My older brother, Darren, has Fragile X Syndrome, the leading known genetic cause of autism. He has always been my inspiration. Twenty-five years ago, he got a job working in the mailroom at the Securities and Exchange Commission, where he still works today. This job changed his life, giving him financial independence, the ability to move out of our parents’ house, purpose, happiness, friends at work, and fulfillment. It changed my family’s life, as well.

Most families who have a child or sibling with disabilities spend their lives wondering how their loved one is going to be supported after they die. This is why employment for people with disabilities and the resulting decrease in financial dependence are the greatest gifts you can give to these individuals and their families. It also changes your community, transitioning individuals from dependents living at their parents’ houses to independent taxpayers. This income contributes to the local economy through taxes, public transportation, food, and other purchases. It also changes the lives of fellow employees and the company.

Vince Bartozzi has been my best friend since I was 5 years old. He’s always been like a brother to me and Darren. When we co-founded Stakes MFG, our first company-wide initiative was to provide life-changing job opportunities to individuals with disabilities. Beyond that, we wanted to have a case study to serve as a blueprint for companies in our industry to launch disability inclusion programs at their organizations.

This is not charity. Out of 40 people, our top-performing warehouse employee is a young man with autism who graduated from our school-to-work transition program in partnership with the local county school system. Out of 25 people in our shipping department, our topperforming employee has autism. He independently applied to work for us because he saw our ads offering jobs for people of all abilities. These employees’ performances are based on the same speed and accuracy benchmarks as all employees. Both employees are also leaders in the rankings for attendance. These are true, meaningful, mutually beneficial employment opportunities.

Diversity and inclusion programs are often based on race, religion, sexual orientation, and age. People with disabilities frequently get left out, even when the numbers are staggering: 75 to 80% of people with disabilities are unemployed. It’s not because they don’t want to work or are incapable of working, it’s because there are so many preconceived notions of what people with disabilities can and can’t do. They simply aren’t given a chance. It’s not only companies setting false limitations on their abilities, but also the families and individuals themselves. We are all guilty. For 20 years, we never imagined my brother could be financially independent, live in his own apartment, kayak and downhill ski in the Maryland State Special Olympic Games, and make it to the National Special Olympic Games for cross country running. He has spent his life breaking through false limitations and expectations imposed on him.

In 2022, my brother joined me at PRINTING United Expo for a panel presentation titled “Print Industry Unites on Disability Inclusion.” We were joined on the panel by Jecka Glasman (CCO, Kornit) and Ross Hunter (President, ROQ). I had recently assisted in getting disability inclusion programs set up at both of their organizations. Other panelists included Ryan Moor (Founder, Ryonet and MADE Laboratory) and Taylor Landesman (VP, Lawson Screen & Digital Products), both of whom have had disability inclusion programs for years, and Nabeel Amin (Founder, Lane Seven Apparel).

Something beautiful happened that day. An incredible group of industry leaders – some direct competitors – took the stage to champion disability inclusion in the print industry. We shared our inspirational stories and discussed the benefits and ROI our companies have experienced. We helped educate other companies on how to get started with the amazing, free-toemployer, private, state-, and federally funded disability employment service providers. We challenged industry companies to hire at least one individual with disabilities over the next year, even if only part-time. We were humbled and grateful to be joined by such a prestigious group of executives with huge hearts and a shared vision for change. We appreciated the dedicated support of the PRINTING United Alliance, PRINTING United Expo, and Apparelist for providing us the platform.

The audience was visibly moved, and I was blown away by how great my brother did on the panel as a self-advocate. If you had asked me a year before if my brother could sit on stage for an hour with bright lights, cameras flashing, big video cameras filming, and hundreds of people watching, I would have said there was no way in hell he would sit still that long and not get overly anxious. Yet again, this was a false limitation I had put around my brother who crushed it. The outpouring of support from people who attended and those who watched the recorded session was incredible.

After this, we helped several organizations in the apparel industry set up inclusion programs at their facilities, changing the lives of employees with disabilities and their staff. This was just the beginning of our efforts to impact industry-wide change. This book is the next chapter. Too often, we focus on people’s disabilities and weaknesses instead of their abilities and strengths. We put limitations on individuals based on our perceptions. We put false imitations on ourselves, as well. If history and my brother have taught us anything, it is how often the “impossible” gets done. Our goal is to eliminate the stigmas around hiring individuals with disabilities and to help companies realize the immense benefits of building a more inclusive workforce.

I’ve spent the past few years doing speaking engagements, advocating for disability inclusion in the workforce to companies, families, media, trade organizations, Senators, and Members of Congress. Most of these efforts are spent educating companies, from publicly traded organizations to mom-and-pop screen print shops, on the benefits of inclusive hiring and the disability employment service providers that will support them. These organizations find, screen, interview, hire, onboard, and train employees with disabilities and their managers to work successfully with them at zero cost to the employer.

Throughout our journey, the support for our mission was incredible. However, the employers who wanted to hire people with disabilities didn’t think they had the resources or capabilities to support them. Concerns included not having open positions that would be good fits, managers and fellow employees being negatively affected, and a decrease in performance metrics and profitability. Perhaps the biggest fear was where and how to start. We heard this feedback loud and clear and set out to provide these organizations with answers and a roadmap.

We created this book to share our knowledge about the vast company benefits and true ROI of hiring people with disabilities. It also serves as a guide with resources, personal stories, and action items needed to hire individuals with disabilities and become an inclusive organization.

The momentum for change is real and already happening across the industry. We must continue this momentum, and we hope this book is a driving force. Our goal is for the printing industry to become a trailblazing example of how any industry can unite to make a difference. We hope you get inspired and excited about inclusive hiring and share this book with others.

People with disabilities are the largest minority in the country. Anyone could be disabled tomorrow; only a portion of people with disabilities are born with them. We need to provide this community with the same opportunities afforded to everyone else. Be the champion and voice for those who can’t always speak for themselves and create life-changing opportunities for them and their families.

Together, let’s unify with a shared vision to transform lives, our companies, our industry, and the world. The words in this book were written with love and passion with no intent to profit. Thank you for reading and supporting our mission of disability inclusion in the workforce.