Blog

About Relay Resources
Relay Resources is one of the largest social enterprises in the Pacific Northwest. Their vision is "Disabled People Belong. Everywhere." Their mission is to transform workplaces and communities by championing disability inclusion.

They employ 800 people, 60% of whom have a disclosed disability, in four lines of business, earning annual revenues of $60 million:

1. Building solutions, including janitorial, landscaping, and floor care services
2. Document imaging solutions
3. Supply chain solutions
4. Affordable housing

They also provide affordable housing to over 1,500 residents in 800 housing units, with 46% of households having at least one disabled member.

Our building solutions customers include Portland International Airport, Portland State University, and Multnomah County. Our largest document imaging solutions customer is the Oregon Department of Human Services. Our supply chain solutions customers include Bob’s Red Mill, Danner Boots, and Made in Oregon. In all of our lines of business, we prioritize hiring disabled people and provide them with training, support, and accommodations so that they can thrive at work and build skills that will contribute to their individualized career pathway.

About Disability and Employment
According to the Center for Disease Control, 27%, or about one in four people, has a disability. Many disabled people have apparent disabilities, including people who use wheelchairs, people who have Down Syndrome, and people with limb differences. However, many people have disabilities that are nonapparent or are initially nonapparent, including neurodivergent people (which includes autistic people, people with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, people who have learning disorders, people who have traumatic brain injuries, and intellectually disabled people), Deaf people (people who were born deaf), deaf people (people who have a hearing loss), people with mental health diagnoses, and people who have cancer, epilepsy, or an autoimmune disease.

According to the United States Department of Labor, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities is 41.7%, compared to 77.7% for nondisabled people. For people who participate in the labor force, disabled people have an 8.3% unemployment rate, which is more than twice the unemployment rate for nondisabled people, who have a 3.6% unemployment rate.

The reason for the significantly lower rates of labor participation and considerably higher rates of unemployment for disabled people is not because disabled people are not capable or willing to work; it is because of the significant barriers to employment in our workplaces that exclude and discriminate against people with disabilities, despite laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that make disability discrimination illegal.

At Relay Resources, we believe that disabled people belong in all workplaces. However, most workplaces are designed by nondisabled people for nondisabled people. Ableism and ableist attitudes are rampant in many workplaces. Through how we operate our businesses, our purpose is to demonstrate that when disabled people have an inclusive work environment, we can all work together productively and provide great services and products to our customers.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) at Relay Resources

When Dr. Jennifer Camota Luebke, Relay Resources’ new President and Chief Executive Officer, started in July 2023, she transformed the organizational structure, starting with the Human Resources organization. Instead of a traditional HR organization where DEI is a part of or adjacent to HR and where disability (accommodations) may be a part of the DEI team, Dr. Jennifer turned the organization upside down and centered disabled people.

In October 2023, Dr. Jennifer hired Wally Tablit in a newly created position as the organization’s first Chief Disability Inclusion Officer to lead the People organization, which includes DEIA, Employee Success (accessibility, accommodations, and support), Workforce Training, Recruiting and Onboarding, Learning and Development, Employee and Union Relations, and Human Resources Business Partners. Naming this team "Disability Inclusion" and having DEIA in a primary position within the team ensures that disabled employees and employees at the intersection of disability and other marginalized communities are centered in all functions that interact with our most valued resource, our people. We at Relay Resources take pride in our people, with and without disabilities, and in our work. Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July to honor the disability community’s history, achievements, experiences, and struggles. It originated in the United States in 1990 to commemorate the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on July 26, 1990, which broke down barriers to inclusion in society. The first Disability Pride Day was held in Boston that same year and the first official Disability Pride Month was celebrated in July 2015, the 25th anniversary of the ADA.

July is Disability Pride Month

We at Relay Resources take pride in our people, with and without disabilities, and in our work. Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July to honor the disability community’s history, achievements, experiences, and struggles. It originated in the United States in 1990 to commemorate the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law on July 26, 1990, which broke down barriers to inclusion in society. The first Disability Pride Day was held in Boston that same year and the first official Disability Pride Month was celebrated in July 2015, the 25th anniversary of the ADA.