New Call Center Will Provide Jobs to 1,000 Arizonas With Disabilities Article originally posted on HERE on December 14, 2023 A Michigan nonprofit that provides training and job opportunities for people with disabilities is expanding its services in Arizona. Why it matters: Arizonans with disabilities have lower employment rates than the general population and are more likely to live in poverty, according to the Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council. A 2019 study by the Institute for Community Inclusion found that increasing Arizona’s labor force participation rate for people with disabilities by 6 percentage points over a 10-year period could increase the state’s GDP by as much as $819 million each year. Driving the news: Commercial real estate firm JLL announced Tuesday that Peckham Inc. will lease more than 136,000 square feet at One Compass Center near Sky Harbor to establish a call center that will employ up to 1,000 Arizonans with disabilities. How it works: The nonprofit provides vocational rehabilitation for individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment. It also operates several manufacturing plants, fulfillment centers and call centers across the country where it employs people with employment barriers, giving them an opportunity to gain work experience. Peckham has operated a smaller call center in north Phoenix for more than a decade. What they’re saying: “The Valley offers a rich employment pool, with many individuals with disabilities who may be looking to enter or get back into the workforce, or who have faced challenges maintaining employment because of their barriers,” Peckham vice president of facilities Nate Vanderlaan. Of note: This was JLL’s largest Phoenix office lease of 2023.