THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 20, 1996 TAG: 9603190115
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Business
SOURCE: BY ALLISON T. WILLIAMS, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: CARROLLTON LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
Finding a job is just one more barrier for a disabled person to overcome.
But Tim and Anna Burns, owners of Hired Hands & Associates, have helped dozens of people with handicapping conditions move past that obstacle into successful, productive lives.
The Burnses run Hired Hands, an employment service for disabled people, from their Carrollton home. The couple started the firm in 1989 while living in New York and continued the business after moving to Virginia in 1991.
``Working is important for everybody ... because so much of our identity is related to what we do for a living,'' Anna Burns said. ``And it is the same for a disabled person as it is for anyone else.
``But for a disabled person ... who has had to overcome a lot of barriers, employment is a way of showing he can contribute to society.''
One of 86 such firms in the state, Hired Hands' clients normally are referred by the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services.
Initially, the Burnses meet with the client and try to determine his or her needs, interests and abilities. With that information, the couple then taps into its constantly growing network of businesses and companies across Hampton Roads that have either hired disabled people or helped hire disabled people.
The Burnses scout around for job leads that match each client's assessment, set up interview appointments and accompany clients on the interviews. If the client is hired, a Hired Hands employee will come in and train the client, staying on hand as long as necessary.
``Both parties (the client and business) know that if there are any problems, all they have to do is call and we will be there to resolve any issue,'' Anna Burns said. ``A lot of companies (who have used our service) are sold on the program because of the support we offer.''
Hired Hands got its start in 1989, when both Anna and Tim resigned from their positions at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square. Tim was the hotel's human resources manager when Anna was hired in 1985 as an administrative assistant/sign language interpreter to launch the Marriott's new pilot employment program: hiring deaf employees.
The program proved to be an overwhelming success for the Marriott flagship hotel. It started with just five deaf housekeepers; by 1989, the hotel had more than 50 deaf painters, carpenters, housekeepers and janitors on its staff.
That's when the couple realized the market was ripe for services that would help find employment for people with all sorts of handicapping conditions - seeing, hearing, learning disabilities or the debilitating results of an accident.
``We realized how much potential there was to devise a program that would help disabled people find jobs,'' Anna said. ``Before we moved to Virginia, we researched the area ... and found there were many people with disabilities needing our employment services here.''
That need is continuing to grow today, she said.
Hired Hands is now serving clients from all over Hampton Roads. In addition, the company has talked with the Department of Rehabilitative Services about the possibility of expanding their services into the Richmond, Roanoke and Emporia areas in coming months. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Tim and Anna Burns are the owners of Hired Hands & Associates, which
they operate from their home in Carrollton.
by CNB