Northwest Center
  • Home
  • About
    • At a Glance
    • News & Publications
    • Education For All
    • Our Blog
  • Services
    • Kids Services
    • Employment Services
    • Corporate Partnership
    • Social Enterprise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Employee Portal
  • Donate
  • Accessibility Tools
  • Home
  • About
    • At a Glance
    • News & Publications
    • Education For All
    • Our Blog
  • Services
    • Kids Services
    • Employment Services
    • Corporate Partnership
    • Social Enterprise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Employee Portal
  • Donate
  • Accessibility Tools

Making Your Workplace More Inclusive for People with Disabilities

2/6/2018

Comments

 
Picture
A growing number of individuals, organizations, and for-profit companies are recognizing the many benefits of a diverse workforce. Studies show that inclusion benefits the entire workplace with better morale, efficiency, and consumer reviews; and we know from over fifty years of first-hand experience that employing people with disabilities is good for business. The strategies outlined below are designed to enhance inclusion in the workplace for employees of all ages and all skill levels. 

Read More
Comments

Charles is Thriving in Inclusive Workforce at Puget Sound Laundry Services

2/2/2018

Comments

 
Picture
Charles (pictured right) is learning new skills at Puget Sound Laundry Services. © 2018 Northwest Center
Charles has spent this year showing his team at Puget Sound Laundry Services he has what it takes to get the job done, and then some! A longtime Northwest Center Employment Services participant, Charles has previously worked in document shredding at American Data Guard, on a supported work team at the Bank of America Building, and in Northwest Center’s Assembly & Packaging division.

Read More
Comments

Mihret is a Top Performer

1/22/2018

Comments

 
Picture
While to some, top performer may seem like a minor achievement, for many people with disabilities their whole lives have passed without ever being recognized for their contribution.
​When a new shift begins, associates clock in and head to “Stand Up,” an area of the warehouse where managers go over daily announcements and celebrate top performers in front of their coworkers. For Mihret, who has worked for just over six months, Stand Up became a goal from day one.
 
Mihret, born in Ethiopia, is deaf yet does not know American or Universal Sign Language.  English is her second language and this makes communication and connection difficult for her. Yet in June 2017, Mihret came into work and saw her name, written in big green letters.  Mihret was awarded top performer.  Two days later, Mihret achieved her goal yet again. In fact, that day, three out of the four top performer awards were given to associates placed by Northwest Center, all with diagnosed disabilities.  

Read More
Comments

A Foot in the Door at Amazon—then Something More

12/4/2017

Comments

 
Picture
​By Richard Solomon, Lead Employment Support Coordinator
“One second.”
​
Conlan holds up a finger and furrows his brow, focused on the screen in front of him. He’s working as a Problem Solver at Amazon’s Prime Now warehouse (UWA1) in Kirkland, a job he found through Northwest Center Employment Services. The warehouse is a hub for Pacific Northwest fulfillment, with a torrent of inventory that gives him plenty to do.

Read More
Comments

The Path to Employment: Golden Hearts Luncheon Raises $60,000 for School-to-Work

12/4/2017

Comments

 
​Our 2017 Golden Hearts Luncheon raised money for a more inclusive working world. Host Dennis Bounds, former King 5 news anchor, kept things lively as he shared success stories like that of Devin, who found his career through Northwest Center School-to-Work. Devin’s story was captured on video and shared at the event by featured speaker Chris Ulmer of Special Books by Special Kids, whose popular videos of conversations with children and adults with disabilities were an event highlight.

Read More
Comments

Another Home-Grown Innovation that Delivers: Partnerships to Benefit the Local Community

12/4/2017

Comments

 
By Gene Boes, President & CEO, Northwest Center
​
Value Village & Northwest Center 
Few regions have seen as much change in recent years as the Pacific Northwest. A technology-driven boom has propelled growth in the Puget Sound region, with Seattle earning the status of fastest-growing city and undisputed construction crane capital in the nation.

