By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
Northumberland County council has not only proclaimed May 28-June 3 National AccessAbility Week, it has also honoured three employees with Helping Hands awards.
Council heard about the staffers at Wednesday’s meeting, employees who go above and beyond mere compliance with existing regulations.
Housing Services Supervisor Bill Smith provides service to housing customers in a way that takes their disabilities into account in facilitating accommodations, thinking outside the box to ensure their various needs are acknowledged. He also creates a safe and accessible workplace “that makes employees with disabilities feel valued and reach their full potential,” the proclamation said.
HR Payroll Coordinator Janet Trull provides care and individual support for employees with disabilities who need help to understand and complete payroll and benefit forms with patience and professionalism. “Employees with disabilities have said that she makes them feel valuable and welcomed.”
Trails Coordinator Mike Muldoon has displayed excellence in his work on the design, development and maintenance of the universal trails in the county forest, including the Heritage Trail at the Beagle Club Trailhead, the Carstairs Trail at the Carstairs Trailhead, and the new trail under construction at the Woodland Trailhead. His work includes signage to ensure visitors are aware of such accessible features as slopes, grades and distance measurements. He also won kudos for customer service, “treating all customers in a professional manner and interacting with people with disabilities in a way that respects dignity and independence.”
The proclamation noted that a national accessibility week was first established after Paralympian Rick Hanson’s 1987 Man In Motion world tour. Forty-five years later, Northumberland County is planning a variety of awareness activities to mark the occasion.
This year’s theme is, “Not every disability is visible.”
