Danny Combs: Building Opportunities In Autism Employment

Send us Fan Mail Danny Combs on Buildable, TACT, and Expanding Trade-Based Careers for Autistic and Neurodivergent People Host Tony Mantor welcomes Danny Combs to discuss progress since their last conversation on creating meaningful employment pathways for autistic and neurodivergent individuals. Combs shares receiving a Congressional Mentor of Honor Society Citizen Honor Award and being appointed by Colorado’s governor to the new Colorado Disability Opportunity Office, funded through reissued historic license plates that generate sustainable revenue for disability-focused grants statewide with disabled-led oversight. He introduces Buildable, a new Tennessee-based initiative launching workshops in Nashville in March with Belmont University, aiming to expand TACT’s trade-skills transition-to-employment model toward full-time programming in the fall, supported by corporate partners like Subaru. They address challenges including staffing, costs, facilities, and job availability, discuss policy barriers and data gaps like autism prevalence needs assessments, emphasize nonprofit collaboration, employer education, ROI-focused messaging, and the urgent need for future supports as aging caregivers can no longer provide lifelong care. 00:00 Show Introduction 01:02 Meet Tony and Subscribe 01:21 Introducing Danny Combs 02:39 Colorado Disability Office 03:14 License Plate Funding 04:25 Grants and Inclusion 05:05 Buildable Comes to Nashville 06:00 Workshops and Timeline 07:09 Partners and Workforce Shift 08:04 Scaling Beyond Colorado 08:34 Consistency and Franchising 09:30 Startup Challenges Ahead 10:37 State Role and Policy 11:37 Legislation and Data Gaps 15:14 Nonprofits Need Unity 16:56 Nashville Hub Vision 18:52 Employer Perception and Language 21:39 Rethinking Education and Training 22:38 Five Year Future Vision 23:46 Parents and Long Term Care 26:32 Final Message and Wrap Up 27:22 Closing Credits INTRO/OUTRO: T. Wild Mantor Music BMI The content on Why Not Me: Embracing Autism amd Mental Health Worldwide, including discussions on mental health, autism, and related topics, is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.  The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not reflect those of the podcast, its hosts, or affiliates. Why Not Me is not a medical or mental health professional and does not endorse or verify the accuracy, efficacy, safety of any treatments, programs, or advice discussed. Listeners should consult qualified healthcare professionals, such as licensed therapists, psychologists, or physicians, before making decisions about mental health or autism- related care. Reliance on this podcast's contents is at the listener's own risk.  Why Not Me is not liable for any outcomes, financial or otherwise, resulting from actions taken based on the information provided. https://tonymantor.com https://Facebook.com/tonymantor https://instagram.com/tonymantor https://twitter.com/tonymantor https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.