24 businesses in Arizona that employ people with IDDs

Here’s a list of 24 companies in Arizona that employ people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs).

Finding the right job is difficult for the average American—it seems that requirements are ever-evolving while pay seems to be the exact opposite. A job, whether or not simply for a paycheck or a gateway into a meaningful career, is an important key to financial and social independence. About 13% of Arizonans live with a disability, which only adds another layer to the challenge of finding gainful employment.

Individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, or IDDs, often get overlooked by businesses as viable candidates for hire due to archaic and unfair stigmas. While our state is home to many laws and resources meant to protect and assist those with an IDD, options to gain independence are often very slim.

In fact, the average SSDI pay in Arizona is just shy of $1800/month—imagine trying to live independently in the Valley on that! Supplemental income is the often only way to make it in our modern world. Fortunately, more businesses are taking pride in inclusive hiring practices.

The National Organization on Disability offers free assessment tools and looks at several aspects of a company before giving it a Leading Disability Employer Seal (LDES). This annual seal can act as a trusted guide that a company is inclusive, actively hires those with disabilities, and protects rights.

We’ve compiled a list of 24 companies within Arizona that hire people with disabilities, actively seek to protect this vulnerable population, and have received the seal.

Arizona businesses that hire people with IDDs

The American Heart Association
Industry: Health

The Boeing Company
Industry: Aerospace

Centene Corporation
Industry: Insurance

Cigna Healthcare
Industry: Health

Comcast
Industry: Telecommunications

Ernst and Young LLP
Industry: Finance

Hilton Worldwide
Industry: Hospitality

Leidos
Industry: American Defense

Lockhead Martin
Industry: Aerospace

Mayo Clinic
Industry: Medical 

Northrop Grumman
Industry: Technology

PRIDE Industries
Industry: Temp Agency

Please note: This is a job agency that is geared towards helping place people with disabilities into meaningful careers. While they actively hire those with disabilities, this is a good agency to reach out to if you are struggling to find meaningful work in your area. They may be able to help.

PwC
Industry: Accounting

Randstad USA
Industry: Temp Agency 

Reed Smith
Industry: Law Firm

Roche Diagnostics
Industry: Healthcare

Sempra
Industry: Renewable Energy

TIAA
Industry: Finance

T-Mobile
Industry: Telecommunications

Unum Group
Industry: Insurance 

VSP Vision
Industry: Vision Insurance 

Grainger, Inc.
Industry: Industrial Supply 

Walgreens
Industry: Pharmacy Store 

Wells Fargo & Company
Industry: Banking

Closing Thoughts

This list is not exhaustive of every company in Arizona that will gladly employ someone with an IDD, but it is a start to discovering the industry that interests you.

While receiving a paycheck is often the motivating factor for work, finding an industry of interest can only add meaning and drive for a career—two factors that ought not be blocked by an IDD. If you do not know where to start, the Arizona Department of Economic Security offers many resources from rehabilitation to job fairs to various programs meant to help bridge the gap between disability and employment.

Another great way to begin securing employment is to write your resume. A well-written resume can open the door to an interview, where you can then have the chance to dazzle the employer with charm, personality, know-how, and when all else fails: kindness. Wherever you start, may you find a path that offers meaning and independence to your life. 

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

RELATED: Opinion: Why hiring people with developmental disabilities is beneficial for business