
Travis Kline on Supporting Disability Employment
I’m talking with Travis Kline, the head of Job Squad Inc., a nonprofit that focuses on helping people with disabilities find jobs. Travis explains that Job Squad offers a range of services, including a presort mail business in Charleston. They collect mail from clients, sort it, and deliver it to the post office, saving their clients money. The unique part? They employ individuals with disabilities for this work.
Travis shares that West Virginia has the highest rate of people with disabilities per capita, but the lowest employment rate for this group. Job Squad addresses this by tailoring jobs to match each individual’s abilities, supporting their success.
Founded in 1984, Job Squad grew out of the bankruptcy of Summit Center in Clarksburg. One of their first major clients was the FBI, contracting them for custodial services. Today, they have multiple locations and employ around 90 people with disabilities. They handle everything from janitorial work to grounds maintenance across various state and federal contracts.
Travis walks me through their mail sorting system, which reduces postage costs for clients while providing meaningful jobs. Additionally, Job Squad is expanding into warehousing and fulfillment services, working with retail and e-commerce businesses.
As we wrap up, Travis shares that misconceptions about employing individuals with disabilities still exist, but they can perform well when given the proper support. Some Job Squad employees have even transitioned from receiving Social Security benefits to earning full-time wages and becoming independent taxpayers.
For more information, Travis encourages people to visit their website, https://www.jobsquadinc.org, or find them on Facebook.