There are no “first day on the job” jitters for program participant Doreen A, just unbridled enthusiasm as she speaks of starting her first day of work at Canon U.S.A.

Doreen is the newest member of the Avenues/Canon “team” which includes eight program participants from Avenues work program. Their day starts out much in the ordinary way, commuting to Canon’s refurbishing center in the western suburb of Hanover Park. According to Avenues Job Placement Coach Calvin Keyes, “It’s your typical ride into the office’ a cup of coffee or two, some packed lunches and a few backpacks carrying the necessities for a work day.”

Avenues relationship with Canon began in 1996 when Canon employees and several program participants began to share some leisure time activities. It was not long before members of the Avenues work program were offered jobs at the company’s Consumer Products Return Center. Initially the return unit was a small part of Canon’s operation, where two program participants sorted and cleaned items such as camera straps and instructional booklets. Today, thanks in part to the skills of Avenues workers, the center has grown substantially and according to Joe Warren, a member of the Avenues Board of Directors and Director and Assistant General Manager at Canon, the unit continues to expand. In the last year the center has saved Canon approximately $1.73 million on goods returned. Currently, Avenues employees sort and refurbish more than 280,000 product accessories annually including camcorders, copiers, calculators, cameras and their respective accessories, The refurbished items are then marketed to distributors for resale.

Many of the positions at Canon require an advanced level of skill, and program participants eagerly embrace the challenges of training. For David R., who has a hearing impairment, communication poses no problem with the help of his job coach and the support of Canon staff. When David was promoted to a position of disassembling cameras, part of the job required discharging the unit’s electronic components. Normally, the camera would sound a beep when it was safe to disassemble. David was not able to hear the beep so a Canon staffer quickly stepped in to help out, creating a device that used a flash to signal that the unit held no residual charge.

According to Warren, while minor adjustments and considerations are made for Avenues personnel, no special treatment is given in terms of employees pulling their own weight.

Warren is quick to point out that this is a business relationship which benefit both program participants and Canon. He extols the virtue of the work program and is an advocate for other businesses to consider employing individuals with disabilities. “It’s a win-win situation,” says Warren.

For Doreen, the challenges that Canon provides open up a world of opportunities. While providing an essential service for Canon, Doreen  most importantly gains a greater sense of self-confidence, satisfaction and independence from a job well done.

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Click here to view the interview with Canon General Manager, Joseph Warren on the value that 
the people of Avenues to Independence have brought to the Canon work force
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