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By David Ordan http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/beyond-job-placement-for-people-with-disabilities-b99150218z1-233386751.html The movement to find jobs for people with disabilities should be cheered for its hard work, forward thinking and innovative efforts on behalf of this vulnerable segment of our population ("Disability nonprofits match workers, jobs," Nov. 22). At the same time, the term "people with disabilities" encompasses a wide range of individuals with an equally wide range of functional abilities. Some people with disabilities can work on equal par with their able-bodied brethren. Others cannot attend to basic daily needs such as eating and using the bathroom without one-to-one attention. At Eisenhower Center, the vast majority of our clients function well below even 20% of able-bodied workers. Given this vast diversity of clients, service providers — and government funding sources — must never forget that one size does not fit all. A variety of strategies must be employed to help these individuals participate meaningfully in the workforce. Currently, most nonprofits in this sector focus on two strategies. The first provides a workshop setting where clients receive vocational training in a safe environment that caters to their particular needs. The second seeks to place people with disabilities in mainstream jobs in the community. However, a third option exists: creating jobs by helping people with disabilities start their own business. Eisenhower Center recently received start-up funding to do just that. At the beginning of November, we launched an in-house dog-treat business, Ike Bites. The goal at the outset is to run this venture as a for-profit business — including paying minimum wage to our clients. By doing so, Eisenhower Center joins the ranks of other start-ups seeking to invigorate the Milwaukee business community. It just so happens that our company is staffed 100% by people with disabilities. There is no reason other nonprofits helping people with disabilities cannot do the same. David Ordan is development director of Eisenhower Center, a rehabilitation facility that provides prevocational training and employment opportunities to people with physical and developmental disabilities. Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/beyond-job-placement-for-people-with-disabilities-b99150218z1-233386751.html#ixzz2lkmDpcqg Follow us: @JournalSentinel on Twitter