National Down Syndrome Congress The Scoop: The Big Six for Employing People with Disabilities
By Jeff Novorr, Vice President of Hospitality Services, University of Kansas Health System
Here’s the scoop… Walt Disney once famously said, “It all started with a Mouse.” For me, it all started with a scoop (of ice cream). You read that right – my exposure to disability employment began with a scoop – a Golden Scoop to be exact. In 2021, after reading an article in the local media, I visited The Golden Scoop, a then-new, not-for-profit ice cream shop in Overland Park, Kansas. You see, they mostly employ people with disabilities, and according to the article I read, they were no longer accepting applications for employment because they had a waiting list for open positions. At the same time, amid the pandemic, my departments at The University of Kansas Health System were struggling with more than 100 open positions we could not fill. What was I missing? Turns out a lot. Click the video to hear the rest of my story.