Page 36 - ABILITY Magazine - Best Practices Employment

CC: So you have energy efficiency as well?
RL: The greater efficiency actually comes from the level of automation we have. The deal about using people with disabilities is they can do that job as well as a person with typical abilities. The side benefit is that I think it’s a better environment because every- body treats each other a lot better. There’s more team- work. There’s an awareness of purpose. You can’t tell who has a disability and who does not. Maybe if you spend some time talking to somebody, you would, or maybe if you watch the way they walk for a while. Everybody is different. But you really can’t tell. It’s completely integrated.
The word we use is ‘inclusive,’ not ‘diversity.’ Every- body talks about diversity, but in that building every- body focuses on what they can do, not what they can’t do. And there are more things in common than differ- ences. That’s where the focus is: on the common humanity. And I think it brings out the best in the typi- cally-abled. If you talked to the typically-abled there, they will say that they’ve learned patience that extends into their home lives. They’ve gotten a new view of the workplace and how things should be. It is transforming to go there and talk to people, and people with disabili- ties are coming out of their shell, so to speak.
I get a weekly ‘Success Stories’ note, which is my favorite thing to read. This week it talked about how people didn’t realize that the disabled have a different Friday night than the typically abled. Our group of man- agers usually go out for wings together on Friday nights.
Angela Campbell, career-outreach coordinator, and Paul Pressley, a team member
One night they said, ‘Why don’t we bring along some of the folks with disabilities who couldn’t get here by themselves?’ Now the bus that takes those folks to their home sometimes drops them off at the wings place, because now they’re part of the social fabric of the building. I’ve seen people who wouldn’t look you in the eye or speak to you, now look you in the eye and speak and smile first. I also hear the typically abled saying this is the best place they’ve ever worked.
Let me read you a little bit directly from our newsletter:
“I’ve been seeing many of our former transitional, work-group team members at Wild Wings just having a blast, with some that I would never have anticipated blossoming into social butterflies. Upon recognizing this new-found social network, it prompted me to ask questions. It seems that the always prevalent work bond that most of us have experienced with those with whom we share our professional lives, has not been overlooked ... as it relates to our Anderson’s Outreach initiative. Our outreach team members have gained this aura of confidence, which we have seen grow as time passes, and this confidence has extended across all aspects of their lives.”
I get stories like that every week. And it’s gets to be overwhelming. It’s wonderful to see them.