Nearly four in ten companies report difficulty identifying qualified candidates with disabilities; and two out of three cite a lack of such candidates as a barrier to hiring. Companies report challenges finding and retaining employees with disabilities; and confusion about what organizations to work with to solve this problem, and how.

In 2010, NOD partnered with Lowe’s, to pilot the Bridges concept in three of the company’s regional distribution centers. The Kessler Foundation funded the demonstration and commissioned an independent evaluation of the program by Rutgers University.

Since its launch in 2010, Bridges to Business has helped more than a dozen Fortune 1000 companies improve their disability inclusion programs; and was evaluated as best-in-class by Rutgers University’s Heldrich Center for Workforce Development. What we learned through the Bridges demonstration has informed NOD’s Disability Employment Professional Services.