Did you know about 80% of people with disabilities are unemployed in the United States? However, these 5 businesses are on a mission to change that statistic by helping adults with disabilities find jobs within their communities and even preparing them for future jobs.

1) Caring Couture is a company that creates hand painted fashion scarves. Laurie Ruehlman founded the company for her daughter who has Down Syndrome. Their staff is made up entirely of individuals with Down Syndrome and they are looking to expand to other disabilities, such as Autism. The employees love making the scarves and are super excited to be working in such a fun environment.

2) The Rising Tide Car Wash employs individuals with Autism. The company was started by the D'eri family for their son Andrew who was autism. The father, John, and other son, Tom, co-founded the company and are hiring more individuals with autism to work there. The employees love working at the car wash and they take pride in washing all the cars with great care.

3) The Prospector Theater is an up and coming movie theater located in Connecticut. Valerie Jenesen founded the company on the basis that her sister, who has down syndrome, and her other disabled friends were having trouble finding jobs. Valerie wanted to change that. She saw the theater was going to be knocked down, so she bought it and transformed it into a fully functional movie theater where adults with disabilities and special needs can work! The community loves the theater and is always impressed with the staff who work there.

4) Smile Farms is a non-profit organization that is affiliated with 1-800 Flowers. The Co-founders Jim and Chris started the company as part of helping disabled adults find jobs. The workers participate in meaningful jobs that benefit the community as well as themselves. The workers are always very enthusiastic about their jobs and tell their co-workers everything about their day! From the plants they planted to what they are going to spend their paychecks on, the employees lives are being impacted for the better.

5) Inclusion Films provides working experience within the film industry to those with developmental disabilities. The workshop teaches the young filmmakers technical, social, and life skills that they can carry with them throughout their time in the work world. Joey Travolta is the founder of this workshop and hopes that it will help the young filmmakers in their future careers.

These 5 companies are helping those with disabilities in a major way. These are just some of our favorites! Tell us about any companies in your area that help those with developmental disabilities or other disabilities!