WorkSource manager appointed to gubernatorial committee

Dixon will work issues in disabilities, employment

The Washington state workforce just got a little more diverse.

Todd Dixon, operations manager of the state's WorkSource office in Moses Lake, was appointed by Gov. Gary Locke in February to the Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment.

"It's a committee that's been established for over 50 years, and its sole purpose is to provide legislators, the governor and community at large issues affecting people with disabilities, especially issues as it relates to getting people with disabilities into jobs," Dixon explained.

A requirement of the committee is that 51 percent of the membership be people with disabilities, or have a family member with a disability, Dixon said. His son, Jefferey, 16, has cerebral palsy and works at McDonald's in Ephrata.

Dixon said that Jefferey has always wanted to work, and he got to help his son in the process of finding a job and overcoming people's fears about people with disabilities. Dixon said that Jefferey's employer has been accommodating and that it's a good place for him to work.

"My purpose is to help employers understand the value of hiring people with disabilities and help them understand how easy it sometimes is to make accommodations," Dixon said. "People think it's going to be very expensive and very time-consuming; sometimes, the smallest of accommodations can open up doors to people with disabilities."

All employers want to hire from the customer base and have their employees reflect their customers, Dixon said.

"I've found that good employers want to include a diverse population, so when you walk into retail and service, you'll see people of color, you'll see people of different languages and more and more, you'll see people with disabilities," he said. "I think that makes the disability community more aware that, 'Hey, there are opportunities; maybe I could work here,' and 'Hey, this is a good place to shop. There's people with disabilities, they take it serious and I think I'll spend some dollars here.'"

Dixon pointed out that most accommodations are easily taken care of due to the technology that is available.

He said that the new appointment is related to his position at WorkSource.

"My job is to help employers find job seekers," he said. "We are a resource for employers. We get calls all the time about wage, a lot of questions about labor market information — like, if this new employer comes here, what kind of a base do we have?"

As it relates to people with disabilities, WorkSource often gets calls requesting information about the Americans with Disabilities Act or about making accommodations. He also teaches people with disabilities how to do a 60 second commercial.

"We teach every job seeker how to sell themself in one minute or less to make their employer take notice," he said. "People with disabilities need to come out right away marketing the value they have versus the disability."

Dixon's term is for one year, although he hopes to add another two years because he is currently filling someone else's term, he said. He will continue in his position at WorkSource.

For more information regarding needs for individuals with disabilities, Dixon can be contacted at work at 509-766-4105.