People with Disabilities

Leah Burdick, PRIDE Industries Chief Growth Officer, recently spoke with Doug Thomas of the Sacramento Public File. In this interview. Leah explains how PRIDE Industries fulfills its mission to create employment for people with disabilities. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

PRIDE Industries · Leah Burdick Speaks on the Sacramento Public File Podcast

Doug Thomas (DT): Good morning and welcome to the Public File. I’m Doug Thomas and my guest for this segment is Leah Burdick, the Chief Growth Officer for PRIDE Industries. Please share some background on PRIDE Industries.

Leah Burdick (LB): PRIDE Industries is a social enterprise. That means we provide business services that fuel our mission of creating employment for people with disabilities. We also provide support services to help people with disabilities succeed in the workforce.

We’ve been around for 56 years now. We started in 1966, when a group of parents gathered in Auburn to find a way to create jobs for their adult children with disabilities. Their first business was building birdhouses and selling them to local businesses. And from that beginning, we’ve grown into an organization that operates in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Our employees can be found working in Fortune 500 companies, on military bases, and in local businesses.

DT: The term “disability” covers a lot of conditions. How unique and varied are PRIDE Industries clients?

LB: When people think of disabilities, they often think of a physical disability or perhaps an intellectual or developmental disability. People might thing of learning disabilities like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. But there are other types of disabilities as well, like traumatic brain injury. There are also psychological or mental disabilities. Depression and PTSD are types of disabilities too, and we’ve certainly seen a rise in those since the start of the pandemic.

And no matter the disability, PRIDE Industries is there to help. We place people with disabilities in roles that run the gamut from office professional to construction worker, lead custodian to groundskeeper. Any role that you think of, a person with a disability can do.

Employees with Disabilities: A Proven Workforce

DT: What’s the best way for businesses to find out more about hiring people with disabilities?

LB: Businesses can go to PRIDEIndustries.com. Then they can either call the number listed, or they can fill out our web form. Either way, we’ll be in touch with them within 24 hours.

DT: What would you say to someone in our audience who has a disability and wants to work?

LB: Don’t get discouraged. We are here to help. Please call 844-I-AM-ABLE to speak to one of our case managers. We’ll assess your situation, get you connected to support services, and speak to you about different jobs that you might like to do. Family members and caregivers of people with disabilities are also welcome to call.

DT: What are some of the challenges that people with disabilities face when it comes to finding a job?

LB: We’re in an era of increasing diversity and inclusion in the workplace, which is wonderful. But all too often, people with disabilities still aren’t part of that conversation. Companies don’t always include them in their talent acquisition planning. And that’s a loss for everyone, because people with disabilities are an amazing source of untapped talent, and their skills and dedication are especially needed in today’s difficult hiring environment. Everyone has talent; everyone has something to contribute.

DT: What types of employment are you able to find for your clients?

LB: We always have a lot of jobs available, especially in landscaping, custodial, and facilities management. We have quite a number of office jobs as well. And we hire a lot of job coaches—people with and without disabilities—who provide mentorship and on-the-job coaching to help people with disabilities succeed in the workplace. People can visit PRIDEIndustries.com and check out the available jobs.

DT: Who are some of the global and local companies that partner with PRIDE industries?

LB: We work with VSP Global, SMUD, HP, Compass Group, Ingram Micro, and Amazon, among other large companies. Locally, we have employees at Hard Rock, Thunder Valley, Knee Deep Brewing, Raley’s, and Neck Nosh Pretzel Necklaces. We provide services to businesses of all sizes.

PRIDE Industries Helps Businesses of All Sizes Reach Their Inclusivity Goals

DT: When companies hire PRIDE Industries employees, what kind of support do they receive?

LB: We work with the employer to help them create a more inclusive workplace. We help ensure that the proper accommodations are in place for the employee to contribute and succeed, which studies have shown helps drive profitability and sales. We also provide job training for employees with disabilities, as well as on-the-job coaching, if needed.

DT: I bet you’ve got more than a few success stories. Can you share one of them with us?

LB: There’s so many to choose from…We have an employee who experienced a traumatic brain injury that required her to relearn her ABCs. She had been a writer, and while her writing skills weren’t much affected, her speech was. She joined our proposal writing team and continued to heal on the job as she helped with proposals. She’s very productive, and a great team member.

DT: What do companies say about the quality and caliber of PRIDE Industries employees?

LB: Companies tell us all the time what a pleasure it is to have PRIDE Industries employees in their workplaces, how it boosts morale, even among employees without disabilities. We also hear that customers like it too. A lot of customers want to buy from companies that are giving back and having a social impact.

