SEPTEMBER 23, 2008 - VCU Brown Bag

Transcript Provided By:Caption First, Inc.


   >>  HOWARD GREEN:  Good morning.  I'm Howard Green.  Welcome 
to VCU RRTC's Brownbag series on research in action.  We have 
learned over the past several years that work supports are 
important to ensuring success for workers with disabilities.  
It's also important for all workers who are working in 
business.  These supports can be initiated by government, by 
business, and by employees themselves. 
   
   VCU has several studies that documents that businesses have 
learned that by making accommodations and providing workplace 
supports, it is good for business.  Technology has allowed 
businesses to start thinking about workers with disabilities 
in a whole new way.  You are about to see a short 15-minute 
presentation from a company who has taken technology and their 
employees to new heights. 
   
   They are beginning to address employment of people with 
disabilities in new ways.  That company is Walgreens.  Many of 
the companies we have learned from are companies like 
Walgreens.  Many of the outcomes we have learned from the VCU 
from of research can be found in Walgreens' model.  They have 
implemented a successful employment model with people with 
disabilities.  Other companies are using Walgreens' model and 
experience and wisdom to create similar programs to assist 
people disabilities in the workplace. 
   
   The success has been a great example of a public/private 
partnership as well as exploring new uses for job supports, 
such as workplace accommodations, on-site job coaches, and 
helping to increase worker productivity and helping with job 
retention.  But as you will see from this video, you will 
learn that a diverse and integrated work force is a powerful 
work force.  Walgreens has learned that lesson.
    
   We asked Randy Lewis, the vice-president of distribution 
centers in Walgreens, to share a few words about their model, 
and he will share with you wisdom and outcomes they have 
achieved since opening up their new distribution center in 
Anderson, South Carolina. 
   
   I toured the distribution center back in June.  I can tell 
you it is the real deal. We hope you enjoy the presentation.  
And we want to thank Randy Lewis, Deb Russell and all the fine 
folks at Walgreens for helping us and sharing their 
experiences and their wisdom and their success.  We hope you 
enjoy it and we look forward to you posting your comments on 
the web board.  Thank you so much. 
   
   >> RANDY LEWIS:  Our idea to hire large numbers of persons 
with disabilities into our distribution centers began to take 
shape in 2005.  What follows is a speech I gave that year to 
an audience of more than 5,000 Walgreens store managers about 
that initiative.

   Although a few details of the plan have changed, the goals 
and strategy have not. 

   What I'm here this morning to talk about is our new 
distribution center we are building in South Carolina that is 
under construction now, and why it's important to us as a 
company, and why it's important even beyond the borders of our 
company.  It's going to be different on the inside too. 

   When we looked at this distribution center and this type of 
automation we can put in, our traditional approach is to make 
it more interesting for folks like you and I. 

   But this time we decided to take a little different 
approach.  Instead of making it more interesting for folks 
like us, why don't we take it and use it to enable a group of 
people who would not otherwise be able to hold down a job?  By 
that, I'm talking about those with disabilities. 

   Severe disabilities, like mental retardation, autism, all 
types of physical disabilities.  So that is our plan in this 
center.  We are going to hire 600 people, and 200 of those are 
with very severe disabilities. 

   Professionals tell us that they know of no other company 
that has ever done this, that this is unprecedented.  So it's 
going to look different.  It's going to be a little different.  
It's taught us a lot about our systems. 

   For example, you saw that technology about the way the 
computer works with the person.  We had to change that.  For 
instance, this is a screen that we use today in our centers 
for that de-trash operation you saw.  It has about 14 function 
keys on it.  It's got, it tells you when to start, or not when 
to start; you can't tell.  Well, guess what?  We got rid of 
the keyboards, replaced those with touch screens.  That is 
what the current screen looks like today, when to do it, how 
to do the job.  Which screen would you rather have and work 
with?  And guess what we discovered?  This makes it better for 
everyone. 

   Now, why employees are disabled, in each of our distribution 
centers we have limited experience with the disabled.  We 
probably have from 5 to 20 people in each one of our centers.  
I was talking to one of our distribution center managers, 
Keith, about how is it to work with people with disabilities? 

