Last night, we participated in the our town of Olathe’s Community Human Relations and Accessible Awards program. This is an annual event designed to celebrate businesses, civic organizations, and individuals who have made significant contributions to enhance human rights, equality, cultural diversity and the pursuit of disability inclusiveness. In 2013, Rachel won the City of Olathe’s Youth Accessibility award. Her award was based largely on her role in “Just Like You – Down Syndrome” and her legislative advocacy.

This year, we nominated the Olive Garden of Olathe, and they were selected. In case you missed it, you can read Rachel’s employment story in this link “America’s Workforce Includes Rachel.” Rachel worked at the Olive Garden during her gap semester in the fall of 2018 and returned to work there when she came home from college over the summer. She will also work a few shifts at Christmas. Since Rachel is home from college for fall break, it worked out perfectly for her to be able to attend the awards program and present the award to the Olive Garden.

The goal of today’s blog is for you to grasp the importance of meaningful, competitive employment for people with Down syndrome and other disabilities. I will illustrate this by sharing Rachel’s speech presenting the Community Service Award “In recognition of your dedication and meritorious service of helping people with disabilities and special needs in the City of Olathe” to her “family” and “friends” at the Olive Garden.

“Welcome to the Olathe Access Ability Awards. 

My name is Rachel and I will be your hostess for the business award.

Some people call me the Hostess with the Mostest.

I love eating at the Olive Garden.

I told the manager I wanted to work there. 

He told me to apply and he thought I would be great hostess.

I applied.  They called me for an interview.

Guess what? ……..They hired me to be a hostess.

I was very excited to get to work in the community and to earn money like my friends.

It is also fun to have my own money to add to my ABLE Account for my pink house.

When I went through training one of the stories was about a little girl with Down syndrome.

That was cool to see that someone with Down syndrome like me was very important to the Olive Garden.

I love to smile and make people happy.

One of the best things about working at the Olive Garden is getting to greet my friends and make new friends.

Sometimes people tell me they come to see me working because they have a child with Down syndrome, and I am a role model.  

Olive Garden understands it is important to have diversity in the workplace.

I am not the only person working there who has a disability.

Everyone needs help sometimes and the team at the Olive Garden support each other.  

It makes my heart happy to present this award to the Olive Garden of Olathe for being an inclusive employer and showing customers and team members that people with all kinds of abilities are a valuable part of the team and the community.  

Congratulations. “

If you want, you can watch the YouTube video Olive Garden Receives Community Inclusion Award. As she sometimes does when she is passionate or excited about something, she went a little rogue in her speech. For time purposes, we cut some of that from the video post. It is an understatement to say she was excited to give the Olive Garden an award. You may not catch it, but one of the things that really stood out to me was when she said that when she went to work at the Olive Garden they told her “we are family.” She repeated that several times last night.

There is dignity in work. Meaningful, competitive, integrated, inclusive employment is important. You may not believe me, but surely you must believe Rachel!