Jack Nielson of Salt Lake City always wanted a job, but nobody would give him a chance because of his disabilities. Tom Landis, a businessman from Dallas, always wanted to help people like Jack after growing up with a mom who had polio.

Now together the two are raising awareness through Howdy Homemade Ice Cream, a unique Texas-based company started by Landis, 48, to give people with intellectual and developmental disabilities a chance to earn a living and gain valuable life experiences they were often denied before.

Jack, 21, who is developmentally disabled, now spends several hours a day scooping ice cream into cups, washing dishes, emptying garbage cans and spreading smiles at a Howdy Homemade...