Meet Antavon
You know a supermarket delivers on its pledge to provide friendly and helpful service when its customers ask for staff by name. Such is the case with Antavon Robinson, a cashier at the Giant supermarket in Chevy Chase, Maryland. When Antavon is on shift, regular patrons purposely seek his aisle out.
This is partly because Antavon is skilled at scanning items accurately and gets customers through the line quickly, something especially important during the lunchtime rush given the store’s location near several busy office buildings. But it’s also due to his friendly personality and service with a smile.
Antavon, who has cerebral palsy, has been on staff at the store for almost four years. He started out gathering carts and baskets in the parking lot and was promoted to cashier in 2008. He doesn’t require any accommodations to perform his job; however, other people with cerebral palsy might have a need for them. Examples of such accommodations include modifying workstation design; using assistive technology or telephone devices; allowing extra time to complete tasks; and maintaining unobstructed pathways and accessible parking and restrooms.
According to the store manager, Antavon is a model employee who requires very little in the way of supervision. Antavon is proud of this and advises young people with cerebral palsy, or any disability, to also take pride in their skills at school and work. “You can achieve your goals. You just have to keep trying. You can do anything anyone else can do,” he says. And what are Antavon’s goals for the future? “To just keep working,” something his employer and customers are glad to hear.
- For information about job accommodations for people with cerebral palsy, see JAN’s A to Z of Disabilities. To see and read about other people with disabilities in their workplaces, return to JAN’s Homepage.