In Their Own Words: Walgreens – This Place Really DOES Change Everyone
By Diana Yeisley
Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the author exclusively.
By Diana Yeisley
Editor's note: The opinions expressed herein are those of the author exclusively.
Each month, outside of the Walgreens Distribution Center, a sign promotes awareness for different disabilities, as Walgreens' Outreach Initiative ensures that 30% of its workforce is comprised of individuals with disabilities.
You can't help leaving the Walgreens Distribution Center in Windsor, Conn. without feeling like you can climb a mountain, sail any sea, and conquer the world. You leave inspired and hopeful. No, not hopeful because you wish for something to happen, but empowered, because Walgreens has made something happen. Walgreens' Outreach Initiative ensures that 30% of its workforce is comprised of individuals with disabilities (or as they like to say, people with mental or physical challenges). As a result, Walgreens is a place where our children may be employed – employed with dignity, respect and pride.
My son, Carter, is only nine years old. Although I do not like to predict where he will be in future years, it is very comforting to know that he may one day be gainfully employed, thanks to Walgreens. I can only hope that other companies will soon follow Walgreens' lead. It leaves me feeling less trepidation about his future than I had before I walked into Walgreens.
Walking around the Distribution Center, it is easy to get “wowed” by all of the technology that they have, technology that was designed with the disabled in mind. Almost everything is automated and something is always moving in the center. They have efficiency down to a science. But once you see past all of the shiny gadgets, you realize that it is about the people, the employees. Every single employee is important and they are reminded often. Whether it is from a message on the computer that pops up and says “You are doing a great job!”, to the banners hanging around with sayings like “If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door”, to the co-workers and managers walking around who know every person's name and greets them all as if they were the president of the organization. There truly is no them; it's all US.
Walgreens gets it. They may not have everything down pat about autism and other disabilities, but they are on it and learning more every day. I love that for every department or section, there are pictures which help identify the particular area, such as “Nachos” for aisle N in the area where items are gathered to ship to a store. Another area has names and pictures of animals. In other words, an employee may not work in “toiletries receiving”, but rather, area “Tiger.” They understand that their employees with cognitive disabilities may not remember or recognize the “typical” name and number for their section, or that they may have a hard time if their schedule changes due to overtime. To the staff at Walgreens, it's all just a different perspective.
The best thing about visiting the Walgreens Distribution Center is that they do not view their employees differently. There is no distinction between employees who have a disability and those who don't. As a matter of fact, just walking through, one would be hard pressed to pick out who is disabled and who is not. This is their culture. Some first time employees know no different, and that is a beautiful thing. That is what changes people's thinking, people's attitudes, and people's lives.
Thank you Walgreens, for BEING the change that the autism community needs.
My son, Carter, is only nine years old. Although I do not like to predict where he will be in future years, it is very comforting to know that he may one day be gainfully employed, thanks to Walgreens. I can only hope that other companies will soon follow Walgreens' lead. It leaves me feeling less trepidation about his future than I had before I walked into Walgreens.
Walking around the Distribution Center, it is easy to get “wowed” by all of the technology that they have, technology that was designed with the disabled in mind. Almost everything is automated and something is always moving in the center. They have efficiency down to a science. But once you see past all of the shiny gadgets, you realize that it is about the people, the employees. Every single employee is important and they are reminded often. Whether it is from a message on the computer that pops up and says “You are doing a great job!”, to the banners hanging around with sayings like “If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door”, to the co-workers and managers walking around who know every person's name and greets them all as if they were the president of the organization. There truly is no them; it's all US.
Walgreens gets it. They may not have everything down pat about autism and other disabilities, but they are on it and learning more every day. I love that for every department or section, there are pictures which help identify the particular area, such as “Nachos” for aisle N in the area where items are gathered to ship to a store. Another area has names and pictures of animals. In other words, an employee may not work in “toiletries receiving”, but rather, area “Tiger.” They understand that their employees with cognitive disabilities may not remember or recognize the “typical” name and number for their section, or that they may have a hard time if their schedule changes due to overtime. To the staff at Walgreens, it's all just a different perspective.
The best thing about visiting the Walgreens Distribution Center is that they do not view their employees differently. There is no distinction between employees who have a disability and those who don't. As a matter of fact, just walking through, one would be hard pressed to pick out who is disabled and who is not. This is their culture. Some first time employees know no different, and that is a beautiful thing. That is what changes people's thinking, people's attitudes, and people's lives.
Thank you Walgreens, for BEING the change that the autism community needs.
Visit
"Autism in the Workplace"
for employment stories and further resources.
If you have a story you wish to share about your personal experience with autism, please send it to editors@autismspeaks.org. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.
If you have a story you wish to share about your personal experience with autism, please send it to editors@autismspeaks.org. Autism Speaks reserves the right to edit contributions for space, style and content. Because of the volume of submissions, not all can be published on the site.
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