Goodwill of North Georgia (Goodwill) stands as one of the country's largest Goodwill organizations, and in 2025 they celebrated a remarkable milestone of 100 years in existence. With 70 stores spread across 45 counties in Georgia, the organization employs approximately 3,500 team members in roles ranging from store cashiers to corporate leadership.
But Goodwill's impact extends far beyond their retail operations. Through 14 career centers and their online ‘Career Connector’ platform, they provide free services to help community members find and train for jobs—aiding nearly 25,000 workers in fiscal year 2025 alone. As one of the longest-standing Goodwill agencies participating in the AbilityOne program, they also provide employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through government facility service contracts.
This customer story features insights from several members of the Goodwill Human Resources team, who are collectively responsible for Goodwill’s accommodations program.
Before partnering with Disclo, Goodwill faced significant challenges in managing workplace accommodations for their diverse workforce of 3,500 employees.
“Before Disclo, we used pen and paper and spreadsheets,” Harry Ivanov, Sr. Director of HR, recalls. “It was very cumbersome and inefficient. We had difficulty tracking, monitoring, and being consistent. We basically put notes in people's files and hoped to remember to check the correct file for each individual.”
The inefficiencies created more than just administrative burdens. Joseph Collazo, Sr. HRBP and Disclo case manager, identified a critical issue with their previous approach: “Our previous decision-making process was extremely siloed and lacked transparency.”
The fragmented system meant that accommodation decisions often fell to individual managers without proper HR guidance or consistency across the organization. “Sometimes we didn't know about a case or a request until after the fact,” Ivanov explains. “We realized we really needed to improve our consistency across all 3,500 employees on how we treat and react and respond to any type of request or needs that they may have.”
The challenges were particularly acute when it came to compliance and reporting. “Our biggest problem was retrieving the necessary data if we were audited or received requests from external agencies,” Ivanov notes. “It was nearly impossible for us to report on all the accommodations statistics for our organization.”
Goodwill evaluated multiple vendors, but most fell short of their needs.
“The other vendors that we spoke to only met some of our requirements,” Ivanov explains. “One vendor was very good at documenting and recording accommodations for employees, but there was nothing at all available for applicants and candidates. Another was great for candidates, but had nothing for employees. And a third seemed to tick all of the boxes, but it was really built for the education sector.”
Disclo stood out by delivering in all areas. “Disclo had exactly what we needed out of the box,” Ivanov says.
Siloed decision-making → collaborative process
The implementation of Disclo has fundamentally transformed how Goodwill approaches accommodation requests, moving from siloed decision-making to collaborative, informed processes.
Collazo shares a powerful example: “One case stands out where a team member requested a 50% reduction in their production expectations. I think at first glance, if management were to see that without partnership with HR, they'd deny it immediately. With Disclo adding transparency and collaboration to the process, we (HR) were able to have a conversation with leadership about what is reasonable.”
While that specific request wasn't granted, the enhanced dialogue process led to creative solutions. “The interactive dialogue really prompted leadership to consider alternatives. Whether that was adjusting tasks or workstation layout or equipment usage, they were able to consider other possibilities that wouldn’t have been apparent without Disclo, and land on a solution that worked for everyone.”
Improved manager education and engagement
Mark Saunders, Manager, HR Partnerships, emphasizes how Disclo has enhanced the relationship between HR and managers: “The interaction between HR and site leadership has really improved. We’ve created coaching opportunities not only for team members, but store leadership, too.”
The platform has helped managers understand the nuanced nature of accommodation requests. “When team members request accommodations, sometimes store leadership thinks it's HR's decision on whether or not to accommodate,” Collazo explains. “But it’s not. We’re there to be the liaison and help move the process along, making sure everyone’s treated fairly.”
