NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Hotel stays come with high expectations: fresh white towels, soft clean linens and a tidy eating area. Nobody respects that standard better than Brenda Morgan, an employee at the Courtyard Marriott who has a disability.

“It’s very important because we want to keep our guests coming back,” said Morgan while stocking shelves with the towels she folded.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), a movement dedicated to celebrating the contributions of people with disabilities to the workforce.

According to the United States Census Bureau from data released in 2019, nearly 9.1 million people with disabilities ages 16 and older are employed. In Western New York, People Inc. assists about 500 of them, among its 8,000 clients total.

At this hotel, Morgan folds towels, washes and sanitizes laundry, strips rooms, and cleans up the eating area. Her employment specialist, Amy Allen, said she also brings a ray of sunshine with her to work.

“She’s very personable,” said Allen. “She’s very likable and she’s very willing to do whatever’s asked of her.”

General manager Ken Kirisits said the hotel has about 37 employees, and as someone who has a nephew with a disability, he is always striving to be inclusive on the payroll.

“Some of my best employees actually have been with different opportunities and different learning groups," Kirisits said.

Morgan said she likes going to work, but what she loves more is the freedom of earning her own money to spend on herself and pay the bills.

Anyone interested in learning more about employing people with disabilities can call People Inc. at 716-817-6750.