Read More
Comments

Stephan

7/7/2017

Comments

 
Picture
​Stephan knows a thing or two about dancing in the rain. An avid hip-hop dancer, Stephan enjoys every day as a Donations Station Attendant for The Big Blue Truck™, no matter if there are sunny skies or some of our Pacific Northwest mist.

While Stephan is a happy, vital member of The Big Blue Truck™ team, it took some trial and error to find the job where he could excel. A member of the School-to-Work (S2W) program, Stephan was actively preparing himself for employment opportunities before he graduated from high school. It took some job coaching and training, but when Stephan saw the people in the Big Blue Truck™ he knew he wanted to join in.

Read More
Comments

Trevor Shares His Journey to Gaining Employment at Northwest Center

7/7/2017

Comments

 
Picture
Trevor Pacelli grew up in Sammamish, Washington and was diagnosed with a form of autism at age 5. As a child, he published drawings in two children’s magazines and illustrated a children's book at age 15, written by his sister Briana Pacelli, “The Kindergarten Adventures of Amazing Grace." an autism awareness book. At 19, he wrote a book in the "Six-Word Lessons" series to help people with autistic children in their families understand how an autistic person really thinks and feels. He is a graduate of Arizona State University in Film and Media Studies. Trevor recently joined the team at Northwest Center in July 2017.

Trevor shares his journey to gaining employment at NWC and his experience with workforce inclusion.

As an individual on the autism spectrum who has gone through several interviews over the years, I could tell you a lot about my long, endless job search. While confidence wavered on when or if I would find a job in key moments of my life, my jobs across the last five years served to teach me plenty of useful skills, as well as some important wisdom about workforce inclusion.

Read More
Comments

For Northwest Center Integrated Facility Services, Cleaning Means Better Business Practices

5/8/2017

Comments

 
Picture
By: Tracee Christie
Writers: Jennifer Owen

 
Tracee, Senior Area Manager at Integrated Facility Services (IFS), has been with Northwest Center for 15 years and knows what it takes to succeed. From working long hours to personally inspecting with her teams the 1.6 million square feet of property she manages; Tracee knows that hard work and proper management leads to successful teams. 

Read More
Comments

Innovation Blossoms in Environments that Embrace Diversity

5/8/2017

Comments

 
Picture
Written by: Wendy Heddrick & Jackie Fountain
Edited by: Jennifer Owen

 
Innovation blossoms in environments that embrace diversity. At Argus, the female-run janitorial service defies the traditional insular, male dominated profession with a workforce largely consisting of women, minorities, and people of all abilities. We sat down with General Manager Jackie and Senior Manager Wendy to learn about their model of inclusive employment and all the strides Argus is making in the Pacific Northwest. 

Read More
Comments

Make It Inclusive: How to Broaden Your Hiring Practices

4/6/2017

Comments

 
Picture
We know that workplaces benefit the more diverse they become, but the number of unemployed people with disabilities highlights how much change is yet to come. If you or your organization are interested in hiring individuals with disabilities, consider the following advice and tips to find the right employee.

Read More
Comments

“Sweeping Up The Stigma”

3/23/2017

Comments

 
Debbie, who manages the janitorial teams responsible for the upkeep of government institutions housed in historic office buildings and modern skyscrapers.
Seattle’s swaths of downtown real estate are looked after by Debbie, who manages the janitorial teams responsible for the upkeep of government institutions housed in historic office buildings and modern skyscrapers.

Read More
Comments

A Match Made in Seattle

1/18/2017

Comments

 
Picture
​Northwest Center Partners with Tech Neighbor to Establish National Model of Inclusion
By Sarah Rothman
Director, Project Inclusion
 
Being located in one of the quickest-growing tech centers in the world, Northwest Center cherishes the opportunity to partner with our forward-thinking neighbors. Our employment team is proud to be working on a sustainable, long-term relationship with one of the largest tech companies in Seattle. Building off of a pilot program in 2015, the long-term objective of the partnership with Northwest Center is to attract and retain a part-time driven and diverse workforce. By developing an inclusive, broad staffing network, we are placing people with disabilities who are looking for part-time opportunities in independent, competitive employment.


