This program recognizes Texas employers who are committed to hiring people with disabilities. It also awards them for their efforts to create an inclusive workforce.
Are you a Texas-based employer? We invite you to apply to be recognized for advancing a culture of inclusion in your workplace.
TWC is excited to partner with employers who are making it a priority to:
- Hire
- Retain, and
- Help develop skills of individuals with disabilities
For more information, please contact us at WeHireAbility@twc.texas.gov.
We Hire Ability Nomination Criteria
To be nominated or apply, your business needs to:
- Include individuals with disabilities in an integrated workplace
- People with disabilities have to make up at least 10 percent of your Texas-based workforce
This 10 percent must be:
- Working full or part time (at least 15 hours per week)
- In competitive, integrated employment as defined by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and its implementing regulations, as follows:
- At minimum wage or above
- The employee with the disability is being paid the same wage as an employee without a disability
- In a competitive labor market setting
- where the employee with a disability works alongside employees without disabilities and interacts with other people without disabilities, like vendors and customers, just as much as employees without disabilities in similar roles interact with them
"We Hire Ability" is a program that gives recognition to businesses in Texas that are making an effort to include people with disabilities.
Businesses that have at least 10% of their Texas workforce made up of individuals with disabilities in jobs that are competitive and integrated with their workforce, can get a special "We Hire Ability" sticker for their storefront and a digital sticker for their website.
These recognized businesses will be called We Hire Ability employers for two years. This recognition is in line with the Texas Workforce Commission's Texas HireAbility campaign, which aims to show the benefits of hiring people with disabilities.
Nominations for the We Hire Ability recognition for 2023-2024 start in January 2023 and go until December 2024.
The stickers given as recognition will be valid until December 2024.
Businesses that got the We Hire Ability sticker before can apply again every two years.
Certain groups can nominate a business with the business's permission:
- A local workforce development board (Board)
- A local mayor and county committee working together with the Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities
- A local Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) manager, with approval by the VR Regional Director
Here's how to nominate a business:
- Fill out a survey:
- When the survey is complete, the VR Program staff will send an email to confirm they got it.
- It'll take about 7-10 days for the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to look at the submission and ask for more info if needed.
- If approved, the business will get a We Hire Ability sticker and a digital version. They'll also get a letter confirming that they're recognized as a We Hire Ability employer.