Beyond the Uniform: Reimagining Civilian Understanding and Inclusion of Disabled Veterans in the Workforce

Abstract

As the United States approaches significant anniversaries in 2026, 250 years of independence, 25 years since 9/11, 15 years since the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and 5 years since the withdrawal from Afghanistan, we are called to reflect not only on past service but also on how remembrance is enacted in the present. More than two decades of sustained conflict have created a generation of veterans, many living with visible and invisible disabilities. Yet, despite their service, disabled veterans continue to face systemic barriers to employment, including employer stigma and the undervaluing of military-acquired skills and work ethics. This presentation asks what it would mean to honor service not only through memorials but through meaningful employment. Drawing on my qualitative research with 11 participants, the findings show how small veteran-owned businesses actively challenge stigma by recognizing the value disabled veterans bring. Some themes reveal the centrality of work ethics, adaptability, and inclusive practices such as mentorship and accommodations. Beyond these, the research also highlights how disabled veteran employees in small veteran-owned businesses contribute leadership and commitment that strengthen teams, how their adaptability generates positive organizational outcomes, and how their employment bolsters small business growth and success. These insights represent only part of the larger study; additional findings on hiring, integration, retention, and organizational impact will be explored during the presentation. I argue that remembrance must evolve beyond monuments and anniversaries to include systems that ensure the reintegration and visibility of all veterans, particularly those facing compounded marginalization. The presentation highlights strategies for reframing veteran employment discourse by providing new approaches for hiring, integrating, and supporting disabled veterans in small businesses. It also provides the organizational impact of employing disabled veterans. By situating disabled veterans within broader conversations about collective memory and civic responsibility, this work challenges audiences to rethink what it means to “honor service.” True remembrance requires not only symbolic recognition but also tangible opportunities for belonging and inclusion in the workforce and society at large.