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In recognition of the important role people with disabilities play in a diverse and inclusive American workforce, NSWC Philadelphia Division recognizes Jorge Flores - a logistics management specialist for the Logistics Product Readiness Branch at NSWCPD.
Observed annually in October, National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities past and present and showcases supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices. The theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) 2022 is “Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.”
Flores attended the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) in Washington, D.C. and earned a certificate in computer operation from Camden County College and a certificate in computer aided drafting (CAD) from the Technical Institute of Camden County.
Born in Puerto Rico, he started as a summer intern at NSWCPD and strived to work his way up through the organization to where he is now – in a logistics management role.
Flores’s responsibilities are to provide inventory, database support or financial support through analysis of technical equipment data and documents associated with prescribed Navy processes in support of NSWCPD.
He described his current position as similar to a person who writes the manual that describes how to operate and maintain a bicycle. Only he does it for complex Navy ships.
Flores serves as a member of the Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) Reference Desk Team. The Reference Desk serves as an entry point for In-Service Engineering Agents (ISEAs), Alteration Installation Team (AIT) & Program Managers, and anyone in the tech community seeking logistics support by providing assistance in searching & downloading drawings, Allowance Parts Lists (APLs), Technical Manuals (TMs), and Planned Maintenance Systems (PMS) documentation, providing Ship Change Documents (SCDs) and ILS Cert assistance, provisioning and supply support help, as well as running general configuration reports and performing research on small projects.
His journey has not always been easy. He has faced many obstacles, but continually strives to improve his work environment so future Deaf employees can more easily integrate into the workforce – establishing a better network for access to interpreters, improving the visual alert system in buildings, and setting up video phone technology are just a few of the improvements he has influenced.
“Puerto Rico was not a great place to grow up as a deaf kid. My father was a true inspiration for me though. He knew that I could and would succeed in life and he put everything in motion that led to that very success,” Flores said.
His father worked as a courier in Puerto Rico, shuttling documents from the bank to lawyers offices via motorcycle. His mother was a homemaker.
“My dad searched all over the country looking for Deaf programs and schools for children. Finally, when I was five years old; together with my siblings; our family relocated to Philadelphia. I was enrolled in an elementary school for Deaf kids,” Flores said.
“My parents only learned a little bit of sign language because they were busy taking care of the family, not to mention that English was not their native language. We communicated with body language and gestures. Fortunately, my sister learned Signed Exact English (SEE) and Pidgin Signed English (PSE) and we could communicate in an actual language. We became very close. Still are, in fact,” Flores said.
An elementary teacher recognized his ability to learn, and recommended that he should move to Washington, D.C. for better educational opportunities.
“Both my mother and father were elated, as they encouraged me to progress and succeed in every endeavor along life’s journey,” Flores said, excited for this opportunity. “So, when I was 15, they enrolled me into the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD). I am still very grateful to this very day - because I flourished there.”
Flores who joined NSWCPD in 1990, was the first deaf person to be hired by the Philadelphia Division.
“Most people here have never worked with a Deaf person,” Flores said, adding that trying to make the interaction between the Deaf and hearing as relaxed and normal as possible is always the goal. He noted that there is a tendency for people to want to talk to the interpreter instead of the Deaf person.
Flores’s primary communication language is American Sign Language (ASL).
“It’s polite to look at the Deaf person you are speaking with, just like you are speaking to someone who can hear you,” he advised.
When asked about inspiring others, Flores said, “Don’t focus on anything but your passions. Follow your heart. Follow your interests and skill sets, and just like my father said to me; you will be successful!”
NSWCPD employs approximately 2,800 civilian engineers, scientists, technicians, and support personnel. The NSWCPD team does the research and development, test and evaluation, acquisition support, and in-service and logistics engineering for the non-nuclear machinery, ship machinery systems, and related equipment and material for Navy surface ships and submarines. NSWCPD is also the lead organization providing cybersecurity for all ship systems.
| Date Taken: | 10.06.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2022 11:47 |
| Story ID: | 430788 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 157 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NSWC Philadelphia Division Disability Month Spotlights Logistics Management Specialist, Jorge Flores, by Gary Ell, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
United States Navy