Ivanov notes another critical improvement in manager understanding: “In the past, store managers didn’t realize that accommodation requests aren’t all or nothing. If an employee asked for five different accommodations, they’d think, well, I either have to approve everything or nothing. We coached them to think differently: What can you approve? What’s possible? And how can we make modifications so that everyone’s happy?”
Enhanced employee experience
The platform has significantly improved the experience for employees requesting accommodations. “When our process was purely pen and paper, employees were hesitant to share too much information,” Collazo explains. “Disclo has really helped demystify that for our team members, making it very clear what information is getting shared with us, and what remains confidential.”
The digital platform provides crucial privacy protections: “Employees can submit accommodation requests without having to disclose sensitive medical information. Their privacy and confidentiality are secure, which makes our team members much more comfortable when requesting accommodations.”
Employee turnover declined 15%
The improvements in accommodation management have contributed to broader organizational success metrics that align with Goodwill's mission.
“The improvements to our accommodations process tie in nicely to broader business objectives,” Ivanov explains. “One of our key metrics is employee turnover. Since implementing and adopting Disclo, our turnover has decreased by 15% in the last year. While this can be attributed to multiple variables, we’re confident that at the core of this metric is how we treat our employees. When our employees know that we will accommodate them if and when it’s needed, that's a big help.”
Employee engagement has also seen positive trends: “We complete an annual employee engagement survey. Our engagement scores have improved by a couple of percentage points in the last two years. I firmly believe Disclo is one of the contributing factors.”
The connection between Disclo's accommodation management platform and Goodwill's core mission creates a powerful synergy.
“If we're in the mission of helping put people to work, then we need to help remove any obstacles standing between them and employment,” Ivanov explains. “Disability is a major barrier for a lot of people. One of our strengths is employing people with disabilities or otherwise helping them find work, and we’re proud of that.”
Collazo emphasizes how the platform supports their diverse workforce: "We have a really mixed workforce from individuals with disabilities, to older adults, to youth entering the workforce for the first time. Disclo really helps ensure equitable access to the accommodation process, regardless of communication barriers or familiarity with technology.”
This alignment is particularly important given their work with the AbilityOne program: “We're one of the longest-tenured Goodwill agencies in the AbilityOne program. We have a lot of team members at facility service sites with cognitive or physical limitations. Leveraging Disclo is just one more way that we're able to meet our mission by making sure work is accessible and inclusive for everyone.”
Streamlined administration
“For me, Disclo simplifies where to go,” Ivanov explains. “In the past, we had to go to 5-10 different places or people to get status updates on accommodation cases. Now it's very simple. I sync with Mark or Joseph and say, hey, check in Disclo to see exactly what's going on with this employee. It's just a one-stop shop.”
Case management efficiency
“As case manager, I can log in, go right to my dashboard, and see exactly what actionable tasks I have to work on and start scheduling those,” Collazo notes. “It really helps to take what has been an administrative burden and turn it into a process that’s much more accessible and more collaborative.”
Exceptional support
The team particularly values their relationship with their Disclo account representative. "Our account rep, Taylor, is amazing," Collazo emphasizes. “Taylor was extremely accessible to [Goodwill’s] case managers, always offering advice around certain ADA applicability, even looking at my case notes and providing feedback around what works well and what doesn't.”
Tracking and follow-up capabilities
Ivanov appreciates the platform's tracking features: “We can maintain momentum on cases. If something hasn't happened in a day or two, it’s clear where we need to follow up to accelerate next steps. Statuses are spelled out, so we know where everything stands.”
As Goodwill continues to evolve their accommodation process, they're focused on continuous improvement and supporting their mission-driven work. The organization's commitment to “helping people find work and keeping them there” remains at the center of everything they do, with Disclo serving as a critical tool in removing barriers to employment.
Through their partnership with Disclo, Goodwill has transformed not only their accommodation management process but also their organizational culture in supporting employees with disabilities. The result is a more inclusive, efficient, and mission-aligned approach that benefits both their team members and the thousands of community members they serve each year.
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