At Trillium, we believe inclusive employment grows through partnerships with employers who are willing to make space, recognize potential, and advocate for opportunity.
That is why we are proud to celebrate Little Lights Preschool as the recipient of Trillium’s 2026 Most Active Advocate Employer Award.
This award recognizes an employer that has demonstrated a commitment not only to inclusive employment, but also to advocating for greater awareness and opportunity for people with disabilities in the workplace.
For Little Lights Preschool, inclusion is about more than having a supported employee on the team. It is about recognizing that people with disabilities have valuable skills, abilities, and contributions to bring to their workplaces and communities.
Their partnership with Trillium has helped create an employment opportunity for Chelsea, a supported employee who is an important part of the Little Lights team.
Employer partnerships like this can make a meaningful difference. When businesses and organizations are open to inclusive employment, they help expand opportunities for people with developmental disabilities to participate in the workforce and their communities.
In February 2026, the Little Lights Preschool team traveled to Olympia to receive their award at EAD.
The trip gave us an opportunity to celebrate their commitment to inclusive employment and recognize the people who have helped make this partnership possible.
Pictured are supported employee Chelsea in blue, the two owners of Little Lights Preschool, and Trillium’s assistant program manager Amy.
It was a wonderful moment to recognize the team and celebrate the work happening behind the award.
Being an advocate for inclusive employment can look different from workplace to workplace.
It can mean being willing to consider a candidate’s abilities rather than assumptions about disability. It can mean working with employment professionals to identify the right supports. It can mean creating opportunities for an employee to learn, contribute, and grow.
And sometimes, advocacy means sharing your experience with others.
Employers who embrace inclusive employment have an opportunity to help change the conversation around disability in the workplace. Their experiences can help other employers see that inclusive hiring is possible and that employees with disabilities can be valued members of a team.
Little Lights Preschool demonstrates the importance of that kind of advocacy.
At Trillium, our mission is to promote inclusive community and employment opportunities. We know that this work cannot happen alone.
It takes employers who are willing to participate. It takes employees who bring their skills and talents to the workplace. It takes families, community partners, and employment professionals working together.
Most importantly, it takes a willingness to Equip, Listen, and Improve.
Little Lights Preschool has shown what it means to be part of that effort.
Congratulations to Little Lights Preschool on receiving the 2026 Most Active Advocate Employer Award!
We are grateful for your partnership, your commitment to Chelsea, and your willingness to advocate for inclusive employment.
Thank you for helping demonstrate that when workplaces make room for different abilities, they create stronger connections and more opportunities for everyone.
We are proud to celebrate you and the important role you play in building a more inclusive community.
