We love her’: Zion Jellystone Park wins a Utah Golden Key Award with legally blind employee
For 50 years, the Golden Key Awards have honored businesses committed to empowering people with disabilities, and this year, Zion Jellystone Park in Hurricane has taken the spotlight as the Small Employer of the Year.
“It feels really good to win an award like that, especially when you didn’t know one existed,” Zion Jellystone Park Owner Scott Nielsen said.
On Oct. 1, the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation presented its 50th Annual Golden Key Awards at the Disability:IN Utah Summit. Among the attendees were Nielsen and his reservation manager, Karen Summerhays, who is legally blind, proudly representing their team at the ceremony.
“It’s an honor that Jellystone got that award and that I played a part in it,” Summerhays said. “I love that I am able to use this platform now to let everyone know that there are companies out there that will be willing to hire you if you’re disabled. You just have to keep moving forward and don’t allow people to treat you any differently.”
Scott Nielson, owner of Jellystone Park, recalled receiving an email with exciting news: their business had won the award and received an invitation to attend the ceremony in Salt Lake City.
At first, he suspected the email might be a scam. As he dug further, he found out the award stemmed from Summerhays. Her caseworker at Vocational Rehabilitation had nominated Zion Jellystone Park on her behalf.
“She only has 6% eyesight,” Nielsen said. “She’s legally blind. We hired her because she could do the job. We don’t care about the disability. She’s just really sweet and nice and great with people. And that’s a Jellystone theme, you know? Hospitality. And she does the job beautifully.”
Summerhays shared with St. George News that she joined Zion Jellystone Park in February last year, marking the end of a period of unemployment that had lasted since 2016.
Diagnosed at 20 during a routine eye exam, Summerhays lives with a degenerative condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa. This genetic disease affects the rods and cones in the eyes, which transmit visual information to the brain, leading to gradual vision loss that often results in complete blindness. While each person’s experience with the disease progresses uniquely, there is currently no cure, though research is ongoing.
“If you look through a tiny straw, that’s about what I see every day,” she said. “And you know, you just adjust. What else can you do? I do many things differently than others, but I get them done just the same. I didn’t want to give up. I didn’t just want to sit home and be blind and not do anything with my life. I want to contribute to my family, help us succeed and enjoy life.”
Her youngest daughter was diagnosed with the same disease at just 5 years old. Additionally, Summerhays discovered that her mother also has Retinitis Pigmentosa, a diagnosis that came to light in her mother’s 50s.
As Summerhays’s vision deteriorated and other health issues necessitated open-heart surgery in 2020, she was placed on disability. However, she found the funding insufficient to sustain her, so she reached out to Vocational Rehabilitation, which she described as “absolutely amazing” in supporting her journey toward a more fulfilling life.
Understanding the challenges of finding remote work for individuals with disabilities, Summerhays was determined to prove her worth beyond her condition. She enrolled in remote online courses at Utah State University, including a class specifically focused on remote work, which allowed her to enhance her computer skills and knowledge. After earning her certificate of completion in remote work skills, she began her job search.
She submitted her resume and certification for an open position at Zion Jellystone Park, then Summerhays received a call for a phone interview. To her delight, she was hired on the spot, never mentioning her visual impairment during the process. She accomplished a significant amount of work before finally meeting the hiring manager in person.
“I love to help people book and know that they’re going to come here and have an amazing family fun adventure,” she said. “Getting to see them be so happy is amazing. To help be a part of those family memories — that’s what I’m here for, and that’s why I do it. I love what I do. I love who I work for. I love the people I work with. It’s awesome.”
Just before her first in-person meeting with the operations manager, she decided to share that she was visually impaired. He stated that they hadn’t hired her because of her disability; they had hired her for how well she connected with others.
She noted that Vocational Rehabilitation equipped her with everything necessary for her job, including 32-inch computer monitors, a large cursor and headphones. Zion Jellystone Park also provided her with a phone to route calls directly to her home. Her counselor at Voc Rehab, Ellen Owens, nominated the park for the Keystone Award, recognizing how exceptional the company had been to work with.
In addition to serving as the reservation manager, Summerhays trains new hires on the booking process, assists in event planning and takes on a variety of other responsibilities.
“It’s been great for me to work with a company that is so amazing and I’ve never been treated any different,” she said. “They have never said, ‘You can’t do his, you can’t do that’. They’ve given me so much freedom to be who I am and to show them what I can be for them.”
“I hope that I can help people to not give up and to know that life isn’t over just because you have a disability,” she added. “I don’t want to sit around and spend my life learning how to be blind while I can still see. While I have this little vision, I’m going to use it to my full potential.”
She expressed her determination to continue her role at Zion Jellystone Park, even when the time comes that she loses her sight completely.
Golden Key Awards
Disability:IN Utah and USOR partner to help employers connect with skilled workers with disabilities, offering training and resources to aid businesses in improving hiring practices.
By recognizing the talents and contributions of people with disabilities, the Golden Key Awards aims to celebrate and champion the community leaders who are creating a stronger, more dynamic workforce.
“The Golden Key Awards recognize Utahns who are making a real difference in the lives of people with disabilities,” Gov. Spencer J. Cox said in a press release. “People with disabilities bring so much to the table – knowledge, skills, talents and unique experiences. They make Utah’s workforce more creative, inventive and resourceful.”
Nielsen said he looks forward to finding new and inventive ways to hire others with disabilities in the future, aiming to create a more inclusive workplace that leverages diverse talents and perspectives.
“She’s just become part of the family,” Nielsen said. “She’s more than an employee. She’s part of the Jellystone family, and we love her.”
Click here for more information on the awards or to view video presentations on each winner. Visit the Zion Jellystone Park website for more details on the water park and year-round lodging.