News

  It was a typical Friday for Noah Patton, job coaching a fellow MDI employee at a Grand Rapids restaurant, until he saw an elderly woman choking in a nearby booth. “I turned around and saw the woman hunched over struggling to breathe. As somebody said ‘she’s choking’ her head started to slowly fall as … Read more

  MDI is pleased to release its 2017 annual report. This comprehensive report features success stories from our employees, highlights and milestones, facts and figures, and much more. In 2017, MDI employed 387 people, 167 of whom were people with disabilities. The year ended with revenues of $20.6M. Many great accomplishments occurred throughout the year including the conclusion of a multi-year effort to modernized … Read more

MDI recently received the Finance & Commerce 2018 Progress Minnesota award on April 5, 2018. The awards, now in their seventh year, recognize those individuals and companies who are driving business and industrial growth and economic development in Minnesota in unique ways. This year, the categories were: Economic Development, Entrepreneur, Technology and Workforce Development. A panel of independent judges who specialize in … Read more

  Being a parent of a child with a disability is a different journey than others may experience. This song and video is written and produced as a tribute to a father’s love for their daughter and a tribute to the unconditional love parents have for their child(ren) with a disability. 

  Original article was published on October 8, 2016. On Minnesota’s Iron Range, employer makes bold gamble on inclusion for people with disabilities One Iron Range firm makes strides toward inclusivity for people with disabilities. Written by: Chris Serres, Star Tribune COHASSET, Minn. WORKERS LIKE JOHN WEEK, 37, HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE. WORKERS … Read more

Apple has outlined a series of emojis “to better represent individuals with disabilities,” according to a proposal submitted to the Unicode Consortium. People on social media have been cheering for the long overdue representation. Emojis with hearing aids and using sign language, wheelchairs and white canes are among the proposed options for iPhones. The proposal states that emojis “may not represent the experiences … Read more

Nineteen years after a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling opened the doors to integration, thousands of Minnesotans with disabilities continue to live and work in segregated settings that keep them in poverty and limit their daily autonomy. These are among the principal findings of the state’s first comprehensive survey examining the quality of life of nearly 50,000 … Read more

The eleventh annual World Autism Awareness Day is Monday, April 2. Every April, Autism Speaks kicks off World Autism Month beginning with UN-sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day.  Those supporting the cause are asked to wear blue on that day. Joined by the international community, hundreds of thousands of landmarks, people, buildings, homes and communities around the world, all in light blue to … Read more

  For those in distribution, material-handling and manufacturing, containers can be a large portion of business cost and waste. The reusable, regular-slotted container (RSC) produced by MDI improves both of those metrics, creating a closed-loop system that is more sustainable and cost-effective. The reusable box helps meet cost-cutting goals by paying for itself in as little as 12 … Read more

MDI has promoted long-time executive Rod Wood to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer. Wood, who is currently serving as Vice President of Operations for MDI, will move into his new role effective immediately, the organization announced on Monday, March 26.  Wood will provide oversight of finance, sales, operations, marketing, human resources and employment services. He … Read more