Juliann Fitzgerald has gathered an elite task force to run Abilities Diner and Bakery in West Eugene.
Grace Cooley, her front-of-house worker, meticulously takes orders and runs them out to customers at lightning speed. Rob Emery, her head chef, cooks orders to perfection, just the way Abilities customers like them. Victoria Banks seamlessly oscillates between working in the kitchen and the bakery.
All of the workers employed by Fitzgerald also have disabilities.
Cooley has been diagnosed with autism and ADHD. Banks has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and dyslexia. And Emery struggles in a traditional work environment because of his social skills.
However, Fitzgerald doesn’t see these diagnoses as hindrances to her employees’ service. If anything, she sees them as superpowers.
“These are strengths, not weaknesses,” she said. “[Cooley’s] ADHD gives her the energy to run the length of this place, and her autism keeps her focused; she’s just meticulous about every little thing.”