   He said, Randy, it's really great, because here is a group 
of people who come to work every day with a smile on their 
face.  They go straight to work.  They focus on the task to be 
done.  They don't worry what Bob said to them or how Sally 
looked at them.  When they leave, they leave with a smile.  
Hiring the disabled is a smart thing to do. 

   Let me tell you another reason, a more personal reason.  I 
have three children.  Each of those is a blessing.  My middle 
son, Austin, is autistic.  He has been a special blessing.  
He's taught me to celebrate the little victories.  He's taught 
me an infinite amount of patience, and taught me to look past 
the obvious to see a wonderful young man, who loves school, 
never holds a grudge, loves Walgreens and American Airlines, 
and if you ever get a chance to talk to him, he will be glad 
to talk to you about it.
    
   But make no mistake.  He has a terrible disability.  He 
reads about the fourth grade level.  He's never had a group of 
friends to play with.  He will never marry.  If he is like 75 
percent of the adult disabled, or 95 percent of autistics, he 
will never be offered a job. 
   
   We learned that disabilities play no favorites; traditional 
parents, single parents, rich people, poor people.  And I have 
learned this.  As a parent of a disabled child, we all share 
the same wish:  To live one day longer than our child.  Just 
one day. 
   
   I've watched these kids grow up in the school system, 
children with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism, all 
kinds of different disabilities, and watched them move through 
the school system.  What happens for most of these kids, they 
hit 21 and they are booted out of the school system and have 
to fend for themselves, against those who are much better 
prepared. 

   As a parent, and as an employer, I know this to be true.  
They are unlikely able to drive, or may have limited access to 
transportation.  They may not be as adaptable as we would like 
them to be or as flexible.  They may have limits on hours.  
They may not learn the way we are used to teaching.  They 
unlikely interview well and may even look different. 

   Walgreens, one of the top 50 companies in the United States, 
177,000 of us.  If Walgreens can't do something, who can?  If 
we can't, who can?  They await us to discover their gifts.  
They await us to harness their abilities.  They await us to 
value their contribution. 

   Margaret Meade, a noted anthropologist, once said, and this 
is one of my favorite quotes:  "Never doubt that a group of 
committed citizens working together can change the world.  
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

   And no doubt, we face lots of challenges.  How we will 
develop the tools to be able to evaluate and screen, how we 
will select people.  Where we will find them, because most 
have given up.  How we will define the jobs.  Pay, fairness.  
We are committed to the success of this.  For the past three 
years, over 100 men and women, full time, have worked together 
in Romania, in Germany, in Austria, and the United States, and 
India, to make this happen. 

   And as we progress, we will share our tools and our learning 
across our company.  And when we are finished, we will open 
the doors to the world, to share our lessons and experiences. 

   But the work is not yet done.  And this is going to require 
the work of many hands.  These hands are our hands.  These 
hands are your hands.  And these are the hands that may very 
well change the world. 

   History and hope.  History tells us that things will be what 
they have always been.  And the disabled will live at the 
margins of society, and never hold down a job. 
   But hope tells us that one day, we will seek out their 
gifts, and welcome them as our own. 

   >>  In 2007 we opened the distribution center in Anderson, 
South Carolina.  Since it opened, the percentage of persons 
with disabilities in the work force there has been above our 
goal of 33 percent.  And they work in all departments. 

   The actual experiences of Anderson showed us although we 
thought it was new technology that would make it possible, 
it's only part of the story.  This is an old story, a tale of 
sorts, about war-torn Europe and times of scarcity.  And a 
soldier comes into town asking for food.  And he is turned 
away at every door.  No, we don't have any. 

   After knocking on a lot of doors and being turned away, he 
says, makes an announcement in the town square:  No problem.  
I'll make stone soup.  He asked for a large pot in which to 
prepare the soup.  They give up this pot.  He gathers all his 
firewood and starts the fire, and the water boiling in the 
center.  People get kind of curious and they come and watch 
him. 

   After it comes to a boil, he pulls the stone out of his 
pocket and dips it into, throws it into the water and says, 
this is going to be great soup! As a matter of fact, there is 
going to be enough for the whole village and I want to share 
some.  I'm glad you are here with me.  After a bit, he takes a 
little sip of it and tastes it and says, this is going to be 
the best soup ever.  I think it's going to be perfect today.  
The only thing that would make it a little better, if we had 
just a touch of cabbage. 

