Special Emphasis Program ABLE Stresses Empathy and Awareness for People With Disabilities
During October, which is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Exchange Special Emphasis Program ABLE (Able, Believe, Lead, Empower) has been especially active, presenting two lunch-and-learns.
The second lunch-and-learn—featuring the Texas Workforce Commission’s Alison Burns, vocational rehabilitation counselor, and Deb Jones, TWC business relations coordinator, speaking on “Everyday Living” —is scheduled for 11 a.m. Central Time Oct. 27.
But like all the Exchange’s special emphasis programs, ABLE is about a lot more than just one month.
“ABLE is really about helping our associates with established disabilities perform to the best of their abilities within the organization,” says Robert Stutson Jr., director, omnichannel supply chain operations and ABLE’s program manager. “In the past, we have connected associates with programs that can assist them with their specific disabilities. We’ve encouraged associates who have not disclosed their abilities to disclose them, so that the organization can better serve them.”
Stutson has been program manager of ABLE, which has about 120 members, for about two years. Executive Vice President and Chief Logistics Officer Karen Stack, ABLE’s executive champion, asked Stutson to step in.
“Being a disabled Veteran myself, I said, ‘Sure, I’ll help out,’” Stutson said. “I’ve met a lot of great people. I’ve learned that there are a lot of wonderful people who have disabilities that I wasn’t aware of. After speaking with them, I quickly became an ally.”
One of those people, Stutson says, is ABLE assistant program manager Aaron Gadson, an e-Commerce copywriter who has been an ABLE member for four years.
“Our paths never crossed until I got involved with ABLE,” Stutson said. “He has an amazing network of people who support him. Just meeting associates like him and some of the leadership that I’ve had a chance to communicate with has been wonderful.”
Gadson, who arranged the Oct. 20 lunch-and-learn with Mario Stout, a Human Resources specialist at Randolph Air Force Base who is an advocate for people with disabilities, added that empathy and awareness are what ABLE is all about.
“We want people who don’t have disabilities to put themselves in the shoes of the people who do,” Gadson said. “We want to spread awareness for what having a disability means and for the resources that are available.”
Gadson said that for him, getting involved in ABLE was personal.
“I wanted to let people know what resources are available throughout the Exchange,” he said. “Most people, whether they’re associates or not, don’t know what resources are available out there for help.”
Awareness also means having conversations with people so they realize what’s out there, including disabilities that may not be readily visible.
“A lot of people suffer from PTSD,” Stutson said. “That’s an illness you can’t see. Other conditions, like arthritis and chronic pain disorders that people suffer from, aren’t always visible but they have dramatic effects on people’s daily lives and activities. So really it’s about getting folks in front of that information, allowing them to learn how people function with these disabilities, and the things they have to do to cope with disabilities in order for them to live fully functional lives.”
If you’re interested in joining ABLE, contact Stutson at stutsonr@affes.com or Gadson at gadsona@aafes.com. All associates are welcome.
“We always look for advocates and people who are willing to help people with disabilities,” Stutson said. “Just to be an advocate for those who have disabilities and be willing to understand that even though a person has a disability, it does not mean that they cannot fully function within their job role and be successful within the Exchange.”
To learn more about ABLE, click here.
