The Many Benefits of Hiring People with Varying Abilities

By Willie Dawkins-Miller

As a precursor to Disability Employment Awareness Month, the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce September 2019 Lunch & Learn focused on the many benefits of hiring people with varying abilities, often termed “disabilities.”

The speakers were nationally recognized ESE Instructors at ACE Transition Program Amanda Rose Lewis and Abby Hallett, with special guest businessman Danny Shrine, owner and founder of Full Press Apparel. Full Press Apparel Company is very intentional about hiring persons with varying abilities and enthusiastically shared the benefit of their commitment to hire these abilities. Another speaker was Ming Dee Hou, who discussed how his employment with The Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System and the City of Tallahassee is positively changing his life as a person who has varying abilities.

The workshop featured many benefits of hiring people with varying abilities including important financial, legal, public relations, and productivity advantages for a business. In addition, there were discussions about how to best support these employees. The Agency for Persons with Disabilities was represented by Northwest Region Supported Employment Liaison Willie Dawkins-Miller, who reemphasized APD’s partnership with local organizations to support people with developmental disabilities in living, learning, and working in their communities. Also present were representatives from Vocational Rehabilitation. Career Source was recognized as a community partner in investing in persons with varying abilities and their employment needs.

The Lunch & Learn series is a free monthly workshop conducted by local business experts, Chamber board members, and associates of the Chamber partners. Attendees bring their own brown bag lunch. Local Chambers of Commerce offer ideal networking opportunities with local businesses and can open doors of opportunities for persons with varying abilities.


APD participated in the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce’s September Lunch & Learn, which focused on the many benefits of hiring people with varying abilities.