COLORADO SPRINGS — About 40 employers gathered Tuesday to learn how make their workplaces more welcoming for people with disabilities. State and city leaders say they want to level the playing field for these workers as they search for jobs.
"It's something that we must change, everybody in this room must help us change that," said Lloyd Lewis, of the speakers.
Lewis is the president and CEO of the Arc Thrift Stores. He said they currently have 500 employees with disabilities.
"I put our employment for people with intellectual disabilities program in place because of my son, I'm a father of a young man with down syndrome," said Lewis.
Lewis showed other employers how possible and important it is to hire and accommodate people with disabilities.
"Other employers would see the benefit that my company's seen, our employees are very inspirational, they help with the morale of the company, they help with productivity," said Lewis.
In 2021, the unemployment rate for people with a disability was above 10 percent. That's about twice as high as those without a disability, according to the Rocky Mountain ADA Center.
"There are so many amazing people out there with disabilities that are not having the chance because they check mark a different box on the application," said Tiffany Garcia, a Department of Labor and Employment Representative.
This is the eighth-annual forum. The goal is to get more business owners and recruitment managers to break these barriers.
Lewis said he hopes to inspire more pathways toward equitable hiring progress.
"They love to work, they love to contribute, they love to be part of teams, just know it's the right thing to do," said Lewis.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment says they have helped thousands of employers become more accessible to people with disabilities over the years, but there is still more work to do.
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