have - Walgreens

AimHire
noVember 2010
to 20% anD beyonD!
Easy Access
JUPITER, FLORIDA
Tips, resources and websites about disabilities
The agencies and organizations highlighted below provide support
and services to help individuals with visual impairments.
Celebrating Damian tater
>
D
amian Tater, human resources specialist at the Jupiter, Fla., distribution center
(DC), helps team members with workers’ compensation and disability claims.
Working at his computer, he coordinates medical care with clinics, sets up physical
therapy appointments and prepares insurance forms. Tater, however, is legally blind, a
disability that hasn’t slowed him down or
prevented him from excelling at his job.
“Sometimes I don’t even think of myself as
visually impaired,” says Tater, who believes
his disability is not a disadvantage. “I’m still
capable of doing so much.”
Damian Tater, human resources team member
in Jupiter, Fla., uses technology developed for
computer users whose vision loss prevents them
from seeing what’s on their computer screens.
“Damian’s optimism helps team members look at the positive side of any situation,” says
Dana Lynch, human resources manager of the Jupiter DC. “He’s an inspiration and has
taught us to look at our jobs in more creative ways.”
Outside of work, Tater has a love for reggae music, jerk chicken and Caribbean food,
which he sometimes shares with his department. He’s also the coordinator of the Palm
Beach Jerk and Caribbean Culture Festival that attracts about 12,000 people to West Palm
Beach annually. “We hope to get Damian involved in planning some events and parties
here at the DC,” says Lynch.
Our goal is to fill 20 percent of our production
jobs with people with disabilities.
7%
8%
GOAL: 20%
>
www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dd/
ddvi.htm
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides vision
impairment resources and publications for families. The website
includes the Kids Quest program, an online educational tool to
help answer children’s questions about vision problems and how
people with visual impairments perform daily activities.
Thanks to what Tater calls “really cool
technology,” he is able to perform his job
with a software program that has a speech
synthesizer and a video magnifier that uses
a video camera to project a magnified image
onto a computer monitor. These tools aid him at doing what he enjoys most – easing team
members’ concerns about their injuries or illnesses. He does this by explaining the process,
answering questions and helping to get people back on the job when they are able.
GrowAbility
This Cornell University website provides information about
tools and techniques for people with visual impairments in the
workplace. Learn about voice synthesizers for computer use,
Braille keypads, voice activated dialing, closed circuit TV systems,
magnification tools and other ways to increase productivity.
aileD roDriguez
Tater has a degenerative eye condition that
has impaired his vision since he was six. But
that never stopped him from pursuing a good
education. After attending the University
of Central Florida, where Tater received a
bachelor’s degree in business with a minor in
human resources management, he began an
internship at our Jupiter DC with assistance
from the Florida Division of the Blind. Three
months later, Tater was offered a full-time
position and has been a Walgreen team
member since March 2008.
www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/
accessforall/sight.htm
of p
rod
of production
ucti
jobs on
>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
service_dog
This link explains how specially trained dogs can assist people
with disabilities. There is also information about the life of a
service dog, how they are trained and how to treat a service dog
when you encounter one.
Ask
RAnDy
Randy Lewis, senior vice president of supply chain and
Logistics, answers your questions. If you have a distribution
question, please send it to ask.randy@walgreens.com.
Q
A
Did we accomplish our goal of hiring 1,000 people
with disabilities by 2010?
I’m pleased to report that we have employed 808 people with
disabilities. And while we came short of our “1,000 people with
disabilities by 2010” goal, we’re proud of our achievements during the
economic downturn that has affected business and hiring opportunities.
The work we did to aim for our goal of 10 percent has helped us grow
and change into an organization that can successfully employ qualified
people with disabilities. Thanks to everyone who helped us evolve into
the inclusive workplace we are today. We’ve witnessed and celebrated
many successes with the hope that these stories will inspire Walgreens
team members – as well as other companies’ employees – to value,
embrace and think of ways to improve inclusive workplaces.
When I asked the leadership in our distribution centers about
our future hiring goals, managers agreed that no less than 20 percent
of our workforce should be comprised of people with disabilities. Our
new goal, “To 20% and Beyond!” can be found at the top left of this
poster. I’m thrilled to see our goals extended and elevated. Future
Aim HIRE posters will report our progress. Thanks for your
continued commitment.
Aim HIRE is published quarterly for Walgreens distribution center employees.
Send story ideas and photos to: Aim HIRE, Walgreens Corporate Communications,
Mail Stop #2166, 200 Wilmot Road, Deerfield, IL 60015
Editor
Iris Iglarsh | iris.iglarsh@walgreens.com
Consultant Deb Russell | deb.russell@walgreens.com
Writer
Deborah Sandlow
Design
Hennessy Design Group, Inc.