What We Do
Teachability LLC is a social enterprise with the vision to be an interactive partner for matching people with differing abilities to meaningful employment opportunities based on characteristics of the person and the job tasks.
Our mission is working with businesses, agencies, and the untapped workforce in matching people with disabilities to employment opportunities through collaborative training, coaching, and placement programs within businesses.
Our values are to create an accessible and belonging culture within a business setting. This is achieved by teaching a lasting and innovative model which benefits everyone while fulfilling one’s potential in an inclusive work environment.
The Bottom Line
Businesses are increasingly hiring people with disabilities, and it’s helping the bottom line. The tight labor market is pushing companies to open their eyes to considering workers with disabilities, who employers say are loyal, enthusiastic and able to do the job as well as anyone — sometimes even better. Falling unemployment rates among people with disabilities suggest more employers are adopting a similar mindset. To be sure, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities remains double the rate for people without, and two-thirds of working-age disabled adults are not in the labor force at all, meaning they’re not working and not looking.
Key Facts:
- About 1 in 6 children in the United States had a developmental disability in 2006-2008, ranging from mild disabilities such as speech and language impairments to serious developmental disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and autism. (CDC, 2008)
- Lack of skills and qualifications limits the employment opportunities for young people with disabilities.
- Unemployment rates for people with disabilities in every nation often exceed 80%.
- Negative attitudes and misconception about disability remain significant obstacles to the successful employment of youth with disabilities. Persons with disabilities are perceived as less productive than their peers, require expensive adaptations to the workplace, and have higher rates of illness and absenteeism.
- Most accommodations do not impose significant financial costs to the employer and even people without disabilities use and benefit from the use of supportive workplace policies and practices.
- For young women with disabilities, the prospects for meaningful employment are even lower, even with a good education.
- These negative perceptions do not correspond with a growing body of research that shows that young people with disabilities are as productive and dependable as their non-disabled peers with lower rates of absenteeism than workers without disabilities. It is speculated that this is because people with disabilities are keenly aware of the limited job options available to them should they lose their current positions.
The Inverse Internship Program™ (IIP)
Inverse Internship Program™ is a social innovation designed and launched by Teachability.org. Its mission is to connect traditional youth, as well as youth with invisible disabilities like autism, ADHD and dyslexia to real-world work experiences thus increasing future employability. We pair young people with unique apprentice experiences in the for-profit, non-profit, social and governmental sectors through partnerships with employers.
Teachability’s Inverse Internship Program™ (IIP) is a customizable micro-internship program hosted by local for-profit companies. This innovative program is offered to meet the professional and social needs of students with disabilities – students ages 14-26 years old who are interested in building a portfolio of job skills and experiences to ultimately transition from school to work.
Leadership Team
Cindy Montgomery
Cindy Montgomery is the co-founder and CEO of Teachability and a prominent thought-leader in invisible disabilities and youth employability. She has first-hand experience being a parent of a child with autism and is a participant in the Illinois Partners in Policymaking, Partner at the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities and is a board member for Children’s Home + Aid Society of Illinois.
Garret Rosiek
Garret Rosiek is co-founder and advisory board member of Teachability. Garret serves as the Career Development Coordinator at Elmhurst College ELSA (Elmhurst Learning and Success Academy) and Assistant Men’s Lacrosse Coach. Garret exemplifies passion about working with individuals with disabilities in finding gainful employment.
Tim Engstrom
Tim Engstrom is co-founder and advisory board member of Teachability. Tim is the Head of Supply Chain and Logistics at LA-CO Industries and a Professor at Elmhurst College in the Supply Chain and MBA programs. Tim Additionally is the co-author of the HOPE Handbook: A Guide to Disability Hiring.
Julian Sheinbaum
Is a co-founder and advisory board member of Teachability. Julian is an MBA candidate at Northwestern University’s Kellog School of Management, a Yale University graduate, and an All-American Track Athlete. Previously, he built and scaled a $2B Business from scratch as an intrapreneur at JPMorgan, launching their Exchange-Traded fun (ETF) business. He is also the proud brother of a sister with William’s Syndrome. Julian channels his athletic drive, success as an intrapreneur, and personal passion for the disability community to drive social impact in business.
We Would Like to Thank...
- Linda Stainton, Founder of ECSI Consulting in Edmonton, Canada
- Chad Phillips, Legislative Correspondent, Congressional Office
- Clarisol A. Duque, Chicago Director, Congressional Office
- Dr. Michael Alessandri, Executive Director of the University of Miami-Nova
- Ling Huang, President and CEO of Technology Northern Corporation and masBility Inc.
- Mark Bold, PhD.
- Teri Collins, PHD.
- Kathleen Marion, Director of Development, Lake Forest Montessori School
- Adrienne Dimopoulos, PR Consultant
- Jessica Collins, Sepcial Education teacher
- Anita RyanMike Savage
- Felicia Fleitman
- Bruce Taylor
- Gwendolyn Galsworth, PHD.
- Naitik Mehta, CEO, NextBillion.org
- Theresa Hilsdon, Navy Veteran
- Georgetown University Board of Governors
- Yellow Ribbon Society
- Mission Continues Platoon Leader, Sally Lehnert
- Maura Rosenfeld
- Laura McKee
- Imy Wax
- John Pembroke, Attorney
- Lamar Butler, Special Needs Advocate Financial Strategist
- One America Financial Partners
- Ifaat Bosse
- Shalom Klein
Thank you for your time, expertise, mentorship, and encouragement. You have been instrumental to the development of the quality programs and services that are already making a difference.
In the News
Learn more about Teachability in the news by reading our stories and hearing from CEO Cindy Montgomery.