Celebrating Our Successes!
Reflecting the important role that different perspectives play in workforce success, this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) theme is “Inclusion Drives Innovation.” Observed each October, NDEAM celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities and educates about the value of a workforce inclusive of their skills and talents.
The Philadelphia “Employment 1st, Employment NOW!” Steering Committee is celebrating this year’s event with a month of employment success stories. Each day you will be receiving an email containing a new story about someone who is contributing to their community through employment. We invite you to join us as we celebrate their successes!
Employment Success
Meet Kathy Williams. Kathy has been employed at Salon Norman Dee, a hair and nail salon, for almost a year now. Her responsibilities include washing, drying and folding towels; washing, drying and hanging up smocks; cleaning the restrooms, and sweeping and emptying trash. Although Kathy does receive some on-the-job support from her Job Coach, she is the one to get the job done.
Kathy enjoys work and especially likes getting a paycheck. Every two weeks she looks forward to cashing her check and deciding how to spend her money. Her coworkers enjoy having Kathy at the salon and are very kind to her. She has received tips and gifts from them. On her birthday two of her coworkers gave her a pocketbook and a gift card. Her coworker even brought her back a sweat shirt from Wildwood when she returned from her vacation.
Tabitha, the owner of the salon, customized this position and her coworkers are happy to have an extra hand to free them up to do other tasks. Tabitha is very pleased with how well this new position is working out and some of the customers have even commented on what a great job Kathy does.
` submitted by Blossom Philadelphia