EmployAbility

What EmployAbility does

EmployAbility is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1982 as The Dallas Mayor's Committee for the Employment of People With Disabilities by then-Mayor Jack Wilson Evans. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the organization operates exclusively within the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex and serves two primary constituencies: job seekers with disabilities seeking full-time, part-time, or temporary employment, and employers and HR professionals seeking to recruit, hire, and retain qualified disabled talent. Its core offerings include the annual Dallas Career Expo & Job Fair (now in its 14th year, drawing 40+ employers and hundreds of job seekers), an Education Series of HRCI/SHRM-eligible seminars on disability inclusion and accommodations, and a suite of digital resources including résumé templates, interview guides, and employer toolkits. A 20+ member board drawn from major DFW employers (AT&T, Bank of America, Southwest Airlines, EY, Wells Fargo, Baylor Scott & White Health, UT Southwestern, Walgreens, Lennox, Walmart, BNSF, American Airlines) plus government partners (Texas Workforce Commission, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas) anchors its governance and sponsorship base.

The business model is donation- and sponsorship-driven rather than transactional: all services are free to job seekers and employers, with the Career Expo free to attend and Education Series sessions priced at nominal fees ($15 nonprofit / $30 standard). Revenue comes from individual donations via PayPal and corporate sponsorship of the annual Career Expo, supplemented by in-kind contributions such as event venues (Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Sheraton Dallas Hotel, Southwest Airlines HQ at Love Field) and board member expertise. GTM motion is event-driven, anchored by the Career Expo and supplemented by education series, panel discussions, and partnerships with organizations such as Disability:IN North Texas and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Marketing channels include the organization's website, Eventbrite registration, email newsletter, organic social, local TV earned media (WFAA Good Morning Texas), and community referrals.

There is no underlying technology platform; EmployAbility's products are in-person events and informational resources rather than software. The organization received the Texas Diversity Council's DiversityFIRST award and participated in the formation of the City of Dallas Commission on Disabilities in 2021. No app, API, patents, or proprietary AI/ML assets exist; recent activity includes an AI Accessibility in Disability Employment Learning Session (May 2025) reflecting employer education rather than AI capability development.

Name

EmployAbility

Legal name

Dallas Mayor's Committee for the Employment of People With Disabilities

Website

https://employabilitydallas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EmployAbility is a Dallas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1982, that connects job seekers with disabilities to DFW employers through an annual career expo, education series, and digital resources, funded by donations and corporate sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Employment Services

NAICS

Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Development & Inclusive Employment (Job Training, Placement) (BPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ), Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)

Keywords

• Disability employment services
• Career expos
• Inclusive hiring
• Workforce development
• Nonprofit job placement

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorship: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, EmployAbility Dallas operates primarily through donations and corporate sponsorship. The organization seeks corporate sponsors for its annual Career Expo and accepts individual donations to support its mission of advancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EmployAbility is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that connects job seekers with disabilities to inclusive employers in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex through annual career expos, professional education seminars for HR practitioners, and curated digital resources covering resumes, interviewing, and workplace accommodations. The organization was founded in 1982 as The Dallas Mayor's Committee for the Employment of People With Disabilities and operates free of charge to both job seekers and employer participants.

Product overview

EmployAbility operates as a nonprofit organization that serves as a single unified program focused on advancing employment opportunities for people with disabilities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The organization functions as both a job board/connector platform and an education provider. Its core offerings include the annual Dallas Career Expo & Job Fair (connecting job seekers with disabilities to employers), the Education Series (HR-professional training seminars on disability employment topics), Video Resources (online tutorials on job searching and professional tools), Employment Resources (resume templates, interview guides, and links to disability employment services), and Employer Resources (disability etiquette training and hiring guidance). The organization does not operate a software-as-a-service platform but rather provides in-person events, educational content, and informational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dallas Career Expo & Job Fair Annual in-person career fair connecting job seekers with disabilities to local employers across multiple industries, providing on-site résumé reviews, application assistance, interview practice and coaching, workplace accommodation information, and networking opportunities for full-time, part-time, and temporary roles.
• Education Series Educational seminars and workshops for employers and HR professionals covering disability employment topics, ADA compliance, workplace accommodations, disability inclusion, neurodiversity, and ERG enablement; sessions frequently offer HRCI continuing education credits.
• Employment Resources Career preparation materials for job seekers with disabilities including resume templates, interview skills guides (STAR Method), tips on managing illegal interview questions, and links to government programs, disability organizations, and employment service providers.
• Video Resources Online video tutorials for job seekers with disabilities covering job application processes, virtual meeting tools (Zoom, WebEx), professional networking via LinkedIn, and government form filing.
• Employer Resources Resources for employers including disability etiquette guides, considerations for AI employment tools, and career expo sponsorship packages to support inclusive hiring of people with disabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual career expos connect 40+ employers with hundreds of job seekers with disabilities in the DFW area

