Worcester Business Journal

26 Worcester Business Journal | September 4, 2023 | wbjournal.com BY TIMOTHY DOYLE WBJ Staff Writer J ennifer Varnet works high above Main Street in Worcester, at the city's oldest law firm: Fletcher Tilton. She prepares and scans files as part of a push to get literal tons of paperwork into online archives. In her spare time, she enjoys completing puzzles and swimming. She earned first place in the 50-meter butterfly, third in the 50-meter freestyle, and fourth in the 4x50 meter relay in the Special Olympics Massachusetts this year. Yet, she is only able to work one day a week. Like millions of Americans, Varnet has a developmental disability and faces barriers to gaining full employment, both logistical and government- imposed bureaucratic obstacles. As unemployment rates locally and statewide hover around historic lows at 3%, Central Massachusetts nonprofits which offers a variety of services for people with disabilities. Work provides a sense of identity for people, and it's no different for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, Heafy said. It's important for them to have an identity beyond their disability. "What, at a chamber of commerce event, might we exchange with each other first?" asked Heafy. "It's our work lives, our professional lives. As adults, that's oen a nice opening to get to know people." While employers face staffing shortages across multiple industries, people with disabilities are being overlooked as part of the workforce, she said. e national unemployment rate for people with a disability is 7.6%, but the labor force participation rate is 23.1%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. If more people with disabilities can become part of the labor force, that will provide millions of potential workers for U.S. companies, Heafy said. Employee benefits Varnet enjoys her job at Fletcher Tilton because she has a lot of friends there, and enjoys company events like this summer's office trip to see a Worcester Red Sox game. She takes pride in completing the tasks she's learned and likes the respect she gives and receives from her coworkers. "A job is more than just a paycheck," said eresa Varnet, Jennifer's mother, an attorney who works with Fletcher Tilton. e job gives Jennifer a sense of fulfillment, provides a social outlet, and enhances her self image. e benefits of Jennifer Varnet's F O C U S D I V E R S I T Y & I N C L U S I O N Mary Heafy, president & CEO, The Arc of Opportunity in Central Massachusetts Untapped ABILITIES A largely unused portion of the labor market, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities must overcome barriers to enter the workforce Workers with disabilities This employment outlook of the civilian noninstitutional population with a disability status age 16 to 64, shows about one-third of Americans with a disability is in the workforce. Employment status Number of people Total civilian population with disability, noninsitutional 16.4 million Those in civilian labor force 6.2 million Those employed 5.7 million Those not in labor force 10.2 million Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022 and businesses are working to help people with disabilities gain jobs, in ways beneficial to both employees and employers. "We can be the workforce solution," said Mary Heafy, president and CEO of e Arc of Opportunity in North Central Massachusetts, an organization

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