The Choice Group

Veronda Rooks-Price is a Supervisor at a call center in Hampton, where she has been employed for a little over 2 years. Nancy, her Vocational Counselor, began working with Veronda in 2014, when they initially found a position that did not work out, before finding her current job.     DARS helped her get back into job development again, after losing her initial job. With the help of DARS, and Nancy, Veronda landed her current position where she has been successfully employed for over 2 years.  In the beginning, Veronda was interested in Human Resources and Management positions at a call center. Veronda completed her own applications and went on interviews independently, and Nancy assisted her with finding job leads and following up on them to secure interviews. Veronda currently makes a good supervisor because she is friendly and caring. She is a team builder and transformational leader and brings great energy to her team. Before finding her current success, Veronda wa...

In the first few minutes of meeting Jeff, you quickly learn that he is a hardworking man. Over a year ago, he contacted his DBVI (Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired) Counselor and requested help in finding a job. He had recently left his job as a Manufacturer at a local business in Charlottesville and wanted a job as a Dishwasher. That’s when he met Kate Gariepy, a Vocational Counselor with The Choice Group. Together, Jeff and Kate completed several assessments in his community before beginning to look for a job. After several months of applying for jobs, Jeff was hired at a new local restaurant as their daytime Dishwasher. Jeff quickly learned his job and became friends with the owner and several of his coworkers. He was highlighted on the restaurant’s Facebook page that eventually caught the attention of a local news station. Jeff says that since his appearance on Newsplex CBS19, many of his friends contacted him to comment on the news story. Jeff continued to work at ...

When the nation was celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2010, Obama made a pledge to increase the amount of people with disabilities employed by the Federal Government.  They've exceeded their goal and employees with disabilities currently make up 14.41 percent of the Federal workforce! Advocacy and implementation of inclusive hiring are among The Choice Group's highest goals, and we love to share good news when we hear it!  We've come a long way since the signing of the American's with Disabilities Act and we've come a long way since 2010!  There is still more work to do, however, but we are happy that the issue of inclusion is now on the forefront of the major issues that face the nation today, and we will continue to advocate for this cause! Feds Exceed Disability Hiring Goal Published October 28, 2016 By Michelle Diament Six years ago, President Barack Obama set an ambitious goal to ramp up hiring of people with...

We work with our clients as well as their employers, too. We promote inclusive atmospheres within the workplace so everyone can be happy working as a team!

There are many incentives and benefits across the board for small businesses to hire with diversity in mind.  This is a great guide to some potential tax benefits to hiring workers with disabilities and even includes a resource list to help you approximate tax credits! Tax Credits for Hiring Workers With Disabilities By: Paul Chaney Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and create 65 percent of new net jobs, according to the Small Business Administration (PDF). How can small businesses, facing constant financial pressure and increasing government regulations, ensure continued growth? One way is to hire people with disabilities. To help employers capitalize on the value and talent that people with disabilities can offer, the Federal Government offers three types of tax credits : Disabled Access Credit, Architectural Barrier Removal Tax Deduction and Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Disabled Access Credit The Disabled Access Credit — a non-refundable ann...

At The Choice Group, we love to hear success stories just like this and strive to create a few of our own!  More and more, business owners are opening their doors to the idea of hiring workers with disabilities due to the skills and dedication they bring to the table.  There have been numerous findings that hiring with diversity in mind, like hiring someone with a disability, creates an inclusive atmosphere in the workplace which ultimately benefits everyone.  We hope to expand the amount of businesses in Richmond who have this mindset and model for their company's success, one example being Max's Postive Vibes Cafe.  We hope lots of business owners find inspiration with this story! Business Built Around Workers With Disabilities Expanding By: Paul Owers FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — John D’Eri opened Rising Tide Car Wash in 2013, convinced that a business whose primary mission of employing adults with autism would be a financial success. Three years later, Risi...

Part of our mission at The Choice Group is to make employers aware of the benefits of hiring one of our clients.  Yes, there are government incentives, etc, but truly there is so much benefit to hiring inclusively in the workplace.  Don't just listen to us, listen to this man a business owner and advocate who has lived the experience himself! Photo from article, credit: Bobby Fisher How This Franchisee Is Giving Hope— And Jobs— to the Community By: Jason Daley Mark Wafer could fake his way through interviews. “My speech is good,” he says, so the interviewer didn’t realize that Wafer has about 85 percent hearing loss. “But once the boss found out I was deaf, I was fired. Usually quickly.” After losing many jobs this way, he finally landed a solid one, built confidence and 21 years ago bought his first coffee-and-doughnut Tim Hortons unit. Soon he hired a man with Down syndrome, who was excellent: hardworking, happy, friendly and loyal. Disabled individuals, Wafer ...

Pauline Jackson has been a Deli Clerk at Great Valu in Wakefield, VA for three years now this June. When I first met Pauline, she was not confidence in herself even though she was clearly super capable. I was new at TCG and she was one of my first job placements. At first, when she mastered job duties at the job, she was nervous of me fading.  But, once she realized she was okay on her own, things steadily got better and better. She's now completely independent. I continue to monitor her progress, through monthly Follow Along services and always check with her manager to ensure stability. Pauline assists customers with deli orders and also does some cooking and food prep.  She is one of the sweetest people I know. She always has a smile on her face, and she has a great sense of humor! Her direct manager always says every single month what a joy and pleasure it is to work with her. Great Valu is a family business/grocery store run by Tom and Wendy Gar...