ABLE!: How One Company's Extraordinary Workforce Changed the Way We Look at Disability Today

  • 5h 12m
  • Nancy Henderson
  • Perseus Books, L.L.C.
  • 2005

In a time when companies are outsourcing abroad, Habitat International, a Tennessee-based carpet manufacturer, has managed to achieve superior levels of productivity at home, often two to three times greater than its competition. Habitat’s business has grown enormously, with much of its new business coming from work outsourced to them by competitors who could not come close to matching its productivity.

Habitat’s secret: they hire the people no one else will.

At Habitat three of every four workers have a physical or mental disability. They earn normal wages and are cross-trained on every job. They work harder, with less supervision, lower turnover and an unparalleled level of loyalty. The challenges have been significant; the rewards extraordinary.

This is Habitat’s story. It’s a powerful and moving tale of personal courage, deep commitment and challenging expectations. It’s a story of success and personal triumph. It’ll change the way you think about business … and the people around you.

About the Author

Nancy Henderson Wurst has written for Family Circle, The New York Times, Parade, and Women's Day. She has won two Print Journalism Equality, Dignity, and Independence Awards from Easter Seals.

In this Book

  • ABLE!─How One Company’s Extraordinary Workforce Changed the Way We Look at Disability Today
  • Foreword
  • Preface
  • Imagine . . . Being Able
  • Author’s Preface
  • An Able Workforce
  • The Test
  • “Why Can’t We Hire More People Like This?”
  • Bucking the System
  • Terry: The Love Builder
  • What Were We Thinking?
  • Martin: Mr. Determined
  • We Are Family
  • Lonnie: The Encourager
  • David and the Goliaths
  • Daniel: Man of Courage
  • Doing Well By Doing Good
  • Sharon: Cinderella
  • Leading By Example
  • Carl: The Company Grandpa
  • Love Is Contagious
  • The Habitat Advantage: Why the Company’s Unconventional Workers Outproduce the Competition
  • You Can Do This Too
  • Epilogue
  • The Journey Continues
  • Are We Ready and Willing?
  • Showing the Benefits of Work for People with Disabilities and for the Employers Who Hire Them
  • Dwelling in Possibility
  • Alice in Wonderland
  • Inspiring Life without Limits through Employment Opportunities
  • Character Building─Imperative to a Successful Workplace
  • The Biopsychosocial Dimensions of Being Able!
  • Serving Jacob’s Best Interests
  • A Father’s View
  • Interview with Stephen Boston
  • Dinner with Seth
  • Second Chance
  • Bibliography
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