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Reviews of Books, Computer Software, and Multimedia |
 | Introduction |
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Able! is a thought-provoking book that chronicles a free-spirited entrepreneur's long journey through triumphs, pitfalls, initial and ongoing challenges, and various frustrating bureaucratic mazes associated with hiring people with a disability. It describes how Habitat International, a "company of positive distractions," became a role model for corporations across the United States. Able! shares heartwarming individual success stories of workers who refused to be stereotyped, tackles real-life issues that surround hiring an individual with a disability, provides advice and concrete tips for entrepreneurs wanting to set up a hiring program for people with disabilities, and encourages readers to reflect on their own personal level of comfort, preconceived ideas, and stereotypical misconceptions about people with a disability.
Able! is a "must-have" for any physical therapist who cares for people with disabilities, educators who want to expose students to the issues of cultural diversity and the various challenges that a person with a disability encounters, and administrators who want to improve corporate profitability. It should be required reading in every physical therapist professional education program, and it would be an excellent resource for social workers, human resource directors, and CEOs.
The preface provides Habitat's message for the world: "Give people with disabilities a chance in the workplace, they will pay you back with loyalty, unsurpassed productivity, and most of all, lessons in human goodness and love." Almost all of the 70 employees of Habitat have either a physical or mental disability or both, they earn normal wages (not the usual $1–$2 state programs generate), they have higher production rates than the industry standard, there is practically no absenteeism and very little turnover, and there are minimal attitudinal problems. In addition, each worker is cross-trained on every task and frequently outperforms coworkers who do not have a disability.
The book begins by explaining how the term "disabled" can be misleading. It also states that prejudice and misconceptions about hiring a person with a disability still exist despite mainstreaming, more sensitive attitudes, and greater exposure to people from different cultures and walks of life. The physical and mental issues surrounding the employment of a person with a disability are discussed next, in the chapter titled "An Able Workforce."
The focus of the second chapter is on how Habitat identifies and sets individual goals, such as building and increasing each worker's mental and physical stamina in the workplace, teaching and learning new job skills, boosting self-esteem, and becoming productive members of society. Medicare, Medicaid, and transportation issues are discussed. The idea that something as simple as a paycheck can provide the validation of a lifetime and the proof that individuals with a disability have waited for their whole lives is reinforced to readers in chapter 4, "Bucking the System."
The example in chapter 5, in which individuals with disabilities are employed and work at Habitat for a vocational work grade, is worth noting. This case is one of the few times that physical therapy is mentioned in the book; however, it highlights the role the physical therapist had in integrating the family into the treatment rehabilitation process.
Other chapters focus on the Habitat as a functioning, successful business. Chapter 17, for instance, presents the no-thrills business facts about Habitat's high productivity rate and the reasons behind it. Habitat's management philosophy of fewer supervisors and commitment to cross-training employees also is discussed. Other chapters cover Habitat's restructuring of corporate hiring practices and the continued challenges associated with outside entities' stereotypical "pigeonholing" of people with a disability, and limitations imposed by social service groups, medical professionals, and parents. It addresses, in-depth, how Habitat adapted its equipment, environment, and scheduling to meet the needs of its employees with disabilities while simultaneously applying various motivational techniques.
Several chapters are dedicated to specific people with a disability, the challenges that they and their family have encountered, their success at Habitat, and information on their specific disabilities (ie, Down syndrome, schizophrenia, traumatic brain injuries, stroke, mental retardation). Although the chapters provide some good background, the depth of information is inadequate, especially for health care professionals.
A series of humorous anecdotes illustrate the family-like environment and the leisure time camaraderie that Habitat and its employees have created. Although this feature of the book is not strong on traditional evidence, it brings to light the importance of "family" in the workplace, valuing everyone's ideas, being genuine without judging or being judged, flourishing under adversity, and appreciating the efforts of others. One other concept illustrated is the notion that the real disabilities aren't found in the imperfect bodies of the "distracted" workers, but rather in the hearts of the so-called "normal" or "able-bodied" individuals. Most importantly, the book notes that more education and advocacy is needed in both the community and society in general to increase awareness of what is available for people who need assistance in finding gainful employment and achieving their true potential.
The epilogue contains an open letter from David Morris, CEO of Habitat, in which he calls for compassion and urges employers to let go of their fear of taking a risk and preconceived notions and hire individuals, not labels or categories. He encourages the reader to substitute the word "abled" for "disabled" and see what happens. Morris' last bit of advice for the reader is to "give someone a chance and watch him exceed your highest expectations."
Although the book does not use any photos, graphs, charts, or figures, it is extremely well organized. Most of the information for this book came from personal interviews; however, it does contain a bibliography that substantiates the facts and figures provided in the various chapters. In conclusion, Able! is a story that will change the way you think about human interactions, respect for differences, business, and the people who you once considered to be disabled.
Arizona School of Health Sciences
Mesa, AZ
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