Folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserve work, too. Here are seven companies that hire inclusively, from local shops to national chains.
In 2026, just about every part of daily life feels challenging. Grocery prices have soared, electricity bills are through the roof thanks to data centers popping up across New Mexico, and the job market isn’t exactly approachable or friendly. The latter is unfortunately even more true for folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs).
According to the National Institutes of Health, intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities are actually different, though they’re often grouped together because they have similar effects on one’s life. “Developmental” is a broad term that encompasses physical and intellectual disabilities that typically stay with folks for their entire lives.
On the other hand, intellectual disabilities manifest before folks fully grow up and can lead to issues with social skills, learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and more. IDDs include but are not limited to autism, Down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida, per the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota.
It should go without saying that folks with IDDs are just as deserving of full lives as everyone else, and that includes the opportunity to work. Not only does work bring in money, but it also helps build community and connections in ways that everyone can benefit from, including those with IDDs.
Thankfully, some companies across New Mexico have made deliberate efforts to implement inclusive practices, including hiring, training, and uplifting individuals with IDDs. Here are seven such businesses that have been long-term allies through their career opportunities.
1. Adelante
Address: 3900 Osuna Rd NE Ste 260, Albuquerque, NM 87109
Hours: Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Adelante has been aiding folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1978. When it was formed, it had six men with autism on its roster, but almost 50 years later, the nonprofit organization has helped thousands upon thousands of people with IDDs secure employment, housing, and more.
Adelante has about 250 employees with IDDs, according to its website, and it helps place folks with IDDs, as well as seniors and people from other marginalized groups, in positions outside of the organization as well. Working at Adelante comes with medical, dental, and vision insurance, disability insurance, retirement accounts with employer matching, life insurance, and many other benefits.
This is the type of organization that you can only work at if you truly love helping others and uplifting your local community. If that sounds like you, check out job openings at various Adelante locations, from Albuquerque to Artesia and beyond, here.
2. Mandy’s Farm
Address: 7511 4th St NW, Los Ranchos De Albuquerque, NM 87107
Mandy’s Farm is similar to Adelante in many ways. Both nonprofit organizations center aiding folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their mission statements and everyday work practices, including connecting people with IDDs with employment and housing opportunities. “Mandy’s Farm envisions a future where adults with disabilities enjoy full autonomy over their lives,” the organization’s website reads, “from daily living and financial decisions to meaningful employment alongside non-disabled peers.”
Of course, in addition to helping individuals with IDDs find work elsewhere, Mandy’s Farm hires some folks for its own staff. The nonprofit has an employment form on its website that interested folks can fill out, with job roles including several different shifts for direct support professionals for residential services.
Note: Unfortunately, employment services for external placements are currently “at capacity,” per the Mandy Farm’s website, but there’s a form you can fill out to be notified when openings arise.
3. Arca
Address: 11300 Lomas Blvd NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112
Hours: Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Completing our trifecta of nonprofit organizations aimed at giving folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities full lives is Arca, a longstanding pillar in the Albuquerque community that first charted a course toward equal housing and employment opportunities in the 1950s.
Like Adelante and Mandy’s Farm, Arca has a program that helps individuals with IDDs find employment opportunities and land jobs externally, but it also practices inclusive hiring with its internal positions. At the time of writing, Arca has over 600 employees, some of whom have been with the organization for more than two decades. Arca strongly emphasizes training and giving people opportunities for career growth. If that sounds good to you, check out Arca’s current job postings here.
4. Restoration Pizza
Address: 5161 Lang Ave NE Ste A, Albuquerque, NM 87109
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
What’s better than sitting down for a hot slice of pizza? Doing so while knowing you’re supporting a locally owned organization filled with kind-hearted people, of course. Enter Restoration Pizza, an Albuquerque shop that puts just as much effort into inclusive hiring as it does into its sizzlin’ pies.
Restoration Pizza clearly knows that diversity is the key to success. Its menu features a variety of pies, from classic to innovative (we’re looking at you, truffle-alfredo pie), and its hiring practices are crystal clear. “Our biggest mission is to make pizza that gives everyone a seat at the table,” the shop’s website states. “With our community partners and a focus on barrier removal, we can offer equal job opportunities.”
The pizza shop even offers examples of its inclusive practices. One is recipe cards with pictures posted above the pizza-making stations for visual learners. This way, no one has to worry about forgetting anything or feeling like they’re not understanding well enough through written words alone. Interested in applying to Restoration Pizza? Click here.
5. Rush Bowls
Address: 8100 Wyoming Blvd NE Suite M7, Albuquerque, NM 87113
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Rush Bowls opened its first location in Colorado in 2004, and since then, the smoothie and açaí bowl business has expanded from coast to coast. Exactly 20 years later, Kayla and Sid Sheer opened their own Rush Bowls franchise store in Albuquerque in early 2024, and they’ve been adamant about supporting applicants with intellectual and developmental disorders.
According to the local news station KOAT, one of their daughters has Down syndrome, so they’ve always known how important it is to put faith in folks with IDDs and truly love and support them. When asked by KOAT about their goal to hire people with IDDs, Kayla said, “We would like to have a similar percentage to what the general population is,” adding, “Currently, we are above that in our staff.”
Rush Bowls’ website also notes that the company is continuously improving the experience of disabled visitors, from ordering to perusing its site. To apply to work in Albuquerque’s Rush Bowls location, click here.
6. Range Cafe
Range Cafe is beloved by New Mexico natives, especially those from the greater Albuquerque area. Three of the restaurant chain’s five locations are directly in the Duke City, while the other two are in Bernalillo and Los Lunas just outside of the city proper. Guests love Range Cafe for its fresh, homemade meals and desserts, but even more importantly, the chain has a great reputation for hiring folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
In fact, the chain’s website says, “The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.” In addition to noting that Range Cafe doesn’t discriminate against folks with IDDs, the website adds that the company actively supports workers with them.
Working at Range Cafe comes with some standard food-service perks, like flexible schedules, but employees can also qualify for medical, dental, and vision insurance. Open positions can be found here.
7. Smith’s Food & Drug
Smith’s Food & Drug is perhaps one of the most essential businesses on this list because it has many, many locations across New Mexico, meaning it likely has a higher volume of job openings than the others at any given time. Smith’s is a subsidiary of Kroger, just like Ralph’s in California or Mariano’s in Illinois. Kroger runs these divisions much like its flagship stores, including hiring inclusively.
Kroger has earned the title of “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion,” an annual accolade awarded by the Disability Equality Index, many times. In fact, when Kroger earned it in 2025, it marked six years straight of beating out other companies for the title. Indeed, Kroger stores nationwide, regardless of the name, are well-known for hiring folks with intellectual and developmental disabilities in courtesy clerk roles, with many staying with the company for years and years. You can find current New Mexico job postings here.
