Melwood offers career opportunities for individuals with disabilities

Brice Alexander, Senior Vice President of Contract Operations at Melwood, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the organization's mission and workforce as part of National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Melwood is a non-profit social enterprise that operates in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. They are a preferred employer, provider and advocate of people with disabilities. Melwood directly employs 1,600 people, including 1,000 with significant disabilities. The non-profit assists roughly one in four Americans who have a disability in overcoming the barriers of traditional employment to prevent a cycle of poverty and homelessness. Their workforce can be found in union and non-union shops and helps operate 43 different custodial, ground-keeping and recycling services in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia.

For more than 50 years, Alexander’s family has owned a cleaning business. This, combined with his wife working as a special education teacher, helped draw him to Melwood. He discussed the importance of providing individuals with disabilities with various career options. Alexander also spoke about the accommodations provided through Melwood that enable them to work and live a fulfilling life. 

Many employers hesitate to hire workers with disabilities, and Alexander addressed the need for proper education. Through education, employers are more likely to hire workers with disabilities thanks to the inexpensive accommodations that can be provided. Alexander discussed the research that supports the decision-makers who choose to utilize workers with disabilities and how it positively impacts the lives of those workers.

For more on Melwood, listen to the show above.