IDEL is a non-profit organization that focuses on providing opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities as a way to empower them as well as enhance their quality of life by providing employment opportunities for these individuals. They are a sustainable company that receives a large portion of their funding from the government. For the design of their company, they have businesses send them the materials and products, then the workers put them together, then after they are shipped out. Inside their workshops they have a variety of stations where each person works in putting the products together. Some stations are organizing products, while other stations are prepping the product to get passed onto the next step. Each station comes down to precision and follows a specific list of steps in order to ensure the quality of each packaged item. This is a team effort as each item is passed down onto the next step. They are working with multiple different products as well so multiple different skills are required meaning that everyone shows up in different ways.  

We were lucky enough to have the chance to visit one of their workshops and get first hand experience of what IDEL is all about. Right upon entering, you could sense a very inviting feeling that provided a lot of comfort. I think this is because IDEL really focuses on acknowledging each individual and remembering who they are outside of work. In fact one of the first things we did was walk around and get a short introduction of each worker there that day. Everyone had a story and we got the time to hear a short synopsis of everyone's life which was an amazing bonding experience. As well as an enlightening position to be in so we can understand their work ethic and drive on a deeper level. Beforehand we had a seminar in order to learn more about the company, once we gauged a good idea of what IDEL was all about we got the opportunity to be integrated into the workshop. Thankfully for us we had very good leaders as everyone at the workshop was patient with us and enjoyed showing us their special techniques of how to master their station. 

 

Each interaction I had involved so much upbeat energy. At first I was a little bit nervous due to the language barrier, but we quickly found our way. As we were guided through the steps of each task we were really able to conversate and get to know the daily life of each individual. So while we were able to learn about the company’s mission, we were also able to expand our perspective on some challenges that this community has to face daily. A very humbling and shocking fact we learned was their low wage pay. I knew that there was a wage gap for people with disabilities but was astonished and privileged to learn it was only $28 monthly. This was heartbreaking because they deserve so much more, but I was glad to see the positive energy in the room. 

One of my favorite stations was the trashbag station where we were cutting the roll of trash bags. I will say that I was not a pro at first in fact, the fella who helped guide me, Omar, was giggling at my performance. So I left it to the pro himself. These trash bags are a sustainable and innovative way to help fund their operations and scale their company which they thought of after a new law was passed that banned the selling of plastic bags in supermarkets. Overall, it was a very enlightening and fulfilling experience as I was able to learn new skills as well as connect with a new community!