Doing Good & Doing Well

Raising kids with disabilities is extremely complicated. Even after nearly three decades, I’m still thrown for a loop sometimes and caught unprepared for challenges. I think it’s the story of our lives.

When someone comes along who gets that and is doing something to help…well, it’s just so delightful! So today’s issue of Another Normal shares words and wisdom from my friend, Eric Jorgensen, a father, veteran, and disability planner who wants to teach you how to get the help you need.

Please don’t stop reading because I started talking about planning. Eric isn’t soliciting your business. In fact, he doesn't even know I’m writing about him this week. He just thinks very holistically about how we can and must support our growing children, and has gathered his recommendations (based on life experience) into this 15-minute video presentation. It was originally shared through his Substack newsletter and is one of the most comprehensive and helpful summaries I’ve ever seen. Eric compiled this because he wanted and needed something like it years ago. He wants others to have it now. And I am so grateful.

Eric is quick to point out that he is not a specialist in areas like government benefits, case management, or respite care. Like many readers, however, he’s a consumer of expert advice on how to best care for his son with disabilities. Like me, he feels strongly that information is power, and he loves sharing it.

I encourage you to take a few minutes and engage with this material. See what gaps your family might address in the coming weeks and months. Summer is often a great time to reflect on where we are and where we’re going — to decide what we will prioritize for the coming year. How can we make our journey less complicated and even reduce our fears about the future? Eric got me thinking, and I hope will do the same for you.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to do good in the world, but there is also nothing wrong with wanting to do well, and the latter is enough reason to employ people with disabilities.

—Luisa Almany, business school professor

All in a day’s work.

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review magazine by Luisa Almany provides excellent data and examples of how employing people with disabilities can significantly improve an organization. Almany maintains that competitive advantage is built in four ways: 1) Employees with disabilities may have unique talents that help them perform better at particular jobs; 2) Employees with disabilities can elevate organizational culture, enhance collaboration and boost productivity; 3) A firm’s reputation as inclusive can enhance its relationships with customers; and 4) Sincere efforts in this realm can help a firm capture and retain talent that admires social responsibility.

How can we help businesses who want to create more job opportunities for people with disabilities? Check out Source America. This national non-profit is really a network of hundreds of organizations that create employment choices for people with disabilities. In addition to the U.S. Department of Defense and companies like Starbucks, PetSafe and Grainger, small entrepreneurial ventures have also found business solutions through Source America. People with disabilities can use the nonprofit’s resource bank and other training aids to search for jobs, prepare for employment, and hone valuable vocational skills. Here are some success stories to motivate you to explore further.