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Disability:IN North TexascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2025Co-hosting the AI Accessibility in Disability Employment Learning Session on May 5, 2025. Partnership focuses on educating employers about AI tools and accessibility in the workplace for people with disabilities.
• Federal Reserve Bank of DallascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 October 2024Co-hosting the Unleashing the Power of Disability-Focused ERGs event on October 24, 2024 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Partnership for National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
• AT&TcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAT&T serves as a board member company with representation on EmployAbility's board. AT&T provides facilities for training sessions and education events, and actively participates in career expos as an employer recruiting candidates with disabilities.
• Bank of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBank of America is represented on EmployAbility's board and has provided financial literacy resources at career expos. The company participates as an employer and supports disability employment initiatives.
• Southwest AirlinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthwest Airlines hosts education series events at their corporate headquarters (Love Field) and participates as a major employer at career expos. The company provides executive-level board representation.
• EYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEY is represented on EmployAbility's board and contributes expertise on neurodiversity in the workplace. Company representatives serve as speakers and panelists at education events.
• Federal Reserve Bank of DallascoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Federal Reserve Bank's Vivid ERG partners with EmployAbility and Disability:IN North Texas for disability inclusion programming, providing venue and collaborative event support.
• Goodwill DallascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGoodwill Industries of Dallas is represented on the board and hosts community discussions on disability employment. Company provides facilities and collaborates on workforce development initiatives.
• UT Southwestern Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas is represented on EmployAbility's board. The Chairman of the Board (Michael Quezada) is from UT Southwestern, indicating strong organizational commitment.
• Achieve (formerly Citizens Development Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAchieve serves adults with intellectual, physical, and mental health disabilities through community employment placement and vocational training programs. Represented on EmployAbility's board.
• Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas Workforce Commission is represented on EmployAbility's board as a government workforce development partner, providing state-level resources and alignment with Texas workforce initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AbilityOne (SourceAmerica): AbilityOne is a federal program administered by SourceAmerica that creates employment opportunities for people with significant disabilities through government contracts. It is a much larger, federally backed incumbent in the disability employment space, providing comparable workforce integration outcomes but at national scale.

Emerging players

• Bender Consulting Services: Bender Consulting Services is a national provider of disability employment and career management services, specializing in job coaching, corporate training, and placement of professionals with disabilities. It directly competes with EmployAbility for employer relationships and disability hiring consulting engagements.
• Hire Heroes USA: Hire Heroes USA is a national nonprofit providing employment services, career coaching, and job placement to transitioning military members, veterans, and military spouses. While focused on veterans rather than people with disabilities, it operates a comparable free, nonprofit-driven employment placement and corporate engagement model.
• Specialisterne: Specialisterne is an international nonprofit specializing in employment of people with autism and neurodivergent individuals through assessments, training, and employer partnerships. It operates in a narrower neurodiversity niche but pursues the same disability-inclusive employer matchmaking mission as EmployAbility.

Regional players

• Texas Workforce Commission - Vocational Rehabilitation Division: The Texas Workforce Commission's Vocational Rehabilitation Division is a state government program delivering vocational assessment, training, and job placement services to Texans with disabilities statewide. It already sits on EmployAbility's board but operates a parallel public-sector pathway serving overlapping populations.

Direct peers

• Disability:IN: Disability:IN is a national nonprofit resource network that works with employers to advance disability inclusion and disability employment, operating affiliate chapters (including Disability:IN North Texas, which already partners with EmployAbility). Both organizations provide employer education, talent connection, and corporate advocacy for disability hiring.
• Goodwill Industries of Dallas: Goodwill Industries of Dallas is a regional nonprofit that operates workforce development, vocational training, and community employment placement programs for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. Both organizations overlap in serving DFW job seekers with disabilities, and Goodwill Dallas is itself an EmployAbility board member, evidencing direct operational and mission alignment.
• REACH Inc. REACH is a DFW-area independent living center providing disability-related services including employment preparation, job placement, and advocacy. It is referenced as an EmployAbility board member and serves the same DFW disability community with overlapping employment support programming.
• My Possibilities / LaunchAbility: My Possibilities is a Plano, Texas-based nonprofit providing vocational training, employment placement, and continuing education for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is referenced as an EmployAbility Education Series co-host and serves overlapping DFW job seeker populations with comparable placement and training services.
• Achieve (formerly Citizens Development Center): Achieve is a Dallas-area nonprofit that supports adults with intellectual, physical, and mental health disabilities through community employment placement and vocational training. The organization is an EmployAbility board member and offers nearly identical placement-focused services to overlapping DFW populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/employability-dallas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EmployAbility