According to the CDC, up to one in four adults in the United States has a disability. That’s 61 million people, and roughly 13% of that number have cognitive and/or learning disabilities that affect concentrating, remembering, or making decisions. That’s nearly eight million people—or 80 Cowboys Stadiums filled to capacity. 

“Cognitive disabilities can impact a person in ways that you can observe and ways that are non-apparent,” said Michael Thomas, founder and CEO of ConnectIDD (pronounced: connected), a disability empowerment agency in North Texas.

“Think about how many people you interact with daily—friends, coworkers, family members, even strangers. You have no idea how another person interacts with the world.” 

‘People with disabilities’ are the largest minority group in the world. It is also the most overlooked and undervalued. Through his organization’s work, he hopes to change that.

ConnectIDD will contract with businesses, cities, nonprofits, and foundations on each organization’s unique needs, then scope out the work so the partner can execute it. 

“Disability inclusion doesn’t have to be this difficult,” said Thomas, who served as executive director of My Possibilities for 14 years.  “The truth is we all have different abilities and disabilities — we all function differently.”

Started in 2008 by a group of mothers, My Possibilities was created to address the needs of adults with IDD (intellectual and developmental disabilities) after they leave school and that umbrella of support services. Under Thomas’ guidance, My Possibilities grew to serve nearly 700 adults with disabilities a year, up from 10 when they opened.

Such growth means two things: One, there is a clear need My Possibilities is addressing, and two, there’s opportunity for growth. That’s why in 2023, with $350 thousand dollars in funding from the Governor’s innovative work initiative, My Possibilities expanded, adding the Employment Innovations School. The school provides HIPsters (Hugely Important People) opportunities to take classes that prepare them to work in a multiple industries. 

Now Thomas is building on that momentum to affect real change. 

“Whether it be new non-profit organizations, long-standing disability businesses, or families across the country hoping to start something for their communities, these mission-centered orgs need help to effectively grow and serve more people with disabilities,” said Thomas. “ConnectIDD will focus on supporting the disability community by strengthening the organizations and businesses they depend on, as well as the cities and states in which they live.”  

This could look like helping already best-in-class IDD organizations improve their programs, culture, or fundraising strategy, or working with businesses to better support the disability community through their products and services. ConnectIDD will also partner with cities committed to improving disability inclusion through the systems and services they provide: education, healthcare, job training/employment, and housing.

The City of Plano is part of this first cohort, which begins this year.

This is an important undertaking for which Thomas has assembled an A-team: professionals across the country who will lend and tailor their expertise to each opportunity.  

“We have to ask ourselves, as a society, who do we want to be? We either continue to underestimate the contributions of people with disabilities, or we figure out a way to get over our own discomfort and ignorance to work towards greater inclusion. I know we all want the latter, and that’s what we’re setting out to accomplish.” 

Voices contributor Nicole Ward is a data journalist for the Dallas Regional Chamber.

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