New Heights

When Taymor teamed up with Easter Seals, the result was more than a community initiative—it was a powerful reminder of how collaboration can break barriers and open doors to inclusion.

Breaking Barriers Together: How Taymor and Easter Seals are Building a More Inclusive Future

On a crisp morning filled with nervous energy, a group of Taymor employees gathered not in a boardroom, but on a different kind of stage: one set by Easter Seals, a charity devoted to supporting people with disabilities. The mission of the day was clear—raise awareness, build understanding, and most importantly, create connection.

What unfolded wasn’t just another company initiative. It was a story of partnership, vulnerability, and the collective belief that accessibility isn’t a luxury—it’s a right.

A Shared Mission

The video opens with simple but powerful words: “Easter Seals charity supports people with disabilities.” From there, the purpose behind the collaboration between Easter Seals and Taymor begins to shine.

For Taymor employees, this wasn’t just about showing up—it was about showing up with intention. “That’s why I’m here with Taymor and my colleagues,” one participant says, explaining how their role in this initiative was to help increase awareness and visibility for people with disabilities.

Awareness is where change starts, but for Taymor, it’s also about action. As a company that designs products people use every day—like door levers, knobs, and bath hardware—their work touches accessibility directly. Collaborating with Easter Seals wasn’t a marketing tactic; it was an authentic extension of their belief that design should work for everyone.

Stepping Out of Comfort Zones

In the video, there’s a striking moment of honesty: “I watched the training video, I feel like I’m in good hands, but I’m not 100%—I’m at 80.”

That vulnerability captures what makes initiatives like this so important. Creating an inclusive world often means stepping into situations where we don’t feel fully certain. For Taymor employees, joining Easter Seals wasn’t about already knowing all the answers; it was about being willing to learn, listen, and sometimes stumble along the way.

It’s a reminder that inclusion isn’t built on perfection. It’s built on humility—the willingness to admit what you don’t know and the courage to try anyway.

The Human Side of Partnership

The video captures more than policies and programs; it captures people. Laughter, small moments of hesitation, and the genuine joy of connecting shine through.

One participant shares: “Hopefully that doesn’t stop me from doing what I’m doing.” That candid expression reveals the heart of the matter: people want to contribute, but they sometimes worry about making mistakes. Easter Seals creates the safe space where those worries can be set aside, and Taymor’s culture encourages employees to lean into those learning opportunities.

It’s in these human moments that the true value of partnership emerges. Easter Seals provides expertise, lived experience, and guidance. Taymor brings openness, resources, and a platform. Together, they build awareness that stretches beyond one company’s walls and into the broader community.

Why Accessibility Matters in Design

For Taymor, this initiative isn’t a side project—it’s tied directly to their work. Hardware is one of the most touchable aspects of design. Every lever pulled, knob turned, and bar grasped is an interaction between human need and human design.

For people with disabilities, poorly designed or inaccessible hardware isn’t a minor inconvenience—it can be a barrier to independence. That’s why Taymor’s team understands that listening to communities supported by Easter Seals is critical. These insights shape not just empathy but also innovation.

Accessibility in design is about more than compliance with regulations. It’s about dignity. It’s about ensuring that the everyday act of opening a door, reaching for a towel bar, or securing a robe hook doesn’t exclude anyone.

Building Confidence, One Step at a Time

The training and awareness-building that Easter Seals provides isn’t just informative—it’s transformative. Employees who may have walked into the session feeling uncertain walk away with a deeper understanding of how they can make a difference.

One speaker notes: “I feel like I’m in good hands.” That reassurance highlights the importance of guidance and mentorship in the process of learning about inclusion. Easter Seals doesn’t just lecture; they create an environment of trust where participants feel supported as they grow in awareness and action.

The ripple effect of this confidence is powerful. Employees carry it into their daily interactions, their design decisions, and their advocacy outside the workplace.

Beyond Corporate Responsibility

What makes Taymor’s partnership with Easter Seals especially meaningful is that it goes beyond corporate responsibility. This is not a checkbox exercise. It’s not about optics.

The authenticity of the initiative is evident in the voices of employees who admit their vulnerabilities, celebrate their learnings, and commit to doing better. For Taymor, the initiative aligns with a culture rooted in care, craftsmanship, and community. It acknowledges that the company’s role in shaping environments carries a responsibility to ensure those environments are inclusive.

Creating a Culture of Inclusion

Culture is more than words on a mission statement. It’s lived out in actions—who you partner with, what causes you stand behind, and how you treat people both inside and outside the company.

By collaborating with Easter Seals, Taymor isn’t just building inclusive products; they’re nurturing an inclusive mindset. Employees return from initiatives like this with new perspectives. They bring those perspectives into product development meetings, design reviews, and customer conversations. Over time, this builds a culture where inclusion isn’t an afterthought—it’s embedded into the DNA of the company.

A Future Shaped by Collaboration

The Easter Seals video ends as it begins—not with grand statements, but with the voices of real people sharing their journey. And perhaps that’s the most powerful takeaway: inclusion isn’t built in a day, and it isn’t built by one group alone. It’s the result of ongoing collaboration between organizations, communities, and individuals who are willing to step forward.

For Taymor, this partnership is a reminder that design is never neutral. Every decision—from the curve of a lever to the structure of a workplace culture—either includes or excludes. With Easter Seals, they are choosing inclusion.

The story of this collaboration is ultimately a story of possibility. When companies like Taymor commit to learning, listening, and leading alongside organizations like Easter Seals, barriers fall. Doors—literal and metaphorical—open. And in those open doors, a more inclusive future begins to bloom.