Toyota Mississippi and The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services have recently joined forces

Toyota Mississippi and The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services have recently joined forces for a Vocational Rehabilitation partnership, and neither are looking back. “Toyota opened their doors to us from the beginning, giving us the chance to share our message, so in turn they could understand our mission and truly believe in what we stand for,” shares Tracy Hester, Northern Regional Manager for AbilityWorks at MDRS. Currently, Toyota employs three MDRS clients with disabilities. MDRS Office of Vocational Rehabilitation assisted in recommending accommodations for Toyota to help set the individuals up for success in their job placements. “Toyota’s name is synonymous with success and doing things right and their dedication to continuous improvement is clear,” states Heather Collums, Program Coordinator for Business Relations at MDRS.

Aaron Foster, Vice President of Manufacturing at Toyota Mississippi, shares, “When you find a partner that shares your vision, motivation, and commitment, everything falls into place. MDRS was that partner. We felt a responsibility to give back and knew there was an untapped workforce out there. MDRS not only understood this but came to the table with collaboration and resources. We couldn’t be more pleased.”

“We learned about the concept of kaizen, the Japanese philosophy of improvement. Their culture is all about asking, ‘How can we make this better for everyone?’ It’s inspiring and makes working with them easy,” adds Heather.

Despite having one arm, Toby Mayhall, an MDRS client working in Toyota’s Body Weld Department, is well able to keep up with the demands of his role. After losing his arm at age three in a lawnmower accident, his family taught him to see himself not as limited but as capable. “It’s amazing to have a job I can depend on, just as they rely on me. The sky’s the limit—I don’t plan on stopping.”

“Learning to ride a bike was a lesson in resilience,” says Toby. “My family would tell me to keep going until I got it right. Every time I fell, they told me to get back up and go again. There was never any ‘maybe you can’t’—only ‘you will do it.’”

Toby’s MDRS Vocational Rehabilitation counselor, Amanda Moore, shares, “He’s surprising upper management that might have misinterpreted his abilities as well, because they might not be familiar with the disability. And in Toby’s eyes, he doesn’t have a disability. And that’s my goal as a counselor. In advocating for anybody, for any of my clients I just ask everyone to not focus on the disability, but look at their abilities, because they can do a lot more than what you think, if you just give them time.”

Aaron adds, “Toby was unique. We had experience with employees with hearing impairments, but Toby presented a different challenge. We didn’t want him restricted to one role; we wanted him to have a rotation like everyone else. Some tasks require both hands, but our team, with MDRS, found ways to make it work. It’s moving to see how our team listened, supported, and created tools so Toby could work seamlessly.” Michael Hudson, Group Leader in Toyota’s Talent Development, describes Toby as “a motivated and consistent team member who shows up every day ready to give his best.”

Another MDRS client, Collin Ellzy, who has been deaf since birth, expresses his appreciation for Toyota’s inclusivity. “Everyone here has been patient with me, and most people understand me. I can voice a bit and use pen and paper or gestures to communicate. It’s how we connect, and it works well.” Collin feels grateful for his role at Toyota. “This is a fantastic company—a Fortune 500 company with great people, teams, and resources. I’m truly thankful for all the support that helped me get here.”

Michael Hudson notes, “Collin’s group leader wishes he had ten more like him. He’s focused, excellent at his job, and always eager to learn.”

A third MDRS client Degentry Jenkins, and a rocker operator, uses text messaging to communicate with his team. “It’s a deaf-friendly environment, absolutely. We text to stay in touch, and that keeps communication clear with my team, managers, and coworkers. My team lead doesn’t sign but is great at texting, so we have no issues.” Degentry was born deaf due to his mother contracting measles during pregnancy, and he appreciates his team’s efforts to learn about him and communicate effectively.

In response to Degentry’s reliability, Harry Jackson, Group Leader in Production Control at Toyota, states, “His attention to detail and dedication to doing his job right makes him an outstanding employee.”

“When Collin and DeGentry tell others in the deaf community that they work at Toyota, or when they go into a store and their shirt says their name with the Toyota symbol, it just makes them feel like they made it,” Amanda adds. “Working at Toyota, in their eyes, is big time. You’ve made it somewhere. You are somebody. When the deaf community gets together, and when they see that, and they know that they work there, it gives them hope. But also, it gives them confidence that they can find a workplace that won’t discriminate against them as well.”

Reflecting on the impact of this partnership, Aaron shares, “Of all I’ve done here since day one, this is where we truly start changing lives. It takes many people to make this happen, and I’m immensely proud of our team and leaders. They accept everyone, helping them grow just like anyone else, and that’s why I love working at Toyota Mississippi.”

The Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services is a state agency that provides resources to help Mississippians with disabilities find new careers, live more independently, overcome obstacles, and face new challenges. Our employees are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of the people we serve. If you are a business looking for assistance in meeting staffing needs, or an individual with a disability in need of accommodations for your career goals, visit to learn more or call 1-800-443-1000 to speak to someone about a service listed on our website.

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