Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | September 4, 2023 | Worcester Business Journal 27 furniture manufacturer AIS of Leominster, Ocean State Job Lot, Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg and Minnesota-based medical manufacturer Bio-Techne, which has a facility in Devens. For the businesses, such partnerships are not charity, but a mutually beneficial employment relationship, said Madeline Merchant, division director of community-based day and employment supports at the Arc of Opportunity in North Central Massachusetts. "ey are not hiring the disability," said Merchant. "With the right supports, employers can expand who they're looking at to fill jobs." Incentives are available for employers to hire people with disabilities, Merchant said. For example, the Internal Revenue Service offers a Work Opportunity Tax Credit for employers who hire individuals in targeted groups. Small businesses could be eligible for a Small Business Disabled Access Credit of up to $5,000 to make their spaces more accessible to workers with disabilities. is could include amenities like an automatic door, or an audio device for an employee who needs assistance to hear. People with disabilities are among the targeted groups that employers who seek federal contracts are supposed to hire, Heafy said. ese employers are expected to have people from targeted groups making up 10% of their workforce. But, Merchant emphasized, employers should focus on the abilities people bring to the job, rather than financial incentives or public relations gains. Workforce obstacles e most significant barrier to people with disabilities achieving employment – particularly full-time employment – are the limitations the Social Security Administration places on people receiving disability benefits. A person receiving Supplemental Security Income has a cap of $2,000 on the assets they can own while receiving benefits. is cap was set in 1979. ere is a limit on how much income they can earn while receiving the benefits. ese means-tested benefits go beyond income received from Social Security and extend to Medicaid. If employment is a two-way street, said Wilma Vallejos, Varnet's supervisor and the trust and estate practice group partner at Fletcher Tilton. "She's great for everyone in the office," said Vallejos, "She brings a good energy to everyone around her." Varnet has an excellent memory and retains what she's learned once she learns a new skill. Vallejos appreciates Varnet's ability to work independently and maintain her own workspace. Frederick Misilo, chair of the trust and estates practice group and shareholder at Fletcher Tilton, said Varnet enjoys tasks other people might find repetitive or tedious, and he is impressed with her punctuality and diligence. Misilo is a long-time advocate for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He was the chairman of the board of the e Arc of the United States, the national organization under which e Arc of Massachusetts and e Arc of Opportunity of North Central Massachusetts falls. Employer benefits eresa Varnet said employing people with disabilities can be seen as a benefit to job candidates of all abilities. She recalls when Jennifer was working for Westborough accounting firm AAFCPAs, a job candidate at the firm saw the company's employment and treatment of Jennifer as a deciding factor in choosing to work for AAFCPAs. To provide employment for Arc program participants, the nonprofits partners with local businesses like Hannaford supermarket, office D I V E R S I T Y & I N C L U S I O N F O C U S Madeline Merchant, division director, The Arc of Opportunity in Central Massachusetts Source: The Arc of the United States Arc employers In a survey performed by The Arc of the United States of employers who partnered with the nonprofit to employ people with disabilities, the businesses reported a number of benefits. 98% 100% 80% 60% Job retention rate among Arc-referred employees Saw productivity increase in the workplace after hiring Said inclusive hiring practices gave them a competitive advantage in the market Said a primary motivator to promoting disability inclusion was to strengthen corporate culture Continued on next page Jennifer Varnet brings her ability to focus on tasks and a great power of memory to Worcester law firm Fletcher Tilton. someone loses their SSI benefits, then they can lose access to certain government benefits, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, Section 8 housing vouchers, and fuel assistance. In Massachusetts, recipients can make up to $42,000 without losing Medicaid benefits, but those in other states are not so fortunate, said eresa Varnet. Workers with disabilities lose a dollar from their SSI checks for every two dollars they earn. But they can also account for disability-related expenses incurred while working, like for para transportation, allowing then to keep that portion of their benefit check. ese means-tested benefits mean Jennifer can only work a limited number of hours per week. While she might prefer to get into the office more oen, she only works one day a week because she has to arrange for transportation privately. Transportation is another barrier to working with a disability. While the Worcester Regional Transit Authority will arrange transportation for Jennifer to get to a doctor or hairdresser's appointment, it will not help her get to work, eresa Varnet said. She is going to have to miss two weeks of work this month because she can't get a ride. Heafy, whose organization serves rural areas in Northern Worcester County as well as cities like Fitchburg, Leominster, and Gardner, said transportation can prove to be a barrier, especially if the worker requires para transportation. In areas served by public transportation, para transportation can cost $8 a day to and PHOTO | MATT WRIGHT

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