Think Beyond the Label

Congress designates each October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month.  The theme for 2011 is Profit by Investing in Workers with Disabilities. This theme honors the contributions of workers with disabilities, and serves to inform the public that they represent a highly skilled talent pool that can help employers compete in today’s global economy. 

Get Off Your Knees -- The John Robinson Story
Born a congenital amputee, John Robinson has no hands. His arms stop at his elbows. His lower legs are attached to his hips without knees. He is 3’9’’ tall. As a child, John's parents had many worries: Would he be able to go to school? Could he hold a pencil? Could he ever support himself?

Yet, through his remarkable tenacity, talent and faith, John has succeeded in business and in building a family in a way that few may have expected from the outset. In John’s presentation, we get to know a man who has made his way in a world not designed for those without the dexterity of typical arms and legs--a man who has gone on to lead what many would consider an ordinary life. Yet this ordinary life is actually extraordinary when one witnesses the determination required for John to do that which others take for granted, from driving a car to playing a round of golf.

People with disabilities are the nation’s most vulnerable demographic, and the obstacles they face in everyday life can seem overwhelming. John’s inspirational story teaches those of us with and without disabilities that, with the aid of a strong education and a few caring individuals, we can achieve what may initially seem impossible. John’s presentation will inspire all on how to “Get off your knees” and achieve the impossible.  

Leadership and Self-Deception -- A special workshop for the Leaders of Pierre & Ft. Pierre Area
This exciting and insightful workshop by Celeste M. Warner is designed to help all leaders understand one simple but important fact--People respond to who you are BEING, not what you are DOING while you are being it. As we routinely check in with ourselves on who we are BEING in every moment, we can gage the impact we are having on all of our fellow workers. 

The goal of this workshop is help us all understand that we get to choose how we come across to every person in our lives.  Our choices will dictate the power of the contributions we can each have on our community and on our internal and external customers.  Whether you serve as a leader or simply want to understand the impact you have on all of your interpersonal relationships, this is the workshop for you!