Read More
Comments

Pushing Boundaries

1/18/2017

Comments

 
Picture
​Expanding Inclusive Work Environments Across County Lines
By Taryn Farley
Manager, Employment Services
 
2016 was a year of growth throughout all Northwest Center departments. Taryn Farley and Alex Diseth, the Community Employment Services Managers, assumed full leadership of the job development team in August with goals geared towards long-term growth. Both managers have worked at Northwest Center for nearly five years and have experience in the disability field beyond their tenure at Northwest Center. Taryn and Alex have their eyes set on staff retention through quality training aimed towards getting more people into jobs!

​With new leadership and a growing team, we are poised to increase our existing services in King County and are now certified to expand our services statewide. Our first order of business is to begin expansion into the adjacent counties of Snohomish, Pierce and Kitsap. Expansion efforts have already begun in Snohomish County, with relationships being built out of the Lynnwood Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Office. ​


Read More
Comments

Continuing Successes

1/18/2017

Comments

 
Picture
​Celebrating a Year of Inclusive Work
By Lindsay MacCary
Manager, School-To-Work
 
Looking back on 2016, the School-to-Work team is proud to reflect upon a successful year! In 2016 our team of four employment consultants served 22 students from schools spanning King County, all the while diligently collaborating with students, teachers, families and other members of support networks on the journey to best understand students’ strengths, interests and support needs.

Read More
Comments

Brandon Keeps Seattle Icon Sparkling

12/8/2016

Comments

 
Picture
More than a century old, Starbucks Center (formerly the Sears, Roebuck & Co. building) is a buzzing hub of retail, office, warehousing, and manufacturing activities. Each day, thousands of Seattleites drive by the iconic building, now home to one of the world’s most iconic brands. And behind the scenes of this two million square-foot, 17-acre operation is Brandon, who prides himself on keeping the facility as beautiful as it has been for the past 100 years.

Read More
Comments

Angelica and Steven Shine at Brown & Brown Insurance

11/21/2016

Comments

 
Picture
Angelica and Steven, seated, with colleagues (left to right) Suzie Darst, Kelly Agan, Naomi Takata, and Tracy Johnson
The employees at Brown & Brown Insurance would like you to throw out any preconceived notions about working with people who have a developmental disability.

“You might automatically assume that, because they have a disability, that they’re unable to do the job,” says Account Executive Suzie Darst. “Out the window!” she exclaims. “Totally not the case. Not at all.”

She knows, because she’s worked with two colleagues hired through Northwest Center: Angelica, who works as an administrative assistant and manages the Brown & Brown Facebook page; and Steven, a young man with degrees in both English and Computer Science, who was hired to build the company’s website.

Read More
Comments

Zach Makes New Connections and Takes on New Responsibilities at Northwestern Mutual - Bellevue

11/11/2016

Comments

 
Picture
​Last year, Luke Madsen, Managing Director at Northwestern Mutual Bellevue, was impressed when Zach asked for more work to do in his job as data entry assistant. Well, Zach got his wish: he now tracks the daily activity of an entire fleet of insurance advisors.

“I help the first- or second-year financial advisors keep track of the people they call,” Zach explains.
“In our business, you have to make a certain number of phone calls, you need to meet with a certain number of people,” says Luke. “Zach has a system that he plugs all the information into.”

Read More
Comments

The Electronetics Problem-Solver: If Lawrence Doesn't Have the Right Tool for the Job, He Makes His Own

5/22/2016

Comments

 
Picture
You could call him MacGyver. Like the early ’90s TV character, 19-year-old Lawrence has made innovative, time-saving tools out of household objects like empty soup cans and AA batteries ever since he was a child. But instead of thwarting secret plots against the US Government, Lawrence uses his skills to solve business problems for his employers at Electronetics, LLC.

