In Honor of Small Business Week:

OU Highlights Small NY/NJ Businesses That Employ the Developmentally Disabled

He punches in a half hour early every morning. He is usually the last one to leave the office. And in over a year of employment, he has never taken a sick day.

But David Schwartz, a fortyish receptionist, is not your typical conscientious employee; he is part of the growing number of adults with developmental disabilities who are employed in small businesses throughout the NY metropolitan area.

Schwartz works for SLK Mortgage Co. in Teaneck, NJ, one of a select group of small businesses which the National Jewish Council for the Disabled (NJCD), sponsored by the Orthodox Union (OU) will pay tribute to during National Small Business Week (May 31-June 6).

"During this week when we honor the nation’s entrepreneurs, we must pay special tribute to those businesses that exhibit a unique dedication to diversity and inclusion and employ all people regardless of race, gender or disability. The NJCD and the OU applaud these businesses that put people first and pursue a purpose higher than products or profits.

Hopefully, through their example, employing individuals with developmentally disabilities and those with other challenges will become a norm for small businesses everywhere," said Dr. Jeff Lichtman, director of the OU’s National Council for the Disabled (NJCD).

Dedicated to mainstreaming the Jewish developmentally disabled through religious, cultural and social activities, the NJCD offers a vocational resources and job placement program. It was through this service that Schwartz landed his position at SLK Mortgage Co. Since its inception in January of 1997, NJCD’s vocational program has placed 18 employees in small businesses including food manufactures, retail establishments, elementary schools, non-profit organizations, and laboratories. Northeastern Co., a Manhattan-based importer of gems hired twenty-something Lawrence as a full-time messenger. H & L Hat and Cap Co. in Brooklyn which employs 25-year-old Yisroel as a factory worker.

"There are enormous misconceptions and myths surrounding the developmentally disabled population. In truth, this population constitutes a reliable, conscientious and committed workforce, one that is able to supply business needs at relatively low costs," said Dr. Lichtman. "The developmentally disabled tend to appreciate everything life has to offer. As employees this population tends to be very focused, on time and productive. The opportunity to contribute to society or in their terms ‘be like everyone else,’ means everything."

At SLK Mortgage, Schwartz is the sole secretary and his responsibilities include data entry, photocopying and handling a busy switchboard. "He is not support staff. He is the staff," said Sara Ringer, the NJCD Vocational Coordinator.

"It’s not a very structured workplace, I needed someone who could be flexible and have diverse duties," explained Yehuda Kohen, Vice President of SLK Mortgage Co. "David handles the pressure well. He is extremely meticulous," explains Kohen. "Since he commutes from Manhattan, he memorized every bus route in the city."

In an age when recruiting and maintaining reliable and dependable workers is a growing problem , Schwartz offers his boss something his non-disabled peers can’t: loyalty. "David is looking to stay here and grow with us. I feel that the time I spend training him pays off because he’ll stick around," said Kohen. "And while I certainly didn’t hire David for the publicity. When my clients began noticing David, they were very impressed."

Ringer spends her time recruiting new businesses and evaluating prospective employees. Calling herself a "vocational matchmaker," Ringer says, "I don’t just place people in jobs, I assess their interests and match the personality of the person to the personality of the job site," said Ringer. Finding the right match is only the first step.

"Once, we found an ideal job for a developmentally disabled man. There was just one problem; he lived in Brooklyn and the job site was in New Jersey. We arranged for participation in a carpool one way and we negotiated a deal with a local car service for the other way," said Ringer.

The NY State-funded program provides job coaching as well. For the first week of employment, a job coach accompanies the new employee full-time. Serving as a bridge between employee and employer, the coach helps ease the period of transition and adjustment. After the initial period – which is determined by Ringer in conjunction with the employee and the employer -- the coach makes periodic visits and is available for ongoing counseling and guidance.

"One of the things that sets us apart from the other agencies involved in supported employment is the much broader role which our job coaches play. They are there as much for the employer as the employee. It’s their job to educate the employer and his staff with regard to the special needs of the individual and his/her disabilities. This assures the maximum understanding, cooperation and comfort for everyone in the work setting and ultimately maximum productivity," said Ringer.