The pandemic has added some new work opportunities for Central Ohio residents with mild to moderate developmental disabilities. Many of them lost their jobs at ARC Industries Inc. when COVID-19 health restrictions prevented the five facilities from operating at full capacity.
ARC Industries Inc. is expanding a program it started last September after closing many of the operations at its work facilities due to health restrictions for COVID-19. Chief Services Officer, Amanda Smith said ARC is now partnering some disabled workers with outside employers where they can get a paid internship at the business.
“We wanted to create a new opportunity for work for our individuals to be able to work safely and to gain experience and potentially develop skills to move forward on their path to employment in the community,” Smith said.
Smith says the disabled workers are paid minimum wage and about 30 right now are involved in the community-vocational jobs.
Smith says before the pandemic ARC Industries employed 700 disabled people. Today that figure is down to 300.
