Md. Employers Look to Hire People with Developmental Disabilities

WESTMINSTER, Md. — Ask Erin Baldwin why she loves her job at Furnace Hills Coffee Co. in Westminster. She'll have a bunch of reasons.

She enjoys working with her parents, she's built a great friendship with a co-worker and she even has her own blend of coffee: Erin's Breakfast Blend.

That's not all.

"I like the smell of the coffee," Erin, 37, said last week, while roasting coffee beans at the business.

Furnace Hills Coffee opened in Westminster last week, and owner Dave Baldwin is hoping to hire a few new employees as business grows. He's hoping some of the applications are submitted by people with developmental disabilities, like his daughter. Erin has Down syndrome.