DT: Why should I consider hiring someone with a disability through PRIDE Industries?

LB: We’ve always known that people with disabilities make great employees. But especially now, given the labor market that we’re in, a lot of more companies want to work with us. They’re seeing that we provide quality talent with high retention rates.

DT: Are there any sponsors you’d like to say thanks to this morning? And could you use some volunteers?

LB: We’re lucky to have some wonderful local partners who support our Michael Ziegler PRIDE Industries Foundation—Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Sutter Health, Teichert, Ticket To Dream, The Walter S. Johnson Foundation, The Kelly Foundation, Placer Community Foundation, and more. Their generosity helps fund programs like our I AM ABLE Employment Helpline and job internships.

DT: What’s the best way for our listeners to help support PRIDE Industries?

LB: They can go to our website and click on the donation button. And certainly, please share our helpline. Call 844-I-AM-ABLE and we can get people on the pathway to meaningful employment.

Service Solutions to Help Your Business Grow

In addition to providing employment solutions to businesses of all sizes, PRIDE Industries offers a broad range of manufacturing and commercial facilities services.

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For many people, the first job out of high school is the most memorable one. Sometimes it’s even life-changing, as it provides a way to explore careers, build experience, and earn a paycheck. For young adults with disabilities, however, such opportunities remain elusive. Ultimately, this work gap can impede their skill-set acquisition and lifetime earning potential.

PRIDE Industries’ dedicated Workforce Inclusion team is changing this. Supported by generous donors, our staff works directly with youth who have disabilities and are transitioning out of high school. Recently, one of our staff members received a letter from Dee Morimoto. She explains how their help led her son, Tyler Morimoto, to earn his first job as a ship loader (stevedore).

A Letter From Dee Morimoto: Gratitude for Job Coaching and Support

Tyler and I would like to extend our appreciation for all that you have done to help him find employment. Prior to signing up with PRIDE Industries, he had no experience filling out job applications, creating a resume, or knowing how to look for a job.

You changed all of that.

With practice interviews, many hours on the phone, and customized job coaching, you helped Tyler build his confidence. All of this led to him earning a job as a stevedore.

Thank you for always being there for us during this process—even after work hours and in the early morning to ensure that Tyler learned the bus system. Even further, you helped make sure that he obtained the accommodations that he needed to succeed—and worked with his employer to make that happen.

It takes a village to raise a child. This is so true, especially with raising a child with a disability. Having the right job coach on your side makes all the difference to becoming successful. Tyler now is on the path to personal growth, and for this we feel blessed.

Join us in our mission

Your donations make it possible for us to help people like Tyler succeed in a career that they love.

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Tony Lopez, Vice President of Manufacturing and Logistics Services for PRIDE Industries, talks with Josh Santo of Conquering Chaos. They discuss the value of employing persons with disabilities and creating an inclusive work environment for companies and employees to thrive.

Josh Santo (JS): Today, approximately 30 million working-age people in the U.S. have a disability. 75% of them are unemployed.

Our next guest, Tony Lopez, is committed to creating jobs for people with disabilities and is creating change in the contract manufacturing field. As the Vice President of Manufacturing and Logistics Services for PRIDE Industries, Tony oversees multiple lines of business, including electronics and medical devices, manufacturing, supply chain logistics, contract packaging, and fulfillment.

Tony, tell us about PRIDE Industries, the communities that you serve, and your manufacturing solutions.

Tony Lopez (TL): PRIDE Industries was founded in the basement of a church in 1966 by a group of parents who wanted to create jobs for their adult children with disabilities. We originally operated like a true nonprofit but found this wasn’t sustainable. So, PRIDE Industries became a social enterprise, which means we employ the same strategies as commercial businesses. The difference is that any profits or surplus go back into reinvesting into our mission to create employment for people with disabilities.

We operate several different lines of business, including packaging and fulfillment, electronics manufacturing, and supply chain and logistics for companies like HP, Inc. We also do contract packaging and fulfillment, including for a large hospitality food provider that we’re projecting to fulfill 5,000 work orders.

Workplace Inclusion is Good for Business, Including Manufacturing

JS: Besides solving workforce and recruitment problems, how else can hiring people with disabilities help organizations?

TL: If you look at companies with high environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings—which take workplace inclusion into consideration—they have healthier cultures, lower turnover and absenteeism, and are more profitable. And consumers take positive notice when organizations become socially conscious.

In the manufacturing field, employees with disabilities have high productivity rates and lower levels of mistakes. Contrary to popular belief, people with disabilities take safety seriously—our safety incidents are 30% lower than the industry average. Overall, the key to success as an employer is to offer opportunity and support to all your employees—with and without disabilities.

