Dairy Queen at Crossing Place currently has 22 employees and 7-10 have some type of disability. Employees have learning disabilities, autism, cognitive disabilities, and hearing impairments. Employees with disabilities clean, work directly with customers, and make products. Some team members with disabilities have moved up to management level. General Manager, Shawn Beck states, “I enjoy working with all employees to find their abilities and work with them to be the best they can be.”
Shawn has provided accommodations such as flexible scheduling, written instructions, verbal instructions, guided learning and pairing individuals with a work partner. Shawn has been the General Manager since February, but the store had a long-standing relationship with LifeScape and other organizations to employ individuals with disabilities.
Dairy Queen has cleaning positions available from 7:00-10:00 AM on weekdays and Saturdays. There is also an open night-time team member position. People can apply online at www.fourteenfoods.com by clicking the employment tab and finding their location at 5001 S. Crossing Place. If people with disabilities need assistance with applying, they can come in for a paper application and receive assistance.
When asked about the benefits of employing people with disabilities, Shawn says, “People with disabilities are fun and amazing people to work with. They are really hard working to make sure they do their best.”
