Michelle Krefft, Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services director of business services, said something really powerful during the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s recent Untapped Talent event focused on employing people with disabilities. As part of her job, Krefft helps align employers looking for workers and people with disabilities seeking employment. 

Often, employers may be working through their first concerted effort to hire people with disabilities. One time, Krefft said, an employer had a really successful placement with an employee who had autism. The employer told IVRS they’d found the right disability for the job. Krefft had a conversation with them to explain that they hadn’t found the right disability, they’d found the right person. People with disabilities, like all other employees, should be evaluated for what they as individuals bring to the table rather than just associating them with one of their identifying factors.