Understanding Disability and Creating an Inclusive Work Environment

JS: Can you help us understand what constitutes a disability?

TL: Disability is a broad concept that encompasses invisible and visible disabilities, intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, and mental health and learning disorders.

It’s important to realize that people aren’t just born with disabilities; some individuals develop them over the course of their lifetime. It might be harder for them to complete certain tasks, but focusing on their value is important. People with disabilities are capable, and often they just need the opportunity.

JS: What common misconceptions do you encounter about hiring people with disabilities?

TL: One is that people with disabilities can only do simple job tasks. However, we have seen that by adapting training and creating a supportive environment, you can allow an employee to thrive and learn new skills.

JS: What kind of culture is needed to recruit and retain workers with disabilities?

TL: Diversity and inclusion have to be part of the organization’s goals. To create a truly inclusive work environment, companies need to employ people with disabilities for all career levels—not just entry-level jobs. They can achieve this goal by assessing their workplaces and offering inclusivity training.

JS: What kind of training and job coaching helps people with disabilities succeed?

TL: Onboarding is important. We start new employees by introducing our organization and culture, reviewing workforce inclusion support and accommodations, and explaining our learning and development opportunities. Training and support, including being provided with a job coach, is customized to each person’s skills and goals.

We can help your business grow

We offer cost-effective manufacturing and logistics services in a wide variety of industries.

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“In manufacturing, employees with disabilities have high productivity rates and lower levels of mistakes.”

—Tony Lopez, Vice President of Manufacturing and Logistics for PRIDE Industries

Chris Bunch, Vice President of Commercial Facilities Services with PRIDE Industries, talks with Shawn Black of FM Evolution. The two discuss how private and public organizations can achieve their operational goals while creating jobs for people with disabilities.

Shawn Black (SB): Recruitment is one of the greatest challenges facing managers today. And today we’re talking with Chris Bunch at PRIDE Industries about a virtually untapped workforce.

Over 75% of adults with disabilities are unemployed or underemployed in the United States alone. What are you seeing in the marketplace right now?

Chris Bunch (CB): I would say that’s correct. Not only has this unemployment number changed, it’s gotten more challenging after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, companies are now feeling the incentives to create an inclusive work environment.

SB: Companies right now are struggling. Many workers are retiring, and there’s a lot of competition for talent. Is this a great time to hire people with disabilities?

CB: Absolutely. It really starts with the perspective of the employer. Ultimately, you’re trying to make a person successful in the role. That’s where PRIDE Industries comes in.

We help organizations in different ways. First, we have our Inclusive Talent Solutions line, where we partner with companies to recruit, place, and train people with disabilities. We also provide support and inclusivity training for the hiring organizations to help ensure mutual success of employer and employee.

Second, we have our workplace inclusion programs to place individuals into job positions with a much higher degree of support.

And third, our business services, including our Facilities Management Services, create jobs for people with disabilities while offering solutions at competitive rates.

In the end, for facilities managers, it all comes down to budgets and needs. Ultimately, hiring people with disabilities is not charity. You will achieve your business goals with the added benefits of increasing your social impact.

How Facilities Managers Can Create an Inclusive Work Environment

SB: On average, the cost of an accommodation for people with disabilities is only $500. However, in a hot job market, will gestures like these earn more dedication and morale?

CB: When you create an inclusive environment for a person with disabilities, whether it’s as part of a service or your organization, there’s a higher sense of loyalty. And it transfers all the way down. We have employees with disabilities that have worked on contracts that we serve for over 20 years. They have built careers, become experts in their fields, and create a premier customer experience.

SB: When it comes to hiring and management practices with corporate America right now, are you seeing companies shifting their recruitment focus?

CB: Cultivating an inclusive work environment is good for business. We’re now in a world where social networking and platforms put pressure and awareness on organizations to increase their social impact programs.

SB: What is your outsource versus insource strategy, and how do you approach this inclusion metric?

CB: From a procurement or a human resource perspective, the impact is the same. It comes down to whether your organization has the resources to help coach and mentor people with disabilities, or if you would like to partner with a social enterprise like PRIDE Industries that can help provide these services for you.

SB: What is your advice to people who are struggling right now to fill positions and are looking to increase?

CB: Identify your insource versus outsource strategy, and find partners that can help. PRIDE Industries has solutions for both.

Need help with your facility operations?

PRIDE Industries can help you with facility operations, custodial and maintenance services, job assistance, and other services.

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“Cultivating an inclusive work environment is good for business.”

