Brad Kehn has been the general manager for the I-90 Travel Center in Mitchell for the last nine years. Brad works with Career Connections, a community support provider for people with disabilities in Mitchell. The working relationship between his business and Career Connections has helped contribute to employing people with disabilities at the Travel Center. Although Brad is quick to point out that a person with a disability does not have to be connected with an agency to be eligible for employment at his business.

Brad brings a very unique perspective with him to his managerial role; he was employed with the juvenile justice system before becoming the manager of the Travel Center. He feels this experience gave him a good understanding of people with disabilities especially those with mental illness and developmental delays. Brad feels he is much more open minded to people’s needs due to his prior career.

Brad’s experience with hiring people with disabilities has been very positive. He said that once he understood the bigger picture he was able to see ways in which people with disabilities could fit very nicely into his business. Brad employs approximately thirty people at any given time and currently there are six people working at the Travel Center who have a disability.

Brad said he doesn’t like the word ‘disability’. He believes some employers are scared off when they hear that someone is disabled and they automatically think the person cannot do certain things. This then leads to misconceptions by some business owners regarding people with disabilities.  He feels that employers need to get beyond the word, disability, and instead see the person and what ability they have. He acknowledges that it is important for agencies to talk to employers one on one about hiring people with disabilities as this would help to dispel the misconceptions and apprehension.

Brad believes that employers should research and become educated about hiring people with disabilities. When he hires someone with a disability, he takes a little extra time to learn about their disability so that he can accommodate whatever needs they might have. Brad feels this pays off in the long run and may be the reason for a successful and longer employment for the person. He is aware of the tax incentives available to employers, but he doesn’t feel that is necessarily the best reason to hire someone. Instead you should hire a person based on their ability to do the job.  He said if you have thirty employees, you have thirty different sets of needs regardless of if the person has a disability or not. There is someone out there who can benefit your business. He said, “Don’t overlook the person behind the label.” 

Brad would like to tell people with disabilities who want to become employed to “Keep trying, there are employers who are educated on hiring and need valuable employees.” He said people with disabilities should always take advantage of any available programs and resources that are available to them.

The I-90 Travel Center was honored in 2009 to receive the Cal Schultz Memorial Award for the “Outstanding Employer of the Year” from the Mitchell Advisory Council for People with Disabilities.