NDEAM 2026: Celebrating Value and Talent | MDI
There is No Shortage of Talent.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
There is a shortage of connection between people who are ready to work and employers who have not yet worked out how to find them.
This month we are working on the second half of that sentence. This year’s national theme is Celebrating Value and Talent. It is about what people bring to a workplace. That is the same argument we make every day on our production floor, so we are spending October making it out loud.
What NDEAM is
National Disability Employment Awareness Month runs every October. It is led by the US Department of Labor. The point is simple: people with disabilities work, want to work, and are good at it, and the country still has not built enough doors.
More than one in four adults in the United States has a disability. Their employment rate is roughly half that of adults without one. That gap is not a talent problem. It is a hiring problem, and hiring problems can be fixed.
Value and talent are not the same as good intentions
MDI has employed people with disabilities for more than 60 years. Not in a side program. On the line, meeting customer deadlines, passing audits.
Here is what six decades taught us. Inclusive hiring does not work because it feels good. It works because it is built. Someone writes the job description differently. Someone rethinks the interview. Someone trains a supervisor. That is the work, and any employer can do it.
Do not just celebrate disability employment. Create some.
The partners behind the work
These four organizations helped shape Unified Work. Each one is changing what disability employment looks like where they are: in a hospital, in a community, in a research lab. We asked them what they have seen.
Project SEARCH at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center
Seven graduates now work at the hospital that trained them.
Interns spend a full year inside a working hospital, rotating through three 10-week internships. Unified Work’s courses and VR career exploration now open that year, and the elevator pitch lesson feeds straight into their reverse job fair.
Every intern from last year’s class is now employed.
Udac
In Duluth, every intern was offered the job.
Udac has helped people with disabilities in Duluth find and keep work since 1969, through career coaching and customized employment.
University of Minnesota, CAREI
Mapping what stands between people and a job.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota worked with Unified Work to build an interactive map of the barriers people with disabilities face on the way to work.
Wabasha County DAC
Jobs built around the person, not the opening.
Asher Kujawa spends 12 weeks getting to know each job seeker, then finds a local business with a need that person can fill. Unified Work’s Boundaries at Work class gave the group language they still use weeks later.
One thing, this month to build momentum
Interview one candidate with a disability.
That is the whole ask. One interview, on your normal process, for a role you are already trying to fill. If they are not right for it, tell them why, the same as you would tell anyone.
Get to Know Our Amazing Employees
Sierra Borgman-Koch
Process Tech – Grand Rapids
- Sierra began working at MDI in February 2024 and officially joined the MDI team in August of that year after a good friend encouraged her to give MDI a try. Today, she works as a BW Process Tech/Flexo Press Operator and recently added another accomplishment to her list by becoming certified to operate a forklift.
- Sierra describes her work at MDI as incredibly fulfilling and appreciates the amazing people she works with, both on the production floor and throughout the organization. In the past, Sierra struggled to find a job she enjoyed or wanted to stay with beyond six months. At MDI, she found something different—a job she genuinely loves. More than two years later, she is proud to still be learning, growing, and going strong.
- Sierra’s story is a powerful reminder that meaningful employment is about more than a job—it’s about opportunity, accomplishment, independence, and finding a place where you can thrive.
Andrea Krueth
Assembler II – Hibbing
- Andrea began her career at MDI as a contract employee in November 2025 after her dad encouraged her to apply because of the opportunities for growth and development. Andrea took that opportunity—and got the job!
- Today, Andrea is a dedicated team player who enjoys Handle Welding and is always willing to support production wherever she is needed. Her flexibility and commitment help keep production on track and contribute to the success of the entire Hibbing team.
- Andrea’s story is a wonderful example of how opportunity, inclusion, and a supportive workplace can help people grow, contribute, and thrive.
Chali Xiong
Assembler III – Minneapolis
- Chali began working at MDI in September 2025 and officially joined the MDI team in July 2026. Following a tour of the Minneapolis facility, Chali knew MDI was a place where he wanted to work.
- Since joining MDI, Chali has embraced every opportunity to learn and grow. He has learned every job on the postal line and is always willing to take on something new. His hard work and continued development were recognized in July when he was promoted from Hand Assembler I to Hand Assembler III.
- Chali’s story demonstrates how opportunity, encouragement, and a willingness to learn can open the door to growth, confidence, and success.
Breanna Terway
Assembler I –Cohasset
- Bre was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where she attended Grand Rapids Schools. She started her working years early, beginning in middle school as a dishwasher in the school cafeteria. During high school, Bre worked at The Salvation Army and with preschool children through the Early Childhood program.
- After high school, Bre worked for Deer River Hired Hands and later joined MDI, where she has proudly worked for 13 years. Her favorite job at MDI is palletizing postal totes.
- Thank you, Bre, for showing us the many ways meaningful employment can enrich a life and strengthen a community!
The Big Shift
Celebrate the value that people of all abilities bring to work.
One hour to rethink what is possible for inclusive employment. Meet special guests, celebrate what you bring, and leave with a clear next step toward work.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
11:00 am to 12:00 pm Central
Live on Zoom · Free
Open to individuals and groups: schools, organizations, DSPs
Can’t make it live? Register anyway and you will get the recording.
Meet Unified Work
Unified Work builds free training for people with disabilities who want a job. Live courses, career exploration in virtual reality, a video series about what actually happens in the first weeks of work, and a career coach available any time.
It is free to every learner. It always has been.
Live Courses
Small virtual classes on communication, self-advocacy, and what employers expect. Free.
HIRED
A video series following three people through the real ups and downs of a new job.
Career Exploration in VR
More than 60 job simulations. You cannot be what you cannot see.
From “I want a job” to “I have one”
Every step here is a real thing a person can do this week, free.