welcome to working together!
We are a coalition of Maine businesses seeking to expand the employment of people with disabilities. We believe doing so will benefit our businesses and the economic future of Maine. We want Maine businesses to work together to share information that supports our efforts to diversify our workplaces. This website is one step in that direction.
latest news
Katherine McCarey
- Our 2nd Annual Working Together Symposium was held October 30th in Freeport - sponsored by Bangor Hydro!
The keynote speaker was Katherine McCary, Vice President, SunTrust Banks, and Chair of the US Business Leadsership Network.
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Photos and other information on this Symposium will be posted here soon.
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View a video (8 minutes long) about SunTrust's efforts to create an inclusive workforce here.
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And read details and view photos from last year's inaugural event here.
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Working Together e-News
- Working Together e-News launched! Our Working Together business network e-Newsletter, a quarterly update about integrating people with disabilities into your workforce, was launched on July 17, 2008. Go here to read the latest issue
- Results of the Working Together Member Survey are in!. If we missed you and you would like to take the survey, go here.
For more news go here to our News Archive >>
partner profile: annie/catherine
Annie Darling (left) and Catherine Breer (right)
of annie/catherine
Annie Darling knew Daniel Winship for years through family connections. "In the summer of 2006, Danny asked if we might have some part-time work for him," recalls Catherine. "He had tried to break into the illustration market with little success, in large part because of the fact that he is deaf." The company hired Danny on a part-time basis. Later, Annie and Catherine learned that the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, part of the Maine Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, might be able to help the company employ him on a more permanent basis.
"Deciding to hire Danny had absolutely nothing to do with his disability," says Catherine. "In fact, we feel uncomfortable with the label of 'disabled' in regard to Danny." She admits that communicating with Danny, who is profoundly deaf and does not read lips, was a bit of an issue at first as she didn't know any sign language and Annie's sign language was rudimentary. "Gradually, we began to learn how to communicate and it quickly became clear that Danny's assets far exceeded any difficulties that might arise from communication issues. He is motivated, driven, ambitious, talented and reliable."
The company has employed Danny on a permanent, part-time basis with assistance from the state since October, 2007. Catherine and Annie say they hope to employ him full-time without assistance by the end of 2008.
Currently, Danny is the company's only employee. He manages the warehouse and oversees all packing and shipping. He also does illustration and design work for annie/catherine's greeting card line. "Basically, Danny does much of the same work that Annie and I do," Catherine says. "Because we are a small company, we all have to wear many hats."
Both Catherine and Annie have made progress learning American Sign Language (ASL). "In the beginning, I had some trepidation about communicating with Danny," remembers Catherine. "But, those fears were soon dispelled as I learned basic ASL. When we first hired Danny he and I would write a lot of notes back and forth to communicate. As I learned more ASL, suddenly, one day, we didn't write notes anymore. I hadn't thought of myself as knowing much sign language, but clearly our communication had progressed to another level."
Catherine says that because Danny is deaf, his other senses are highly developed. "He is very observant visually," she explains. "This has been a great asset to our business. I would encourage others to think of what a person with a disability might add to a company because of their disability."
In closing, Catherine shared some advice for other employers interested in employing a more diverse workforce that includes people with a disability: "If you can just step out of your comfort zone and get to know another person, you will be surprised at how easy it can be to develop a great working relationship, regardless of the other person's 'disability.' And, honestly, their disability might really be so insignificant compared to their other 'abilities' if you just take a chance to find out what those abilities might be. So, take a chance, learn something new, your business will thrive as a result and you will be a better person because of it!"
To learn more about annie/catherine, their products and business philosophy visit: www.anniecatherine.com.
Go here to read about our past Partner Profiles. >>