Workers with disabilities struggle to stay in the workforce. Managerial changes can help

Chloe Norman came into her shift at the Red Arrow Diner off Loudon Road in Concord right at 3 p.m. on a Wednesday in early November and found the eatery mostly empty. A few minutes later, an older couple sat down at a booth in her section and she swiftly poured one a fresh cup of coffee and the other a cool glass of chocolate milk. The 41-year-old from Henniker started working part-time at the diner last winter, while also working as a lead bartender at another establishment in Concord. Those were the first two jobs she had held since being diagnosed with autism and ADHD in the last three years. “I’ve never been able to hold down a job for more than a year,” Norman said. “I have a really high sensitivity, like a dysphoria, for justice, and so when I see injustices happening in the workplace, I’ve never been able to kind of shut my mouth.” People like Norman who have physical or cognitive disabilities often struggle not only to find work, but to find success in their jobs long-term.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.