Breaking Barriers, Building Futures: How Developing Potential Champions Inclusive Employment

Every October, communities across the country celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month, a time to recognize the contributions of workers with disabilities and promote inclusive hiring.

For Developing Potential, Inc. (DPI), a long-time eitas-funded partner in Jackson County, this celebration is personal. Employment is not just a goal; it’s a cornerstone of DPI’s mission to ensure that every individual with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) has the chance to live a meaningful, connected and independent life.

“Everyone deserves the right to have opportunities to work in their community, just as you and I do,” shared DPI’s Executive Director, Rebecca Case. “The difference between impossible and possible is determination and every day, the people we serve prove what’s possible.”

Breaking Barriers Through DPI Employment Connections

Through its DPI Employment Connections program, Developing Potential helps adults with I/DD find and keep meaningful jobs in the community. The program blends personalized career discovery with one-on-one job coaching, so individuals can develop real-world skills and confidence while working in inclusive environments.

Some individuals choose full-time day programming at DPI, while others split their time between work and onsite learning. DPI supports each person’s goals, whether that’s working at Pizza Hut, Olive Garden or one of 30 local job sites across Jackson County.

“We have people working at grocery stores, restaurants, and even animal shelters,” said Case. “Watching someone go from needing full-time support to checking in once a month and seeing the relationships they’ve built at work, that’s what makes this work so meaningful.”

These successes are possible because DPI doesn’t rely on one-size-fits-all employment solutions. They use job carving, a process that tailors roles around an individual’s strengths, and the Griffin-Hammis model of job discovery, which focuses on learning what conditions help each person thrive.

“We look at what a person can do well,” she explained. “If someone is great at organizing or cleaning, we help employers see how that task can fit into their workflow. It’s not about limitations, it’s about opportunities.”

Addressing Barriers with Creativity and Care

Even with determination and talent, individuals with disabilities still face real challenges in finding and keeping work. DPI staff see these barriers every day and work tirelessly to break them down.

Transportation is one of the biggest obstacles. “Once we find someone a job, it can be hard to set up consistent transportation, especially for part-time schedules,” Case shared. “We often transport people ourselves until we can build a long-term plan. It’s not billable time, but it’s worth it.”

Communication can also be a barrier, particularly when coworkers or supervisors aren’t familiar with a person’s communication style. DPI’s job coaches take a proactive approach, training employers and teams to understand how each individual expresses themselves.

“Our job coaches do a great job helping supervisors understand what someone’s communication means,” she said. “We share communication tool logs, teach what gestures or signs mean and help create understanding. That’s what true inclusion looks like.”

Beyond logistics, DPI helps change perceptions, showing local businesses that hiring individuals with disabilities is not only right but beneficial.

“Job carving doesn’t just help the individual,” she explained. “It helps the business. When someone can take on a task that fits their skill set, it frees up other employees and strengthens the whole team.”

Employment Success Stories

These stories of success show exactly why inclusive employment matters, not just for individuals, but for workplaces and the community as a whole.

Casey Hill – Goodwill Industries
This September, Casey Hill celebrated his five-year work anniversary at Goodwill. In his role, Casey scans donated media like CDs and DVDs before sorting them for resale. To increase his independence, Casey and his DPI job coach tested several adaptive tools. Their collaboration led Goodwill to update its systems, installing a tabletop scanner and a modified workspace table that now benefit everyone at the media station. Casey credits his ongoing success to the adaptive equipment and the support he’s received from his DPI coach. His story demonstrates how advocacy and accessibility can lead to real, lasting change in the workplace.

Tara Atkinson – Dollar Tree
Since joining Dollar Tree in 2020, Tara Atkinson has been a dependable, hardworking member of her team. She stocks shelves, organizes aisles and ensures products are easy for customers to find. Tara’s reliability hasn’t gone unnoticed, her managers were so impressed that they reached out to DPI to see if another Employment Connections participant might be interested in joining their team.

Brian Mason – Main Event
Brian Mason works at Main Event, where he helps keep the arcade area clean and welcoming for guests. Though naturally quiet, Brian recently took a big step in his employment journey, he independently advocated for himself by requesting an extra weekly shift. His supervisor approved and Brian now proudly works three days a week.

Building Skills for the Future

Inside DPI’s brand-new 20,000-square-foot facility in Lee’s Summit, individuals are gaining the skills they need for long-term employment through innovative training opportunities.

A highlight is the DPI Coffee Shop Training Center, a café-style workspace that allows participants to learn customer service, food prep and teamwork in a real-world setting.

“It looks like a little Starbucks inside our building,” Case shared with a smile. “It’s a safe space for people to practice job skills and build confidence. We’re even exploring ways to open it to the public in the future.”

This kind of creative programming ensures that individuals are not only employable, they’re prepared. “We’re all about helping people learn skills that make sense for their lives,” she said. “Whether it’s working in a restaurant, a coffee shop or volunteering in the community, we want everyone to have the chance to contribute and belong.”

Powered by Partnership: How eitas Makes It Possible

Behind every success story is the partnership that makes it possible. For DPI, support from eitas has been crucial in building and sustaining high-quality services.

“Eitas has really made a difference in keeping Developing Potential possible in the community,” Case shared. “The state funding for day services has never fully met the need, but eitas’ funding helps us maintain quality standards of care, hire and retain staff and innovate our programs.”

Training and advocacy support is also provided by eitas, helping DPI and other partner agencies embrace best practices like Gentle Teaching, which emphasizes compassion, respect and person-centered care.

Looking Ahead: Determination and Perseverance

DPI’s vision for the future is simple and steadfast, to ensure every individual who wants to work has the opportunity to do so.

“Our goal is determination and perseverance,” Case said. “We’ll keep advocating, expanding our employment connections and showing our community that everyone has potential.”

Through its continued partnership with eitas, DPI is proving that employment is not just about paychecks, it’s about purpose, dignity and inclusion.

Join the Movement

This Disability Employment Awareness Month, DPI and eitas invite Jackson County employers and community members to take action. Learn more about inclusive hiring, volunteer with organizations supporting individuals with disabilities or connect with eitas to explore partnership opportunities.

Together, we can ensure that every person, regardless of ability, has the chance to work, contribute and thrive.