KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Special needs adults from Orlando’s Primrose Center experienced firsthand what it takes to work in the hospitality industry during an immersive training day at Gaylord Palms Resort, thanks to the nonprofit organization, Inn-Clusivity.
The program, designed to create employment opportunities for intellectually diverse adults, provided participants with hands-on experience in various hotel operations, from housekeeping to banquet services.
Primrose Center, which has been serving Central Florida since 1952, supports more than 300 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties. The organization’s partnership with Inn-Clusivity represents a significant step toward expanding employment opportunities for its clients.
“These individuals can do just as great a job as anybody else,” said Mike Schugt, Inn-Clusivity founder. “But it takes work and it takes these types of immersions getting hotels on board, getting people on board to make the change that needs to happen.”
Richard Caines, Gaylord Palms banquet manager, who led the tour on his day off, highlighted the resort’s commitment to inclusive employment practices. The facility currently employs several special needs adults on its staff.
“Just to see the excitement on everyone’s face when they walked into the building. It’s exactly what I had when I walked into this building,” Caines said. “And introducing the jobs that they could possibly have if they worked here and see that they could actually do those.”
Participants learned essential hospitality skills, including bellman duties, housekeeping procedures, and convention room setup. They also engaged in hands-on activities such as table arrangements and dessert decoration.
The enthusiasm among participants was evident as they explored various aspects of hotel operations. Several expressed interest in specific areas, from room service and bed-making to food service and customer relations.
Inn-Clusivity’s initiative aligns with Primrose Center’s mission of empowering individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to achieve greater independence and enhance their productivity through meaningful employment opportunities. The program represents a growing movement within the hospitality industry to create more inclusive workplaces while addressing staffing needs through untapped talent pools.