“Going the Distance” Event Review: Florida Association for People Supporting Employment
- Jeffrey Snyder
- Nov 12, 2023
- 4 min read
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This past Thursday, I had the honor of attending the 2023 Summit of the Florida Branch of the Association for People Supporting Employment First which was held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton on the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. It was the second straight year that I attended this organization’s employment summit as I had presented last year in Jacksonville, FL with “Man Behind the Curtain” as one of three mini presentations.
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This time, I decided to get attendees into the holiday spirit by presenting a story of neurodiversity through one of the most popular holiday traditions, which is the 1964 tv special, “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.” Now, I’m pretty sure that everyone who celebrates Christmas have seen this stop motion animated special at least one in their lives. But what many people don’t realize is that Rudolph is more than just a story about how the famed red nosed reindeer saved Christmas. It’s a story about diversity, equality and inclusion, something that is often overlooked by those who watched it.
Having grown up on “Rudolph” myself, I look at Rudolph as an adult and I say to myself that he represents neurodiversity in employment through his red nose. Rudolph is like a neurodivergent individual trying to seek employment but is viewed as a liability because of his red nose. The message I tried to get across here is that Rudolph wanting to be accepted for who he is, is a reflection of what goes on in the workplace.
You have developmentally/physically different people who want to work and make a contribution to society but are never given a chance. The truth of the matter is that businesses have to view neurodiversity as an asset and that is represented in Santa Claus himself, who initally wants Rudolph to outgrow his red nose in order to be on the sleigh team come Christmas Eve. In this case, Santa is one of three characters that display traits of inflexibility with the other two being the Head Elf and the Abominable Snow Monster.
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Speaking of which, the other characters I bring up is Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius and the Misfit Toys. Hermey is someone who is taught to believe that because he is an elf, he can only make toys. When he wants to be a dentist, he is frowned upon by the other elves. In fact, my most recent blog was about retail being the only option for neurodivergent/physically different individuals and how that we are more than capable of working in different industries. I get the fact that retail is a popular choice amongst job coaches and advisors, but what if the client wants to try a different approach or follow his or her own passion that doesn’t involve retail work?
That is what is displayed with Hermey the Elf and as for Yukon Cornelius, what I brought up with him is that he demonstrates individuals that display strange behaviors that neurotypical co-workers will often view as an annoyance. When we look at him licking his pickaxe, we see this as a form of stimming while at the same time, the stimming can lead to something that is a life passion or goal.
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The Head Elf and the Abominable Snow Monster are a representation of inflexibility simply because they want things to go their way and that’s not good for businesses and organizations who are trying to build their reputations.
With the Head Elf, it is either his way or the highway. For the Abominable Snow Monster, we see that just because he is high and mighty, he is viewed in a different light. Once he loses all his teeth, we see the Snow Monster drop his inflexibility and it is him dropping that inflexibility that we finally get the fact that he is also someone who is misunderstood or viewed the wrong way…another factor that is often overlooked in business.
Finally, with the Misfit Toys themselves, they come to represent the growing amount of developmentally/physically different individuals that are shunned from getting jobs because of their difference. This is a major issue in the job market right now and is why organizations like APSE are purposed to bring the number down.
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Getting back to the summit itself, one of the highlights was not only seeing some of my friends in the neurodiversity community that live in the Tampa area as well as from the Miami metropolitan area, but also I had the chance to see some of my social media connections on Facebook and LinkedIn in person for the first time. I got to admit, it was very strange to hear people say to me that it is so great to see me in person. Do you ever get that feeling sometimes? But it’s a very rewarding feeling to have met those you follow online at the same time.
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In addition, at the welcome reception on the USF campus the night before the summit, we were treated to a performance from the local theater troupe, the Pyramid Players, who did a renaissance themed performance that sends a message that anyone can live out their dreams of seeking a common life goal or job goal. It may not be the ultimate goals that we seek, but it’s a goal nonetheless.
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All in all, it was important to get the message across that “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” is much more than just a holiday special that should only be watched around the December holidays. Anyone who knows me well knows that I listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas specials at anytime during the year. But when it comes to “Rudolph,” it’s a special that needs to be seen the 364 days of the year because of the message that it teaches.
That is why with “Rudolph” marking it’s 60th Anniversary in 2024, I feel it is necessary that I try to share this presentation with anyone who is in the field of employment to remind them how important this special is. If you or anyone reading this is interested in having me present “Rudolph” to your employment or business organization, reach out to me today because once you see this presentation, you will never view “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” the same way again.
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Catch you all later!!
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