March is National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, which spotlights educating and highlighting those with developmental disabilities.
One employee has found the ability in his own disability to be a voice for others in the workforce.
Serving customers every day has kept one McDonald’s franchise and crew member Chris Schrader busy.
“I like to clean the bathrooms every half an hour, 45 minutes, usually 20,” Schrader said. “I don't really make the cheap hamburgers and stuff like that. If I were to be asked to step in, you know, down the road sometime and maybe see what I can do about learning that aspect of the job.”
Schrader finds his role vital, both in cleaning and being a voice for equal opportunities.
“They know exactly where I need help,” Schrader said. “It starts with me as a person being honest with what I'm capable of doing, as opposed to having them play a guessing game with me and figure it out.”
He is dealing with, what Schrader states, is a laundry list of developmental disabilities.
“ADHD, mild mental retardation, slight hearing loss, seizure disorder too,” Schrader said.
Starting off as a customer, to now an employee, McDonald’s is the first real job Schrader has had.
“I started here back in 2011, and I was working in a sheltered workshop through the Arc of Monroe and I decided it was time for a change and came upon this job opportunity and fell in love with it,” Schrader said.
Many individuals with disabilities have faced being underrepresented in the workforce. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2022, around 21% of persons with disabilities were employed. That’s up from 19% the year before. And compared to 65% of people without a disability in 2022, it’s up from 63.7% the prior year.
Schrader hopes more employers, like his boss at McDonald’s, will give people with disabilities a chance to see their capabilities.
“I’m not going to say there’s living proof, because I’m just one person,” he said. “There’s got to be a voice out there, telling them they are capable of doing it.”
Schrader’s employer finds the team’s growth a success.
“They're a part of the community and they need opportunities to grow and the process of learning is a little different, but will ultimately get to that ultimate goal of where they need to be,” owner-operator franchise Hector Urena said.
Urena has seen firsthand the positive impacts of diversifying his team.
“I think diversity brings a lot of cultures together, a lot of different ideas,” Urena said. “I think it's very important to our workforce to have that mix of ingredients. It's like when you put that recipe together in your kitchen, all those different ingredients make a great dish. And that’s what we try to do.”
It’s allowing Schrader to save up for his personal expenses.
“I just spent another $100 on Apple,” Schrader said. “You know, Apple Music. But it's worth it. It's money. I get to spend on things I enjoy. We're all out. We're all out here doing the same thing, we're all working for a reason.”
Schrader hopes those with developmental disabilities will keep striving to reach their goals and not be discouraged.
“There’s no shortcuts,” Schrader said. “No shortcuts on the job [and] no shortcuts in life. We’re all out there. We’re all in this together.”