— Chris Bunch, Vice President of Commercial Facilities for PRIDE Industries

Global, independent accreditor recognizes the organization’s leadership in providing high quality offerings for people with disabilities

Roseville, Calif. — PRIDE Industries, the nation’s leading employer of people with disabilities, has received the prestigious three-year accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an international, nonprofit health and human services accreditor. This recognizes that PRIDE Industries has made a specific commitment to put the needs of their participants at the center of the services they design and deliver, and that they strive to continuously improve efficiency, fiscal health, and service quality and delivery.

PRIDE Industries’ three-year accreditation applies to the social enterprise’s programs and services in:

Community Employment Services: Employment Supports
Community Employment Services: Job Development
Employment Developing Services
Employment Planning Services

“We are pleased that we achieved the acclaimed three-year CARF recertification,” said Dr. Jennifer Camota Luebke, Chief Rehabilitation Officer at PRIDE Industries. “This is a testament to PRIDE Industries’ dedication and commitment to continuously improving the quality of our services that fulfill our mission to create employment for people with disabilities.”

In part, the CARF report lauded PRIDE Industries for:

Providing excellent employment services, employee development services, and employment planning services.
Being highly regarded in the community and building positive relationships with partners and employees.
Holding safety as a high priority.
High satisfaction from persons served, families, and other stakeholders.
Longevity of leadership, which provides continuity to the organization’s mission.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

CARF International is an independent, nonprofit organization with a focus on advancing the quality of programs in health and human services. For those being served, CARF accreditation means that the CARF-accredited provider is committed to reducing risk, addressing health and safety concerns, respecting preferences of individuals (cultural or otherwise), and providing the best quality of care possible. The accreditation also shows that the accredited organization values the feedback and input of their customers with disabilities and is accountable to the community. And, finally, accreditation demonstrates that an organization has opened its service delivery and business processes to outside scrutiny to improve the quality of their programs.

PRIDE Industries has successfully maintained CARF International accreditation since it was first applied for in 1976.

About PRIDE Industries

PRIDE Industries delivers business excellence with a positive social impact. A social enterprise, we provide facilities operations and maintenance services, custodial services, contract manufacturing, supply chain management, packaging and fulfillment services, and staffing and recruitment services to private and public organizations nationwide. Founded in 1966, PRIDE Industries’ mission is to create employment for people with disabilities. Through personalized employment services, we help individuals realize their true potential and lead more independent lives. PRIDE Industries proves the value of its inclusive workforce model through operational success across multiple industries every day. Learn more at https://PRIDEIndustries.com.

Media Contact

Kat Maudru

(916) 753-4339

media@prideindustries.com

PRIDE Industries is a social enterprise delivering business excellence to public and private organizations nationwide.

A Life-Changing Opportunity for Mental Health Recovery

In 2018, Saad’s life changed forever when he experienced a severe psychotic episode with intense paranoia. This episode landed him in the hospital, where staff diagnosed him with bipolar disorder, psychosis, stimulant use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Despite the obstacles he faced, Saad decided to take this moment and dedicate himself to recovery.

Through perseverance and a determination to get his life on a more positive footing, Saad became sober and earned employment as a busser. However, he felt ready for a change and wanted a more stable career. In 2021, Saad got the support team that he needed when he joined our Mental Health Cooperative Program, which is part of PRIDE Industries’ Employment Services Department. From the start, Saad impressed everyone on his support team with his work ethic, and after undergoing a vocational assessment, he decided to pursue a career in pest control. Our staff was there to make this dream a reality.

Mental Health in the Workplace: How Employment Preparation Leads to a Career

At PRIDE Industries, we realize how important the role of employment is for emotional wellness. And we aren’t the only ones. According to a report by the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, a job raises self-esteem, improves financial stressors, and provides coping strategies for psychiatric symptoms.

This was certainly the case for Saad, as he takes pride in self-sufficiency and independence.

After his assessment, Saad took the initiative and researched the vocational requirements for his chosen field. He even interviewed pest control professionals. This hard work culminated in success when Saad earned a full-time position with a pest control company in 2022. Saad is now happily employed, and knows he can count on PRIDE Industries’ mental health cooperative team to provide any support or advocacy he may need.

“We are so proud of Saad and his commitment to achieving his dreams and maintaining his health,” said Georgia Bielz, Employment Services Manager at PRIDE Industries. “This really is just the beginning for him.”

Join us in our mission

Your donations make it possible for us to help people like Saad succeed in a career they love.

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“We are so proud of Saad and his commitment to achieving his dreams and maintaining his health.”

—Georgia Bielz, Employment Services Manager at PRIDE Industries