WINDMILLS

A Shattering Attitudinal Barriers Training Experience

An interactive seminar that will EXPAND your thinking
and VASTLY improve your life and the lives of those around you!

In 1981, the California Governor’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped (Governor’s Committee) identified employers’ attitudes and misconceptions as major barriers to increasing the employment rate of people with disabilities. With the support of an EDD and CETA grant, the Governor’s Committee developed the concept for WINDMILLS.

WINDMILLS was from the very beginning, and remains to this day, a program to shatter attitudinal barriers. Since its inception, the Governor’s Committee has overseen several revisions that have modified WINDMILLS to reflect the most current language, laws, technology and social trends that relate to the culture of disability. As of May of 2006, we are pleased to announce that the third complete revision is available.

Goals and Objectives

WINDMILLS has a proven twenty-two year history of assisting those with and without a disability to better understand the culture of disability in the workplace. It is best defined as an employer-employee training tool designed to shatter attitudinal barriers. It does so by offering 10 interactive modules between the participants and a professional trainer. Although there are ten modules, training sessions may vary to include any one, several or all of the modules in one or a series of workshops. The overall concept of WINDMILLS is to:  

• Build a spirit of Teamwork •
• Reduce human relationship differences •
• Present a better understanding of legal concerns •
and workplace accommodation issues •
• Lower lost time costs •
• Increase communications •
• Create a pathway for conflict resolution •

Who is Using WINDMILLS?

As an employee-employer awareness program, WINDMILLS has expanded from a Human Resources and Administrators program to include:

• Corporate Career Service Personnel •
• Service and frontline employees •
• Government agencies •
• Campus Faculty-Staff and Students •
• Non-profit and associations •

Others include Corporate Managers • Association Members • Academic Staff, Faculty and Students •  Government Employees • Hospitality and Service Frontline and Management. Let us know how you use WINDMILLS so we can add it to our list.

How Is WINDMILLS Implemented?

WINDMILLS most effectively is implemented by a professional trainer who is well-schooled in the concept of WINDMILLS, has excellent communication skills, and who has a disability. It is imperative that the trainer be well-versed in the delivery of the module approach.  

The key to a successful training experience depends greatly on the trainer. We are pleased to be part of a nationwide network of professionals who are well-versed in the WINDMILLS program and are the best of the best trainers. It is imperative that a qualified individual administer the training. Contact our office... trainers and guidance on how to establish a professionally administered Disability Awareness Program.

WINDMILLS Featured in Major Study

Most recently, WINDMILLS was highlighted in a report in the American Journal of Rehabilitation. The article was the result of a fourteen-year study on attitude and the barriers for employment and advancement of people with disabilities in the workplace.

The WINDMILLS Training Kit

Although several different combinations of kits can be purchased, the complete package includes:

• Hard covered WINDMILLS binder with division tabs
• Hardcopy printout of the WINDMILLS Training Manual.
• Introductory handbook with the overall philosophies of WINDMILLS and section of goals, objectives and description of each module
• A set of four CD’s packaged in a single box that holds all of the CD’s. One CD is a Microsoft Word file of each of the manual sections and three CD’s are an oral discussion of each module by Richard Pimentel, one of the original authors of WINDMILLS 
• A set of the Empathy Cards to accompany the Empathy Module  

What’s Included in the Manual

The WINDMILLS Disability Training program comes with the Manual. Pending your choice of kits, the Manual comes in a hardcopy and/or a CD format.

 •           A 12 Week sequential checklist on how to prepare for a training program
 •           Sample situations and solutions of job accommodation concerns
 •           A list and description of resource videos and films
 •           A guide to Acceptable Terminology 
 •           A guide to Acceptable Etiquette
 •           An overview of disability legislation starting with the ADA
 •           An extensive list of resources that cover the following areas:
             •      Employment
                     •     Major Federal offices with contact information
                     •     Each state’s Governor’s Committee
                     •     Each state’s Vocational Rehabilitation Office and related
                           supportive programs
     ·               •     Making Facilities Readily Accessible
     ·               •     Organizational contacts for specific disabilities