Chamber Insider Blog

Thank you to Rachel Payne, PhD, VP of Advocacy & Public Policy for Didlake, for answering a few questions to spotlight National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM).

Rachel Payne, PhD

Tell us a little about yourself and what you do for work.

I am the VP of Advocacy & Public Policy for Didlake, a nonprofit that creates and promotes opportunities that enrich the lives of people with disabilities. To support Didlake’s mission, I oversee, manage, and lead the direction of essential public policy and advocacy efforts. In addition, I oversee and support the training and development team and Didlake’s Autism Center of Excellence.

Have you had any special mentors or inspirations that guided your career?

I’ve been in the human services field my whole career in a variety of roles. Before coming to Didlake, I worked with the general workforce, helping others fulfill their training and career goals. I came to Didlake with the same passion, and the individuals we serve and employ have kept me motivated to keep working and advocating for employment opportunities and equal rights for people with disabilities.

What is the best part of your job and why?

I have many! One of the best parts of my job is working with self-advocates and hearing them share their story with legislators and staffers. While I can have great conversations and relationships with elected officials and their staff and discuss policy, it’s the lived experiences our employees and self-advocates bring to the conversation that strengthen it and provide meaningful perspectives to understand the needs and challenges within the disability community. I also love seeing people grow and witness what they are truly capable of, especially when they have the right support to help them meet their goals, whatever they may be.

When it comes to work, one of my favorite months is October, when we observe and celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month and the thousands of individual success stories among our employees and individuals we support in jobs in the community.

How can friends, family, and colleagues better support people with disabilities?

Get to know people first! I believe that to support someone, you need to know what they need and to know what they need, you need to know them. Take the time and genuine interest in getting to know your friends, family members, and colleagues. After getting to know someone, or if you already know them well, first ask, “How can I help you?” or “How can I support you?”

What progress have you seen in disability awareness and accessibility? What still needs improvement?

I’ve been working in the field of disability services for over a decade. In that time, I’ve seen progress made in disability awareness and accessibility, driven by advancements in technology, changes in policy and a broader focus on inclusion in our communities. There are efforts to ensure students with disabilities receive pre-employment transition services, so they have opportunities to explore all the options there are when it comes to training, education, and employment after high school. I’ve seen more attention and focus on inclusive hiring practices and interest from companies on how to tap into a population of highly talented individuals who are often overlooked. I’ve seen increased representation of people with disabilities in the media. We see people with disabilities in movies, TV shows and commercials; we also see models and influencers. This goes a long way to help normalize disability as a natural part of the human condition and reduce stigma.

I believe there is always room for improvement, and in some areas, there is still much work that needs to be done to ensure consistency and equal access to services and opportunities for all. Key challenges remain in the areas of societal inclusion and the significant disparity in the labor force participation rate of people with disabilities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 24.5% of adults with disabilities are employed, compared to 68.1% of adults who are not living with a disability.

What are you most proud of achieving?

I am most proud of the personal and professional accomplishments I’ve made when it comes to learning, growing and improving. I worked hard to earn my Ph.D. in industrial/organizational psychology because I was passionate about understanding human behavior in the workplace to help improve practices and strategies that benefit organizations and help foster positive work experiences for employees.

I am proud to have been at Didlake for 11 years. In 2025, we will celebrate our 60^th anniversary – that is 60 years of enriching the lives of people with disabilities in the local community. We’ve evolved over the years in response to the needs of the community, starting as a school and later shifting our focus to employment and community engagement. Today, we focus on enrichment and offer a variety of programs and services so individuals have choices for how they would like to participate in their communities.

How can the community support your organization?

Open the door of employment to people with disabilities in your business. Contact our Employment Services team to discuss your hiring needs and see if we have a match. We are also looking for businesses to host situational assessments, which provide valuable opportunities for individuals to learn about different types of jobs in the community and make informed decisions about the type of work they are interested in pursuing.

You can also support our mission by using our two UPS Stores for your shipping and printing needs, and our Didlake Imaging business for document and photo scanning. You can learn more about these and other ways to support our mission on the We Create Opportunities page on our website, didlake.org.