   One of the villagers says, I think I can find some of that, 
and disappears and comes back with a bit of cabbage and adds 
it to the soup.  He tastes it a while later and says perhaps 
if we had some onions.  I think that would add the spice and 
make this perfect.  Somebody goes, gets onions.  You can 
imagine it goes on and on, tomatoes and celery and all the 
other parts of the soup, and even a bit of beef.  In the end, 
he pulls the stone out, and shares the soup with everybody.  
And for us, the technology was the stone.  It wasn't the soup.  
It was everybody working together.  It was the belief that we 
could make it happen that made the soup, and made Anderson a 
reality; not the technology. 

   What follows is a film we made in Anderson, after we had 
been open for a while.  And what better person to tell a story 
than those who actually experienced it?  Because what we found 
that surprised us, certainly we knew we would have an impact 
on those who had disabilities, who might not otherwise be 
employed.  We expected good things to happen from that.  But 
what was unexpected and what is overwhelming is the positive 
impact it has had on everyone, including those without 
disabilities. 

   But again, who better to tell that story than those people 
who work this every day in the Anderson DC. 
   (Music)
   >>  Has nothing to do with people with disabilities or no 
disabilities.  You have to treat everybody the way you would 
like to be treated. 
   >>  They have to treat you right.  They treat me right out 
here. 
   >>  It's different here.  Everybody is real nice.  Cool 
about it.  They understand. 
   >>  I love this job.  I figure it would be something I want 
to do. 
   >>  I'm at home here more than other places. 
   >>  This isn't about charity.  We didn't lower any 
performance standards.  Every team member is expected to 
perform at the same high level; same pay, same performance, 
side by side. 
   >>  I said, mom and dad, I want to work at Walgreens.  This 
is what I wanted.  That is where my heart was.  And since I 
come over here, I have fell in love with this place.  I 
wouldn't trade this place for nothing. 
   >>  You learn, I learn from this person.  I need to take 
things from them.  I may be the manager, but I'm learning here 
from my team members. 
   >>  He walks and talks in just a more positive way.  I know 
that he is going to make it now. 
   >>  If you want to be a productive adult, this is where it 
starts at.  You can make a life here at Walgreens.  You can 
retire at Walgreens.  Every parent with a child, with a 
special need or autism, their hope is outlive their child by 
one day.  I don't have that fear anymore.  I don't have that, 
feel like I have to outlive him by one day anymore. 
   >>  Of course, given a chance, for a lot of people with 
special needs, like I said, basically come out, strive, be 
their own person and not feel like they are held down by 
anything. 
   >>  You are around people with all kind of different things 
here.  Kind of like a melting pot.  Everybody comes together 
and doesn't matter what is wrong with you. 
   >>  He said this is my first check and I took it home.  He 
said my mother looked at it, and she started crying.  Why do 
you think she did that?  Says I don't know, I don't know. 
   But I knew.  You know. 
   >>  I like the job because of the people I work with, and 
the friends that I've made. 
   >>  Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursday and Friday. 
   >>  I think he understands now the difference between the 
workweek and the weekend. 
   >>  Being happy, is not a crime to be happy during the day.  
Kind of nice. 
   >>  The fact that he gets up every morning, and he gets on 
that van, without mom taking him, and he gets here okay and 
walks in the door and he knows where he is supposed to go.  He 
knows what his job is.  He knows he has done it well, and he 
comes home and feels good about himself every day. 
   >>  The surprising thing is we started out wanting to change 
the workplace.  We found out we were the ones who were 
changed. 
   >>  It's taught me more patience in my job responsibilities 
here working with all team members, as far as learning my own 
patience, and it's kind of retaught me and maybe rethink the 
way I do things as far as my own family and kids and so forth 
now. 
   >>  If we don't have each other now, it's a sad world.  That 
is what Walgreens did.  We are all here to help each other.
 
   >>  They are doing things they never dreamed they would be 
able to do, but you know what?  They are also doing things 
they never dreamed they would be given the opportunity to do.  
That's the most impressive thing to me as an individual, is 
that Walgreens is again extending that opportunity.  And 
that's precious. ******