for employment,” Coplan said. “At a time when more people are out of work and businesses are struggling, these businesses were willing to give them a chance.”
VABIR works with state agencies like Vocational Rehabilitation and the Department of Labor, as well as with groups like Health Care and Rehabilitation Services and Families First.
The clients might have the skills needed to perform on a job but can have physical or mental disabilities that make it harder to find work, interview and ultimately land a new job.
Unwin, the Taylor for Flowers co-owner, said he was looking forward to working with VABIR again.
“It’s not just about dollars and cents,” he said. “It is extra work, but the rewards are high. The more you put in, the more you get out of it.”
Howard Weiss-Tisman can be reached at hwtisman@reform-er.com