People with Disabilities Help Broadview Networks Keep Pace with Growth

Submitted by Lynn U. Berman

Joe Eckhoff, Inventory Manager, at Broadview Networks’ Farmingdale warehouse has issued a challenge.

He will put up his team's six workers with developmental disabilities versus six individuals without disabilities, and he guarantees that after 90 days of processing and programming phones, his team will be more productive. How is he so certain? “They can’t maintain the productivity level of my team,” Eckhoff said. “Unlike my team, they will lose focus after they have proven they can do the job. After the 3rd month, they will be borderline productive. At that point, you would be looking to replace folks or they would leave.”

Eckhoff relies on The Corporate Source, a YAI network member, to fill Broadview Networks’ staffing needs. He hired five of the workers on Oct. 5, 2007, and another in 2008 and there’s no sign of anyone losing interest in the job. Last year they processed an average 2,300 phones per month. Through June of this year that figure has jumped to an average of 3,200.

Until 2014, long-term productivity increased 10-15 percent annually, Eckhoff said. This year that figure jumped to 20-25 percent.

The two most common reasonable accommodations that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities require to be successful in the workplace are more time to learn the tasks of the job and on-site job coaching support.

By providing job coaches for extra support, the workers always know they have someone who can help them.

“This job is very important to them,” said Molly Ryan, a YAI job coach. “It’s the center of their lives. They take pride in the job.”

Joe tells the workers to approach the job as if they were playing golf. “You’re not competing against the others, you’re competing with yourself,” he said.

So as the workers begin to wind down their shift, it’s not unusual to hear them yell out “75, 68 or 65,” the number of phones they processed, programmed and packed that day.

“It’s all about teamwork,” said Martin Eilenberg, 44, who proudly announces he has worked on 30 phones in about 90 minutes. Sometimes, when the warehouse gets very busy, Eilenberg says “it can get a little stressful” But, he adds, “We all step it up. I’m good under pressure.”

All the workers acknowledge that they enjoy working among friends. “The best part is I get along with everyone,” added Howard Strum, 56.

Howard recalled his struggle to remember the different IP addresses for Broadview’s Teleworker phones, which allow customers to work remotely, while office calls are forwarded to their phone and they can dial extensions as if they were in the office. Three workers are assigned to the 11-step process to program the phone and load the IP address. The workers have memorized 10 of the 11 addresses.

“Initially, we were debating if they could do this task,” Eckhoff recalled. “I remember saying, ‘if you can give me step-by-step, consistent instructions, they can do it.’”

“216.214.55.5” is just one of the IP addresses Strum recites with ease. Today, he’s one of two workers on the job five days a week. On Friday, he and Martin processed a large 150-phone order. “We got it done,” Strum said.

One challenge for Strum is getting to work on time. He relies on a shared para transit bus service for people with disabilities, to get to the job, but he frequently arrives late. “I’m thinking about learning to drive,” he said. “Right now I’m learning the road signs.”