Northwest Center Proposes a Revolution: Hiring Initiative Seeks People with Disabilities to Improve Business Outcomes
Seattle, WA (PRWEB) September 10, 2014 -- Disabled...Special Needs...Neurodiversity. The leading edge in today's debate is quickly moving beyond demeaning stereotypes to a new conversation about competitive advantage in the American workplace.
Next month at their October 7 Golden Hearts Luncheon, Northwest Center, the nationally recognized nonprofit that has been a leader in the fight for disability rights in the Pacific Northwest since 1965, will host a revolutionary expert in disability employment, Randy Lewis, formerly Executive VP for Logistics at Walgreens, and author of No Greatness Without Goodness.
“Recent studies support our contention that diversity strengthens organizations and improves productivity in the workplace,” said Tom Everill, CEO of Northwest Center. “As a social enterprise, we do not see employment inclusion as a compromise. Our experience proves that inclusion is a smart business strategy that improves productivity, quality, employee morale, customer satisfaction, and profit. We are presenting Randy Lewis’s career success in developing an efficient and profitable hiring and production model as a step toward the revolutionary future available for Seattle people with disabilities.”
Randy Lewis laid his career on the line to demonstrate what he had discovered. “When I applied my life experience to my executive strategy, I realized that many people with disabilities could hold jobs and even perform better than the average worker, if given the chance. I was in a position to revolutionize the workplace – and it worked.”
Northwest Center has been challenging existing paradigms in the world of developmental disabilities for 49 years, and will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2015. They will challenge the public to “Join the Revolution” with a variety of opportunities to show support; it will challenge employers to take the next important evolutionary step, and actively seek people with disabilities as a strategic part of their labor force planning.
ABOUT NORTHWEST CENTER
Northwest Center’s mission is to promote the growth, development and independence of people with developmental disabilities through programs of education, rehabilitation and work opportunity. Northwest Center was founded in 1965 by pioneering families who refused to institutionalize their children with developmental disabilities or accept the prevailing notion that their children couldn't be taught.
Today Northwest Center is a leading social enterprise organization whose fundamental purpose is to work for inclusion and justice for people with developmental disabilities. Each program and business we operate not only provides world class education, training and services, but also demonstrates the powerful benefits of people of all abilities learning and working together.
Event details: Seattle Sheraton, Tuesday, October 7, 2014, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
No cost to attend the event, but registration is required. Register online or email events(at)nwcenter(dot)org.
Jean Kantu, Northwest Center, http://www.nwcenter.org, +1 (206) 963-1083, [email protected]
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