Read More
Comments

One Year Later: Larissa Lands Her Dream Job

5/22/2016

Comments

 
Picture
For some, it can take a lifetime. But for Larissa, finding the job of her dreams came just a year after joining the workforce.

“I. Love. This. Job. I’ve loved it ever since my first volunteering day,” she says, seated in a classroom at the Easter Seals Washington Child Development Center. It’s a place Larissa has volunteered for six years because she loves working with kids, but where she officially became an employee in July. She’s now a support teacher at Easter Seals Washington, assisting classroom leads with supervising and attending to the children’s daily activities.

Read More
Comments

From Work Challenges to Fitness Goals, Tevin does the Heavy Lifting

5/22/2016

Comments

 
Picture
He benches 400 pounds and has his eye on the world record. He spends his weekends at church teaching kids about personal health, and his work week at the Pacific Science Center gaining job skills. He’s got a big heart and even bigger aspirations for his future.

His name is Tevin, and two years ago, he called himself “a shy guy” with a speech impediment and a goal to one day become a full-time personal trainer. These days, he’s quite comfortable speaking to the large crowds who attend movies at the Pacific Science Center’s IMAX Theater or shows at the Laser Dome, and his progress toward personal training certification is right on track.

Read More
Comments

With School to Work, Jacob Finds a Job & and a Sense of Pride

5/22/2016

Comments

 
Picture
Jacob is more than just an employee at Cafe 50, a restaurant and coffee shop on the Microsoft campus; he’s an Ambassador. The job title is printed on his uniform apron, and he points to it proudly.

“He has a huge sense of pride,” says his mother Jeanette. “It’s his first real, paying job. He has a uniform. He’s treated like just another member of the team.”

Jacob got his job busing trays and tidying tables at Cafe 50 through School to Work, a program where Northwest Center works with students in King County graduating from their high school transition program, helping them find a place in the workforce. According to Northwest Center Transition Services Manager Melanie Cates, both Microsoft and Compass Group, the company that manages the cafe, have greatly boosted their inclusive hiring efforts.

Read More
Comments

Writing his own story: Craig celebrates 10 years at the King County Library

5/21/2016

Comments

 
Picture
Sitting at Craig’s work station is a small notebook, filled with dates and numbers dating back to 2005. Craig, a page assistant at the King County Library System’s Shoreline branch, has kept a tally of his productivity during every shift for nearly a decade -- making note of how many books he is able to assess and shelve during his three-hour shifts. Today, he has re-shelved 411 books -- nearly one book every 20 seconds.

Read More
Comments
Forward>>

    Our Blog

    We're passionate about equal rights and full inclusion for people with disabilities. Please share and subscribe!

    Categories

    All
    Announcement
    Articles
    Autism
    Back To Work
    Business
    Campaigns
    CEO Letter
    Early Intervention
    Early Supports
    Employment
    Employment Services
    Events
    History
    Kids
    Media
    News
    Stories

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    August 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016

    Picture
LEARN MORE
About Us
Our Enterprises
Career
Blog

News
Contact Us
SERVICES
Early Supports
Early Learning
Transition Services
Supported Employment
Job Development
​
NWC Businesses
DONATE
Financial Gifts
Donate Clothing
Donate Vehicle
Events
Partnerships
INFORMATION
Sponsorship
Executive Team
Our Board

Annual Report
Publications
Privacy Policy
​
Premera MRF
The Big Blue Truck 
Big Blue Truck Icon and Donate Button

Picture of CARF Logo
CARF has accredited Northwest Center for its Employment Services
1119 SW 7th Street, Renton, WA 98057 | 206.285.9140
© 2021 Northwest Center
Northwest Center is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization. Tax ID 91-0786790
​
Certain employment services and programs and social enterprise activities are offered through Northwest Center Services, the sister organization of Northwest Center.