Beyond Cognitive Disability Barriers

The firm started what is now an official practice several years ago when the managing partner brought his son with cognitive disabilities to the office in Dallas and paid him out of his own pocket. It went so well that the firm decided each office should hire one or more employees with cognitive disabilities.

Danny Ricchi, 22, sets up the conference centers at Baker Botts. Ricchi, who has Down syndrome, likes going to the company gym and walking around the office -- and eating. "My favorite place is my mom's restaurant," he said, referring to I Ricchi.

Mir Azad, 18, who also has a cognitive disability, works at Baker Botts's library, shelving books, inputting information on the computers and making deliveries.

David Hughes, 43, works in the mail room, delivering boxes and mail. Nancy Leap, human resources manager, said he recently returned to her a document she meant to leave on her assistant's desk, and she apologized for her mistake. Hughes, who has Down syndrome, looked at her incredulously and said: " You made a mistake?"

"It's eye-opening to come out of the office and you're a self-centered lawyer and you bump in to someone so excited to be doing what they're doing," Berry said. "It disarms you."

More companies are finding nothing but a loyal, diligent employee base.

"It's hard to get employers to imagine that people with impairments actually can fit into a busy 24/7 workplace," said Cathy Healy, director of workforce and education programs with the Institute for a Competitive Workforce, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "When you see it in action, it's so amazing."

Only 32 percent of Americans with disabilities aged 18 to 64 are working, but two thirds of the 68 percent who are unemployed would rather be working, according to a study done by her group.

Healy is working to show employers that adults with disabilities make up a large pool of workers. "Lots of research tells us that people with disabilities, particularly intellectual disabilities, have great staying power," she said. "These employees are loyal. They are hard workers, people pleasers, and they want to stay employed."

David Egan, 29, has been with Booz Allen Hamilton for 10 years. He works as a distribution clerk and is "proud to be a part of that team." He likes working with different people and enjoys delivering packages to employees at Booz.

More than just being a loyal full-time employee, he is also an advocate for people with intellectual disabilities. He has Down syndrome. He is active in the Special Olympics, an organization that Booz supports. "They like to have employees come together to show team spirit. Here at Booz Allen, we also talk about core values a lot," Egan said. "I try to fit what we do as a company and what I do outside the company."

Heather Skeen, a senior recruiter and disability coordinator at Booz, said the company believes hiring employees with cognitive disabilities enriches the overall work experience. "When you have someone with different learning experiences, it's an experience for those who don't have a disability," Skeen said.

"I'm very fortunate to be with this company not just as a disabled person but as a full citizen," Egan said.