501-362-7526 info@maysmission.org 604 Colonial Drive, Heber Springs, Arkansas 72543

Tag: employ the disabled

Some kind words from our friends…

We often get little hand written notes from our donors and people we have helped letting us know how much they appreciate us and thanking us for our service. Sometimes they write the notes on the notepads we mail out to our donors that are printed and assembled by disabled workers here at Mays Mission. We thought we would share some of these kind words from our wonderful friends: To: Mays Mission, Thank you for helping us in our time of need! We appreciate all you have done. We are so impressed with the way Mays Mission has helped not… Read More

Mays Mission is celebrating its fiftieth year!

Mays Mission is celebrating our fiftieth year of serving the disabled in 2022. Our goals at Mays Mission for the Handicapped were set over 50 years ago by our founder, Ewing W. Mays. Ewing W. Mays lost both of his legs, as a young man, in WW II. He spent many months in the hospital. After numerous surgeries and much rehabilitation, he learned how to walk on artificial limbs. He realized that during his time in the hospital not one person with a similar disability had visited him. He decided that he would be the person who would visit those… Read More

Reflection, Celebration and Resolution

A New Year always brings about a time of reflection, celebration and resolution. We think back on the good times and, too, some things we would rather forget and put behind us. One of the bright spots here at Mays Mission is the fact that over half of our production department is people with disabilities. It’s pleasing to see people attempting to make something of their lives when it may be just as easy to sit back in an “easy chair” and do nothing. These people have made the decision to work for a living. It always thrills me to… Read More

Consider Jesus…

Say the word “Christmas” and tell me the first thought that pops into your head. Was it trees, giving, Santa Claus, season, children? If so, do not feel alone. Our culture has changed. What once used to be a sacred, solemn, Christian celebration has turned into a lack-luster “religious” time where merchants cash in on seasonal profits. We have taken Christ out of Christmas by choice. The baby Jesus, born in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes, probably the most humble of beginnings for a king, ranks low on the list when it comes to the focal point of… Read More

Reaching Out

Followers of this website may have noticed some changes recently. We are trying to reach out to more people with the addition of a blog.  Our founder, Ewing W. Mays, started Mays Mission as a way to reach out and raise awareness for people with disabilities, and it’s what we have been doing for over 48 years now. And hopefully as we grow stronger in the online community this will open up new employment opportunities for interested people with disabilities seeking work. Mays Mission for the Handicapped was conceived to offer on the job training and employment to persons with… Read More

Happy New Year!

Another year has passed and some good questions might be “What have we accomplished? Are we better off in any way than we were 365 days ago?  What can we do in the coming year to improve our lives and the way we live?” Better yet, what can we do to improve the lives of others, especially those with disabilities? The dictionary describes an “advocate” as one who publicly supports or suggests an idea, development or way of doing something. Here at Mays Mission, our primary goal is to aid and assist people with disabilities. Yes, putting to work those who may have… Read More

The Greatest Gift

It’s that time of year again – the Christmas season. The brightly colored autumn leaves have fallen to the ground, announcing a time of rest and relaxation for many living things. We’ve stuffed ourselves with juicy Thanksgiving turkey and loads of luscious desserts from our bountiful buffets. People are putting up the Christmas decorations and the malls are calling for us to come and shop. In all the hustle and bustle, let’s not forget the “reason for the season,” the birth of Jesus. He came to us just as foretold by prophets of old (Isaiah 7:14). Without his birth, there… Read More

To Tell or Not To Tell

Are you disabled and unemployed?  Do you have the feeling that if you tell a potential employer about your disability you won’t be hired?  Great news!  Since the inception of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, there has been a lot of progress for the disabled.             Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (the “ADA”), an employer may ask disability-related questions and require medical examinations on an applicant only after the applicant has been given a conditional job offer.  However, employers can ask if you can meet the job requirements before being hired.             Another benefit that… Read More

Seeing Faith in Action

I was at the doctor’s office the other day and I thought to myself that this is taking a long time. I looked across the aisle and noticed two ladies talking to each other. One lady said to the other, “I am so sorry for you missing work to take me to the doctor.” The other lady replied, “Oh that work will be there tomorrow. It’s not running off anywhere and no one else is there to do it, so it’s ok.” I had just witnessed someone taking off work to help a frail, elderly individual. My first thought was:… Read More

Issues with Accessibility

Not long ago, a friend of mine was killed in a terrible motorcycle accident. I had known Randy for nearly twenty years.  He and his wife were wonderful people – fun loving and a joy to be around.  It is always a difficult time saying “goodbye”, as well as trying to comfort a grieving family. To switch gears for just a minute, one would assume that with the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) this summer, access and design of modern buildings would be accessible to all.  But, alas, that is not the case…. Read More

We have only begun our work…

As our founder E.W. Mays said, “We have only begun our work.” Great strides have been made over the past four decades – about the time Mays Mission was founded. We have seen the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and most recently, the Americans with Disabilities Act. Yet statistics show a vast majority of disabled individuals cannot find employment. We feel that most employers meet the disability before they meet the person – that is to say that we, as humans, have a terrible habit of “judging a book by it’s… Read More

Persistence is the key

Over 54 million American citizens are physically disabled which makes them the largest minority in the United States. Two-thirds of these working-age adults are not working, yet the overwhelming majority of them (79%) desire employment. What’s the problem? Why are these people unable to find employment? According to a recent Harris survey, commissioned by the National Organization on Disability, 81% of disabled Americans desiring employment feel that their disability or health problems limit their access to jobs. That is a valid concern. It is up to each individual to analyze and assess their own situation and explore the viable and… Read More

Always room for improvement

Mark Twain once said, “Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting in the face of fear.” When it comes to disabilities, especially the newly injured, fear is definitely a factor in the way people behave. It’s not just the fear of the unknown, it’s also the fear of perception – how will and what will others, my friends, my family and people I meet feel about me? Those born with disabilities often grow up knowing that there’s something “different” about them and often adjust very well because it’s all they have ever known. Yet still, there’s a… Read More

Marie’s Faith in Action pulls her through . . .

About three months ago, I had an unexpected phone call from a person that has been active with Mays Mission for the Handicapped for over fifteen years. It was Marie. She had called us to apologize for not staying in contact.  Marie had just suffered the loss of her brother and a few weeks later she was hospitalized because of a near death experience and God’s grace pulled her through.   I then learned what a special person Marie is. Marie grew up without a family. Over eighteen years ago, she started P.A.V.E. Ministries with her church. P.A.V.E. Ministries is a pen… Read More

The ADA 30 Years Later

July 26, 2020 will mark the 30th anniversary of one of the most dynamic and monumental pieces of legislation for people with disabilities in U.S. history.  On this date in 1990, then president George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA is made up of five separate sections; Title I covers employment, Title II covers public services, Title III covers public transportation, Title IV covers telecommunications and Title V takes on miscellaneous issues.  While the ADA is the most comprehensive example of legislation for and about the 54 million people with disabilities living in the US, still… Read More

Accessibility